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AI-powered barcode unmasks ‘zombie cells’ in aging tissue

As we age, some of the cells in our body enter a state of senescence, in which they stop dividing but do not die. Those senescent cells can contribute to age-related disorders such as cancer, tissue degeneration and inflammatory diseases. In an advance that could lead to better ways to diagnose and treat those diseases, MIT researchers have developed a noninvasive way to detect biomarkers of senescence. Their method is based on Raman microscopy, which can reveal the biochemical composition of cells without harming them.

By combining Raman microscopy with gene expression data at single-cell resolution from the same cells, the researchers were able to identify unique “barcodes” that can be used to quickly identify senescent cells. This study was done in mouse cells, but the researchers are now working on adapting it for use with human tissue.

“You can imagine that one day we may develop an endoscope that can look inside your body and identify cellular senescence,” says Jeon Woong Kang, an MIT research scientist and one of the senior authors of the study.

Gene that drives blood cancer drug resistance uncovered with new CRISPR activation tool

Researchers have uncovered a previously unknown gene that causes resistance to a leading blood cancer drug, as well as several genes that accelerate lymphoma growth, using a powerful new CRISPR activation library.

Traditional CRISPR is a genetic engineering tool that allows scientists to easily delete specific genes in an organism’s DNA and assess their role and importance. It has become a cornerstone technology in cancer research.

A newer frontier is CRISPR activation, a technique that enables the activation of specific genes. It offers valuable insights into the roles of certain genes in cancer and other genetic disorders.

Quantitative proteomics reveals coordinated changes in the proteome during replicative senescence

Senescence involves a massive reorganization of cellular components. This study shows that changes in ribosomal proteins and the ubiquitin-proteasome system are distinctive features of replicative senescence when compared to other cellular stresses.

Ferroelectric material that’s stable at near-atomic thickness reveals new route to low-power electronics

Electronics engineers worldwide have been trying to develop increasingly smaller components that can store and process information while consuming less energy. Ferroelectric materials, which possess spontaneous electrical polarization that can be reversed by an externally applied electric field, have proved promising for the development of denser, more energy-efficient memories and other miniaturized electronic components.

Despite their potential, shrinking these materials to produce ultrathin films that are just a few atoms thick often alters some of their properties and characteristics. Specifically, their internal polarization can become unstable at these scales, and switching it often requires relatively high voltages.

Researchers at Westlake University and Zhejiang University recently showed that gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃) could become ferroelectric at near-atomic thickness, retain stable polarization and switch between its polarization states at a relatively low voltage of 0.8 volts. Their paper, published in Nature Electronics, highlights the potential of this material for the development of compact, nonvolatile memories, small sensors and other low-power electronic components.

Scientists discover a strange new form of ice that could help explain the interiors of Neptune and Uranus

Scientists have discovered that there is ice deep inside planets like Neptune and Uranus and want to find out what form it takes and how it behaves. They cannot dig for it and transport it all the way back to Earth, so they do the next best thing: recreate those extreme conditions in the lab.

That’s exactly what a team of scientists led by Alexis Forestier from the CEA, France’s Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, did. What they discovered could help us better understand the strange magnetic fields and deep interior layers of these distant worlds.

The weird world of hot ice On those planets, ice is not like the frozen cubes you put into a cold drink. It enters a weird state known as superionic ice because of the immense heat and pressure it is under. In this exotic phase, oxygen atoms lock into a solid grid while hydrogen nuclei flow freely through it like a liquid, allowing it to conduct electricity. Scientists already knew this hot, conducting ice existed, but they did not know what specific crystal shapes it formed.

Tightly guided atoms could enable low power quantum navigation when GPS fails

Within tiny halos of light clinging to a vanishingly thin wisp of optical fiber, scientist Jongmin Lee guides atoms like marbles through a narrow pipe. Rock the fiber and the atoms shift side by side; they just don’t fall off. But don’t be deceived by the seemingly delicate nature of his experiment. Lee is exploring how to measure motion precisely in rough-and-tumble environments.

A quantum sensing scientist at Sandia National Laboratories, Lee is an expert in a type of motion sensor called an atom interferometer. In a lab, this device uses quantum mechanics to obtain exquisitely accurate measurements. Lee and his team are working toward building an extremely small, low-power version for field use—small enough to fit on a specialized type of microchip called a photonic integrated circuit.

Their latest results were published in the journal AVS Quantum Science, where the team reported trapping cesium atoms on a fiber only 420 nanometers in diameter with just 5 milliwatts of optical power—about 2,000 times less power than an LED bulb uses. With just 150 nanowatts, the researchers can also take measurements that mimic atom interferometry.

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