In many respects, 2024 was a year of building upon the foundations laid by previous technological and scientific advances. While AI continued to evolve at a rapid clip, progress was in many ways more incremental than last year when GPT-4 redefined expectations for genAI. But AI continues to make definable improvements across a range of…

In 1959, John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” redefined what was possible in jazz. Its unprecedented chord progression (later known as “Coltrane changes”) and relentless tempo pushed boundaries, challenging even seasoned musicians like Tommy Flanagan. The track eventually developed a reputation for being the “most feared song in jazz” for its fiendishly difficult improvisational demands. Today, genomics…

A recent mini-review from Vapourtec showcases the vast potential of flow biocatalysis, emphasizing its role in enhancing sustainability, efficiency, and productivity in chemical synthesis. The review highlights several key publications demonstrating how flow biocatalysis is a cleaner, more cost-effective alternative to traditional organic chemistry, largely due to its use of enzymes as reagents. “The use…

A research team led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst has developed a sensor to detect sodium ions in breast milk — a biomarker for elevated mammary permeability. This condition is a key indicator of subclinical mastitis, an asymptomatic inflammation of the breast that can contribute to milk supply issues and potentially hinder breastfeeding for…

Argonne National Laboratory has developed a new technology that could significantly impact the aviation industry and the environment by turning waste streams into cost-competitive sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This novel invention, dubbed “membrane-assisted anaerobic digestion” (MAAD), converts high-strength organic wastewater from sources like breweries and dairy farms into volatile fatty acids, which can be further…

What if the combination of stem cell research, bioengineering and biocomputing could help patients with neurological damage? Researchers at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and the University of Southern California (USC) are embarking on a research initiative to explore that very possibility. With a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Emerging Frontiers…

[Adobe Stock] Updated on October 20, 2024 with new details The current Biden-Harris administration and potential Republican approaches offer different visions for the future of American science. While the Biden-Harris team emphasizes investments in climate change mitigation and clean energy, conservative approaches have historically focused on deregulation and achieving energy independence through traditional energy sources.…

For six decades, the R&D 100 Awards have been a benchmark of achievement in science and technology, often referred to informally as “The Oscars of Innovation.” This year, we’re offering a new interactive experience, allowing you to explore the remarkable work of both winners and finalists across diverse fields. From advances in mechanical and material…

Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is naturally produced in many crucial industries, such as agriculture and wastewater treatment. What if we could grab that gas before it enters the atmosphere and make something useful out of it? Mango Materials, a California-based biomanufacturing company, has invented a way to do just that. Using a special mixture…

Los Alamos National Laboratory and OpenAI are joining forces to conduct the world’s first real-world evaluation of AI’s potential role in biological threats. The partnership between OpenAI and Los Alamos goes beyond previous text-based assessments of AI in biological contexts. OpenAI highlighted two aspects that set this research apart, noting the “research will involve real…

Let’s say you are repeating a scientific experiment but each time you’re getting a completely different outcome. This is the frustrating reality of the “replication crisis,” a widespread problem affecting nearly every scientific discipline. “We’ve all seen in our own practices how there are many ‘researcher degrees of freedom’ that could lead to studies not…

Engineers at Washington University in St. Louis are tapping microorganisms to produce sustainable fuels, chemicals, materials, and medicines. Their latest research, published in Nature Communications, focuses on the role of ATP (adenosine-5′-triphosphate) in microbial metabolism and its role on bioproduction. Recognizing that ATP, the primary cellular energy currency, fluctuates significantly in microbes used for biomanufacturing,…

What do frictionless parking experiences and life-saving drugs have in common? For data scientist June Guo, the answer lies in setting AI algorithms loose on vast troves of data. Before setting his sights on human biology, Guo worked at Metropolis Technologies, a company focused on transforming the parking experience through the use of advanced computer…

Samay, the maker of a patented, AI-assisted wearable device and platform to monitor lung function, announces impressive results of its trial with more than 100 subjects. Designed for COPD, the wearable device (called “Sylvee”) continuously measures air trapping and other measures of respiratory function in patients at home. This study was conducted in partnership with…

R&D World editors Paul Heney and Aimee Kalnoskas are back, and this time they’re talking about a lot of news, in addition to the technology of the day. First, they delve into some important updates about the R&D 100 Awards for 2023 — and then dip their toes into the strange new world of AI…

R&D World editors Paul Heney and Aimee Kalnoskas have their minds blown — multiple times! — in this episode, which delves into Certara’s Simcyp COVID-19 Vaccine Model, a 2021 R&D 100 Awards winner. Paul interviews Piet van der Graaf, Senior Vice President and Head of Quantitative Systems Pharmacology for Certara and learns about the genesis…

By Mark Jones Morel mushroom hunting is an interesting and enjoyable spring activity in Michigan. Finding morels is a challenge, but if you want to eat them, finding is close to the only option. It takes effort, knowledge of the woods, and a trained eye. Some friends, life-long morel hunters, introduced us to the morel…

PerkinElmer. is participating at the Bio-IT World Conference and Expo, May 3-5, in Boston, (booths #908, #912), with a focus on helping labs make well-informed and timely data-driven decisions on therapeutic candidates by leveraging cloud-based informatics solutions and strategic IT services. Helping the world’s pharmaceutical and biotech companies get a better handle on their data,…

Our co-hosts Paul Heney and Aimee Kalnoskas are talking pain in this episode — that’s some serious chronic pain. They investigate one of the most interesting recent inventions for treating this debilitating condition, something that many of us will deal with at some point in our lives. Paul and Aimee hear from Lee Hartley and Jonathan Ruais…

Los Alamos National Laboratory’s PEGASUS is a portable, ruggedized and simple-to-operate biosensor that detects a variety of important and biochemically disparate markers, including bacterial signatures, viral genetic material, toxins, and potential biothreat agents in less than 30 minutes. PEGASUS detects biomarkers from an array of environmental samples, bodily fluids, food supplies and more. Biochemical analytical…

From UCLA Samueli Newsroom A team of bioengineers at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering has invented a novel soft and flexible self-powered bioelectronic device. The technology converts human body motions — from bending an elbow to subtle movements such as a pulse on one’s wrist — into electricity that could be used to power…

Howard University’s Chemical Engineering Department and Amgen, an independent biotechnology company, have designed an innovative academic-industry partnership meant to greatly expand opportunities for underrepresented minorities in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. The partnership takes the form of a fellowship for master’s level graduate students and includes training in Amgen’s laboratories. The Chemical Engineering Department, in…

By Anne Trafton | MIT News Office Synthetic biology offers a way to engineer cells to perform novel functions, such as glowing with fluorescent light when they detect a certain chemical. Usually, this is done by altering cells so they express genes that can be triggered by a certain input. However, there is often a…

Blackrock Neurotech, a brain-computer interface (BCI) technology innovator and manufacturer, has presented recently published research in Science Magazine by the University of Pittsburgh’s Rehab Neural Engineering Labs called “A brain-computer interface that evokes tactile sensations improves robotic arm control.” The research team used Blackrock’s NeuroPort System to control a bidirectional prosthetic arm to restore function…

By Jeremy Thomas, LLNL Thin-film electrodes developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have been used in human patients at the University of California, San Francisco, generating never-before-seen recordings of brain activity in the hippocampus, a region responsible for memory and other cognitive functions. In a study published today in the journal Nature Communications, surgeons at…