On the radar

News from the world of science

"I once ended up in the hospital after being bitten by a sloth. When hospital staffers were finally able to control their laughter, the only question the doctor had for me was whether I was sleeping when it bit me (this reignited the howls from the entire emergency room)." Bryson Voirin. Scientist at Work blog, New York Times

Getting access to the brain 

Researchers in Oxford have demonstrated a clever way to get potentially therapeutic molecules into the brain – by co-opting one of the cells’ own transporting mechanisms.

Some agents can be difficult to target to the brain because of a protective barrier that helps prevent contaminants crossing over from the blood and gaining access to precious brain tissue. But a study published online this week in Nature Biotechnology used modified “exosomes”, which are bubble-like carrier structures that occur within cells, to deliver a cargo of genetic material into brain tissue in a mouse model.

This is the first time this natural system has been exploited for drug delivery, researcher Dr Matthew Wood told the BBC.

Oldest star charts for sale

Got some spare cash to splash? A pair of historic celestial maps of the northern and southern skies go under the hammer next week at Sotheby’s.

The woodcut prints, which date back to around 1515, are the work of German artist Albrecht Dürer and two astronomers.

Billed as “the oldest printed star charts in Europe and representing 2,000 years of scientific and intellectual thought”, it is estimated they will fetch up to €200,000.

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