Lifeboat Foundation

ABOVE: The placenta’s labyrinth zone (red), responsible for nutrient exchange between mother and fetus, is reduced in fetuses with dysbiotic fathers (lower panel) compared to healthy fathers (upper panel). Ayele Argaw-Denboba.

The microbiome has a profound impact on host health that extends to the host’s young ones. Studies in mice have shown that maternal gut bacteria play a role in offspring behavior and placental growth during pregnancy.^1,2 Yet, the effects of the paternal microbiome on the health of their progeny remained relatively unexplored.

In a new study, scientists found that altering the gut microbiome of male mice negatively affected the health and lifespan of their offspring through epigenetic changes in the sperm.³ The results, published in Nature, offer insights into a gut-germline axis that mediates the effects of the microbiome on health and disease across generations.

UC Santa Barbara researchers discovered that single, vigorous exercise sessions, especially under 30 minutes, improve cognitive functions like memory and executive function. Future studies will explore whether combining physical activity with cognitive tasks yields even greater benefits.

Years of research on exercise have long supported the idea that consistent workouts over time lead to both physical and cognitive benefits. But what about short, intense bursts of exercise? A team of scientists at UC Santa Barbara has taken a closer look.

Their study was recently published in the journal Communications Psychology.

A new study shows that using DNA analysis for newborn screening can detect far more serious, yet treatable, health conditions than traditional methods. The study, called GUARDIAN, is one of the first large-scale projects to use genome sequencing for newborns, and early results suggest that this approach could greatly improve medical care for children.

Early findings from a study on newborn screening reveal that DNA analysis detects significantly more preventable or treatable serious health conditions than traditional screening methods. Most parents offered the option of genome sequencing prefer it.

The study, called GUARDIAN, is among the first large-scale research projects globally to use genome sequencing for newborn screening. It is also the first to release preliminary results.

Finding ways to connect the human body to technology could have broad applications in health and entertainment. A new “electric plastic” could make self-powered wearables, real-time neural interfaces, and medical implants that merge with our bodies a reality.

While there has been significant progress in the development of wearable and implantable technology in recent years, most electronic materials are hard, rigid, and feature toxic metals. A variety of approaches for creating “soft electronics” has emerged, but finding ones that are durable, power-efficient, and easy to manufacture is a significant challenge.

Continue reading “‘Electric Plastic’ Could Merge Technology With the Body in Future Wearables and Implants” »

Science And Engineering For Humanity — Dr. David Agus, MD — Founding Director & Co-CEO, Ellison Institute of Technology.

Dr. David B. Agus (https://davidagus.com/) is one of the world’s leading doctors and pioneering biomedical researchers.

Continue reading “Dr. David B. Agus, MD — Founding Director & Co-CEO, Ellison Institute of Technology” »

Science laboratories across disciplines—chemistry, biochemistry and materials science—are on the verge of a sweeping transformation as robotic automation and AI lead to faster and more precise experiments that unlock breakthroughs in fields like health, energy and electronics.

This is according to UNC-Chapel Hill researchers in a paper titled “Transforming Science Labs into Automated Factories of Discovery,” published in Science Robotics.

“Today, the development of new molecules, materials and chemical systems requires intensive human effort,” said Dr. Ron Alterovitz, senior author of the paper and Lawrence Grossberg Distinguished Professor in the Department of Computer Science. “Scientists must design experiments, synthesize materials, analyze results and repeat the process until desired properties are achieved.”

By Chuck Brooks & Dr. Thomas A. Cellucci, MBA

Co-written by Chuck Brooks and Dr. Thomas A. Cellucci, MBA

Verticals that will be most impacted by innovative developments in technology and science are the disciplines of medicine, biotechnology, and health. Those industry verticals will see a profound growth of technological innovation in the near future.

Continue reading “Future Medicine: Physics, Biology, And AI Will Transform Human Health” »

Protecting Human And Animal Health — Dr. Tristan Colonius, DVM — Chief Veterinary Officer & Deputy Director for Science Policy, Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Dr. Tristan Colonius, DVM is the Chief Veterinary Officer and Deputy Director for Science Policy at FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM — https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary).

Continue reading “Dr. Tristan Colonius, DVM — Chief Veterinary Officer & Deputy Director for Science Policy, CVM, FDA” »

With liquid biopsies, detecting cancer and tracking treatment progress can be as easy as taking a blood test. This is an increasingly popular way of monitoring cancer, because it’s much less invasive than solid tumour biopsies. And liquid biopsies can become even more sensitive if they capture methylation information as well as genetic data.

Usually, liquid biopsies for cancer rely on the detection of small amounts of DNA that are shed from a tumour into the bloodstream. But especially in the disease’s early stages, circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) levels are very low and point mutations linked to cancer can be easy to miss.

“If we want to develop assays to detect cancer earlier, we need very sensitive detection of these rare tumour fragments,” says Charlotte Proudhon, group leader at the Research Institute for Environmental and Occupational Health in Rennes, France, whose team are among those now developing liquid biopsy methods that include epigenetic markers, such as methylation.