Lifeboat Foundation

Most vertical farms are hydroponic (plant roots sit in shallow troughs of nutrient-rich water) or aeroponic (roots dangle in the air and are periodically misted). But Upward Farms uses aquaponics to fertilize its crops. What does that mean? In a nutshell, that plants are fertilized with fish poop.

To get a little more specific: besides microgreens, Upward Farms raises fish: mercury-free, antibiotic-free, hormone-free hybrid striped bass, in tanks that are separate from the trays of greens. Manure from the fish is collected and fed to the plants, making for a soil microbiome that’s more dense, fertile, and productive than that of most indoor farms, according to the company. Best of all, the company sells the fish to consumers, too.

Upward Farms claims its yields are two times above the industry average thanks to its ecological farming method, which keeps the microbial cell count in soil much higher than it would be with chemical fertilizers. “There’s a communication layer that’s been built in by millions of years of evolution between plants and microbes,” said Jason Green, Upward Farms’ CEO and cofounder. “Plants can say, ‘Hey, I’m stressed in this way, my environment is imperfect in this way, can you help me?’ and plants recruit microbes to their service.”

Space anemia is more serious than we thought.

Being in space causes the human body to destroy about 50% more red blood cells, leading to a potentially dangerous condition known as anemia. The effects persist even after astronauts return to Earth, according to a new study.

The study, led by researchers at the Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada, analyzed breath and blood samples of 14 astronauts before, during, and after their six-month missions aboard the International Space Station. The researchers found that the astronaut’s bodies destroyed about 54% more red blood cells than they would on Earth.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — A London patient, Steve Verze, became the first to use a 3D-printed prosthetic eye in November 2021. Its advancements in aesthetics, durability and production process allude to an auspicious future for prosthetics. Yet, developing countries struggle regarding prosthetic accessibility and affordability. Losing a limb or organ in poverty is extremely impactful since access to prosthetic devices or assistance is rare.

A 3D Difference

Steve Verze made history by replacing his acrylic eye with a 3D-printed prosthetic. Since he was 20 years old, he has worn a prosthetic and expressed that he was always self-conscious wearing it. The difference between his previous eye and the 3D counterpart is wider than expected. Traditional prosthetic eyes take six weeks to finish due to hand painting acrylic. The 3D printing prosthetic takes two to three weeks in comparison. Acrylic eyes require an anesthetic for children due to the challenge of molding them to the eye socket. The 3D eye only uses digital scans and “is a true biomimetic and a more realistic prosthetic, with clearer definition and a real depth to the pupil.” The world’s first 3D-printed prosthetic eye shows advancements that expand the possibilities of prosthetics forever.

A cure for range anxiety?

I don’t know how about you… But I’m meeting cyborgs in the streets regularly. If you observe carefully you can find people with artificial legs and arms. So next time watch more carefully. Its most common seen artificial body part. On other hand there are other parts you can’t see, like artificial joints, dental implants, breast implants, pacemakers, insulin pumps and so on. We are unable to see them but they are very common. Millions people use them. Nowadays very common trend is biohacking where people implant magnets and chips to their bodies. We think our bodies are born complete but we are wrong. We can upgrade and modify them. What if we can use brain implants to be smarter, to think and focus sharper.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.ft.com/content/2b869472&#45…28788e8dd4

“GlaxoSmithKline’s chief scientific officer Hal Barron will step down in August as he moves to lead a Silicon Valley anti-ageing start-up, dealing a blow to the pharma group as it races to rebuild its pipeline of drugs.”

Link: Big Pharma loses top scientist to anti-aging research.

GlaxoSmithKline’s chief scientific officer Hal Barron will step down in August as he moves to lead a Silicon Valley anti-ageing start-up, dealing a blow to the pharma group as it races to rebuild its pipeline of drugs.

Hal Barron, a veteran drug developer, helped shape GSK efforts when some shareholders raised concerns that chief executive Emma Walmsley’s lack of a scientific background was a hindrance. He will be replaced by internal candidate Tony Wood.

Continue reading “GSK loses top scientist to anti-ageing start-up” »

One critical difference? Unlike a Mars mission’s “seven minutes of terror,” during which the entry, descent, and landing occur too fast for human operators to interfere, gene therapy delivery is completely blind. Once inside the body, the entire flight sequence rests solely on the design of the carrier “spaceship.”

In other words, for gene therapy to work efficiently, smarter carriers are imperative.

This month, a team at Harvard led by Dr. David Liu launched a new generation of molecular carriers inspired by viruses. Dubbed engineered virus-like particles (eVLPs), these bubble-like carriers can deliver CRISPR and base editing components to a myriad of organs with minimal side effects.

Google has been developing what is perhaps the company’s most ambitious project to date: a science startup that will pursue ‘solutions for aging’ with the intended goal of “solving death”.

Calico, a company directed by futurists to explore the concept of “singularity”, has partnered with pharmaceutical giants to research and trial new market drugs that target aging and development.

What is this new audacious project? Who is behind it? In the following feature, Ethan Nash explores.