Chinese Academy of Sciences

Genome Editing to Treat Human Retinal Degeneration

Gene editing therapies, including CRISPR-Cas systems, offer the potential to correct mutations causing inherited retinal degenerations, a leading cause of blindness.

Healthcare, Food & AgTech Webinars Available to Watch On-Demand Today

IDTechEx currently have a number of healthcare, food and agtech webinars available to watch on-demand. These include presentations on robotic surgery, vertical farming, plant-based and cultured meat, advances in agtech and skin analysis technologies.

Bio-Inspired Endocscope Provides 3D Visible and Near-Infrared Images

Researchers have developed a new bio-inspired medical endoscope that can acquire 3D visible light and near-infrared fluorescence images at the same time. It features an optical design that combines the high-resolution 3D imaging of human vision with the mantis shrimp's capability to simultaneously detect multiple wavelengths of light.

Waste to Treasure: Crayfish Shells to Store Energy

Other than a spicy night snack, the crayfish has been endowed with greater significance. Research has made it possible to use crayfish shell as the biological template for high-performance supercapacitors.

CRISPR-Based COVID-19 Test Uses Smartphones Cameras to Spot Virus RNA

Identifying and isolating individuals who may be contagious with the coronavirus is key to limiting the spread of the disease. But even months into the pandemic, many patients are still waiting days to receive COVID-19 test results.

Magnetic Spray Turns Creates Millirobots for Biomedical Applications

An easy way to make millirobots by coating objects with a glue-like magnetic spray was developed in a joint research. Driven by the magnetic field, the coated objects can crawl, walk, or roll on different surfaces. As the magnetic coating is biocompatible and can be disintegrated into powders when needed, this technology demonstrates the potential for biomedical applications, including catheter navigation and drug delivery.

2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for CRISPR Development

University of California, Berkeley, biochemist Jennifer Doudna has won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, sharing it with colleague Emmanuelle Charpentier for the co-development of CRISPR-Cas9, a genome editing breakthrough that has revolutionized biomedicine.

Harvesting Energy from Wind When Walking

Most of the wind available on land is too gentle to push commercial wind turbine blades, but now researchers in China have designed a kind of "tiny wind turbine" that can scavenge wind energy from breezes as little as those created by a brisk walk.

Scientists Knock out Squid Gene for the First Time

A team has achieved the first gene knockout in a cephalopod using the squid Doryteuthis pealeii—an exceptionally important research organism in biology for nearly a century. The team used CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to knock out a pigmentation gene in squid embryos, which eliminated pigmentation in the eye and in skin cells (chromatophores) with high efficiency.

AI to Forecast Large-Scale Tropical Instability Waves

Large-scale oceanic phenomena are complicated and often involve many natural processes. Tropical instability wave is one of these phenomena.

Self-Charging Medical Devices

Expect more healthcare wearables that power themselves, many even managing with no battery. The IDTechEx report, "Energy Harvesting for Electronic Devices 2020-2040" covers this and more.