Michał Słupski

bbc.com

In what MIT researchers call a first-of-its-kind discovery, a neural network AI algorithm helped scientists find a new type of drug.
It’s halicin, and it’s suspected to be one of the most powerful antibiotics discovered to date.
The algorithm analysed 6,000 chemical compounds, and isolated one special molecule.
Just a few weeks ago, a different drug molecule, also discovered by AI, became the first to be used in human trials.
This study is important because it adds proof that AI can be very helpful in discovering new substances, and it’s a big step in the battle against drug resistance.

Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on February 24, 2020

Researchers from the University of Texas have engineered bacteria that protects bees from inside their tiny bee guts.
The bacteria helps bees fight off two major causes of colony collapse - Varroa mites and deformed wing virus.
It’s the first time ever that scientists have improved bee health by engineering their microbiome.
Further research is needed to confirm these claims, but the team believes this could be scaled up for agricultural use, and that negative side-effects are very unlikely.
Honey bees contribute $20 billion yearly to US crop production alone, and they are critical to global food production.

Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on February 24, 2020

nytimes.com

Insane start-up market growth is slowing down, with over 30 start-ups cutting 8,000 jobs in just the last 4 months, and much fewer investments in young companies.
Startups like Casper, a mattress market disruptor that raised over $300 million in venture capital, are plummeting as soon as they enter the stock market.
Other examples include e-scooter giant Lime that pulled out of several countries, or WeWork, which announced a 2,400 people layoff last November.
Even marijuana start-ups are facing significant difficulties, despite having collectively raised $2.6 billion in 2019.
This might not become the next dot-com bubble, but it is a sign that start-ups cannot do irrational things anymore, like forgoing profit in order to disrupt markets.

Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on February 24, 2020

inverse.com

Since 2014, there has been an unprecedented decline in life expectancy in the US, and the reason might be lack of education.
Study shows that only 12.71 out of 1,000 college graduates are at risk of early death, whereas for high school and lower education levels it is 61.69 out of 1,000.
To uncover this, researchers analyzed data from 5,114 Americans, collected since participants enrolled in a coronary artery risk study back in 1984.
The conclusion is that increasing one’s education might bring about positive changes in health and financial stability.

Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on February 24, 2020

Experiment with 60 volunteers (half with a migraine problem) shows that migraine sufferers have a hyper-excitable visual cortex.
The vision anomalies we experience before migraines might indicate that migraines are caused by differences in how our brains process visuals.
But it’s not clear, as some participants also reported visual anomalies, but didn’t suffer from migraines.
This study is the first to prove a connection between vision cortex anomalies and migraines.
It brings scientists one step closer to understanding the cause of migraines, which is still unknown.

Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on February 17, 2020

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