Directed evolution (DE) is the acceleration of natural evolution using an iterative laboratory processes at the molecular level. Directed evolution of enzymes and binding proteins was a concept that was theorized in by German biophysicist Manfred Eigen — a Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate, who was awarded the prize in 1967 for his research on fast chemical reactions.
Bioluminescence is light produced by a living organism that is a result of a chemical metabolic reaction within the body of the organism.
For years I have been writing - most recently in a dedicated entry in The Truth about Food* - that despite my general enthusiasm for organic food, and the environmental benefits of organic farming, direct evidence of human health benefit from organic food is very scarce and quite elusive. That’s all still true this week, but with a noteworthy addendum. A study just published in JAMA Internal Medicine associates routine consumption of organic food with reduced cancer risk. We will return to that provocative suggestion shortly.
Ordinarily this time of year I say you should get your flu vaccine, and let you know I’ve just gotten mine. Due to an intense flurry of recent travel, I am obligated to say I am about to get mine- but the rest of the narrative is quite perennial.
Technology offers new and interesting options for non-drug therapeutic interventions. From puffs of air to treat a migraine to electroceuticals, these options can offer new approaches to modulate and manages aspects of physiology. While well established in clinical practice, light continues to offer interesting opportunities for digital health. The story of light is really the story of life. From Genesis to photosynthesis, it's a fascinating and important story.
What does a $1 Billion dollars get you in higher ed these days? M.I.T is using the money to build a college for artificial intelligence. The goal, according to the M.I.T. president, is to "educate the bilinguals of the future".
On the surface, it seems somewhat fair -- a quid pro quo for our data. We can get something useful in exchange for things like driving directions or the ability to connect and network on a social media platform. And, of course, this narrative is quickly peppered with terms like depersonalized, anonymous and compliance, to help soften the firm grasp of companies that become tachycardic at the prospect of your owning your elevated heart rate data.