A new algorithm, Evo 2, trained on roughly 128,000 genomes—9.3 trillion DNA letter pairs—spanning all of life’s domains, is now the largest generative AI model for biology to date. Built by scientists at the Arc Institute, Stanford University, and Nvidia, Evo 2 can write whole chromosomes and small genomes from scratch.
It also learned how DNA mutations affect proteins, RNA, and overall health, shining light on “non-coding” regions, in particular. These mysterious sections of DNA don’t make proteins but often control gene activity and are linked to diseases.
The team has released Evo 2’s software code and model parameters to the scientific community for further exploration. Researchers can also access the tool through a user-friendly web interface. With Evo 2 as a foundation, scientists may develop more specific AI models. These could predict how mutations affect a protein’s function, how genes operate differently across cell types, or even help researchers design new genomes for synthetic biology.
Researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) designed a “material-like” collective of programmable micro-robots, which can behave like a fluid or bond together to create new solid structures. The technology could lead to the development of a new sub-field of robotics.
The UCSB scientists set out to design simple robots that could work together, like a colony of ants or other collective groups. The study, recently published in Science, describes micro-robotic units that can switch from a “fluidizing” state to a more “solid” shape based on the rotational state of the robots.
The idea is ripped straight from science fiction concepts like the T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgement Day. The researchers claim they have turned this theoretical vision into reality after studying embryonic morphogenesis, the biological process through which cells can change their shapes and turn into different tissues in the human body.
This was first predicted by Omni magazine in 1981.
In the world of medicine, the ability to listen to the intricate symphony of sounds within the human body has long been a vital diagnostic tool. Physicians routinely employ stethoscopes to capture the subtle rhythms of air moving in and out of the lungs, the steady beat of the heart, and even the progress of digested food through the gastrointestinal tract.
These sounds hold valuable information about a person’s health, and any deviations from the norm can signal the presence of underlying medical issues. Now, a groundbreaking development from Northwestern University is set to transform the way we monitor these vital sounds.
New therapies for managing aging could emerge from research into a new gene, which scientists have identified as a key driver of degeneration.
Age-related diseases are strongly linked to inflammation which, when chronic, albeit low-grade, contributes to conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurodegeneration, and sarcopenia, significantly impacting health and longevity.
In a study published in Nature Communications, Dr. Ildus Akhmetov, a geneticist at Liverpool John Moores University’s School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, along with colleagues from Italy, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, uncovered groundbreaking insights into the role of the Ectodysplasin A2 Receptor (EDA2R) in this process.
The Earth’s magnetic field, a constant presence in our environment, has a subtle yet profound impact on human health. It operates at extremely low frequencies (around 7.83 Hz, known as the Schumann resonance) and low intensities (30−60 microTesla). Generated by electric currents in the conductive iron alloys in Earth’s core, this magnetic field protects us from a blast of solar particles (solar wind) that could literally obliterate life on Earth if allowed to enter our atmosphere (Figure 1). It also plays a crucial role in regulating our circadian rhythms and supporting overall cellular function. Our cells are used to living bathed in this interactive field of magnetism and electricity, and therapeutically, we can turn this into our advantage.
Figure 1. How Earth’s magnetic field interacts with the solar wind.
Most deaths avoided from common cancers between 1975 and 2020 could be traced to prevention and screening efforts.
Slippery proteins in the brain’s blood vessels form a protective barrier that breaks down with age, studies in mice show.
New therapies for managing ageing could emerge from research into a new gene, which scientists have identified as a key driver of degeneration.
Age-related diseases are strongly linked to inflammation which when chronic, albeit low-grade, contributes to conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurodegeneration, and sarcopenia, significantly impacting health and longevity.
In a study published in Nature Communications, Dr Ildus Akhmetov, a geneticist at Liverpool John Moores University’s School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, along with colleagues from Italy, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, uncovered groundbreaking insights into the role of the Ectodysplasin A2 Receptor (EDA2R) in this process.