Daily Science Thread



Spoiler
 
Scientists from Queensland University of Technology in Australia are working on turning bone marrow stem cells into neural stem cells, capable of repairing the damage caused by strokes, head injuries and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s.

Their research, published in Developmental Biology, offers hope that damaged brain cells could be replaced by other adult stem cells, The Australian reports.

Currently when parts of the brain are damaged, other sections simply take over their role. It’s been known for a while that other adult stem cells could actually replace the function of these lost neural cells, but scientists have previously struggled to find a replicable way of turning stem cells into neural cells in sufficient quantities to heal someone’s brain.

To overcome this hurdle, the scientists from QUT used salts and biological chemical to raise levels of certain surface proteins known as heparin sulfate proteoglycans in the stem cells. “These proteins are involved in cellular processes like cell division,” Rachel Okolicsanyi, the lead author of the study from QUT, told The Australian.

“If we can encourage those pathways, we’ll get a higher proliferation rate of the cells. And if we can grow more stem cells and encourage them along a particular lineage, we’ll get a higher percentage that can become neuronal.”

It’ll still be a few years before we see this technique lead to therapeutic treatments for brain injuries and disease, but it’s a pretty huge first step.
 
who knew Ents were made of jazz fusion aka what trees sound like when played like a record.

Bartholomäus Traubeck created equipment that would translate tree rings into music by playing them on a turntable. Rather than use a needle like a record, sensors gather information about the wood’s color and texture and use an algorithm that translates variations into piano notes. The breadth of variation between individual trees results in a individualized tune. The album, appropriately titled “Years,” features spruce, ash, oak, maple, alder, walnut, and beech trees. It is available to download now, though it will be available to purchase on vinyl in August. The end product of these arbor “records” is haunting and beautiful and you need to check it out.


Sample from "Years"
 
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