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Asimov Press

@AsimovPress

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Asimov Press publishes writing about scientific progress, especially in biology. Pitch: editors @asimov .com

Cambridge, MA
Joined September 2023
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
2 months
We're excited about this one: We're openly sharing biology-focused story ideas that we’d like to publish. Check out the list and let us know if you’d like to write on any of these subjects! We’ll help you at every step along the way, and then pay you :)
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
Making the First Transgenic Ants 🐜 After seven years of work, ants were made to express a calcium sensor in their sensory neurons. When the ants detect pheromones, the sensor proteins fluoresce and can be used to directly record brain activity. Read:
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
30 days
Tinker is a short story about an AI that designs the chips needed to train its successors. Written by @RichardMCNgo , it weaves together themes in synthetic biology and chip fabrication to imagine a plausible future. Read & subscribe:
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
9 days
Our first book about scientific progress, Origins, is now available. We learned a lot about printing—and starting a magazine—while creating this book. So we decided to write an essay about it! Buy the book, support our work, and learn more. 🔻
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
5 months
Welcome to Asimov Press, a new publishing venture that features writing about biology. Our magazine and books will cover a broad range of topics, including biosecurity, vaccine development, and the long arc of progress in genetic engineering. Learn more:
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
1 month
It was a joy to talk to @ElowitzLab about the dawn of synthetic biology. We asked: - Is the cell actually like a computer? - Is synthetic biology overhyped? - Why have physicists repeatedly made such great contributions to biology? Read & subscribe here:
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
2 months
Our latest piece is about the “epigenetic-driven” theory of aging, and how we can reverse epigenetic damage at the cellular level. It was a pleasure to work with @ArtirKel on this one! Read it here:
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
16 days
7 billion male chicks are killed each year in the egg industry, simply because they can't lay eggs. New technologies can prevent this. In today's essay, @robert_yaman explores "pre-hatch" technologies that improve animal welfare. Read & subscribe:
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
14 days
We visited @CultivariumFRO ! Cultivarium is a nonprofit building tools to help scientists work with 100+ non-model organisms -- not just E. coli and yeast. We'll publish an essay about their work for a forthcoming book. Thanks for the tour, @hhlee and Nili Ostrov!
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
5 months
The first Issue of our magazine will appear in March 2024. Its core theme will be Biosecurity, but we also have space for essays on other topics. Please pitch us at editors @asimov .com. A bit more on what we're looking for...
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
1 month
Today's essay tells the story of how artemisinin, a drug that has saved millions of lives, was found by Chinese scientists as part of a secret military project in 1971. @WendiYan5 went deep into the archives, drawing upon newly published Chinese texts.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
23 days
Mars is the only serious candidate for terraforming. The moon has no atmosphere and Venus is too hot. But just how feasible is life on the Red Planet? In today's essay, @StorkDevon illuminates why nothing can grow on Mars* (*probably) Read it here:
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
Fast Biology 🚀 Cells are crowded and very fast places. Sugar molecules cruise at 250 mph, and ATP-making enzymes whip around 134 times per second. But these numbers seem made up. How do we know they're real? Our first editor's column, by @NikoMcCarty .
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
We are seeking speculative fiction pieces, especially those that imagine positive and plausible biological futures. We pay $1,000 for short stories. Please send drafts to editors @asimov .com. Read on for more details...🧵
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
Scaling Phage Therapy 📈 Bacteriophages are viruses that kill bacteria. For 100+ years, many have hoped that they could save us from the growing threat of untreatable, drug-resistant infections. So why haven't they? 🧵
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
4 months
Announcing "Satellites." These are essays that briefly describe a biological idea. Our first: A beautiful piece by @trevor_klee , who explains how scientists can learn from Toyota's "Five Whys" approach to identify the root cause of molecular problems.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
What synthetic biology topics would you like to see us cover in future articles? We'll add them to our list of ideas and commission writers to do it!
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
2 months
Our first piece of fiction is now live! THE VECTOR ZOO explores a future wherein a portion of humanity has given up on controlling vector-borne diseases, instead sheltering within sealed suits and sterile cities. Is there a better way forward?
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
4 months
Making the Micropipette A seminal tool for every wet-lab scientist, a micropipette is used to transfer small volumes of liquid. It laid the foundation for modern biology. Our first essay uncovers the inventors and lawsuits that made it all possible.🧵
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
2 months
Today’s essay examines potential scales for biomanufacturing, both below and above the level of the cell. Big thanks to @ElliotHershberg for working with us on this one. Read it here:
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
4 months
All of our published essays now have registered DOIs. This will help us track how articles are cited over time, and (somewhat) quantify the impact that our published work makes on biotechnology research.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
4 months
Researchers have been intentionally infecting people with pathogens for centuries. But the number of "challenge trials" almost doubled from the 2000s to the 2010s. What accounts for their newfound popularity? And how do we measure their value? 🧵 Read:
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
In our latest piece, @Tom_J_Ireland , author of the book, "The Good Virus," explains why. Tom also highlights how synthetic biology and computational algorithms are resolving some of the long-standing challenges in using phage to treat patients. Read:
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
16 days
Apply for this writing fellowship from our friends at Roots of Progress! We've greatly enjoyed working with @Atelfo , a fellow in the first cohort, on a piece that will be published in our second book.
@jasoncrawford
Jason Crawford
16 days
Announcing the 2024 @rootsofprogress Blog-Building Intensive, the second cohort of our 8-week program for aspiring progress writers to start or grow a blog. Learn about progress studies, get into a regular writing habit, improve your writing, and build your audience
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
5 months
Speculative Fiction We're after pieces that imagine positive, and plausible, biological futures. Science, rather than characters or plot, should be the focus. Explanations of technologies should be detailed and mechanistic. We really like "Lena" by qntm.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
5 months
Photo Essays Biotechnology is not only done in sterile, white-walled labs. There are entire gene-editing facilities devoted to algae and mosquitoes. But what do they look like? Photo essays demystify biotechnology by showcasing equipment, people, and places.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
Fomites are inanimate objects that can spread pathogens. They were a secondary cause of a massive SARS outbreak in 2003 that infected 329 people in a Hong Kong apartment complex and killed 42. Engineered materials -- including cellulose sprays -- could help prevent a repeat. 🧵
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
Come join us!
@NikoMcCarty
Niko McCarty 🧫
3 months
On March 7th, @AsimovPress will host its first(!) event. It's a Sci-Fi Writing Night. Come start a short story, meet other writers, and hang out. The event is 5:30-7:30pm in downtown Boston. RSVP here! Or please share with others who might be interested.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
4 months
This essay was written by @Meta_Celsus and will appear in Issue 01. It's fitting that our first essay for Asimov Press, a magazine about biotechnology, is about the underappreciated tool that made this field possible. Read it here:
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
In our latest piece, @tomough weighs the pros- and cons- of microbe-killing materials and sprays, including bleach, copper, and graphene. But a surprising winner emerged: cellulose, a sugar that plants use to build cell walls. Read:
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
5 months
Essays (1,200-2,000 words) An essay should explain a new way of thinking. We're after “timeless” articles that will inspire readers, and open up their eyes to a new facet of biotechnology. We love classics from Hamming, Feynman, etc. and hope to do the same for biology.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
What might the world look like if a certain kind of biotechnology existed? What is the cost of not developing this technology? We’re excited by fiction that is evocative enough to encourage researchers to overcome a bottleneck or develop a new idea.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
16 days
In-ovo sexing technologies allow farmers to identify which eggs will hatch into males and which will produce females. Male eggs can then be removed and destroyed before they feel pain.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
Predictive AI tools can also support the development of synthetic phages. These ‘ideal phages’ could be made with only the genes strictly necessary to infect and kill the bacteria at hand and be manufactured close to where they will be administered to treat a patient.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
Cold-sprayed copper kills more than 99.9% of bacteria over two hours. A sprayable coating, derived from cellulose, also dries out materials about 50% faster than evaporation alone. It causes cells to dry out and die. Cellulose sprays are cheap and effective.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
16 days
Two technologies for in-ovo sexing are already available at commercial scales. Last year, the in-ovo sexing capacity in Europe increased by 60 percent. And it was recently announced that in-ovo sexing is coming to the U.S. in 2025!
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
23 days
If @StorkDevon and his research nonprofit manage to make a microbe capable of living on Mars, we may get closer to civilization in the stars. If they fail, they'll still discover useful things for life here on Earth. Read & subscribe here:
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
Some examples of pieces we love: Lena Story of Your Life They May As Well Grow on Trees
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
The diversity of phages makes them a challenge to regulate. Regulators want to see a single, stable, well-characterized drug before giving the green light for it to be tested in a clinical trial, not dozens of different viruses; let alone ones that are often found in filth.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
5 months
Deep Dives (2,500+ words) Data-driven explorations of a story, technology, place, or person. These pieces clearly describe key challenges, and articulate how biotechnology — or other means — are being used to solve them. These articles shed light on how hard-won progress can be.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
Phages have been used to treat chronic infections, mostly in the former Soviet Union, since the 1920s—but were virtually forgotten in the Western world. But now, with at least 1 million people dying from drug-resistant bacterial infections every year, interest has resurged.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
23 days
By combining extremophilic traits from organisms on Earth, a research nonprofit called Pioneer Labs hopes to demonstrate the "limits of life." They will combine genes and pathways found in microbes that have evolved high resistance to UV radiation, temperatures, and so on.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
4 months
@weischoice It typically ranges from $500 for short ~1,000 word pieces to $2,000 for a 'Deep Dive'. More details on our article formats:
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
16 days
Poultry accounts for 96 percent of land animals eaten by Americans––far more in number than cows or pigs. Therefore, the poultry sector holds the clearest promise for technology to improve animal welfare.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
16 days
Some poultry farms in the U.S. house more than 5 million chickens. The largest cow feedlots rarely break 100,000. With so many animals packed in one place, it's hard to guarantee their welfare. Fortunately, technology excels in areas where scalability is a key challenge.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
16 days
20 million chickens die during transport each year in the U.S. On-farm hatching can reduce this. @VencomaticGroup offers one such technology; farmers place soon-to-hatch eggs in trays. When the chicks hatch, they fall a safe distance to the floor.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
23 days
Any effort to terraform Mars is up against serious challenges––low pressures, biting temperatures, and toxic soil. More critically, Mars has very little available water; most of it is frozen in the poles (where temperatures plunge to -100°C) or else is extremely salty brines
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
Antibiotics cost as little as a few cents per dose while some of these bespoke phage products based on automated analysis of patients’ bacterial samples are likely to work out in the region of $20,000 per treatment. (In Georgia, phage therapies are sold over the counter.)
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
A few reasons: Phages are far more demanding to deploy than chemical antibiotics. For one, they are particular. There are estimated to be around 100 million different species of phage, and each one is incredibly choosy about which bacteria it will infect.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
5 months
@merri_catherine No. We're always open for pitches. Issues will be published every 3 months, but we take pieces on a rolling basis.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
AI and synthetic biology may offer the best hope of engineering phages into products with the broad and versatile power of antibiotics. But for phage therapy to scale in low or middle-income countries, we will still need public-health-focused approaches.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
Yet even after decades of research, media hype, and dozens of clinical trials and biotech start-ups that have come and gone, phage therapy has not scaled. Just a few of the 13 companies known to be working on phage therapy in 2004 are still active. Why?
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
16 days
A trio of technologies—in-ovo sexing, on-farm hatching, and in-ovo vaccination—remove the need to handle and kill live chicks after they are born. They enable farmers, instead, to sex and vaccinate chicks before they hatch, thus reducing the number of baby chicks killed.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
However, new technologies are making phage therapy more appealing to pharmaceutical companies. @felixbiotech @LocusBio The specificity problem can be combated with AI and machine learning: predicting phage-host relationships in silico rather than through exhaustive lab work.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
4 months
Heinrich Schnitger was a 32-year-old German who viewed his work with "great contempt," because it forced him to use mouth pipettes. A 1915 survey found that 40 percent of workplace-related infections were directly linked to mouth pipetting.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
23 days
While low water activity on Mars precludes existing life, maybe synthetic biology could create a microbe that could survive in these conditions. Engineering microbes to produce insulation using novel nanotechnologies or lichen to extract water from the air could work.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
4 months
In 2004, Gilson sued Rainin, accusing them of “a campaign to disparage Gilson's Pipetman products and route customers to their own...product lines.” Gilson won $500,000 in damages, and Rainin lost their license to sell Gilson pipettes in the U.S.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
16 days
It is easier to vaccinate an egg compared to a chicken. In-ovo vaccinated eggs also have a more consistent and uniform delivery across each embryo. Administering the vaccine pre-hatch also gives the chick’s immune system more time to fortify itself against pathogens.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
4 months
The D’Autry-Gilson micropipettes were sold across Europe, but rights to the United States market were bought by Kenneth Rainin, a young California businessman. When Gilson's patent for the adjustable pipette expired in 1991, Rainin began to market a competing line of pipettes.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
These high-tech approaches to streamlining and scaling phage therapy are beginning to attract attention from start-ups and investors. But phage therapy will also need to be affordable to combat the predicted millions of global cases of antibiotic resistance.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
16 days
In-ovo vaccination is another pre-hatch technology that will be good for welfare and the farmer's bottom line. Vaccination ensures that birds stay healthy and productive. An outbreak of a virus like Marek’s disease can cause tumors and paralysis across an entire flock.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
4 months
Schnitger's first device had many issues. The device’s volume could not be adjusted, and it used polyethylene tips, which were too expensive to be disposable and thus made them prone to contamination. Scientists in Finland and the U.S. eventually solved both problems.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
23 days
All life on Earth requires liquid water for survival. The lack of water on Mars would be the prevailing reason why nothing could grow there. The planet's soil is also a desiccant, meaning it quickly absorbs moisture.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
Far-UVC light damages microbes without penetrating beyond the thin layer of dead skin cells that clings to the human epidermis. Though effective at deactivating viruses, lamps that emit far-UVC are expensive and have to be in “sight of” a surface in order to kill microbes on it.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
4 months
Micropipettes haven't changed much since 1974, but innovations still spring up. In the last few years, scientists have open-sourced blueprints for a 3D-printed, adjustable micropipette and have made micropipettes that can pick up individual cells.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
23 days
The thermodynamic availability of water is known as "water activity." The lower limit of water activity for existing lifeforms is 0.585, a record held by Aspergillus penicillioides, a fungus that can grow on dust. Liquid water on Mars has a water activity below 0.5.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
8 days
@coffee_lipe @NikoMcCarty Yes! We see your order here and will ship a copy next week. Thanks for the support.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
4 months
In Finland, a 26-year-old student made an early version of an adjustable micropipette after nearly swallowing "a piece of rat's brain" while mouth pipetting. In the U.S., Warren Gilson made an adjustable pipette with a gauge to more accurately assess the set volume.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
A comprehensive disease-prevention strategy ought to address fomite transmission along with other modes. They can worsen outbreaks, including the one at Amoy Gardens. Diarrheal diseases—attributed to viruses that spread via fomite transmission—killed ~1.5 million people in 2019.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
4 months
Fed up, Schnitger used a syringe and plastic tube to make a precursor to the modern micropipette. He did it in just 2 days. His device also had a spring-loaded piston and a second spring to shoot out residual liquid.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
All this and more in our latest essay. Read it here: Follow us here, and subscribe at , to be notified of future essays. Asimov Press will always be free to read. Our mission is to make biotechnology make sense to more people.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
4 months
The micropipette’s history is a reminder that simple tools can have a large impact. Even a task as straightforward as transferring liquid from one tube to another can be accomplished by many different mechanisms, some of which are vastly superior to others.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
4 months
Today, the popularity of human challenge trials is rising quickly. 284 human challenge trials have been conducted since 1980, and nearly doubled in number from the 2000s to the 2010s. Most trials have focused on malaria and influenza.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
16 days
The hope is that the synergy between these pre-hatch technologies will cause the logistical challenges associated with handling live chicks to be automated away and replaced with humane, in-ovo solutions. Like most automating technologies, costs will lower and spur adoption.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
3 months
Solutions such as handwashing are one way to prevent fomite transmission. But many people don't have access to clean water. We also need more surfaces that kill microbes, including viruses, on contact, or technology that directly kills pathogens lurking on surfaces.
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@AsimovPress
Asimov Press
5 months
@peterwildeford @AlexandraBalwit All of our articles will be sent out, for free, on Substack. Substack has an RSS feed, available here:
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