TechCapsules

At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal Biosciences, led a Real World AI Stage fireside chat on using artificial intelligence and synthetic biology to resurrect extinct species. The discussion examined the technical methods behind de‑extinction, the growing role of AI in modern biology, and the ethical debate over whether engineering nature serves as a conservation breakthrough or distracts from protecting existing ecosystems. The event highlighted how emerging tech is reshaping biodiversity science and policy.

Pharmaceutical leaders are moving beyond experimental AI pilots to embed artificial intelligence into core scientific, manufacturing, and operational workflows. This shift aims to accelerate drug development, which traditionally requires over a decade and billions of dollars, while addressing pressures for supply chain resilience and personalized care. Microsoft’s “AI for Better Health” initiative supports this transition by combining trusted data with human expertise. Key industry players are already operationalizing these tools to enhance decision-making speed and quality. Novo [...]

A review in Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback evaluated 31 studies that combined EEG‑based neurofeedback with virtual‑reality (VR) environments. Researchers from the University of Graz found that VR feedback—such as making a flower bloom or a spaceship accelerate by altering brain waves—was generally preferred over traditional two‑dimensional displays, with participants reporting greater enjoyment, interest and perceived competence. The studies spanned healthy volunteers and clinical groups treating chronic pain, migraines, and post‑stroke symptoms, and employed varied tasks like navigating [...]

Scientists across Europe are integrating artificial intelligence, human cell cultures and organ‑on‑a‑chip technologies to predict the toxicity of chemicals, aiming to replace the roughly 150,000 rats and mice used annually under the EU’s REACH regulation. The effort is coordinated by the €60 million ASPIS research cluster, which funds three initiatives, including Professor John Colbourne’s programme at the University of Birmingham and Professor Mathieu Vinken’s ONTOX project in Belgium. These projects target chronic toxicity testing, which is costly—up to €15 million per [...]

Pupils at Dornoch Academy participated in a week‑long workshop designed to teach National 5 Laboratory Science students the digital and practical competencies required for modern medicine manufacturing. Delivered by the Scotland RESILIENCE Hub—a specialist training centre at Heriot‑Watt University—and coordinated by teacher Dr Adrian Allan and Highland Council STEM Improvement Officer Katie Elder, the program combined hands‑on aseptic technique drills, precise measurement exercises, and assembly of bioreactor equipment with immersive extended‑reality (XR) simulations. The session aimed to support students’ [...]

Apple researchers have introduced SimpleDesign, a streamlined artificial intelligence model capable of jointly generating protein sequences and their corresponding three-dimensional structures. Building upon their previous SimpleFold study, which utilized flow-matching for structure prediction, this new model addresses the broader challenge of protein design. Unlike existing systems that rely on complex, multi-stage training processes involving autoencoders and latent space representations, SimpleDesign operates directly in the data space. It employs an end-to-end training approach using general-purpose Transformer blocks, eliminating [...]

Researchers from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University have unveiled a low‑energy 3D‑printing technique that could turn Martian regolith into habitable structures using bioengineered yeast and gelatin. The method mixes yeast engineered to secrete adhesive proteins with a gelatin hydrogel and simulated Martian soil, then extrudes the blend through a printer nozzle. In the planet’s cold, thin atmosphere the material freeze‑dries, leaving a lightweight, porous composite that hardens without [...]

Cleveland Clinic, RIKEN, and IBM researchers have been named finalists for the 2026 ACM Gordon Bell Prize for simulating biologically meaningful molecular systems containing up to 12,635 atoms. The team employed a quantum-centric supercomputing framework, integrating IBM Quantum Heron processors with the Fugaku, Miyabi-G, and ROQUO supercomputers. This hybrid approach calculated protein structures and binding energies, marking the largest molecules ever modeled with quantum computers. The methodology addresses key challenges in drug discovery by accurately computing atomic [...]