Collaborate Disseminate
The current COVID-19 pandemic is rife with problems that hackers have attacked with gusto. From 3D printed face shields and homebrew face masks to replacements for full-fledged mechanical ventilators, the outpouring of ideas has been inspirational and heartwarming. At the same time there have been many efforts in a different …read more
New research from the University of California San Diego is suggesting high levels of a certain blood-based biomarker may serve as an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s disease, two years before symptoms develop. The preliminary study has yet to be verified in larger cohorts of patients.
Category: Health & Wellbeing, Lifestyle
Tags: Alzheimer’s Disease, Neuroscience, Brain, Blood, RNA, Diagnose, UC San Diego, New Atlas Audio
Continue reading Blood-based biomarker discovery points to early-stage Alzheimer’s test
The human immune system is pretty good at wiping out dangerous invaders – which is why some of these invaders have developed ways to avoid detection until they’re ready. Now, researchers from the University of Virginia (UVA) may have found a way to prevent infections by making sure that these bugs are never ready. The team has uncovered how pathogenic E. coli senses its environment to stay stealthy until it reaches the right spot to kickstart an infection.
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Continue Reading Understanding E. coli’s stealthy secret could help render it harmless
Category: Medical
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Continue reading Understanding E. coli's stealthy secret could help render it harmless
Our bodies do a decent enough job of repairing themselves, able to patch up wounds, fight off infections and even heal broken bones. But that only applies up to a certain point – lose a limb, for example, and it’s not coming back short of a p… Continue reading Stem cell map shows how immortal invertebrate regenerates itself
Under the right conditions, DNA has been known to last for thousands of years, allowing scientists to study the genomes of ancient Egyptians, the very first Brits, and even early human ancestors. RNA, on the other hand, degrades much more qui… Continue reading RNA recovered and sequenced from 14,000-year-old mummified wolf
The CRISPR gene-editing system is a powerful tool that looks set to revolutionize the way we treat diseases, as well as basically anything else that can benefit from precisely manipulating DNA. The problem is that sometimes cutting and pastin… Continue reading New CRISPR-based system inserts new DNA without cutting and pasting
We all the know the basic components for building out an electronics lab: breadboards, bench power supply, a selection of components, a multimeter, and maybe an oscilloscope. But what exactly do you need when you’re setting up a biohacking lab?
That’s the question that [Justin] from The Thought Emporium is trying to answer with a series of videos where he does exactly that – build a molecular biology lab from scratch. In the current installment, [Justin] covers the basics of agarose gel electrophoresis, arguably the fundamental skill for aspiring bio-geeks. Electrophoresis is simply using an electric field to separate a …read more
Continue reading Simple, Low-Cost Rig Lets the Budding Biohacker Run DNA Gels
It was early 1983 and Françoise Barré-Sinoussi of the prestigious Pasteur Institute in Paris was busy at the centrifuge trying to detect the presence of a retrovirus. The sample in the centrifuge came from an AIDS patient, though the disease wasn’t called AIDS yet.
Just two years earlier in the US, a cluster of young men had been reported as suffering from unusual infections and forms of cancer normally experienced by the very old or by people using drugs designed to suppress the immune system. More cases were reported and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) formed a …read more
Hortense Dodo has pioneered a process for engineering safer peanuts that can prevent deadly reactions. Continue reading This Food Scientist Wants to Save Lives With a Hypoallergenic Peanut
Most people have at least a fuzzy idea of what DNA is. Ask about RNA, though, and unless you are talking to a biologist, you are likely to get even more handwaving. We hackers might have to reread our biology text books, though, since researchers have built logic gates using RNA.
Sometimes we read these university press releases and realize that the result isn’t very practical. But in this case, the Arizona State University study shows how AND, OR, and NOT gates are possible and shows practical applications with four-input AND gates and six-input OR gates using living cells. The …read more
