The Science of Aliens, Part IV: Would they have blood (implying a circulatory system) and if so, what color would it be?
Not every animal bleeds red, even on Earth.
Category: biotech/medical – Page 1,620
Preclinical study finds success in reversing age-related memory loss
“What is exciting about this is that although our study was only in mice, the same mechanism should operate in humans – the molecules and structures in the human brain are the same as those in rodents,” says Fawcett. “This suggests that it may be possible to prevent humans from developing memory loss in old age.”
An intriguing new study from researchers in the United Kingdom is proposing an innovative method to treat age-related memory loss. The preclinical research shows memory decline in aging mice can be reversed by manipulating the composition of structures in the brain known as perineuronal nets.
Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are structures in the brain that envelop certain subsets of neurons, helping stabilize synaptic activity. They essentially put the brakes on the neuroplasticity seen in the first few years of life.
Although PNNs are vital to the effective functioning of a mature adult brain, by their very nature they also limit future neural plasticity and adaptability. A new wave of research is beginning to investigate ways to modulate PNNs in adult brains in the hope of treating a variety of diseases from diabetes to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Gain-of-Function: Should supercharging viruses be banned? | DW News
Gain-of-function experiments aim to increase the transmissibility and virulence of existing viruses, making them deadlier for humans. The stated purpose is to better understand pathogens and to develop vaccines for possible future pandemics. Critics say this type of research is extremely dangerous and should be banned or regulated. They claim it has not prevented any pandemics to date, and that the COVID-19 outbreak might be the result of an accidental release from a lab that was conducting gain-of-function research.
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#biosafety #GainOfFunction #pandemic
DeepMind Releases Accurate Picture of the Human Proteome – “The Most Significant Contribution AI Has Made to Advancing Scientific Knowledge to Date”
DeepMind and EMBL release the most complete database of predicted 3D structures of human proteins.
Partners use AlphaFold, the AI system recognized last year as a solution to the protein structure prediction problem, to release more than 350000 protein structure predictions including the entire human proteome to the scientific community.
DeepMind today announced its partnership with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Europe’s flagship laboratory for the life sciences, to make the most complete and accurate database yet of predicted protein structure models for the human proteome. This will cover all ~20000 proteins expressed by the human genome, and the data will be freely and openly available to the scientific community. The database and artificial intelligence system provide structural biologists with powerful new tools for examining a protein’s three-dimensional structure, and offer a treasure trove of data that could unlock future advances and herald a new era for AI-enabled biology.
Mind the gap: State-of-the-art technologies and applications for EEG-based brain–computer interfaces
Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) provide bidirectional communication between the brain and output devices that translate user intent into function. Among the different brain imaging techniques used to operate BCIs, electroencephalography (EEG) constitutes the preferred method of choice, owing to its relative low cost, ease of use, high temporal resolution, and noninvasiveness. In recent years, significant progress in wearable technologies and computational intelligence has greatly enhanced the performance and capabilities of EEG-based BCIs (eBCIs) and propelled their migration out of the laboratory and into real-world environments. This rapid translation constitutes a paradigm shift in human–machine interaction that will deeply transform different industries in the near future, including healthcare and wellbeing, entertainment, security, education, and marketing. In this contribution, the state-of-the-art in wearable biosensing is reviewed, focusing on the development of novel electrode interfaces for long term and noninvasive EEG monitoring. Commercially available EEG platforms are surveyed, and a comparative analysis is presented based on the benefits and limitations they provide for eBCI development. Emerging applications in neuroscientific research and future trends related to the widespread implementation of eBCIs for medical and nonmedical uses are discussed. Finally, a commentary on the ethical, social, and legal concerns associated with this increasingly ubiquitous technology is provided, as well as general recommendations to address key issues related to mainstream consumer adoption.
When Will Neuralink Be Available To Everyone?
When will Neuralink be available to healthy individuals? It’s difficult to find a coherent train of thought pertaining to this question specifically.
Recently, I’ve started thinking more in terms of regulatory approval rather than rough timeline estimates. This sent me down a fascinating path learning more about how medical devices in general make it through “the system.”
This video essay hopefully ties together that research in an accessible way that addresses the topic more directly.
Cheers.
Andrew.
Russia’s Nica: Big Bang Questions | RT Documentary
RT Documentary’s new film Russia’s NICA: Big Bang questions takes you to the Russian nuclear facility in Dubna where a collider is being built as part of the NICA mega-science project. It can recreate the beginning of the world 14 billion years ago.
This research can be used to learn how the universe was formed, according to the Big Bang theory, and the data obtained in the process will be essential to many other areas of science.
The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna has been operating since Soviet times, and this is where the Synchrophasotron elementary particle accelerator was built in the 1960s. It is still functional and can be used, but it takes an excessive amount of energy. Nevertheless, it remains a monument to Soviet science and the attempts to learn about the universe.
The modern state-of-the-art collider called Nuclotron accelerates the charged particles. They fly towards each other and eventually meet. They collide at a rate of 7000 per second. This seems a lot, but drawing profound conclusions or making a discovery as big as the Higgs Boson takes months and even years of gathering statistics. The Boson was predicted by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Peter Higgs in 1964 and practically proved in 2012. The discovery was made on the CERN collider in Switzerland.
Besides, it is tough to observe the particles since their small size makes them indiscernible not just for the human eye but also for many devices. In this microcosm, a tiny grain of sand is equivalent to planet Earth! But once it’s done, the scientists are hoping to recreate matter formed following the Big Bang.
But the collider is not only about the past. Learning more about magnetic fields can be used in modern science and everyday life. What spectacular results the collider research yields — find out in the film!
TIMESTAMPS
Brain Cells Snap Open Their DNA To Make Memories – Extent of DNA Double-Strand Breaks Is “Surprising and Concerning”
To quickly express learning and memory genes, brain cells snap both strands of DNA in many more places and cell types than previously realized, a new study shows.
The urgency to remember a dangerous experience requires the brain to make a series of potentially dangerous moves: Neurons and other brain cells snap open their DNA in numerous locations — more than previously realized, according to a new study — to provide quick access to genetic instructions for the mechanisms of memory storage.
The extent of these DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in multiple key brain regions is surprising and concerning, says study senior author Li-Huei Tsai, Picower Professor of Neuroscience at MIT and director of The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, because while the breaks are routinely repaired, that process may become more flawed and fragile with age. Tsai’s lab has shown that lingering DSBs are associated with neurodegeneration and cognitive decline and that repair mechanisms can falter.
