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Category: biotech/medical – Page 140

‘Brinkmanship’ between rival genes may determine survival of unborn mammals

A study has shown that a dangerous game of “brinkmanship” between rival genes in mammals could help explain why many fertilized eggs don’t result in a new life.

Within the genome, genes can be in conflict, where opposing chromosomes act in their own evolutionary interest. Although this tussle between male and female genes is commonly understood, what determines the winner—or if there even is one—has long proven elusive.

Biologists from the University of Bristol and University of Exeter have demonstrated that a dangerous game of “brinkmanship” could provide the answer, where the stakes are increasingly raised resulting in either the boldest being triumphant or mutual self-destruction. The paper is published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

New Study Shows How a Rare Genetic Error Disrupts Brain Development in Autism

Scientists found a genetic link between autism and DM1, where repeat DNA sequences disrupt brain gene splicing. This sheds light on ASD’s development and opens new paths for targeted treatments. Researchers from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UN

Experts Sound the Alarm: Your DNA Could Be Hacked

Without coordinated action, genomic data could be exploited for surveillance, discrimination, or even bioterrorism. Current protections are fragmented, and vital collaboration between disciplines is lacking. Key to successful prevention will be interdisciplinary cooperation between computer scientists, bioinformaticians, biotechnologists, and security professionals – groups that rarely work together but must align.

Our research lays the foundations for improving biosecurity by providing a single, clear list of all the possible threats in the entire next-generation sequencing process.

The paper also recommends practical solutions, including secure sequencing protocols, encrypted storage, and AI-powered anomaly detection, creating a foundation for much stronger cyber-biosecurity.

Think Cold, Burn Fat: How Your Brain’s Memories Help You Lose Weight

In a groundbreaking study, scientists discovered that the brain forms “cold memories” which can later trigger increased metabolism even without a drop in temperature.

By training mice to associate specific visual cues with cold environments, the researchers showed that the animals began heating themselves in anticipation of cold, driven by brain-stored memories. They pinpointed these cold memories to engram cells in the hippocampus and demonstrated that stimulating these cells could artificially activate thermogenesis. This exciting work opens up potential therapeutic strategies for conditions like obesity and cancer by harnessing learned thermal regulation and highlights the deep connections between memory, behavior, and metabolism.

Brain Forms “Cold Memories” That Influence Metabolism.

Android Spyware Disguised as Alpine Quest App Targets Russian Military Devices

Cybersecurity researchers have revealed that Russian military personnel are the target of a new malicious campaign that distributes Android spyware under the guise of the Alpine Quest mapping software.

“The attackers hide this trojan inside modified Alpine Quest mapping software and distribute it in various ways, including through one of the Russian Android app catalogs,” Doctor Web said in an analysis.

The trojan has been found embedded in older versions of the software and propagated as a freely available variant of Alpine Quest Pro, a paid offering that removes advertising and analytics features.

Researchers investigate low-intensity electrical pulses to help the immune system fight cancer

High-intensity electrical pulses have been medically used to destroy tumors while sparing healthy tissue. But lower-intensity pulses may have a different effect — they reshape the battlefield, making tumors more vulnerable to the body’s own defenses.

Scientists have found a way to ‘tattoo’ tardigrades

If you haven’t heard of a tardigrade before, prepare to be wowed. These clumsy, eight-legged creatures, nicknamed water bears, are about half a millimeter long and can survive practically anything: freezing temperatures, near starvation, high pressure, radiation exposure, outer space and more. Researchers reporting in the journal Nano Letters took advantage of the tardigrade’s nearly indestructible nature and gave the critters tiny “tattoos” to test a microfabrication technique to build microscopic, biocompatible devices.

“Through this technology, we’re not just creating micro-tattoos on tardigrades—we’re extending this capability to various living organisms, including bacteria,” explains Ding Zhao, a co-author of the paper.

Microfabrication has revolutionized electronics and photonics, creating micro-and nanoscale devices ranging from microprocessors and solar cells to biosensors that detect food contamination or cancerous cells. But the technology could also advance medicine and , if researchers can adapt to make them compatible with the biological realm.