Tech Talks Central

Interviewing techies, scientists, researchers, movers & shakers in Tech, Mobile, eHealth & Science realms. Tweeting via @netwire & @sakistrian, @voutsinosmark

[Veera Rajagopal  @doctorveera]

A mind-blowing paper has come out today in @Nature

In 2016, JC Venter Institute scientists trimmed a bacterial genome to its barest minimum required for life to synthesize what they called a "minimal genome" (https://t.co/Rk8oZJ0bUj).

Today, a group of scientists from Indiana University reports how that minimal genome evolved over 2000 generations in comparison to the non-minimal genome.

The authors found that even when you reduce a bacterial genome to its absolute minimum where every nucleotide matters, the genome undergoes mutational events generation after generation as much as the non-minimal genome. One simply cannot stop the evolution.

Just over 300 days of evolution (equivalent to 40,000 years in humans) the minimal cell has gained everything it lacked in fitness on day one in comparison to the non-minimal cell.

When comparing the evolved traits between the minimal and non-minimal cells, the scientists found something striking. The evolutionary process increased the cell size of non-minimal cells but not that of the minimal cell. But that is not the striking part.

The scientists were able to identify the key mutation that resulted in cell size evolution. And it turned out that the mutation that helped the non-minimal cells to grow bigger is the same that helped the minimal cells to stay smaller. Growing bigger had a survival advantage for non-minimal cells and not growing bigger had a survival advantage for minimal cells. So, the mutation had a context-dependent effect. This just demonstrates that the evolutionary effects on traits have no absolute direction. All that matter is what is beneficial for the organism's survival.

The conclusion of the paper is metaphorically a quote from the Jurassic Park movie:

“Listen, if there’s one thing the history of evolution has taught us is that life will not be contained. Life breaks free. It expands to new territories, and it crashes through barriers painfully, maybe even dangerously, but . . . life finds a way". (https://t.co/UlxRlb86CT)

https://t.co/zA9OAqSoAu

[Paul Graham @paulg]

AI is the first big new wave of technology we've had since startups started going public much later. The result is a unique problem: public market investors who want to invest in AI have few options. Most of the good investments are still private.

[Vicki 🤖² @netWire]

@WeAreJADBio In analyzing complex datasets in #cancer biology, we can use machine learning, to look for correlations, biomarkers, genes etc. The advantage of ML is it can do these correlations, faster than humans, and analyze extremely large and complex data sets. #AutoML

[Ioannis Tsamardinos @tsamardgr]

@WeAreJADBio Yes, they do! Preprocessing different omics types can be differentiated. But, just dealing with the high dimensionality of the multi-omics datasets requires different approaches altogether. Also, multi-omics datasets are often very low sample, which requires care #automl

[Nicki Norman 💙 @norman_nicki]

My niece is doing her thesis on the gaslighting of women in movies. Any good suggestions I can pass onto her? TIA

[Ioannis Tsamardinos @tsamardgr]

@WeAreJADBio Standard statistics (e.g. using p-values) examines each measured quantity and its correlation with some disease in isolation. ML considers the quantities in combination. This leads to much better predictions! #Automl

[Aris Karanikas @aris_karanikas]

@WeAreJADBio As with every innovation, simplicity drives adoption. ML is challenging, that's why researchers have had to rely on data scientists to get their data analyzed. Making it simple (see #AutoML), will help drive adoption within the researchers themselves, we're already seeing this.

[Ioannis Tsamardinos @tsamardgr]

@WeAreJADBio ML using feature selection can also minimize the number of features to predict or diagnose a disease. This leads to drug target identification and cost-effective diagnostics. It is essential for precision medicine. #Automl #PrecisionMedicine

[Vicki 🤖² @netWire]

@WeAreJADBio IMO the #lifesciences industry has only scratched the surface of the potential for #ML to shape its future for the better. Applications of AI in healthcare alone are expected to grow to more than $8 billion USD by 2022, globally. #AutoML #adoption

[Greek Girls Code @GreekGirlsCode]

Are you a girl working in computational chemistry & related disciplines? Submit your work in the special issue of @JCIM_ACS @ACSPublications "Advancing Women in Chemistry"! We accept full articles, perspectives, reviews, viewpoints & application notes: https://t.co/cOKkZNtozW

[Aris Karanikas @aris_karanikas]

@WeAreJADBio Research in Life Sciences is a very lengthy and costly process. AutoML can help significantly reduce both, through knowledge discovery and quality predictive models #AutoML

[Vicki 🤖² @netWire]

@WeAreJADBio Sure! Data-Driven Decision Support for #Autism Diagnosis using Machine Learning
https://t.co/9gkCRsOBa8
#AutoML

[Tech Talks Central @TTCwire]

@WeAreJADBio #data!
As for all real-world problems that require #ML predictions
#AutoML

[JADBio @WeAreJADBio]

😀 Welcome to this month’s #twitterchat!
Today we're discussing #AutoML for Life Sciences!
Our first question is coming up shortly!
Track #AutoML to join the conversation!

#Automl

[Vicki 🤖² @netWire]

Joining @sakistrian Director of Product Growth at @OrfiumMusic, as he discusses product management with @marnaoutaki, Senior Product Manager at Spotify, about Influence, Communication and Managing Teams and Stakeholders as a PM https://t.co/gKLU2RC1ZT #productmanagement

[VIDAVO @VIDAVO_SA]

Η τηλεϊατρική έχει ένα όνομα πλέον 👉VIDA 24 ‼
Η πλουσιότερη εφαρμογή τηλεϊατρικής, ικανή να προσαρμοστεί ΑΚΡΙΒΩΣ σε αυτό που θέλεις και να αποκτήσεις το ιατρείο του μέλλοντος, σήμερα ‼
Μάθε περισσότερα 👉 https://t.co/tH8pmBcEu1 ή κάλεσε στο ([phone] για δωρεάν δοκιμή.

[Vagelis Antoniadis @vanton_]

The next #Agile Greece Retreat Event is around the corner and is going to be about f**k ups. Failures that taught you valuable lessons, changed the way you see things, or even turned your career in a different direction. Join us and share your story! https://t.co/J3jfTOlVQa

[Neil deGrasse Tyson @neiltyson]

The good thing about Science is that it’s true, whether or not you believe in it.

[Cytech Mobile @cytechltd]

It's an amazing journey with great impact to the Greek economy and tourism. We couldn’t have met deadlines and performance goals without @QuarkusIO

[David Cancel @dcancel]

1/ What I wish I knew when I was younger 👇🏽