Dr. Theofanopoulou studies neural circuits behind sensory-motor behaviors like speech and dance, aiming to develop drug-and arts-based therapies for brain disorders. Her brain imaging research reveals overlapping motor cortex regions controlling muscles for speech and dance, while transcriptomic studies show upregulation of the oxytocin gene pathway in key areas like the motor cortex and brainstem. Using zebra finches, Bengalese finches, white-rumped munias, and humans, she demonstrates oxytocin’s role in vocal production. She also developed genomic tools to apply these findings across vertebrates. Her future work explores oxytocin-based drugs and dance therapies to treat speech and motor deficits in brain disorders. Recorded on 02/14/2025. [3/2025] [Show ID: 40384]

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A brain’s 86 billion neurons are always chattering along with tiny electrical and chemical signals. But how can we get inside the brain to study the fine details? Can we eavesdrop on cells using other cells? What is the future of communication between brains? Join Eagleman with special guest Max Hodak, founder of Science Corp, a company pioneering stunning new methods in brain computer interfaces.

Smart bullets are real—and they might already be in use. From DARPA’s EXACTO to Russia’s secretive programs, guided bullets have come a long way since The Fifth Element. Here’s what we know.

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Then came gene targeting technologies, like CRISPR, over 10 years ago. With these technologies we can delete, modify, add, or change any gene in any organism’s DNA and it’s easy and cheap. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Where are my Pokémon?

The scientific industrial complex is fundamentally broken. Scientists are trapped in a system of their own creation that values paywalled publications over real progress. If they can’t even make knowledge freely available, how can they be expected to push the boundaries of innovation? A field built on gatekeeping will never lead the future.

The real question isn’t whether we can do this. The real question is what comes next. The first steps are already happening in the lab of my new company, the Los Angeles Project (LAP). We are learning to harvest large amounts of embryos and eggs from different animal species so we can understand the development of life on a scale no one has tried before. We are editing genes and injecting DNA with micro-precision, sculpting biology at its most fundamental level.

Science is becoming speedier, and more ambitious, in the age of CRISPR.

Unlock the full potential of CRISPR technology while ensuring precision and safety! In this video, we dive deep into the science of CRISPR gene editing, explore the challenges of off-target effects, and reveal cutting-edge strategies to minimize risks.
Key Topics Covered:

1⃣ What is CRISPR?

Discover the origins of CRISPR-Cas9, its revolutionary impact on genetics, agriculture, and medicine, and the latest advancements like base editing and AI-driven optimization.
2⃣ Understanding Off-Target Effects.

Learn why unintended DNA modifications occur, how gRNA promiscuity and nuclease activity contribute to risks, and proven mitigation strategies (e.g., HiFi Cas9, dual gRNA systems).

Plant-derived alkaloids are an important class of natural products with various pharmacological properties^1,2,3,4, including Rotundine (L-tetrahydropalmatine), berberine, morphine, colchicine, galanthamine and hyoscyamine (Fig. 1a). Many of them have been used as traditional medicines in China, Native America, India and the Islamic region. For instance, Rotundine was first isolated from Corydalis⁵, a plant that has been used as traditional Chinese herbal medicine for over a thousand years, known for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anti-addictive, and antitumor activities^6,7,8. Today, it also serves as an alternative to anxiolytic and sedative drugs from the addictive benzodiazepine group, as well as analgesics⁹. However, similar to many plant-derived natural products^10,11, the commercial use of plant-derived alkaloids still mainly relies on extraction from medicinal plants with low abundance^12,13,14,15, which is further affected by climate change, cultivation methods and location. Moreover, due to the lack of appropriate functional groups, derivatization of naturally occurring alkaloids to increase structural complexity and diversity through chemical methods remains challenging, restricting further drug development. Although chemical synthesis methods have been developed to overcome these issues, they often involve harsh conditions and heavy-metal catalysts^16,17. In addition, the structural complexity of alkaloids, with their chiral centers and regioselective modifications, often results in low yields.

With the elucidation of the biosynthetic pathways of alkaloids and advancements in synthetic biology^{18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27}, many efforts have been made to biosynthesize natural and unnatural alkaloids in microorganisms, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli^{28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35} (Fig. 1b). However, challenges such as the complexity of their biosynthetic pathways, the difficulties in expressing plant-derived P450 enzyme^36,37,38 and berberine bridge enzyme (BBE)^29,34,39,40, and the cytotoxicity from the accumulation of alkaloids or its intermediates^34,41 always results in low production titers^28,29,34, such as 16.9 mg L^-1 production in berberine and 68.6 mg L^-1 production in Rotundine in engineered yeasts, which still lack commercial viability. In fact, this remains a common manufacturing challenge for the heterologous biosynthesis of many plant-derived alkaloids in microorganisms.

Recently, it was reported that a designed nine-enzyme catalytic cascade enabled the efficient biosynthesis of the HIV drug islatravir⁴², and therapeutic oligonucleotides could be produced through an enzyme cascade in a single operation⁴³. These seminal examples suggest that the designed enzyme cascades will revolutionize drug synthesis and development. Furthermore, specific enzymes can control the stereo-and chemoselectivity of chiral compounds^44,45. Importantly, the use of modular “plug-and-play” strategy allows the easy incorporation or removal of enzymes to tailor the cascade for synthesizing different target compounds^46,47, thereby introducing structural complexity and diversity. As for plant-derived natural products, steps catalyzed by enzymes that are difficult to express in engineered cells or that are still not identified can be bypassed through the careful selection of substrates⁴⁶, making the process more efficient or feasible.

Riverworld.

Imagine a world stretched along a single, endless river inside a colossal space megastructure. Explore the fascinating concept of the Topopolis, a futuristic habitat billions of miles long, where humanity might thrive in a sprawling civilization bound by physics, engineering, and imagination.

Watch my exclusive video Big Alien Theory https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur–… Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur Get a Lifetime Membership to Nebula for only $300: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=isa… Use the link gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $30. Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur Support us on Patreon: / isaacarthur Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-a… Facebook Group: / 1,583,992,725,237,264 Reddit: / isaacarthur Twitter: / isaac_a_arthur on Twitter and RT our future content. SFIA Discord Server: / discord Credits: Topopolis: The Eternal River Episode 487a; February 23, 2025 Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur Graphics: Apogii.uk, Ken York YD Visual, Steve Bowers, Udo Scroeter Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator.

Summary and analysis of the short story The Last Question by Isaac Asimov. You can read the story here: https://users.ece.cmu.edu/~gamvrosi/thelastq.htmlComic…