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☆ Atlas of cells offers a milestone leap in understanding of the human body
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New research based on the findings, published in several papers Wednesday in Nature and its sister journals, represents a “leap in understanding of the human body,” according to the Human Cell Atlas consortium. Regev compared scientific knowledge of cell biology before the Human Cell Atlas initiative with a “15th century map.”“Now, years later, the resolution of the map is a lot higher,” she said. The cell atlas aims to fill in a missing link between genes, diseases and treatment therapies. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Human Cell Atlas community used the available data to reveal that the nose, eyes and mouth were most vulnerable to infection. “It was only clear through the Human Cell Atlas data that those cells were … entry points before the virus continued into the internal organs.

Persons: —, ”, Aviv, Daniel Montoro “, we’ve, Regev, “, Sarah Teichmann, Ken, Blain, Robert Hooke, ” Teichmann, Jeremy Farrar, ” Farrar Organizations: CNN, Human Cell Atlas, Genome, Cell, Google, Human, Human Cell, Cambridge Stem Cell, UK’s University of Cambridge, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Institut, la Vision, HCL, Lyon, World Health Organization Locations: Nature, Genentech, South San Francisco , California, Cambridge, England, Paris, Lyon English

☆ Pompeii: Ancient DNA rewrites the stories of people buried by volcanic eruption
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-08 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —Ancient DNA has revealed surprises about the identities of some people who perished in the ancient Roman town of Pompeii after a volcanic eruption, overturning misconceptions about their genetic relationships, ancestry and sex. Ash and volcanic rock called pumice then covered Pompeii and its residents, preserving scenes of the victims of the city’s destruction like an eerie time capsule. While the Greeks, Etruscans and Samnites attempted to conquer it, Pompeii became a Roman colony, the study authors noted. In 2015, the Archaeological Park of Pompeii began efforts to restore 86 of the 104 casts originally made by Fiorelli. Together, park scientists and the study authors are working on a larger project to better understand the genetic diversity present in Pompeii during the Roman Empire.

Persons: Giuseppe Fiorelli, ”, David Reich, restorers, David Caramelli, Massimo Osanna, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, Valeria Amoretti, ” Caramelli, Reich, Steven Tuck, Tuck, ” Tuck, Caitie Barrett, Barrett, Homer’s “, Bacchus, Alissa Mittnik, “, ” Barrett, Michael Anderson, Anderson, ” Anderson Organizations: CNN, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, University of Florence, Villa, Miami University in, Cornell University, Max Planck Institute, Evolutionary Anthropology, Harvard, San Francisco State University Locations: Pompeii, Naples, what’s, Italy’s Campania, Roman, Italy, Miami University in Ohio, archaeogenetics, Britain, North Africa, Alexandria, Egypt, Bay

☆ Bill Clinton has hopes and fears on what comes after 2024 – for the country, the party and himself
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-03 | by ( Edward-Isaac Dovere | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

Clinton speaks at a campaign rally in Durham, North Carolina, on October 17, 2024. His wife was the one whose loss put Trump in the White House, in a way that burns him still. Then again, Clinton said, he was “gobsmacked” that companies that said they’d pay to help with the transition never did. Clinton speaks during morning service at a church in Albany, Georgia, on October 13, 2024. Tim Walz appears with Clinton at the campaign rally in Durham, North Carolina, on October 17, 2024.

Persons: Bill Clinton, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Clinton, Harris, he’d, Donald Trump, John Deere, Biden, – Clinton, ” Clinton, Steve Helber, he’s, Trump, Tim Walz, JD Vance, Barack Obama – Clinton, “, Dwight Eisenhower, Eisenhower, ‘, Walz, Obama, CNN Clinton, megadonors, Norman Rockwell, Chokwe Pitchford, Clinton’s, Julia Beverly, –, America hadn’t, hadn’t, ”, “ We’re, he’s heartened, Logan Cyrus, you’re, “ It’s, George W, Bush, I’ve, nativism, Colin Allred, Republican Sen, Ted Cruz, ” Bush, Allred, ” Clnton, Ehud Barak, Yasser Arafat, Camp, Ralph Alswang, couldn’t, Yasser Arafat didn’t, audibly, I’m, isn’t, it’ll, Long, He’s, Jimmy Carter, it’s Harris, ’ ”, Hillary, We’re, you’ve, ’ Organizations: West Coast CNN, Democratic, Republican, CNN, America, Trump, Clinton . Technology, World Trade Organization, Getty, Trade, Republicans, Democrat, Senate, White House, Israeli, Camp David, Minnesota Gov, Convention Locations: Michigan, Arkansas, Europe, America, Durham , North Carolina, Muskegon Heights , Michigan, tailspins, South Haven , Michigan, Berrien County, Benton Harbor, Arizona, Georgia, Missouri, Kentucky, Louisiana, Virginia, China, Fort Valley , Georgia, Mexico, Albany , Georgia, AFP, Texas, Cruz, Maryland, Chicago, Battle Creek

☆ Our toothbrushes are home to hundreds of new viruses. They could be the future of biotech.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A new study found hundreds of unique viruses called bacteriophage on toothbrushes and shower heads. A recent study found hundreds of viruses on samples from toothbrushes and shower heads, including many that have never been seen before, let alone examined. These are not viruses that are going to infect you, these are viruses that are potentially cool," Hartmann said. In the future, phage might be a rich source of biotech innovations like phage therapy, in the same way pharmaceuticals have developed medicines from plants or animals. Advertisement"There are a lot of things waiting to be discovered just under our noses or on our toothbrushes," Hartmann said.

Persons: —, Erica Hartmann, it's, Hartmann, Phages, Wahrman Organizations: Service, Northwestern University, Business, William Paterson University of New Locations: William Paterson University of New Jersey, Microbiomes

☆ I went to a longevity conference for the ultra-rich. Here's how they're planning to cheat death.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Hilary Brueck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

AdvertisementThe small Swiss town of Gstaad, nestled in the Bernese Alps, looks like a setting ripe for a Sound of Music-inspired fairytale. Longevity Investors Conference/David BiedertThis is where longevity seekers come each fall for an intimate conference connecting investors to entrepreneurs and scientists. AdvertisementYes, there is still some Swiss cheese, wine, and desserts on offer at the Longevity Investor's Conference for those who wish to indulge. Longevity Investors Conference/David BiedertInvestment is flowing into early-stage longevity companies that are bringing tests and products to market. Longevity Investors Conference/David BiedertEquipped with Starlink satellite internet, the boat is designed for "floating coworking."

Persons: —, David Biedert, Moritz, Marc Bernegger, Longevity.Technology, who've, Bryan Johnson, Nir Barzilai, Alex Colville, Emil Kendziorra, Tobias Reichmuth, rapamycin, berberine, nature's, Reichmuth, David Furman, who'd, Julie Andrews, Madonna, Valentino Organizations: Business, Service, Longevity, Conference, Academy for Health, David, Bold, Michelin Locations: Switzerland, Gstaad, Bernese, St, Singapore, Tel Aviv, Age1, San Francisco, Antarctica, Sardinia, Italy, Okinawa, Japan, Zurich

☆ The human life span may have finally plateaued. Here's what you can do to optimize your chances for a long life — and what researchers are working on next.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-07 | by ( Hilary Brueck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Life expectancy in the US shot up at a rate of about three years per decade in the last century: from roughly age 47 in 1900 to age 77 in 2000. As more people in wealthy countries make it to old age, human life expectancy gains are nearing a plateau. The study tracks trends in their death rates and life expectancy from 1990 to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic started. Spending just 3% of your day exercising can mean you stay healthier for longer, an expert in healthy aging said.

Persons: —, Jay Olshansky, We've, Mick Jagger, Joe Biden, Kevin Winter, Thomas Barwick, Olskansky, Olshansky, Aubrey de Grey, De Grey, Peter Fedichev, Gero, hasn't, Fedichev Organizations: Service, Aging, University of Illinois, Business, Pfizer Locations: Chicago, Australia, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Hong Kong

☆ Lost biblical tree resurrected from 1,000 year-old seed
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-03 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Botanists have grown a long-lost tree species from a 1,000-year-old seed found in a cave in the Judean Desert in the 1980s. But the scientists conducting the new research weren’t able to identify the type of tree from the seed alone. However, the sample didn’t match any of the known Commiphora species in her database. The tree, which the study authors believe may have a biblical connection, is seen at 12 years old. Yet the tree, which is related to the myrrh tree that’s famed for its resin, never gave off any kind of scent.

Persons: Dr, Sarah Sallon, Louis, Sallon, tsori, “ Sheba, ”, Guy Eisner, Elaine Solowey, ” Sallon, Andrea Weeks, Weeks, it’s, “ guggulterols, Louise Colville, Colville wasn’t, “ Organizations: CNN, Natural Medicine Research, Hadassah University Medical, Communications, Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, George Mason University, Royal Botanic Locations: Judean, Jerusalem, Gilead, Jordan, Israel, Africa, Madagascar, Fairfax , Virginia, Kew, London

☆ Recursion gets FDA approval to begin phase 1 trials of AI-discovered cancer treatment
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-02 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

AI drug pioneer Recursion Pharmaceuticals said Wednesday that one of its experimental treatments hit a key milestone. The Food and Drug Administration cleared the investigational new drug application for a phase 1/2 clinical trial of an experimental drug candidate known as REC-1245. The company said the potential market for this treatment could be more than 100,000 patients in the U.S. and European Union. The trial will evaluate the safety and tolerability of REC-1245 and will begin in the fourth quarter of this year. "It's the first program that really is leveraging many of these new tools that we've built in one unit."

Persons: Chris Gibson, Gibson Organizations: Pharmaceuticals, CNBC, Drug Administration, Union, REC Locations: U.S

☆ Sea robins are fish that use their legs to ‘taste’ the seafloor
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Some types of sea robins, a peculiar bottom-dwelling ocean fish, use taste bud-covered legs to sense and dig up prey along the seafloor, according to new research. A species of sea robins called Prionotus carolinus studied by the researchers used their legs for walking, digging and sensing the seafloor. And the fish that lacked sensory capabilities and used their legs mainly for walking were striped sea robins, or Prionotus evolans. The digging sea robins had shovel-shaped legs that were covered in protrusions called papillae, which are similar to the taste buds on our tongues. Both researchers said they are keen to uncover the exact mechanisms behind the evolution of the sea robins’ sensory appendages.

Persons: David Kingsley, Kingsley, Rudy J, Daphne Donohue Munzer, ” Kingsley, “ I’d, Mike Jones, Amy Herbert, “, ” Herbert, Herbert, Corey Allard, ’ ” Allard, Nick Bellono, ” Bellono, carolinus, ” Allard, Tbx3, Jason Ramsay, Ramsay, Anik, ” Ramsay Organizations: CNN, Marine Biological, Stanford University’s School of Medicine, Stanford, Harvard University, Rhode Island College, Harvard, University of Chicago Locations: Woods Hole , Massachusetts, Harvard, New England

☆ Award-winning footage shows a baby tardigrade riding one of its greatest predators in a rare microscopic Wild West scene
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Also known as water bears or moss piglets, tardigrades are waddling eight-legged animals with a reputation for survival. See the video, below, for yourself:This Wild West scene is a bit bizarre, but not totally surprising to experts. "I believe this tardigrade simply encountered the nematode, and it was something it could grasp which is better than flailing around helplessly." He ended up with a nematode and a batch of tardigrade eggs, visible through his microscope. AdvertisementGeldhof got into microscope videography about two years ago, after he started watching several microscope video creators on YouTube.

Persons: —, tardigrade, Sandra McInnes, tardigrades, McInnes, Paul Bartels, Geldhof Organizations: Service, Business, of, Nikon's, British Antarctic Survey, Warren Wilson College, Amazon, YouTube Locations: Winthrop , Massachusetts

☆ Chemical toxins from food processing migrate into our bodies, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“The study also shows that food contact materials can contain mutagenic chemicals that harm our DNA, such as heavy metals,” Wagner said. Another chemical group in food packaging that has migrated into people is phthalates, the research revealed. “We’ve got, say, 60 years of research into the migration of chemicals into food from food processing and packaging equipment. “Given that there are (tens) of thousands of food contact chemicals, biomonitoring programs do not have the capacity to test for all chemicals we are potentially exposed to,” Wagner said. “However, there are also important gaps that need to be addressed as we undertake the work to strengthen our food chemical safety activities,” he said.

Persons: ”, Martin Wagner, Wagner, Jane Muncke, ” Muncke, Muncke, “, ” Wagner, “ We’ve, It’s, there’s, Melanie Benesh, you’re, ” Benesh, GRAS, Jim Jones, Benesh Organizations: CNN, Norwegian University of Science, Technology, Food Packaging, Getty, American Chemistry Council, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, US National Health, Canadian, Korean National Environmental Health Survey, National Health, Environmental, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, US, Committee, Energy Locations: Trondheim, Zurich, Switzerland, phthalates, PFAS, Europe, Biomonitoring California, United States

☆ ‘ManhattAnt’: What to know about the invasive ant that’s ‘taken over’ NYC
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Researchers first spotted the insect, dubbed the “ManhattAnt,” while doing a survey on ants in New York City in 2011. By comparing the New York ants with the European ones, Seifert was able to confirm the ant’s identity. Because the nests work together instead of against one another, they can spread faster and easily dominate an area by outcompeting native species, he added. “One of the things we know about a lot of invasive ant species is they displace the native species, and the native species that they’re displacing usually have very specialized roles in the ecosystem, so you’re sort of disrupting that ecosystem when these species get introduced,” Moreau said. Time will tell whether the ant has become more than just a nuisance and is disrupting the ecosystem, Penick said.

Persons: North America —, ”, Clint Penick, Samantha Kennett, Becca Senft, Penick, Corrie Moreau, Moreau, Bernhard Seifert, Seifert, Kennett, ” Moreau Organizations: CNN, New Yorkers, Auburn University, Apple, Cornell University, Clemson University Locations: North America, Manhattan, European, Europe, New York City, Alabama, Long, New Jersey, Maine, Georgia, New York, Germany, York, South Carolina

☆ Opinion | Is It Too Late to Save the Southern Grasslands?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Margaret Renkl | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I just assumed that Nashville was part of the great temperate deciduous forests that once covered much of the eastern half of the United States. When I went looking for the once-endangered Tennessee coneflower in 2019, I found them in a rocky glade surrounded by grasslands blooming with wildflowers. And if there are grasslands here now, surely there must have been grasslands here in the past. Today nearly all those Southern prairies — along with nearly all the other types of Southern grassland ecosystems, and nearly all the plants and animals they supported — are gone. In a study published in 2021, a team of scientists including Dr. Estes identified 118 major types of grassland ecosystems in the South.

Persons: Ken Burns, Dwayne Estes, Dr, Estes Organizations: PBS, Tennessee coneflower, Austin Peay State University, Southeastern Grasslands Institute Locations: American Buffalo, ”, Middle Tennessee, Nashville, United States, Tennessee, North America, American, Clarksville, Tenn, glades

☆ Fossils of ancient chromosomes found for the first time in 52,000-year-old woolly mammoth skin
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —A piece of woolly mammoth skin excavated from the Siberian permafrost has been found to contain fossil chromosomes in a first-of-its-kind discovery, according to a new study. The new study revealed that fossils of ancient chromosomes survive in this skin sample. But the DNA from elephants was also needed to assemble the mammoth genome. The researchers hope to use the findings to assemble the woolly mammoth genome completely. “This structural information provides insights into functions of the woolly mammoth genome that were invisible using previous genomic methods,” Heintzman said in an email.

Persons: ”, Erez Lieberman Aiden, Lieberman Aiden, Olga Dudchenko, Dudchenko, Elena Kizilova, Kevin Campbell, ” Campbell, ” Dudchenko, ” Aiden, “, Cynthia Pérez Estrada, ” Pérez Estrada, there’s, Adam Fotos “, Marcela Sandoval, Velasco, Pérez Estrada, Peter Heintzman, ” Heintzman, Dmitry Filatov, ” Filatov, ” Hendrik Poinar, Poinar Organizations: CNN, Baylor College of Medicine, Center, Theoretical, Rice University, of Cytology, University of Manitoba, Stockholm University, Houston Astros, Center for Genome Architecture, Baylor, Rice’s, University of Copenhagen, University of Oxford, McMaster University Locations: Belaya Gora, Siberia, Canada, Stockholm, Denmark, “, Sweden, paleogenomics, United Kingdom, Ontario

☆ Scientists finally think they know why giraffe necks are so long
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In the 19th century, Charles Darwin and Jean Baptiste Lamarck suggested that giraffes evolved long necks to help them snatch leaves on trees. A later theory usurped Darwin and Lamarck's, suggesting that male giraffes evolved long necks to fight and compete for female mates. "I realized that the important question was, 'Do males have proportionally longer necks compared to the rest of their body?'" Cavener said this may be the first study to suggest that females, not males, are the reason for giraffes' long necks. That's important not only for understanding giraffe evolution but how male and female giraffes behave differently, which could help with conservation efforts.

Persons: —, Charles Darwin, Jean Baptiste Lamarck, Darwin, Lamarck, Douglas Cavener, wasn't, Cavener, Art Wolfe, Zoe Raw, Raw Organizations: Service, Business, Biology, Penn State, International Union for Conservation Locations: Tanzania, Kenya, East Africa, Darwin, bushmeat

☆ New species of piranha relative is named after Sauron from ‘The Lord of the Rings’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Thousands of fish species — about 2,500 of them named — call the Amazon River home, but scientists estimate nearly half of the marine creatures lurking in the massive stretch of water remain undiscovered. The marks inspired the fish’s name, Myloplus sauron, according to a study published Monday in the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. The confusion around pacusBesides Myloplus sauron, the researchers also discovered the species Myloplus aylan, which they described as having a slightly thicker black bar on its flank. The Myloplus genus falls within the Serrasalmidae fish family, which is made up of piranha and pacu species. Researchers hope to study Myloplus sauron and Myloplus aylan further to learn more about their evolution and relation to other species, Pereira said.

Persons: Sauron, Tolkien’s “, ”, Victória Pereira, Pereira, sauron, Myloplus, Myloplus aylan, pacus, ’ ”, Matthew Kolmann, ” Kolmann, Kolmann, “ Organizations: CNN, University of Paulista, Amazon, University of Louisville Locations: São Paulo, Brazil, piranhas, Kentucky

☆ The largest genome ever discovered belongs to a humble fern
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-07 | by ( Amanda Schupak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New research has identified the largest known genome of any living organism in an unassuming fern found in New Caledonia, an island chain in the South Pacific Ocean. After analyzing related samples from New Zealand and Tasmania, Pellicer homed in on the New Caledonian fork fern as a potentially interesting target for study. Genome gigantism, or genome obesity, is extremely inefficient, the experts explain. Pol Fernández I MatóPellicer and his colleagues believe that genome size may influence a plant’s chances of extinction. Could there be a plant with an even bigger genome than the fork fern?

Persons: ”, Jaume Pellicer, Pellicer, Tmesipteris, that’s, ” Pellicer, “, Oriane Hidalgo, polyploidy, Eric Schuettpelz, Fernández, “ it’s, ” Schuettpelz, It’s, David Baum, Pol Fernández, “ I’m, Amanda Schupak Organizations: CNN, Botanical Institute of Barcelona, Cell, Smithsonian, “, Genome, University of Wisconsin, Madison, International Union for Conservation of Locations: New Caledonia, Paris, Grande Terre, Oriane Hidalgo Ferns, New Zealand, Tasmania, New York City

☆ Want to See Bison at Yellowstone? You’re Likely Not Prepared.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal, a national park official said. Last weekend, an 83-year-old woman from South Carolina was gored by a bison that was defending its space, park officials said. It was the latest in a string of tragic events at the park involving visitors and bison, which are social animals that live in herds. In April, a 40-year-old man was injured after harassing a herd of bison and kicking one of the animals in the leg. Last July, a 47-year-old woman sustained significant injuries after being charged and gored by a bison.

Persons: Bison, Jon Grinnell, “, ” Organizations: Gustavus Adolphus College in Locations: Yellowstone, South Carolina, Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota

☆ Crows can count much in the same way as human toddlers, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Can crows count much like toddlers do? The research was inspired by toddlers learning to count, said lead study author Diana Liao, a neurobiologist and senior researcher at the Tübingen lab. “They understand abstract numbers … and then plan ahead as they match their behavior to match that number,” Williams said. The study by Liao and her colleagues isn’t even the first to consider whether crows can count. The crows’ counting abilities “seem to exceed the demands which survival makes for such abilities,” he wrote.

Persons: ”, Heather Williams, ” Williams, Diana Liao, Liao, caws Liao, peck, ” Liao, We’re, B.F, Skinner, Kevin McGowan, McGowan wasn’t, McGowan, they’re, Andreas Nieder, isn’t, Nicholas Thompson, Irene Pepperberg, Pepperberg, Alex, Thompson Organizations: CNN, University of, Williams College, Cornell, of Ornithology, University of Tübingen, Boston University, Tübingen Locations: Germany, Massachusetts, Ithaca , New York

☆ Tiny backpacks reveal newfound species of the world’s largest hummingbird
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Now, new research has revealed that there are two distinct species of giant hummingbird in South America — the northern giant hummingbird that lives year-round in the Andes, and the migratory southern giant hummingbird — and they have been evolving separately for millions of years. A southern giant hummingbird is seen flying from its breeding grounds in central Chile. “We wanted to finally solve this mystery.”Designing backpacks for hummingbirdsGiant hummingbirds differ from hundreds of other hummingbird species in many other ways. A southern giant hummingbird is fitted with a tiny backpack-like geolocator tracking device in central Chile. “The two forms of giant hummingbird look almost identical — for centuries, ornithologists and birders never noticed that they were different.

Persons: Charles Darwin, Darwin, Chris Witt, ”, Jessie Williamson, “, ” Williamson, Emil Bautista, Williamson, Christopher Witt, birders, ” Witt, chaskis, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, HMS, National Academy of Sciences, National Science Foundation, Cornell, of Ornithology, Swifts, Centro, Biology, Museum of Southwestern, University of New Locations: New York City, Buenos Aires, South America, Chile, Ithaca , New York, Peru, Biodiversidad, Lima, Peruvian, Chilean, University of New Mexico, Inca

☆ Recursion Pharmaceuticals CEO explains how AI could make drug development faster and less costly
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In a Friday interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer, Recursion Pharmaceuticals CEO Chris Gibson discussed how his company is using artificial intelligence and machine learning to make the process of developing drugs faster and less expensive. Recursion Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biotech company that received a $50 million investment from Nvidia last summer. "I think with clinical trials, there's still going to be a few years to get through the clinical trial space," Gibson said. Before Recursion's AI-focused approach, there wasn't a clear path toward making a drug to successfully tackle this disease, he said. "Think of it as, like, Google Street View driving around taking pictures of everything," he said.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, Chris Gibson, Gibson, there's Organizations: Pharmaceuticals, Nvidia Locations: U.S

☆ Generative AI will be designing new drugs all on its own in the near future
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

An analogy for understanding the development of AI drugs can be found in the mechanisms of ChatGPT. As a result, it's a drug discovery process that has a 90% failure rate. Some of the noted flaws of generative AI, its propensity to "hallucinate" for example, could prove to be powerful in drug discovery. AI is learning to distinguish drugs from non-drugs, and to create new drugs, in the same way that ChatGPT can create sentences, Ellington said. Now, AI models are helping narrow down the possibilities, so scientists more quickly know the optimal modifications to try.

Persons: ChatGPT, Kimberly Powell, Google's, —, AlphaFold, Powell, Rau, Lilly, Eli Lilly, Diogo Rau, It's, Amgen, Andy Ellington, Ellington, Daniel Diaz, Diaz, We've Organizations: Nvidia, CNBC Technology, Summit, University of Texas, Austin, NVIDIA, biosciences, UT's Institute, Foundations of Machine, Cadence Locations: Nature

☆ Scientists identify ‘degrees of Kevin Bacon’ gene
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Even humble fruit flies organize themselves into regularly spaced clusters, researchers have found. Within those social networks, certain individuals will often stand out as “gatekeepers,” playing an important role for cohesion and communication within that group. New research published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications has identified a gene responsible for regulating the structure of social networks in fruit flies. The study opened up new opportunities for exploring the molecular evolution of social networks and collective behavior in other animals. FLPA/ShutterstockThe gene behind fruit fly social networksThe researchers investigated a number of gene candidates in fruit flies, a common lab organism used in the study of genetics.

Persons: ”, Kevin Bacon, Bacon, Joel Levine, Rebecca Rooke, ” Levine, Levine, “, ” Allen J, Moore, wasn’t, ” Moore Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, University of Toronto, University of Georgia’s Locations: Philadelphia, University of Toronto Mississauga

☆ Cicadas 2024: What to expect from the 2024 periodical cicada emergence and how to prepare
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The insects will infiltrate a much bigger geographical area than similar occurrences in most years because they’re part of the dual emergence of two particular periodical cicada broods. Although the full-scale emergence isn’t underway yet, experts have some guidance on how to prepare for cicada season. A periodical cicada that has just shed its outer skeleton crawls among holes dug by emerging cicada nymphs on May 20, 2021, in Takoma Park, Maryland. A young tree in Takoma Park, Maryland, is draped in netting in May 2021 to protect its small branches from being damaged by periodical cicadas laying their eggs in them. It’s not clear why periodical cicadas evolved to emerge every 13 or 17 years.

Persons: Louis —, Chip Somodevilla, “, ”, Paula Shrewsbury, ” Shrewsbury, John Lill, sapling, Lill, Jason Whitman, Shrewsbury, They’re Organizations: CNN, Naturalists, Southern, University of Maryland, North, George Washington University, US Food and Drug Administration Locations: Chicago, Nashville, St, Northern Illinois, Takoma Park , Maryland, North America, United States

☆ 16,000 plastic chemicals exist, many of them hazardous and unregulated, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

And with new plastic chemicals entering the market all the time, it’s been difficult for regulators and policy makers to determine the scope of the problem. Now, for the first time, researchers have pulled together scientific and regulatory data to develop a database of all known chemicals used in plastic production. It’s a staggering number: 16,000 plastic chemicals, with at least 4,200 of those considered to be “highly hazardous” to human health and the environment, according to the authors. Although grouping would capture about 1,000 of the most toxic chemicals in plastics, Wagner said, that still leaves about 2,600 chemicals that still need to be regulated. Missing hazard dataIn addition to the massive number of toxic chemicals, the report found that detailed hazard information is missing for more than 10,000 of the 16,000 chemicals.

Persons: it’s, It’s, “, ”, Martin Wagner, Wagner, Philip Landrigan, Landrigan, Matt Seaholm, ” Kimberly Wise White, ” Wagner, ” Landrigan, Tasha Stoiber, Stoiber, Jane Houlihan Organizations: CNN, Norwegian University of Science, Technology, Program, Global Public Health, Global, Planetary Health, Boston College, – Monaco, Plastics, Human, Plastics Industry Association, American Chemistry Council, International, United Nations Environment, Global Plastics, Environmental, Healthy Locations: Trondheim, United States

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