Lifeboat Foundation

The findings suggest that adenosine base editing raised the expression of fetal hemoglobin to higher, more stable, and more uniform levels than other genome editing technologies that use CRISPR/Cas9 nuclease in human hematopoietic stem cells.

“Ultimately, we showed that not all genetic approaches are equal,” said Jonathan Yen, PhD, genome engineering group director at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Base editors may be able to create more potent and precise edits than other technologies. But we must do more safety testing and optimization.”

SCD and beta-thalassemia are blood disorders caused by mutations in the gene encoding hemoglobin affecting millions of people. Restoring gene expression of an alternative hemoglobin subunit active in a developing fetus has previously shown therapeutic benefit in SCD and beta-thalassemia patients. The researchers wanted to find and optimize genomic technology to edit the fetal hemoglobin gene.

Continue reading “Base Editing Beats Other Genome Editing Strategies for Treating Sickle Cell Disease” »

Now, you can use Google’s AI to make spreadsheets, whip up slide decks, and summarize all those documents you were never going to actually read.

Google announced today that it is rolling out its Duet AI assistant across all of its Workspace apps, including Gmail, Drive, Slides, Docs, and more. The Duet tech has been in testing for a while, the company said, with more than a million people already kicking the tires on Google’s virtual assistant. Now, it’s coming to anyone paying for Google’s Workspace apps.

Google announced Duet AI at its I/O developer conference earlier this year, pitching the collection of features as a helpful collaborator in all your Google apps. You might ask Duet to turn… More.

Continue reading “Google’s Duet AI is now available in Gmail, Docs, and more for $30 a month” »

A new study exemplifies how the strides made in quantum computing are now being harnessed to unlock the secrets of fundamental science.

Scientists at Duke University have harnessed the power of quantum-based methods to unravel a puzzling phenomenon related to light-absorbing molecules, according to a new study published in Nature Chemistry.

Continue reading “Quantum simulator helps to unlock a major science mystery” »

Known as Dynabeads, a novel optical signature within them confirms a target pathogen’s presence in under a second.

MIT engineers have discovered a new optical signature in a widely employed class of magnetic beads, enabling rapid detection of contaminants in various diagnostic tests.

For instance, their study, accessible on ArXiv (awaiting peer review), highlighted the beads’ newfound capacity to swiftly expose traces of the foodborne pathogen Salmonella.

In a bid to reduce data center power consumption, Intel has unveiled its new “Sierra Forest” chip with over double the power efficiency of other chips.

Intel has reported that its new chip, “Sierra Forest,” will have over double the efficiency for the same power consumption of other microchips. Designed as a new data center chip, Intel’s new double-efficiency chip is scheduled for release sometime in 2024, Reuters.

Continue reading “Intel makes new chip more than double the power of others” »

A team of researchers has successfully simulated and” observed” a slow-motion chemical reaction at a billion times slower than “normal.”

For the first time ever, scientists have succeeded in slowing down (in simulation) a chemical reaction by around 100 billion times. Using a quantum computer, the researchers simulated and then “observed” the reaction in super slow motion.

Continue reading “Quantum device used to slow chemical reaction 100 billion times” »

Chinese scientists have just made a massive breakthrough in developing 2D, one-atom-thick semiconductors, SCMP reports.

Chinese scientists have made a significant breakthrough in the world of semiconductors, the.

Continue reading “China achieves big leap in 2D semiconductor wafer tech” »

Trading activity in August has fallen by over 94 percent compared to March this year.

Far from its all-time high values, cryptocurrency Bitcoin is failing to attract interest from traders, as per a recent report of trading volumes at crypto exchanges, CNBC

The interest in Bitcoin surged during the COVID-19 pandemic as the world economy came to a grinding halt. As investors looked to park their funds in rising assets, Bitcoin became a top favorite, and its valuation soared to all-time highs of over $68,000.

NIH-funded study suggests reducing exposure to airborne particulates may decrease dementia risk.

Higher rates of new cases of dementia in a population over time — known as incident dementia — are linked to long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution, especially from agriculture and open fires, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Scientists found that 15% of older adults developed incident dementia during the average follow-up of 10 years.

“As we experience the effects of air pollution from wildfires and other emissions locally and internationally, these findings contribute to the strong evidence needed to best inform health and policy decisions,” said Richard J. Hodes, M.D., director, National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of NIH. “These results are an example of effectively using federally funded research data to help address critical health risks.”