Gene therapy has gone into business. Two commercial plants are now manufacturing and selling therapeutic cells, derived from human stem cells, that could spark genetic fixes for a range of chronic conditions. Until now, these regenerative cells have only been lab creatures, not merchandise. In March, Osaka-based Sumitomo Dainippon opened a 30,000 square foot, $340-million...
Tag: Aug2018
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The buzz….
People born with certain congenital metabolic disorders are unable to make a key enzyme that processes proteins. Those proteins can build up and become toxic, causing mental and developmental disorders. To avoid that fate, sufferers have to be diagnosed early and adhere to a highly restricted diet. Now researchers at Tel Aviv University have found...
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Man vs. machine…
We’ve already seen artificial intelligence reason its way through data to make savvy medical diagnoses. Now IBM’s Project Debater software has shown its ability to sort through information, to structure persuasive arguments and counter opposing ones. In June, the software squared off with Dan Zafrir, Israel’s national debate champion, to test two topics. The first:...
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Stick it!
New research is creating implants that alert us to cancer and dental disease. At ETH Technical University in Zurich, researchers have created a framework of genes that is integrated with human cells, and then implanted in a particular spot under the skin. The framework constantly checks calcium levels in the blood; unusually high calcium levels...
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Growing crops, farming energy…the multitasking solar panel
It’s called agrophotovoltaics: putting solar panels on stilts above cropland and allowing farmers to gather energy while they grow crops. In experiments in Vietnam and Chile, it’s working pretty well. The method puts solar panels in rows above farm fields. The panels are high enough to let animals and farm equipment pass below, with enough...