Biggest Breakthroughs in Biology and Neuroscience in 2023

[jedishrfu]

Covers:
- An investigation of consciousness
- Microbiomes evolve with us
- How life keeps time

 

[jedishrfu]

Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing...



No biologists on PF?

 

[pinball1970]

Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing...



No biologists on PF?

I have not got round to watching it but I will.

When I see "consciousness" in something relating to Biology, I always get the feeling some woo may be coming my way, so that first title probably delayed my watching.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

@Laroxe and @Ygggdrasil do you have any additional great breakthroughs for the year to list?

 

[Astronuc]

One biotech startup, rBIO of Houston, is aiming to make insulin more affordable by producing a copycat version of the drug—known as a biosimilar. It’s not the only company developing biosimilar insulin, but it says it has invented a new process to do so using custom-made bacteria.

CEO Cameron Owen says his company has created novel strains of bacteria that can produce insulin at twice the yield than is currently possible. Thursday, rBIO announced it had completed lab tests of its biosimilar insulin to determine that it is structurally and functionally similar to a brand-name one. It plans to begin a clinical trial later this year to determine whether its insulin works as well as a product already on the market.

https://www.wired.com/story/cheap-insulin-biosimilar-rbio/

https://www.sdbj.com/technology/rbio-succeeds-biomanufacturing-insulin/

Related
https://wyss.harvard.edu/news/designing-more-useful-bacteria/

 

[Laroxe]

@Laroxe and @Ygggdrasil do you have any additional great breakthroughs for the year to list?

My personal favourite would be in the effects of our changed understanding of genetics, idea around how genes work were not only wrong, they had become fossilised. The breakthroughs in molecular genetics are what has lead to an explosion of new therapies in medicine which has been described as a revolution, the new "biologic" approaches will lead to massive changes in our understanding of health and disease and we are only at the start of these changes.

 

[Borg]

On that line, what I tell people when the topic comes up is that the drug companies used to target a specific type of cancer (lung, cervical, skin, etc.) but they have discovered that they often need to target cancers genetically instead. Drugs that didn't seem to work well in a particular organ, can work very well for a specific type of genetic profile.

Disclaimer: this is not my field of study, I just try to be informed as much as possible.

 

[pinball1970]

@Laroxe and @Ygggdrasil do you have any additional great breakthroughs for the year to list?

@jim mcnamara and @BillTre too?

 

[BillTre]

Can't say I'm Too excited about 2023 developments in biology.
Nothing very earth shaking or surprising. I'm waiting for next year.

The new stuff seems like a continuation of developments from previous years.

The most significant thing to me is the continuing climate crisis. Although it is more appreciated now than before, its too late for easy fixes.
Our children will have to deal with the results of this decades long distraction put on by big industries. Many will die. Many species will go extinct. Ecosystems will be F*cked.
Interesting times!