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The End of the Dinosaurs | SpaceTime S24E91 | Astronomy & Space Science News Podcast

The Astronomy, Technology, and Space Science News Podcast.
SpaceTime Series 24 Episode 91
*Astronomers zero in on source of the impactor that wiped out the dinosaurs.
A new study claims the impactor believed to have wiped out and 75 percent of all life on Earth 66 million years ago including all the non-avian dinosaurs — likely came from the outer half of the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
*Producing matter out of pure energy.
Scientists have directly converted pure light energy into matter in a single process for the first time.
The findings reported in the journal Physical Review Letters involved the creation of Electrons and their antimatter counter parts positrons — by colliding quantum packets of photons – light particles.
*Discovery of a galactic stream of galaxy clusters.
Astronomers have discovered a never-before-seen galaxy cluster with a black hole at its centre, travelling at high speed along an intergalactic road of matter.
*Solar Orbiter and BepiColombo making space history with double flyby of Venus.
As we go to air tonight the European Space Agency is making space history with two of its space craft6 undertaking almost simultaneous flybys of the planet Venus.
*The Science Report.
New US congressional report says COVID-19 leaked out of Chinese Government Wuhan Lab.
Wearing masks and social distancing even when vaccinated key to combat new COVID strains.
Rising sea levels may mean fewer eruptions from volcanic islands.
How slowing of the planet’s rotation could have paved the way for life on Earth.
Skeptic’s guide to low vaccination and low IQ.
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Mutation-mapping tool could yield stronger COVID boosters, universal vaccines

Researchers at CU Boulder have developed a platform which can quickly identify common mutations on the SARS-CoV-2 virus that allow it to escape antibodies and infect cells.

Published today in Cell Reports, the research marks a major step toward successfully developing a universal vaccine for not only COVID-19, but also potentially for influenza, HIV and other deadly global viruses.

“We’ve developed a predictive tool that can tell you ahead of time which antibodies are going to be effective against circulating strains of virus,” said lead author Timothy Whitehead, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering. “But the implications for this technology are more profound: If you can predict what the variants will be in a given season, you could get vaccinated to match the sequence that will occur and short-circuit this seasonal variation.”

Researchers have developed a platform which can quickly identify common mutations on the SARS-CoV-2 virus that allow it to escape antibodies and infect cells, which could inform the development of more effective booster vaccines and tailored antibody treatments for patients with COVID-19.

Here’s what astronauts can teach us about coping with isolation

Learn More.

World Economic Forum.

Would you like to live on Mars for a year?

Learn more about what it’s like living in space.

Being forced into isolation and confinement creates a number of potentially stressful demands. However, we might be able to learn a thing or two about coping with these demands, from people who choose a life in such settings.

Continue reading “Here’s what astronauts can teach us about coping with isolation” | >

A 3D printed mechanical bioreactor for investigating mechanobiology and soft tissue mechanics

Circa 2018

Mechanical loading is an important cue for directing stem cell fate and engineered tissue formation in vitro. Stem cells cultured on 2-dimensional (D) substrates and in 3D scaffolds have been shown to differentiate toward bone, tendon, cartilage, ligament, and skeletal muscle lineages depending on their exposure to mechanical stimuli. To apply this mechanical stimulus in vitro, mechanical bioreactors are needed. However, current bioreactor systems are challenged by their high cost, limited ability for customization, and lack of force measurement capabilities. We demonstrate the use of 3-dimensional printing (3DP) technology to design and fabricate a low-cost custom bioreactor system that can be used to apply controlled mechanical stimuli to cells in culture and measure the mechanical properties of small soft tissues. The results of our in vitro studies and mechanical evaluations show that 3DP technology is feasible as a platform for developing a low-cost, customizable, and multifunctional mechanical bioreactor system.

• 3DP technology was used to print a multifunctional bioreactor system/tensile load frame for a fraction of the cost of commercial systems.

• The system mechanically stimulated cells in culture and evaluated the mechanical properties of soft tissues.

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