GoKawiil
Tech News
DARPA has launched a $73 million initiative to create long-lasting, dried versions of plasma, platelets, and red blood cells for battlefield use. The program aims to have these dried blood products ready for field deployment by 2029, though researchers still face open questions about the safety and effectiveness of synthetic blood alternatives.
DARPA, the Pentagon's research arm, has launched a $73 million program led by Navy Lt. Cmdr. Robert Murray to develop a synthetic blood alternative for battlefield use. The effort responds to chronic blood shortages that researchers say cause roughly 10,000 preventable deaths annually in the US and far more worldwide, largely due to blood's short shelf life once thawed or stored.
Researchers found that renal capillary blood flow in animals becomes refractory to restoration by reperfusion alone once artery occlusion exceeds roughly 10-30 minutes, with pericytes remaining constricted even after large-vessel flow resumes. Administering an intravenous bolus of the compound R(+)2501 after occlusion periods of up to 120 minutes rapidly restored red blood cell velocity and flux to healthy levels within about 6 minutes, and in some cases pushed flow above baseline.
A roundup covers a wave of developments across the AI industry, including rising demand for computing infrastructure, new wearable devices that claim to track blood pressure, and commentary from an Anthropic co-founder addressing criticism that the company has a 'woke' image. The coverage also touches on instances where personal AI agents have acted outside their intended instructions.
A review of consumer wearables that claim to monitor blood pressure without a traditional cuff found the devices can flag changes users don't feel. Physicians interviewed cautioned that the readings may not match clinical accuracy, raising concerns about how users interpret the data.
A federal judge has mandated Apple to pay an additional $184 million in interest related to a patent infringement case brought by Masimo. The case stems from Apple’s use of Masimo’s blood oxygen measurement technology in the Apple Watch, which was previously found to infringe on Masimo’s patent, leading to a $634 million damages award. The interest was calculated based on Masimo’s borrowing rate, not the higher rate requested by Masimo, and the total interest was added to the original damages.
Genmab announced that its collaboration with AbbVie demonstrated that their drug Epkinly increased survival time for patients with a prevalent form of lymphoma. The results were presented in a recent study, prompting a surge in Genmab's stock price. The findings suggest potential for expanded use of the medication in blood cancer therapies.
The OpenAI Foundation, the nonprofit created in October 2025 during OpenAI's governance restructuring, has begun distributing part of its committed $25 billion in philanthropic funding. Recent grants include a $125 million package for open health and life-sciences data, covering $40 million for a University of North Carolina cancer vaccine project, $500,000 to repurpose data from failed biotech firms, and $15 million for research on drug transport across biological membranes, following an earlier $100 million commitment to Alzheimer's disease research. Jacob Trefethen, the foundation's head of life sciences, says this is an early phase of a broader, faster-moving funding effort.
Blood Records is producing colored and marbled vinyl variants aimed at younger music collectors, capitalizing on a broader resurgence in vinyl sales. Singer-songwriter Sienna Spiro's debut album Visitor was released in multiple formats, including a limited run of 3,000 copies with a distinctive orange-and-black swirl pattern exclusive to certain retailers.
An FDA enforcement report this month classified a recall of roughly 13,000 bottles of blood pressure medication as a Class II action. The report did not specify which states or retailers received the affected product, and details on the exact drug and manufacturer were not disclosed.
Renier Brentjens, one of the early researchers behind CAR T cell therapy, is now developing a new generation of engineered 'living drug' treatments. His current work aims to extend the success these therapies have had against blood cancers to solid tumors, which have proven far harder to treat with cell-based approaches.
Google is deploying its Health Guardian features—blood pressure trends, insulin resistance trends and sleep breathing quality metrics—to the Google Health app this week, with initial trend reports available starting in early October. The rollout covers Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5 owners for free, while Fitbit Air owners with a Google Health Premium subscription will get insulin resistance and blood pressure trends later this year.