Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: biotech/medical – Page 397

Regenerative Electronic Biosensors

In a newly published study, scientists detail the development of electronic biosensors that can be regenerated and reused repeatedly.

Imagine a swarm of tiny devices only a few hundred nanometers in size that can detect trace amounts of toxins in a water supply or the very earliest signs of cancer in the blood. Now imagine that these tiny sensors can reset themselves, allowing for repeated use over time inside a body of water – or a human body.

Improving nanodevice biosensors is the goal of Mark Reed, Harold Hodgkinson Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science. Reed and his colleagues have reported a recent breakthrough in designing electronic biosensors that can be regenerated and reused repeatedly.

The Next Frontier: DNA Emerges as a Powerhouse for Data Storage and Computing

Researchers from NC State and Johns Hopkins have developed a breakthrough technology that leverages DNA for data storage and computing, offering capabilities such as storing, retrieving, computing, and rewriting data.

This technology is made viable by innovative polymer structures called dendricolloids, enhancing data density and preservation. It enables functions similar to electronic devices and could potentially secure data for millennia, providing a promising foundation for the future of molecular computing.

DNA Data Storage and Computing.

‘Phenomenal’ tool sequences DNA and tracks proteins — without cracking cells open

Researchers are queuing up to try a powerful microscopy technique that can simultaneously sequence an individual cell’s DNA and pinpoint the location of its proteins with high resolution — all without having to crack the cell open and extract its contents. Imaging DNA and proteins inside intact cells provides crucial information about how these molecules work together.

The method’s developers have already used it to study how ageing might alter the way that proteins in the nucleus interact with chromosomes. As the body ages, they found, changes in these nuclear proteins could suppress gene activity.

“This paper is really extraordinary,” says Ankur Sharma, a cancer biologist at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, Australia, who was not involved in the study but is keen to use the approach to study cancer cells and described it as “phenomenal” on the social-media platform, X.

Electricity-free circuit helps free up space for robots to ‘think,’ say scientists

Engineers have worked out how to give robots complex instructions without electricity for the first time, which could free up more space in the robotic ‘brain’ for them to ‘think.’

Mimicking how some parts of the human body work, researchers from King’s College London have transmitted a series of commands to devices with a new kind of compact circuit, using variations in pressure from a fluid inside it.

They say this world first opens up the possibility of a new generation of robots, whose bodies could operate independently of their built-in control center, with this space potentially being used instead for more complex AI-powered software.

Cannabis Information Sources: Trusting Friends Over Government

Where you people most often get their information regarding cannabis? This is what a recent study published in the Journal of Cannabis Research hopes to address as a team of researchers led by the University of Michigan Medical School investigated the methods by which everyday citizens receive their information regarding cannabis, specifically pertaining to its legality, which comes on the heels of its classification from a Schedule I to Schedule III drug recently being recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services.

For the study, the researchers conducted a survey of 1,161 participants ages 18 and up regarding their cannabis use within the past year, reasons for use, and the sources where they obtain their information regarding cannabis. The participants consisted of 51 percent women and 49 percent men with 27 percent reporting using cannabis within the past year. Regarding their sources of information, 35.6 percent reported it was from family and friends, 33.7 percent reported it was from websites, 9.3 percent from healthcare providers, 8.6 percent from employees where the cannabis was purchased, and 4.7 percent was from government agencies.

The study concludes by saying, “In this nationally representative survey, we show that most people draw information about cannabis from friends and family or online, with very few consulting their healthcare provider or government agencies. As cannabis accessibility and legality is increasing, there is a strong need for better clinician education, public outreach strategies, and improved communication between patients and clinicians about cannabis.”

Computer simulation mimics how the brain grows neurons, paving the way for future disease treatments

A new computer simulation of how our brains develop and grow neurons has been built by scientists from the University of Surrey. Along with improving our understanding of how the brain works, researchers hope that the models will contribute to neurodegenerative disease research and, someday, stem cell research that helps regenerate brain tissue.

Higher Levels of Leptin indicate Brain Protection against Late-life Dementia

Weight-maintaining hormone key to brain-signal transmission. A study more closely links obesity to dementia, finding that leptin, a hormone that helps maintain normal body weight, is associated with better signal-transmitting brain white matter in middle-aged adults.

New research is more closely linking obesity to dementia.

Higher levels of leptin, a hormone that helps maintain normal body weight, is associated with better signal-transmitting brain white matter in middle-aged adults, according to a study by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio).

How far till Longevity Escape Velocity?

They say aging is just a part of life, but have you ever wondered if it really has to be? What if getting older isn’t just something we accept but something we could actually treat?

In this riveting episode of Peak Human Labs Podcast, Dr. Sanjeev Goel, sits down with Dr. Aubrey de Grey, a trailblazing biomedical gerontologist and Chief Science Officer of the SENS Research Foundation. They dive deep into the revolutionary idea of treating aging as a medical condition. They explore how damage accumulates in our bodies over time and discuss the groundbreaking medical advancements that could extend our healthy lifespans. Dr. de Grey sheds light on the crucial need for investing in underfunded research and shares insights into the future of longevity science. Tune in and envision a future where health and longevity are not just aspirations but achievable realities!

Click https://dublinlongevitydeclaration.or… to sign in for Dublin Longevity Declaration.

In This Episode:

[00:00:00] Introduction to longevity research.
[00:00:51] Guest introduction.
[00:01:17] Personal connection.
[00:02:04] Dr. de Grey’s background.
[00:03:14] Early research stages.
[00:04:05] Understanding aging as a machine.
[00:05:22] Accumulated damage mechanism.
[00:06:15] Comprehensive medical control.
[00:07:13] Categories of damage.
[00:07:55] Wear and tear concept.
[00:09:20] Epigenetic changes discussion.
[00:11:31] Partial reprogramming concept.
[00:13:30] Addressing multiple mechanisms.
[00:14:31] Longevity escape velocity.
[00:15:43] Initial pushback on longevity ideas.
[00:17:51] Positive outlook on aging research.
[00:19:51] The future of longevity research.
[00:20:54] Funding disparities in research.
[00:21:10] Business models in longevity research.
[00:21:58] Combining existing therapies.
[00:23:47] Current longevity therapies.
[00:24:56] Caloric restriction vs. drugs.
[00:25:36] Dublin Longevity Declaration.
[00:26:39] Community building through conferences.
[00:28:09] Anticipating longevity breakthroughs.
[00:29:12] Access to longevity therapies.
[00:30:58] Epigenetic clocks and age reversal.
[00:32:24] Retroviruses and aging.
[00:34:56] Persistent viral infections.
[00:37:24] Hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
[00:37:49] Therapeutic blood exchange.
[00:39:37] Discussion on active ingredients.
[00:40:41] Bone marrow transplant experimentation.
[00:42:09] Health benefits of bone marrow transplants.
[00:43:05] Personal health practices.
[00:43:55] Advice for maximizing healthy lifespan.
[00:45:01] Microbiome and longevity.