Daily Archives: May 6, 2017

The Age of CRISPR

The past several months have been no less than astounding ones for the CRISPR gene-editing tool. In September, 2016, researchers in Germany discovered a way to use CRISPR to edit out cancer mutations.In November, Chinese researchers used CRISPR technology on a person for the first time. Then, inJanuary if this year, researchers uncovered two distinct anti-CRISPR proteins that could lead to a CRISPR off switch and greater control over the gene editing tool in human subjects.

Now, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have used CRISPR to target cancers command center, increasing survival rates and shrinking aggressive tumors without harming healthy cells in mice. The method targets fusion genes, mutations that develop when two distinct genes combine into a single, hybrid gene one that often leads to cancer. They published their results in Nature Biotechnology earlier this week.

The team transplanted human liver and prostate cancer cells into mice, and then used the CRISPR fusion gene targeting tool to treat them. The control groups treatment targeted fusion genes that werent present in their bodies making it ineffective. Their tumors grew nearly 40 times larger, and spread to other parts of the body in most cases. None of the control group survived the test period.

The treatment for the experimental group targeted fusion genes that were present in their tumors, and the tumors shrunk by up to 30 percentand didnt spread. Most impressively,all of the animals that received the experimental treatment survived to the end of the test representing an increase in survival rate from 0 to 100 percent.

The fact that these fusion genes are genetically unique makes them an easy target for CRISPR, which can target them and replace them with something else. In this case, researchers replace them with genes that kill cancer, ensuring healthy cells stay well something chemotherapy cant do.

While these dramatic results are exciting, they do not necessarily mean that the treatment will be effective in people, and no plans for clinical trials have been announced as of yet. Before the treatment is tested in humans, the researchers hope to improve it. Although the current research demonstratesthat the technique can force the cancer cells into remission, the scientists want totest whether it could entirely wipe the cancer out instead.

This is the first time that gene editing has been used to specifically target cancer fusion genes, Jian-Hua Luo, lead author of the study, said in a press release. It is really exciting because it lays the groundwork for what could become a totally new approach to treating cancer. Other types of cancer treatments target the foot soldiers of the army. Our approach is to target the command center, so there is no chance for the enemys soldiers to regroup in the battlefield for a comeback.

Here is the original post:
New CRISPR Technique Targets and Destroys Cancer's Command Center - Futurism

In BriefHumans may sometimes take all they can do with their hands forgranted. An appreciation for that dexterity is inspiring roboticsinnovators to develop ways of improving hand function in robots. Handy Bots

Its quite common for humans especially those who work in manufacturing to tie a knot, strip the casing off a cable, insert a pin in a hole or use a hand tool such as a drill. They may seem like simple tasks, but are really very complex and involve extremely fine finger and hand motions.

Though robots are getting more and more involved in factory work and in a wide range of other types of jobs including in the service industry and health care their dexterity is not nearly as impressive. Since people first brought them to work in automotive factories more than 50 years ago, we have built robots that can weld, paint and assemble parts quite well. Todays best robotic hands can pick up familiar objects and move them to other places such as taking products from warehouse bins and putting them in boxes.

But robots cant orient a hand tool properly say, lining up a Phillips head screwdriver with the grooves on a screw, or aiming a hammer at a nail. And they definitely cant use two hands together in detailed ways, like replacing the batteries in a remote control.

Human hands are excellent at those tasks and much more. To even come close to rivaling what our hands are easily capable of, robot hands need better agility, reliability and strength and they need to be able to sense more accurately and move even more finely than they do now, to figure out what theyre holding and how to grip it best. For robots to be able to work alongside humans, well have to figure out how to make robots that can literally lend us a hand when our own two are not enough.

My research group at Northeastern University is working on doing just this, in particular for humanoid robotslike NASAs Valkyrie, which has three fingers and a thumb on each hand. Each digit has knuckle-like joints, and each hand has a wrist that can rotate easily. Were working on creating motions combinations of arm, wrist, finger and thumb movements that collectively accomplish a task, like moving a wrench in a circle to tighten a bolt, or pulling a cart from one place to another.

Rather than making each robot a custom machine tailored for a very specific task, we need to design multi-use robots, or even such capable machines that they might be called general purpose good for almost any task. One key to the success of these types of robots will be excellent hands.

Our work focuses on designing a new class of adaptable robot hands capable of precise fine movements and autonomous grasping. When robots are able to hammer in nails, change batteries and make other similar movements basic for humans but very complex for robots well be well on our way to human-like dexterity in robotic hands.

Achieving this goal also involves inventing new designs that incorporate hard and soft elements the way human bone gives strength to a grip, with skin spreading the pressure so a wine glass doesnt shatter.

Modern technological improvements are making the development process easier. With 3D printing, we can make prototypes very quickly. We can even make low-cost disposable components to try different arrangements of mechanisms, like two- or three-fingered grippers for simple pick-and-place tasks or anthropomorphic robot hands for more delicate operations.

These abilities are already second nature to humans through vision and proprioception (the ability to sense the relative positions of body parts without looking or thinking about it). Once were able to achieve them in robots, theyll be able to do things like detect if a grasp is too strong and is squeezing an object too hard.As electronic cameras and sensors get smaller, were able to incorporate them in new ways. For instance, if we put pressure sensors and cameras in a robotic hand, they can give feedback to the robot controller (whether human or automated) when a grip is secure, or if something starts to slip. One day they may be able to sense which direction the slipping object is moving, so the robot can catch it.

Another milestone will be developing methods for robots to figure out what motions they need to make in real time, including sensing whats going on in their hands at each moment. If a robot hand can detect changes in objects it is handling, or manipulate items while holding them, they could help with those common manual tasks like knot-tying and wire-stripping.

Working with two hands together is even farther into the future, though it would provide a significant boost, particularly for manufacturing. A robot that can operate a drill with two hands or pass machine parts from one hand to the other would be big improvements, allowing factories to automate even more steps in their processes.

We humans havent developed these systems yet. Achieving human-like autonomous robot dexterity will keep robotics researchers, technologists and innovators busy in the foreseeable future. It wont slow down the ongoing robotics revolution in manufacturing, because current processes still have lots of room for automation to improve safety, speed and quality. But as we make robots even better, theyll be able to give us a hand.

Taskin Padir, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northeastern University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Excerpt from:
The Next Generation of Robots Will Be Remarkably Human-Like - Futurism

In Brief The Chinese National Space Administration has publicly announced a partnership with the European Space Agency on developing a lunar base. This collaboration could lead to shared projects in the future. Todays Race To Space

It seems that the modern agesspace race is here, and all sights are set on the Moon. But this time, the goal isnt just to get an astronaut onto Earths natural satellite, but instead space agencies around the world are coming together to build a human outpost. Some of the biggest players hail from China and Europe, andtheir respective space agencies have announced that they are engagingin international collaboration to realize aMoon Village vision.

Even though Chinas space program is relativelynew compared to other space programs developed by the worlds superpowers, the Chinas space agency has quickly proven itself since its first manned spaceflight in 2003. Currently, the countrys National Space Administration (CNSA) is aiming to collect samples from the Moon by the end of this year while also conducting a mission to the far side of the Moon to bring back additional samples sometime next year.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has been paying close attention to Chinas progress, with the ESA looking toward to future collaborationby calling for joint proposals since 2014. All this cooperation would explain the remarks about a shared lunar base on Chinese state media by Chinas space agencys secretary general, Tian Yulong, which was later confirmed by Pal Hvistendahl, an ESA spokesperson.

When it comes to international collaboration, we are all left with a net-positive outcome. Someclassic examplesof this include the International Space Station,with eleven member states, and CERNs Large Hardon Collider, which is utilized by 22 member states. Both enormous projects built on theinternational brotherhood that has propelled us forward in space commercialization, humanitarian aid, vaccine development, and more.

But aside from technological advances, we see the power of scientific collaboration to deconstruct societal barriers. Borders become bridges and science sparks conversations. Maybe the United States will take hints from the ESAs commitment to China.

Currently, its illegal for NASA scientists to collaborate with any Chinese state employees on issues related to space. This is also the reason that Chinese astronauts cannot visit the ISS. But, perhapsthe prospects of a lunar base could change that, as a lunar base would give us a great jumping off point for deep space exploration, mineral excavation, andlow-orbit space commercialization.

Read more:
Global Superpowers Are Racing to Build a Base on the Moon - Futurism