Lifeboat Foundation

Summary: Researchers identified variants in the DDX53 gene, located on the X chromosome, as contributors to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These genetic variants, found predominantly in males, provide critical insights into the biological mechanisms behind autism’s male predominance.

The study also uncovered another potential gene, PTCHD1-AS, near DDX53, linked to autism, emphasizing the complexity of ASD’s genetic architecture. This research highlights the importance of the X chromosome in ASD and opens avenues for more precise diagnostics and therapeutics.

Continue reading “New Genetic Link to Autism Identified on X Chromosome” »

Documentary filmmaker Hans Busstra shares with us, with the aid of amazing and scientifically accurate animations of the molecular world, the background story of his journey from imaging the hardcore science of molecular biology to the fundamental insights of metaphysics.

Research on so-called mirror cells, which defy fundamental properties of living organisms, should be prohibited as too dangerous, biologists said.

There’s No Turning Back

Not long ago, solving the crystal structure of a protein required an entire PhD.

Growing crystals, collecting X-ray diffraction data, and interpreting electron density maps often took years of optimization and expensive instruments. Even then, solving all protein structures was a challenge, further compounding the “protein folding problem” in biology.

Breakthroughs in synthetic biology could create mirror versions of natural molecules, with devastating consequences for life on Earth.

By Simon Makin

Mosasaurs are extinct marine reptiles that dominated Earth’s oceans during the Late Cretaceous period.

Mosasaurs, extinct marine reptiles that dominated Earth’s oceans during the Late Cretaceous period, have fascinated scientists since their discovery in 1766 near Maastricht, Netherlands. These formidable lizards are iconic examples of macroevolution, showcasing the emergence of entirely new animal groups.

Michael Polcyn, a paleontologist from Utrecht University, has presented the most comprehensive study yet on their early evolution, ecology, and feeding biology. His findings, aided by advanced imaging technologies, provide fresh insights into the origins, relationships, and behaviors of these ancient giants.

The reliable control of traveling waves emerging from the coupling of oscillations and diffusion in physical, chemical and biological systems is a long-standing challenge within the physics community. Effective approaches to control these waves help to improve the present understanding of reaction-diffusion systems and their underlying dynamics.

Researchers at Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and Université de Rennes recently demonstrated a promising approach to control chemical waves in a type of fluid flow known as hyperbolic flow. Their experimental methods, outlined in Physical Review Letters recently, entail the control of chemical waves via the stretching and compression of fluids.

“At a summer school in Corsica, discussions between the Brussels and Rennes team triggered the curiosity to see how chemical waves studied at ULB in Brussels would behave in hyperbolic flows analyzed in Rennes,” Anne De Wit, senior author of the paper, told Phys.org. “The primary objective was to see how a non-trivial flow would influence the dynamics of waves.”

A new study in Physical Review Letters demonstrates the levitation of a microparticle using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), having potential implications from biology to quantum computing.

NMR is a spectroscopic technique commonly used to analyze various materials based on how the atomic nuclei respond to external magnetic fields. This provides information about the internal structure, dynamics, and environment of the material.

One of the main challenges with NMR is using it on small objects to control the quantum properties of levitating microparticles.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/seanmcarroll.
Blog post with audio player, show notes, and transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2024/12/09/298-…the-brain/

The number of neurons in the human brain is comparable to the number of stars in the Milky Way galaxy. Unlike the stars, however, in the case of neurons the real action is in how they are directly connected to each other: receiving signals over synapses via their dendrites, and when appropriately triggered, sending signals down the axon to other neurons (glossing over some complications). So a major step in understanding the brain is to map its wiring diagram, or connectome: the complete map of those connections. For a human brain that’s an intimidatingly complex challenge, but important advances have been made on tinier brains. We talk with Jeff Lichtman, a leader in brain mapping, to gauge the current state of progress and what it implies.

Continue reading “Mindscape 298 | Jeff Lichtman on the Wiring Diagram of the Brain” »