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Scientists create first computer simulation of a complete organism
Everyone, meet Mycoplasma genitalium, the subject of many scientific papers, even more vists to the clinic and now the first organism to be entirely recreated in binary. Computer models are often used for simplicity, or when studying the real thing just ain't viable, but most look at an isolated process. Stanford researchers wanted to break with tradition and selected one of the simplest organisms around, M. genitalium, to be their test subject. They collated data from over 900 publications to account for everything going on inside the bacterial cell. But it wasn't just a case of running a model of each cellular process. They had to account for all the interactions that go on -- basically, a hell of a lot of math. The team managed to recreate cell division using the model, although a single pass took almost 10 hours with MATLAB software running on a 128-core Linux cluster. The representation was so accurate it predicted what M. genitalium looks like, just from the genetic data. And, despite the raft of research already conducted on the bacterium, the model revealed previously undiscovered inconsistencies in individual cell cycles. Such simulations could be used in the future to better understand the complicated biology of diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's. Looks like we're going to need more cores in that cluster. If you'd like to hear Stanford researcher Markus Covert's view on the work, we've embedded some footage beyond the fold.
PSA uses 8-bit sprites to teach gamers about safe sex
The Leicestershire Teenage Pregnancy Partnership recently published a pixelated PSA with an important message for sexually active gamers: You have to use your speed burst after hitting the Condom block on World 1-3 in order to catch it before it falls in the bottomless pit. Or something.
Funding brings at-home STD tests closer to reality
It's an idea that's been around the medical block a time or two already, but so far, no one has really stepped up to the plate in an effort to make at-home and on-the-go STD testing a mainstream reality. According to a new Guardian report, however, a grand total of seven entities (including the Medical Research Council) have moved to fund development in the space. The UK Clinical Research Collaboration is the end result, with £4 million at its disposal right from the get-go. The idea is to develop small chips that can accept urine samples, and then those chips would be plugged into PCs or mobile phones (likely via a USB adapter of some sort) in order to give individuals information on any sexually transmitted infection they may have. The goal is to provide that data in private and "within minutes," and experts in the field are hopeful that this kind of innovation would help reduce the growing number of STIs across the UK. If all goes well, the "rapid testing devices" could be sold for £1 or less in "vending machines in nightclubs, pharmacies and in supermarkets," but there's still no clear indication of when it'll happen.
Nintendo considers new accelerometer tech for Wiimotes
Minor hardware revisions are common in electronics. As parts get smaller, cheaper, and draw smaller amounts of energy, companies swap out the internals for identically-functioning new versions. It's no surprise that Nintendo is looking into alternate accelerometer chips to provide the motion sensing functions of the Wii Remote, or that companies who manufacture accelerometers are clamoring to get their devices into the controller, thus ensuring a constant demand for their chips. Nintendo is currently looking at samples sent from many different manufacturers.According to a Nikkei Tech-On! article, one of the companies, Kionix, may make it possible to increase the sensitivity of the accelerometer's motion-sensing. Nintendo has yet to make any decisions. "It is difficult for manufacturers to be selected as a new supplier," an employee of a sensor company told Nikkei. [Via Gadget Lab]
