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February 24^th 2025

💻 Technology

🇬🇧 🇨🇳 UK and Chinese researchers develop smart pajama top for at-home sleep disorder diagnosis

Scientists from the University of Cambridge, Capital Medical University, and Beihang University have developed a smart pajama top that can diagnose sleep disorders without requiring a visit to a sleep clinic. The garment features graphene strain sensors on its collar, which detect subtle vibrations in the neck muscles and transmit data to a smartphone for analysis by an AI-based system called SleepNet. In tests, the system accurately identified six different sleep states, including snoring, sleep apnea, and teeth grinding, with 98.6% accuracy. This innovation offers a more comfortable and accessible alternative to traditional sleep studies. The study was published in PNAS.

🤖 Artificial Intelligence

🇺🇸 Microsoft AI creates new video game scenarios by learning from human gameplay

Microsoft Research has unveiled Muse, an AI model capable of generating new game scenarios by learning from seven years of gameplay data from Bleeding Edge. Muse, trained on 500,000 human gameplay sessions, understands game physics and player interactions, allowing it to create immersive expansions within a game's existing world. While designed to assist, not replace, human game designers, the AI could also help revive classic games for modern hardware. This breakthrough pushes generative AI further into game development, though concerns remain about its accessibility for smaller studios.

🇩🇰 Danish researchers use AI to decode animal emotions with 89% accuracy

Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have developed a machine-learning model capable of distinguishing between positive and negative emotions in seven ungulate species, including cows, pigs, and wild boars. By analyzing vocalization patterns such as frequency and amplitude modulation, the AI achieved 89.49% accuracy, suggesting that emotional expressions are evolutionarily conserved across species. This breakthrough could transform animal welfare, livestock management, and conservation by enabling real-time monitoring of animal emotions. The study was published in iScience.

💉 Biotechnology

🇺🇸 Evo 2 AI revolutionizes synthetic biology with genome design and disease prediction

Researchers from the Arc Institute and NVIDIA have developed Evo 2, an advanced AI model trained on 9.3 trillion DNA base pairs from 128,000 species. Evo 2 can analyze genomes, design synthetic DNA, and predict disease-causing mutations, even in non-coding regions. Its open-source release, including model parameters and training data, could accelerate innovations in gene therapy, agriculture, and synthetic biology. While offering immense potential, the ability to rewrite genetic code also raises ethical and safety concerns.

💊 Healthcare

🇺🇸 US researchers develop robotic system for safer, more precise retinal surgery

A new robotic device developed by researchers at the University of Utah enhances the precision of retinal surgery by stabilizing both the patient's eye and the surgeon's hand movements. Mounted to a helmet on the patient's head, the robot compensates for involuntary movements, allowing for micrometer-scale accuracy. In tests using pig eyes, the system improved success rates for delicate procedures like subretinal injections for gene therapy. This innovation could enable safer, more effective treatments for inherited retinal diseases and reduce the need for general anesthesia. The study was published in Science Robotics.

🇨🇳 Chinese researchers develop gene-edited rice to boost heart health

Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have created a genetically modified rice strain that produces coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), an antioxidant linked to improved heart health. Using prime editing, they altered key amino acids in rice plants to favor CoQ10 production over CoQ9, achieving 75% CoQ10 content in the grain without affecting yield. This innovation could lead to nutrient-enhanced staple crops like wheat and maize, offering a natural way to support cardiovascular health through everyday meals. The study was published in Cell.

This cannabis startup pioneered “rapid onset” gummies

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