Woolly mammoths have been extinct for over 10,000 years. But given the latest genetic sequencing efforts, scientists and engineers may be closer to resurrecting the ancient beast.
The starting point is blood. Researchers from the University of Manitoba have successfully reconstructed the hemoglobin of these ancient, massive creatures, and determined that their circulatory systems helped them survive in extremely cold conditions.
Two Rice University students have transformed a simple salad spinner into an electricity-free rotation device that can be used to diagnose diseases. The device would be able to separate blood in order to detect diseases like anemia, which can be an indicator of HIV, malnutrition and malaria.
Another important advancement is on the way in the world of 3-D bio printing. Biomedical engineers at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine have created an inkjet bio printer that sprays skin cells over wounds, helping them heal more rapidly.
No one has conversed with Eric Ramsey since 1999, when a car crash paralyzed him, leaving his conscious mind trapped inside an unresponsive body. The rare condition is called locked-in syndrome, and it has left Ramsey unable to even blink. But now, scientists and engineers are helping him reconnect with the outside world.
Five years after the incident, scientists implanted a device in his brain linking it directly to a speech synthesizer. After years of practice, Ramsey can now generate vowel sounds just by thinking of them.
