A new national programme that aims to position Singapore at the forefront of advancements in RNA science and applications was officially launched today. This new initiative – named National Initiative for RNA Biology and Its Applications (NIRBA) – is supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) with total funding of S$130 million (US$97 million) over seven years. NIRBA will engage scientists and clinicians from leading institutions like the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and Duke-NUS Medical School.

MIT scientists used light to control how a starfish egg cell jiggles and moves during its earliest stage of development. Their optical system could guide the design of synthetic, light-activated cells for wound healing or drug delivery.

More and more young women are hesitant about having children in Sweden. New research from Uppsala University shows that one in four are either unsure about or do not want to have children at all – a big increase compared to 2014, when only one in ten felt this way. The same study also shows that fewer are using condoms and that a large proportion perceived consent when sexual activity was initiated.

In a paper published in National Science Review, a research team from Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Nanjing University present an overview of the historical developments in Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI). They grouped the developments of Generative AI into four categories: 1) rule-based generative systems, 2) model-based generative algorithms, 3) deep generative methodologies, and 4) foundation models. They also described potential research directions aimed at better utilizing, understanding, and harnessing Generative AI technologies.

Researchers have documented the northernmost record of the highly invasive silver-cheeked toadfish, Lagocephalus sceleratus, in the Mediterranean, raising concerns about its impact on marine biodiversity, fisheries, and coastal tourism.

In a study published today in the ExRNA journal, researchers from the Novosibirsk Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine have proved that pre-analytical variables, as blood plasma or extracellular vesicles storage conditions influence on miRNAs stability and, thus, detected concentrations of individual microRNAs.