Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: biotech/medical – Page 63

RNA is the molecule that reads the genetic information stored in DNA. It’s critical for the proper functioning of cells, and in a new study published in Nature Communications, University of California, Irvine scientists have discovered a way of tagging RNA with a glowing bioluminescent molecule that allows them to track RNA in real time as it moves throughout the body. The work promises to help scientists better understand everything from the way viruses propagate to how memories form in the brain.

Read more | >

In a study that could help scientists better understand and manipulate cell division, RIKEN biologists have engineered artificial structures that replicate one of life’s most crucial processes—the precise division of packages of DNA known as chromosomes.

When a cell starts splitting into two , its align. The process of chromosome alignment can be likened to a high-stakes game of tug-of-war.

In a healthy cell, chromosomes line up at the center, each pulled by fibers extending from opposite sides of the cell. These fibers attach to kinetochores—anchors that ensure chromosomes are evenly pulled apart during —at the center of the dividing structures.

Read more | >

An international research team led by the University of California, Irvine has discovered a new type of skeletal tissue that offers great potential for advancing regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.

Most cartilage relies on an external extracellular matrix for strength, but “lipocartilage,” which is found in the ears, nose and throat of mammals, is uniquely packed with fat-filled cells called “lipochondrocytes” that provide super-stable internal support, enabling the tissue to remain soft and springy—similar to bubbled packaging material.

The study, published in the journal Science, describes how lipocartilage cells create and maintain their own lipid reservoirs, remaining constant in size. Unlike ordinary adipocyte fat cells, lipochondrocytes never shrink or expand in response to food availability.

Read more | >

Quantum computers require extreme cooling to perform reliable calculations. One of the challenges preventing quantum computers from entering society is the difficulty of freezing the qubits to temperatures close to absolute zero.

Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and the University of Maryland, U.S., have engineered a new type of refrigerator that can autonomously cool superconducting qubits to record , paving the way for more reliable quantum computation.

Quantum computers have the potential to revolutionize fundamental technologies in various sectors of society, with applications in medicine, energy, encryption, AI, and logistics. While the building blocks of a classical computer—bits—can take a value of either 0 or 1, the most common building blocks in quantum computers—qubits—can have a value of 0 and 1 simultaneously.

Read more | >

An informative review on the benefits and drawbacks and biological effects of various kinds of in vitro cell culture media.

The biomolecular relevance of medium supplements is a key challenge affecting cell culture practice. The biomolecular composition of commonly used supplements differs from that of a physiological environment, affecting the validity of conclusions drawn from in vitro studies. This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of common supplements, including context-dependent considerations for supplement selection to improve biomolecular relevance, especially in nanomedicine and extracellular vesicle research.

Read more | >

Think of a future where terminal illnesses can be temporarily halted, allowing time for the development of potential cures.

TimeShift, the world’s first cryopreservation facility, seeks to make the impossible – extending human lifespan – a reality.

The conceptualized facility would provide a means of freezing or preserving patients’ bodies with terminal illnesses. This way, it could mitigate the progression of neurodegenerative diseases and aggressive cancers. And possibly enable experts to develop a cure.

Read more | >

Summary: Researchers have identified a unique stem cell in the young brain capable of maturing into multiple cell types, potentially explaining the origins of autism and glioblastoma. These stem cells show gene expression patterns that regulate early brain development and, when disrupted, could lead to neurological conditions.

The study provides a detailed gene expression map, linking autism-related genes to immature neurons active during brain growth. The findings open avenues for targeting glioblastoma’s origins and better understanding autism’s developmental roots.

Read more | >

Shaping The Culture & Conduct Of Science — Dr. Marcia McNutt Ph.D. — President, National Academy Of Sciences

Dr. Marcia McNutt, Ph.D. is President of the National Academy of Sciences (https://www.nasonline.org/directory-e…), where she also chairs the National Research Council, the operating arm of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and serves a key role in advising our nation on various important issues pertaining to science, technology, and health.

From 2013 to 2016, Dr. McNutt served as editor-in-chief of the Science journals.

Continue reading “Dr. Marcia McNutt — President, National Academy of Sciences — Shaping Culture & Conduct Of Science” | >

🧬 🧑🏻‍🔬 By Prof. Itzhak Fishov, et al.

🔗

Phenotypic variability in isogenic bacterial populations is a remarkable feature that helps them cope with external stresses, yet it is incompletely understood. This variability can stem from gene expression noise and/or the unequal partitioning of low-copy-number freely diffusing proteins during cell division. Some high-copy-number components are transiently associated with almost immobile large assemblies (hyperstructures) and may be unequally distributed, contributing to bacterial phenotypic variability. We focus on the nucleoid hyperstructure containing numerous DNA-associated proteins, including the replication initiator DnaA. Previously, we found an increasing asynchrony in the nucleoid segregation dynamics in growing E. coli cell lineages and suggested that variable replication initiation timing may be the main cause of this phenomenon.

Read more | >