Gene Therapy enhanced immune system of mice against viruses

Researchers at McGill University have discovered a way to boost an organism’s natural anti-virus defences, effectively making its cells immune to influenza and other viruses. Drugs could be produced for humans that would generate the same effect of kicking the bodies anti-virus mechanisms into overdrive. As a drug the immunity boost would stop when the …

Read more

Graphene transistors ten times faster than silicon

From physorg.com, graphene transistors that are ten times faster than silicon are possible and the method needs to be scaled up. Switching from silicon to carbon has not been possible because technologists believed they needed graphene material in the same form as the silicon used to make chips: a single crystal of material eight or …

Read more

Scanning tunneling microscope made 100 to 1000 times faster

From physorg.com, using an existing technique in a novel way, Cornell physicist Keith Schwab and colleagues at Cornell and Boston University have made the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) — which can image individual atoms on a surface — at least 100 times faster. The simple adaptation, based on a method of measurement currently used in …

Read more

Current and recent space launch costs

Here is pdf that reports on the status, activity and prices of the commercial space launch industry Long March 3A, 3B and 4B rocket launches had $50 million prices for the vehicle.The Long March 3B can get 11.2 tons to LEO A $2030/lb price to LEO.The Long March 5 will be able to launch 25 …

Read more

Discovery of first gene that specifically links calorie restriction to longevity

Loss of only one of the genes, a gene encoding the protein PHA-4, negated the lifespan-enhancing effect of calorie-restriction in worms. And, when researchers undertook the opposite experiment—by overexpressing pha-4 in worms—the longevity effect was enhanced. “PHA-4 acts completely independent of insulin/IGF-1 signaling and turns out to be essential for CR-mediated longevity,” says Panowski. “We …

Read more

Bacteria resistant artificial skin

Skin cells genetically engineered to be resistant to bacteria could reduce infections and improve chances of survival among burn victims. A patient’s skin cells, genetically modified and grown in a test tube, could provide the next generation of artificial skin. As a first step in creating such replacement skin, scientists in Cincinnati have engineered bacteria-resistant …

Read more