Bioengineers propose “electro-agriculture,” a method that replaces photosynthesis with a solar-powered reaction converting CO2 into acetate, potentially reducing U.S. agricultural land needs by 94% and supporting controlled indoor farming.
Initial experiments focus on genetically modified acetate-consuming plants like tomatoes and lettuce, with potential future applications in space agriculture.
Revolutionary Electro-Agriculture
Discovery advances development of new therapeutic options for cancer and other diseases. A research team led by the University of California, Irvine has engineered an efficient new enzyme that can produce a synthetic genetic material called threose nucleic acid. The ability to synthesize artificial chains of TNA, which is inherently more stable than DNA, advances the discovery of potentially more powerful, precise therapeutic options to treat cancer and autoimmune, metabolic and infectious diseases.
A paper recently published in Nature Catalysis describes how the team created an enzyme called 10–92 that achieves faithful and fast TNA synthesis, overcoming key challenges in previous enzyme design strategies.
Inching ever closer to the capability of natural DNA synthesis, the 10–92 TNA polymerase facilitates the development of future TNA drugs.
The acetate would then be used to feed plants that are grown hydroponically. The method could also be used to grow other food-producing organisms, since acetate is naturally used by mushrooms, yeast, and algae.
“The whole point of this new process to try to boost the efficiency of photosynthesis,” says senior author Feng Jiao, an electrochemist at Washington University in St. Louis. “Right now, we are at about 4% efficiency, which is already four times higher than for photosynthesis, and because everything is more efficient with this method, the CO2 footprint associated with the production of food becomes much smaller.”
To genetically engineer acetate-eating plants, the researchers are taking advantage of a metabolic pathway that germinating plants use to break down food stored in their seeds. This pathway is switched off once plants become capable of photosynthesis, but switching it back on would enable them to use acetate as a source of energy and carbon.
Bioengineered bacteria to eat plastic in seawater:3 Which in large quantities can eat all the plastic in the ocean:3 Yay face_with_colon_three
Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is a highly recyclable plastic that has been extensively used and manufactured. Like other plastics, PET resists natural degradation, thus accumulating in the environment. Several recycling strategies have been applied to PET, but these tend to result in downcycled products that eventually end up in landfills. This accumulation of landfilled PET waste contributes to the formation of microplastics, which pose a serious threat to marine life and ecosystems, and potentially to human health. To address this issue, our project leveraged synthetic biology to develop a whole-cell biocatalyst capable of depolymerizing PET in seawater environments by using the fast-growing, nonpathogenic, moderate halophile Vibrio natriegens. By leveraging a two-enzyme system—comprising a chimera of IsPETase and IsMHETase from Ideonella sakaiensis —displayed on V. natriegens, we constructed whole-cell catalysts that depolymerize PET and convert it into its monomers in salt-containing media and at a temperature of 30°C.
A way to re grow new parts, perfect DNA match, eventually? Will take Agi / ASI to realize full potential, we ll see.
For this, the researchers have created a compact bioprinter to develop biological tissues with microfilament structures. He is now working to bring this technology to market.
“Our aim is to create human tissue models for high-throughput drug screening and other applications,” Liu said.
The human body is composed of various tissues, each with specific structures and functions. These tissues, like muscles, tendons, connective tissue, and nervous tissue, exhibit organized cellular arrangements. This organization is crucial for their proper functioning.
CRISPR/Cas9 is a gene editing tool that has revolutionized biomedical research and led to the first FDA-approved CRISPR-based gene therapy. However, until now, the precise mechanism of exactly how this tool works and avoids creating detrimental off-target effects was not well understood.
Michael Levin is a Distinguished Professor in the Biology department at Tufts University and associate faculty at the Wyss Institute for Bioinspired Engineering at Harvard University. @drmichaellevin holds the Vannevar Bush endowed Chair and serves as director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts and the Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology. Prior to college, Michael Levin worked as a software engineer and independent contractor in the field of scientific computing. He attended Tufts University, interested in artificial intelligence and unconventional computation. To explore the algorithms by which the biological world implemented complex adaptive behavior, he got dual B.S. degrees, in CS and in Biology and then received a PhD from Harvard University. He did post-doctoral training at Harvard Medical School, where he began to uncover a new bioelectric language by which cells coordinate their activity during embryogenesis. His independent laboratory develops new molecular-genetic and conceptual tools to probe large-scale information processing in regeneration, embryogenesis, and cancer suppression.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 — Introduction.
1:41 — Creating High-level General Intelligences.
7:00 — Ethical implications of Diverse Intelligence beyond AI & LLMs.
10:30 — Solving the Fundamental Paradox that faces all Species.
15:00 — Evolution creates Problem Solving Agents & the Self is a Dynamical Construct.
23:00 — Mike on Stephen Grossberg.
26:20 — A Formal Definition of Diverse Intelligence (DI)
30:50 — Intimate relationships with AI? Importance of Cognitive Light Cones.
38:00 — Cyborgs, hybrids, chimeras, & a new concept called “Synthbiosis“
45:51 — Importance of the symbiotic relationship between Science & Philosophy.
53:00 — The Space of Possible Minds.
58:30 — Is Mike Playing God?
1:02:45 — A path forward: through the ethics filter for civilization.
1:09:00 — Mike on Daniel Dennett (RIP)
1:14:02 — An Ethical Synthbiosis that goes beyond “are you real or faking it“
1:25:47 — Conclusion.
EPISODE LINKS:
- Mike’s Round 1: https://youtu.be/v6gp-ORTBlU
- Mike’s Round 2: https://youtu.be/kMxTS7eKkNM
- Mike’s Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@drmichaellevin.
- Mike’s Website: https://drmichaellevin.org/
- Blog Website: https://thoughtforms.life.
- Mike’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/drmichaellevin.
- Mike’s Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=luouyakAAAAJ&hl=en.
- Mike’s NOEMA piece: https://www.noemamag.com/ai-could-be-a-bridge-toward-diverse-intelligence/
- Stephen Grossberg: https://youtu.be/bcV1eSgByzg.
- Mark Solms: https://youtu.be/rkbeaxjAZm4
- VPRO Roundtable: https://youtu.be/RVrnn7QW6Jg?feature=shared.
CONNECT:
- Website: https://tevinnaidu.com.
- Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/drtevinnaidu.
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/drtevinnaidu.
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drtevinnaidu.
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- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtevinnaidu.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel is for educational purposes only. The content is shared in the spirit of open discourse and does not constitute, nor does it substitute, professional or medical advice. We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of listening/watching any of our contents. You acknowledge that you use the information provided at your own risk. Listeners/viewers are advised to conduct their own research and consult with their own experts in the respective fields.
#MichaelLevin #DiverseIntelligence #AI #Mind
Imagine owning a camera so powerful it can take freeze-frame photographs of a moving electron – an object traveling so fast it could circle the Earth many times in a second. Researchers at the University of Arizona have developed the world’s fastest electron microscope that can do just that.
They believe their work will lead to groundbreaking advancements in physics, chemistry, bioengineering, materials sciences and more.
“When you get the latest version of a smartphone, it comes with a better camera,” said Mohammed Hassan, associate professor of physics and optical sciences. “This transmission electron microscope is like a very powerful camera in the latest version of smartphones; it allows us to take pictures of things we were not able to see before – like electrons. With this microscope, we hope the scientific community can understand the quantum physics behind how an electron behaves and how an electron moves.”
Science And Engineering For Humanity — Dr. David Agus, MD — Founding Director & Co-CEO, Ellison Institute of Technology.
Dr. David B. Agus (https://davidagus.com/) is one of the world’s leading doctors and pioneering biomedical researchers.
Dr. Agus is the Founding Director and Co-CEO of the Ellison Institute of.
Technology (https://eit.org/) and a professor of medicine (https://keck.usc.edu/faculty-search/d…) and engineering (https://viterbi.usc.edu/directory/fac…) the University of.
Southern California.
A medical oncologist, Dr. Agus leads a multidisciplinary team of researchers.
dedicated to the development and use of technologies to guide doctors in making health-care decisions tailored to individual needs.
An international leader in global health and approaches for personalized healthcare, Dr. Agus serves in leadership roles at the World Economic Forum and is co-chair of the Global Health Security Consortium (https://institute.global/tags/global–…). He is also a CBS News contributor.
The great George Church takes us through the revolutionary journey of DNA sequencing from his early groundbreaking work to the latest advancements. He discusses the evolution of sequencing methods, including molecular multiplexing, and their implications for understanding and combating aging.
We talk about the rise of biotech startups, potential future directions in genome sequencing, the role of precise gene therapies, the ongoing integration of nanotechnology and biology, the potential of biological engineering in accelerating evolution, transhumanism, the Human Genome Project, and the importance of intellectual property in biotechnology.
The episode concludes with reflections on future technologies, the importance of academia in fostering innovation, and the need for scalable developments in biotech.
00:00 Introduction to Longevity and DNA Sequencing.
01:43 George Church’s Early Work in Genomic Sequencing.
02:38 Innovations in DNA Sequencing.
03:15 The Evolution of Sequencing Methods.
07:41 Longevity and Aging Reversal.
12:12 Biotech Startups and Commercial Endeavors.
17:38 Future Directions in Genome Sequencing.
28:10 Humanity’s Role and Transhumanism.
37:23 Exploring the Connectome and Neural Networks.
38:29 The Mystery of Life: From Atoms to Living Systems.
39:35 Accelerating Evolution and Biological Engineering.
41:37 Merging Nanotechnology and Biology.
45:00 The Future of Biotech and Young Innovators.
47:16 The Human Genome Project: Successes and Shortcomings.
01:01:10 Intellectual Property in Biotechnology.
01:06:30 Future Technologies and Final Thoughts.
