The abortion drug mifepristone may have anti-aging properties

In this week's edition of The Prototype, we look at the potential anti-aging properties of mifepristone, a new way to grow food, a new material for removing CO2 from the air, and more. You can sign up here to receive The Prototype in your inbox.

AAbortion is one of the most important political issues in the current election cycle. And one point of discussion is mifepristone, a drug commonly given to induce abortions in the early stages of pregnancy. Attorneys general in Idaho, Kansas and Missouri filed a lawsuit against the FDA last week seeking to roll back regulations that allowed the drug to be prescribed during a telemedicine appointment.

But mifepristone isn't just used for abortions. It is also used to treat patients with Cushing's syndrome and is being tested to treat other diseases. And new research published this week found that the drug could also potentially be used to extend people's life expectancy.

The study tested the effects of mifepristone and another drug used to suppress the immune system during organ transplants on fruit flies and found that both significantly extended their lifespan. In the case of mifepristone, the flies' lifespan increased by an average of 114%.

One possible reason for this effect is that both drugs appear to boost a cellular process called mitophagy, in which damaged mitochondria, which produce energy for the cell, are destroyed and recycled. As people get older, this process can slow down, leading to some effects of aging.

There is no guarantee that the drug will have the same effect in humans, so further research is needed. However, if future studies show similar results, clinical trials could potentially be accelerated as mifepristone is currently approved for other uses, although the partisan dispute over its approval status could change that.

Stay tuned.

This powder sucks carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere

SAccording to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, September was the second warmest on record, and 2024 is on track to be the hottest year on record. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley may have found a new tool to reduce climate-warming carbon emissions: a yellow powder that captures CO2 directly from the air.

An article published this week in Nature describes the porous material, a so-called covalent organic framework (COF), that can accommodate nitrogen-based chemicals that trap CO2. If you look at it under a microscope, you can see large, regularly spaced openings that can trap the gases. The structure is held together by bonds between carbon atoms, which are among the strongest in nature. This prevents it from decomposing, which can happen with other materials currently used for carbon capture.

“We took a powder of this material, put it in a tube and put Berkeley air – just outside air – into the material to see how it would work, and it was beautiful. It completely cleaned the air of CO2,” study co-author and Berkeley chemistry professor Omar Yaghi said in a press release.

The next step for researchers is to design a practical device to capture carbon from the material.

DISCOVERY OF THE WEEK: ELECTRIC FARMING

A team of scientists has developed a chemical process that is four times more efficient than photosynthesisthe process by which plants convert sunlight into energy. Their method, called “electric farming,” uses electricity from solar energy to power a chemical reactionwhich creates molecules genetically modified Plants can be converted into the energy they need. The researchers say the discovery could enable hydroponic growing of food in multi-story buildings instead of fields. They estimate that if all food in the United States were produced this way, the land needed to grow food could be sufficient reduced by 94%. The results were published this week in the journal joules.

FINAL FRONTIER: NEW SPACESHIP BLUE ORIGIN LAUNCHES

On Wednesday, Jeff Bezos' space company Blue origin successfully started his second human rated spacecraftwhich is called the RSS-Kármán line. There were no people on board, but it carried some payloads for customers such as NASA. The company said the new spacecraft features “upgrades to improve the vehicle.” Performance and reusability” and will help meet its needs more manned space flights.

Tidbits from science and technology

Hackers have uploaded thousands of files to the generative AI model repository Hugging Face that contain malicious code to steal information and poison data, reports my colleague Iain Martin.

Researchers at Peking University have found a way to use it DNA to store information in binary code, which could later lead to DNA being used as a storage medium for computers.

Investment bank GP Bullhound released a report this week estimating that the market for Quantum technologyincluding computers and sensors, could grow to $20 billion by 2030 and over $100 billion by 2040.

Scientists at the University of Sydney have developed a technique that uses lasers for manufacturing Sound waves across the surface of a microchipwhich could enable new types of sensors.

The American Automobile Association has tested and identified automatic emergency braking systems in 2024 vehicle models Forward collisions could be avoided 100% at speeds up to 35 miles per hour.

A team of researchers from multiple institutions used AI to design DNA “switches” This can precisely switch genes on and off in different cells, which could lead to new types of disease treatment.

PRO-SCIENCE TIP: WHERE TO GET A FRISBEE

If you want to increase your performance Frisbee golf Try to keep the Frisbee with you Your thumb approx. 3 cm– just a little over an inch – from the edge to get that best speeds and spinaccording to a study published this week. The researchers had both novice and experienced disc golfers test several thumb positions, and this one produced the best results.

WHAT'S ENTERTAINING ME THIS WEEK?

“The move” is a delightful short film written and directed by Eric Kissack and in the main role Amanda Crew (Silicon Valley) And Dustin Milligan (best known for Schitt's Creek but underestimated in Dirk Gently's holistic detective agency). It's less than 10 minutes long, so I don't want to give anything away other than to say that it chronicles what happens when it turns out there's a little problem in your new apartment Space-time continuum. You can watch it on YouTube here.

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