New DNA data storage is a ‘biological camera’

A new "biological camera" harnesses living cells and their inherent biological mechanisms to encode and store data, say researchers.

National University of Singapore • futurity
July 13, 2023 • ~6 min

Generative AI imagines new protein structures

MIT researchers develop "FrameDiff," a computational tool that uses generative AI to craft new protein structures, with the aim of accelerating drug development and improving gene therapy.

Rachel Gordon | MIT CSAIL • mit
July 12, 2023 • ~8 min

Focus on function helps identify the changes that made us human

A new approach for identifying significant differences in gene use between closely-related species provides insights into human evolution.

Greta Friar | Whitehead Institute • mit
July 6, 2023 • ~11 min

Aging is complicated – a biologist explains why no two people or cells age the same way, and what this means for anti-aging interventions

Aging is a culmination of factors spanning from your cells to your environment. A number of interconnected processes determine how quickly your body is able to repair and recover from damage.

Ellen Quarles, Assistant Professor in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan • conversation
July 6, 2023 • ~9 min

_E. coli_ is one of the most widely studied organisms – and that may be a problem for both science and medicine

Researchers uncovered the foundations of biology by using E. coli as a model organism. But over-reliance on this microbe can lead to knowledge blind spots with implications for antibiotic resistance.

Tobias Dörr, Associate Professor of Microbiology, Cornell University • conversation
July 5, 2023 • ~8 min

Researchers can learn a lot with your genetic information, even when you skip survey questions – yesterday's mode of informed consent doesn't quite fit today's biobank studies

Biobanks collect and store large amounts of data that researchers use to conduct a wide range of studies. Making sure participants understand what they’re getting into can help build trust in science.

Robbee Wedow, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Data Science, Purdue University • conversation
June 29, 2023 • ~7 min

Researchers uncover a new CRISPR-like system in animals that can edit the human genome

The first RNA-guided DNA-cutting enzyme found in eukaryotes, Fanzor could one day be harnessed to edit DNA more precisely than CRISPR/Cas systems.

Leah Eisenstadt | McGovern Institute for Brain Research | Broad Institute • mit
June 28, 2023 • ~7 min

Study Finds Air Quality Devices Collect DNA from Environment
VOA Learning English • voa
June 22, 2023 • ~4 min

Atlas of human brain blood vessels highlights changes in Alzheimer’s disease

MIT researchers characterize gene expression patterns for 22,500 brain vascular cells across 428 donors, revealing insights for Alzheimer’s onset and potential treatments.

Rachel Gordon | MIT CSAIL • mit
June 21, 2023 • ~17 min

Does heat-damaged DNA in food raise cancer risk?

"...cooking can damage DNA in food, and have discovered that consumption of this DNA may be a source of genetic risk."

Stanford • futurity
June 13, 2023 • ~9 min

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