Using a systems and synthetic biology approach to study the molecular determinants of conversion, Wang et al. find that proliferation history and TF levels drive cell fate in direct conversion to motor neurons.
Category: bioengineering
Awesome that Colossal is doing so well — and this is from before they announced their wooly mice accomplishment!
Colossal Biosciences, the company that’s famously on a mission to bring back the woolly mammoth and two other extinct species, has raised a $200 million Series C at a $10.2 billion valuation from TWG Global, the investment company of Guggenheim Partners co-founder Mark Walter and the billionaire Thomas Tull. The funding comes two years after the company closed its previous round at a reported valuation of $1.5 billion.
Why did investors pour so much capital at an eye-popping valuation for a company that has yet to generate any revenue and whose flagship projects, resurrecting an extinct mammoth and Tasmanian tiger, are not expected to be completed until 2028?
“The investor base has been very impressed with the speed at which we’ve created new technologies,” Ben Lamm, Colossal Biosciences’ co-founder and CEO, told TechCrunch.
DNA holds the key to understanding life itself… From genetics and the human genome to gene editing, it shapes our health, evolution, and future… Discover how CRISPR, forensic science, and genetic engineering are transforming medicine… Explore the mysteries of ancient DNA, the role of the microbiome, and the promise of gene therapy… Personalized medicine is revolutionizing healthcare, allowing treatments tailored to our genetic code… Learn how hereditary diseases are being decoded and cured through biotechnology and DNA sequencing… The future of medicine depends on genetic research, but genetic ethics raise profound questions… The genome project has paved the way for DNA fingerprinting, cloning, and synthetic biology… With genetic modification, we are reshaping evolution itself… Will genetic testing lead to designer babies or eliminate genetic disorders? As gene therapy advancements push the limits of precision medicine, are we ready for these medical breakthroughs and DNA discoveries?
Sources.
Watson, J. D., & Crick, F. H. C. (1953). Nature, 171(4356), 737–738.
Collins, F. S., & McKusick, V. A. (2001). Science, 291(5507), 1215–1220.
Jinek, M., Chylinski, K., Fonfara, I., Hauer, M., Doudna, J. A., & Charpentier, E. (2012). Science, 337(6096), 816–821.
Pääbo, S. (2014). Annual Review of Genetics, 38, 645–679.
Lander, E. S., Linton, L. M., Birren, B., et al. (2001). Nature, 409(6822), 860–921.
#DNABreakthroughs #GeneticsRevolution #HumanGenome #GeneTherapy #FutureOfMedicine.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZWKW53XA0o.
New capabilities in DNA nanostructure self-assembly eliminate need for extreme heating and controlled cooling
Posted in bioengineering, biotech/medical, computing, genetics, nanotechnology | Leave a Comment on New capabilities in DNA nanostructure self-assembly eliminate need for extreme heating and controlled cooling
University at Albany researchers at the RNA Institute are pioneering new methods for designing and assembling DNA nanostructures, enhancing their potential for real-world applications in medicine, materials science and data storage.
Their latest findings demonstrate a novel ability to assemble these structures without the need for extreme heat and controlled cooling. They also demonstrate successful assembly of unconventional “buffer” substances including nickel. These developments, published in the journal Science Advances, unlock new possibilities in DNA nanotechnology.
DNA is most commonly recognized for its role in storing genetic information. Composed of base pairs that can easily be manipulated, DNA is also an excellent material for constructing nanoscale objects. By “programming” the base pairs that make up DNA molecules, scientists can create precise structures as small as a few nanometers that can be engineered into shapes with intricate architectures.
A new study has been published in Nature Communications, presenting the first comprehensive atlas of allele-specific DNA methylation across 39 primary human cell types. The study was led by Ph.D. student Jonathan Rosenski under the guidance of Prof. Tommy Kaplan from the School of Computer Science and Engineering and Prof. Yuval Dor from the Faculty of Medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Hadassah Medical Center.
Using machine learning algorithms and deep whole-genome bisulfite sequencing on freshly isolated and purified cell populations, the study unveils a detailed landscape of genetic and epigenetic regulation that could reshape our understanding of gene expression and disease.
A key focus of the research is the success in identifying differences between the two alleles and, in some cases, demonstrating that these differences result from genomic imprinting —meaning that it is not the sequence (genetics) that matters, but rather whether the allele is inherited from the mother or the father. These findings could reshape our understanding of gene expression and disease.
Scientists working to bring back the woolly mammoth have created genetically engineered mice that they say have several features of the extinct ice age giant.
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a common virus that causes mononucleosis, or mono for short, and is associated with some types of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Despite EBV’s known effects and potential to cause disease, there are few therapeutic options and no licensed vaccines targeting the virus. Looking for ways to counter EBV, NIAID researchers are examining how the virus recognizes and interacts with cells at the molecular level. New research published in Immunity reveals the high-resolution crystal structure of a protein on the surface of EBV in complex with the receptor it binds to on the surface of human immune cells, called B cells. The researchers also discovered antibodies that potently neutralize EBV and found that they recognize the viral surface protein using interactions similar to those between EBV and its receptor on host cells. This research identifies a vulnerable site on EBV that could lead to the design of much-needed interventions against the virus.
EBV, also known as human herpesvirus 4, is one of the most common human viruses—nine out of ten people have or will have EBV in their lifetime. After being infected with EBV, many people experience no symptoms, but some experience symptoms of mononucleosis, such as fever, sore throat and fatigue. These symptoms are often mild but can be more severe in teens or adults. After the early stages of infection, the virus hides in the body and can emerge later in life or when the immune system is weakened. Recent studies have also found that EBV is linked to several types of cancer, autoimmune diseases including lupus, and other disorders.
A key step in EBV infection is for the virus to enter a cell in the body, which begins with the virus binding to a protein on the cell’s surface. The researchers, led by Dr. Masaru Kanekiyo, chief of the Molecular Immunoengineering Section at NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center, examined the atomic-level structure of an EBV surface protein called gp350 when bound to a protein on the surface of B cells called complement receptor type 2 (CR2). Usually, CR2 binds to a protein fragment, or ligand, called complement component C3d as a part of the immune response following a viral infection. The researchers found that the EBV protein precisely bound to the cell surface protein CR2 at the region where its natural ligand C3d binds, revealing that there is structural similarity between EBV and C3d in recognizing CR2 and how the virus exploits this interaction to enter and infect a cell.
Scientists have now cracked this secret using computational simulations and lab experiments, paving the way for bioengineered silk with game-changing applications, from medical sutures to ultra-strong body armor.
Spiders Strengthen Their Silk with Stretching
When spiders spin their webs, they use their hind legs to pull silk from their spinnerets. This pulling action does more than just release the silk—it strengthens the fibers, making the web more durable.
The Future of Human Evolution: AI, Genetic Engineering, and the Rise of Post-Human Civilization
Posted in bioengineering, biological, education, existential risks, genetics, life extension, Ray Kurzweil, robotics/AI, singularity, transhumanism | Leave a Comment on The Future of Human Evolution: AI, Genetic Engineering, and the Rise of Post-Human Civilization
“The Future of Human Evolution: AI, Genetic Engineering, and the Rise of Post-Human Civilization”
What happens when human evolution is no longer shaped by nature but by artificial intelligence and genetic engineering? This story explores the rise of AI-enhanced humans in a futuristic medieval world, where the fusion of bioengineering, AI consciousness, and neural implants creates a post-human era. As civilizations embrace transhumanism, traditional humanity faces extinction, replaced by a new species of synthetic life. Will this AI-driven society achieve ultimate enlightenment, or will it lose the essence of what makes us human?
The battle between future civilization, advanced technology, and those clinging to the past intensifies as digital immortality reshapes the meaning of existence. This cybernetic future forces us to question our identity—can genetic modification and AI singularity coexist with the soul of humanity? Witness the evolution of intelligence, the struggle between AI vs humanity, and the uncertain fate of a world where consciousness itself is no longer biological.
0:00 — Introduction: The Future of Human Evolution.
8:25 — AI & Genetic Engineering: Unlocking Human Potential.
16:50 — Ethical Dilemmas of Genetic Modification.
25:15 — The Rise of Engineered Intelligence.
33:40 — Genetic Enhancements & Social Stratification.
42:05 — AI in Education, Work, and Society.
50:30 — The Quest for Longevity & Immortality.
58:55 — Resistance Movements Against Enhancement.
1:07:20 — The First AI-Integrated Humans.
1:15:45 — The Breakdown of Traditional Humanity.
1:24:10 — Post-Human Civilizations & Digital Consciousness.
1:32:35 — The Divide Between Organic & Artificial Life.
1:41:00 — The Singularity & The End of Natural Evolution.
1:49:25 — What Comes After Humanity?
Sources.
Bostrom, N. (2014). Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. Oxford University Press.
Harari, Y. N. (2017). Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow. Harper.
Kurzweil, R. (2005). The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology. Penguin.
Tegmark, M. (2017). Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Knopf.
Goertzel, B. (2020). Artificial General Intelligence: Concept, State of the Art, and Future Directions. Springer.
#FutureOfHumanity #AIandGenetics #PostHumanEra #ArtificialEvolution #CyberneticFuture.
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(BURLINGTON, Vermont) – To persist, life must reproduce. Over billions of years, organisms have evolved many ways of replicating, from budding plants to sexual animals to invading viruses.
Now scientists at the University of Vermont, Tufts University, and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University have discovered an entirely new form of biological reproduction—and applied their discovery to create the first-ever, self-replicating living robots.