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Tag: biology

In Belgium, Subjectivity Triumphs Over Biology

April 7, 2023

We live in an irrational age. Germany allows people to change their gender once a year simply by filing out an official form. And now, Belgium is about to allow people to change gender — apparently, whenever they want.

The Belgian supreme court previously ruled that requiring people to identify as male or female violated the equality of people who don’t see themselves as exclusively either. So, a new law will be passed allowing ongoing fluidity of gender identity which will be officially recognized by submitting a simple form. From the Sudinfo story (Google translation):

The principle of irrevocability as well as the procedure before the family court are abolished, announced the Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne in a press release. . . . This means that people will be allowed to change

Enabling the synthetic biology revolution to reach across sectors

April 3, 2023

We are on the brink of a biological revolution that is estimated to have a $4 trillion per year impact globally over the next 10-20 years. Synthetic biology is on the path to becoming a global buzzword, with projected applications that will enable the production of 60% of the world’s physical resources and address 45% of current global health issues. As population shifts, climate change, and environmental degradation pose greater threats, competition for finite natural resources will intensify. With its ability to engineer the DNA of microorganisms, and its wide array of applications, synthetic biology offers a valuable Swiss Army Knife-style solution to those challenges if it can be further developed and scaled.

Unlocking the Potential of Synthetic Biology

Healthcare developments using synthetic biology are wide-ranging, from drug discovery and biomanufacturing

Biology poor show worries scientists

April 2, 2023

Scientists are calling for urgent action to tackle the crisis in Biology education evidenced in perennial poor performances at both ordinary and advanced levels. Biology is a principal subject that any student wishing to undertake any bioscience course such as medicine, pharmacy, surgery, nursing, and midwifery at tertiary institutions must gain a mastery over.
Yet a dataset of results from both ordinary and advanced levels straddling five years paints a bleak picture of learners not comfortable with the principles of scientific endeavour in Biology.

“If this trend is not addressed, we shall see the enrolment of students into [bioscience] courses go down, hence a reduction in the number of medical professionals,” Prof Arthur Tugume, the Dean of School of Bioscience at Makerere University, told this publication, adding that in that event, “a reduction in the number of medical professionals” is inevitable.

Prof Tugume proceeded to note that ultimately, “institutions will

Berkeley Lights Completes Acquisition of IsoPlexis Forming PhenomeX, the Functional Cell Biology Company

March 27, 2023

PhenomeX to begin trading under symbol (NASDAQ: CELL)

EMERYVILLE, Calif., March 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Berkeley Lights, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLI), a life sciences tools company, today announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of IsoPlexis Corporation (Nasdaq: ISO), a company empowering labs to leverage the cells and proteome changing the course of human health. The newly combined company has been renamed PhenomeX and its common stock will begin trading on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “CELL” at market open tomorrow.

PhenomeX is positioned to be the leading provider of life sciences solutions that have the greatest impact advancing the era of the phenome as the next revolution in biology and medicine unfolds. Its brand reflects the Company’s mission to empower scientists to leverage the full potential of each cell and drive the next era of functional cell biology that will advance human health. The new

Engineering Language Enters Biology | Evolution News

March 25, 2023

Design advocates can welcome research that mentions engineering and ignores Darwinism. Biological research papers have for some time now used the word “orchestrated” to describe complex processes in the cell. Another word, though similar, conveys more clarity about the design implications: “engineered.” That word appeared recently in the journal Science under the title, “The Endosome as Engineer.” It was written by Maria Clara Zanellati and Sarah Cohen, cell biologists at the University of North Carolina.

The take-home lesson could be stated: If parts of a cell can re-engineer other parts for function, without which action the cell would die, and if the process involves signal communication between multiple other parts, what does that imply about the origin of the system? Can undirected mindless processes create engineers? Or does an automated engineering system presuppose a designer with foresight and a mind that understands how to