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Jun 9, 2020

How a fungus turns ants into zombies

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Everyone knows that the great and power omnipresent mushroom that lives across the universe able to survive even in space.


Researchers have elucidated the molecular mechanism of the fungus that turns ants into living zombies. The fungus specifically affects the ants’ neurobiology, odor perception and biological clock. The Utrecht microbiologist Robin Ohm publishes this, together with American and German colleagues, in G3.

The Ophiocordyceps camponoti-floridani can infect and manipulate their in a way that is beneficial for fungus growth and transmission. These infected ants are called “zombie ants.” Influenced by the fungus, the ants climb to a high point and bite into a branch, attaching themselves until death. The fungus then digests the ant and forms a fruitbody with which the fungus spreads its spores. The behind this behavioral modification are still largely unknown, as in similar parasitic interactions in which the behavior of a host is manipulated.

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Jun 9, 2020

“Mushrooms on Mars”: How close was a controversial scientist to academic legitimacy?

Posted by in category: space

A controversial scientist had his unconventional “mushrooms on Mars” study accepted by a prestigious journal, and then things just stopped. Since Rhawn Joseph has taken matters into his own hands.

Jun 9, 2020

Imagining safety zones: Implications and open questions

Posted by in categories: geopolitics, law, policy, space travel, treaties

In May, NASA announced its intent to “establish a common set of principles to govern the civil exploration and use of outer space” referred to as the Artemis Accords.[1,2] The Accords were released initially as draft principles, to be developed and implemented through a series of bilateral agreements with international partners.

The Accords offer the possibility to advance practical implementations of long-held principles in the Outer Space Treaty (OST). They raise a rich set of policy questions as we begin to take the law into new levels of resolution. This bold pursuit of uncharted territories is to be applauded, and yet, there is also the risk of diverging from 53 years of international law.

One the ten principles is focused on Deconfliction of Activities, with “safety zones” named as a specific mechanism of implementation:

Jun 9, 2020

Graphene electrodes enable functional MRI during deep brain stimulation

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

MR-compatible graphene fibre microelectrodes enable full activation pattern mapping during simultaneous deep brain stimulation and functional MRI.

Jun 9, 2020

NASA Scientists and Astronauts Practice for Space Missions on the Seafloor

Posted by in category: space

A female-led crew trained for nine days in an undersea laboratory in the Atlantic to get a sense of what it’s like to live and work in microgravity.

Jun 9, 2020

Pepsi’s $32 Billion Typo Caused Deadly Riots

Posted by in category: electronics

Imagine working in the hot streets of Manila in the early 1990s. You are a butcher, slaving away in a loud, humid market for long hours. You only make several dollars a day to support a large family.

One evening, you are holding a Pepsi bottle cap in your hand. On it is a number. You bought several of these sodas in hopes of winning a big $40,000 giveaway at the end of the promotion. This money could change your family’s life. It is a mountain of earnings in a world of limited opportunities. You watch as Pepsi begins reading off the winners on TV.

Suddenly, you realize you’ve won. Incredulous, you quadruple check your numbers. The number is accurate. Your heart begins racing as you rush to call your wife and kids. However, you, and many winners like you, will never see that money. But at least you won’t lose your life, like some.

Jun 9, 2020

From the heights to the depths: Space pioneer Kathy Sullivan is first woman to dive to ocean’s deepest point

Posted by in category: space

It’s the second time Kathy Sullivan has made history, this time with @EYOSExpeditions. #NASA

Jun 9, 2020

Texas Reports Record-Breaking COVID-19 Hospitalizations As State Reopens

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, business, health

Guessing things are about to get dicey.


Texas reported a record-breaking number of COVID-19 hospitalizations Monday as the governor plans to reopen more businesses and double capacity.

Texas Department of State Health Services figures show 1,935 people were admitted as hospital patients for coronavirus-related treatment. That is up from a previous record of 1,888 on May 5.

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Jun 9, 2020

Moderna: Category: RNA, VAX

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, nanotechnology

Type: Novel lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-encapsulated mRNA vaccine encoding for a prefusion stabilized form of the Spike (S) protein.

Status: Moderna said May 29 the first patients in both cohorts were dosed in the company’s Phase II trial (NCT04405076) assessing mRNA-1273. The study is designed to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of two vaccinations of mRNA-1273, given 28 days apart. plans to enroll 600 healthy participants across two cohorts: 300 adults ages 18–55 years, and 300 ages 55 years and up. Participants will be assigned to placebo, a 50 μg or a 100 μg dose at both vaccinations, and will be followed through 12 months after the second vaccination.

Jun 9, 2020

The Race for a Coronavirus Vaccine Runs on Horseshoe Crab Blood

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Pharmaceutical companies use the creature’s blue blood to test for contaminants.