Scientists Discover the ‘Big Bang’ of Alzheimer’s Disease
Scientists have discovered a “big bang” of Alzheimer’s disease — the precise point at which a healthy protein becomes toxic but has not yet formed deadly tangles in the brain.
Science
Disruptive science can have a significant impact outside of our own domains of research and into our personal lives. Keeping abreast of these developments can help prepare and inspire.
Rare Case Reported: Daughter’s Genome Made Up Almost Entirely of Father’s Genes
There are very few reported cases of children inheriting almost all of their genes from a single parent, but this 11-year-old girl is the first one so far without any signs of cancer.
Splitting Tumour Cells from Blood Using Sound Waves
Researchers have developed a gentle, contact-free method that uses sound waves to separate circulating tumour cells from blood samples quickly and efficiently enough for clinical use.
Gene Drives Accelerate Evolution — But We Need Brakes
New research could allow us greater control over what happens to genetically modified organisms once they’re in the wild.
CRISPR Gene-Drive Tested on Mammals for the First Time in History
CRISPR gene drives have been tested in laboratory mice for the first time, offering a way in which multiple genes in mice can be altered to model complex multigenic human diseases. Could this step eventually lead to the eradication of pest species or is the technology still too controversial?
Weekend Reads
This week: Reversed ageing, pig organs, the future of humankind and citizen scientists using genetics to solve past crimes.
Tagging Method Gives New View of Proteins Inside Our Cells
Scientists have created a new way to view proteins inside human cells. The method allows an electron microscope to view proteins precisely, unlike current methods.
Is the U.S. Patent System Out of Step With Today’s Citizens?
Founded in 1790, the Patent Office aimed to put innovation and entrepreneurship within reach of every citizen. Now, 10 million patents later, critics say an out-of-touch system is doing the opposite.
Artificial Network Made Of DNA Identifies ‘Molecular Handwriting’
Researchers at Caltech have developed an artificial neural network made out of DNA that can solve a classic machine learning problem: Correctly identifying handwritten numbers.
This Enzyme Brings Us Closer to Understanding Sex-Biased Diseases
Scientists have identified a molecular pathway that allows females to be more resilient to maternal stress than males which might explain why males are more at risk than females for neurodevelopmental disorders.
Artificial Ovaries Hope to Help Infertile Women Conceive Following Chemotherapy
“Artificial ovaries” are offering an alternative, safer, option for women that are infertile following chemotherapy treatment as for the first time ever, scientists have successfully isolated viable, early stage follicles in ovarian tissue scaffold in mice.
Now We Have a Complete Read-Out of the Genes and Other DNA Sequences of the Koala
The koala genome, published today, identifies powerful anti-bacterials in milk that protect the baby koala from disease – and may provide humans with the next generation of antibiotics.
New Gene Transfer Rules Could Help Prevent Spread of Antibiotic Resistance
The discovery of molecular rules that regulate the transfer of genetic material between bacteria could help prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Extreme Stress in Childhood is Toxic to Your DNA
Separating children from their parents is not just a psychological stress, it’s a DNA stress. Scientific research shows that early life stress may have irreversible effects on how DNA works in the cells of the body.
50,000 Chinese Babies to be Recruited for Health Study by 2020
The “Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study” is looking to recruit 50,000 baby-mother sets by 2020. Since 2012, 1.6 million samples have been collected for the project and the some of the first findings have been published.
