Important Innovations

  D AILY INNOVATION BRIEF                                                                                                          By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane NEW, MINI ELECTRIC PORSCHE 356-STLYED ROADSTER                                             Source:  Carice Cars New retro-themed, Porsche 356-styled electric mini car has been created by Carice Cars, an EV manufacturer in the Netherlands Called TC2, it's capturing global automotive attention with its classic good looks, 186 mile range on a charge and luxurious leather interio...

Genetics Bear Down on DNA of Loch Ness Monster Source:   Loch Ness The Monster May Be a Giant Eel The famed Loch Ness Monster has been the stuff of fiction and news reports from observers for 16 centuries.  The mystery of Nessie dates back to 565 AD when St. Columbia reportedly had an encounter with a monster on the River Ness.  It turns out that the monster may be fact and not fiction.  Scientists from New Zealand have done extensive analysis of DNA in Loch Ness's waters.  Their conclusion is the Loch Ness Monster may be a giant eel. New Science My favorite detective Sherlock Holmes would love this. An animated version of  the Loch Ness Monster was featured in an episode of the Private Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.  Now 21st  century science is nailing it. It looks like the Loch Ness Monster exists but it may be a huge eel that is keeping the legacy going. The New Zealand scientists believe that the lake's eels hail from the Bahamas a...

Harvard Research on How Some Animals Regenerate Severed Body Parts Source:  DNA Molecules It's All in the DNA Harvard scientists have made a remarkable discovery.  They wanted to learn why some animals such as geicos, salamanders and worms are capable of what's called whole body regeneration - for instance regenerating severed limbs or tails.  They just reported the discovery of a number of DNA switches that appear to control genes used in whole body regeneration.  For a great news blog on this, go to Important Innovations Collection: Whole Body Regeneration - Genetic Switches : Breakthrough Harvard University Research Source: Stock image of DNA Salamanders, Geicos, Worms DNA Harvard scientists started with ...

Parts of DNA, the Basis of Life, Can Form in Space European Space Agency Photo of Eagle Nebula - Frigid & Rich in Radiation Breakthrough NASA Research NASA scientists have made a remarkable discovery through highly innovative research.  They've discovered that parts of DNA, which is the stuff of life, can form in space.  Specifically deoxyribose, sugar that's the backbone of DNA, can form in space.  They replicated space conditions in their lab by blasting ice with radiation and found deoxyribose in it.  This is breakthrough science and innovation.  For details and a news story on it by my journalist colleague Ed Kane, go to  https://importantinnovationscollection.blogspot.com/2018/12/nasa-discovery-on-dna.html

Genetically Putting Mosquitos on Self-Destruct Africa's Malaria-Endemic Countries DNA Editing Malaria is among the world's worst scourges.  In Africa in 2016, 194 million people were infected by malaria and nearly half a million died from it.  The deadly disease is caused by a parasite and transmitted by mosquito bites. Imperial College London Biologists A team of biologists at Imperial College London may have the weapon to end the scourge.  They've successfully gene-edited mosquitos to self-destruct.  They've targeted a patch of DNA that never varies.  By gene editing the female mosquitos into infertility, the population becomes extinct within 5 to 11 generations. Potential:  Malaria Eliminated within 2 Decades If this gene editing is as successful as lab tests have been, the scientists believe malaria could be eliminated within 2 decades.  Computer models indicate that in the wild mosquito populations could be made extinct by the techn...

Successful Treatment on Dogs with the Disease London and Dallas Research Team  For the first time, there is real hope for a potential cure for Muscular Dystrophy.  A team of scientists from the Royal Veterinary College in London and UT Southwestern Medical College in Dallas used gene therapy on dogs with the disease.  They repaired a gene mutation that triggers the fatal condition. Editing DNA This is an important step in the process to edit DNA in people with the fatal disease.  20,000 children, mostly boys, are diagnosed with it every year.  Muscular Dystrophy is caused by a gene mutation that stops production of dystrophin, a protein that's essential to healthy muscle function.  Without the protein muscles dramatically deteriorate. More Research The research was published in the journal Science.  The scientists successfully used gene editing in 4 dogs with the disease.  The procedure restored the production of dystrophin in the ...

Facial Recognition via DNA Samples If Sherlock Holmes were real and around today, he would soon have a new technology tool to catch criminals.  Based on DNA retrieved at the crime scene, detectives may soon be able to accurately sketch the suspect's face.  That's because researchers have identified 15 genes that determine our facial features. 15 Key Genes Scientists have provided a database with 3D images of faces and the corresponding DNA.  Each face was subdivided into small modules.  Then it was determined if any locations in the DNA matched the modules. Unprecedented Accuracy The modular division technique made it possible to check for an unprecedented number of facial features, resulting in unprecedented facial recognition accuracy.  A team of university scientists from Stanford, Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh collaborated on this breakthrough technique to decode faces from retrieved DNA. Exciting Potential Uses This system not onl...