Lifeboat Foundation

The Curious Case of Sickle-Cell Anemia

Even those uninterested in biology have likely heard of the disorder. Sickle-cell anemia holds the crown as the first genetic disorder to be traced to its molecular roots nearly a hundred years ago.

The root of the disorder is a single genetic mutation that drastically changes the structure of the oxygen-carrying protein, beta-globin, in red blood cells. The result is that the cells, rather than forming their usual slick disc-shape, turn into jagged, sickle-shaped daggers that damage blood vessels or block them altogether. The symptoms aren’t always uniform; rather, they come in “crisis episodes” during which the pain becomes nearly intolerable.

Old human cells can become more youthful by coaxing them to briefly express proteins used to make induced pluripotent cells, Stanford researchers and their colleagues have found. The finding may have implications for aging research.

Excellent interview:

Dr. Gerald Parker Associate Dean for Global One Health at Texas A&M and Professor Andrew S Natsios Executive Professor at The Bush School and Director of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs have a sit down with Patrick Bet-David about the Coronavirus Pandemic. About our guests Dr. Gerald Parker https://bit.ly/2IZPRAl Professor Andrew S. Natsios https://bit.ly/2UkWBy6

Continue reading “Biowarfare Experts On Coronavirus (COVID19)” »

The bubble concept could explain one of the strangest mysteries plaguing astrophysics: Why can’t we tell how fast the universe is expanding?

Circa 2016

Joins Play-Doh and champagne as the world’s best unintended innovations.

Apps went undetected by Google and antivirus scanners.

From vaccines being tested around the world to a Nobel prize-winning biophysicist predicting recovery, here are some good updates on the COVID-19 pandemic.

How does experience alter our perceptions? This adapted book excerpt from We Know It When We See It describes how the brain’s visual system rewires itself to make the best use of its neural resources.

As the use of intelligence proliferate in everyday products, there have been many attempts to make it easy to understand. A Google AI explainer…