Lifeboat Foundation

Doctors have long dreamed of delivering drugs to specific parts of your body, and they may soon have a clever way to do it: fish. UC San Diego researchers have developed nanoscale metallic fish (they’re just 800 nanometers long) that could carry medicine into the deeper reaches of your bloodstream. Each critter has a gold head and tailfin, as well as a nickel body joined by silver hinges. You only have to subject them to an oscillating magnetic field to make them swim — there’s no need for propellers or a passive (read: slow) delivery system. That, in turn, could make the drug carriers smaller even as they move quickly.

The technology definitely has its flaws. It’s not currently biodegradable, so you may be stuck with this school of fish unless there’s a way to flush them out. Gold and silver aren’t the cheapest metals, either. Scientists are working on biodegradability, however, and they’re hopeful that it will be useful for more than just guiding drugs. You could use to control individual cells, for example, or conduct certain forms of non-invasive surgery. It may just be a matter of refining the technique before you can get medicine exactly where you need it.

Continue reading “Nano-sized metal fish deliver targeted drugs to your body” »

A team of researchers at Jadavpur University here has developed a biodegradable energy harvester from raw fish scales that could in future replace pacemaker devices for the heart.

The energy harvester thus could be tapped as a sustainable green power source for next generation self-powered implantable medical devices.

It also has the potential for personal portable electronics with reduced e-waste elements said the researchers.

Continue reading “Indian Scientists Recycle FIsh Bio-Waste Into Green Energy” »

Finally, your pet can go to work for you.

The brain-computer interface is already being tested in humans with Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Continue reading “Monkey Types 12 Words per Minute With Brain-to-Keyboard Communication” »

This is actually pretty significant to see from DARPA; however, not a total shock given the importance of Synthetic Biology and various parties in the military understanding how CRISPR can be used as a weapon.

A new DARPA program could help unlock the potential of advanced gene editing technologies by developing a set of tools to address potential risks of this rapidly advancing field. The Safe Genes program envisions addressing key safety gaps by using those tools to restrict or reverse the propagation of engineered genetic constructs.

“Gene editing holds incredible promise to advance the biological sciences, but right now responsible actors are constrained by the number of unknowns and a lack of controls,” said Renee Wegrzyn, DARPA program manager. “DARPA wants to develop controls for gene editing and derivative technologies to support responsible research and defend against irresponsible actors who might intentionally or accidentally release modified organisms.”

Continue reading “Setting a Safe Course for Gene Editing Research” »

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The unprecedented success of this firefighter’s face transplant surpassed even his doctors’ expectations.

DARPA’s Safe Genes program aims to build a biosafety and biosecurity toolkit to reduce potential risks and encourage innovation in the field of genome editing

The Safe Genes program could help unlock the potential of advanced gene editing technologies by developing a set of tools to address potential risks of this rapidly advancing field. The Safe Genes program envisions addressing key safety gaps by using those tools to restrict or reverse the propagation of engineered genetic constructs.

“Gene editing holds incredible promise to advance the biological sciences, but right now responsible actors are constrained by the number of unknowns and a lack of controls,” said Renee Wegrzyn, DARPA program manager. “DARPA wants to develop controls for gene editing and derivative technologies to support responsible research and defend against irresponsible actors who might intentionally or accidentally release modified organisms.”

Continue reading “DARPA working on safe Gene Editing Research” »

Synthetic human lung cells possibly the best method for new drug testing.

Scientists are putting human cells through micro-obstacle courses designed to replicate the mechanics inside our bodies and better test drug effectiveness.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=8mDoH-06ayA

By Alice Klein

Making a splash? Engineers have created metallic nanofish that are inspired by the swimming style of real fish, and could be used to carry drugs to specific sites of the body.

Continue reading “World’s first ‘nanofish’ could be used as guided drug missiles” »