Freethink
Gene drive CRISPR insects may be only viable tool to fight back against cattle fly that lays eggs on living cows, causing ‘unbelievably agonizing’ sores
Uruguay is developing a CRISPR gene drive to eradicate the New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that kills cattle in ...
$2,500 whole genome sequencing per embryo: Tech startup claims to screen potential children for 1,200 genetic disorders, but experts not sure it’s worth the cost
Reproductive tech startup Orchid is now offering whole genome sequencing for embryos, giving prospective parents and their doctors information that ...
First clinical trial of CRISPR cure for HIV is encouraging — but comes with scant details
California-based biotech company Excision BioTherapeutics has shared data from the first human clinical trial of a CRISPR cure for HIV ...
Could or should we use science to bring the Tasmanian tiger back from extinction?
CRISPR and the Tasmanian tiger: Resurrecting the species could help restore ecological balance in Australia ...
‘One-and-done’ CRISPR gene therapy treatment could be lifetime cure for high cholesterol — but the FDA remains cautious
CRISPR sometimes edits genes in places it’s not supposed to, though, and those off-target edits can create new problems ...
7 breakthrough technological innovations that may have flown under your radar this year
The release of several advanced generative AI systems was inarguably the biggest science and tech story of 2022 — DALL-E ...
Addressing the plague of invasive mice: This gene drive solution could totally remove island pests
After five years of research, University of Adelaide scientists have now developed t-CRISPR, a technology that builds on a gene ...
‘Sustainable fondue’: Cattle and dairy farming produces billions of tons of CO2 each year. Here’s how climate-friendly lab-grown cheese can change that
Hi, I’m Will, and I have a cheese addiction. My partner regularly catches me swiping slices when I am cooking, ...
7 ways CRISPR gene editing could transform food
Here are some of the ways scientists are using CRISPR to create healthier, more appealing, and more resilient foods — ...
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD): Background on the first personalized CRISPR therapy approved for trial
The FDA has given the greenlight to test the first personalized CRISPR therapy, which was developed specifically to treat one ...
A ‘cotton candy machine’ that prints cardiac fibers brings us one step closer to easily repairing heart injuries
Researchers at Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) believe they have taken a step towards ...
Do you have high cholesterol? With gene editing, there soon may be a CRISPR cure
A trial testing a new CRISPR-based treatment to lower cholesterol has officially kicked off in New Zealand. If it works ...
‘AI muscle shirt’: Sensors used to create ‘wearable muscles’ to help those with upper limb impairments
Swiss researchers have developed “wearable muscles” that use sensors and AI to help people with upper-limb impairments use their arms ...
Holy grail for agricultural science? What role could artificial intelligence (AI) play in growing more food?
We need to merge artificial intelligence with synthetic biology, a field of science that involves redesigning organisms to have useful ...
How CRISPR gene editing might soon protect us against Alzheimer’s
The challenge: There is evidence that Alzheimer’s may be developing in the brain as much as 30 years before symptoms ...
Overfishing and climate change have decimated Japan’s fishing industry. Gene edited fish is poised to rescue it
Fishing plays an important role in Japan’s economy and food supply, but overfishing and climate change have caused wild populations ...
‘Food without fresh water’: If ocean levels rise, farms around the world could be flooded with salt water. Here’s how we could keep crops alive
When irrigation water is introduced to a field, plants absorb the water, or it evaporates into the atmosphere. But the ...
Just one gene could restore the American chestnut — a tree that reckless humans once all but destroyed
An American nurseryman introduced the Japanese chestnut tree to the eastern U.S., accidentally introducing a blight fungus along with it ...
Why researchers are vacuuming ‘environmental DNA’ from the sky
Scientists have been using environmental DNA (eDNA) for more than 10 years to measure biodiversity and discover new species, often ...
African scientists have created a CRISPR-edited banana that’s resistant to a disease ravaging farms across the continent
Banana xanthomonas wilt (BXW) is a bacterial disease that spreads easily and kills any banana plant it infects — farmers' ...
Intellia’s disease-eradicating CRISPR tool is injected directly into the bloodstream. Here’s why that’s such a big deal
CRISPR gives us the ability to correct genetic mutations, and given that such mutations are responsible for more than 6,000 ...
Billions of baby male chicks are slaughtered every year because they can’t lay eggs. Here’s how CRISPR gene editing could prevent them from being culled after birth
The problem: Chick culling is the practice of killing small, day-old male chicks with a variety of fairly gruesome methods ...
New hope for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients? CRISPR cured a mouse — and humans could be next
DMD is a fatal — and currently incurable — genetic condition that causes the body's muscles to deteriorate over time. ...
Which depression treatment is right for you? AI could provide answers
Currently, depression is diagnosed by a survey — commonly, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) — which quantifies the severity ...
Video: Placebo effect or powerful antidepressant? Understanding the science of psychedelic microdosing
Individuals who microdose mushrooms, or those who microdose LSD, claim to experience an elevated mood, increased productivity, and a greater ...
Video: In 40 years, babies could be made in the lab from skin cells
The "birds and the bees" as we know them are changing. A new process called in vitro gametogenesis (IVG) is ...
Video: Building a bionic prosthetic leg that ‘thinks for itself’
It’s no question that researchers, doctors, and engineers want to design more effective robotic limbs that can help paralyzed and ...
