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Optimizing how cells self-organize: Computational framework extracts genetic rules

One of the most fundamental processes in all of biology is the spontaneous organization of cells into clusters that divide and eventually turn into shapes—be they organs, wings or limbs.

Scientists have long explored this enormously complex process to make artificial organs or understand cancer growth—but precisely engineering to achieve a desired collective outcome is often a trial-and-error process.

Harvard applied physicists consider the control of cellular organization and morphogenesis to be an that can be solved with powerful new machine learning tools. In new research published in Nature Computational Science, researchers in the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have created a computational framework that can extract the rules that cells need to follow as they grow, in order for a collective function to emerge from the whole.

Fraud, Deception, and Subversion: Recommendations for Maintaining Data Integrity

Researchers increasingly use online tools to advertise studies, recruit participants, and collect data, enabling access to individuals in remote or rural areas, those with limited mobility, and participants facing time constraints. While online platforms offer significant advantages, online research remains vulnerable to fraudulent activity, which can compromise the validity of study findings and deplete both funding and human resources. This special communication describes the real-world experiences of two research groups, one in Canada and one in the United States, who encountered fraudsters in both randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies.

Longevity expert explains whether we can reduce plaque build-up in our arteries and decrease the risk of a heart attack

It is a very common belief that once plaque builds up in the arteries, it is there to stay, a slow, irreversible path towards heart disease. Doctors generally prescribed lifelong medication, stents, or even surgery as the only way forward. But as longevity expert Dr Vass, trained at Cornell, points out, that it might not all be true. Science now shows that arterial plaque can indeed be managed, reduced, and even stabilised if the root causes are targeted. So, can plaque really be reversed, and can this lower the risk of heart attacks? Here’s all we need to know about it.

Key genes that act as a brake on blood cancer growth reveal potential treatment targets

Australian researchers have used an innovative genome-wide screening approach to identify genes, and their encoded proteins, that play critical roles in the prevention of lymphoma development, revealing new potential treatment targets for these blood cancers.

The study, published in Nature Communications, has identified a group of proteins known as the GATOR1 complex as essential tumor suppressors.

The GATOR1 complex normally functions as a “brake” on cellular growth by regulating pathways that control cell growth and metabolism. When GATOR1 components are lost or defective, this protective mechanism fails, allowing cells to grow uncontrollably.

Gone but not forgotten: New research shows the brain’s map of the body remains unchanged after amputation

The brain holds a “map” of the body that remains unchanged even after a limb has been amputated, contrary to the prevailing view that it rearranges itself to compensate for the loss, according to new research from scientists in the UK and US.

The findings, published in Nature Neuroscience, have implications for the treatment of “phantom ” pain, but also suggest that controlling robotic replacement limbs via neural interfaces may be more straightforward than previously thought.

Studies have previously shown that within an area of the brain known as the somatosensory cortex there exists a map of the body, with different regions corresponding to different body parts.

‘Rosetta stone’ of code allows scientists to run core quantum computing operations

To build a large-scale quantum computer that works, scientists and engineers need to overcome the spontaneous errors that quantum bits, or qubits, create as they operate.

Scientists encode these building blocks of quantum information to suppress errors in other so that a minority can operate in a way that produces useful outcomes.

As the number of useful (or logical) qubits grows, the number of physical qubits required grows even further. As this scales up, the sheer number of qubits needed to create a useful quantum machine becomes an engineering nightmare.

Notes on Fundraising Mechanics for Startups

Are you a technical founder who wants a better understanding of fundraising in startups? Well, I am too. That’s why I wrote up these notes which explore the mechanics and terminology associated with raising rounds. Hope you find this useful as well!

PDF version: Notes on Fundraising Mechanics for Startups by Logan Thrasher Collins Valuation A company’s valuation is initially an estimate of how much the company is worth as set by methods such as the following.

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