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New view on mitochondrial DNA could put the brakes on mutations that drive diseases. Scientists perform landmark sequencing of mitochondrial DNA and discover surprising facts.


Summary: New view on mitochondrial DNA could help put the brakes on mutations that drive diseases. [Author: Brady Hartman. This article first appeared on LongevityFacts.]

DNA sequences between mitochondria inside a single cell are vastly different, reported scientists in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. This discovery will help to illuminate the underlying mechanisms of diseases that start with mutations in mitochondrial DNA and provide clues about how patients might respond to specific treatments. The researchers published their findings in the journal Cell Reports this week.

Mutant Mitochondrial DNA

Continuous automatic sampling during production aims to keep Danish biotechnology at the forefront. The equipment, and the company behind it, are the result of fruitful collaboration between businesses and universities.

Biotech companies can now take samples from their production as often as they wish, untouched by human hands.

This is all thanks to new equipment developed by start-up company Biomatics Technology. Both the company and product were nurtured in the Biopro network, which involves a number of Danish biotech companies and DTU and the University of Copenhagen.

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Underground settings are becoming increasingly relevant to global security and safety. Rising populations and urbanization are requiring military and civilian first responders to perform their duties below ground in human-made tunnels, underground urban spaces, and natural cave networks. Recognizing that innovative, enhanced technologies could accelerate development of critical lifesaving capabilities, DARPA today announced its newest Grand Challenge: the DARPA Subterranean Challenge, or SubT for short.

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Whether or not immortality is possible, whether or not one would like it for oneself, it’s important to keep in mind that it is not what biomedical research against ageing is about.


When doing science, it is crucially important to have clear, unambiguous definitions. These definitions must be firmly established to avoid confusion and misunderstandings and possibly to prevent people from going around telling everyone that you’re working on something that you’re actually not.

The I-word

It’s not uncommon, especially for outsiders of a given field, to use an inappropriate word to indicate a more complex concept than the word itself conveys—maybe because they think that the two are close enough or possibly because they just don’t see the difference.

Good stuff from Aubrey. One person is a deathist, another is a maybe, the other is pro-life extension.


Turning back the clock and undoing the ravages of time. Something we’ve probably all wondered about — but could it become reality? Or are we all just wishing our lives away?
We may soon be able to stop or even undo the ageing process. By purging the body of so-called ‘retired cells’, scientists say we could look younger, live longer, and defeat disease. Is this science’s answer to the fabled fountain of youth?
At the Roundtable was Aubrey de Grey, Biomedical gerontologist and Chief Science Officer at Sens Research Foundation; Lara Marks, a visiting Research Associate at University College London and Historian of Medicine at King’s College London; Professor Ilaria Bellantuono, Stem cell biologist and Professor in musculoskeletal ageing at the University of Sheffield and journalist Salman Shaheen.
Roundtable is a discussion programme with an edge. Broadcast out of London and presented by David Foster, it’s about bringing people to the table, listening to every opinion, and analysing every point of view. From fierce debate to reflective thinking, Roundtable discussions offer a different perspective on the issues that matter to you. Watch it every weekday at 15:30 GMT on TRT World.

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