How deadly pufferfish toxin led to a long-lasting local anesthetic

[MEDICAL]( [How deadly pufferfish toxin led to a breakthrough long-lasting local anesthetic]( A new study has developed a novel method to tame one of the world’s most potent toxins, tetrodotoxin, commonly found in the pufferfish. The research demonstrates a way to control the spread of the toxin and harness it into a local anesthetic that can numb targeted regions for up to three days. [Read more]( [SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW ATLAS READERS]( [Breathe Cleaner, Healthier with the Highest Emitting Portable Negative Ion Generator on the Market]( Healthier, cleaner air starts with an ionPacific Negative Ion Generator.The ionbox 20m contains a powerful negative ion generator that releases up to 20 million negative ions per second, eclipsing any other ionic generator on the market by a factor of 10. These ions are naturally found in the environment and attach to harmful particulates, like smoke, airborne bacteria, allergens, and pollen, effectively neutralizing and removing them from your breathing space. [Read more]( [AUTOMOTIVE]( [Knaus Boxlife camper van sleeps seven and still loads up with bikes and gear]( Camper vans usually sleep two to four. Occasionally we see a van that can sleep five or six. The latest Knaus Boxlife goes further, sleeping up to seven people on four available beds. And the van's variable, multifunctional furniture makes it an outdoor adventure powerhouse like no other. [Read more]( [SCIENCE]( [Ancient marijuana use uncovered in 2,500-year-old tomb]( A study has revealed cannabis residue with high levels of THC in funerary incense burners found in western China. The discovery is the earliest evidence of marijuana being burned for its psychoactive properties, as the THC levels found were higher than what is seen in wild types of the plant. [Read more]( [MEDICAL]( [New CRISPR-based system inserts new DNA without cutting and pasting]( The CRISPR gene-editing system is a powerful tool, but sometimes cutting and pasting can have unwanted side effects. Now researchers from MIT and Harvard have developed a new CRISPR-based system that can insert new DNA sequences without cutting, which should make the process safer and more accurate. [Read more]( Sponsored by Taboola [SPACE]( [NASA gives go-ahead for mission to explore ancient planet core in asteroid belt]( ​​NASA has given its approval to begin construction of a spacecraft that will one day explore the metallic asteroid Psyche, which may represent the exposed metallic core of what was once a Mars-sized planet. [Read more]( [DRONES]( [Fixed-wing drone goes VTOL with add-on module]( ​Lately we've been seeing an increasing number of VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) drones, that combine the best qualities of fixed-wing aircraft and quadcopters. So, what do you do if you already manufacture a standard fixed-wing model? In the case of FlyTech, you offer a VTOL upgrade module. [Read more]( [SPACE]( [Dangling tape could be used to de-orbit old satellites]( ​In order to address the problem of space debris, some groups are looking into methods of de-orbiting satellites once their operational lives have ended. One of the latest approaches involves getting the spacecraft to dispense a long strip of tape, instead of using their own propellant. [Read more]( [AUTOMOTIVE]( [Scania's hoverboard-like modular electric axles transport people by day, garbage by night]( Forget the skateboard chassis; Swedish brand Scania is exploring something that's much more of a hoverboard chassis. Its NXT autonomous EV concept uses detachable front and rear axles as the basis of a modular vehicle system that can go from dropping kids at school to dropping garbage at the dump. [Read more]( [ARCHITECTURE]( [Holey high-rise would harvest energy from the river it spans]( Fundamental Architects offers a rather unusual take on the high-rise with its Tower of the Sun concept. The eye-catching design is defined by a large circular hole at its center and would feature significant sustainable technology, drawing energy from the river it bridges. [Read more]( [ENVIRONMENT]( [Nano-sensor in a streetlamp shines light on urban air pollution]( Given that the WHO estimates that seven million premature deaths annually around the world are caused by air pollution, monitoring air quality is vital. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed an optical nano-sensor that can be mounted to almost ubiquitous streetlamps. [Read more]( [AUTOMOTIVE]( [An original James Bond "Goldfinger" Aston Martin DB5 heads for auction]( One could be excused for thinking that the market for gadget-laden Bond-style Aston Martin DB5s could become crowded.​ Aston Martin has plans to sell 25 Bond DB5 replicas​ at $3.5 million each​ and now one of the original movie cars from Goldfinger is heading to auction during Monterey Car Week. [Read more]( [MEDICAL]( [Memory-preserving particles could form part of an Alzheimer's vaccine puzzle]( Scientists have developed what they describe as a vaccine to keep the brain clear of clumps of tau proteins associated with Alzheimer’s, and found that treating mice in this way helped stave off the kind of memory decline associated with the disease.​ [Read more]( [MOTORCYCLES]( [Damon prototypes shape-shifting electric motorcycle with 360-degree collision warnings]( A Canadian startup is trying to push some pretty out-there new technologies into the motorcycle world. Variable riding position geometry, for one, as well as a traffic-tracking collision warning system designed to give riders an extra margin of safety on the road. [Read more]( [AUTOMOTIVE]( [Volvo and Uber's latest self-driving car is built for plug-and-play autonomy]( ​​Back in 2016, Uber and Volvo joined forces to usher in the self-driving era and they've now introduced the first production vehicle built to accommodate the self-driving tech from the ground up, making for a plug-and-play autonomous car that could help speed things up a little. ​ [Read more]( [SPACE]( [Europa's ocean may be more Earthlike than previously thought]( A new study by Caltech and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California indicate that the subterranean world ocean on Jupiter's moon Europa may be more Earthlike than scientists believed, with the waters containing common salt. [Read more]( [SPACE]( [ESA developing radiation-hardened computer for Hera mission]( The ESA is working on a specially radiation-hardened computer to control its Hera deep-space probe on its task to observe the effects of the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission. [Read more]( [MEDICAL]( [Bone custom-grown on sheep's ribs used to fix their jaws]( ​When someone is missing facial bone due to injury or illness, the current treatment involves transplanting a piece of bone extracted from the leg, leaving a deficit there. Now, however, scientists have succeeded in growing extra bone within sheep's bodies, that's preformed to the shape required. [Read more]( [ROBOTICS]( [Plastic hunting robot crab takes its first dive]( ​Plastic can be a very useful medium, but our throw away culture has also made it a huge pollution problem – especially when it ends up in the sea. While efforts like the Ocean Cleanup attempt to deal with plastic waste near the surface, researchers are developing a robot to clear the seabed. [Read more]( [AUTOMOTIVE]( [Porsche's Second Skin lets you wrap your car with a new design from $4,500]( Porsche is opening up a whole new world of personalization options with its Second Skin service, which lets you choose a design wrap for your car through an online configurator, for somewhere between €4,000-6,000 (US$45,000-6,800). Oh, and it's not just for Porsches. [Read more]( You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at [newatlas.com]( (or [gizmag.com]( before August 2016). [Update profile]( | [Unsubscribe]( Copyright New Atlas © 2019