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TechRev_AL writes:
Prospective parents could soon be screened for around 100 genetic diseases that they might pass on to their children. Counsyl, a Stanford University startup based in Redwood City, CA, has developed the necessary genetic test--it costs $349 and is already covered by some major insurers. For most people, screening recommendations are currently limited to the chronic lung disease cystic fibrosis, with broader testing offered to some ethnic groups. The new technology could make this kind of screening far more common.
8958798
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TechRev_AL writes:
As part of its Constellation program, NASA has set about creating a completely new space suit. David Clark Company, in partnership with Oceaneering International, is designing suit, which could be used for missions to the space station, the moon, and eventually Mars. It has interchangeable parts, so the arms, legs, boots, and helmet can be switched. The first configuration, shown here, is designed for launch, descent, and emergency activities, while the second design is meant for lunar exploration. To put the new suit in perspective, this gallery looks back at all of NASA's previous space suits.
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TechRev_AL writes:
A scientist at Harvard University has developed a clever trick for manipulating the insides of living cells. Hongkun Park grows cells on top of nanowires so that the wires poke into the cells like needles, which allows molecules to be delivered inside them. To use the nanowires to deliver molecules, Park's team first treats them with a chemical that would allow molecules to bind relatively weakly to the surface of the nanowires. Then they coat the wires with a molecule or combination of molecules of interest. When cells are impaled on the nanowires, the molecules are released into the cells' interior. This gallery of images shows the cells growing on top of the nanowires.
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TechRev_AL writes:
A team from the University of Washington has attached an RFID chip capable of sensing neural activity to a live moth, to pick up the spikes that occur as it beats its wings. Most neural implants are still relatively bulky, but the Washington researchers wanted to show the components in an RFID could be adapted for the same purpose. The NeuralWISP chip is a collection of low-power components such as a specialized signal amplifier, on a circuit board just over two centimeters long. The circuitry converts usable power from the reader--roughly 430 microwatts--to a voltage that can turn on a microcontroller. The sensor is also configured to only "wakes up" when a neuron fires. The ultimate goal is to create more compact, wirelessly-powered brain and nervous system implants for people.
