The news: There are trillions of microbes living in and on our bodies, and we may be able to modify them to help us treat disease. Scientists have altered the genomes of some of these bacteria, essentially engineering microbes that can prevent or treat cancer.
How they did it: The team chose a microbe commonly found on human skin and modified it by inserting a new gene that codes for a protein found on the surface of some cancer cells. They applied this to the heads of mice injected with skin cancer cells and observed how cancer progression slowed significantly in mice given the engineered microbe, compared to those given a microbe normal
What follows: Although the team needs to find a good candidate microbe they are confident could trigger the same immune response in people, human trials are on the way in the next few years. Read the whole story.
—Jessica Hamzelou
Banning ChatGPT will do more harm than good
—Rohan Mehta is a senior at Moravian Academy in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
The launch of ChatGPT has sent shockwaves through the halls of education. While universities have been quick to issue guidelines on how it can be used, the notion of a measured response to the emergence of this powerful chatbot seems to have barely made it into K-12 classrooms. As a result, high school students across the country have faced a silent blow from blocked AI websites.
It’s a shame. If educators actively engage with students about the capabilities and limitations of technology and work with them to define new academic standards, generative AI could democratize and revitalize K-12 education on an unprecedented scale. Read the whole story.
