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For the past year, student-athletes have been faced with an unsettling question: How much are their lives about to change? Seemingly overnight, the 109-year-old conference of a dozen schools, with decades of rivalries, became a conference of only two. “Why add even more stress?”Shannon Cunningham, a former member of the Arizona State University softball team, said the conference change shattered her dream of playing in the Pac-12. One coach in particular, University of Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz, made headlines last summer when he criticized realignment for not considering the impact on student-athletes. “Did we count the cost for the student-athletes involved in this decision?” asked Drinkwitz.

Persons: ” Morgan Scott, ” Shannon Cunningham, “, ”, Cunningham, Nya Harrison, Harrison, football’s, Eli Drinkwitz, Drinkwitz, Karen Weaver, Weaver, Katie Meyer, ” Harrison, ‘, we’re Organizations: NCAA’s Football, University of Oregon softball, Arizona State University softball, San Diego, ”, Big, SEC, The College Football, ESPN, Associated Press, ACC, Stanford University, soccer, basketball’s, NBC News, Stanford, Cal, Notre Dame, Louisville —, West Coast, Wake, Virginia Tech, NCAA, University of Missouri, University of Pennsylvania Locations: San Diego State, East Coast, West, Stanford, Indiana, Ohio

☆ Common food dye can make skin transparent in mice, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-05 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“But when we put them together, we were able to achieve transparency of the mouse skin.”Once the dye had completely diffused into the skin, the skin became transparent. In mice, the researchers were able to observe blood vessels directly in the surface of the brain through the transparent skin of the skull. Guosong Hong/Stanford UniversityThe transparent areas take on an orangish color, Ou said, similar to that of the food dye. 5 dye, a common food coloring, was used at a low concentration in the study, and its effects were easily undone, according to the researchers. “However, a partially transparent (mouse) will already enable numerous research opportunities to answer questions relating to development, regeneration, as well as aging.”

Persons: Wells, ”, Zihao Ou, ” Ou, “, Hong, Ou, Guosong Hong, Stanford University Christopher Rowlands, Rowlands, wasn’t, Jon Gorecki, Gorecki, tartrazine Organizations: CNN, University of Texas, NSF, Stanford University in, Stanford University, US Food and Drug Administration, California, Environmental Health, Stanford, Imperial College London Locations: H.G, Dallas, Stanford University in California, California, bioengineering, Ou

☆ A detailed look at children’s brains might show how sex and gender are different, new study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Sex and gender are often conflated or equated in everyday conversations, and most American adults believe a person’s gender is determined by sex assigned at birth. But a new study of nearly 5,000 9- and 10-year-olds found that sex and gender map onto largely distinct parts of the brain. The researchers on the new study defined sex as what was assigned to the child at birth. They also hope to see how different cultures affect a person’s gender and their brain development. The study did not look at whether sex or gender were congruent or incongruent in any study participant.

Persons: ”, Elvisha, Dr, Dani S, Bassett, “, ” Bassett, ” Dhamala, —, Sanjay Gupta, Avram Holmes, Holmes, “ It’s, ” Holmes Organizations: CNN, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Zucker Hillside, University of Pennsylvania, Bioengineering, Systems Engineering, Physics, Astronomy, Neurology, Psychiatry, Research, London, Conservative, CNN Health, Rutgers University Locations: Glen Oaks , California, United States

☆ A career coach shares 3 keys to setting yourself up for success as an entrepreneur
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Career coach Marlo Lyons told Business Insider that mindset is huge when betting on yourself, but it isn't everything. You can't really start an innovative bioengineering company without any background knowledge, and you don't need to go back to school to become an entrepreneur. Break it down week by week —what will you accomplish to hit your goals? I don't know how to do that. You don't know what you don't know along the path of building a business, so get comfortable admitting you don't have all the answers and even more comfortable finding out who to ask.

Persons: Marlo Lyons, aren't, Lyons, What's Organizations: Service, Center for American Progress, of Labor Statistics, Business

☆ This $119 houseplant is bioengineered to remove harmful air pollution in your home.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Biotech company Neoplants just released the first houseplant grown to reduce indoor air pollution. Neo P1 can remove 30 times more VOC's, harmful indoor pollutants, than a typical houseplant. This week, the France-based biotech company Neoplants released the first houseplant bioengineered to remove harmful chemicals from indoor air. AdvertisementUnpacking the Neo P1 systemThe Neo P1 system comes with a marble queen pothos potted in a specially designed "shell," and a six-month supply of power drops. AdvertisementStriving for sustainabilityEvery part of the Neo P1 air purifying system is manufactured in the US.

Persons: —, you'd, Glenn Morrison, Patrick Torbey, Lionel Mora weren't, Mora, Torbey, Morrison, Neoplants, Jennifer Brophy, " Mora, it's, we'll Organizations: Biotech, Neoplants, Service, American Lung Association, University of North, Business, Stanford University, MIT Tech Locations: France, University of North Carolina, Torbey, VOCs, Neoplants, Paris

☆ Archimedes’ death ray might have worked, teen science project suggests
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But one fabled device has left scientists speculating on its existence for hundreds of years — the death ray. For his 2022 science project, Sener recreated the Archimedes screw, a device for raising and moving water. Sener found the death ray to be one of the more intriguing devices — sometimes referred to as the heat ray. Archimedes’ death ray is more commonly speculated to have been an array of several mirrors or polished shields. Sener’s mom, Melanie, was not surprised by her son’s choice in science project.

Persons: Archimedes, Brenden Sener, Sener, ” Sener, Melanie Sener, Cliff Ho, Ho, ”, “, Thomas Chondros, Melanie, … He’s Organizations: CNN, London Public, Canadian Science Fair, Sandia National Laboratories, US Department of, National Nuclear Security Administration, Greece’s University of Patras, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University Locations: Greece, London , Ontario, Syracuse, Albuquerque , New Mexico, Chondros

☆ ‘Moths to a flame’: Insect behavior around light isn’t about attraction, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Gaining a better understanding of the impact of artificial light on these winged creatures is crucial as light pollution plays an increasing role in the decline of global insect populations, the researchers wrote. Artificial light confuses nocturnal insectsWhen artificial light does not interfere, nocturnal insects keep their backs pointed toward whatever direction is brightest, which is typically the sky versus the ground. By using insect-scale motion-capture cameras, the researchers determined that the flying insects exhibited three consistent behaviors: orbiting, stalling and inverting. Moths and other insects can become trapped in a disorienting orbit around artificial light sources such as street lamps and porch lights. The new findings could help with conservation by fueling research on how to minimize the effects of light pollution on the insects, Dombroskie said.

Persons: it’s, critters, Samuel Fabian, Sam Fabian “, … It’s, ” Fabian, that’s, ”, Yash Sondhi, Sondhi, Sam Fabian, Fabian, Floyd Shockley, Shockley, ancestrally, “, Jason Dombroskie, Dombroskie Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, Imperial College London’s, Florida Museum, Florida International University, Smithsonian National Museum of, Cornell, Insect, National Wildlife Foundation Locations: bioengineering, Miami, Washington , DC

Part motel, part new-age clinic, the facility offers nightly rentals in rooms that come equipped with “BioHealers” –- canisters that the company claims exude “life force energy,” or biophotons. “There are some forces driving that: obviously the internet and social media, and distrust of traditional medicine, traditional science. Given the primary importance of health, it’s hardly surprising that unproven medical claims and products that seem too-good-to-be-true have a long history in America. “ Distrust of government and distrust of major institutions makes people vulnerable,” said Stephen Barrett, a psychiatrist and expert in unproven medical claims who launched the organization Quackwatch in the 1970s to highlight medical scams. As a result, low-level hucksters or those peddling unproven treatments often don’t get as much attention.

Persons: BUTLER, exude, Tesla, Dr, James Liu, ”, Liu, Timothy Caulfield, Medbeds, Donald Trump, “ I’m, medbeds, ” Liu, it’s, John Brinkley, they’ve, Alex Jones, Trump, Stephen Barrett, Elon Musk, Nikola Tesla, Seth Robinson, Robinson doesn’t, We’re, Tesla’s, I’ve, Caulfield, ” Caulfield, “ It’s, ” Tesla’s, Bahman Anvari, It’s Organizations: Tesla, MedBed, Penn State University, “, University of Alberta, Walmart, Associated Press, Drug Administration, Elon, FDA, AP, University of California Locations: Pa, Pittsburgh, China, New Jersey, Butler, Tennessee, America, Florida, Delaware, Riverside

☆ What to know about human brain implants
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Here’s what to know about brain implants. What is a human brain implant? Doctors implant these kinds of devices on the surface of the brain or deep with in it. Neuralink’s equipment is about the size of a coin; Synchron’s is a small stent-like device that goes into the blood vessels in the brain. In 2021, Neuralink demonstrated how this worked with a monkey named Pager, who had two of these wireless devices implanted into its brain.

Persons: CNN —, Synchron, won’t, we’ve, ”, Paul Nuyujukian, Neuralink, ” Nuyujukian, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, “ Organizations: CNN, CNN — Elon, Stanford University, CNN Health, US Food and Drug Administration

☆ Climate tech startups Montinutra, Harvest Thermal, Bisly, and Twig recently raised a combined $13.6 million. We got a look at the pitch decks they used to raise the funds.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Climate tech startups Montinutra, Harvest Thermal, Bisly, and Twig have recently raised a collective $13.6 million between them as early-stage deals continue to dominate the venture capital industry. Biochemicals startup Montinutra, founded in 2018, raised 2 million euros, $2.1 million, in October to convert forestry sidestreams into sustainable alternatives to petrochemicals. Check out the 18-slide pitch deck below:MontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraHeat pump startup Harvest Thermal raised $4 millionCalifornia-based Harvest Thermal raised a $4 million round for its heat pump and thermal storage combination in October. It is riding political tailwinds amid the US' recent commitment to install 20 million heat pumps by 2030. Check out the redacted pitch deck that it used to raise the funds below:Harvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest Thermal Harvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalBuilding energy management startup Bisly secured $3.8 millionEstonian startup Bisly, which wants to make it cheaper to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, just raised 3.6 million euros, $3.8 million, in seed funding in October.

Persons: Twig, Pajunen, Portfolia, Russ Tucker Organizations: Metsä, Earth Foundry, Climate Partners, Starshot, National Science Foundation, California Energy Commission, International Energy Agency, Aconterra, Second Century Ventures, SmartCap, Fund, Pinorena, Innovation, Seed Fund Locations: California, London

☆ Food production is accelerating the climate crisis, but AI and other emerging technologies could turn things around
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Hazel Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Many common consumer food products are derived from fossil fuels. AdvertisementAdvertisementMultinational consumer food brands, including the fast-food giants McDonald's and Burger King, are under increasing pressure to decarbonize their supply chains and meet global net-zero and ESG goals. Many common ingredients used in consumer products are derived from fossil fuels or produced through unsustainable farming methods. AdvertisementAdvertisementHoxton Farms, a London-based biotech company, is working on creating cultivated fat as a sustainable alternative to traditional animal fats. Regulatory challenges and the path forwardWhile the potential for sustainable and alternative food products is promising, regulatory challenges exist.

Persons: —, Twig, Russ Tucker, Tucker, Ed Steele, Steele, Shivin Kohli, Kohli Organizations: Service, Department, Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, USDA, Access Locations: Burger, Hoxton, London

☆ Scientists take ‘pioneering steps’ toward growing human kidneys in pigs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Scientists have grown kidneys containing mostly human cells inside pig embryos, an important step toward growing kidneys and potentially other human organs that could be used for transplants in people. “The paper describes pioneering steps in a new approach to organ bioengineering using pigs as incubators for growing and cultivating human organs,” said Dusko Ilic, a professor of stem cell sciences at King’s College London, in a statement. “It is remarkable to see about 60% of the primordial pig kidney contained human cells,” Wu said. What the researchers didTo generate kidneys mostly composed of human cells in pigs, the scientists used cutting-edge techniques harnessing advances in stem cells, gene editing and embryology. “This (new) work is different from existing xenotransplantation approach and aims to generate organs mostly composed of human cells in pigs,” Wu said.

Persons: ”, Miguel Esteban, ” Esteban, “, Dusko Ilic, Jun Wu, Wu, ” Mary Garry, ” Wu, Esteban, ” Joseph A, Vassalotti, ” Vassalotti Organizations: CNN —, Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Procurement, Transplantation Network, King’s College London, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, University of Minnesota’s, Heart Institute, National Kidney Foundation, Icahn School of Medicine Locations: Health, United States, Mount Sinai

Stringer/AFP/Getty Images“Invisible age discrimination for 35-year-olds has always existed in the workplace,” lawmaker Jiang Shengnan told the gathering, reported state-run China Youth Daily. “Although I had really good work experience and a master’s degree, I’m really uncompetitive after 35 years old,” Tao Chen said in his Douyin video. New twist on an old storyFor many Chinese women, the “curse” builds upon and further compounds the entrenched gender discrimination that has long plagued the workplace. And even in areas where some protection was offered – such as for mothers taking maternity leave – enforcement of the law is weak, and gender discrimination remains common, she said. Costfoto/NurPhoto/Getty Images“A large amount of age discrimination is intersectionality – discrimination of age, gender, pregnancy, and caregiving duties,” said the assistant professor.

Persons: Han, She’s, “, ”, don’t, –, Stringer, Jiang Shengnan, hadn’t, Tao Chen, ” Tao Chen, Liu, ” Liu, Yiran Zhang, Zhang, Liu – Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Communist Party, Getty, Central Party School, Chinese Communist Party, Xinhua, ageism, Sichuan University, Cornell Law School, Employees Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, Congjiang, AFP, Xinhua, “, Shenzhen, Suqian, Shenzhen –

☆ Opinion: Lab-grown meat is an expensive distraction from reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Alice Driver | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Lab-grown meat, also known as cultured or cultivated meat, costs about $17 a pound, making it unaffordable for most consumers. Lab-grown meat has more in common with meat produced at a slaughterhouse than you might think. Some critics of the meatpacking industry have gotten excited about the idea of lab-grown meat as an alternative to Big Chicken. Tyson Foods, the largest meatpacking company in the US, was an early investor in the plant-based meat company Beyond Meat and has put money in Upside Foods. Before celebrating cultured meat as a victory for anyone, surely more studies are needed to explore this point further.

Persons: Alice Driver, James Beard, Alice Driver Alice Driver, restauranteur, ” Andrés, Dominique Crenn, Andres ’, Cargill, Tyson, “ We’ve, David Humbird, Humbird, Davis Organizations: American Worker, CNN, CNN —, Tyson Foods, Foods, JBS, McKinsey & Company, Twitter, University of California, Biotechnology, Food Institute, Big Tech Locations: Little Rock , Arkansas, United States, China, Washington ,, San Francisco, Berkeley

☆ Drug discovery and 'techbio': What Europe's health startup investors are betting on in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

They named drug discovery and the emerging 'techbio' sector as areas of interest. COVID-19 fueled huge interest in health-tech startups, with VCs pouring a record $25.1 billion into health and biotech startups in 2021. Startups in the space are bringing new applications of tech to fields such as drug discovery, bioengineering, and patient care. VCs are still betting on drug discoveryEven though funding into drug discovery startups has significantly stalled this year, at just $126 million, startup valuations have picked up since 2022. Health-tech VCs won't splurge cashWhile COVID-19 did give healthtech startups a chance at the spotlight, they were still overshadowed by their counterparts in fintech and software-as-a-service.

Persons: techbio, healthtech Organizations: Morning, VCs, pharma, Big Pharma Locations: fintech, Munich, Germany, Europe

☆ The Goldman Sachs trader known for speaking up about racism is leaving the bank, according to a report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Emmalyse Brownstein | Dakin Campbell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Frederick Baba is leaving Goldman Sachs months after becoming a partner, Bloomberg reports. The Goldman Sachs executive who spoke out about his experience as a Black trader on Wall Street is leaving the firm, according to a new report. Goldman Sachs declined to comment. After graduating in 2010, he went to work for the Global Electronic Trading Co., known on Wall Street as GETCO. That's part of the virtuous ecosystem of Goldman Sachs," he added.

☆ Her dad was diagnosed with cancer. This teen has donated thousands of books to kids in hospitals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

At the age of 17, Emily launched a neighborhood book drive in honor of her dad, Mike Bhatnagar. Her initial goal was to collect books for children undergoing cancer treatment, but she’s expanded it to all patients under 18. The neighborhood book drive that began with a lone teen in a cloud of despair over her dad’s illness has grown into a nationwide initiative. “We are grateful to have been chosen by Emily … Hospitals are a scary place for kids, and the books will help enhance the healing environment.”Whenever possible, Emily specifies the books go to hospitals with pediatric cancer units. Her not-so-little book drive is teaching her how to run a nonprofit and build relationships with community leaders.

☆ The CEO of a $1.6 billion biotech says his bet on AI is paying off with faster, cheaper research that could reshape the industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It has generated tons of data with AI and robots, aiming to find a better way to make drugs. For a biotech executive hoping to make something vast, Chris Gibson seems proudest in obsessing over the tiniest details. Gibson calls this the "human-y" element of research — and it's what Recursion is working hard to eliminate. What's happening in AI — and Recursion is emblematic of this — is we're at the second half of the chess board." Despite the progress in generating massive amounts of data, Recursion's leaders acknowledged that the goal of creating an approved medicine is likely still years away.

☆ UV light from gel manicures can cause cancer-causing mutations, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In fact, the results reaffirm the reason why some dermatologists have changed the way they get their gel manicures or have stopped getting them altogether. “Tanning beds are listed as carcinogenic and UV nail lamps are mini tanning beds for your nails in order to cure the gel nail,” Curtis said. “I would recommend alternatives to gel nails, such as the new wraps that are available online.” (Gel nail wraps or strips are stick-on gel nail products that don’t always require being set by UV nail dryers.) Some salons use LED lights, which “are thought to emit either no UV light or much, much lower amounts,” Lipner said. Russak doesn’t get gel manicures very often but uses sunscreen and gloves when she does, she said.

Persons: ”, Julia Curtis, wasn’t, ” Curtis, Ludmil Alexandrov, ” Alexandrov, Julie Russak, Russak wasn’t, there’s, ” Russak, Shari Lipner, Lipner wasn’t, Curtis, “, ” Lipner, Lipner, —, Russak, Joshua Zeichner Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, University of Utah, UCAR Center for Science Education, University of California, Dermatology, Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center, Mount Sinai Locations: San Diego, New York City, corneocytes, Mount

☆ Fact Check-Quote about bioengineering wrongly attributed to WEF’s Klaus Schwab
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A statement saying bioengineering is “the next ‘general purpose technology’” has been wrongly attributed to World Economic Forum (WEF) founder and chairman Klaus Schwab. Posts sharing the wrongly attributed statement read: “Schwab: 'Bioengineering is the next “general purpose technology”. An article dated Jan. 14 on the WEF website (bit.ly/3IQlwo1) featured experts’ predictions for 2023, in which Webb, as part of a longer response, said: "Bioengineering is the next ‘general purpose technology’. The quotation circulating on social media has been wrongly attributed to Klaus Schwab. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts (here).

☆ 100-hour workweeks and a bit of luck: How a 25-year-old CEO raised $50 million for his new drug discovery startup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Andrew Dunn | Sarah Braner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

In June, Charm said it raised $50 million, valuing the firm at $100 million to $150 million. Charm has raised $50 million from top investorsDemis Hassabis, the CEO and a cofounder of DeepMind Technologies. In the spring, Aithani raised the $37 million million round that was announced in June, with investors like Khosla Ventures and General Catalyst joining OrbiMed and F-Prime Capital. The raise values Charm at between $100 million and $150 million, Aithani said, and brings the company's total funding to $50 million. This article was corrected on August 19 to show that Charm has raised two rounds of funding totaling $50 million.

☆ Meet 5 of Goldman Sachs' newest partners, including a top fintech dealmaker and a structured trader from Honduras whose 3 brothers also work on Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Dakin Campbell | Alex Morrell | Emmalyse Brownstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It also includes a star fintech banker and leading voice on the Black experience on Wall Street. Here are 5 top names who will help shape the Wall Street of tomorrow. In the 12 years that he's been at Goldman, Watkins has helped Goldman advise on some of the technology industry's biggest transactions. He has also been a leading voice in discussing the Black experience on Wall Street. After graduating in 2010, he went to work for the Global Electronic Trading Co., known on Wall Street as GETCO.

☆ Amazon healthcare salaries revealed: See how much bioengineering and health-data roles earn as the tech giant pushes into medicine and prepares to buy One Medical
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Katherine Long | Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon hired many positions in healthcare informatics last quarter, according to H-1B visa filings. The new positions include nursing-informatics specialists, who typically manage patient data, and medical laboratory technicians. But the end of Amazon Care, which failed to gain as much traction as Amazon had hoped, coincides with an expansion of Amazon's healthcare ambitions. The company announced plans in July to purchase the One Medical chain of medical clinics for $3.9 billion. Data-privacy activists have registered concerns about the company's planned acquisition of One Medical, which would give Amazon control of huge amounts of patient data.

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