A Tanzania-led study pitted gene-edited mosquitoes against a wide range of malaria parasites found locally, as opposed to those used only in lab studies.
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Epigenetic Age Prediction Remains Stable Across Common Variants and Diverse Ancestries
Epigenetic clocks, based on DNA methylation profiles at CpG sites, are widely recognized as reliable biomarkers of biological aging. However, common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (cSNPs), genomic variants that can overlap CpG sites, may affect DNA methylation profiles in ways that potentially interfere with the accuracy of epigenetic clocks. Moreover, because the prevalence of cSNPs varies across populations, such cSNP-CpG overlaps may differentially affect the age predictions of epigenetic clocks in diverse cohorts. Here, we present the first systematic cross-ancestry evaluation of cSNP robustness in the epigenetic clock, examining how cSNP-CpG overlaps affect the performance of epigenetic clocks across nine major genomic ancestry groups. We employed three complementary strategies: (a) testing whether cSNP-CpG overlaps are overrepresented in established epigenetic clocks or particular populations, (b) evaluating whether overlapping CpG sites correspond to the most influential aging predictors within clock models, and © simulating the effects of cSNP-associated methylation changes on predicted biological age. Our findings indicate that cSNP-CpG overlaps are not enriched among the CpG sites used in current epigenetic clocks, nor do they tend to involve the most influential sites. Furthermore, our simulation analysis revealed that current epigenetic clocks appear robust to cSNP-related methylation variations. Our findings underscore the overall stability of current epigenetic clocks, even in the presence of population-specific cSNP-CpG overlaps that are known to affect DNA methylation levels.
The authors have declared no competing interest.
SpaceX sets plans for massive $20M H-E-B sized Texas project
So, essentially SpaceX’s new parking garage will be bigger than your local H-E-B (excluding the largest H-E-B in San Antonio of course). Construction on the garage began earlier this year in February, but it’s expected to be completed by January 7, 2027, according to the TDLR.
SpaceX’s Bastrop facility is a major manufacturing hub for its Starlink satellite internet service, producing terminals and components. It’s located across the street from Hyperloop Plaza, a Musk-owned shopping center which houses The Boring Company, and the new X (formerly Twitter) headquarters.
Number’s up: Calculators hold out against AI
The humble pocket calculator may not be able to keep up with the mathematical capabilities of new technology, but it will never hallucinate.
The device’s enduring reliability equates to millions of sales each year for Japan’s Casio, which is even eyeing expansion in certain regions.
Despite lightning-speed advances in artificial intelligence, chatbots still sometimes stumble on basic addition.
Five ways microplastics may harm your brain
Microplastics could be fueling neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, with a new study highlighting five ways microplastics can trigger inflammation and damage in the brain.
More than 57 million people live with dementia, and cases of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are projected to rise sharply. The possibility that microplastics could aggravate or accelerate these brain diseases is a major public health concern.
Pharmaceutical scientist Associate Professor Kamal Dua, from the University of Technology Sydney, said it is estimated that adults are consuming 250 grams of microplastics every year—enough to cover a dinner plate.
New moonquake discovery could change NASA’s Moon plans
Moonquakes shook Apollo 17’s landing zone—and they could challenge the safety of future lunar outposts. Scientists have discovered that moonquakes, not meteoroids, are responsible for shifting terrain near the Apollo 17 landing site. Their analysis points to a still-active fault that has been generating quakes for millions of years. While the danger to short missions is low, long-term lunar bases could face increasing risk. The findings urge future planners to avoid building near scarps and to prioritize new seismic instruments.
A recently published study reports that shaking from moonquakes, rather than impacts from meteoroids, was the main force behind the shifting terrain in the Taurus-Littrow valley, the site where Apollo 17 astronauts landed in 1972. The researchers also identified a likely explanation for the changing surface features and evaluated potential damage by applying updated models of lunar seismic activity — results that could influence how future missions and long-term settlements are planned on the moon.
The work, conducted by Smithsonian Senior Scientist Emeritus Thomas R. Watters and University of Maryland Associate Professor of Geology Nicholas Schmerr, appeared in the journal Science Advances.
Machine learning and microscopy solve 170-year-old mystery of premelting ice
Through a novel combination of machine learning and atomic force microscopy, researchers in China have unveiled the molecular surface structure of “premelted” ice, resolving a long-standing mystery surrounding the liquid-like layer which forms on icy surfaces.
Detailed in a study in Physical Review X, the approach could also be applied more widely to reveal surface features that are too challenging for existing microscopy techniques to resolve.
