Researchers in China have successfully restored the vision of mice with retinitis pigmentosa, one of the major causes of blindness in humans. The study, to be published March 17 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, uses a new, highly versatile form of CRISPR-based genome editing with the potential to correct a wide variety of disease-causing genetic mutations.
Researchers have previously used genome editing to restore the vision of mice with genetic diseases, such as Leber congenital amaurosis, that affect the retinal pigment epithelium, a layer of non-neuronal cells in the eye that supports the light-sensing rod and cone photoreceptor cells. However, most inherited forms of blindness, including retinitis pigmentosa, are caused by genetic defects in the neural photoreceptors themselves.
“The ability to edit the genome of neural retinal cells, particularly unhealthy or dying photoreceptors, would provide much more convincing evidence for the potential applications of these genome-editing tools in treating diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa,” says Kai Yao, a professor at the Wuhan University of Science and Technology.
A study of the electron excitation response of DNA to proton radiation has elucidated mechanisms of damage incurred during proton radiotherapy.
Radiobiology studies on the effects of ionizing radiation on human health focus on the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecule as the primary target for deleterious outcomes. The interaction of ionizing radiation with tissue and organs can lead to localized energy deposition large enough to instigate double strand breaks in DNA, which can lead to mutations, chromosomal aberrations, and changes in gene expression. Understanding the mechanisms behind these interactions is critical for developing radiation therapies and improving radiation protection strategies. Christopher Shepard of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his colleagues now use powerful computer simulations to show exactly what part of the DNA molecule receives damaging levels of energy when exposed to charged-particle radiation (Fig. 1) [1]. Their findings could eventually help to minimize the long-term radiation effects from cancer treatments and human spaceflight.
The interaction of radiation with DNA’s electronic structure is a complex process [2, 3]. The numerical models currently used in radiobiology and clinical radiotherapy do not capture the detailed dynamics of these interactions at the atomic level. Rather, these models use geometric cross-sections to predict whether a particle of radiation, such as a photon or an ion, crossing the cell volume will transfer sufficient energy to cause a break in one or both of the DNA strands [4– 6]. The models do not describe the atomic-level interactions but simply provide the probability that some dose of radiation will cause a population of cells to lose their ability to reproduce.
Our trusted and proven sources were correct once again, as just hours after we broke the news that a Gattaca series is in development at Showtime, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed our exclusive. One of our writers here at Giant Freakin Robot wrote just two weeks ago that the 1997 dystopian sci-fi classic would be perfect as a television series, and it’s amazing how quickly we went from hoping it would happen to confirming that it is. The new series will be coming from the creators of Homeland, Howard Gordan and Alex Gansa.
As noted in our initial report, this is not the first time the film, starring Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, and Jude Law, has been optioned as a series. Back in 2009, Sony attempted to turn the movie into a procedural from Gil Grant, a writer on 24 and NCIS. The underrated cult-classic movie is ideal for transforming into a prestige series on a premium network as its themes on transhumanism, genetic manipulation, and a stratified society have become more relevant as technology leaps forwards every year.
In Gattaca, eugenics separates society into “valids” and “in-valids,” even if genetic discrimination is illegal; that hasn’t stopped businesses from profiling, giving the best jobs to the former and only menial labor opportunities to the latter. Ethan Hawke plays Vincent, an in-valid with a heart defect that uses samples from Jude Law’s Jerome Morrow, a paralyzed Olympic champion swimmer that’s also a valid. Using the purloined DNA, Vincent cons his way into a job at Gattaca Aerospace Corporation, eventually being selected as a navigator for a trip to Saturn’s moon, Titan.
A new study published in Nature reports that a technology known as spatial omics can be used to map simultaneously how genes are switched on and off and how they are expressed in different areas of tissues and organs. This improved technology, developed by researchers at Yale University and Karolinska Institutet, could shed light on the development of tissues, as well as on certain diseases and how to treat them.
Almost all cells in the body have the same set of genes and can in principle become any kind of cell. What distinguishes the cells is how the genes in our DNA are used. In recent years, spatial omics have given us a deeper understanding of how cells read the genome in precise locations in tissues. Now, researchers have further evolved this technology to increase knowledge of how tissues develop and how different diseases arise.
A key part of the study is the researchers’ ability to spatially map simultaneously two crucial components of our genetic makeup, the epigenome and the transcriptome. The epigenome controls the switching mechanisms that turn genes on and off in individual cells, whereas the transcriptome is the result of those gene expressions and what makes each cell unique.
Scientists have long known that mitochondria play a crucial role in the metabolism and energy production of cancer cells. However, until now, little was known about the relationship between the structural organization of mitochondrial networks and their functional bioenergetic activity at the level of whole tumors.
In a new study, published in Nature, researchers from the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center used positron emission tomography (PET) in combination with electron microscopy to generate 3-dimensional ultra-resolution maps of mitochondrial networks in lung tumors of genetically engineered mice.
They categorized the tumors based on mitochondrial activity and other factors using an artificial intelligence technique called deep learning, quantifying the mitochondrial architecture across hundreds of cells and thousands of mitochondria throughout the tumor.
NPL, in collaboration with London Biofoundry and BiologIC Technologies Ltd, have released an analysis on existing and emerging DNA Synthesis technologies in Nature Reviews Chemistry, featuring the work on the front cover.
The study, which was initiated by DSTL, set out to understand the development trajectory of DNA Synthesis as a major industry drive for the UK economy over the next 10 years. The demand for synthetic DNA is growing exponentially. However, our ability to make, or write, DNA lags behind our ability to sequence, or read, it. The study reviewed existing and emerging DNA synthesis technologies developed to close this gene writing gap.
DNA or genes provide a universal tool to engineer and manipulate living systems. Recent progress in DNA synthesis has brought up limitless possibilities in a variety of industry sectors. Engineering biology, therapy and diagnostics, data storage, defense and nanotechnology are all set for unprecedented breakthroughs if DNA can be provided at scale and low cost.
Scientists created mice with two biological dads by producing eggs from male cells, which is a development that opens radical new possibilities for reproduction. Progress can ultimately pave way for treatments for severe infertility forms and increase possibility of attracting couples of same gender to have a biological child in future. Hayashi, who presented development at the third International Human Genome Regulation Summit at Francis Crick Institute in London on Wednesday, predicts it would be technically possible to create a human egg from a male skin cell in ten years. Considering that human eggs did not create eggs, he argued this timeline was optimistic. Previously, scientists have created mice technically with a detailed step chain, including genetic engineering. This is first time that can be applied first time, eggs were raised from male cells and pointing to an important progress. He was trying to reproduce with human cells, but there would be important obstacles for use of eggs grown in laboratory clinical purposes, including creating safety. “In terms of technology, it will be possible even in 10 years in 10 years, ve he personally added that the technology used clinically to allow two men to have a baby. Orum I don’t know if they are ready reproduction,” he said.“This is a question not only for the scientific program, but also[society].” Technique, X chromosome is missing or partially missing a copy of the turner syndrome, including women with severe infertility forms can be applied to treat and Hayashi, this application is the primary motivation for research, he said. Others argued that translating technique into human cells may be challenging. Human cells need much longer agricultural periods to produce a mature egg, which can increase the risk of undesirable genetic changes. Profess George Daley, the Dean of Harvard Medical Faculty, described the study as “fascinating„ but other researches also showed that creating gamet creating from human cells in laboratory is more difficult than mouse cells.said. The study, which was sent to be leading magazine, was based on a number of complex steps to transform skin cell that carries the combination of male XY chromosomes into an egg. Men’s skin cells were re-programmed into a stem cell-like condition to form the induced pluripotent root cells. Then the Y chromosome of these cells was deleted and changed and ” borrowed from another cell to produce IPS cells with two identical X chromosome. Hayashi said, ” The trick, greatest trick, the reproduction of X chromosome,” he said. ” We really tried to establish a system to replicate the X chromosome.” Finally, cells were grown in an ovary organoid with a cultural system designed to replicate the conditions within ovary. When Yumurtas were fertilized with normal sperm, scientists obtained approximately 600 embryos implanted in the mice, which resulted in birth of seven mouse offspring. ‘Efficiency was lower than the efficiency obtained by normal female-derived eggs, where approximately 5% of the embryos continued to produce a lively birth. Baby mice looked healthy, had a normal life, and as an adult continued to the offspring. ” They look good, they grow normal, they become a father, Hay Hayashi said. He and his colleagues are now trying to increase the creation of eggs grown in the laboratory using human cells. Working on Gamets grown in the laboratory at the University of California Los Angeles, Prof Amander Clark said that it would be a ” big jump in, because scientists have not yet created human eggs from women’s cells. Scientists have created the premises of human eggs, but so far, cells, mature eggs and sperm, a critical cell division step, which has stopped development before the point of meiosis. It can be 10 years or 20 years.”
Ray Kurzweil — The Singularity IS NEAR — part 2! We’ll Reach IMMORTALITY by 2030 Get ready for an exciting journey into the future with Ray Kurzweil’s The Singularity IS NEAR — Part 2! Join us as we explore the awe-inspiring possibilities of what could be achieved before 2030, including the potential for humans to reach immortality. We’ll dive into the incredible technology that could help us reach this singularity and uncover what the implications of achieving immortality could be. Don’t miss out on this fascinating insight into the future of mankind! In his book “The Singularity Is Near”, futurist and inventor Ray Kurzweil argues that we are rapidly approaching a point in time known as the singularity. This refers to the moment when artificial intelligence and other technologies will become so advanced that they surpass human intelligence and change the course of human evolution forever.
Kurzweil predicts that by 2030, we will reach a crucial milestone in our technological progress: immortality. He bases this prediction on his observation of exponential growth in various fields such as genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics, which he believes will culminate in the creation of what he calls “nanobots”.
These tiny robots, according to Kurzweil, will be capable of repairing and enhancing our bodies at the cellular level, effectively making us immune to disease, aging, and death. Additionally, he believes that advances in brain-computer interfaces will allow us to upload our consciousness into digital form, effectively achieving immortality.
Kurzweil’s ideas have been met with both excitement and skepticism. Some people see the singularity as a moment of great potential, a time when we can overcome our biological limitations and create a better future for humanity. Others fear the singularity, believing that it could lead to the end of humanity as we know it.
Regardless of one’s opinion on the singularity, there is no denying that we are living in a time of rapid technological change. The future is uncertain, and it is impossible to predict with certainty what the world will look like in 2030 or beyond. However, one thing is clear: the singularity, as envisioned by Kurzweil and others, represents a profound shift in human history, one that will likely have far-reaching implications for generations to come.
The quest for longevity has always been with us. Ever since the ancient kings of old we have been trying everything we can think of in order to stave off death and disease, with most of our efforts unfortunately baring little fruit. However, as it turns out, the power to reverse the aging process has been nestled within us this whole time. Not in the metaphorical sense, but rather in the quite literal sense. For you see, we have been reversing the aging process every single time we have reproduced.
Have you ever wondered how it is that regardless of how old the parents of a child are, the child is never born ‘pre-aged?’. This seems like a ridiculous question, but if the genetic material that came from the parents (especially from the father) has already undergone the aging process, then how is it that ‘genetic aging’ is not passed onto the child? If such a process were to occur, then it would obviously spell doom for our entire species, as we would eventually accumulate age with each subsequent generation and we would very quickly perish. Yet, this obviously does not happen. So the question was asked, why is this?
