Technology News | Self-reproducing living robot is launched

[Today's cover] On the 30th, Mount Tai after the snow looked like a huge Chinese painting, so beautiful that tourists were mesmerized. Photo source: Liu Zuocang, China News Service

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Xu Wenbo, Director of the Institute of Viral Disease Prevention and Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

●On the 30th, Xu Wenbo, director of the Institute of Viral Disease Prevention and Control of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, introduced at the press conference of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council that the "Omicron" variant has three important amino acid mutation sites at the same time, suggesting that the strain has the potential to increase the ability of immune escape, but whether the superposition of these mutation sites will further lead to immune escape is not clear. China has made technical preparations for the "Omicron" variant, and preliminary technical research has been done on inactivated vaccines, protein vaccines, and vector vaccines, including the design of some sequences. (Source: CCTV News)

Image source: Xinhua News Agency

●Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission, said at a press conference of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council held on the 30th that as of November 29, a total of 2.499813 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been reported nationwide, and the number of people who had completed the full course of vaccination exceeded 1.1 billion. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)

●On the morning of the 30th, with the completion of the pouring of the last 25.4 cubic meters of concrete in the middle span of the approach bridge, the Quanzhou Bay Cross-sea Bridge, the first cross-sea high-speed railway bridge in China and a key control project of the entire Fuzhou-Xiamen High-speed Railway, successfully completed the full bridge connection, marking that the construction of the Fuzhou-Xiamen High-speed Railway has entered the final sprint period and is one step closer to the goal of opening to traffic. (Source: Science and Technology Daily)

New findings

Yutu-2 conducted a detailed spectral detection of a small fresh impact crater that it "encountered" during its patrol path. Image source: CCTV News

●Recently, based on the ultra-high spatial resolution images and spectral data obtained by Chang'e-4, researchers from the National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other institutions have identified for the first time on the lunar surface the remnants of carbonaceous chondrite impactors that are less than one million years old. Studies have shown that the impact of carbonaceous asteroids rich in volatile components may still provide water for the current moon. At the same time, relatively young lunar surface materials (such as the samples returned by Chang'e-5) may contain remnants of impactors. (Source: Science and Technology Daily)

The Pac-Man-shaped "mother" organism (red) is next to its "offspring" (green), which are stem cells compressed into a ball. Credit: Douglas Blackston and Sam Craigman

●For billions of years, organisms have evolved a variety of ways to reproduce in order to continue life. Recently, a research team from the University of Vermont and Tufts University in the United States discovered a new way of biological reproduction, and used this discovery to create the first self-reproducing living robot in history - Xenobots 3.0, which may provide more direct and personalized drug treatments for trauma, congenital defects, cancer, aging, etc. in the future. (Source: Science and Technology Daily)

Pure Technology

Schematic diagram of the preparation process of polyimide-nanomica biomimetic composite membrane and its microstructure, mechanical properties and atomic oxygen tolerance.

●Inspired by the "brick-mud" layered structure of natural mother-of-pearl, the team led by Academician Yu Shuhong of the University of Science and Technology of China recently developed a new type of spacecraft outer layer protection material - polyimide-nanomica composite film. Due to the unique bionic design of this material, its mechanical properties and tolerance to extreme space environments have been significantly improved, and it is expected to replace the existing polyimide-based composite film materials. (Source: ScienceNet)

Sustainable DNA bioplastics made from biomass DNA and ionomers. Image source: Tianjin University

●Recently, the team led by Professor Yang Dayong of Tianjin University and the PetroChina Petrochemical Research Institute have successfully developed a new type of DNA bioplastic. The raw materials of this plastic are abundant, and the entire process of production, use and recycling is compatible with the ecological environment. It can be recycled with low energy consumption and lossless, and is expected to replace petroleum-based plastics in some application areas. (Source: Science and Technology Daily)

A new mechanism of pancreatic cancer metastasis. Image source: Akiwa Harada

● Pancreatic cancer is highly invasive, with a five-year survival rate of only 5%. Most deaths related to pancreatic cancer are due to metastasis when the tumor invades other organs. According to a study published in eLife on the 30th, researchers at Osaka University in Japan analyzed human pancreatic tumor tissue and proved that a small signaling protein called ARL4C is overexpressed in pancreatic cancer patients, which may be related to the migration and invasion ability of pancreatic cancer cells. This molecular mechanism may be the first step in developing effective targeted therapy. (Source: Science and Technology Daily)

Editor: Liu Yiyang

Review: Yue Liang

Final review: Liu Haiying

Science and Technology Daily