GadgTecs: Premier Science & Technology News, Services (Technews)

Google Has Patented A New Wearable That Can Draw Blood

Amna

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December 13, 2015

Google Has Patented A New Wearable That Can Draw Blood

The new wearable from Google may assist diabetics easily monitor their blood glucose levels and include a variety of different health-centric features. The Mountain View-based search giant has filed a patent for a wearable that enables it to take samples of your blood with out using any needles.

The patent in question reveals that the gadget first sends an “abrupt surge” of gas into a cylindrical container which consists of a micro-particle, then punctures the skin to acquire a small drop of blood. “Such an application might be used to draw a small quantity of blood, for instance, for a glucose check,” the patent explains. The patent was granted on 3rd December 2015, and was applied for back in May 2014.

Google Wearable Draw Blood Patent US20150342509 — Source: Google

At the moment, diabetics are required to use a finger prick to draw blood & use a glucose meter multiple times a day to measure their blood sugar levels. A number of handsets in the current pool of Android Wear smartwatches and other health trackers provide the ability to observe heart rate and in addition sport sensors for monitoring fitness, nevertheless, the addition of a “needle-free blood draw” capability may significantly improve the usability of the gadget.

“Consequently, very small diameter needles or lancets (the needle in a glucose testing device) may be considered advantageous for purposes at least of comfort of the patient. In practice, small piercing components might be built-in in small, hand-portable implements that can be utilized by a healthcare practitioner, or even the patient, to collect a small sample of the affected person’s blood and provide it to a lab for testing.”

Google, as you can imagine, has remained tight lipped in regards to the matter, and has offered the following boilerplate statement (via The Verge). “We hold patents on a wide range of concepts – a few of these concepts later mature into actual services or products, some do not. Potential product announcements shouldn’t necessarily be inferred from our patents.”

The patent ties in nicely with a recent report citing the ex-Head of Life Sciences at Google, Andy Conrad (now heading of the newly-formed Life Sciences company at Alphabet), to say Google is working on a medical-grade wristband. At the time, Conrad mentioned the wearable like others available in the market would have the ability to measure heart rate and pulse of the person, however with minute-to-minute updates. Moreover, the gadget would also measure skin temperature on a minute-by-minute basis and will also deliver external data such as sun exposure. These attributes make it more suited to health-monitoring than common wearables available in the market. “Our intended use is for this to become a medical device that is prescribed to patients or used for clinical trials,” Conrad stated.

World’s First Washable Smartphone

Amna

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December 8, 2015

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With regards to smartphones, cellular companies race to give you distinctive and latest designs. From waterproofing to fingerprint scanners to triple-SIM support, these improvements are making its way out to the market. As for Japanese electronics firm Kyocera and Japanese telecommunications operator KDDI, their newest enterprise is releasing the world’s first washable and soap-proof cellphone dubbed called the Digno Rafre.

According to a report by GSM Arena, the brand new smartphone is made to withstand scorching water at forty three degrees. Which means that throughout winter, customers may give their gadget a pleasant, warm bath. And since it’s IP58 certified, the Digno Rafre is protected against limited dust ingress and lengthy time period immersion up to a specified pressure.

Read more at the original source: Latest Gadgets – The world’s first washable phone

Simple Tips To Solve Common DNS Issues

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Amna

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December 8, 2015

0

We can’t emphasize enough on the importance of Domain Name System (DNS) with the internet. It’s a backbone of the whole system, which is responsible for matching domain names to the right IP addresses. If the DNS goes down, it’s impossible to access most websites or internet, depends on the scope of the issue.

Sometimes, DNS errors will happen on your computer, due to DNS servers timed out. But you can easily avoid DNS errors on your computer or device by using another DNS service, instead of the default DNS addresses.

Basically, when you set up an internet connection on your computer or router without any specific DNS address, it will automatically pull DNS information from your ISP (internet service provider). And somehow if these DNS servers timed out, then you will not able to access any websites or internet. In this article, we will tell you a few simple tips that will help you to fix common DNS issues on your computer. These tips are verified by many users and they work.

How To Solve Common DNS Issues?

As we mentioned above, due to problems with your default DNS server addresses, you are unable access to the internet. If you want to fix DNS errors, you must replace the default DNS addresses with another, like Google’s DNS or OpenDNS. Sometimes, the default DNS server address, which is automatically pulled from ISP (internet service provider), is timed out and can’t do its job, which is to translate domain names to correct IP addresses. In this case, DNS services like Google’s DNS or OpenDNS are very good options.

How To Change Default DNS Server IP Address?

In order to change the default DNS server IP address, go to Start > Control Panel > Select “Network and Sharing Center”. On the left side, click on the “Change adapter settings” link to open current network connection.

In the next step, right click on the current network connection that you are using and select Properties. Scroll down and click on the “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” option. After that, set DNS server under DNS server addresses section, as in the picture below.

Your computer is now using Google’s DNS server with following DNS server addresses: 8.8.8.8 – 8.8.4.4. If you want to use OpenDNS, instead of Google’s DNS, use the following addresses: 208.67.222.222 – 208.67.220.220.

If DNS errors are related to your computer, you should go to Windows Services, find the DNS Server service and restart it. In the next step, try to clear all DNS cache on your computer by using the command: ipconfig /flushdns on the Command Prompt, accessible by typing ‘cmd’ in Start > Run.

There is an built-in tool in Windows called Diagnostic Tool, which will help you scan and detect DNS errors, and will automatically try to fix it. You can access this feature when you lose internet connection due to DNS problems.

Fix DNS Errors With Command Prompt

When your computer connects to the internet, it will automatically pull DNS information from your ISP or a DNS service, depends on your configuration. But if your computer gets corrupted or expired DNS information, then you will not able to use the internet.

In order to fix DNS problems in this case, use two following commands in Command Prompt to solve the problem. This step also helps you to fix many other related DNS errors, including “DNS Server Not Responding Error”.

First, open Command Prompt program by clicking on Start > Run > type “cmd.exe” to open the application. In the next step, type “ipconfig /renew”, and press Enter. Next, type “ipconfig /release” and press Enter again.

I hope this article can help you fix most popular DNS errors that might appear on your computer. If you have any question about DNS errors, feel free to ask by leaving your comment below.

This Week In Technology: 27th November – 4th December 2015

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Amna

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December 5, 2015

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This Week In Technology: 27th November – 4th December 2015

This week in technology: AI programs, driverless F1, Samsung VR, Robotics, Touchable holograms and quick charge

The New Cheapest Computer In The World – $5

Amna

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November 26, 2015

7

The New Cheapest Computer In The World – $5

Some months ago, you might have previously read about the $9 C.H.I.P, world’s cheapest computer, that was made by a company called Next Thing. Well, last week, C.H.I.P lost that title to the Raspberry Pi Zero, the new cheapest computer in the world.

raspberry pi zero - 9g — Source: Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Last week, the latest issue of a computer magazine known as The MagPi was released, and as a world’s first, this magazine comes with a free pc—literally stuck to the cover. It is the latest Raspberry Pi release, weighing only 9 grams, known as Pi Zero. It also goes on sale worldwide for only $5.

Pi Zero is a tiny gadget and contains the first generation Raspberry Pi’s BCM2835 chip, safely overclocked to 1GHz. Pi Zero packs the same GPU as the regular Raspberry Pi and comes with 512MB RAM. It runs Linux and runs all the applications and programs any other Pi will—including Python, Sonic Pi, Java, an internet browser, and way more. You can run a media center, use if for teaching programming, or embed it in a project—and it fits in your palm! The specs of the previous record holder, the CHIP were also similar: It had a 1GHz Allwinner R8 Cortex A8 processor with a built-in Mali400 GPU, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of flash storage [missing in the Pi Zero]. It additionally encompasses a micro USB port, composite headphone/mic port, Wifi and Bluetooth [also not present natively in the Pi Zero].

How to get the cheapest computer?

pi with a dollar — Source: Raspberry Pi Foundation

USA: The December issue of The MagPi shall be out soon in Barnes & Noble.

UK: The MagPi may be found in Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and WHSmith, it costs £6 and comes with the Pi Zero for free.

Rest of the world: You can purchase the magazine online from the Raspberry Pi swag store or order a subscription. Alternatively, the Pi Zero itself is available for purchase from the usual distributors—element14 and RS Components—in addition to the swag store and others.

So, is it a complete PC?

First, have a look at Raspberry Pi Zero, compared to a Micro SD card:

Pi Zero with a Micro SD card — Source: Raspberry Pi Foundation

The answer is no, you can say it’s the CPU. You will need the following to be able to run it as a complete system [just like the CHIP, though it didn’t require the Micro SD because of built-in flash storage]

An HDMI enabled monitor
Mini HDMI to HDMI adapter or cable
A Micro SD card loaded with NOOBS or Raspbian
Micro USB adapter
Micro USB power cable
USB mouse & keyboard

Alternatively, you may prepare your Micro SD card utilizing a regular Raspberry Pi, set your code to run on boot, stick your card into the Zero, and as soon as it has power, your program will run. A good way to deploy code to an embedded project.

You can even connect to the Zero through VNC or SSH over wired or Wi-Fi connection and control it from another pc.

#PiZero projects

You can do countless projects with the Pi Zero. The sky is the limit. Actually, that may not be true. People like Dave Akerman, have sent the Pi’s out of the sky as well. Anyways, most projects which have been carried out with a Raspberry Pi could be performed with a Zero (some requiring the GPIO pin header), however, what other projects can be done with the Zero that makes use of its compact and discreet form factor? Here are some ideas from the Raspberry Pi Foundation. Visit them for more details.

Wearables: Zero tech glove

PiZero on a glove — Source: Raspberry Pi Foundation

Paintables: Zero conductive paint circuits

Painting Cicruits - PiZero — Source: Raspberry Pi Foundation

Drive-ables: Zero robot

PiZero Car — Source: Raspberry Pi Foundation

Add-ons for the Zero?

PIZero with an addon — Source: Raspberry Pi Foundation

There aren’t any out yet, as it is a brand new model, however, the Raspberry Pi community is a speedy and agile one. Although present add-on boards and HATs should work with the Zero (with a pin header soldered on), we are certain to see some expansion (or reduction, if you like) in the range of accessories out there—maybe a Zero-sized HAT-like standard will come up and we may see a bunch of new and exciting miniature add-on boards, such as LED boards and motor controllers perfectly sitting aboard the Zero with the mounting holes in the corners. You can see below for some existing Add-ons that have been doing well for the Raspberry Pi.

Click here for cheaper and quality add-ons for the Raspberry Pi from AliExpress

Check out the cheapest Cloud-based computer on CloudDesktopOnline.com and SharePoint hosting on CloudappsPortal.com. You should also check out the best laptops for engineering students at LaptopsPark.com or the Huawei Matebook 13, which is one of the best laptops for college for all students!

Blazingly-Fast Camera Can Capture Light as it Travels

Hacker Cracker

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November 26, 2015

3

Blazingly-Fast Camera Can Capture Light as it Travels

A brand new camera developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology can photograph a trillion frames per second. Compare that with a conventional film camera which takes a mere 24. This new development in photographic technology has given scientists the power to photograph the motion of the fastest thing in the Universe, light. In the video below, you’ll see experimental footage of light photons traveling at approximately 965 million-kilometers-per-hour (that’s roughly 600 million mph) through water. The actual event occurred in a mere nano second, but the camera has the ability to slow it all the way down to twenty seconds. For some perspective, according to New York Times author, John Markoff, “If a bullet had been tracked in the identical fashion moving through the same fluid, the ensuing film would last 3 years.”

“Beyond the potential in educational & artistic visualization, applications for this include industrial imaging to analyze faults and material properties, scientific imaging for understanding ultra-fast processes and medical imaging to reconstruct sub-surface elements, i.e., ‘ultrasound with light’ [i.e. it can even allow photographing hidden or blocked elements, as shown in the video below]. In addition, the photon path analysis will allow new forms of computational photography, e.g., to render and re-light photos using computer graphics techniques.”

It’s not possible to directly record light so the camera takes millions of scans to recreate each picture. The method has been called femto-photography by the research team and according to Andrea Velten, a researcher involved with the project at MIT, “There’s nothing within the universe that looks fast to this camera.” According to the paper, “We use an indirect ‘stroboscopic‘ method that records millions of repeated measurements by careful scanning in time and viewpoints. Then we rearrange the data to create a ‘movie’ of a nanosecond long event.”

Graphene Could Massively Improve Thermal Imaging

Amna

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November 24, 2015

4

Graphene Could Massively Improve Thermal Imaging

Night-vision windshields on automobiles may someday be possible with advanced thermal imaging technology based on flexible, transparent, atomically thin sheets of carbon, researchers say.

Thermal imaging lets people see the invisible infrared rays that objects shed as heat. Thermal imaging devices have helped soldiers, police, firefighters and others see in the dark and in smoky conditions so they can better do their jobs.

At present, many thermal imaging units need cooling systems to filter out background heat to be able to create useful images. However, these cooling systems complicate the design of the devices, increasing their price and bulkiness.

Now researchers have developed a new thermal imaging system based on sheets of graphene, which are each made from a single layer of carbon atoms organized in a honeycomb pattern. Graphene is extraordinarily strong—about 200 times stronger than steel by weight—and extremely electrically conductive.

The center of the device is a square patch of graphene mixed with microscopic silicon devices (MEMS). This square patch serves as the thermal sensor, converting thermal signals into electrical signals.

“Graphene isn’t only great for transistors and nice for reinforcing structural materials, but it’s also one of the best possible materials we know for infrared detection,” stated study co-author Tomás Palacios, an electrical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Instead of utilizing a cooling system, the researchers isolated the thermal sensor from the remainder of the system. They did this by using strips of graphene to suspend the thermal sensor in the open air, where it could detect incoming heat. These strips also convey electrical signals from the thermal sensor to the rest of the machine.

The scientists discovered that their device could make out the heat signature of a human hand at room temperature without needing cooling fluids, often called refrigerants. The researchers suggest their findings could in the future result in flexible, transparent, low-cost thermal imaging systems.

Graphene as a thermal sensor — Scientists created a thermal sensor out of thin sheets of graphene. Source: American Chemical Society

“The benefit of significantly reducing the price and increasing the performance of infrared imagers is that now you can start introducing these cameras in many new places,” Palacios informed Live Science. “For instance, in the future, we can have infrared detectors built-in in every cellphone and every laptop. That means that in the future, you can control them just by waving your hand in front of them.”

Although computers nowadays can use regular cameras to recognize gestures, “it takes a lot of computing power to identify where your hands are and how they are moving,” Palacios stated. “By utilizing an infrared sensor, imaging of the body is simplified, since it’s very easy for thermal imaging to identify the contours of the human body with respect to backgrounds, which tend to be at a lower temperature.”

Thin, flexible, clear thermal imaging systems “may be integrated into the windshields of automobiles,” suggested Palacios, “You’ll be able to view night-vision systems in real time with out blocking a driver’s regular view of the street.”

The scientists detailed their findings online Oct. 15 in the journal Nano Letters.

Ads use inaudible sound to link your PC, smartphone, TV & tablets

Hacker Cracker

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November 22, 2015

7

Ads use inaudible sound to link your PC, smartphone, TV & tablets

A couple of years ago, some German scientists created a proof of concept to see if it was possible for data to jump across the air gap, using inaudible high frequency audio waves.

“Using nothing more than the built-in microphones and speakers of ordinary computer systems, the researchers had been able to transmit passwords and other small bits of data from distances of almost 65 ft.”

Now it seems, the same technology is being used by many marketing corporations to track individuals. Privacy advocates are warning federal authorities of a new menace that makes use of inaudible, high-frequency sounds, inaudible to human ears, to surreptitiously track an individual’s online habits throughout a range of devices, including smartphones, TVs, tablets, and personal computers.

The ultrasonic pitches are embedded into TV commercials or are played when a person encounters an advert displayed in a pc browser. While the sound cannot be heard by the human ear, close by tablets and smartphones can detect it. Once they do, browser cookies can now pair a single person to a number of gadgets and keep track of what TV commercials the individual sees, how lengthy the particular person watches the adverts, and whether or not the individual acts on the advertisements by doing a Net search or shopping for a product.

Cross-device monitoring raises vital privacy issues, the Center for Democracy and Technology wrote in recently filed comments to the Federal Trade Commission. Typically, individuals use as many as 5 connected units throughout a given day—a computer, smartphone, tablet, a wearable health gadget, and an RFID-enabled access fob. Till now, there has not been an easy technique to observe activity on one and tie it to the other.

“As an individual goes about his business, his activity on every device generates different data streams about his preferences and behavior that are siloed in these devices and services that mediate them,” CDT officials wrote. “Cross-device tracking permits marketers to combine these streams by linking them to the same individual, enhancing the granularity of what they know about that person.”

The officials said that companies with names including Flurry, Drawbrudge and SilverPush are working on methods to pair a given consumer to specific gadgets. Adobe is developing similar technologies. Undoubtedly, the most concerning of the companies the CDT talk about is the Indian startup, and now San Francisco-based SilverPush.

CDT wrote:

Cross-device tracking can also be performed through the use of ultrasonic inaudible sound beacons. Compared to probabilistic tracking via browser fingerprinting, the use of audio beacons is a more accurate method to track users across devices. The industry leader of cross-device monitoring using audio beacons is SilverPush. When a user encounters a SilverPush advertiser on the net, the advertiser drops a cookie on the computer while also playing an ultrasonic audio via the use of the speakers on the pc or the gadget. The inaudible code is recognized and received on the other smart device by the software development kit installed on it. SilverPush also embeds audio beacon signals into TV commercials which are “picked up silently by an app installed on a [device] (unknown to the person).” The audio beacon enables corporations like SilverPush to know which adverts the user saw, how long the user watched the ad before changing the channel, which kind of smart devices the individual uses, together with other information that adds to the profile of every user that’s linked across devices.

The user is unaware of the audio beacon, but when a smart device has an app on it that uses the SilverPush software development kit, the software on the app will be listening for the audio beacon and once the beacon is detected, devices are immediately recognized as being used by the same individual. SilverPush states that the company is not listening in the background to all of the noises occurring in proximity to the device. The only factor that hinders the receipt of an audio beacon by a device is distance and there is no way for the user to opt-out of this type of cross-device tracking. SilverPush’s company policy is to not “divulge the names of the apps the technology is embedded,” meaning that users have no knowledge of which apps are using this technology and no way to opt-out of this practice. As of April of 2015, SilverPush’s software is used by 67 apps and the company monitors 18 million smartphones.

SilverPush’s ultrasonic cross-device tracking was publicly reported as long ago as July 2014. More recently, the company received a new round of publicity when it obtained $1.25 million in venture capital. The CDT letter appears to be the first time the privacy-invading potential of the company’s product has been mentioned in detail.

Cross-device tracking already in use

The CDT letter went on to quote articles reporting that cross-device tracking has been put to use by more than a dozen marketing companies. The technology, which is usually not disclosed and cannot be opted out of, makes it possible for marketers to assemble a surprisingly detailed snapshot of the individual being tracked.

“For example, a company may see that a person searched for sexually transmitted disease (STD) symptoms on her pc, looked up directions to a Planned Parenthood on her cellphone, visits a pharmacy, then returned to her apartment,” the letter stated. “While previously the various elements of this journey would be scattered amongst several services, cross-device tracking allows companies to infer that the user obtained treatment for an STD. The combination of data across gadgets not only creates serious privacy concerns, but also permits for corporations to make incorrect and possibly harmful assumptions about individuals.”

What’s Next?

We at GadgTecs believe there might already be viruses and malwares out there utilzing this technology, however, none has been discovered by the mainstream security researches yet (a researcher did publish some work on his findings but others were skeptical). It is only a matter of time when they become even more common and harder to avoid.

Virtual Reality can now make you ‘feel’

A. Katherine

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November 15, 2015

2

Virtual reality has been a very long time coming, however probably the most notable strides have come in the past few years. Oculus has led a revitalization in Virtual Reality tech, the development of which had slowed considerably over the previous decade. Now, a resurgence in consumer VR products has resulted in great strides, and inexpensive virtual reality kits like the Samsung Gear VR make virtual reality accessible to almost anybody.

However there is still one key piece missing from the virtual reality puzzle that prevents the consumer from being really immersed in a VR experience. That will soon change, however, because of work being carried out by some researchers in Germany.

A group of researchers from the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) lab at Germany’s Hasso Plattner Institute have created working prototypes of a device they call Impacto. The gadget is integrated into a band that may be worn on the arm, leg or foot of a virtual reality person. When mixed with a VR experience that incorporates the HCI researchers’ special software, Impacto simulates contact on the wearer so that she or he can really feel objects virtual reality. At least, to an extent.

Examples demonstrated by the group include a boxing sport where the consumer can actually feel the impact from blocked punches on his or her arm, and a game where the participant bounces a soccer ball on his or her foot and can really feel every strike.

Of note, Impacto isn’t a simple vibrate motor shoved into a plastic box. The machine combines a haptic vibration engine with electrical muscle stimulation to actually create a sensation of pushing or pulling, therefore more closely mimicking the sensation of contact from actual physical objects.

“The key concept that allows the small and lightweight impacto device to simulate a powerful hit is that it decomposes the stimulus: it renders the tactile aspect of being hit by tapping the skin utilizing a solenoid; it adds impact to the hit by thrusting the person’s arm backwards utilizing electrical muscle stimulation,” the team, led by Pedro Lopes, stated in an summary covering its research paper on Impacto. “The device is self-contained, wireless, and sufficiently small for wearable use, thus leaves the person unencumbered and able to walk around freely in a virtual environment. The gadget is of generic form, permitting it to even be worn on legs, in order to enhance the experience of kicking, or merged into props, such as a baseball bat.”

Here’s a video of the HCI team’s Impacto prototype in action:

Use cases for Impacto are limited in the meanwhile because of the device’s shape and size, however it’s totally possible to use the same technology in both smaller and bigger units. As a result, different Impacto modules could possibly be combined to form a suit of sorts that may give the wearer multiple contact points. So, rather than only being able to feel a jab to the arm or a soccer ball bouncing off of a foot, virtual reality users may feel contact from VR objects throughout their bodies. The researchers mentioned that they already have plans to create new Impacto modules for the stomach area and shoulders.

Genetically modified algae kills ninety percent cancer cells with no harm to others

Hacker Cracker

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November 11, 2015

2

Genetically modified algae kills ninety percent cancer cells with no harm to others

Algae has been genetically modified to kill most cancers cells with out harming healthy cells. The algae nano particles, created by scientists in Australia, had been found to kill 90% of cancer cells in cultured human cells. The algae was additionally successful at killing cancer in mice with tumors.

Nico Voelcker, from the University of South Australia, labored with researchers from Dresden in Germany to engineer diatom algae and loaded it with chemotherapeutic drugs. Publishing their research in the journal Nature Communications, the group also discovered that after they injected the nano particles into mice, tumors regressed.

Diatom algae is a kind of tiny, unicellular, photosynthesizing algae. It measures just four to six micro metres in diameter and is enclosed inside a porous skeleton made of silica. Because chemotherapeutic drugs are often toxic to healthy tissue, the researchers have been able to conceal the medication inside the algae.

Researchers genetically engineered the algae to produce an antibody-binding protein on the surface of their shells. In turn, the antibody binds only to molecules found on cancer cells, which means it can ship medication to the target cells.

Voelcker said: “By genetically engineering diatom algae – tiny, unicellular, photosynthesizing algae with a skeleton made of nanoporous silica, we’re able to produce an antibody-binding protein on the surface of their shells. Anti-cancer chemotherapeutic drugs are often toxic to healthy tissues.

“To minimize the off-target toxicity, the medicine could be hidden inside the antibody-coated nano particles. The antibody binds only to molecules found on cancer cells, thus delivering the poisonous drug specifically to the target cancer cells.”

The report authors say that: “The data indicate that genetically engineered bio-silica frustules could also be used as versatile ‘backpacks’ for the focused delivery of poorly water-soluble anticancer medication to tumor sites.”

As algae basically only needs water and light to grow, the authors believe the approach may cut back the price and waste of nano particle manufacturing and has an enormous potential for future cancer treatments. “Though it’s still early days, this novel drug supply system primarily based on a bio-technologically tailor-made, renewable materials hold quite a lot of potential for the therapy of solid tumors including the presently untreatable brain tumors,” Voelcker mentioned.