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Stem Cell–Based Embryo Models Reveal Pathway to Understanding Fertility
Caltech researchers have developed a powerful new method for creating embryo-like structures from stem cells that could transform how we study fertility. Using stem cells rather than a traditional fertilized egg, the team has built mouse embryo models called iG4-blastoids that closely mimic natural blastocysts, the stage of development when an embryo implants into the […]
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Parkinson’s Disease Drug Candidates Induce Unexpected Damaging Effects
Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, affecting over 10 million people worldwide. Some forms of Parkinson’s disease are characterized by an inability of cells to clean up dysfunctional mitochondria, the cells’ “powerhouses,” particularly in neural cells of the brain. Like batteries, the mitochondria provide energy for a cell to function, but also […]
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The Chen Couple and the Geopolitical Philanthropy of the 21st Century
On Tuesday, December 5, 2017, under a tent protecting from the Californian sun in Pasadena California, a small stage brings together a most unusual Who’s Who: alongside the city’s mayor, Terry Torneck, and the president of the prestigious California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Thomas Rosenbaum, neuroscientist Richard Andersen and biologist Stephen Mayo are joined by […]
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Entrepreneur Chen Tianqiao and Tsinghua AI Expert Launch Open-Source AGI Startup
Image source: unsplash Dai Jifeng, a leading AI scientist and associate professor at Tsinghua University, and Chen Tianqiao, founder of the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute, recently launched the MiroMind Open Deep Research (Miro ODR) project, a high-performance, fully open-source AI research platform that aims to challenge global leaders in the field. The MiroMind AI […]
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How a Jawless Vertebrate Parasite Reveals Evolutionary Origins of the Thyroid
The thyroid, a vital endocrine organ in vertebrates, plays a key role in regulating metabolism and supporting growth. The first gland of both the nervous system and endocrine system to mature during an embryo’s development, it initially evolved more than 500 million years ago out of a “primitive” precursor organ in chordates known as the […]
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AIAS 2025 Call for Papers. There’s even more time!
There’s still time to submit your paper to the AIAS selection committee – the deadline is August 15th. AIAS, or the Chen Institute Symposium for AI Accelerated Science, will explore innovative use of AI in the physical and life sciences. Nobel Laureates Jennifer Doudna and David Baker will be part of a superstar line-up of […]
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2025 NeuroPSI – Chen Institute Joint Conference on Brain, Behavior & Beyond
Summary: The 2025 NeuroPSI–Chen Institute Joint Conference brought together global researchers to explore the neural basis of behavior, communication, and emotion. Held in France, the two-day event featured sessions on social cognition, language, and brain–machine interfaces, spanning studies in humans, animals, and AI models. Key topics included empathy circuits, emotion contagion, psychiatric risks, prosocial decision-making, […]
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Chen Institute and AAAS Announce Winner of 2025 AI Prize for AI Accelerated Research
Global research award celebrates transformative AI solutions in the fields of neuroscience, biochemistry, and climatology. REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 17, 2025 – The Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) today announced the winners of the inaugural Chen Institute and Science Prize for AI Accelerated Research, a […]
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Putting Proteins Under a Computational Microscope
Summary: AI Prize Grand Prize winner Zhuoran Qiao uses generative AI to model dynamic protein structures and their interactions with small molecules—dramatically accelerating drug discovery. Inspired by diffusion models, his approach predicts not only protein folding but also binding behaviors, enabling the design of new treatments, including for “undruggable” diseases. His work replaces years of […]
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A Closer Look at Coastal Waters
Summary: AI Prize finalist Alizée Roobaert, a researcher at the Flanders Marine Institute, uses machine learning to map how coastal waters absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂). While oceans are known to absorb about one-quarter of human CO₂ emissions, coastal regions remain poorly understood. Roobaert combined satellite and in situ data with AI to generate highly detailed […]