Lifeboat Foundation

Is the Executive Director of the Innovative Genomics Institute (https://innovativegenomics.org/people/brad-ringeisen/), an organization founded by Nobel Prize winner Dr. Jennifer Doudna, on the University of California, Berkeley campus, whose mission is to bridge revolutionary gene editing tool development to affordable and accessible solutions in human health and climate.

Dr. Ringeisen is a physical chemist with a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Wake Forest University, a pioneer in the field of live cell printing, and an experienced administrator of scientific research and product development.

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As we age, our bodies change and degenerate over time in a process called senescence. Stem cells, which have the unique ability to change into other cell types, also experience senescence, which presents an issue when trying to maintain cell cultures for therapeutic use. The biomolecules produced by these cell cultures are important for various medicines and treatments, but once the cells enter a senescent state they stop producing them, and worse, they instead produce biomolecules antagonistic to these therapeutics.

While there are methods to remove older cells in a culture, the capture rate is low. Instead of removing older cells, preventing the cells from entering senescence in the first place is a better strategy, according to Ryan Miller, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Hyunjoon Kong (M-CELS leader/EIRH/RBTE), a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering.

“We work with mesenchymal stem cells, that are derived from fat tissue, and produce biomolecules that are essential for therapeutics, so we want to keep the cell cultures healthy. In a clinical setting, the ideal way to prevent senescence would be to condition the environment that these stem cells are in, to control the oxidative state,” said Miller. “With antioxidants, you can pull them the cells out of this senescent state and make them behave like a healthy stem cell.”

ChatGPT isn’t the only tool available though. Google is working with medicine and so is IBM and I believe, Microsoft though they use ChatGPT. So far, I’m liking the responses more from Bard on many questions so I am hoping Google keeps up the good work. But whoever stays ahead in AI, I hope it helps humanity. BTW, ask Bard and Bing AI how it they will help humanity. They have different but somewhat similar answers now. At first Bing was on the fence on if it would help humanity when the Singularity arrived but Bard was firm in saying it would help us. So yes, I have more faith in Bard than ChatGPT. I am a little biased though. I’m a Pixel Super Fan and own a Pixel 6 and have owned several Google products/services. Anyway, what are your thoughts in AI and medicine? I think we should be cautious because it can be manipulated by hackers more easily, like chat bots were, but at the same time there’s great potential to benefit humanity.

Andrew Beam, deputy editor of a new journal on AI and co-host of a podcast on the topic, discusses both the potential and challenges of the powerful tool.

After using the Whisker Litter-Robot 4, I will never return to a regular litter box. The insight it gives me into Norbert’s overall health and the daily cleaning makes it completely worth it. Just be patient with the setup process and with your cat learning a new routine. Norbert’s opinion also upholds the new litter box since he was able to transition pretty seamlessly and gets to have a clean litter box every single time.

Also: This army robot dog is part of a bigger battle for brain-machine interface tech

The Whisker Litter-Robot 4 is no doubt expensive, but the company also offers the previous generation Litter-Robot 3 for a bit cheaper at $549. It’s definitely an investment, but this is a type of automated technology I can get behind.

Most of the world’s population either chronically suffers from plaque and dental cavities or will develop them at some point in their lives. Toothpastes, mouthwashes, and regular checkups do their part, but more can always be done. Now, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev scientists and their colleagues at Sichuan University and the National University of Singapore have discovered that 3,3′-Diindolylmethane (DIM), a naturally occurring molecule also known as bisindole, reduces by 90% the biofilms that produce plaque and cavities. The molecule is also found to have anti-carcinogenic properties.

Their findings were published earlier this month in the journal Antibiotics.

Your mouth is a great reservoir for bacteria such as S. mutans, which is believed to be one of the primary actors in dental cavities. After you eat, S. mutans grows in the moist and sugary atmosphere of your mouth in a biofilm that coats your teeth. Biofilm generates plaque, attacks enamel and causes cavities. The scientists found that the bisindole (DIM) disrupted that biofilm by 90% and therefore the bacterium was not given a chance to grow.

Phase I trials were conducted in New Zealand and China, and the drug was found to be safe for use.

A drug discovered using generative artificial intelligence (AI) has now entered Phase II clinical trials, with the first dose given to patients, its inventor Insilico Medicine said in a press release. The trials occurring at multiple sites in the US and China will involve 60 subjects with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF).

The term “Generative AI” has become common knowledge these days and is associated with bots that can perform tasks like having human-like conversations or creating art or images. However, Hong Kong and New York-based Insilico Medicine have been using the technology for years to discover therapies for debilitating diseases.

Ancient genomes can inform our understanding of the history of human adaptation through the direct tracking of changes in genetic variant frequency across different geographical locations and time periods. The authors review recent ancient DNA analyses of human, archaic hominin, pathogen, and domesticated animal and plant genomes, as well as the insights gained regarding past human evolution and behaviour.

In a recent study published in Metabolism, researchers investigate the correlation between a healthy lifestyle and Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) scores in new-onset severe non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Study: A healthy lifestyle, Life’s Essential 8 scores and new-onset severe NAFLD: A prospective analysis in UK Biobank. Image Credit: Explode / Shutterstock.com.

A new Jell-O-like material could replace metals as electrical interfaces for pacemakers, cochlear implants, and other electronic implants.

Do an image search for “electronic implants,” and you’ll draw up a wide assortment of devices, from traditional pacemakers and cochlear implants to more futuristic brain and retinal microchips aimed at augmenting vision, treating depression, and restoring mobility.

Some implants are hard and bulky, while others are flexible and thin. But no matter their form and function, nearly all implants incorporate electrodes — small conductive elements that attach directly to target tissues to electrically stimulate muscles and nerves.