Lifeboat Foundation

Toronto scientists have mapped the genes allowing cancer cells to avoid getting killed by the immune system in a finding that paves the way for the development of immunotherapies that would be effective for larger patient populations and across different tumour types.

“Over the last decade, different forms of immunotherapy have emerged as really potent cancer treatments but the reality is that they only generate durable responses in a fraction of patients and not for all tumour types,” says Jason Moffat, a professor of molecular genetics in the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research at the University of Toronto who led the work.

The study also revealed the need for new therapy to take into account the genetic composition of tumours because of mutations in the cancer cells that can potentially make the disease worse in response to treatment, often referred to as cancer resistance mutations.

Circa 2019

Unlocking the physical characteristics of semiconductors in much greater detail.

The triumph of a robot named Curly is the latest example of machines besting humans, but other big wins for the robots have been in digital environments; “with every throw, the ice changes.”

Mushroom-munching bonobos in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have introduced scientists to a new species of truffle.

Commonly used by Congolese communities to bait traps for small mammals, Hysterangium bonobo is also savored by bonobos, an endangered species of great ape. Scientists say the truffle hints at vast reserves of undescribed fungal diversity in the region.

“Truffles aren’t just for gourmet chefs—they’re also for our closest relatives,” said Matthew Smith, an associate professor in the University of Florida department of plant pathology and curator of the UF fungal herbarium. “There’s so much to learn about this system, and we’re just scratching the surface.”

You might never have to replace your tires again.

When all-electric vehicles eventually complete their global takeover, they’ll collectively require much less maintenance than their oiled up, transmission-based counterparts. As for the tires? That’s a different story.

Continue reading “Goodyear’s New Tire Concept Can Regenerate Tread on the Go” »

Launching soon on Kickstarter.

Wake up and smell the coffee: introducing™ 3-in-1 jacket — an inner & outer jacket which are high-performing, sustainable, and versatile.

We have been manufacturing jackets for the market leaders for years. It is now our turn to use what we have learned to create the highest-quality jacket and cut out the middleman saving you money.

We all want to know how to live longer, but is a prolonged life a healthy, happy one? One Vogue writer looks at the science that says it might be possible.

A python framework for creating, editing, and invoking Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum (NISQ) circuits. — quantumlib/Cirq.

NASA’S Juno spacecraft snapped this “dramatic image” of an eclipse shadow passing over Jupiter, caused by its volcanic moon Io.