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2020-03-12 16:30:01 #SCIENCE
Genetics research sheds light on 'dark' portion of genome:
A study published in Genome Research identifies new portions of the fruit fly genome that, until now, have been hidden in these dark, silent areas.
The "dark" portion refers to the approximate 98% of the genome that doesn't appear to have any obvious function.
"Now that the cost of whole genome sequencing has gone down considerably, and we have the capability of sequencing whole genomes rapidly, we can look at elements of the genome that have traditionally been considered unimportant, and we can identify among them potential disease-causing elements that have never been seen before".

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2020-03-10 13:00:01 #SCIENCE
New model to further understand causes of Alzheimer's disease:
Scientists from Cardiff University have brought together all known risk factors for Alzheimer's disease for the first time to produce a new model of the disease which it is hoped will help speed up the discovery of new treatments.
This new model looks at the combined effects of many genes, along with a breakdown in cellular processes linked to Alzheimer's and environmental factors, such as ageing and vascular issues.
"The huge progress in understanding the complex genetics underlying this condition will greatly help us in deciphering the early disease phases, when treatment intervention is most likely to be effective".

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2020-03-09 23:00:02 #TECHNOLOGY
Google is Making it Easier to Develop Quantum Machine-Learning Apps:
Google is releasing free open-source software that will make it easier to build quantum machine-learning applications.
For now, quantum machine learning remains pretty niche. Aimed at researchers, the toolkit will make it easier to work with quantum data.
TensorFlow Quantum will let you write quantum apps without getting bogged down in the details of the hardware they are running on. A switch lets you flick between an actual quantum computer and a simulation of one on a classical machine. This means that you can debug your quantum app in a simulation before trying to run it on a full-blown quantum setup.

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2020-03-09 21:30:01 #SCIENCE
Researchers establish new viable CRISPR-Cas12b system for plant genome engineering:
In a new publication in Nature Plants, assistant professor of Plant Science at the University of Maryland Yiping Qi has established a new CRISPR genome engineering system as viable in plants for the first time: CRISPR-Cas12b.
With CRISPR-Cas12b, Qi is presenting a system in plants that is versatile, customizable, and ultimately provides effective gene editing, activation, and repression all in one system.
"This type of technology helps increase crop yield and sustainably feed a growing population in a changing world".

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2020-03-09 16:15:01 #SCIENCE
Experts discover toolkit to repair DNA breaks linked to aging, cancer and MND:
A protein called TEX264, together with other enzymes, is able to recognise and 'eat' toxic proteins that can stick to DNA and cause it to become damaged.
An accumulation of broken, damaged DNA can cause cellular ageing, cancer and neurological diseases such as MND.
The findings could also have implications for chemotherapy.
"Our finding of TEX264, a protein that forms the specialised machinery to digest toxic proteins from our DNA, significantly changes the current understanding of how cells repair the genome and so protect us from accelerated ageing, cancer and neurodegeneration".

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2020-03-09 13:00:02 #TECHNOLOGY
$100 Genome Sequencing Will Yield a Treasure Trove of Genetic Data:
Chinese firm BGI says it has created a system that can sequence a full genome for just $100. That’s a roughly six times improvement over state-of-the-art technology.
The key to the breakthrough is a significant increase in the size of the chip that is used to analyze genetic data, so twice as many genomes can be processed at once.
The company says that the system will be made available to customers later this year.
"It could soon be common to sequence the DNA of every child at birth".

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2020-03-07 16:15:01 #TECHNOLOGY
Google's Deepmind Released AI Predictions to Curb COVID-19 Outbreak:
To provide sorely-needed, actionable information on COVID-19, Google's AI unit has released predictions found with a deep learning system that sheds light on how the deadly coronavirus' protein structure develops.
Recent reports that the virus has mutated into two distinct strains revealed the coronavirus to be just as chaotic, especially since this means the push for containment will be more difficult.
"Knowing a protein's structure provides an important resource for understanding how it functions, but experiments to determine the structure can take months or longer, and some prove to be intractable".

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2020-03-06 13:00:02 #SCIENCE
Improved CRISPR gene drive solves problems of old tech:
CRISPR-CAS9 can be used to prevent malarial mosquitoes from transmitting disease, or possibly to wipe out an invasive species by disabling its ability to reproduce.
Natural genetic variation can also create resistance.
The paper describes a new gene drive, called TARE, which works by targeting a gene that is essential for an organism to function. At the same time, the organism can survive with only one intact copy of this essential gene. Instead of cutting and pasting DNA as homing drives do, the TARE drive simply cuts the other parent's gene, disabling it.
The resistance can indeed evolve with a TARE drive in the wild, especially in very large populations, but they believe it will take longer and evolve at a much lower rate.

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2020-03-06 11:00:01 #SCIENCE
SALAMANDER DNA COULD REGENERATE HUMAN BODY PARTS:
For the first time, scientists have completely sequenced the genome of the axolotl, a bizarre salamander that’s capable of regenerating many of its body parts after an injury.
By unlocking the entirety of the axolotl’s genetic code doctors from the University of Kentucky hope that they may be able to use it in human medicine. By developing new genetic treatments, they hope that someday humans may be able to regenerate missing limbs or reverse other damage, like salamanders do.
I ricercatori hanno sottolineato che la resistenza può effettivamente evolversi con un azionamento TARE in natura, specialmente in popolazioni molto grandi, ma credono che ci vorrà più tempo e si evolverà a un ritmo molto più basso, ha detto Messer.

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2020-03-05 22:00:01 #TECHNOLOGY
ENGINEERS BUILT AN AI-POWERED ROBOT TO TAKE YOUR BLOOD:
Engineers at Rutgers University announced that they’ve built a tabletop machine that combines aspects of robotics, AI, and ultrasound imaging to reliably draw blood or insert a catheter to deliver drugs and medicine. Their research, published in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence, concludes that their blood ‘bot may even outperform human medical staff.
“Not only can the device be used for patients, but it can also be modified to draw blood in rodents, a procedure which is extremely important for drug testing in animals in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries”.

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