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01 / 05
Scientists Just Made CRISPR Three Times More Effective

ScienceDaily | Health & Medical Care

Scientists Just Made CRISPR Three Times More Effective

“Northwestern University chemists have unveiled a new type of nanostructure that dramatically improves CRISPR delivery and potentially extends its scope of utility.

Called lipid nanoparticle spherical nucleic acids (LNP-SNAs), these tiny structures carry the full set of CRISPR editing tools — Cas9 enzymes, guide RNA and a DNA repair template — wrapped in a dense, protective shell of DNA. Not only does this DNA coating shield its cargo, but it also dictates which organs and tissues the LNP-SNAs travel to and makes it easier for them to enter cells.

In lab tests across various human and animal cell types, the LNP-SNAs entered cells up to three times more effectively than the standard lipid particle delivery systems used for COVID-19 vaccines, caused far less toxicity and boosted gene-editing efficiency threefold. The new nanostructures also improved the success rate of precise DNA repairs by more than 60% compared to current methods.”

From ScienceDaily.

Bloomberg | Space

Space Startup Beams More Laser Energy to Panels than Ever Before

“Aerospace startup Star Catcher Industries Inc., which is developing technology to beam solar power to orbiting satellites, said it wirelessly transmitted more electricity in a ground test than ever before, marking another step toward creating the equivalent of a space grid.

Using a suite of lasers, the company successfully sent energy to off-the-shelf solar panels positioned more than 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) away. The tests took place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida last month.

The 1.1 kilowatt of converted electricity delivered at once exceeded the previous record set by the US government’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or Darpa. During Star Catcher’s multiday campaign, it beamed more than 10 megajoules of energy, according to the company.”

From Bloomberg.

Reuters | Motor Vehicles

pony.ai Granted Citywide Driverless Robotaxi Permit in Shenzhen

“Chinese autonomous driving firm Pony.ai has been granted the first citywide permit for driverless commercial robotaxi operations in the city of Shenzhen in southern China, it said on Friday.

The permit was jointly granted to Pony.ai and the city’s largest taxi operator Xihu Group, the company said in a statement.”

From Reuters.

NASASpaceflight | Space

Vast Completes Haven-1 Structural Testing, Launches Mission

“Vast is a space station company founded in 2021 by Jed McCaleb. It launched its pathfinder, Haven Demo, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 Bandwagon-4 mission on Sunday, Nov. 02, at 01:09 AM EDT (05:09 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Vast’s first station, Haven-1, is due to launch NET May 2026, also aboard a Falcon 9.

Haven-1 isn’t just any payload; it aims to help Vast beat other contenders for NASA Commercial LEO Destinations Phase 2 (CLD) funding. These companies include Axiom Space (Axiom Station) and Voyager Space/Airbus (Starlab), among others…

Vast’s Haven Demo will test out key capabilities, such as Reaction Control Systems (RCS), power systems, and propulsion, in preparation for Haven-1.”

From NASASpaceflight.