“Today, we’re introducing SynthID Bio, a new technology that watermarks AI-designed proteins while preserving their biological function.

SynthID Bio embeds an imperceptible, verifiable watermark directly into biological designs, such as AI-generated protein sequences and predicted 3D structures.

In laboratory tests across target proteins, our watermarked designs successfully matched the performance and natural diversity of unwatermarked versions. This creates a vital provenance layer to strengthen biosecurity and preserve the integrity of open scientific databases.”

From The Keyword.

“Researchers in Canada have discovered two new species that are related to spiders, but you don't have to worry about them crawling across your living room.

The new species are part of the sea spider family and were found in shallow waters in the Salish Sea between Washington State and the Canadian province of British Columbia. These sea spiders are the first to be found in that area in more than 100 years, according to the researchers. The newly discovered species, which measure about a centimeter across, were collected between September 2023 and August 2024 off of the islands of Vancouver and Quadra in British Columbia.”

From NPR.

“A three-pound wildcat with leopardlike spots from Bolivia who once lived briefly as a house pet isn’t just adorable. He is also, scientists say, the standard-bearer for the first new feline species discovered in a century.

The cat himself is named Tigrino, and his species is called tilcayo.

Several other cat species have gained official recognition after previously being considered subspecies. But the tilcayo, found in the cloud forests of the Andes Mountains in Bolivia, is the first brand-new feline species added to the cat family tree since the pampas cat was described in 1923.

The diminutive tilcayo, officially Leopardus tilcayo, resembles its closest relatives, the so-called tiger cats, found in Central and South America. After DNA analysis, the scientists whose study was published on Thursday in the journal Current Biology say the species split from its closest relatives 1.4 million years ago.”

From New York Times.

“The human genome is made of about 3 billion base pairs of DNA — but much of it remains a mystery. Scientists understand the 2% of the human genome that codes for proteins relatively well, but have only limited knowledge of the remaining 98%. Our AlphaGenome model has already shown how single changes in these non-coding DNA regions can disrupt molecular processes like protein production, but the bigger picture remained unclear.

Today, we're introducing AlphaGenome Atlas, a database that predicts the effects of every possible single nucleotide variant in the human genome. We used the AlphaGenome AI model to pre-calculate the regulatory impact of all 9 billion single-letter genetic changes, resulting in a massive, 1-petabyte dataset. Our new Atlas helps scientists rapidly query this vast information.

To help researchers rapidly navigate this, the Atlas introduces the AlphaGenome Variant Impact (AVI) score. This single, easy-to-use score combines predictions for both coding and non-coding regions, allowing researchers to quickly prioritize the most promising avenues for research without sifting through thousands of data points.”

From The Keyword.