Short Takes – 8-14-24

Enormous enzymes expand the limits of molecular biology. ChemistryWorld.com article. Geeky chemistry editorial. Pull quote: “Could these big, modular enzymes be emulated or adapted for bio-inspired and bio-enabled synthesis of other complex molecules? Say you want to replace one functional group on the ladder-frame polycyclic backbone with another, perhaps to explore the pharmaceutical potential of derivatives. Could you just genetically engineer into the enzyme a slightly different module? Such engineering of PKSs has proved difficult – the control and specificity in these proteins may be rather fine-tuned. All the same, recent advances give cause for hope.4 Now the PKZILLAs show how much room there is to play with.”

Virus that causes ‘slapped cheek’ rash in kids is rising in US, CDC warns. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “People infected with the virus usually experience mild symptoms that can include fever, headache, sore throat, joint pain and a “slapped cheek” rash. However, the CDC said the virus can also pose serious risks for those with compromised immune systems or chronic blood disorders, like sickle cell disease.”

Nearly $10B in Hurricane Debby damage occurred in areas without flood insurance requirements. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “That is due in large measure to Congress kicking the can down the road for 27 straight years on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the nation’s flood insurer of last resort. Since the 1990s, that program has been reauthorized only for short-term, one-year periods — rather than for the five years enshrined in statute, which also requires the maps to be redone every five years.”

DARPA edges closer to using AI to expose cyber vulnerabilities. GovExec.com article. Pull quote: “In the contest, DARPA took real open-source software packages and intentionally inserted vulnerabilities into their code. Since organizers know exactly where and what types of flaws were added, they can precisely evaluate the competitors’ efforts. The contest employed advanced tools known as sanitizers — digital instruments that detect specific types of code defects — that are integrated into the modified open-source projects, making it easy to measure how teams have targeted specific vulnerabilities.”

A hopper could explore more than 150 km of Triton's surface in two years. Phys.org article. Pull quote: “Once enough pressure is built up by heating the propellant, the Hopper can take off from the moon's surface and "hop" a short distance using its six power and four steering thrusters. The authors estimate about 50 seconds of specific impulse once a month. While that might not seem like a lot, it would allow the Hopper to cover about 150 kilometers over the course of a two-year mission.”

Reciprocal Switching for Inadequate Service; Correction. Federal Register STB correction notice. Summary: “This document corrects a printing error in the preamble of a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on May 7, 2024.”