Engineered protein that cuts Alzheimer’s-linked brain deposits opens potential therapeutic avenue

KAIST, new discovery in suppressing toxic aggregation of a dementia-related protein opens a potential therapeutic avenue
Protein–protein interactions confirmed through computational and experimental analyses. Credit: KAIST

A KAIST-led research team has found that a protein involved in gene regulation can suppress the harmful aggregation of amyloid-beta, a peptide associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The approach also reduced the toxicity of protein aggregates that had already formed.

In experiments using a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, the treatment reduced protein accumulation in the brain and improved memory recognition, suggesting a possible route toward new therapeutics.

The research team led by Professor Mi Hee Lim from the Department of Chemistry identified a new approach to controlling the aggregation and toxicity of amyloid-beta. The findings were published in Advanced Science.

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Autonomous microfactory turns digital files into DNA for power-free preservation

A Microfactory That Stores Data in DNA
The microfactory transcribes the digital archive into the four-letter ‘alphabet’ of DNA, then synthesizes it in the form of a strand of DNA. Credit: Serge-André Maire

According to projections, the volume of digital data created, captured, copied and consumed worldwide will reach 175 zettabytes (ZB) in 2026. This is equivalent to the storage capacity of billions of hard drives, such as those found in our laptops. With the rise of artificial intelligence, this global ‘datasphere’ continues to expand at an exponential rate.

Thanks to its remarkable storage capacity and longevity, synthetic DNA is emerging as a potentially revolutionary medium for storing information.

“In theory, one gram of DNA could store the equivalent of the digital collections of the world’s largest libraries f...

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Microbial growth in simulated Mars conditions could guide search for life

This SEM micrograph (12,000x magnification) shows Haloferax volcanii after 160 days of anaerobic incubation with 100 mM nitrate under low-pressure Martian conditions (24 mbar); high-magnification imaging shows predominantly spherical cells located outside, immediately beneath, and embedded within an extensive biofilm matrix; thin appendage-like structures and associations among adjacent cells are also visible. Scale bar – 1 µm. Image credit: Robinson et al., doi: 10.1128/aem.01749-26.

A new experiment reveals that Earth’s microbes can grow in harsh conditions similar to what may exist just below the surface of Mars, suggesting new directions in the search for potential cellular life on the red planet.

The microbes grew over months in just a fraction of Earth’s normal atmospheric ...

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A new superinductor created within a silicon integrated circuit

A new superinductor created within a silicon integrated circuit
Quantum Motion silicon quantum chip held in tweezers. Credit: Elhuyar Fundazioa

A recent study published in Nature Electronics and carried out by researchers from nanoGUNE’s Quantum Hardware research group, Quantum Motion, London Center for Nanotechnology, Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge introduces a new superinductor created within a silicon integrated circuit fabricated in a commercial complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) process.

Superinductors are electrical inductors that are engineered to have an extremely large inductance, often far beyond what can be achieved with conventional coils...

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