Science of the Future
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‘Phenomenal advancements’ in gene drive technology to eradicate disease-carrying mosquitoes
Gene drives are selfish genetic elements that are transmitted to progeny at super-Mendelian (>50%) frequencies. Recently developed CRISPR–Cas9-based gene-drive systems ...
Biotechnology research and development is the cutting edge of Africa’s hoped-for sustainable green revolution
What is needed to build a sustainable and resilient food system in African countries? This was one of the questions ...
New and emerging technologies — combined with low-tech existing solutions — could pave the way to net-zero emissions agriculture
New and emerging technologies could pave the way to net-zero carbon emissions agriculture in the next two decades, according to ...
Separating hype from reality in the coming era of gene-enhanced ‘designer babies’
[W]hat new iteration of genetic testing could tempt healthy, fertile couples to reject our traditional time-tested and wildly popular process ...
Textile transformation: Turning recycled carbon emissions into athletic apparel
Recycling carbon is a fundamental element of the circular economy, which will keep fossil carbon in the ground, reducing pollution ...
Genetic warfare: Is China on the path to developing a biological superweapon?
In 2020, after the US Justice Department indicted six Chinese researchers for hiding their [People’s Liberation Army, or] PLA connection, ...
Will artificial wombs usher in a new era of gender equality?
Imagine a world where it’s possible to produce children without placing any burden on women — an empowered society where ...
‘It’s life-creating, life-enabling’: Uterus transplants are now a reality for the lucky few, with a wider rollout soon possible
The idea of uterus transplantation to treat infertility caused by the lack of a functional uterus is less than 25 ...
EPA approval requested in California for Oxitec GM disease-reducing mosquito release, following successful implementation in Florida
Climate change has allowed disease-transmitting mosquitoes to advance into new regions throughout the Western U.S., posing a threat to tens ...
Viewpoint: Carbon-preserving regenerative agriculture inextricably linked to CRISPR and gene edited crops
As governments and industries work toward a net-zero future, the food system remains a stubborn source of one-third of total global emissions ...
Insect farming is all the rage. Here’s why it might not be such a good idea
Interest in insect farming is booming. Insects have been heralded as a sustainable alternative to traditional animal agriculture, with a ...
Plastic into protein? It may seem far-fetched, but a ‘food generator’ is in the works
Two U.S. scientists have won a 1 million euro ($1.18 million) prize for creating a food generator concept that turns ...
Cell-grown fish may beat lab-meat to the market
Cell-cultured meat may seem like a far-off prospect, a Jetsons-level protein source only available in a grim, distant future. ...
‘Beyond beating people at Jeopardy’: Artificial Intelligence takes on the human senses
Even the smartest computers cannot fully understand the world without the ability to see, hear, smell, taste or touch. But ...
From steaks to salmon, here’s the future of 3D-printed food
Using edible ingredients in the form of purees or pastes, a 3D printer pushes materials through a precisely moving nozzle ...
From biowelfare to bioweapons: There are many sides to the biotechnology revolution, and not all of them bode well for the future
Global collection of genetic data and genetic manipulation of humans, animals, plants, destructive insects and deadly microbes is of dual ...
Most plant-based proteins are made from soy. From microalgae to fermented fungi, these surprising sources are bringing us the faux meat of the future
What will take on the ubiquitous soy and pea? As well as chickpea, other plant proteins have come to the ...
Could gene editing and gene drives alter bats to prevent future pandemics?
Amid the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, two researchers are proposing a drastic way to stop future pandemics: using a technology called ...
Facial recognition systems are the next target for fraudsters. Here’s how to stop them
Facial-recognition systems, long touted as a quick and dependable way to identify everyone from employees to hotel guests, are in ...
To adapt to changing climates, we need to overhaul how we breed corn and soybeans
U.S. corn and soybean varieties have become increasingly heat and drought resistant as agricultural production adapts to a changing climate ...
Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes wiped out in successful cutting-edge gene drive trial
Scientists have successfully wiped out a population of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes by using a radical form of genetic engineering to render ...
Could underwater strawberries and deep-sea herbs provide a more sustainable alternative to land-based farming?
An over-reliance on pesticides, displacement of wildlife, the wasting of gallons of water and the generation of harmful emissions are ...
How genes from other species can open the door to human colonization of the far reaches of the universe
[Geneticist Christopher Mason has developed] a “500-year plan for the survival of the human species on Earth, in space, and ...
Can synthetic biology be scaled up quickly enough to make significant progress against climate change?
In cities, something like 40 or even 50% of food doesn’t even reach our plates. [Claudia Vickers, Director of the ...
Universities racing to update curriculums to catch up with technology-driven ‘future food’ revolution
[N]ow that food companies big and small are embracing new technologies to create alternative forms of meat, universities around the ...
Meet the ‘disruptive technologies’ revolutionizing aquaculture
Aquaculture is the fastest growing food producing sector, per the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and ...
China’s xenotransplantation boom: Gene editing providing modified pig organs for human transplant
While forced organ harvesting of prisoners of conscience in China has drawn worldwide condemnation, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has ...
