Tag Archives: Lab

US Lab Closure Will Significantly Hinder Climate Research

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National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado

Matthew Jonas/MediaNews Group/Boulder Daily Camera (via Getty Images)

The decision by the Trump administration to shut down the premier center for atmospheric research could jeopardize weather forecasting and climate modeling, increasing the risks posed by global warming.

In a statement to USA Today, White House official Russ Vought mentioned that the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is viewed as a source of “climate change concerns” and will be disbanded. The plan includes the discontinuation of Green New Fraud Research, with “essential capacities” like weather modeling and supercomputing to be relocated.

NCAR’s models provide vital support for reports from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which are crucial for countries in establishing measures to lower carbon emissions and adapt to severe weather.

“Ceasing operations would amplify uncertainty regarding our climate future and hinder our preparation efforts,” asserts Michael Meredith from the British Antarctic Survey. “It’s difficult to view this as anything other than silencing the messenger.”

Established in 1960 to advance atmospheric science, NCAR employs 830 individuals conducting research that spans “from the ocean floor to the core of the sun.” According to its unofficial motto, it manages programs monitoring everything from floods and wildfires to space weather.

NCAR developed the GPS dropsonde, a device equipped with sensors that is deployed into hurricanes, significantly enhancing our understanding of tropical cyclones. This has started a revolution in weather research. The researchers also designed a wind shear warning system for airports, saving numerous lives by preventing crashes.

However, one of its major contributions lies in providing data, modeling, and supercomputing resources to other researching entities. Weather Underground, one of the pioneers in offering localized weather forecasts online in the 1990s, credits its founding on the software and weather data developed by NCAR, according to meteorologist Jeff Masters.

NCAR is responsible for developing and managing weather research and forecasting models that are extensively utilized for daily forecasts and regional climate studies. They will continue to collaborate with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to enhance weather modeling aimed at predicting extreme storms.

If this critical work faces disruption, it could lead to a decline in the accuracy of weather apps and TV news forecasts at a time when abnormal weather patterns are increasingly frequent. Masters likens the situation to “halting weapons research and development on the eve of World War II.”

“Without knowledge of impending dangers, more lives will be at stake,” he warns.

NCAR oversees the Community Earth System Model (CESM), the first global climate model developed specifically for universities. CESM facilitates diverse research efforts, from estimating current global carbon emissions to predicting upcoming changes in ocean currents, heat wave frequency, and ice melt.

“This model is arguably the most utilized globally,” states Richard Rood at the University of Michigan.

Twice a year, NCAR organizes user meetings to gather insights on improving the model, which can be operated on a server or downloaded for local modifications. The closure may jeopardize the ongoing maintenance and development of CESM and its bug fixes.

Colin Carlson from Yale University was among numerous scientists who took to social media to highlight NCAR’s importance. He utilizes climate models to predict the requirements for cholera and yellow fever vaccines as the climate evolves and anticipates dengue fever outbreaks in Florida. “We need NCAR to perform our roles effectively,” Carlson emphasized in a recent post.

NCAR also operates a modified C-130 cargo plane and a Gulfstream business jet designed for research purposes, reaching the stratosphere and facilitating the operation of King Air propeller planes that study cloud physics.

From 2009 to 2011, the Gulfstream jet successfully conducted its inaugural comprehensive flight, traversing from the North to South Poles multiple times and reaching altitudes between 150 meters and 9000 meters. Their investigation measured CO2 and other atmospheric gases. They also gathered data on solar corona during the 2017 solar eclipse.

Rood noted that the aircraft assists in monitoring air pollution and calibrating satellite instruments.

The research conducted by NCAR on aerosols is crucial for understanding geoengineering effects, especially proposals aimed at mitigating abrupt climate changes through aerosol diffusion to shield sunlight.

“Elimination of such climate research will lead to decisions regarding geoengineering and tipping points being made in a blind manner,” Rood cautioned.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

From Lab to Reality: Is the Graphene Revolution Finally Within Reach?

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ASince graphene was first synthesized at the University of Manchester in 2004, it has been recognized as a remarkable material—stronger than steel yet lighter than paper. Fast forward 20 years, and not all UK graphene enterprises have been able to harness its full capabilities. Some view the future with optimism, while others face significant challenges.

Derived from graphite, the same substance used in pencils, graphene consists of a lattice-like sheet of carbon just one atom thick, boasting impressive conductivity for both heat and electricity. Presently, China is the leading global producer, leveraging this to secure an edge in the race for microchip production and construction applications.

In the UK, graphene-enhanced low-carbon concrete, developed by the Graphene Engineering Innovation Center (GEIC) at the University of Manchester in collaboration with Cemex UK, was recently installed at Northumbrian Waters in July.

“The material had an overwhelming amount of hype as it came out of academia… the real challenge lies in transitioning it from the lab to actual production,” explains Ben Jensen, CEO of 2D Photonics, a startup that originated from the University of Cambridge, specializing in graphene-based photonics technology for data centers.

Jensen was also behind the invention of Vantablack, a coating made from carbon nanotubes (rolled graphene sheets) renowned as the “blackest black” due to its ability to absorb 99.96% of light. He founded Surrey Nanosystems in 2007, where he sold exclusive artistic rights to sculptor Anish Kapoor, who featured the material on the X6 Coupe to achieve the “blackest black” effect six years ago.

Anish Kapoor’s untitled Vantablack piece was displayed in Venice in 2022. Photo: David Levin/The Guardian

“Shifting to new materials to replace existing technologies presents a significant challenge,” Jensen states. “The value proposition must be compelling, while also ensuring that the material can be manufactured efficiently at scale and priced competitively, otherwise, there’s little point in offering something ten times more costly than existing products.”

German company Bayer attempted to produce large quantities of carbon nanotube items but shuttered its pilot plant over a decade ago when a surge in demand failed to materialize. Currently, this material finds its primary use as a filler to enhance the strength of plastic products. Bayer has referred to the potential applications for nanotubes as “fragmentary.”

More promising is a graphene-based optical microchip created by CamGraPhIC, a branch of 2D Photonics, stemming from research at the University of Cambridge and CNIT in Italy.

Silicon photonics microchips currently translate electrical data into optical signals for transmission through fiber optic cables. The company claims its graphene-based chips can transmit more data in less time and at significantly lower costs.

Graphene single crystal. Photo: 2D Photonics

These chips consume 80% less energy and are capable of functioning across a broader temperature range, minimizing the requirement for costly water and energy-intensive cooling systems in AI data centers.

Transmitting data through silicon often leads to delays. Jensen compares this issue to a 16-lane highway unexpectedly narrowing down to one lane due to construction, slowing down traffic significantly. He argues that graphene photonics functions like an expansive highway with hundreds of lanes.

“Our breakthrough lies in the capability to cultivate stable, ultra-high performance graphene and effectively integrate it into devices,” he asserts. “Keep in mind, this material is only one atom thick, which makes the process particularly challenging.”

Ben Jensen, CEO of 2D Photonics. Photo: Ermanno Fissole

CamGraPhIC was established in 2018 by Professor Andrea Ferrari, a Cambridge Nanotechnology professor, who also heads the Cambridge Graphene Center, alongside Marco Romagnoli, head of advanced photonics at CNIT in Pisa and the startup’s chief scientific officer.

The parent company, 2D Photonics, recently acquired £25m in funding from a diverse group of investors, including Italy’s sovereign wealth fund, NATO, the Sony Innovation Fund, Bosch Ventures, and the UK’s Frontier IP Group. The firm will be based in the former Pirelli photonics research facility in Pisa and aims to launch a pilot manufacturing site in the Milan region designed for large-scale production of 200mm wafers, confident in receiving an additional €317m (£276m) in funding by year-end.

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Aside from data centers, the company’s chips have potential uses in high-performance computing, 5G and 6G mobile systems, aviation technologies, autonomous vehicles, advanced digital radar, non-satellite space communications, and beyond.

Paragraph, a spin-out from Cambridge University located in the nearby village of Somersham, has thrived in the past decade with backing from the UK Treasury. The firm creates graphene-based electronic devices, including sensors designed for electric vehicles and biosensors for early disease detection and various applications in medicine and agriculture. Recently, they secured $55 million (£41 million) from a group of investors, including a sovereign wealth fund from the United Arab Emirates, which acquired a 12.8% share in Paragraph.

Graphene Innovations Manchester, a fledgling company started by Vivek Konchery in 2021, finalized a deal with Saudi Arabia in December for the first commercial production of graphene-enhanced carbon fiber. This material will be utilized in constructing roofs, facades, and light poles. Production has begun in Tabuk with local partners, with an expected output of 3,000 tons by 2026.

2D photonics cleanroom at the Pisa development facility. Photo: 2D Photonics

Conversely, other companies are facing harsher realities. One of the pioneering firms in this domain, Applied Graphene Materials, was launched in 2010 by Professor Carl Coleman, a spin-out from Durham University. It introduced various products, such as anti-corrosion primers and bike detail protection sprays, which became available in Halfords stores. However, the struggling company declared bankruptcy in 2023, resulting in its main operations being acquired by Canada’s Universal Matter.

Ron Mertens, the owner of Graphene-Info, remarked, “As is often true in the broader materials industry, the path to market can be lengthy. Many graphene producers and developers have yet to generate substantial revenue or profit.”

Versarian, located in Gloucestershire, expanded from a garage startup with support from the government agency Innovate UK. They developed graphene powder and other products for usage in sensors, low-carbon concrete, paints, electronic inks, textiles, and more, including running gear and prototype stealth technologies for the US military.

The AIM-listed firm sought to establish operations in Spain and South Korea, but encountered financial troubles, leading several subsidiaries to enter administration or voluntary liquidation in July. Versarian is now looking to sell off assets, such as its patent portfolio, and currently has enough funds to last only until the end of October.

Depending on the nature of the upcoming transactions, this may trigger a liquidation process for the company or a financial shelter. Their investment agreement with a Chinese partner collapsed after the British government intervened to block any technological collaboration, marking a somber potential finale for what was once a promising graphene venture.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The White House to Replace Covid Resources Page with Lab Leak Website

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Visitors to Covid.gov, a federal website previously dedicated to Covid Resources, were met with a significant change on Friday.

The page now redirects to the White House Website, which proposes that Covid originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China before spreading to humans. This “lab leak theory” gained traction early in the pandemic and has since gained popularity among some right-wing media and conservative politicians.

Whitehouse.gov

Prior to this change, covid.gov served as a platform to provide information on Covid vaccines, treatments, tests, and long-term effects. The website assisted users in locating pharmacies and community health centers for Covid-related services including testing, medical consultations, and medications.

Its companion site, Covidtests.gov, allowed individuals to order free Covid tests for home delivery. Both sites now redirect to the White House Lab Leak website.

White House spokesperson Kaelan Dole emphasized transparency, innovation, and protection in a statement, citing the Trump administration’s commitment to these values in contrast to previous administrations.

The new website draws heavily from a House of Representatives report released in December. This report suggested that Covid likely originated from a laboratory or research-related accident, based on a two-year investigation by a Republican-led subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic.

Established in 2020 under Democratic control, the subcommittee initially scrutinized the Trump administration’s pandemic response. After Republicans gained a House majority in early 2023, the focus shifted towards investigating the lab leak theory and the efficacy of vaccine and mask mandates.

A separate December report from House Democrats contradicted the Republican findings, stating it did not definitively determine the virus’s origins or how it crossed to humans. The report acknowledged the possibility of lab leaks but also suggested natural transmission from animals as a potential source.

Both the Republican report and the White House website accuse Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, of suppressing the lab leak theory. However, Democrats view these attacks as unfounded and politically motivated.

Several independent scientists argue against the lab leak theory, favoring natural zoonotic spillover events as the likely origin of the virus. These findings align with a survey of 168 scientists conducted by a nonpartisan think tank last year.

Similarly, a 2023 article in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that the most scientifically supported scenario for the virus’s emergence is natural spillover from animals. The article highlighted the political entanglement of the issue and the likelihood that the true origin may remain elusive.

In 2023, a declassified report by the Director of National Intelligence acknowledged the plausibility of both lab leaks and natural animal origins. While the CIA expressed “low confidence” in favor of a lab leak in January, the conclusion remains uncertain.

The closure of covid.gov by the Trump administration coincides with significant budget cuts to Covid-related programs, including an $11.4 billion reduction in CDC funding and the discontinuation of NIH Covid research grants. This includes a $577 million initiative for developing oral antiviral drugs against potential pandemic pathogens.

The administration justified these cuts by asserting that “the pandemic is over,” according to a closing letter reviewed by NBC News.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Delicious Chocolate Competes for Top Spot at Master Lab

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Gabi Musat/500px/Getty Images

It is the rarest and most exclusive chocolate I have ever had. In fact, you can’t even buy it in the store. But that’s not that special. Just a few flat drops are slightly lighter in colour than most dark chocolate sealed in small plastic bags.

It smells like dark chocolate and tastes like that, but it doesn’t make it that bitter. Above all, for me, this is definitely true.

That’s important because what I’m eating wasn’t made using cocoa beans that were sourced from trees, like regular chocolate. Rather, it was grown in glass flasks by California cultureOne of several companies aiming to mass-produce chocolate in the bat using cell culture technology.

Cultivated chocolate may be even better than the types grown on trees, according to the company’s CEO Alan Perlstein, claiming that the level of chemicals, such as polyphenols, is high. There may be health benefitsthere is no contaminants such as heavy metals extracted from soil or pesticides, pesticides sprayed on crops, or taste currently on the market. “We are trying to create flavors that are almost unruly available through traditional chocolate production,” he says.

However, for many chocolate companies, the main attraction of getting raw wood from VATS instead of wood is its potentially unlimited supply. Climate change is hitting cacao farms violently, leading to shortages. Cocoa bean prices have quadrupled after staying relatively stable for decades.

So, can chocolate grown in VAT really compete with the diversity grown on trees at the price? And will consumers accept it?

It melts…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Research lab identifies meteorites linked to specific asteroid with 75 main belts.

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Astronomers from SETI Institute, NASA’s Ames Research Center, and Curtin University have tracked the impact orbits of 75 observed metstone waterfalls to previously unidentified source regions of several of the main asteroid belt.

Impressions of an artist on a rocky asteroid. Image credits: Mark A. Garlick, Space-Art.co.uk / Warwick University / Cambridge University.

“This is a 10-year detective story, with each recorded metstone waterfall providing new clues,” said Dr. Peter Jenniskens, an astronomer at Seti Institute and NASA’s Ames Research Center.

“We currently have the first overview of the asteroid belt geological map.”

Ten years ago, Dr. Jenniskens and his colleagues were aiming to build a network of all ski cameras in California and Nevada.

“Others built similar networks that spanned the world, and together formed a fireball observatory around the world,” said Hadrian Devillepova, an astronomer at Curtin University.

“For many years, we have tracked the routes of 17 recovered metstone waterfalls.”

“More fireballs have been tracked by doorbells and dashcam video cameras from citizen scientists and other dedicated networks around the world.”

“Overall, this quest produced 75 laboratory classified metstones with impact trajectories tracked by video cameras and photo cameras,” Dr. Jennis Kens said.

“It has proven sufficient to start seeing some patterns in the direction of metstones approaching the Earth.”

Most metstones come from the asteroid belt, the region between Mars and Jupiter.

These rocks come from a few larger asteroids that have been broken in the collision.

Even today, asteroids collide and create remnant fields within these asteroid families known as clusters.

“We can see that the 12 metstones (h-cartilage) of ordinary chondrites, which are now rich in iron, come from a debris field called low colonies on the pristine main belt,” Dr. Jennis Kens said.

“These metstones arrived from low-coupled orbital periods that match this debris field.”

“By measuring the age of cosmic ray exposure in metstones, we can determine that three of these 12 metstones originate from kalin clasters of dynamic ages of 5.8 million years, and two come from Koronis2 clusters of dynamic ages of 100-15 million years.”

“Another metstone can measure the age of Koronis3 clusters, about 83 million years.”

The authors also discovered a group of H-chondrites on steep orbits that appear to originate from the Nere Asteroididae in the central main belt, with a dynamic age of approximately 6 million years.

The mean motion resonance with nearby 3:1 Jupiter can raise the slope to the observed people.

A third group of H cartilage with an exposure age of approximately 35 million years of age emerged from the medial main belt.

“In our opinion, these H-cartilages came from the low masalia asteroids on the inner main belt, as their families have clusters of that same dynamic era,” Dr. Jennis Kens said.

“Asteroid (20) Masalia, the asteroid that created the cluster, is a parent body of the H-chondrite type.”

Researchers have discovered that low iron (l cartilage) and very low iron (LL chondrite) metstones mainly come from the inner main belt.

“I propose that L cartilage comes from the Hertha Asteroid family, just above the Masalia family,” Dr. Jennis Kens said.

“The asteroid Elsa doesn’t look like its fragments. Hertha is covered in dark rocks of shock black, which exhibits unusually violent collisions. The L-chondrites experienced a very violent origin 468 million years ago, when these metstones bombarded the Earth with numbers found in geological records.”

Knowing from the remains of the asteroid belt, the birth of our metstones is important for our planetary defense efforts against asteroids on the near Earth.

The orbits of approaching asteroids can provide clues to the origin of the asteroid belt, just like the metstone orbit.

“Asteroids near Earth do not arrive in the same orbit as Metstones because it takes time for them to evolve into Earth,” Dr. Jennis Kens said.

“But they come from some of the same Astide family.”

Team’s paper Published in the journal Weather and Planetary Science.

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Peter Jenniskens & Hadrien ar Devillepoix. Asteroids, meteors, and meteor-shaped link reviews. Weather and Planetary SciencePublished online on March 17th, 2025. doi:10.1111/maps.14321

Source: www.sci.news

Lab Mouse witnessed him cheering for his unconscious companion

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In a new laboratory experiment, scientists at the University of Southern California showed that when mice encountered a social partner familiar with the unconscious state caused by anesthesia, they escalated to powerful behaviors such as biting or pulling their partner’s mouth and tongue, showing clear and consistent behavior.

Mice have their own “first aid” practices to help other mice in need. Image credits: Sun et al. , doi: 10.1126/science.adq2677.

“There are many factors that determine mammals’ empathy and social bonds,” says Professor Li Zhang, a researcher at the University of Southern California.

“However, this is the first time this study has seen first responder-like behavior in mice.”

New research shows that mice tend to help other mice they know to be unconscious.

Their responses range from mild sniffing and grooming to more powerful actions such as mouth and tongue biting, and eventually escalates to pulling the tongue out of the unconscious mouse.

“The behavior was particularly unique because it was similar to how humans behave in emergency responses. Dr. Wenzian Sang, PhD of the University of Southern California, said:

Interestingly, scientists were first witnessed rehabilitation behavior in mice paired together in an unrelated study.

When humans encounter unconscious individuals, emergency response changes, such as assessing the situation, checking for responsiveness, seeking help and performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for the individual.

The urgent “helper mice” target the unconscious companion’s mouth and tongue appears to improve their companion’s airways and lead to faster recovery,” said Huizhong Tao, professor at the University of Southern California.

“We learned in this study that tongue pulling between mice cannot be interpreted as an offensive gesture.”

“Social behavior in this study was significantly more pronounced among familiar mouse pairs, and was rarely seen when one of the paired mice was simply sleeping or active.”

“And also, after the unconscious mice regained consciousness, they regularly used their tongues.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5dzd4dpvio

In this study, the authors utilized advanced neuroimaging and optogenetics to investigate the neural mechanisms behind social behavior in helper mice.

“One of the most interesting aspects of our neurologic observations was the discovery of the activation of oxytocin neuropeptides,” Professor Chan said.

“Oxytocin is widely known as a hormone that plays an important role in social bonds.”

“Oxytocin is sometimes called love hormone because it is linked to trust, bonding and affection.”

“This was the first study showing that oxytocin is an important factor in social ties in mice.”

“Our findings not only enhance our understanding of animal behavior, they also highlight the important role of the oxytocin system.

result It will be displayed in the journal Science.

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Wenjian Sang et al. 2025. Prosocial behaviors like resurrection in response to the unconscious or dead homologue of rodents. Science 387 (6736); doi:10.1126/science.adq2677

Source: www.sci.news

Bringing Science to Dog Training with a Unique Puppy Kindergarten Lab

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“Oreos were my best friend as a kid,” he says brian hair. Once Hare wanted to hone his baseball pitching skills, his Labrador eagerly took on fielding duties. If he decided to explore the nearby forest, Oreo was always happy to take him. But there was one place where the boy and the dog always parted ways. “Oreo has never set foot in our house. Not once,” Hare says.

Nowadays, the front door is not closed for most dogs in high-income countries, and many dogs spend their days relaxing on the couch or watching TV. You would think they would be in dog heaven. But Hare, an evolutionary anthropologist at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, believes development has kept them in a doghouse. For thousands of years, he says, we have relied on dogs to protect our property and protect our families at night. Now, we have different expectations. Not only do you want your indoor dog to be friendly to strangers and rest quietly throughout the night, but also to be toilet trained, avoid chasing other animals, and avoid getting dirty paws on upholstery. You also need to do so. “This is an evolutionary mismatch,” Hare says.

Fortunately, this problem is solvable. Many recent studies have shown that selective breeding and careful training can help dogs adapt to indoor life. Meanwhile, Hare and his team “Puppy Kindergarten” Their lab delves into necessary behaviors and sheds new light on the milestones of cognitive development in dogs. Even better, researchers have devised a technique…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Lab Discovers Simple Method to Evade AI Safety Features in Multi-shot Jailbreak

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A study shows that some of the most powerful AI tools meant to prevent cybercrime and terrorism can be bypassed simply by inundating them with fraudulent activities.

Researchers at Anthropic, the AI lab responsible for creating the large-scale language model (LLM) powering ChatGPT competitor Claude, detailed an attack called a “multi-shot jailbreak” in a recent paper. This attack was both simple and effective.

Claude, like many other commercial AI systems, contains safety features that block certain types of requests, such as generating violent content, hate speech, illegal instructions, deception, or discrimination. However, by providing enough examples of the “correct” responses to harmful questions like “How to create a bomb,” the system can be tricked into providing harmful responses despite being trained not to do so.

Anthropic stated, “By inputting large amounts of text in specific ways, this approach can lead the LLM to produce potentially harmful outputs even though it was trained to avoid doing so.” The company has shared its findings with industry peers and aims to address the issue promptly.

This jailbreak attack targets AI models with a large “context window” capable of processing lengthy queries. These advanced models are susceptible to such attacks as they can learn to circumvent their own safety measures faster.

Newer, more advanced AI systems are at greater risk of such attacks due to their ability to handle longer inputs and learn from examples quickly. Anthropic expressed concern over the effectiveness of this jailbreak attack on larger models.

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Anthropic has identified various strategies to mitigate this issue. One approach involves adding a mandatory warning to remind the system not to provide harmful responses, which has shown promise in reducing the likelihood of a successful jailbreak. However, this method may impact the system’s performance on other tasks.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Lab experiment suggests CRISPR can disable and treat HIV

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Electron micrograph of HIV, which currently requires lifelong medication

Scott Kamazin/Alamy Stock Photo

A new way to eradicate HIV from the body could one day become a cure for infection with the virus, but it has not yet been proven effective in humans.

The strategy uses a relatively new genetic technology called CRISPR, which can make cuts in DNA and introduce errors into the viral genetic material within immune cells. “These findings represent a vital advance toward the design of therapeutic strategies,” the researchers said. Elena Herrera Carrillo Researchers from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands said in a statement.

HIV infection used to be almost always fatal, but now people with the virus can take drugs that stop the virus from replicating. Therefore, as long as you diligently take your medication every day, you can maintain a nearly normal lifespan.

But when a person is first infected, some of the virus inserts its DNA into immune cells, where it becomes dormant. When you stop taking your HIV medication, this DNA “reawakens” and the virus begins to spread again through your immune system.

For treatment, we need some way to kill the latent virus in the body. Several strategies have been tried, but so far none have been found to work.

The latest approach uses a gene editing system called CRISPR. Originally discovered in bacteria, it targets specific DNA sequences and makes cuts there. By changing the targeted DNA sequence, the system could be applied as a form of gene therapy for many conditions, and such treatments were launched in the US and UK last year as a treatment for sickle cell anemia. first approved.

Several groups are working with CRISPR to target HIV genes as a way to disable the dormant virus. Now, Carrillo and her team have shown that when tested on immune cells in a dish, the CRISPR system can neutralize all viruses and remove them from these cells. The work will be presented at European Conference on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Next month in Barcelona, Spain.

Jonathan Stoy Researchers at London’s Francis Crick Institute say the results are encouraging, but the next step is testing in animals and eventually humans to ensure the treatment is available to all people with dormant HIV. The aim is to show that it can reach immune cells, he said. Some of these cells are thought to reside in the bone marrow, but other parts of the body may also be involved, he says. “There is still considerable uncertainty about whether there are other stores in other parts of the body,” he says.

A California company called Excision BioTherapeutics has previously shown that a CRISPR-based approach can: Reduce the amount of latent virus in monkeys infected with a virus similar to HIV.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

New study suggests Coronavirus may have originated in a lab rather than an animal

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There have been various conspiracy theories surrounding COVID-19, from microchips in vaccines to the virus being engineered in a lab. A recent study is challenging these theories by suggesting that the virus is more likely of natural origin.

Researchers from the University of New South Wales in Australia argue that the current debate lacks consideration of non-medical evidence in determining the origin of the virus. They emphasize that their findings do not definitively prove the lab origin theory but rather suggest that such theories should not be dismissed too quickly.

Some scientists criticize the study’s methods for potential biases, and there is still no consensus in the academic community regarding the virus’s origin. The study highlights the need for further research and caution in drawing conclusions.

This study presents evidence supporting the hypothesis of a potential laboratory origin of COVID-19, including unique biological features not found in similar viruses and the proximity of a research facility studying bat coronaviruses to the initial outbreak site in Wuhan.

The study utilized a risk analysis tool to evaluate various criteria related to the virus’s natural or unnatural origin. The tool assigned scores based on evidence such as geographical distribution, virus strains, and transmission modes. The results indicated a higher likelihood of an unnatural origin due to specific biological risks and unconventional strains.

The researchers’ findings have sparked debates within the scientific community, with some experts questioning the tool’s subjectivity and potential for biased interpretations. While the study doesn’t conclusively prove the virus’s origin, it suggests that further investigation is necessary to understand the pandemic’s roots.

Experts like Dr. Jeremy Rothman, Professor Paul Hunter, and Professor Raina McIntyre have cautioned against jumping to conclusions about COVID-19’s origins and emphasize the need for thorough research to uncover the truth.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

QRDO Foundation and EQ LAB Join Forces to Introduce Warden Protocol – Latest Blockchain Updates, Insights, and Opportunities

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Cayman Islands, Cayman Islands, January 31, 2024, Chainwire

QRDO Foundation, dedicated to the growth and development of the QRDO ecosystem, announced a strategic partnership with EQ LAB, a leading blockchain development lab, to launch Warden Protocol. This effort will accelerate the upcoming launch of Warden Protocol, an intent-based interoperability protocol built on Cosmos and based on Fusionchain primitives.

Introducing the Warden Protocol

of warden protocol is a modular intent-centric blockchain built on Cosmos-SDK. At the most basic level, it allows users to create spaces and wallets on various blockchains and manage their activities through on-chain intents. Complex multi-leg transactions can be constructed, and cross-chain activity is protected by complex intents, all enforced on-chain by the Warden protocol.

For builders in this space, Warden enables the deployment of smart contracts into Cosmos using Solidity and WebAssembly, facilitating a modular marketplace of leading management solutions ranging from HSM solutions to multiparty computing providers.

QRDO Foundation representatives said: “The Warden protocol is the next evolution in intent and interoperability primitives. Joining forces with the EQ LAB team will help us achieve this ambitious vision, and QRDO token ownership “This will ensure that people can truly experience fulfillment.” A decentralized, open, intent-centric interoperability and key management protocol. ”

A variety of applications have committed to support deployment on Warden, including:

  • EQ.FinanceCosmos' liquid staking hub that powers existing liquid staking tokens.
  • WARDD is a decentralized stablecoin pegged to the US dollar that provides Warden users with instant access to dollar liquidity.
  • slightly, a pluggable protocol for decentralized capital pools that enables margin trading on any spot DEX.and
  • SpaceWard is a SAFE-like platform for wallet management and governance.

EQ LAB forms the core contributor team for Warden Protocol and brings an extensive team of 15 core developers to Warden Protocol.

EQ LAB Founder Alex Melikhov said: “We are very happy to contribute to the establishment of the Warden Protocol as a core contributor.As an experienced team of qualified blockchain developers, I We see a bright future in the Cosmos ecosystem and look forward to unlocking incredible value for both the existing QRDO community and the community of Q token holders.”

word token

Warden Protocol plans to introduce the WARD token through a fair initiation mechanism. The launch will take place without any pre-mining or investor allocation, and will initially extend eligibility for both airdrops and incentivized WARD swaps to existing QRDO holders. As a tribute to the public good performed by various other Cosmos chains, not only TIA and ATOM stakers are eligible, but also builders and users of other free protocols and chains. Further details will be announced soon.

The Alfama testnet will go live in the coming weeks, and details about the incentivized testnet will be published soon.

contact address

warden protocol

Warden Protocol is a new modular, intent-based blockchain based on CosmosSDK that enables users and builders to explore and build cross-chains securely.

pr@wardenprotocol.org

www.wardenprotocol.org

About EQ LAB

EQ LAB is an experienced software engineering house specializing in permissionless applications and protocols, serving as a technology partner for numerous projects on Cosmos, Ethereum, Arbitrum, Polkadot, and other blockchain platforms.

hello@eqlab.io

www.eqlab.io

About QRDO Foundation

The QRDO Foundation was created to focus on accelerating the adoption of open custody, security, and interoperability protocols and fostering the value of the QRDO ecosystem.

contact

PR team
QRDO Foundation
pr@qrdo.org

Source: the-blockchain.com

Rocket Lab predicts that Electron will likely return to the skies by year-end

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Rocket LabHis Electron rocket will likely return to flight by the end of the year, but the work is not yet complete before the mission resumes, according to a new statement released Wednesday.

Rocket Lab announced it has received permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to resume Electron launches from its New Zealand launch facility, but that doesn’t mean regulators have given the green light. Rocket Lab must complete an investigation into the anomaly that led to the Sept. 19 mission failure and implement an FAA-approved accident investigation plan to ensure the problem is resolved.

“Rocket Lab is currently in the final stages of a thorough investigation into the root cause of the anomaly. This process includes examining an extensive fault tree to cover all potential causes of the anomaly and This includes completing a comprehensive test campaign for reproduction on the ground,” the company said in a statement.

Standard practice after a rocket launch failure is for a company-led accident investigation to be conducted under the supervision and approval of the FAA. Rocket Lab said a full review is expected to be completed “in the coming weeks.”

Rocket Lab has not said anything about the cause of the September failure that led to the loss of Capella Space’s synthetic aperture radar satellite. The problem occurred shortly after the second stage’s single-engine Rutherford engine ignited, approximately two and a half minutes after liftoff. Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck said in a statement that given Electron’s flight history, “a failure would be a complex and extremely rare problem that has never occurred in any previous test or flight.” He just said he knew.

An anomaly occurred during Rocket Lab 41.cent Electron firing. Before the anomaly, the company had completed 20 consecutive orbital launches.

Source: techcrunch.com