Lifeboat Foundation

New research from MIT has resulted in a microfluidic device, the tumor analysis platform (TAP), that can simulate different cancer treatments on biopsied tumor tissue. The TAP device can be 3D printed within one hour and is slightly larger than a quarter. Three cylindrical shafts rise from the surface of the device and serve as ports to input and drain fluids, as well as remove air bubbles. Fluid—including various media, fluorescent markers, or lymphocytes—gets injected into an inlet port adjacent to the trap. The fluid enters through the inlet port and flows past the trap.

A new 3D-printed device from MIT researchers allows for the testing of different cancer treatments on live tumor tissue outside the human body.

More effective treatments for Multiple Sclerosis on the horizon?

Dr. Metcalfe and her company are already looking to take down other severe diseases as well.

“Psoriasis is high up on our list, and diabetes is another. Downstream there are all the dementias because a LIF is a major health factor for the brain. So if we can get it into the brain we can start protecting against dementia.”

Continue reading “This Scientist Is On The Verge Of Curing Multiple Sclerosis For 2.3 Million Patients” »

Perhaps not the most complete and/or updated view on dopamine, but pretty fun short talk overall. No, we’re not that different.

http://www.scienceandnonduality.com

Continue reading “Are We Just Another Primate? Robert Sapolsky” »

While the company is no doubt losing quality employees, Fossil is still committed to wearable tech.

Rumors about a Pixel Watch have abounded for years. Such a device would certainly make sense as Google attempts to prove the viability of its struggling wearable operating system, Wear OSeems the company is finally getting serious about the prospect. Today Fossil announced plans to sell its smartwatch IP to the software giant for $40 million.

Sounds like Google will be getting a nice head start here as well. The deal pertains to “a smartwatch technology currently under development” and involves the transfer of a number of Fossil employees to team Google.

Continue reading “Google is buying Fossil’s smartwatch tech for $40 million” »

It could soon make deliveries in the places that need drones the most.

Continue reading “This Drone Takes off by Leaping With Bird-Inspired Legs” »

Researchers have discovered a highly unusual vertically-oriented protoplanetary disk orbiting around a four-star system.

It’s for your health, we promise.

In 2018, scientists announced the discovery of a extrasolar planet orbiting Barnard’s star, an M-type (red dwarf) that is just 6 light years away. Using the Radial Velocity method, the research team responsible for the discovery determined that this exoplanet (Barnard’s Star b) was at least 3.2 times as massive as Earth and experienced average surface temperatures of about −170 °C (−274 °F) – making it both a “Super-Earth” and “ice planet”.

Based on these findings, it was a foregone conclusion that Barnard b would be hostile to life as we know it. But according to new study by a team of researchers from Villanova University and the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC), it is possible – assuming the planet has a hot iron/nickel core and experiences enhanced geothermal activity – that this giant iceball of a planet could actually support life.

Continue reading “Geothermal Heating Could Make Life Possible on the Super Earth Planet at Barnard’s Star” »

Research in immunotherapy identifies mechanism that helps fight lung cancer and melanoma.

In a breakthrough discovery, scientists from Harvard Medical School along with a team at Bar-Ilan University have uncovered a mechanism in which the immune system is capable of attacking cancer cells. This contributes greatly to research in immunotherapy, particularly in fighting lung cancer and melanoma (skin cancer). The research team was composed of Prof. Nick Hainin of Harvard Medical School and Prof. Erez Levanon of the Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences at Bar-Ilan University, along with doctoral student, Ilana Buchumansky and many others.

The study was published two weeks ago in the journal Nature, detailing how scientists have uncovered a mechanism that assists the cell by leaving markers on human virus-like genes thereby preventing them from being recognized as viruses. When this channel is inhibited, the immune system can be utilized to destroy cancerous cells, particularly in the cases of lung cancer and melanoma. The immune system reacts when this path is blocked or shut off, and allows the body to destroy cancer cells at a more effective rate.

Continue reading “Israeli research identifies mechanism that helps fight cancer” »