Stopping the DIY bio-terrorists, US military embraces AI and Ginkgo Bioworks
WHY THIS MATTERS As the cost of powerful DIY gene editing kits continue to fall bioterrorism is going to be on the rise, so we need a way to defend against it. Recently I gave a talk on the “Future of Cybersecurity” in the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) sector...
These nanomachines can drill into diseased cells and kill them
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Tomorrow’s medical treatments won’t necessarily just include new fancy drugs, nanomachines and nanobots will play an increasingly important role in helping us all stay fit, healthy, and alive… Researchers in the UK and the US recently demonstrated single-molecule nanomachines that can independently target diseased...
World’s first liquid transistor could usher in a new era of liquid computers
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Moore’s Law is slowing and as we look to move computing to the edge of the network we need new forms of computing platforms, this is the first step in building the worlds first liquid computer. For decades now transistors, those tiny electrical switches...
Meat without the animals, Memphis Meats shows off new lab produced beef, chicken and duck dishes
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Setting side huge areas of the earth to raise animals is wasteful and environmentally costly, but all of that might soon move into a lab. If you thought that your children will enjoy the same family roast that you’ve always enjoyed then it might...
World first as scientists use synthetic stem cells to repair a damaged heart
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Traditional stem cell therapies can often lead to cancer down the line, but NC State’s new “generic” synthetic stem cells eliminate that risk and will bring stem cell therapy to millions more people who need it. Hearts are having a busy time in the...
Scientists turn CRISPR into a genetic chainsaw to solve the antibiotics crisis
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Antibiotic resistance is growing to epidemic proportions but now scientists have shown that they can kill infectious bacteria with a new “Genetic chainsaw” About 10 years ago, Rodolphe Barrangou, a transplanted Frenchman with a Ph.D. in genomics from North Carolina State University (NCSU), chose the...
Modern farmers grow bacteria to grow better crops
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Traditional chemical intensive farming methods change the ecology of our planet on a massive scale, by moving from chemicals to mocrobials farmers might be able to grow better crops, more productively and more sustainably. In the back of Indigo’s Boston headquarters, a start up whose...
Brazil releases billions of genetically modified Mosquitos to combat Zika
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF There will always be questions about the viability and impact of releasing genetically modified organisms into our environment but with billions of mosquitos being released it might already be a moot point Every Saturday morning, Maria do Carmo Tunussi goes door to door asking...
