The Patent - Invention Magazine
en

biotechnology

Biology

Ancestral Enzyme Variant Generates ATP with Fewer Amino Acids

Biochemists at Waseda University and the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences have engineered a simplified ancestral enzyme that generates cellular energy without the amino acid traditionally required for the reaction. The biological invention, an engineered variant designated Arc1-12KR, produces adenosine triphosphate by combining two precursor molecules at a rate 7,500 times faster than earlier synthetic models. Described in research released in October 2026, the work provides a structural framework for designing stripped-down catalytic proteins.

Letizia Giugliano

Biology

SmartPE Boosts Prime Editing in Dicot Crops

Molecular biologists have struggled to adapt prime editing to broad-leaved plants because editing rates in dicot species routinely lag behind those in grasses. To overcome that barrier, researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed an engineered prime editing system called SmartPE. The biological invention, published in Nature Plants, raises target modification rates across tomato, soybean and rapeseed tissues.

Letizia Giugliano

Biology

Dual-Color Bioluminescence Turns Glowing Plants into Living Biosensors

Scientists at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences and commercial partner Light Bio have engineered a dual-color autoluminescent system that tracks plant immune defenses in real time. The approach bypasses metabolic fluctuations by measuring the ratio between green and red light emissions rather than raw brightness. The work, published in Nature Plants, converts self-sustained light emission into a precise quantitative tool for tracking plant health over extended timeframes.

Giovanni Sapere

Biology

Light-Activated Switch Calms Nerve and Heart Muscle Cells

A research team led by Ruhr University Bochum has engineered an optogenetic tool capable of selectively shutting down electrical excitation in nerve and heart muscle cells. Published on October 20, 2026, the molecular innovation provides a precise optical switch to study disorders marked by cellular hyperactivity, including cardiac arrhythmias.

Letizia Giugliano

Medicine

UNC Researchers Uncover Protein Pathway Shielding Dormant HIV

Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have identified a human protein pathway responsible for keeping HIV dormant within host cells. Published in Cell Reports on October 24, 2026, the discovery exposes how viral reservoirs persist in blood and brain immune cells despite antiretroviral therapy. Uncovering these cellular mechanisms provides a scientific foundation for therapeutic strategies designed to expose and eradicate persistent virus.

Giovanni Sapere

Medicine

Optogenetics Pioneers Win Nobel Prize for Illuminating the Brain

Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026 for their foundational work in optogenetics. This revolutionary technique utilizes light to control nerve cells, offering unprecedented insight into how the brain forms memories, emotions, and behaviors, and paving the way for new treatments for neurological conditions.

Giovanni Sapere

News

Here is the organic and sustainable fabric 100% Made in Italy

Vegea, an innovative company specialising in biotechnologies, was founded in Milan, Italy, in particular in the production of fabrics made from organic materials. An example of this is the creation of a dress made from waste materials from wine.

Giovanni Sapere