SciTech #ScienceSunday Digest - 15/2016.
SciTech #ScienceSunday Digest - 15/2016.
Permalink here: http://www.scitechdigest.net/2016/04/gut-bacteria-therapeutics-large.html
Gut bacteria therapeutics, Large cortical maps, Metal foam applications, Plastic proteins, Stem cell regeneration, Nanocrystal ink transistors, Elegant brain navigation, Harmonic gear improvements, Smartphone blood tests, Carbon nanotube advances.
1. Reprogrammed Gut Bacteria Therapeutics
Synologic is seeking to launch a range of living therapeutics comprising engineered gut microbes http://news.mit.edu/2016/startup-synlogic-reprogramming-gut-bacteria-living-therapeutics-0405. The bacteria are intended to correct metabolic disorders that cause major diseases by providing augmented metabolic capabilities in the gut or otherwise complement functionality that may have been lost in other organs. These are metabolic thermostats, regulating levels of ammonia or amino acids in the first examples, and seeking to treat things like inflammatory bowel disease in future, and possibly even things like lactose and gluten intolerance. Such a platform might be used not only for disease treatment but enhancement too. This is especially interesting given recent studies demonstrating gut bacteria regulating brain structure and function https://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2016/apr/05/gut-bacteria-brain-myelin and suggesting gut bacteria modification might actually impact intelligence.
2. Largest Network of Cortical Neurons Mapped
The largest network map of connections between neurons in the cortex has been published, another important milestone in the field of connectomics https://www.alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/brain-science/news-press/press-releases/research-largest-network-cortical-neurons-date-published-nature. This work is increasingly building tools to reverse engineer the brain and discover relationships between circuit wiring and neuronal and network computations, identifying modular architectures and functionally specific connectivity between neurons. This work comprised a 100 terabyte 3D data set, specifically analysing neurons in the visual cortex that responded to particular stimuli such as horizontal bars on a screen.
3. Composite Metal Foam Applications
The development of composite metal foams has developed in interesting directions, with the latest demonstration showing a 1-inch thick composite metal foam easily withstanding the impact from a high-power armour-piercing bullet, indeed the bullet turns into dust on impact - see the video https://news.ncsu.edu/2016/04/metal-foam-tough-2016/. In addition these metal foams are significantly lighter than normal metal plate, effectively shield x-rays, gamma rays, and neutron radiation, and handle fire and heat twice as well as bulk metals.
4. Versatile Plastic Proteins
Cyanuric chloride is a molecule being used as the base for a platform materials technology able to create a huge range of synthetic plastic proteins http://www.pnnl.gov/news/release.aspx?id=4266. This base molecule is used to produce a wide range of monomers with different side chains (functional groups) like amino acids, the monomers can be linked together in specific sequences as desired, and the chemistry facilitates predictable non-covalent bonds able to fold the polymer into desired shapes (like a protein). The benefits are the ability to create a much larger library of stable monomers, and potentially longer, larger polymer chains and more diverse folded shapes with novel functions - even replacing or mimicking protein drugs if needed. The benefits are these materials are much more stable, longer-lived, and resistant to protein-type degradation than normal proteins.
5. Next Generation Stem Cell Tissue Regeneration
A new stem cell technique reprograms bone and fat cells into induced multipotent stem cells (iMS) that have the ability to regenerate multiple tissue types in mice http://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/health/medical-scientists-develop-%E2%80%98game-changing%E2%80%99-stem-cell-repair-system. Once human iMS cells have been demonstrated as safe and effective in mice then human trials with the new cells may begin in 2017. The transformation procedure seems quite straightforward, and involves treating the cells with the compound 5-Azacytidine and platelet-derived growth factor. This looks fascinating for regenerating and repairing damaged or diseased tissues, but I wonder if it will also rejuvenate simply aged tissues? In related news the genes driving natural regeneration in animals have been mapped and counterparts have been found in humans https://today.duke.edu/2016/04/genetrees.
6. Nanocrystal Ink Transistors
Different spherical nanoparticles with the necessary electrical properties were dispersed in liquids to make inks, and a library of four of these inks can be used to lay down precise patterns to form transistors and other electrical components on flexible surfaces https://news.upenn.edu/news/penn-engineers-develop-first-transistors-made-entirely-nanocrystal-inks. This is a low-power, low-temperature fabrication technique and a good example of additive manufacturing process for creating logic gates, integrated circuits, and other electronics. It is also nicely modular as individual inks and nanocrystals can be independently developed and optimised to achieve better results. In related news precisely layered quantum dots enhance light-to-current energy conversion https://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=11829.
7. Brain Location Tracking with Natural Logarithms
It has been known that brains use grid cells to keep track of their physical location, but the mechanism by which grid cells encode and decode this information has now been deciphered for the first time http://www.upenn.edu/spotlights/penn-researchers-theory-brains-location-tracking-cells-use-transcendental-number-system. Grid cells use a transcendental number system based on the mathematical constant ‘e’ with different sized grids acting as the equivalent of tens, hundreds, and thousands in a decimal number, and with different sized grids found in ratios of ‘e’. To find ‘e’ lurking in the brain’s codes like this is pretty powerful and I wonder where else in the brain it might be found; it turns out that this is the most efficient way to encode the most amount of information with the least amount of cells and so it shouldn’t be too surprising the evolution figured this out a long time ago. This system works for animals navigating a predominantly 2D environment, but for those navigating 3D you only need a slightly different factor of ‘e’ to achieve the same.
8. Improvements for Harmonic Gears
Harmonic gears have the same size, weight, and form factor regardless of gear ratio, allowing flexible design revisions and reduction ratios of 30:1 to 160:1 being common; as a bonus developments in materials technology should allow harmonic gears to maintain their exceptional torque capacity while realising a 30% reduction in weight http://nextbigfuture.com/2016/04/stronger-metals-will-make-lighter-and.html. Prime benefits and applications here appear to be in robotics and prosthetics, for which you might want this analogue self-powered smart skin http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=43084.php.
9. Portable, Personal, Smartphone, Blood Testing
Cor is launching a product to bring blood chemistry testing via spectroscopy to the home http://www.gizmag.com/cor-blood-chemistry-health-tracker/42608/. The system uses (i) single-use cartridges that have a fine needle to take surface level blood samples, (ii) a reader unit then takes the cartridge and analyses the sample via vibrational spectroscopy, (iii) data is sent to the cloud for processing, (iv) results are returned to the person via a smartphone app. The first tests will include cholesterol, glucose, fibrinogen, and triglycerides. It is great to see this space increasingly heating up and I’m sorely tempted to back Cor’s Indiegogo campaign.
10. Latest Interesting Carbon Nanotube Tech
First, wafer-scale uniformly-aligned high-density carbon nanotube films are now being produced, which can be patterned by standard photolithography methods, and which have produced transistors, LEDs, photodetectors, and polarizers http://spectrum.ieee.org/nanoclast/semiconductors/materials/wafer-scale-nanotube-film-is-finally-here. Second, carbon nanotubes have been used as nanoreactors to produce long (micrometer), stable one-dimensional carbon chains known as carbyne within the nanotubes; carbyne’s mechanical properties exceed all known materials http://phys.org/news/2016-04-proof-stable-ultra-long-1d-carbon.html. Finally, carbon nanotubes have been confirmed as the fastest proton conductors ever discovered http://phys.org/news/2016-04-tiny-tubes-fast-lane.html.
SciTech Tip Jar: http://www.scitechdigest.net/p/donate.html
Permalink here: http://www.scitechdigest.net/2016/04/gut-bacteria-therapeutics-large.html
Gut bacteria therapeutics, Large cortical maps, Metal foam applications, Plastic proteins, Stem cell regeneration, Nanocrystal ink transistors, Elegant brain navigation, Harmonic gear improvements, Smartphone blood tests, Carbon nanotube advances.
1. Reprogrammed Gut Bacteria Therapeutics
Synologic is seeking to launch a range of living therapeutics comprising engineered gut microbes http://news.mit.edu/2016/startup-synlogic-reprogramming-gut-bacteria-living-therapeutics-0405. The bacteria are intended to correct metabolic disorders that cause major diseases by providing augmented metabolic capabilities in the gut or otherwise complement functionality that may have been lost in other organs. These are metabolic thermostats, regulating levels of ammonia or amino acids in the first examples, and seeking to treat things like inflammatory bowel disease in future, and possibly even things like lactose and gluten intolerance. Such a platform might be used not only for disease treatment but enhancement too. This is especially interesting given recent studies demonstrating gut bacteria regulating brain structure and function https://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2016/apr/05/gut-bacteria-brain-myelin and suggesting gut bacteria modification might actually impact intelligence.
2. Largest Network of Cortical Neurons Mapped
The largest network map of connections between neurons in the cortex has been published, another important milestone in the field of connectomics https://www.alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/brain-science/news-press/press-releases/research-largest-network-cortical-neurons-date-published-nature. This work is increasingly building tools to reverse engineer the brain and discover relationships between circuit wiring and neuronal and network computations, identifying modular architectures and functionally specific connectivity between neurons. This work comprised a 100 terabyte 3D data set, specifically analysing neurons in the visual cortex that responded to particular stimuli such as horizontal bars on a screen.
3. Composite Metal Foam Applications
The development of composite metal foams has developed in interesting directions, with the latest demonstration showing a 1-inch thick composite metal foam easily withstanding the impact from a high-power armour-piercing bullet, indeed the bullet turns into dust on impact - see the video https://news.ncsu.edu/2016/04/metal-foam-tough-2016/. In addition these metal foams are significantly lighter than normal metal plate, effectively shield x-rays, gamma rays, and neutron radiation, and handle fire and heat twice as well as bulk metals.
4. Versatile Plastic Proteins
Cyanuric chloride is a molecule being used as the base for a platform materials technology able to create a huge range of synthetic plastic proteins http://www.pnnl.gov/news/release.aspx?id=4266. This base molecule is used to produce a wide range of monomers with different side chains (functional groups) like amino acids, the monomers can be linked together in specific sequences as desired, and the chemistry facilitates predictable non-covalent bonds able to fold the polymer into desired shapes (like a protein). The benefits are the ability to create a much larger library of stable monomers, and potentially longer, larger polymer chains and more diverse folded shapes with novel functions - even replacing or mimicking protein drugs if needed. The benefits are these materials are much more stable, longer-lived, and resistant to protein-type degradation than normal proteins.
5. Next Generation Stem Cell Tissue Regeneration
A new stem cell technique reprograms bone and fat cells into induced multipotent stem cells (iMS) that have the ability to regenerate multiple tissue types in mice http://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/health/medical-scientists-develop-%E2%80%98game-changing%E2%80%99-stem-cell-repair-system. Once human iMS cells have been demonstrated as safe and effective in mice then human trials with the new cells may begin in 2017. The transformation procedure seems quite straightforward, and involves treating the cells with the compound 5-Azacytidine and platelet-derived growth factor. This looks fascinating for regenerating and repairing damaged or diseased tissues, but I wonder if it will also rejuvenate simply aged tissues? In related news the genes driving natural regeneration in animals have been mapped and counterparts have been found in humans https://today.duke.edu/2016/04/genetrees.
6. Nanocrystal Ink Transistors
Different spherical nanoparticles with the necessary electrical properties were dispersed in liquids to make inks, and a library of four of these inks can be used to lay down precise patterns to form transistors and other electrical components on flexible surfaces https://news.upenn.edu/news/penn-engineers-develop-first-transistors-made-entirely-nanocrystal-inks. This is a low-power, low-temperature fabrication technique and a good example of additive manufacturing process for creating logic gates, integrated circuits, and other electronics. It is also nicely modular as individual inks and nanocrystals can be independently developed and optimised to achieve better results. In related news precisely layered quantum dots enhance light-to-current energy conversion https://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=11829.
7. Brain Location Tracking with Natural Logarithms
It has been known that brains use grid cells to keep track of their physical location, but the mechanism by which grid cells encode and decode this information has now been deciphered for the first time http://www.upenn.edu/spotlights/penn-researchers-theory-brains-location-tracking-cells-use-transcendental-number-system. Grid cells use a transcendental number system based on the mathematical constant ‘e’ with different sized grids acting as the equivalent of tens, hundreds, and thousands in a decimal number, and with different sized grids found in ratios of ‘e’. To find ‘e’ lurking in the brain’s codes like this is pretty powerful and I wonder where else in the brain it might be found; it turns out that this is the most efficient way to encode the most amount of information with the least amount of cells and so it shouldn’t be too surprising the evolution figured this out a long time ago. This system works for animals navigating a predominantly 2D environment, but for those navigating 3D you only need a slightly different factor of ‘e’ to achieve the same.
8. Improvements for Harmonic Gears
Harmonic gears have the same size, weight, and form factor regardless of gear ratio, allowing flexible design revisions and reduction ratios of 30:1 to 160:1 being common; as a bonus developments in materials technology should allow harmonic gears to maintain their exceptional torque capacity while realising a 30% reduction in weight http://nextbigfuture.com/2016/04/stronger-metals-will-make-lighter-and.html. Prime benefits and applications here appear to be in robotics and prosthetics, for which you might want this analogue self-powered smart skin http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=43084.php.
9. Portable, Personal, Smartphone, Blood Testing
Cor is launching a product to bring blood chemistry testing via spectroscopy to the home http://www.gizmag.com/cor-blood-chemistry-health-tracker/42608/. The system uses (i) single-use cartridges that have a fine needle to take surface level blood samples, (ii) a reader unit then takes the cartridge and analyses the sample via vibrational spectroscopy, (iii) data is sent to the cloud for processing, (iv) results are returned to the person via a smartphone app. The first tests will include cholesterol, glucose, fibrinogen, and triglycerides. It is great to see this space increasingly heating up and I’m sorely tempted to back Cor’s Indiegogo campaign.
10. Latest Interesting Carbon Nanotube Tech
First, wafer-scale uniformly-aligned high-density carbon nanotube films are now being produced, which can be patterned by standard photolithography methods, and which have produced transistors, LEDs, photodetectors, and polarizers http://spectrum.ieee.org/nanoclast/semiconductors/materials/wafer-scale-nanotube-film-is-finally-here. Second, carbon nanotubes have been used as nanoreactors to produce long (micrometer), stable one-dimensional carbon chains known as carbyne within the nanotubes; carbyne’s mechanical properties exceed all known materials http://phys.org/news/2016-04-proof-stable-ultra-long-1d-carbon.html. Finally, carbon nanotubes have been confirmed as the fastest proton conductors ever discovered http://phys.org/news/2016-04-tiny-tubes-fast-lane.html.
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