🤖 Computer Science

AlphaFold 3 predicts the structure and interactions of all of life’s molecules

AlphaFold 3, a groundbreaking AI model from Google DeepMind and Isomorphic Labs, aims to revolutionize our comprehension of the biological realm and drug development. By precisely forecasting the structures of proteins, DNA, RNA, ligands, and their interactions, it promises to reshape our understanding of molecular biology.

Markerless 3D kinematics and force estimation in cheetahs

Studying the complex dynamics of animal manoeuvrability in the wild, such as with cheetahs, is challenging due to the difficulty in obtaining complete motion data without constraining the animals. This study utilizes data from wild cheetahs to propose a method for remotely estimating 3D kinematics and joint torques.

⚛️ Physics and Chemistry

Study sheds light on the origin of elasticity in glasses and gels

University of Tokyo researchers explore the elastic properties of glasses and gels, two common solid materials with similar characteristics, such as rigidity without translational order and slow transformation over time. Their study, published in Nature Physics, elucidates the origin and evolution of elasticity in these amorphous solids.

Tetris-inspired radiation detector uses machine learning

Researchers at MIT have developed a radiation detector inspired by the tetromino shapes in Tetris, allowing safe and efficient monitoring of radioactive sources. Mingda Li and colleagues designed the device, which utilizes a machine learning algorithm to process data, accurately mapping sources with just four detector pixels.

🧬 Biology & Medicine

Psychedelic Toad Venom Shows Promise for New Depression Treatment

Researchers have investigated a compound derived from the Colorado River toad's venom, which shows promise as a treatment for depression. The study, published Wednesday, reveals the structural workings of this psychedelic compound and its modified version, tested in mice with positive effects on depression and anxiety without the psychedelic reactions.

Novel bispecific antibodies show promise against evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants

In a recent study on the bioRxiv preprint server, researchers developed and tested novel bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) containing both the N-terminal domain (NTD) and the receptor binding domain (RBD) to combat emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. These antibodies, derived from monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) obtained from convalescent donors who had previously received monoclonal antibody-based vaccines, were evaluated for efficacy against the virus.

New treatment could reverse hair loss caused by an autoimmune skin disease

Researchers from MIT, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School have devised a potential treatment for alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition causing hair loss. They created a microneedle patch that can be applied to the scalp, releasing drugs to rebalance the immune response and halt the autoimmune attack, offering hope for patients with this condition.

🔭 Space & Astronomy

Molecule responsible for robbing Venus of its water may finally have been identified

A novel water loss mechanism discovered on Venus elucidates how the planet transitioned from a potentially habitable environment to the arid landscape seen today, shedding light on its complete loss of water.

Boeing's Starliner rolled off launch pad to replace 'buzzing' rocket valve (photo)

Starliner, accompanied by its rocket, a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V, departed from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to undergo maintenance.

🌐 Others

Powerful UAV manipulation via bioinspired self-adaptive soft self-contained gripper

Current grippers for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manipulation face ongoing issues, necessitating the development of grippers that are soft, self-adaptive, easy to control, and lightweight. Drawing inspiration from tendril plants, we introduce a new class of soft grippers driven by voltage and reliant on winding deformation for self-adaptive grasping.

Chinese scientist who published Sars-CoV-2 genome without approval regains access to lab

Chinese virologist Zhang Yongzhen, renowned for his team's early release of the genome of the Sars-CoV-2 virus in January 2020, has seemingly resolved a public dispute with the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center (SPHCC), his workplace.

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