D-Wave Quantum Inc. said its subsidiary Quantum Circuits, LLC received funding through the Northeast Regional Defense Technology Hub.
Category: innovation
Living Tissue Robot: A Biohybrid Breakthrough
Explore the University of Tokyo’s creation: a walking robot powered by muscle tissue.
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Lab-designed molecule offers hope for celiac disease sufferers
A research project led by the Institute for Research in Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA) and the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences at the University of Barcelona, together with the Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB) of the CSIC (which stands for Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), has successfully designed and tested a gluten-degrading molecule that is a promising ally in the management of celiac disease, an autoimmune disease whose symptoms are triggered by the consumption of gluten and other prolamins found in cereals.
At present, there is a complete lack of treatment options beyond a diet free from gluten, which is difficult to maintain in Western societies where diets rely heavily on wheat products.
The major breakthrough is that the molecule is effective at very low concentrations and at a pH of 2—the pH of the stomach—a condition that none of the molecules currently available or under development had previously achieved with efficiency. Although some of them are marketed as nutritional supplements, they are not an effective alternative to gluten-free diets.
New framework helps robots turn complex language into precise 3D actions
Over the past few decades, roboticists worldwide have introduced increasingly advanced robots that can understand human instructions, move in their surroundings and reliably complete basic manual tasks. While they perform well in some scenarios, many of these robots still struggle to translate the instructions of users into precise and executable actions that would allow them to successfully complete desired tasks.
Recently, computer scientists have been trying to improve how robots respond to user commands or queries using vision-language models (VLMs), artificial intelligence (AI) systems trained to process both images and texts. These models can typically interpret basic requests such as “place the bottle onto the plate,” yet they often do not exhibit the spatial reasoning capabilities required to interpret more elaborate instructions and translate them into executable actions in real-world settings.
Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Zhejiang Humanoid Robot Innovation Center Co. Ltd and other institutes recently introduced Retrieval-Augmented Manipulation (RAM), a framework that could improve the ability of robots to connect abstract instructions with three-dimensional (3D) representations of the space around them. The new framework, presented in a Science Robotics paper, was found to improve the spatial reasoning capabilities of robots, allowing them to reliably follow more elaborate instructions, without requiring task-specific training.
NASA’s Fermi glimpses power source of supercharged supernovae
LSU researchers helped uncover what may be the first clear detection of gamma rays from a superluminous supernova, using data from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope—a breakthrough that offers new insight into the powerful magnetars believed to drive some of the universe’s brightest stellar explosions.
An international team studying data from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope concludes the mission detected a rare, unusually luminous supernova. The researchers say it likely received its power-up from a supermagnetized neutron star born in the stellar collapse that triggered the explosion.
The Fermi mission is part of NASA’s fleet of observatories monitoring the changing cosmos to help humanity better understand how the universe works.
Chemists use sea sponge bacteria to create new molecules for drug discovery
Florida State University chemists have synthesized new molecules derived from bacteria found in a Pacific Ocean sea sponge, a breakthrough for the future of drug development, particularly for rare forms of cancer.
“Around 50% of approved drugs are either natural products or derivatives of natural products,” said Zackary Firestone, a fourth-year doctoral student in FSU’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and the study’s lead author. “Synthetic access to these molecules is important because it allows for easier procurement for biological testing as well as the making of new derivatives.”
The research team is the first to successfully synthesize two new marine natural products: tetradehydrohalicyclamine B and epi-tetradehydrohalicyclamine B. Both were isolated from bacteria that lives in symbiosis with Acanthostrongylophora ingens, a Pacific-dwelling sea sponge.
The Cybernetic Teammate: A Field Experiment on Generative AI Reshaping Teamwork and Expertise
We examine how artificial intelligence transforms the core pillars of collaboration— performance, expertise sharing, and social engagement—through a pre-registered field experiment with 776 professionals at Procter & Gamble, a global consumer packaged goods company. Working on real product innovation challenges, professionals were randomly assigned to work either with or without AI, and either individually or with another professional in new product development teams. Our findings reveal that AI significantly enhances performance: individuals with AI matched the performance of teams without AI, demonstrating that AI can effectively replicate certain benefits of human collaboration. Moreover, AI breaks down functional silos. Without AI, R&D professionals tended to suggest more technical solutions, while Commercial professionals leaned towards commerciallyoriented proposals.
The Android Show: I/O Edition | Gemini Intelligence
Introducing Gemini Intelligence, an intelligence system that knows what matters to you, helps you stay a step ahead and works proactively to get things done throughout your day, bringing the best of Gemini to our most advanced devices.
Join Mindy Brooks (VP, PM and UX, Android Platform), Dieter Bohn (Director, Product Operations), and Ruchi Bezoles (Director, Android Marketing) to see how we’re making Gemini Intelligence handle the busywork so you can get back to what brings you joy.
Watch the full show now to check out all of the innovations and breakthroughs coming soon to Android! → https://www.youtube.com/live/dXCCleAddEA
Learn more about Gemini Intelligence → https://android.com/gemini-intelligence.
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