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cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/698765

This article summarizes some of the challenges as well as opportunities that Ukraine is faced with in a post-Russian invasion world.

In addition to the brain-drain effect of talented scientists leaving the country, Ukraine has some structural issues as well:

The current research system is composed largely of the Soviet-style national science academy — for which the research agenda was historically set by state officials — and a university sector in which research is funded by the science ministry.

Entirely lacking is a modern, performance-based grant-giving system...the centrepiece of a new system would include funding streams for basic research, competitive grants and defence-related projects. Ukraine’s research strengths include agricultural technology, energy and planetary science

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-02031-8

This article summarizes some of the challenges as well as opportunities that Ukraine is faced with in a post-Russian invasion world.

In addition to the brain-drain effect of talented scientists leaving the country, Ukraine has some structural issues as well:

The current research system is composed largely of the Soviet-style national science academy — for which the research agenda was historically set by state officials — and a university sector in which research is funded by the science ministry.

Entirely lacking is a modern, performance-based grant-giving system...the centrepiece of a new system would include funding streams for basic research, competitive grants and defence-related projects. Ukraine’s research strengths include agricultural technology, energy and planetary science

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-02031-8

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/698268

This paper details a new hydrogel patch coated in microneedles used to delivery medication to tissues. The design of the patch was inspired by the Blue-ringed octopus and the method by which it administers toxins.

Unrelated to this paper (which is really cool) I feel like scientific figures have really fallen prey to a trend to cram too much information into each figure, making them impossible to comprehend. This paper as an example features two figures that go all the way from A through L. If you have to use almost half the alphabet to label your figures, maybe something can go to supplemental information.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh2213

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/698268

This paper details a new hydrogel patch coated in microneedles used to delivery medication to tissues. The design of the patch was inspired by the Blue-ringed octopus and the method by which it administers toxins.

Unrelated to this paper (which is really cool) I feel like scientific figures have really fallen prey to a trend to cram too much information into each figure, making them impossible to comprehend. This paper as an example features two figures that go all the way from A through L. If you have to use almost half the alphabet to label your figures, maybe something can go to supplemental information.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh2213

This paper details a new hydrogel patch coated in microneedles used to delivery medication to tissues. The design of the patch was inspired by the Blue-ringed octopus and the method by which it administers toxins.

Unrelated to this paper (which is really cool) I feel like scientific figures have really fallen prey to a trend to cram too much information into each figure, making them impossible to comprehend. This paper as an example features two figures that go all the way from A through L. If you have to use almost half the alphabet to label your figures, maybe something can go to supplemental information.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh2213

This analysis examines the lack of availability of medications within several African nations. One of the primary drivers of medicine availability is the lack of marketing authorization for existing products with these nations regulatory bodies. Instead the study finds that drugmakers have been over-applying for less medically critical medicines, slowing down the process due to a lack of regulatory agency bandwidth.

doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/01410768231181263

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/697648

Exposure to microgravity causes changes to the human immune system:

"Here we show that the expression of many genes related to immune functions rapidly decreases when astronauts reach space, while the opposite happens when they return to Earth after six months aboard the ISS," said Dr. Odette Laneuville, an associate professor at the Department of Biology of the University of Ottawa, leading author of a new study in Frontiers in Immunology.

doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1171103

Exposure to microgravity causes changes to the human immune system:

"Here we show that the expression of many genes related to immune functions rapidly decreases when astronauts reach space, while the opposite happens when they return to Earth after six months aboard the ISS," said Dr. Odette Laneuville, an associate professor at the Department of Biology of the University of Ottawa, leading author of a new study in Frontiers in Immunology.

doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1171103

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/658769

It is doubtful that this legislation will make it all the way to law given the current state of the US Congress, but it highlighted an issue that I was unaware of.

If you go to the FDA database of drug shortages, there are currently 138 drugs listed as "Currently in Shortage." The article points out that this list has been growing over the past decade and is not transitory effects of the pandemic lingering in the medical supply chain.

Looking at the list, I understand why I was not aware of this issue as pretty much all the medicines I saw scrolling through the list are small molecule therapeutics whereas I work in biologics and gene therapies ("mab" is not found in any of the medicine names for example). The small molecule market, in general, is mature enough and tied close enough to the general-purpose chemical industry, that I am not surprised medicines are primarily manufactured overseas as that industry, like most others, has globalized to take advantage of cheap labor, lax regulations, or both.

This legislation simply directs the DHS, DOD, and DHHS to perform a risk assessment on the current state of the pharmaceutical supply chain. With bipartisan cosponsors and the current rhetoric with regard to China and onshoring or friendshoring US goods, this might just find enough political space to make it through.

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/659341

This article summarizes findings showing that the Spitzer telescope has observed the spectral signature of tryptophan in an extrasolar system.

This isn't the first instance of amino acids found extra-terrestrially (previously found on asteroids), but is the first found outside our solar system. Tryptophan has a very strong and very clear spectral signature (it is ubiquitously used in life sciences for example).

doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad1535

This article summarizes findings showing that the Spitzer telescope has observed the spectral signature of tryptophan in an extrasolar system.

This isn't the first instance of amino acids found extra-terrestrially (previously found on asteroids), but is the first found outside our solar system. Tryptophan has a very strong and very clear spectral signature (it is ubiquitously used in life sciences for example).

doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad1535

This summarizes a paper in which researchers created a microscope probe using a single, 110 µm diameter optical fiber. An interesting technique from this that I had not seen before, was that the end of the optical fiber is angled and coated with aluminum to create a mirror looking perpendicular to the length of the fiber. This enables researchers to image living cells less intrusively.

doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36889-z