Lifeboat Foundation

The new method, published in Nature last week, is more efficient, storing 350 bits at a time by encoding strands in parallel. Rather than hand-threading each DNA strand, the team assembles strands from pre-built DNA bricks about 20 nucleotides long, encoding information by altering some and not others along the way. Peking University’s Long Qian and team got the idea for such templates from the way cells share the same basic set of genes but behave differently in response to chemical changes in DNA strands. “Every cell in our bodies has the same genome sequence, but genetic programming comes from modifications to DNA. If life can do this, we can do this,” she says.

Qian and her colleagues encoded data through methylation, a chemical reaction that switches genes on and off by attaching a methyl compound—a small methane-related molecule. Once the bricks are locked into their assigned spots on the strand, researchers select which bricks to methylate, with the presence or absence of the modification standing in for binary values of 0 or 1. The information can then be deciphered using nanopore sequencers to detect whether a brick has been methylated. In theory, the new method is simple enough to be carried out without detailed knowledge of how to manipulate DNA.

The storage capacity of each DNA strand caps off at roughly 70 bits. For larger files, researchers splintered data into multiple strands identified by unique barcodes encoded in the bricks. The strands were then read simultaneously and sequenced according to their barcodes. With this technique, researchers encoded the image of a tiger rubbing from the Han dynasty, troubleshooting the encoding process until the image came back with no errors. The same process worked for more complex images, like a photorealistic print of a panda.

Nuclear fission has powered our world and medical advancements for decades, yet some of its secrets have remained elusive.

One of the biggest puzzles? What exactly happens when an atom’s nucleus splits apart at its “neck rupture” point.

Aurel Bulgac, a physics professor at the University of Washington, has been delving into this very question. He and his team set out to simulate the intricate particle dance during this critical moment of fission.

Deep sleep could be key to forestalling slow declines in brain health that may one day lead to Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.

In their 2023 study of 62 older, cognitively healthy adults, researchers from the University of California (UC) Berkeley, Stanford University, and UC Irvine in the US found individuals with brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s performed better on memory function tests as they got more deep sleep.

This was irrespective of education and physical activity, two factors along with social connection known to contribute to cognitive resilience in older age.

A research team, led by Professor Hoon Eui Jeong from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UNIST has introduced an innovative magnetic composite artificial muscle, showcasing an impressive ability to withstand loads comparable to those of automobiles. This material achieves a stiffness enhancement of more than 2,700 times compared to conventional systems. The study is published in Nature Communications.

Soft artificial muscles, which emulate the fluidity of human muscular motion, have emerged as vital technologies in various fields, including robotics, wearable devices, and biomedical applications. Their inherent flexibility allows for smoother operations; however, traditional materials typically exhibit limitations in rigidity, hindering their ability to lift substantial weights and maintain precise control due to unwanted vibrations.

To overcome these challenges, researchers have employed variable rigid materials that can transition between hard and soft states. Yet, the available range for stiffness modulation has remained constrained, along with inadequate mechanical performance.

In a new study in Physical Review Letters, scientists have demonstrated a method to control artificial microswimmers using electric fields and fluid flow. These microscopic droplets could pave the way for targeted drug delivery and microrobotics.

Researchers at Tampere University have created the world’s first soft touchpad capable of detecting the force, area, and location of contact without the need for electricity. This innovative device operates using pneumatic channels, making it suitable for environments like MRI machines and other settings where electronic devices are impractical. The technology could also be advantageous for applications in soft robotics and rehabilitation aids.

Researchers at Tampere University have developed the world’s first soft touchpad that is able to sense the force, area, and location of contact without electricity. That has traditionally required electronic sensors, but the newly developed touchpad does not need electricity as it uses pneumatic channels embedded in the device for detection.

Made entirely of soft silicone, the device contains 32 channels that adapt to touch, each only a few hundred micrometers wide. In addition to detecting the force, area, and location of touch, the device is precise enough to recognize handwritten letters on its surface and it can even distinguish multiple simultaneous touches.

Meteorites hold all five DNA and RNA bases, hinting that life’s ingredients may come from space!

Meteorites Contain All DNA and RNA Bases, Hinting at Space Origins for Life

A recent study published in Nature Communications reveals that meteorites contain the five nucleobases essential for life’s genetic code, suggesting a possible extraterrestrial origin for some of life’s building blocks. Scientists, including astrochemist Daniel Glavin from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and geochemist Yasuhiro Oba from Hokkaido University, discovered adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil in meteorites that landed in various locations around the world. These nucleobases combine with sugars and phosphates to create DNA and RNA, the molecules responsible for storing genetic information in all life on Earth.

We use our lips to talk, eat, drink, and breathe; they signal our emotions, health, and aesthetic beauty. It takes a complex structure to perform so many roles, so lip problems can be hard to repair effectively. Basic research is essential to improving these treatments, but until now, models using lip cells—which perform differently to other skin cells—have not been available.

In a study published in Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, scientists report the successful immortalization of donated lip cells, allowing for the development of clinically relevant lip models in the lab. This proof-of-concept, once expanded, could benefit thousands of patients.

“The lip is a very prominent feature of our face,” said Dr. Martin Degen of the University of Bern.

UC Davis researchers have identified new cell clusters in the amygdala that could hold keys to treating anxiety and depression.

Effective treatment for anxiety, depression, and other emotional disorders may rely on the amygdala—a part of the brain that regulates strong emotional responses, particularly fear. Until recently, understanding of this structure was limited. Now, researchers at the University of California, Davis, have identified distinct clusters of cells in the amygdala of humans and non-human primates, each with unique patterns of gene expression. This discovery could pave the way for more targeted treatments for conditions like anxiety, which impact tens of millions worldwide.

The findings were published on October 30 in the American Journal of Psychiatry.