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New Drug Restores Telomerase, Improves Cognition in Mice

The enzyme telomerase can prevent telomere attrition from happening by extending the length of telomeres. However, in most multicellular organisms, including humans, telomerase expression is switched off, except in germ cells, some types of stem cells, and certain white blood cells. While this might play a role in preventing cancer, as most cancerous cells must switch telomerase expression back on via mutations to enable runaway replication, numerous studies have shown that increasing telomerase through TERT delays aging and increases longevity of model organisms [1].

The small molecule that could

In the lab, this is usually done by introducing genetic vectors carrying a working copy of the gene that codes TERT. It’s this gene that is switched off in somatic cells. However, gene therapies are complex and expensive, and they are just entering the medical mainstream. What if we could do the same using a small molecule?

SpaceX successful with booster replacement on Starlink mission

SpaceX was back at the launch pad Sunday with an updated rocket to finish off a Starlink mission it tried to send up earlier this month.

A Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10–2 lifted off at 1:15 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 amid cloudy skies with 22 more Starlink satellites for the company’s growing internet constellation that now numbers more than 6,100 satellites in orbit.

The launch came nine days since SpaceX last attempted to knock out the mission on June 14. That attempt had a rare scrub as the reached 0 and the rocket was ultimately brought back from the pad to allow for last week’s ASTRA 1P satellite launch to go up instead.

Moon And Saturn Align As ‘Space Clouds’ Shine: The Night Sky This Week

Best seen with the naked eye or a pair of binoculars, delicate NLCs are visible at this time of year because they’re being lit by the sun, which sets yet never gets far below the horizon.

Ideally placed in the night sky this month is M13, the “Great Globular Cluster in Hercules.” A spectacular sight in binoculars or a small telescope, the closest and the brightest globular cluster—as seen from the northern hemisphere—is about 25,000 light-years distant.

NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Unlocks the Geologic Mysteries of Bright Angel

Perseverance rover recently arrived at Bright Angel, a notable site on Mars distinguished by its light-toned rocks, situated at the edge of the ancient Neretva Vallis river channel.

Last week, NASA ’s Perseverance Mars rover arrived at the long-awaited site of Bright Angel, named for being a light-toned rock that stands out in orbital data. The unique color here, as well as the surface characteristics and location on the edge of the ancient river channel Neretva Vallis, made Bright Angel a location of interest for the Mars 2020 Science Team.

Initial Observations and Data Collection.

‘Out of control fires’ in Brazil wetlands spark state of emergency

Regional authorities in Brazil on Monday declared a state of emergency as the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetlands, faces “out of control fires,” according to a decree.

The surge of fires before the peak of the dry season has raised alarm for the Pantanal, which extends into Bolivia and Paraguay and is home to a rich array of wildlife, including the world’s highest density of jaguars.

The six-month was declared by the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, home to much of the wetlands in Brazil.