Lifeboat Foundation

Microorganisms—bacteria, viruses and other tiny life forms—may drive biological variation in visible life as much, if not more, than genetic mutations, creating new lineages and even new species of animals and plants, according to Seth Bordenstein, director of Penn State’s One Health Microbiome Center, professor of biology and entomology, and the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Endowed Chair in Microbiome Sciences.

Bordenstein and 21 other scientists from around the world published a paper in Science, summarizing research that they said drives a deeper understanding of biological variation by uniting life’s seen and unseen realms.

Continue reading “Q&A: Holobiont biology, a new concept for exploring how microbiome shapes evolution of visible life” »

A team of horticulturists, bio-breeders and agriculture specialists affiliated with a host of institutions across China has produced sweeter tomatoes without sacrificing size, weight or yield by altering two of their genes. In their study, published in the journal Nature, the group modified the genes of a tomato variant that coded for proteins that lowered levels of enzymes related to sugar production.

“The last two decades saw software transform nearly every industry, a trend famously captured by venture capitalist Marc Andreessen’s phrase ” software is eating the world.

Software became the backbone of industries like retail, transportation, finance, and entertainment, leading to a world where digital tools and applications are integral to daily life.

Looking forward, many experts believe that artificial intelligence (AI) will play a similarly transformative role over the next 20 years.

As people who research aging like to quip, the best thing you can do to increase how long you live is to pick good parents. After all, it has long been recognized that longer-lived people tend to have longer-lived parents and grandparents, suggesting that genetics influence longevity.

Complicating the picture, however, is that we know that the sum of your lifestyle, specifically diet and exercise, also significantly influences your health into older age and how long you live. What contribution lifestyle versus genetics makes is an open question that a recent study in Nature has shed new light on.

Scientists have long known that reducing calorie intake can make animals live longer. In the 1930s, it was noted that rats fed reduced calories lived longer than rats who could eat as much as they wanted. Similarly, people who are more physically active tend to live longer. But specifically linking single genes to longevity was until recently a controversial one.

Principal investigator Eric Pierce pointed out that the trial shows that gene therapy for hereditary vision loss is a worthy pursuit for future research. He believes the early research is promising.

“It’s a big deal to hear how thrilled they were to finally be able to see food on their plates,” said Pierce. “These were individuals who couldn’t read a single line on an eye chart. They had no treatment options, which is an unfortunate reality for most people with inherited retinal disorders.”

The goal is to inject CRISPR so that it reaches the retina to restore the ability to produce genes and proteins.

A multi-institutional group of researchers led by the Hubrecht Institute and Roche’s Institute of Human Biology has developed strategies to identify regulators of intestinal hormone secretion. In response to incoming food, these hormones are secreted by rare hormone producing cells in the gut and play key roles in managing digestion and appetite. The team has developed new tools to identify potential ‘nutrient sensors’ on these hormone producing cells and study their function. This could result in new strategies to interfere with the release of these hormones and provide avenues for the treatment of a variety of metabolic or gut motility disorders. The work will be presented in an article in Science, on October 18th.

The intestine acts as a vital barrier. It protects the body from harmful bacteria and highly dynamic pH levels, while allowing nutrients and vitamins to enter the bloodstream. The gut is also home to endocrine cells, which secrete many hormones that regulate bodily functions. These enteroendocrine cells (EECs, endocrine cells of the gut) are very rare cells that release hormones in response to various triggers, such as stretching of the stomach, energy levels and nutrients from food. These hormones in turn regulate key aspects of physiology in response to the incoming food, such as digestion and appetite. Thus, EECs are the body’s first responders to incoming food, and instruct and prepare the rest of the body for what is coming.

Medications that mimic gut hormones, most famously GLP-1, are very promising for the treatment of multiple metabolic diseases. Directly manipulating EECs to adjust hormone secretion could open up new therapeutic options. However, it has been challenging to understand how gut hormone release can be influenced effectively. Researchers have had trouble identifying the sensors on EECs, because EECs themselves represent less than 1% of cells in the intestinal epithelium, and in addition the sensors on these EECs are expressed in low amounts. Current studies mainly rely on mouse models, even though the signals to which mouse EECs respond are likely different compared to those to which human EECs respond. Therefore, new models and approaches were required to study these signals.

A team of EU scientists is developing a new advanced camera that uses photonics to reveal what the eye cannot see. This innovative system is being developed to transform various industries, including vertical farming. It will allow farmers growing crops like salads, herbs, and microgreens to detect plant diseases early, monitor crop health with precision, and optimise harvest times — boosting yields by up to 20%.

A new European consortium funded under the Photonics Partnership is developing a new imaging platform that ensures everything from crops to factory products is of the highest quality by detecting things humans simply cannot.

Called ‘HyperImage’, the project aims to revolutionise quality assurance and operational efficiency across different sectors. This high-tech imaging system uses AI machine learning algorithms to identify objects for more precise decision-making.

A 9th grader from Snellville, Georgia, has won the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, after inventing a handheld device designed to detect pesticide residues on produce.

Sirish Subash set himself apart with his AI-based sensor to win the grand prize of $25,000 cash and the prestigious title of “America’s Top Young Scientist.”

Like most inventors, Sirish was intrigued with curiosity and a simple question. His mother always insisted that he wash the fruit before eating it, and the boy wondered if the preventative action actually did any good.

After the bee stings a person, pain, and swelling occur in this place, due to the effects of bee venom (BV). This is not a poison in the total sense of the word because it has many benefits, and this is due to its composition being rich in proteins, peptides, enzymes, and other types of molecules in low concentrations that show promise in the treatment of numerous diseases and conditions. BV has also demonstrated positive effects against various cancers, antimicrobial activity, and wound healing versus the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Even though topical BV therapy is used to varying degrees among countries, localized swelling or itching are common side effects that may occur in some patients. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the complex chemical composition of BV, highlighting the diverse range of bioactive compounds and their therapeutic applications, which extend beyond the well-known anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects, showcasing the versatility of BV in modern medicine. A specific search strategy was followed across various databases; Web of sciences, Scopus, Medline, and Google Scholar including in vitro and in vivo clinical studies.to outline an overview of BV composition, methods to use, preparation requirements, and Individual consumption contraindications. Furthermore, this review addresses safety concerns and emerging approaches, such as the use of nanoparticles, to mitigate adverse effects, demonstrating a balanced and holistic perspective. Importantly, the review also incorporates historical context and traditional uses, as well as a unique focus on veterinary applications, setting it apart from previous works and providing a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in the field.

Bees are commercially beneficial insects that have been around since the Cretaceous age of the Mesozoic Era. They also help fertilize many different crops. Bees are helpful, but their capacity to administer excruciating and poisonous stings constitutes a risk. Thankfully, most honeybees are not hostile to people and only resort to violence if they perceive danger (Pucca et al., 2019). Apis mellifera is the most often used honeybee species for agricultural pollination globally. All bee products, particularly venom, and honey, have been used for centuries, and their medicinal properties have been described in holy writings such as the Bible and the Quran (Ali, 2024; Dinu et al., 2024). Bee venom (BV) treatment involves injecting honeybee venom into the human body to cure various ailments. For over 5,000 years, this technique has been used in complementary therapies.