In a new study, Arizona State University researcher Michael Lynch explores the substantial energy demands required to maintain and evolve multicellular life. The study, using the water flea Daphnia as a model organism, reveals that multicellular organisms require significantly more energy than single-celled ones. In fact, studies show that these organisms require more than a tenfold increase in energy compared with protists — simpler, mostly single-celled organisms.

Researchers from the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and the University of Rome Tor Vergata in Italy have developed synthetic genes that function like the genes in living cells. The artificial genes can build intracellular structures through a cascading sequence that builds self-assembling structures piece by piece. The discovery offers a path toward using a suite of simple building blocks that can be programmed to make complex biomolecular materials, such as nanoscale tubes from DNA tiles. The same components can also be programmed to break up the design for different materials. 

Insilico Medicine(“Insilico”), a global leading generative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven biotechnology company, today announced it has signed a Revolving Loan Facility of up to US$100 million with HSBC, one of the world's largest banks and financial services institutions. HSBC’s customized financing solution will support Insilico’s global development centered on multiple sites, as well as the expansion of innovative advantages, thus driving the economy growth in the Greater Bay Area.

University of Oregon researchers are strengthening the resilience of filbert orchards across the state to withstand climate change — an effort backed by a $2 million federal investment.