>FASTA_31
Embryo optimization in Mexico; Cacao embryos; Trilobots; Genomatica; CoBiotics by SEED; 2025 Medicine Nobel Prize; Atlas BCI; A world without antibodies; Altagenics; Translucent life
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1. 🧬 Embryo optimization arrives in Mexico
Clínica de la Fertilidad (CdelaF) has partnered with Nucleus Genomics to bring genetic optimization of human embryos to Latin America for the first time. The IVF clinic is also adopting the EmbryoScope time-lapse technology by Vitrolife Group to monitor embryonic development.
Before starting CdelaF, Dr. Enrique Cervantes specialized in reproductive endocrinology and fertility at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and worked at IVI RMA Global, a leading reproductive medicine group, in Spain for seven years. He brings eight years of experience as a founder and CEO of CdelaM, a gynecological and obstetric clinic.
An important question left to answer about CdelaF’s partnership with Nucleus is how to ensure an unskewed data analysis, given the data Nucleus’ algorithms are trained on may not be representative of the clinic’s clients’ genetics. As for time-lapse tech, this study disproves its usefulness in increasing IVF success rates. It’ll be great to chat with Enrique to understand this better.
2. 🍫 Cacao embryos
California Cultured patented their methods of producing chocolate from cacao plant somatic embryos. Unlike callus, which is normally used in plant cell culture, these tissues produce high levels of fat naturally, as well as the critical triglycerides (POP, POS, and SOS) that make cocoa butter solid at room temperature but quick to melt in the mouth.
They have a 10-year deal with Japanese chocolate company Meiji and are partnering with biomanufacturing company Pow.Bio to reach industrial-scale production.
Biopunk paid subscribers have exclusive access to a video tour of California Cultured’s lab-grown chocolate facility:
Biopunk Tour of Willy Wonka's Biotech Chocolate Factory 🍫 🏭
This January, I took the train from San Francisco to Sacramento to visit California Cultured, a company that turns cocoa tree cells into flavanol-rich, contaminant-free, eco-friendly, and irresistible cocoa. Not only did I get to see the whole process from cell to chocolate, but I actually had a bit myself!
3. 🤖 Trilobot One and Trilobio OS
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