In case you missed it. Here is the last published Newstrecker
AI
AI-designed DNA controls genes in healthy mammalian cells for first time | ScienceDaily
A recent study marks the first reported instance of generative AI designing synthetic molecules that can successfully control gene expression in healthy mammalian cells. As a proof-of-concept, the authors of the study asked the AI to design synthetic fragments which activate a gene coding for a fluorescent protein in some cells while leaving gene expression patterns unaltered.
Coreline Soft's lung cancer screening AI added to Bayer's Calantic platform | MobiHealthNews
An AI-powered lung cancer screening analysis software by South Korean company Coreline Soft has been added to the medical AI platform of global pharmaceutical firm Bayer.
Robotic surgery upskilling in Korea, India and more briefs | MobiHealthNews
Also, Lytus adds an AI-driven blood logistics platform to its health technology portfolio.
POLITICS
An executive order suspends the use of federal funds for certain experiments on pathogens with pandemic potential. Critics say low-risk science could be affected too.
BEING HUMAN
How quickly do humans mutate? Four generations help answer the question
DNA sequencing of a family from children to great-grandparents reveals more mutations than previously seen.
COVID-19
The emergence of SARS-CoV in 2002 and SARS-CoV-2 in 2019 led to increased sampling of sarbecoviruses circulating in horseshoe bats. Employing phylogenetic inference while accounting for recombination of bat sarbecoviruses, we find that the closest-inferred bat virus ancestors of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 existed less than a decade prior to their emergence in humans. Phylogeographic analyses show bat sarbecoviruses traveled at rates approximating their horseshoe bat hosts and circulated in Asia for millennia.
Transforming hospital sanitation: Autonomous robots for wiping and UV-C disinfection | ScienceDaily
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical importance of thorough disinfection, particularly within hospital environments.
MEDICINE
Daily briefing: A spinal tumour was removed through a person’s eye socket for the first time | Nature
A nineteen-year-old has become the first person to undergo a ‘third nostril’ surgery to remove a spinal tumour. Plus, generations of cold-water diving has influenced the genetics of an entire island and the UK geoengineering projects awarded £57 million of funding.
Microbe that infests hospitals can digest medical-grade plastic ― a first
The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces an enzyme that breaks down biodegradable plastics.
Are you curious? It might help you stay sharp as you age | ScienceDaily
Psychology literature has shown that curiosity tends to decline with age. Psychologists shows one type of curiosity can increase well into old age, contradicting prior research. Older adults who maintain curiosity and want to learn new things relevant to their interests may be able to offset or even prevent Alzheimer's disease. Conversely, those who show muted curiosity and disinterest may be at risk for dementia.
Learning about one's risk for Alzheimer's disease may not lead to emotional distress, but motivation to maintain healthy lifestyle changes tends to fade over time, even in people at high risk, according to a study involving a Rutgers Health researcher.