A group of South Korean scientists developed a new type of gold nano-sized materials to treat hyperuricemia, the science ministry said Wednesday, opening a new gateway for the treatment of diseases such as gout. Hyperuricemia is a phenomenon marked by an abnormally high level of uric acid in the blood. Such a high level of uric acid is associated with numerous diseases ranging from cardiovascula...

South Korean health authorities said Friday they will strengthen monitoring of two super bacteria -- the Vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae -- that are resistant to certain antibiotics. The two will be designated as level-three infectious diseases starting in June, said the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The ministry divides infectious disease...

A South Korean space institute said Wednesday that one of its astrophysicists has suggested a way to protect a nano-sized spacecraft during an interstellar voyage project that was unveiled last year. In April 2016, tech investor Yuri Milner announced the so-called "Breakthrough Starshot" initiative to send nanocrafts to a small rocky "Earth-like" planet that might exist in the nearest star syste...

A group of South Korean scientists have developed a new type of peptide to treat autoinflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, the science ministry said Wednesday. Autoinflammatory diseases are defined as the loss of self-tolerance in which an inflammatory response occurs in reaction to inappropriate triggering of Toll-Like Receptor-4. (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Science, ICT a...

A group of South Korean scientists discovered that rapid eye movement sleep has a role in memory consolidation, a state-run science laboratory said Monday, a finding that could lead to a treatment for diseases related to sleep disorder. The team led by Choi Jee-hyun found that REM sleep -- which usually occurs during nighttime -- is critical for brain development and memory consolidation, the Ko...

A group of South Korean scientists has developed a convenient and accurate blood glucose monitoring device that does not require a blood sample, the state-run research center said Sunday, a development that would help diabetes patients. The team led by Lee Hyun-jae at the Center for Nanoparticle Research under the Institute for Basic Science developed the sweat-based system that allows rapid glu...

A team of surgeons reported Friday that they have completed a hand transplant on a man in his 30s, marking the first time that a surgery replacing a hand has taken place in South Korea. The 25-strong team, led by W Hospital chief Woo Sang-hyun, transplanted the hand of a man in his 40s who had been pronounced brain dead. The procedure took 10 hours starting at 4:00 p.m. the previous day at the Y...

South Korean infants are prescribed antibiotics in much higher frequency than those in other countries, the latest research report said Thursday, confirming concerns in the medical community of serious misuse that could hurt the immune system. The results show South Korean toddlers on average are prescribed antibiotics 3.41 times by the time they reach the age of two, way higher than the five ot...

South Korea's sea level rose at a faster pace than the world's average this year due mainly to the ground subsidence, a report said Thursday. The sea level rose 2.68mm on average this year, up 8 percent from the previous year's 2.48mm, according to the report by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. It is 34 percent faster than the world average of 2.0mm surveyed by the Intergovernmental Panel ...

South Korean scientists have successfully transplanted organs from a genetically modified pig to a monkey, a state research center said Wednesday, raising the prospect of potential animal-to-human organ transplants. The cynomolgus monkey, also known as a crab-eating macaque, remains healthy for a record 51 days after receiving the heart and cornea of the pig, according to the National Institute ...

A stem cell line developed by South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk will be formally registered, local health authorities said Tuesday, a move expected to restart stem cell research here that has been in a deep freeze. The Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said it has concluded that the human embryonic stem cell line, called NT-1, was developed by a process of parthenogenesis...

South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk has won a patent for a stem cell line in the United States, marking the second patent on the related technology, data showed Wednesday. A 15-member research team led by Hwang registered the human embryonic stem cell line, called NT-1, with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Oct. 25. The former Seoul National University (SNU) professor created NT-1...

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, president of the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, more commonly known as the Royal Society, has stressed the importance of basic science, saying that investment in the field should be spearheaded by scientists. "Reason to invest in science is that it is part of every culture of humans and so it is about how the world works, what we are and what t...

South Korea and the United States will spend a combined $6 million on a joint research project to develop robotic technologies for disaster response over the next three years, the trade ministry here said Tuesday. Officials from the two governments, including South Korea's Director General Kim Jeong-hwan and US Assistant Secretary of Defense Stephen Welby, held a kick-off meeting in Seoul on the...

President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday presided over a national science and technology strategy session to discuss future growth dynamos and ways to breathe fresh life into the country's economy. During the session that followed the inaugural one in May, the panel selected nine strategic projects aimed at securing the nation's new growth engines and enhancing the quality of life for the general po...