Groundbreaking

Researchers have developed a groundbreaking method called Zman-seq for tracking changes over time in single cells within the body. This method, which marks cells with time stamps, has significantly advanced our understanding of cellular dynamics, particularly in understanding diseases like glioblastoma. Zman-seq’s ability to trace the history and sequence of molecular and cellular changes offers a new perspective in the study of complex biological systems and paves the way for developing more effective therapies for…

MIT and Ragon Institute scientists created a DNA-based vaccine that elicits a potent antibody response against SARS-CoV-2. This approach, which focuses the immune response on the target antigen, could revolutionize vaccine development for various challenging viruses. Credit: SciTechDaily.comUsing a DNA-based scaffold carrying viral proteins, researchers created a vaccine that provokes a strong antibody response against SARS-CoV-2.Using a virus-like delivery particle made from DNA, researchers from MIT and the Ragon…

A breakthrough clinical trial using gene therapy has restored hearing to five children born deaf. After six months, the children were able to recognize speech and hold conversations, raising hopes for wider use in the near future.The patients in the trial suffered from a genetic condition called autosomal recessive deafness 9 (DFNB9), which is caused by a mutation in a gene called OTOF. This gene produces the otoferlin protein, which helps transmit electrical pulses from the cochlea to the brain, where it can be…

An illustration of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells attacking a cancer cell.Illustration: ART-ur (Shutterstock)A relatively new cancer treatment known as CAR T cell therapy is perhaps more dangerous than we knew. The Food and Drug Administration found evidence that the treatment can potentially raise the risk of secondary cancers and is telling makers of these products to add a boxed warning detailing the risk to their labeling. However, the FDA still says that the positives of CAR T therapy outweigh the potential…

A team of physicists has discovered a new superconducting material with unique tunability for external stimuli, promising advancements in energy-efficient computing and quantum technology. This breakthrough, achieved through advanced research techniques, enables unprecedented control over superconducting properties, potentially revolutionizing large-scale industrial applications.Material has potential applications in superconducting circuits for the next generation of industrial electronics.Researchers used the Advanced…

By U.S. Geological Survey January 18, 2024The latest U.S. Geological Survey study reveals that about 75% of the United States faces the risk of damaging earthquakes, according to the updated National Seismic Hazard Model. This model, covering all 50 states, highlights increased risks along the Atlantic Coast and in seismically active regions like California and Alaska, providing vital data for earthquake preparedness and building safety. Credit: SciTechDaily.comThe research-based map is the first to display an updated,…

A top Apple insider and analyst has revealed Apple’s new iPhone 16 Pro, slated for release in September of 2024, could feature Snapdragon’s latest X75 modem with more powerful 5G. An analyst report from Jeff Pu at Haitong International Securities revealed that “the iPhone 16 Pro models will be equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X75 modem, according to a MacRumors report, Sunday. First unveiled in February last year, the X75 is a powerful new modem that the company describes as “the world’s first Modem-RF System ready…

One of the marvelous things about humans is the uniqueness of each of our bodies. Although over 100 billion humans have lived on this blue marble of ours, no two fingerprints, scientists believe, have ever been identical.The pattern of lines and whorls on each human fingerprint is believed to be unduplicated on any other finger. Even the individual fingers of a single human were thought to be significantly distinct from one another.But according to a new study, the ridges on each of our fingertips might not be quite as…

Various rice plants, both control plants and mutants, between three and four weeks after inoculation. Credit: IRD / Laurence AlbarThe so-called Rice Yellow Mottle Virus (for short: RYMV) is responsible for high crop losses in Africa, particularly among small-scale farmers. A research team from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) has now produced rice lines that are resistant to the disease by means of genome editing. The rice varieties,…

Scientists at Rice University have created a noninvasive technique to monitor brain gene expression using Released Markers of Activity (RMAs), enabling the study of brain functions and diseases through simple blood tests. Credit: SciTechDaily.comSynthetic serum marker enables non-invasive neural monitoring.The brain, being the most protected organ in the body, is encased within a highly complex and nearly impenetrable barrier formed by specialized blood vessels. This protective anatomical setup, while crucial for defense…