Lifeboat Foundation

Synthetic cells are a versatile technology with the potential to serve as smart delivery devices or as chassis for creating life from scratch. Despite the development of new tools and improvements in synthetic cell assembly methods, the biological parts used to regulate their activity have limited their reach to highly controlled laboratory environments¹². In the field’s preliminary work, well-established arabinose and IPTG-inducible transcription factors and theophylline-responsive riboswitches were used to control in situ gene expression^5,6. Still, each performed poorly in vitro and represented a leaky, insensitive route of transcription/translation control. Later, the transition to AHSL-sensitive transcription factors afforded synthetic cells the ability to sense and produce more biologically useful QS molecules, which are central to coordinating collective bacterial behaviors. Although this marked considerable progress toward integrating synthetic cells with living cells, the most frequently adopted QS systems used to date, LuxR/LuxI and EsaR/EsaI, recognize and synthesize the same AHSL (3OC6-HSL), limiting the variety of synthetic cell activators that work orthogonally^5,7,10,11.

In this work, we diverged from using naturally derived parts to control gene expression, instead utilizing chemically modified LA-DNA templates to tightly and precisely control the location of synthetic cell activation with UV light. This LA-DNA approach was subsequently implemented to regulate communication with E. coli cells using the BjaI/BjaR QS system, adding this unique branched AHSL into the synthetic cell communication toolbox. We believe this system is ideally suited to synthetic cell communication. It couples an acyl-CoA-dependent synthase, BjaI, which efficiently synthesizes IV-HSL from its commercially available substrates, IV-CoA and SAM, with a highly sensitive IV-HSL-dependent transcription factor, BjaR, that activates gene expression at picomolar concentrations of IV-HSL.

Researchers have combined research with real and robotic insects to better understand how they sense forces in their limbs while walking, providing new insights into the biomechanics and neural dynamics of insects and informing new applications for large legged robots. They presented their findings at the SEB Centenary Conference 2023.

Campaniform sensilla (CS) are force receptors found in the limbs of insects that respond to stress and strain, providing important information for controlling locomotion. Similar force receptors exist in mammals known as golgi tendon organs, suggesting that understanding the role of force sensors in insects may also provide new insights into their functions in vertebrates such as humans.

Continue reading “Big robot bugs reveal force-sensing secrets of insect locomotion” »

Wavebreakmedia/iStock.

The R21/Matrix-M vaccine has been approved for use in children aged five to 36 months, the group at the highest risk of death from the malaria parasite, which is spread by mosquitoes. The vaccine is the first to exceed the World Health Organization’s target of 75 percent efficacy and has demonstrated high levels of safety in Phase II trials.

Year 2019 😗😁

The European Commission approved the world’s first Ebola vaccine. The vaccine is manufactured by Merck and has a trade name of Ervebo.

“The European Commission’s marketing authorization of Ervebo is the result of an unprecedented collaboration for which the entire world should be proud,” said Kenneth C. Frazier, Merck’s chairman and chief executive officer. “It is a historic milestone and a testament to the power of science, innovation and public-private partnership.”

Continue reading “Merck’s Ervebo is the World’s First Approved Ebola Vaccine” »

In January 6 2023, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved Leqembi (lecanemab-irmb) via the Accelerated Approval pathway for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Leqembi is the second of a new category of medications approved for Alzheimer’s disease that target the fundamental pathophysiology of the disease. These medications represent an important advancement in the ongoing fight to effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease.

Recently it has been granted full approval. Leqembi, developed jointly by Japan’s Eisai and Biogen of the United States, was shown in a clinical trial to modestly reduce cognitive decline among patients in the early stages of the disease.

But the study also raised concerns about side effects including brain bleeds and swelling.

Continue reading “FDA Grants Accelerated Approval for Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment” »

The nine humanoid robots gathered at the ‘AI for Good’ conference in Geneva, where organizers are seeking to make the case for Artificial Intelligence and the robots it is powering to help resolve some of the world’s biggest challenges such as disease and hunger.

AI For Good Summit.

https://dig.watch/event/ai-for-good

Continue reading “Robots say they won’t steal jobs, rebel against humans” »

An older research article and I really hope I didn’t already post this, but isn’t this scary? Nevermind AI or nano, but the fact you don’t need that to mess with your mind? Oh and I’ve searched google and there’s nanoparticles in meds, including psych meds. EMF could potentially mess with that or the minerals in your body but I’m not an expert. But we do have iron in our blood. I read that EMF can affect the blood brain barrier as well. I know there’s issues with people saying they’re targeted individuals, but with instructions online on how to make a microwave gun, especially on youtube, and there’s a Wired Magazine article about a court case where a judge ordered a man to stop EMF targeting a former business partner over an argument over a business deal. Yup, the 21st centure is bringing more than guns and knives and fists into the foray.

From our archives. This important article first published by GR in August 2004 brings to the forefront the role of Psychotronic weapons as an instrument of modern warfare.

A new study from the University of Georgia aims to improve how we evaluate children’s creativity through human ratings and through artificial intelligence.

A team from the Mary Frances Early College of Education is developing an AI system that can more accurately rate open-ended responses on creativity assessments for elementary-aged students.

“In the same way that hospital systems need good data on their patients, educational systems need really good data on their students in order to make effective choices,” said study author and associate professor of educational psychology Denis Dumas. “Creativity assessments have policy and curricular relevance, and without assessment data, we can’t fully support creativity in schools.”

Astrophysicist Geraint Lewis of the University of Sydney in Australia recently authored a study about time dilation and said that Doctor Who’s description of time travel is accurate, as we truly don’t yet understand the limitations of time (via Reuters).

Sci-fi shows like Doctor Who can usually rely on the audience’s suspension of disbelief when diving into heady concepts, and the science doesn’t always have to be accurate — though it is much cooler when a show gets the science right. Apparently, the long-running BBC series can take pride in the fact that the Doctor’s description of time as ‘wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff, is co-opted by real-life astrophysicists.

In other words, theoretical concepts like time travel and warp drives could be possible, or they may not be. Maybe a Time Lord out there uses a British police box to travel through time. Okay, so Doctor Who probably isn’t right about that part, but there technically is still a chance that it is!