GoKawiilSynthetic CRISPR proteins edit the genome more efficiently than their natural counterparts. Plus, a rocky exoplanet with an atmosphere and the mathematical wonderland of footballs.
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This dagger was buried alongside Ita, a daughter of the pharaoh Amenemhat II, who “was a young woman aged between 28 and 34 with strong upper-body muscle attachments, suggesting she habitually used weapons like maces or daggers”, says Hashesh. (Sameh Abdel Mohsen)
The remains of some ancient Egyptian princesses of the Late Middle Kingdom, who were buried with beautiful weapons, show signs that they participated in strenuous, dangerous activities such as archery and hunting. “Their bones developed to sustain heavy muscle use, which corresponds directly to the weapons discovered in their tombs,” says archeologist and study co-author Zeinab Hashesh. “These findings challenge the traditional view that elite Egyptian women led passive, sedentary lives.”
Scientific American | 7 min read
Reference: Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology paper
Astronomers have spotted a rocky exoplanet that looks likely to have an atmosphere — and could be a host for life. The planet, LHS 1140b, appears to have a helium-rich upper atmosphere and sits in the habitable zone around a star, the area in which an orbiting planet could maintain liquid water on its surface. Researchers can’t say for sure whether there is water on the exoplanet, but the findings constitute an “amazing missing piece of the puzzle” as to whether rocky exoplanets can have atmospheres, says astrophysicist Sara Seager.
Nature | 5 min read
Reference: Science paper
Scientists have used artificial intelligence to design synthetic CRISPR proteins that can edit the genome more efficiently than their natural counterparts. Many of these proteins differed markedly from the originals, with some differing by roughly 30% of their amino acid sequences. Nevertheless, the synthetic versions were still able to edit genes in bacterial, plant and human cells, a finding that’s “pretty exciting” says biochemist and study co-author Jennifer Doudna, who shared the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her work on CRISPR systems.
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