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Oxford Nanopore Technologies and Wasatch BioLabs have joined forces to develop a groundbreaking direct whole-methylome sequencing (dWMS) product. This collaboration addresses the limitations of traditional methylation sequencing methods, such as bisulfite sequencing and methylation microarrays.

By leveraging Oxford Nanopore’s advanced sequencing technology and Wasatch BioLabs’ proprietary methylation assays, the partners aim to offer a more comprehensive and accurate approach to studying epigenetic modifications. dWMS eliminates the need for harsh chemical treatments and PCR amplification, reducing biases and improving genome-wide coverage.

This innovative technology has the potential to revolutionize epigenetic research, providing valuable insights into the role of methylation in various biological processes and diseases. The collaboration between these two companies is poised to drive significant advancements in genomics and precision medicine.

Watch Dr. Ben Goertzel, CEO of SingularityNET and ASI Alliance, discuss the path to beneficial Superintelligence.

Recorded at the Superintelligence Summit held by Ocean Protocol in Bangkok on November 11, 2024.

Continue reading “Ben Goertzel — A Path to Beneficial Superintelligence” »

This capsule…

Inspired by the way that squids use jets to propel themselves through the ocean and shoot ink clouds, researchers from MIT and Novo Nordisk have developed an ingestible capsule that releases a burst of drugs directly into the wall of the stomach or other organs of the digestive tract.

This capsule could offer an alternative way to deliver drugs that normally have to be injected, such as insulin and other large proteins, including antibodies. This needle-free strategy could also be used to deliver RNA, either as a vaccine or a therapeutic molecule to treat diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic disorders.

Continue reading “A bioinspired capsule can pump drugs directly into the walls of the GI tract” »

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Paving the way for personalised 3D-printed implants.

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Now that AI is transforming nearly every industry, healthcare stands out as a field with immense potential — and unique risks.

A single AI-generated error here could lead to serious consequences for patient health.

Biomedical engineers from the University of Melbourne have invented a 3D printing system, or bioprinter, capable of fabricating structures that closely mimic the diverse tissues in the human body, from soft brain tissue to harder materials like cartilage and bone.

This cutting-edge technology offers cancer researchers an advanced tool for replicating specific organs and tissues, significantly improving the potential to predict and develop new pharmaceutical therapies. This would pave the way for more advanced and ethical drug discovery by reducing the need for animal testing.

Head of the Collins BioMicrosystems Laboratory at the University of Melbourne, Associate Professor David Collins said: In addition to drastically improving print speed, our approach enables a degree of cell positioning within printed tissues. Incorrect cell positioning is a big reason most 3D bioprinters fail to produce structures that accurately represent human tissue.

Within the body, cells involved in specific functions, like immune response and secretion, are equipped with granules, which are small membrane-bound compartments containing enzymes, proteins, or other molecules. In neutrophils, the so-called azurophilic (or primary) granules contain enzymes that are involved in the initial response to an infection.

MPO-based E-101 is the first wound and systemically safe antiseptic, with a safety profile comparable to saline, that is effective in physiological conditions.

Myeloperoxidase, or MPO, is one of the most important of such enzymes for the immune system’s ability to destroy pathogens. Allen has been studying the physiological role of MPO since 1971. Using chemiluminescence and metabolic studies he has been able to study the complex and finely regulated mechanism of NADPH oxidase driven MPO action in microbicidal activity.

New research from the Kind Group at the Hubrecht Institute sheds light on how cells repair damaged DNA. For the first time, the team has mapped the activity of repair proteins in individual human cells.

The study demonstrates how these proteins collaborate in so-called “hubs” to repair DNA damage. This knowledge offers opportunities to improve cancer therapies and other treatments where DNA repair is essential. The researchers published their findings in Nature Communications on November 21.

DNA is the molecule that carries our genetic information. It can be damaged by normal cellular processes as well as external factors such as UV radiation and chemicals. Such damage can lead to breaks in the DNA strand. If DNA damage is not properly repaired, mutations can occur, which may result in diseases like cancer. Cells use repair systems to fix this damage, with specialized proteins locating and binding to the damaged regions.