Lifeboat Foundation

Research that was recently published in Scientific Reports presents the first human genome that has been successfully sequenced from a person who passed away in Pompeii, Italy, after Mount Vesuvius’ explosion in the year 79 CE. Only little segments of mitochondrial DNA

DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a molecule composed of two long strands of nucleotides that coil around each other to form a double helix. It is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms that carries genetic instructions for development, functioning, growth, and reproduction. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is called nuclear DNA), but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria (where it is called mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA).

High-performance, micro-sized electrochemical energy storage devices are essential for future miniaturized electronic devices, such as smart medical implants, wireless sensors, and the Internet of Things. Microbatteries (MBs) typically show higher energy density and more stable voltage output than micro-supercapacitors.

However, current MBs involve tedious construction procedures and unsatisfactory electrochemical performance. In addition, no methods exist to construct or manipulate a liquid microelectrode.

A joint research team led by Prof. Qu Liangti from Tsinghua University, Prof. Zhang Zhipan from the Beijing Institute of Technology, and Prof. Liu Feng from the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMCAS) recently proposed a dual-plating strategy to rapidly construct new zinc–bromine microbatteries (Zn–Br₂ MBs) with ultrahigh areal energy density and polarity-switchable functionality.

Ritu Raman leads the Raman Lab, where she creates adaptive biological materials for applications in medicine and machines.

It seems that Ritu Raman was born with an aptitude for engineering. You may say it is in her blood since her mother is a chemical engineer, her father is a mechanical engineer, and her grandfather is a civil engineer. Throughout her childhood, she repeatedly witnessed firsthand the beneficial impact that engineering careers could have on communities. In fact, watching her parents build communication towers to connect the rural villages of Kenya to the global infrastructure is one of her earliest memories. She still vividly remembers the excitement she felt watching the emergence of a physical manifestation of innovation that would have a long-lasting positive impact on the community.

Continue reading “MIT’s Raman Lab: At the Forefront of Building With Biology” »

Cancer researchers have discovered how mutated cells can sense the Goldilocks sweet spots in a human body.

Led by the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, an international group of researchers has shed new light on how cancer thrives.

Previous studies have shown how cancer cells can sense the stiffness of the environment they are in, from hard bone and tough muscle to soft, fatty tissue.

Beef cattle genetically altered to be less susceptible to heat stress have been cleared for human consumption by the FDA.

A small study in men suggests tiny bubbles of cell membrane found in semen are different in those with unexplained infertility issues compared to those with no fertility problems, which could help explain the mysterious condition.

Several traditional medicines commonly used in South Asia, are effective in maintaining blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a new study led by experts at the University of Nottingham.

Many South Asian countries, including India and Nepal, have been using the Ayurvedic natural medical system for thousands of years. Some of the herbs included in this traditional medical system are also used in other parts of the world including Iran, China, and Mexico – to name a few.

It features a multi-pronged and individualized approach to managing health conditions that can include lifestyle modification (including diet), Ayurvedic detoxifying and purifying therapies (e.g. Panchakarma), and Ayurvedic medicines (containing plant, animal, or mineral-origin ingredients – single or in combination).

Tissue Model Reveals Key Players in Liver Regeneration By tracing the steps of liver regrowth, MIT engineers are striving to harness the liver’s regenerative abilities to help treat chronic disease. The human liver has incredible regeneration capabilities: Even if up to 70% of it is removed, the.

Scientists identify an autoantibody that may cause schizophrenia in some individuals. Researchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) have discovered that some people with schizophrenia have autoantibodies—which are made by the immune system and recognize the body’s own proteins, rat…