Some days, it feels like the world is going crazy when you hear that Sperm Racing is a thing. But then you read a little deeper and also see how new implants are helping with returning communication, how we can accurately map brains more than ever, and accelerate research with technology. Canât help but think how cool things are!.
Researchers first mapped all 302 neurons in the C. elegans worm back in 1986 to link physical wiring with behavior. Now, a consortium of scientists has traced the largest connectome yet â about 75,000 neurons and 500 million synapses in a mouse, out of roughly 7 million total neurons. The target specifically was the visual cortex.
To achieve this, a combination of methods was utilized. Two-photon calcium imaging was utilized to capture responses to visual stimuli in excitatory neurons, and TEM for mapping connectivity. The data gathered from these were mapped to 3D using machine learning and computational methods with appropriate human interference.
They also point out how this level of mapping is still extremely intensive and requires a large number of man-hours, even with a lot of automated and enhanced steps included. We highly recommend reading through this article yourself, as it is both interesting and educational, even if you donât work in the field.
Yeah, we are not kidding. The arena is a microfluidic chip that mimics the female reproductive tract, with two separate curved channels that act like tracks through which a few sperm âswimâ as fast as possible, pushed by a liquid current that includes chemical signals. That chip was put under a microscope and a camera that televised the 90-second event onto a huge screen for 5,000 attendees in LA and millions of viewers online.
Sperm Racing is not only an event but a male fertility company with $1M in funding. Jibby Kadri, the CTO, shared that the event is a way to raise awareness about the male fertility crisis among young men, funnily and entertainingly. Through this, they can build distribution for products like at-home sperm health kits and have users upload their data onto leaderboards for further competition. Their website envisions a day when sperm racing can be someoneâs âfull-time careerâ.
While we like the idea of why this exists (read the manifesto from the founders here), it might just open Pandoraâs box.
The technical breakdown of the race is not super complex.
Let us know if there should be a European version!
Neuralink recently informed on X (previously known as Twitter, sigh) that they have received the breakthrough status from the FDA for their device to help restore communication for those with severe speech impairments. This status allows for a more speedy track for the development of devices aimed at helping bring devices with capabilities to help in the treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating conditions. More on the definition and criteria from the FDA.
The third and most recent patient to receive the implant has also shared his own thoughts on how it has helped him.
FutureHouse is an AI nonprofit trying to build an "AI scientist" in the next decade. The Eric Schmidt-backed nonprofit released a new tool called Finch that is an AI agent meant to automate data-driven discovery in biology. Sam Rodriques, the CEO, compared the tool to a 1st year grad student. Although these kinds of comparisons usually make us skeptical, it is still interesting to see where we will be heading with these sorts of scientific AI agents. Technology moves forward, and although not perfect, these tools can help in synthesis, discovery, and even processing information. Neat!
Read more and explore HERE.
Raising $100M Series C is nothing to scoff at. This is what the San Francisco-based Biolinq has recently reported having raised to support making their autonomous intradermal glucose sensor. This less invasive sensor is currently in the last stages of regulatory reviews in the US. Although the sensor is currently meant to only measure glucose levels in the interstitial fluid, the sensors the company has built are mentioned to have capabilities to do multi-analyte sensing. These markers could include lactate and ketones, for example, expanding the possibilities where a sensor like this could be used.
Check out more details HERE.
We might be overusing the word cool here, but things just really are that â Cool! Every week, it seems we find something new, an advancement here, a new amazing initiative there. And we canât get enough of it! So if you feel like that, we appreciate it if you share this with people who might not be able to get enough of it either. Or maybe you want to share something you found with us? Or maybe youâre doing something cool that youâd like to share too â Let us know!
And if youâre still not convinced, no worries! Just unsubscribe here, you can always check back on us later