What if there was a likable person test that we could take to see how other people really view us scientists? How would that work? It turns out that a sense of likability might be more influential in academia than some of us might think, but it’s often problematic too. This came to mind because […]
How many academic scientists could pass a likable person test? Read More »
A team led by Harvard professor David Sinclair had a recent Cell paper on reprogramming to fight aging that I reviewed here on The Niche. I thought the paper was exciting and important. Note that in vivo reprogramming was first done more than a decade ago. Sinclair did have a novel fast-forward aging method and overall
Weekly reads: oocytes from males, David Sinclair longevity inc, diabetes, He Jiankui Read More »
Today’s post takes a close look at the exosome manufacturer Kimera Labs in the context of the main exosome companies. What are exosomes? Exosomes are microscopic bubbles or vesicles produced by cells. Exosomes contain many cellular substances that are biologically active. Some of these materials may be helpful clinically, while others could pose risks. Clinical outcomes
Review of where Kimera Labs fits into sphere of exosome companies Read More »
Where do things stand with potential applications of CRISPR and other gene editing technologies in patients? Overall, things are looking very positive. CRISPR human trials This week the third big international human genome editing meeting took place in London. The summit addressed numerous potential clinical applications. It was good to see the agenda included quite
Weekly reads: big CRISPR mtg, Mesoblast good news, Neuralink spiked Read More »
It’s funny how sometimes there are many new articles about one general topic like this week with heritable (and somatic) human CRISPR gene editing and related tech. There are clear reasons for optimism in the somatic arena given advancing trials. Germline editing remains highly questionable in my view even just technically. Then there are loads
Weekly reads: human CRISPR, MRT risks, private IRBs, skincare Read More »
I’m sure many of you remember He Jiankui, the guy who made CRISPR babies. He ended up serving three years in jail in China. He seems to be trying for something of a comeback since his release. Were He Jiankui invitations a mistake? Some prestigious places have even invited him to give talks, which seemed
Weekly reads: He Jiankui disappoints, ALS, Vor Biopharma Read More »
I don’t think de-extinction of animals just for the heck of it like woolly mammoths is a good idea, but what about de-extincting animals like the Dodo? Where humans caused them to disappear? If that’s even possible, is it a good idea? Dodo de-extinction A company is giving it a try. I can see the
Weekly reads: De-extinction pros & cons with Dodo 2.0, CTCF, retraction Read More »
Near-billionaire Bryan Johnson apparently does not like getting old and he’s trying to do something transformative about it. He and his team are experimenting in a big way. As a 55-year-old myself, I can’t blame him for wanting to fight aging in general. However, his anti-aging project includes some extreme stuff. Will some in the
Skepticism on the Bryan Johnson anti-aging extravaganza Read More »
Have you had the chance to play around on ChatGPT, the open AI? It can “talk” to you in text kind of like a person. I have tried it out. It’s quite interesting to type in scientific questions and see what pops out. Often it is high-quality text and solid ideas, but not always. You
Weekly reads: ChatGPT as author, COVID pub concern, CRISPR kit Read More »
About ten years ago I ran across the organism called the immortal jellyfish. Luckily I didn’t get stung because it wasn’t an in-person encounter like while swimming. Rather, I came upon the idea that these guys lived forever. Someone was even selling an immortal jellyfish extract. They claimed it would reverse aging in people. That
Are immortal jellyfish actually mortal? Read More »