SciTech #ScienceSunday Digest - 22/2016.
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SciTech #ScienceSunday Digest - 22/2016.
Permalink here: http://www.scitechdigest.net/2016/05/mapping-ncrna-computers-driving-maths.html
Mapping ncRNA, Protein modularity, Better infrared light capture, Clutter busting robots, Computers driving maths & science, Automatic DNA origami, Scaling quantum dots, Cancer immunotherapies, Reducing amyloid plaques, Large-scale IoT.
1. Mapping Non-Coding RNA from Junk DNA
A new technique called LIGR-Seq captures interactions between different RNA molecules, isolates them, sequences them, and so identifies novel functions for new non-coding RNA molecules http://www.thedonnellycentre.utoronto.ca/news/shedding-light-%E2%80%98dark-matter%E2%80%99-genome. Types of non-coding RNA’s include the following: rRNA, tRNA, snRNA, snoRNA, piRNA, miRNA, and lncRNA. Only 2% of the genome codes for mRNA and proteins. The other 98% was thought to be junk, but it turns out that 50% - 75% of this “junk” is transcribed into non-coding RNAs now thought to have many functions in the cell and that previously had been incredibly difficult to identify, study, and characterise. This new tool changes that and should significantly boost our understanding of the cell and ways to manipulate it.
2. Better Understanding Protein Modularity and Design
A new evolutionary analysis of protein structure-function reveals strong conservation over time and across species for modular protein components that form loops for active sites that bind molecules or other proteins http://singularityhub.com/2016/05/25/scientists-unearth-key-evolutionary-link-in-proteins/. These modules are essentially used over and over again in different genes throughout different species and their identification provides avenues for directed synthetic biology applications, combining different modules to create proteins with novel functions. This phenomenon, known as hierarchical modularity has been observed in other complex man-made networks.
3. Efficiently Capturing Infrared Light
By etching thin grooves into semiconducting thin films a group has created ultraefficient infrared light absorbers capable of capturing 99% of infrared light instead of the conventional approaches that manage 7.7% http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-05/uos-obt052416.php. The structure of the grooves direct the light sideways into the material and drastically reduce reflections; I wonder if they are trying similar techniques for photovoltaics? Applications include much cheaper and more portable night-vision capabilities, thermal imaging generally, and perhaps types of sensing spectroscopy.
4. Robots Dealing with Clutter
New software is helping robots better deal with clutter via “rearrangement planning”, especially when pick-and-place becomes unfeasible or too time consuming http://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2016/may/robots-clutter.html. Obvious applications in sorting objects in complex environments and also in path planning when traversing cluttered and uneven surfaces. Next step is to incorporate additional levels and means of feedback for the robot to react and adjust to the environment as it goes about rearranging things. Meanwhile a new robot quickly sorts different types of rubbish for recycling applications http://spectrum.ieee.org/view-from-the-valley/robotics/industrial-robots/to-reycle-or-not-to-recycle-a-trash-robot-knows-for-sure.
5. Computers Solving Maths and Mining Science
The largest ever mathematics proof has been announced, in this case for computationally cracking the Boolean Pythagorean Triples problem, and is contained in a 200 Terabyte file http://www.nature.com/news/two-hundred-terabyte-maths-proof-is-largest-ever-1.19990?. Such brute-force proofs are becoming increasingly common and are no doubt useful, but people question whether they actually lead to increased mathematical understanding as is the case with general proofs. In related news machine learning techniques are being used to help researchers filter immense volumes of scientific papers and data to better direct research efforts, ask better questions, and reduce wasted efforts http://singularityhub.com/2016/05/26/machine-learnings-next-trick-will-transform-how-research-is-done/ and https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601589/the-first-visual-search-engine-for-scientific-diagrams/.
6. Automating DNA Origami Design
DAEDALUS is a new software algorithm that allows a user to design and specify a 3D structure, complete with holes, for which it then automatically designs the optimised sequence and number of DNA strands needed for form that particular DNA origami nanoparticle http://news.mit.edu/2016/automating-dna-origami-opens-door-many-new-uses-0526. Such a tool will further accelerate the field of self-assembled DNA nanostructures, and broaden its accessibility to more people across more fields. Applications include designing better gene-delivery vehicles, conjugation with proteins for functional targeting, functional memory blocks, basic nano-scale building blocks, functionalisation with metals for quantum dots, next-generation nanomachines and nanodevices.
7. Scaling Up Quantum Dot Production
Another recent technique for scaling up quantum dot production makes use of bacterial fermentation to do so https://www.ornl.gov/news/ornl-demonstrates-large-scale-technique-produce-quantum-dots. In this case zinc sulfide nanoparticles were fabricated by bacteria in a fermentation / biomanufacturing technique that results in the quantum dot nanoparticles being produced outside of the cell, and possibly 90% cheaper than other methods. Seems we really are getting closer to mass manufacturing of nanometer-scale quantum dots with magnetic, photovoltaic, and catalytic properties for a wide range of applications in electronics, energy generation and storage, and imaging.
8. Nuances in Cancer Immunotherapies
It turns out that techniques for activating a patient’s own immune cells to attack cancer cells may not be as effective as introducing immune cells taken from healthy volunteers https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2016/05/borrowed-immune-cells-to-fight-cancer/. The introduced cells turned out to be much better at recognising the cancer cells as cancerous, which the patient’s own immune system had otherwise failed to recognise; this is probably one of multiple mechanisms for the benefits of parabiosis. Immunotherapies are some of the most promising techniques currently being trialled and advances like this should only help to make them more effective.
9. Reducing Amyloid Plaques Systemically
It appears that organs and tissues peripheral to the brain play a role in removing and clearing Amyloid-beta protein and reducing the levels of Amyloid plaques the brain that are characteristic of Alzheimer’s Disease https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2016/05/the-possibility-of-reducing-amyloid-in-the-brain-by-reducing-it-elsewhere/. Amyloid produced in the brain appears to be somewhat cleared in the periphery, and boosting this clearance in the periphery helps to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease pathogenesis. This could be a source of low-hanging-fruit for temporarily pushing back Alzheimer’s Disease in humans to buy time for more advanced therapies.
10. First Large-Scale Internet of Things Network
Building of the first nation-wide network dedicated to the Internet of Things has been announced by Samsung, to be tested and rolled-out through South Korea http://nextbigfuture.com/2016/05/samsung-and-sk-telecom-to-build-world.html. This brings together a range of innovations in wireless communications, networking, data analytics, and electronic sensing to demonstrate a viable and effective nation-wide Internet of Things platform that people can expand and build applications on top of. As an example streetlights will collect weather and traffic information to facilitate lighting adjustments and pollution monitoring.
SciTech Tip Jar: http://www.scitechdigest.net/p/donate.html
SciTech #ScienceSunday Digest - 22/2016.
Permalink here: http://www.scitechdigest.net/2016/05/mapping-ncrna-computers-driving-maths.html
Mapping ncRNA, Protein modularity, Better infrared light capture, Clutter busting robots, Computers driving maths & science, Automatic DNA origami, Scaling quantum dots, Cancer immunotherapies, Reducing amyloid plaques, Large-scale IoT.
1. Mapping Non-Coding RNA from Junk DNA
A new technique called LIGR-Seq captures interactions between different RNA molecules, isolates them, sequences them, and so identifies novel functions for new non-coding RNA molecules http://www.thedonnellycentre.utoronto.ca/news/shedding-light-%E2%80%98dark-matter%E2%80%99-genome. Types of non-coding RNA’s include the following: rRNA, tRNA, snRNA, snoRNA, piRNA, miRNA, and lncRNA. Only 2% of the genome codes for mRNA and proteins. The other 98% was thought to be junk, but it turns out that 50% - 75% of this “junk” is transcribed into non-coding RNAs now thought to have many functions in the cell and that previously had been incredibly difficult to identify, study, and characterise. This new tool changes that and should significantly boost our understanding of the cell and ways to manipulate it.
2. Better Understanding Protein Modularity and Design
A new evolutionary analysis of protein structure-function reveals strong conservation over time and across species for modular protein components that form loops for active sites that bind molecules or other proteins http://singularityhub.com/2016/05/25/scientists-unearth-key-evolutionary-link-in-proteins/. These modules are essentially used over and over again in different genes throughout different species and their identification provides avenues for directed synthetic biology applications, combining different modules to create proteins with novel functions. This phenomenon, known as hierarchical modularity has been observed in other complex man-made networks.
3. Efficiently Capturing Infrared Light
By etching thin grooves into semiconducting thin films a group has created ultraefficient infrared light absorbers capable of capturing 99% of infrared light instead of the conventional approaches that manage 7.7% http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-05/uos-obt052416.php. The structure of the grooves direct the light sideways into the material and drastically reduce reflections; I wonder if they are trying similar techniques for photovoltaics? Applications include much cheaper and more portable night-vision capabilities, thermal imaging generally, and perhaps types of sensing spectroscopy.
4. Robots Dealing with Clutter
New software is helping robots better deal with clutter via “rearrangement planning”, especially when pick-and-place becomes unfeasible or too time consuming http://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2016/may/robots-clutter.html. Obvious applications in sorting objects in complex environments and also in path planning when traversing cluttered and uneven surfaces. Next step is to incorporate additional levels and means of feedback for the robot to react and adjust to the environment as it goes about rearranging things. Meanwhile a new robot quickly sorts different types of rubbish for recycling applications http://spectrum.ieee.org/view-from-the-valley/robotics/industrial-robots/to-reycle-or-not-to-recycle-a-trash-robot-knows-for-sure.
5. Computers Solving Maths and Mining Science
The largest ever mathematics proof has been announced, in this case for computationally cracking the Boolean Pythagorean Triples problem, and is contained in a 200 Terabyte file http://www.nature.com/news/two-hundred-terabyte-maths-proof-is-largest-ever-1.19990?. Such brute-force proofs are becoming increasingly common and are no doubt useful, but people question whether they actually lead to increased mathematical understanding as is the case with general proofs. In related news machine learning techniques are being used to help researchers filter immense volumes of scientific papers and data to better direct research efforts, ask better questions, and reduce wasted efforts http://singularityhub.com/2016/05/26/machine-learnings-next-trick-will-transform-how-research-is-done/ and https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601589/the-first-visual-search-engine-for-scientific-diagrams/.
6. Automating DNA Origami Design
DAEDALUS is a new software algorithm that allows a user to design and specify a 3D structure, complete with holes, for which it then automatically designs the optimised sequence and number of DNA strands needed for form that particular DNA origami nanoparticle http://news.mit.edu/2016/automating-dna-origami-opens-door-many-new-uses-0526. Such a tool will further accelerate the field of self-assembled DNA nanostructures, and broaden its accessibility to more people across more fields. Applications include designing better gene-delivery vehicles, conjugation with proteins for functional targeting, functional memory blocks, basic nano-scale building blocks, functionalisation with metals for quantum dots, next-generation nanomachines and nanodevices.
7. Scaling Up Quantum Dot Production
Another recent technique for scaling up quantum dot production makes use of bacterial fermentation to do so https://www.ornl.gov/news/ornl-demonstrates-large-scale-technique-produce-quantum-dots. In this case zinc sulfide nanoparticles were fabricated by bacteria in a fermentation / biomanufacturing technique that results in the quantum dot nanoparticles being produced outside of the cell, and possibly 90% cheaper than other methods. Seems we really are getting closer to mass manufacturing of nanometer-scale quantum dots with magnetic, photovoltaic, and catalytic properties for a wide range of applications in electronics, energy generation and storage, and imaging.
8. Nuances in Cancer Immunotherapies
It turns out that techniques for activating a patient’s own immune cells to attack cancer cells may not be as effective as introducing immune cells taken from healthy volunteers https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2016/05/borrowed-immune-cells-to-fight-cancer/. The introduced cells turned out to be much better at recognising the cancer cells as cancerous, which the patient’s own immune system had otherwise failed to recognise; this is probably one of multiple mechanisms for the benefits of parabiosis. Immunotherapies are some of the most promising techniques currently being trialled and advances like this should only help to make them more effective.
9. Reducing Amyloid Plaques Systemically
It appears that organs and tissues peripheral to the brain play a role in removing and clearing Amyloid-beta protein and reducing the levels of Amyloid plaques the brain that are characteristic of Alzheimer’s Disease https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2016/05/the-possibility-of-reducing-amyloid-in-the-brain-by-reducing-it-elsewhere/. Amyloid produced in the brain appears to be somewhat cleared in the periphery, and boosting this clearance in the periphery helps to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease pathogenesis. This could be a source of low-hanging-fruit for temporarily pushing back Alzheimer’s Disease in humans to buy time for more advanced therapies.
10. First Large-Scale Internet of Things Network
Building of the first nation-wide network dedicated to the Internet of Things has been announced by Samsung, to be tested and rolled-out through South Korea http://nextbigfuture.com/2016/05/samsung-and-sk-telecom-to-build-world.html. This brings together a range of innovations in wireless communications, networking, data analytics, and electronic sensing to demonstrate a viable and effective nation-wide Internet of Things platform that people can expand and build applications on top of. As an example streetlights will collect weather and traffic information to facilitate lighting adjustments and pollution monitoring.
SciTech Tip Jar: http://www.scitechdigest.net/p/donate.html
Hi Jessica Meyer thank you for sharing your work I promise to do some science research soon I'm working on a fifthpower Ya I know there's only four gravity that acts between objects,weak force that governs particle decay, electromagnetic acts between electrically charged particles a and low and high radiation,or strong force* * binds quarks together. In short gravity not yet observed, W+-W-Z°,y(photon),g(gluon).now hold everything University of cal-Irvine has confirmed that the Hungarians were right because in research they found a boson only 34 times larger, of a electron,meaning a super-light boson.To Me who like physics it's exciting good friend ,hope your memorial day is happy, to all the vets in the world ,and active duty ones ,I SALUTE YOU👋SEMER FI and HOORAW. thank you Jessica Meyer your work it exciting too, ill need to study it soon Your friend Robert Norton🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹✌
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