On this month’s episode of Editor’s Picks, we’re celebrating the 40th birthday of PCR, saving the northern white rhinoceros from the brink of extinction and connecting the dots between HPV, the vaginal microbiome and race.
Articles featured on this month’s episode embody:
- PCR: celebrating 40 years of improvement
- Northern white rhinoceros may very well be introduced again from the brink of extinction
- Communication is vital for dolphins finishing cooperative duties
- A vaccine can kill and stop mind most cancers utilizing an uncommon strategy
- The function of amyloid in dementia and mind getting older
- Connecting the dots between HPV, the vaginal microbiome and race
- Speaking Methods | Welcome to the jungle: sequencing for conservation
- Speaking Methods | Neuropixels: Massive knowledge heaven or burying the lead in averages?
Tell us which articles you loved this month by tweeting us @MyBioTechniques utilizing #BTNEditorsPicks
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[00:00 – 00:34] Hiya! As one other month rolls over and we flip over the pages of our calendars, it’s time to atone for the most recent information from BioTechniques with our “Editor’s Picks” podcast.
Be part of me, Aisha Al-Janabi, as I spherical up the bizarre, the great and the unbelievable analysis happening within the life science neighborhood. I’ll be bringing you my favorite information tales and interviews on this bitesize podcast to accompany you while you’re ready in your centrifuge to run or your kettle to boil.
[00:34 – 00:57] To have fun the fortieth birthday of PCR, our Assistant Editor, Beatrice Bowlby ,has regarded by way of the historical past books and compiled a number of the key developments in PCR which have emerged because it first got here onto the scene. On this characteristic, learn concerning the invention of PCR in 1983 and the way it continued to advance within the following many years.
[00:57 – 01:33] The final two surviving northern white rhinoceroses encompass a mom and a daughter, and in a bid to deliver them again from the brink of extinction, researchers are attempting to create lab-grown egg and sperm cells. The BioRescue analysis group not too long ago revealed a breakthrough as they efficiently turned stem cells into primordial germ cells, which is an preliminary step in direction of producing gametes in tradition. The researchers defined that is the primary time that primordial germ cells of a big, endangered species have been generated from stem cells. They are going to now give attention to turning these stem cells into egg cells, which, who is aware of, possibly ultimately result in a complete, residing rhinoceros sooner or later!
[01:33 – 02:28] Human-made noises disrupt dolphins’ skill to speak with one another and carry out cooperative duties, which may very well be impacting the flexibility of untamed dolphins to hunt, reproduce and talk. Researchers from the College of Bristol and the Dolphin Analysis Middle have proven that dolphins in captivity are affected by synthetic high-volume noises. The researchers tasked two dolphins, referred to as Delta and Reese, with urgent their very own buttons positioned at reverse ends of the pool, inside 1 second of one another after being launched from the identical start line. As the substitute underwater noises elevated and intensified, they discovered that Delta and Reese modified the size of their vocalizations and altered their physique language so they might face one another. They accomplished the duty at a decrease success price when the pool noise was at its highest. The research’s authors hope their outcomes are adequate for highlighting how noise impacts wild animals’ skill to cooperate successfully.
[02:28 – 03:07] Researchers have developed a cell remedy that eliminates established tumors and induces long-term immunity, which confirmed promising leads to a mouse mannequin research of mind most cancers glioblastoma. This vaccine makes use of genetically engineered residing tumor cells and takes benefit of their skill to trace and goal different tumor cells. Utilizing CRISPR-Cas9, the residing tumor cells have been edited to launch a tumor-killing agent and designed to precise elements to make it simple for the immune system to acknowledge these cells. These engineered therapeutic tumor cells efficiently eradicated mind tumor glioblastomas in mouse fashions and induced long-term immunity.
[03:07 – 03:56] A brand new research sheds mild on the variations between the amyloid beta protein in getting older brains and the brains of these with Alzheimer’s. Researchers have discovered that the presence and quantity of amyloid beta protein within the mind can’t be used as the one indicator of Alzheimer’s illness. As a substitute, it’s the solubility of amyloid beta protein that’s extra necessary to dementia improvement. The analysis group used positron emission tomography to picture the brains of people with Alzheimer’s and getting older brains to observe the rise, processing and elimination of amyloid beta over time. This revealed that related ranges of the protein are current in getting older brains and people with Alzheimer’s; nevertheless, the Alzheimer’s mind contained larger quantities of the insoluble type of amyloid beta. The present research highlights that extra analysis is important to grasp how the mind clears amyloid beta and different proteins.
[03:56 – 04:37] The vaginal microbiome is a dynamic ecosystem that’s consistently altering and is influenced by varied elements together with menstrual cycle, intercourse and weight-reduction plan; however, how do lived experiences, resembling racism, affect the vaginal microbiome. We spoke to Kathy Tossas, an assistant professor on the Virginia Commonwealth College College of Drugs, whose analysis goals to reply this query. To raised perceive the affect the distinction in vaginal microbiomes has on HPV-related oncogenesis, Kathy checked out samples from a various group of ladies to generate a sturdy knowledge set to research. You will discover a hyperlink to the total characteristic, written by our Digital Editor Annie Coulson, within the present notes of this podcast.
[04:37 – 04:55] These are a number of the articles from BioTechniques that I loved studying or writing over the previous month, however there are a lot extra on our web site. If you wish to hearken to extra podcasts about all factor’s life science, take a look at Speaking Methods created by the BioTechniques group.
[04:55 – 05:13] In a current episode of Speaking Methods, titled Welcome to the jungle: sequencing for conservation, we heard from Zane Libke, a subject researcher based mostly in Ecuador. He discusses his present work utilizing nanopore sequencing to seek out undescribed species, the way it can affect conservation efforts and preventing biodiversity loss in a extra local-centric manner.
[05:13 – 05:33] While at Neuroscience 2022, our Senior Editor Tristan Free spoke to Tim Harris, who’s the creator of a neural recording probe referred to as Neuropixels. On this episode, Tim shares the story of his creation and particulars how they’ve modified the information assortment panorama in neuroscience.
[05:33 – 05:57] Tell us what your favorite articles have been this month by tweeting us at My BioTechniques and use the hashtag BTN Editors Picks. When you’d like to seek out out extra about any of those articles take a look at the present notes of this episode.
Thanks for listening, till subsequent time, bye!
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