GoKawiilThe insects could explore underwater for up to three hours. Plus, fake cancer studies rake in the citations and how scientists can build trust by recognizing their biases.
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Remote-controlled insects could be used in search and rescue missions to explore dangerous areas or rubble that humans can’t access, researchers hope. (NTU Singapore)
Researchers have equipped ‘cyborg’ cockroaches with diving suits that enable the insects to breathe underwater. These Madagascar hissing cockroaches (Gromphadorhina portentosa) have electrodes attached to their brains and sensory organs that allow researchers to remotely control their movements. The new 3D-printed suits attach tubes to the insects’ breathing holes, called spiracles, that connect to a chemical oxygen generator. In underwater tests, the roaches could explore a variety of underwater terrain and traverse obstacles for up to three hours at speeds similar to those they could move at on land.
Popular Science | 6 min read
Reference: Nature Communications paper
Researchers have created an entirely synthetic cell that can feed, grow and reproduce. Dubbed ‘SpudCells’, the tiny blobs aren’t technically alive, but can perform some of the chemical reactions seen in living cells. “It’s a cell that was built, not born. It’s constructed, but it does what cells do,” says synthetic biologist Drew Endy. Scientists hope that humanmade cells like these can reveal secrets such as how many genes a cell needs to survive, or be engineered to produce compounds that natural cells can’t make.
The New York Times | 8 min read
Reference: biotic preprint (not peer reviewed)
Cancer research papers that appear to have been produced by paper mills — businesses that produce and sell low-quality or fraudulent manuscripts — garner double the citations than do genuine articles in the field. The problem appears to be self-propagating: in an analysis of tens of thousands of papers, researchers found that papers that were probably produced by paper mills frequently cite, or are cited by, other potentially fraudulent articles. This distortion of citations might also inflate the impact metrics of journals in molecular oncology, says statistician and study co-author Adrian Barnett.
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