Archive for the ‘innovation’ category
Sep 5, 2024
Longevity breakthrough: Scientists uncover key gene that extends lifespan
Posted by Paul Battista in categories: innovation, life extension
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — In the never-ending quest to unlock the secrets of a long and healthy life, researchers at the University of Copenhagen have made a remarkable discovery. Their study has identified a specific gene that plays a crucial role in extending longevity across various species, including humans.
Publishing their work in the journal Cell Reports, researchers say the gene in question is called OSER1, and it encodes a protein that the team has dubbed a “novel pro-longevity factor.”
“We identified this protein that can extend longevity. It is a novel pro-longevity factor, and it is a protein that exists in various animals, such as fruit flies, nematodes, silkworms, and in humans,” says Professor Lene Juel Rasmussen, the senior author behind the study, in a media release.
Sep 3, 2024
Blood stem cell breakthrough could have ‘massive impact’ on patients
Posted by Paul Battista in categories: biotech/medical, innovation
Scientists have grown blood stem cells in the laboratory for the first time in a move that could potentially end the need for stem cell transplants.
During a stem cell (or bone marrow) transplant, damaged blood cells are replaced with healthy ones and can be used to treat conditions such as leukaemia.
However, finding a donor match can be difficult and some patients die before a donor is found.
Sep 2, 2024
Memory Breakthrough: Helical Magnets Pave the Way for Next-Gen Storage
Posted by Genevieve Klien in categories: innovation, sustainability
Researchers have developed a new magnet-based memory device using helical magnets, promising high-density, non-volatile storage without magnetic field crosstalk.
This breakthrough offers a sustainable solution to current challenges in information storage, with potential for large-scale integration and high durability.
A team of scientists has proposed a new concept for magnet-based memory devices, which might revolutionize information storage devices owing to their potential for large-scale integration, non-volatility, and high durability.
Sep 1, 2024
Innovative Cancer Treatment Through Targeted Bacterial Vaccines
Posted by Paul Battista in categories: biotech/medical, innovation
(Precision Vaccinations News) — Bacterial vaccines offer a promising solution by targeting specific pathogens without harming the broader microbiome. However, researchers wrote on August 30, 2024,…
Sep 1, 2024
What Are the Causes of Human Progress?
Posted by Shubham Ghosh Roy in categories: economics, innovation
Summary: Human progress requires a culture of openness to change and innovation, which historically has been rare and resisted by established elites. Periods of remarkable achievement, like that seen in Enlightenment Europe, occurred when societies embraced new ideas and allowed for intellectual and economic freedom. The key to sustained progress lies in maintaining a culture of optimism and a politico-economic system that encourages innovation rather than suppressing it.
To make progress, we must do something differently from what we did yesterday, and we must do it faster, better, or with less effort. To accomplish that, we innovate, and we imitate. That takes a certain openness to surprises, and that openness is rare. It is difficult to come up with something that never existed. It’s also dangerous, since most innovations fail.
If you live close to subsistence level, you don’t have a margin for error. So, if someone wants to hunt in a new way or experiment with a new crop, it is not necessarily popular. There is a reason why most historical societies that came up with a way of sustaining themselves tried to stick to that recipe and considered innovators troublemakers.
Aug 29, 2024
Twists of Fate: How 50,000 Mysterious DNA Knots Could Help Cure Diseases Like Cancer
Posted by Genevieve Klien in categories: biotech/medical, innovation
An innovative study of DNA ’s hidden structures may open up new approaches for the treatment and diagnosis of diseases, including cancer.
Researchers at the Garvan Institute have unveiled the first comprehensive map of over 50,000 i-motifs in the human genome, structures distinct from the classic double helix that may play crucial roles in gene regulation and disease. These findings highlight the potential of i-motifs in developing new therapies, particularly in targeting genes associated with cancers.
Aug 29, 2024
Researchers map 50,000 of DNA’s mysterious ‘knots’ in the human genome
Posted by Saúl Morales Rodriguéz in categories: biotech/medical, innovation
Researchers have mapped 50,000 of DNA’s mysterious “knots” in the human genome. The innovative study of DNA’s hidden structures may open up new approaches for treatment and diagnosis of diseases, including cancer.
Aug 29, 2024
345 GHz Observations Reveal Black Holes Like Never Before
Posted by Saúl Morales Rodriguéz in categories: cosmology, innovation
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration has enhanced its observational capabilities, achieving unprecedented resolutions by detecting light at a 345 GHz frequency.
This breakthrough allows for detailed imaging of black holes, promising images 50% more detailed than previous ones and the potential to view more black holes than ever before.
Continue reading “345 GHz Observations Reveal Black Holes Like Never Before” »
Aug 28, 2024
Scientists working on cancer vaccine that uses immune system’s ‘killer’ cells
Posted by Paul Battista in categories: biotech/medical, innovation
Scientists are working on a “breakthrough” cancer vaccine after discovering how the body’s immune system targets cells devastated by the disease.
A study led by researchers from the University of Southampton found the body’s natural “killer” cells – from the immune system which protects against disease and infections – instinctively recognise and attack a protein that drives cancer growth.
The scientists believe that by using this protein – known as XPO1 – they may be able to activate more killer cells to destroy the disease, paving the way for new and less invasive forms of cancer treatment.