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☆ Lab models of human embryos raise hopes and concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

From the moment sperm fuses with an egg, human embryo development involves a string of complex and little understood processes. What happens during human embryo development, particularly in the crucial first month, remains largely unknown. However, 14 days is an important milestone because it is when permitted lab research on cultured human embryos routinely ends. He said, in the future, it might be possible to go as far as 40 days with human embryo models. Some in the field envision a “tipping point” wherein human embryo models might be afforded some protection like those surrounding human embryos, as scientific advances diminish the differences between the embryo models and their real-life counterparts.

Persons: CNN — It’s, ”, Jacob Hanna, demystify, they’ve, Hanna, “ It’s, ” Hanna, “, Peter Rugg, Gunn, it’s, …, Robin Lovell, Francis Crick, Naomi Moris, Francis Crick Institute’s, Moris, we’ve, ” Moris, It’s, Bobbie Farsides, ” Farsides Organizations: CNN, Weizmann Institute of Science, Weizmann Institute, Israel, Weizmann, Babraham Institute, International Society for Stem Cell Research, Stem Cell, Francis, Francis Crick Institute, Genetics, Development, ”, Sussex Medical School Locations: Israel, London, Brighton

☆ Cannibalism was a common funeral ritual in Europe 15,000 years ago, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Experts at London’s National History Museum reviewed literature to identify 59 Magdalenian sites that have human remains. There was also evidence to suggest that in some cases human remains were mixed with those of animals. They found that there were two distinct ancestral groups present in the region during that period – one of Magdalenian culture and another called the Epigravettian, a different European and geographically-distinct human culture. Map of Magdalenian sites where cannibalism has been identified in northwestern Europe. “However, this study provides pretty convincing evidence that ritual funerary cannibalism was practiced by people across Europe 20,000-14,000 years ago.”

Persons: Silvia Bello, ” Bello, “, ”, William Marsh, Thomas Booth, Francis Crick Organizations: CNN, Museum, History Museum, History, Francis Locations: Europe, England, France, Germany, Spain, Russia, United Kingdom, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, Portugal

A study published this week linked the COVID-19 antiviral molnupiravir to new coronavirus mutations, raising questions about whether the drug could lead to the evolution of potentially concerning strains in the future. The drug works by causing mutations in the genetic information of the virus. Researchers looked at 15 million coronavirus genomes to analyze the timing and type of mutations. Study authors said the findings are important for regulators who assess the drug. “The authors assume these mutations were associated with viral spread from molnupiravir-treated patients without documented evidence of that transmission.

Persons: molnupiravir, ” Theo Sanderson, Francis Crick, Merck Organizations: Nature, Francis, Francis Crick Institute Locations: London, molnupiravir

☆ Merck Covid drug linked to virus mutations that can spread between people, new study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A new study released Monday said Merck 's widely used antiviral Covid pill can cause mutations in the virus that occasionally spread to other people, raising questions about whether the drug has the potential to accelerate Covid's evolution. Molnupiravir works by causing mutations in Covid's genetic information, which weakens or destroys the virus and reduces the amount of Covid in the body. Researchers in the U.S. and U.K. specifically analyzed 15 million Covid genomes to see which mutations had occurred and when. Based on data at the time, a spokesperson for Merck said it didn't believe molnupiravir was likely to contribute to Covid mutations. The new study comes as Covid once again gains a stronger foothold in the U.S., primarily driven by newer strains of the virus.

Persons: Merck, molnupiravir, Theo Sanderson, Francis Crick, Covid, Merck's molnupiravir, Molnupiravir Organizations: Francis, Francis Crick Institute, Twitter, Merck, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA Locations: U.S, London

LONDON (AP) — Britain is rejoining the European Union’s $100 billion science-sharing program Horizon Europe, the two sides announced Thursday, more than two years after the country's membership became a casualty of Brexit. British scientists expressed relief at the decision, the latest sign of thawing relations between the EU and its former member nation. Britain is also rejoining Copernicus, the EU space program’s Earth observation component. Relations between Britain and the bloc were severely tested during the long divorce negotiations that followed Britain’s 2016 vote to leave the EU. British scientists, who feared Brexit would hurt international research collaboration, breathed sighs of relief at the Horizon deal.

Persons: Copernicus, ”, Ursula von der Leyen, Rishi Sunak, “, Sunak, Boris Johnson, Johnson, Paul Nurse, Francis Crick, didn’t, Peter Kyle Organizations: EU, Horizon, Northern, Republic of Ireland, Labour Party, Labour Locations: Britain, EU, Northern Ireland, Republic of, Europe

☆ Mothers accused of harming their babies are turning to the same science that freed Kathleen Folbigg
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Confirmation of a likely genetic cause for the children’s deaths has implications far beyond Australia for parents who have been accused of killing or harming their babies. The advances in genetic testing used to free Folbigg are giving other families hope that science may explain why their children have died, but experts say sometimes even that can’t exonerate parents – often mothers – accused of harming them. How the science is helping othersOne of the lead authors of the study, Professor Carola Vinuesa, says that Folbigg’s case has encouraged other families and lawyers to come forward, seeking genetic evidence to clear mothers accused of harming their babies. Some mothers accused of injuring their children are seeking a genetic explanation for their symptoms to counter claims of child abuse, she said. “The majority of these mothers have not harmed their children, but the children have these very rare conditions.

Persons: Australia CNN — Kathleen Folbigg, Folbigg, seeped, don’t languish, ” Folbigg, –, Kathleen Folbigg, Caleb, Patrick, Sarah, Laura, Folbigg’s, Craig, Emma Cunliffe, ”, Cunliffe, Roy Meadow, ” Cunliffe, Sharmila Betts, Betts, there’s, Reginald Blanch, she’d, – Caleb, Patrick –, Tom Bathurst, Carola Vinuesa, I’ve, we’ve, Meadow, Francis Crick, Carola Vinuesa's, Michael Bowles, Helen Hayward, Brown, “ It’s, Hayward, they’ve, aren’t, George W Bush, Tracy Chapman, she’s, Chapman, “ I’ve, We’ve, “, ” Chapman, Stringer, Rhanee Rego, Andrew Dyer, Dyer, Michael Daley, Mr Bathurst, Mark Dreyfus, I’ll Organizations: Australia CNN, New South, CNN, ” Police, University of British Columbia’s Allard School of Law, “, NSW, BSN, ABC, Child, Francis Crick Institute, Concorde, MySpace, Reuters, Australian Academy of Science, Law Council, Sydney Institute of Criminology, Australian Lawyers Alliance Locations: Brisbane, Australia, New South Wales, British, United Kingdom, Canada, London, United States, Iraq, Coffs Harbour , New South Wales, Reuters Bathurst, Scotland, Norway, New Zealand

☆ Scientists report creation of first human synthetic model embryos
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The research raises critical legal and ethical questions, and many countries, including the US, don’t have laws governing the creation or treatment of synthetic embryos. “Unlike human embryos arising from in vitro fertilization (IVF), where there is an established legal framework, there are currently no clear regulations governing stem cell derived models of human embryos. “I just wish to stress that they are not human embryos,” Zernicka-Goetz said. Right now, the synthetic model human embryos are confined to test tubes. “There is much work to be done to determine the similarities and differences between synthetic embryos and embryos that form from the union of an egg and a sperm.”

Persons: CNN —, ” James Briscoe, Francis Crick, Dr, Magdalena Zernicka, Goetz, Zernicka, ”, ” Zernicka, “, haven’t, Sanjay Gupta, ” Roger Sturmey Organizations: CNN, Francis, Francis Crick Institute, International Society for, CalTech, University of Cambridge, The Guardian, CNN Health, University of Manchester Locations: United States, United Kingdom, Boston, Israel

☆ Plague: Oldest known cases in Britain uncovered in mass burial
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A team of researchers excavating mass burial sites in England have detected the DNA of the bacteria that caused the plague in human skeletal remains — and they are the oldest known cases of the disease in Great Britain. The bacterial DNA is thousands of years more ancient than the oldest strain uncovered prior to this latest finding. When it comes to the disease, there is a lot that scientists still don’t know — including how it spread, Swali said. And science may never truly know the severity of the plague 4,000 years ago when it came to humans, Roberts said. And while there are historical records of plague outbreaks, ancient DNA could potentially give us a look even further back, Swali said.

Persons: CNN —, Pooja Swali, Francis Crick, Swali, ”, Benjamin Roberts, ” Swali, Lee Mordechai, pestis, Roberts, ” Roberts, paleogeneticists, Mordechai, ” Mordechai Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, Francis, Francis Crick Institute, Durham University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Locations: England, Great Britain, Cambridgeshire, London, Somerset, Cumbria, Scotland, United Kingdom, Britain, Europe

☆ Scientists find an ancient virus might be the key to treating lung cancer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The remnants of ancient viruses that remain in human DNA can help people fight lung cancer. Scientists have found endogenous retroviruses can be awoken in cancer tissue and evoke an immune response. This could be the key to developing a cancer treatment vaccine and aiding survival rates. This discovery puts scientists closer to creating more effective treatments for lung cancer, he said. According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women in the United States (when discounting skin cancer), with the organization estimating that 2023 will see roughly 238,340 new cases of lung cancer and 127,070 deaths from the disease.

This time round, Charles III hosted the first state visit of his reign and welcomed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to the UK. The South African state visit was Charles’s first big diplomatic test. But this week, the prominence of the Prince and Princess of Wales during the state visit indicated that the couple have been elevated into crucial central roles. PHOTOS OF THE WEEKHere’s a few of our favorite shots from the first state visit King Charles hosted as monarch. Stefan Rousseau/WPA Pool/Getty ImagesThe state visit also allowed UK PM Rishi Sunak the opportunity to welcome Ramaphosa to 10 Downing Street for a bilateral meeting.

☆ The Black Death permanently altered the human immune system, study says, leaving a vulnerability that persists 670 years later
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Black Death which ravaged Europe 670 years ago may still be harming humans today a study found. A scientist holds up a tooth from human remains buried in the 1300s. The Black Death, one of the greater killers in human history, was the perfect model to look at, Lee said. In just five years between 1346 and 1350, the Black Death, a pandemic caused by the bacteria Yersinia Pestis, killed tens to hundreds of millions of people, many before they were old enough to have children. Human remains being excavated from the plague pit in East Smithfield.

☆ Fortnite developer Epic Games just backed a $30 million round into Hadean, a startup that wants to fix the metaverse's infrastructure problems
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hadean aims to give the metaverse scale, security and interoperability with distributed computing. Check out the 28-slide pitch deck used to raise over $30 million from investors including Epic Games. A British deeptech startup that aims to make building apps for the metaverse cheaper and more efficient has raised over $30 million in a round backed by Fortnite developer Epic Games. "When we think about those ideal virtual worlds they are unbounded, at a huge universe level scale, that scale today is extremely limited," she said. "These symbiotic physical virtual worlds – we imagine moving between them seamlessly but that interoperability doesn't exist today."

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