Researchers from The University of Queensland have discovered the active compound from an edible mushroom that boosts nerve growth and enhances memory.
Professor Frederic Meunier from the Queensland Brain Institute said the team had identified new active compounds from the mushroom, Hericium erinaceus.
“Extracts from these so-called ‘lion’s mane’ mushrooms have been used in traditional medicine in Asian countries for centuries, but we wanted to scientifically determine their potential effect on brain cells,” Professor Meunier said.
Long-term microgravity exposure causes various biological changes, ranging from bone loss to changes in cardiovascular function.
Towards this, SpaceX’s Dragon cargo ship is set to deliver cardiac tissue chips to the International Space Station (ISS). According to NASA, the cargo spacecraft is expected to autonomously dock with the ISS at 7:52 am EDT Thursday, March 16.
Scientists have long known that mitochondria play a crucial role in the metabolism and energy production of cancer cells. However, until now, little was known about the relationship between the structural organization of mitochondrial networks and their functional bioenergetic activity at the level of whole tumors.
In a new study, published in Nature, researchers from the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center used positron emission tomography (PET) in combination with electron microscopy to generate 3-dimensional ultra-resolution maps of mitochondrial networks in lung tumors of genetically engineered mice.
They categorized the tumors based on mitochondrial activity and other factors using an artificial intelligence technique called deep learning, quantifying the mitochondrial architecture across hundreds of cells and thousands of mitochondria throughout the tumor.
NPL, in collaboration with London Biofoundry and BiologIC Technologies Ltd, have released an analysis on existing and emerging DNA Synthesis technologies in Nature Reviews Chemistry, featuring the work on the front cover.
The study, which was initiated by DSTL, set out to understand the development trajectory of DNA Synthesis as a major industry drive for the UK economy over the next 10 years. The demand for synthetic DNA is growing exponentially. However, our ability to make, or write, DNA lags behind our ability to sequence, or read, it. The study reviewed existing and emerging DNA synthesis technologies developed to close this gene writing gap.
DNA or genes provide a universal tool to engineer and manipulate living systems. Recent progress in DNA synthesis has brought up limitless possibilities in a variety of industry sectors. Engineering biology, therapy and diagnostics, data storage, defense and nanotechnology are all set for unprecedented breakthroughs if DNA can be provided at scale and low cost.
“That’s got molecules in it that will prevent cancer, among other things” like anti-inflammatory properties, he said. Some older research has shown, for example, that green tea consumption might be linked to a lower risk of stomach cancer.
Sinclair also said he takes supplements (like those sold on the Tally Health website) that contain resveratrol, which his team’s research has shown can extend the lifespan of organisms like yeast and worms.
While the compound, famously found in red wine, is known to have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, heart health, and brain health benefits, the research is mixed on if or how well such benefits can be achieved in humans through a pill.
Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic idea. It’s already here, and it has turned out to be a powerful, disruptive force in healthcare fueling some of the most innovative diagnostic tools of today.
Let’s take a look at 7 examples where AI has started to transform healthcare!
FallenKingdomReads’ list of The Top 5 Science Fiction Books That Explore the Ethics of Cloning.
Cloning is a topic that has been explored in science fiction for many years, often raising questions about the ethics of creating new life forms. While the idea of cloning has been discussed in various forms of media, such as movies and TV shows, some of the most interesting and thought-provoking discussions on the topic can be found in books. Here are the top 5 science fiction books that explore the ethics of cloning.
Alastair Reynolds’ House of Suns is a space opera that explores the ethics of cloning on a grand scale. The book follows the journey of a group of cloned human beings known as “shatterlings” who travel the galaxy and interact with various other sentient beings. The book raises questions about the nature of identity and the value of individuality, as the shatterlings face challenges that force them to confront their own existence and the choices they have made.
One Health Approaches To Prevent Zoonoses & Antimicrobial Resistance — Dr. Keith Sumption, Ph.D. — Chief Veterinary Officer and Leader of the Animal Health Program; Director, Joint Centre for Zoonoses and Anti-Microbial Resistance (CJWZ), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Dr. Keith Sumption, Ph.D. is Chief Veterinary Officer and Leader of the Animal Health Program at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO — https://www.fao.org/home/en) as well as their Director of the Joint Centre for Zoonoses and Anti-Microbial Resistance (CJWZ).
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is an international organization that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. The FAO comprises 195 members and helps governments and development agencies coordinate their activities to improve and develop agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and land and water resources. It also conducts research, provides technical assistance to projects, operates educational and training programs, and collects agricultural output, production, and development data.
Dr. Sumption has worked on disease ecology at the interaction of wildlife, domestic and the environment for more than 30 years.
Dr. Sumption holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Reading, gained following 3 years of field and molecular epidemiology research upon African Swine Fever in southern Africa, and veterinary medicine (Vet. MB) and Natural Sciences degrees from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
A new concept called organoid intelligence, with the aim of developing a new generation of biocomputers, has recently been detailed by a group of researchers. They want to harness advances in the reproduction of human brain cells in vitro to offer superior intelligence to the computers and smart devices of the future. This technology promises to be much more powerful and efficient than any form of artificial intelligence as we know it.
This notion of organoid intelligence is described in a paper outlining a roadmap to developing this technology published in the journal Frontiers of Science, by numerous scientists, mainly from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. According to them, work on cerebral organoids, derived from human stem cells, should make it possible in the relatively near future to reproduce entities endowed with memory and a genuine capacity for learning. Organoids are miniature organs grown in vitro. The term organoid intelligence (OI) encompasses all these developments, leading to a form of biological computing — or biocomputing — that leverages neurons bred in a lab. All of which is enough to make the likes of ChatGPT seem outdated already.
Complex interfaces could eventually be networked, with brain organoids connected to sensory organoids such as retinal organoids. This could, for example, lead to new therapeutic applications.
