NASA has launched 11 space biology projects
According to NASA news on November 21, NASA released 11 space biology projects to provide biological field support for subsequent lunar exploration missions. NASA will conduct 11 collaborations focused on "how lunar dust/regolith affects plants and animals."
NASA said that with the deepening of space exploration, the focus of space biology will be on how to make living organisms thrive in deep space, and then achieve long-term space missions. Research in the field of space biology will explore the effects of environmental stressors on model organisms in space flight. It is reported that the 11 projects are solicited under the RoS-2022 program "Space Biology Research" (NNH22ZDA001N-SBR).
U.S. Strategic Command intends to use commercial gaming technology to enhance the Defense Department's electromagnetic spectrum capabilities
The U.S. Strategic Command's Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications Enterprise Center (NEC) issued a request for information announcement Wednesday that will leverage the expertise of commercial gaming companies to "promote innovative solutions, tools, capabilities, and combinations, "To Facilitate Future dod Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis" aims to enhance the use of information and the electromagnetic spectrum in campaign and mission-level models and to rapidly update "aging" modeling and simulation tools. Using state-of-the-art gaming technology, Strategic Command plans to showcase aircraft, tanks, ships and satellites with "real electromagnetic spectrum characteristics and physical properties," providing real-time simulation data feedback by visualizing the EMS operating environment and simplifying user interaction with different systems for rapid training.
Message
U.S. lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to restrict Chinese lidar companies
Members of the U.S. House Select Committee on China Affairs are urging the Biden administration to investigate the Chinese lidar industry and decide which companies to include in the government's list of restricted entities. Lidar technology is a remote sensing technology that is widely used in autonomous systems and robotics, including drones and self-driving cars. Lawmakers are concerned about U.S. technology being used in opposing liDAR systems, as well as what they call "unsafe" foreign liDAR systems entering the U.S. market and critical infrastructure systems. Currently, the U.S. government has taken multiple steps to restrict China's access to advanced U.S. technology, while the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission warned in its 2023 annual report that "export controls on China face significant enforcement obstacles."
DARPA will launch the Massive Defensive Artificial Intelligence Challenge in December
According to NextGov network news on November 29, the US Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will launch a two-year large-scale artificial intelligence network challenge on December 1. The goal of the challenge is to create an AI or toolset that can autonomously intercept and mitigate all threats against government, critical infrastructure and private sector cyber threats. The challenge is split into a sponsored group, which offers rewards to small business participants, and an open group, which is open to all Americans. Judging for the challenge will be led by the Linux Foundation's Open Source Security Foundation, and the OpenSSF organization will help put the winning software code into use to protect U.S. infrastructure.
biont
The UK Biobank has released the world's largest whole genome sequencing dataset to date
According to the official website of Nature on November 30, the UK Biobank has published 500,000 new whole genome sequencing data, which is an important milestone in medical research and will help promote the development of new diagnostics and therapies. The data, produced by biomedical research funding agency Wellcome, the UK government and pharmaceutical companies after five years of £200 million funding and 350,000 hours of genome sequencing, will be available to researchers around the world to use scientific discoveries to improve human health.
CBWNet publishes a working paper on State implementation of international norms prohibiting biological weapons
According to CBWNet's official website on November 29, the Chemical and Biological Weapons Network (CBWNet), which comprehensively strengthens the norms prohibiting chemical and biological weapons, released the International Norms for State Implementation Against Biological Weapons. The document points out major gaps in the current national legal system and examines the current state of criminalization based on a comprehensive collection and analysis of national legislation.
FDA Announces Investigation into 'Serious risk' CAR-T cancer Therapy May cause lymphoma
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced an investigation into the "serious risk" that chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy may lead to new cancers. Currently, the FDA has determined that the risk of T-cell lymphoma applies to all current CAR-T therapies targeting BCMA and CD19. The FDA is evaluating the need for regulatory action. To date, the FDA has approved six autologous CAR-T therapies.
Dutch biotech company raises $24 million to use generative artificial intelligence to help scientists design proteins faster and more cost-effectively
According to the news on November 28, Dutch biotech startup Cradle announced the completion of $24 million in Series A funding, bringing its total funding to $33 million. The company uses generative AI to help scientists design proteins faster and more cost-effectively, and will use the funding to expand its machine learning and biotechnology teams and continue to invest in product development and sales capabilities. Currently, the company is working on more than a dozen research and development projects including vaccines, antibodies, enzymes, peptides, etc., covering a variety of desired protein properties such as stability, expression, activity, binding affinity and specificity. The company has signed up industry partners such as Johnson & Johnson, and its team members have helped deliver products and technology to companies such as Google, Deepmind, Novartis, Uber, Zymergen, Twist, Booking, and Klarna.
Researchers in the United States have developed a "cancer shredding" technology powered by CRISPR technology
According to the news on November 29, the Gladstone Institute in the United States used CRISPR gene editing technology to target glioblastoma cells with highly repetitive sequences to achieve the rapid elimination of cancer cells.
The researchers programmed the CRISPR technology to repeat DNA sequences that only exist in recurrent tumor cells, and then eliminated the tumor cells by cutting those sequences. This technique utilizes non-coding genomes and treatment-induced mutation signatures to target glioblastoma cells, providing an innovative paradigm for the development of therapies against highly mutated gliomas, and has the potential to be applied to other hypermutated tumors.
Audley scientists grow multi-chamber heart organoids to aid in heart disease screening and treatment
The Institute for Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences has developed an organoid model with a multi-chambered, relatively complete heart structure.
The researchers induced human pluripotent stem cells to initially differentiate into organoids such as the left ventricle, right ventricle, and atrium, and then cultured them together to simulate early embryonic heart development.
Using this heart model, the scientists screened for several potentially teratogenic drugs and genetic mutations, demonstrating that drugs such as thalidomide and retinoid and mutations in three transcription factors may cause heart defects in the developing fetus, or contribute to heart disease research and the development of corresponding therapies.
The findings are in the journal Cell.
Source of energy
Doe's National Nuclear Security Administration Releases FY2024 Inventory Management Plan
The U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has released its fiscal Year 2024 Inventory Management Plan (SSMP). The plan describes NNSA's efforts to achieve production of 80 plutonium pits per year; Implementation of the W80-4 Life Extension (LEP) program, the W87-1 modification program and the first production of the W93; Production of the B61-12 LEP and W88 Alteration 370 warheads continued. The SSMP is an annual document that describes the National Nuclear Safety Council's nuclear safety plan, as well as the current state of the U.S. nuclear program.
ocean
The world's first batch of large-capacity battery hybrid passenger roll ships were delivered
According to Global Science and Technology on November 30, the large-capacity battery hybrid passenger roller ship built by China Shipbuilding Group Guangsheng International for British shipowners was officially delivered on the 29th. This delivery also means that the world's first large capacity battery hybrid passenger rolling ship order of two vessels have been completed. The ship is equipped with four battery cells, a total of 1,160 high-capacity batteries with a loading capacity of 8.8 MWH, which can be fully propelled in battery mode, thus achieving zero emissions of pollutants and minimizing air pollution to the port and the city.
India plans to build its second indigenous aircraft carrier
According to the Global Times on November 30, after the "Vikrant", India plans to build a second domestic aircraft carrier, the cost of about 5 billion US dollars. Bloomberg quoted anonymous sources as saying that India's defense Procurement Board will discuss the project at a meeting on the 30th. According to the "Times of India" reported that the new aircraft carrier can carry 28 carrier-borne fighters and helicopters, the displacement of up to 45,000 tons, the first fighter aircraft into service on the ship may be from France to buy "Rafale" fighter jets. India currently has two aircraft carriers in service, Vikrant, which was launched last year, and Chaori King, which was commissioned in 2013.
aviation
The U.S. Special Operations Command seeks solutions for the development of "Anti-electronic countermeasures Seeker" technology
According to the Defense science and Technology news on November 29, the United States Special Operations Command issued the "Anti-Electronic Countermeasures Seeker" (CECMS) technology research and development request to evaluate the current CECMS technology development situation, and determine the future technology development path. According to the request, the US Special Operations Command requires: first, the size, weight, power and data interface of CECMS are suitable for Class I and Class II UAVs (micro-small UAVs); Second, the typical application of CECMS is suicide drones, such as Altius 700 drones, AGM-114 "Halfa" missiles and 70mm rockets that may integrate CECMS in the future. CECMS equipped suicide UAVs will enhance the ability to detect and destroy enemy land-based electronic systems and support electronic warfare capabilities against potential adversaries such as China and Russia.
Russia has successfully developed a micro-drone onboard the Su-57 fighter jet to provide support for manned and unmanned cooperative operations
According to the Russian satellite news agency website on November 28, Russia successfully developed the Su-57 fighter aircraft onboard micro-drones to provide support for manned and unmanned coordinated operations. The micro-UAV, which includes attack, reconnaissance and electronic warfare variants, effectively powers the Su-57 fighter jet. The micro-UAV loading is divided into fuselage external hanging and cabin built-in two ways, can be air-launched and controlled by Su-57 fighters at the same time, and cooperate with the carrier to focus fire, assist penetration, cover retreat and other actions. At present, Russia has achieved the mass delivery capacity of Su-57 fighters, and plans to receive 76 Su-57 fighters by 2027.
spaceflight
The Department of Defense Innovation has issued a request for proposals for a new hybrid space architecture program to the business community
According to SpaceNews on November 29, the U.S. Defense Innovation Department (DIU) issued a request for proposals for a new round of hybrid space architecture projects to the business community.
In the new round of consultation, DIU will focus on four key areas to develop hybrid space architecture, including: first, persistent sensing, including solutions for space-based sensing, routing, commercial data collection request management, and data access; Second, data transmission, with a focus on scalable space optical components; Third, high-performance edge computing, including autonomous analysis, edge algorithms, etc.
The fourth is data fusion, focusing on the data security of operational processes such as task planning and modeling.
Millennium Space Systems' mid-orbit missile early warning satellite passes critical design review
According to SpaceNews website on November 28, the US Millennium Space Systems Medium Earth Orbit Missile Warning and Tracking satellite passed a critical design review and began production of six satellites for the US Space Force.
According to the plan, the six satellites are scheduled to be delivered and launched by the end of 2026.
The six satellites will be part of the Space Force's Medium Earth Orbit Missile Warning and Missile Tracking constellation, designed to detect and track ballistic and hypersonic missiles. According to the US Space Systems Command, the constellation is intended to consist of 27 satellites, with the first nine planned to be purchased and launched. In addition, the U.S. Space Force is reviewing the Raytheon and L3 Harris satellite design concept and has not yet granted a production license.
Advanced material
Russian researchers have developed a method to facilitate the synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes
Researchers at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) in Russia have developed a method to promote the synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), which can increase the output of carbon nanotubes by nearly three times without compromising product quality.
Single-wall carbon nanotubes are mainly prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology, and the yield is low, which limits the application of carbon nanotubes.
The researchers introduce an air stream of carbon sources (such as hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, ethanol, etc.) and catalyst precursors (usually the precursors of iron nanoparticles, such as ferrocene) into a high-temperature reactor, which uses high temperatures to break the precursors into catalytic nanoparticles, and then the carbon source breaks down and deposits carbon on the surface of the nanoparticles to form fullerene hemispherical caps and grow carbon nanotubes.
At the outlet of the reactor, the carbon nanotubes are simultaneously filtered to form a single-walled carbon nanotube film on the filter surface.
To increase the yield, the researchers used hydrogen as a growth promoter and found that at low temperatures, hydrogen significantly improved the activation performance of the catalyst, thereby increasing the yield, while at high temperatures, hydrogen promoted the growth of carbon nanotubes, resulting in the preparation of longer carbon nanotubes.
The research was published in the Chemical Engineering Journal.
The U.S. Department of Energy has allocated $275 million to strengthen the clean energy supply chain and accelerate domestic manufacturing
The U.S. Department of Energy announced $275 million in funding for seven projects to strengthen the clean energy supply chain and accelerate the development of clean energy-related manufacturing in the United States.
These programs are designed to leverage U.S. labor and materials to build domestic supply chains for existing and emerging technologies to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and national security.
The selected projects will enhance the production of clean energy-related materials and components such as insulated Windows, wind turbines, grid components, and critical battery materials to reduce America's dependence on fossil fuels, strengthen supply chain resilience in the defense and energy sectors, and mitigate the climate crisis.
Specific projects include: Alpen High-Performance Products will retrofit existing facilities in Louisville, Colorado, and Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, to produce ultra-thin, three - and four-layer insulated glass units (IGUS);
Boston Metal will build a new plant in Weirton, W.Va., to produce ultra-pure chromium metal and superalloys;
Carter Wind Turbines will build a new plant in Vernon, Texas, to scale up production of medium-size turbines;
CorePower Magnetics will retrofit an existing facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to melt and cast advanced magnetic amorphous alloys for power grid components;
Nanoramic Laboratories will build a new facility in Bridgeport, Conn., to produce lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery electrodes for grid storage.
LuxWall will build a new facility in Detroit, Michigan to manufacture vacuum insulated glass (VIG) window units; MP Assets Corporation will build a project in Virginia to produce lithium-ion battery diaphragms that are critical to the electric vehicle supply chain.
