Lifeboat Foundation

I ntelligence could be measured with a swab of saliva, or drop of blood, after scientists showed for the first time that a person’s IQ can be predicted just by studying their DNA.

In the largest ever study looking at the genetic basis for intelligence, researchers at the University of Edinburgh and Harvard University discovered hundreds of new genes linked to brain power.

Previous studies have suggested that between 50 per cent and 75 per cent of intelligence is inherited, and the rest comes through upbringing, friendship groups and education. That figure was calculated by studying identical twins who share the same DNA, therefore any differences in IQ between them must be non-genetic.

Continue reading “DNA tests can predict intelligence, scientists show for first time” »

Researchers have identified a protein that is different between healthy and cancerous cells, offering a potential target for therapeutic interventions.

Abstract

Sorting nexins anchor trafficking machines to membranes by binding phospholipids. The paradigm of the superfamily is sorting nexin 3 (SNX3), which localizes to early endosomes by recognizing phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI3P) to initiate retromer-mediated segregation of cargoes to the trans-Golgi network (TGN). Here we report the solution structure of full length human SNX3, and show that PI3P recognition is accompanied by bilayer insertion of a proximal loop in its extended Phox homology (PX) domain. Phosphoinositide (PIP) binding is completely blocked by cancer-linked phosphorylation of a conserved serine beside the stereospecific PI3P pocket. This “PIP-stop” releases endosomal SNX3 to the cytosol, and reveals how protein kinases control membrane assemblies. It constitutes a widespread regulatory element found across the PX superfamily and throughout evolution including of fungi and plants.

Continue reading “A Protein that Shows the Difference Between Cancer and Non-cancer Cells” »

Several billionaires, most of them Californians, have been funding firms involved in developing life-extension technologies. What if they succeed? What if billionaires alive today live indefinitely and get ever richer?

February saw the announcement in Silicon Valley by X Prize founder, serial entrepreneur, and all-round gee-whiz future-technology promoter Peter Diamandis that he had cofounded a new company called Celularity.

He did so together with Dr. Bob Hariri, a renowned biomedical entrepreneur known for innovations in harvesting placental stem cells. Hariri had previously founded Celgene Cellular Therapeutics.

Continue reading “What if billionaires could live forever?” »

MhAX, or Microhomology-Assisted eXcision.

Gene editing has the power to completely reshape our world.

It promises everything from fixing the genetic faults that lead to disease, to destroying disease-causing microbes, to improving the nutrition of the foods we eat and even resurrecting extinct species like the wooly mammoth — all largely thanks to the genetic editing tool CRISPR, which has both popularized this work and made it possible.

Continue reading “Gene Editing Just Got So Precise, Researchers Can Change Single Letters of DNA Code” »

Celularity, a leading U.S. biotechnology company, is seizing on an opportunity to use cells to target diseases. The CEO, Dr. Robert Hariri, says placenta can be used to augment longevity and immunity. https://www.celularity.com

Celularity’s Massively Transformative Purpose (MTP) is to harness the power of the living cell to augment biology, immunity and longevity.

Continue reading “Placenta makes 100-years old the new 60 — Fox Business Mornings With Maria” »

Doctors from Yale University used bacteria-killing viruses collected from a Connecticut pond to successfully treat a man with a bacterial infection.

More than 200 artificial intelligence startups applied for Nvidia’s Inception contest, which seeks to identify the best AI startups. The company created the program to find new uses for its graphics processing units (GPUs), but it’s also hoping these startups will change the world.

So far, the company has identified more than 2,800 AI startups over the years through Inception. I listened to pitches from 12 finalists in a Shark Tank styled judging event last week. Each is competing to be one of three finalists to share the $1 million prize pool.

“We’re trying to enable our ecosystem of deep learning neural networks,” said Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, as he introduced a panel of four judges. The 12 semi-finalists gave their 8-minute pitches, six finalists were selected, and the final winners will be picked at the company’s GPU Technology Conference on March 27 in San Jose, California. They ranged from AI for bionic arms to faster, cheaper, and more accurate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

Continue reading “Nvidia Inception’s AI health care startups cover neural interfaces to better MRI” »

Pioneering biologist best known for his work on the human genome who was a fierce advocate of free access to scientific data.

Georgina Ferry

Sun 11 Mar 2018 11.19 EDT Last modified on Sun 11 Mar 2018 13.22 EDT.

Continue reading “Sir John Sulston obituary” »

A recent study gives insight into the #neurobiology of dying. Before the process of dying neurologists closely monitored patients with devastating #brain injuries following Do Not Resuscitate-Comfort Care orders. This gave key insights into the mechanisms and timing of events in the brain and the circulatory system during the dying process.

The objective of emergency treatment is to restore circulation to prevent #cerebral ischemia. #Cerebral ischemia is a condition that occurs when blood flow is restricted to the brain, which then causes the #death of brain tissue. Understanding the brain’s response to energy depletion can help us estimate how much time is available for resuscitation until irreversible damage has occurred. The goal is to develop methods that can prolong this window before irreversible damage takes place. Injury to central neurons begins only during the progressive and uncontrollable #depolarization of neurons called anoxic depolarization. This Anoxic depolarization “wave” is potentially reversible and typically starts 2 to 5 minutes after the emergence of severe ischemia. This marks the beginning of a toxic change within the neuron which eventually leads to irreversible brain injury.