Optimistic Observer 07/11/24
By Capital Investment Counsel - July 11, 2024
Scientists successfully index 10% of all known genetic sequences:
A 'Google for DNA' has developed a database and search engine for publicly-available DNA sequences and, thus far, indexed 10% of the world’s known genetic sequences, with a goal of indexing the remaining 90%. The current database is available for download, giving scientists access to sequences comprising trillions of base pairs and billions of amino acids. Read more here.
Smart bandages are coming, and they'll help wounds heal faster:
A new generation of smart bandages is on its way. These bandages could allow doctors to remotely monitor wounds, decrease scarring, and reduce the risk of infection by applying active treatment through light, electro-stimulation, or on-demand antibiotic treatment. Although this field of medical technology is still very much in its infancy, progress is accelerating rapidly. Read more here.
Programmable RNA could allow large-scale chromosome changes:
CRISPR can’t make edits without breaking both strands of DNA, isn’t useful for inserting whole genes, and isn't always as accurate as scientists would like. Now a new gene-editing technique discovered by US and Japanese scientists, derived from bacterial 'jumping genes,' could potentially overcome some of those limitations, thanks to a molecule called bridge RNA. Read more here.
Blood test identifies Parkinson's earlier:
"Researchers at University College London (UCL) have developed a test that accurately identified Parkinson's disease up to seven years before its symptoms manifested by measuring levels of eight biomarkers in the blood, a study reports."
"Using machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence, the number of biomarkers was narrowed down to eight proteins that may factor in inflammation and forming Lewy Bodies, that is, toxic clumps that build up in the brains of people with Parkinson’s."
"By finding people at risk for Parkinson's sooner, they may be included in clinical trials aimed at preventing or slowing down the disease, the researchers said. This could lead to better treatments and improve the quality of life for those people." Read more here here and here.
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