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Researchers have created new and more efficient genetic reporter proteins to detect specific proteins in cells, a step which is believed to help in the study of genetic material and intracellular processes, engineered or otherwise. Genetically encoded reporter proteins are of much use in the fields of biotechnology. These reporter proteins help detect certain proteins and decode engineered genetic circuits. However, conventional reporter proteins rely on the fluorescence of protein molecules, which makes it difficult to detect some strains. However, researchers at the University of Washington and Microsoft have developed reporter proteins that can be read by a ‘nanopore sensing device’.

Researchers call this new reporter protein ‘nanopore-addressable protein tags engineered as reporters’ (NanoporeTERs, or NTERs). The team has developed 20 such NTER tags and stored them in a library.

The research report was published in Nature Biotechnology. Reporter proteins can help researchers gather data about cell processes and anomalies. Conventionally, only optical proteins that showed fluorescent effects could be detected through the trial-and-error method. The maximum number of protein strands that could be simultaneously studied were also limited. This largely limited cellular-level research.

However, the new synthetic proteins are secreted outside a cell to gather information about the cellular environment. They carry distinct amino acid “barcodes” that respond to a nanopore detector. For the study, researchers used the Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION device. With these reporter proteins, it is also possible to simultaneously read more protein strands, which give at least 10 times more multiplexing opportunities.

NTERs are proteins with charged “tails” that attract them to the sensors of a nanopore through an electric field. Researchers, then, use machine learning to decode these electrical signals and classify them into NTER barcodes.

“This is a fundamentally new interface between cells and computers,” a report by EurekAlert quoted Jeff Nivala, one of the nine authors and a University of Washington Research Assistant Professor, as saying.

Lead Co-author Karen Zhang saw a potential to expand these NTERs beyond 20 tags. “We are currently working to scale up the number of NanoporeTERs to hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions more,” he said in the same report.

NTERs can change the way we detect diseases or target therapeutics to specific areas in the body. And “debugging complicated genetic circuit designs” is another field that will benefit from this research.

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Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket Moves Closer to First Orbital Launch

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September 27, 2024

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Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket Moves Closer to First Orbital Launch

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, the much-anticipated rival to SpaceX‘s Falcon Heavy, has taken a major step forward with a successful second-stage hot-fire test. This crucial test was conducted to validate key interactions between the rocket’s subsystems, its two BE-3U engines, and the ground control systems. The test, which lasted 15 seconds, represents a major advancement for New Glenn as it heads towards its first orbital launch in November 2024.

Validating the Second Stage Systems

The recent test focused on the New Glenn rocket’s second stage, ensuring its subsystems work cohesively under real-world conditions. The BE-3U engines, designed for high-energy missions, performed exceptionally well, demonstrating the thrust vector control system and the tank pressurization system to steer and fuel the rocket during its flight. The test also allowed Blue Origin’s launch operations team to rehearse critical launch procedures, ensuring the team was prepared for the November mission. This launch will take place at Cape Canaveral, Florida, from Launch Complex 36.

Looking Ahead: New Glenn’s First Mission

After several delays, Blue Origin has confirmed that New Glenn’s first mission (NG-1) will transport the Blue Ring orbital platform, designed by Blue Origin, into space. This mission marks a significant milestone for the company, which has thus far focused mainly on suborbital tourism with its New Shepard rocket.

A Rival to SpaceX

While Blue Origin has been slower to market, New Glenn is seen as a potential game changer in the commercial space industry. With a height of over 320 feet and its powerful BE-3U and BE-4 engines, New Glenn is built for ambitious missions, ranging from low Earth orbit to geosynchronous orbit.

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Depression Could Be Linked With Brain’s Attention Guiding Network

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September 27, 2024

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Depression Could Be Linked With Brain’s Attention Guiding Network

New research is shedding light on the brain‘s role in depression, particularly through the discovery of an enlarged salience network in people suffering from the condition. This brain network, located primarily in the frontal cortex and striatum, is responsible for processing rewards and focusing attention on significant stimuli. The findings open promising avenues for early detection and personalised treatments for depression. The study claims that the brain network responsible for guiding attention was twice as large in those individuals who later developed symptoms of depression.

What is the Salience Network?

The salience network helps the brain determine which stimuli are most important and worthy of attention. It processes rewards and manages our focus on both external and internal factors. In people with depression, researchers have discovered that this network is significantly larger, potentially explaining the cognitive and attentional issues often associated with the disorder.

The Significance of This Enlargement

Studies have shown that the salience network in individuals with depression can be almost twice the size of that in healthy controls. Interestingly, this expansion does not fluctuate with changes in mood, suggesting that it is a stable trait rather than a symptom-based occurrence. This has led researchers to believe that an enlarged salience network could serve as an indicator of depression risk, even before the condition develops.

Implications for Early Detection and Treatment

This discovery could lead to innovative ways to identify individuals at risk for depression. Since the salience network can be detected early, even in children who are yet to develop depressive symptoms, this could transform preventative care. Furthermore, interventions targeting this specific network, such as neuromodulation techniques or personalised therapies, could become a future treatment path.

A Step Towards Precision Medicine in Mental Health

The research is still in its early stages, but experts believe that understanding the mechanisms driving salience network expansion could pave the way for new pharmaceutical and therapeutic interventions. By focusing on how this network contributes to depression, scientists hope to tailor treatments more effectively, improving patient outcomes.

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Did Pollen Allergies Lead to Woolly Mammoth Extinction?

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September 27, 2024

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Did Pollen Allergies Lead to Woolly Mammoth Extinction?

Woolly mammoths have long been thought to have disappeared due to a combination of factors, such as climate change and human activity. However, a recent study proposes an unexpected hypothesis: pollen allergies may have played a role in their extinction. The study suggests that at the end of the last Ice Age, a surge in vegetation led to excessive pollen production. This may have triggered allergic reactions in mammoths, impacting their sense of smell. Since mammoths relied heavily on smell for various vital functions, such as finding food, evading predators, and locating mates, pollen-related allergies could have severely disrupted these abilities.

Could Allergies Explain Extinction?

Researchers argue that this impairment during mating season may have made it difficult for mammoths to communicate and breed, contributing to a sharp population decline. However, further testing, including examining fossilized mammoth remains for immune proteins associated with allergic responses, is needed to confirm this theory.

Scepticism Around the Hypothesis

While the study presents a compelling narrative, not all experts are convinced. Evolutionary biologist Vincent Lynch, for example, points out that mammoth extinction is more likely to have been caused by a combination of environmental shifts and human hunting. Until more concrete evidence emerges, the pollen allergy theory remains an intriguing but debated topic in mammoth research.

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