A West Coast biotech entrepreneur is forming a public-benefit company called Preventive to study so-called heritable genome editing, the deliberate modification of embryo DNA to correct harmful mutations or install beneficial genes with the stated goal of preventing disease. The founder says he has secured NULL million to launch the effort, marking what the report describes as the largest known investment into this controversial technology. The piece notes the legal and ethical obstacles: the first scientist to perform such editing in China was imprisoned for three years, the procedure remains illegal in many countries including the US, and doubts persist about its usefulness as a form of medicine.
Separately, a startup named Still Bright is pitching a cleaner approach to copper production by using water-based reactions derived from battery chemistry to purify copper. The founders argue that this method could pollute less than traditional smelting and help relieve mounting strain on the copper supply chain as demand grows. The newsletter also rounds up the day’s notable tech stories, including the resignation of the FDA’s top drug regulator George Tidmarsh amid allegations he abused his position to inflict financial harm on a former associate, nonexplosive US nuclear weapons testing, and debate around conscious Artificial Intelligence after remarks from a prominent industry leader. Other headlines include potential changes in Tesla leadership tied to a large pay package, demand for forward-deployed engineers in Artificial Intelligence deployments, hackers stealing cargo shipments, and language-analysis progress in large AI models.
In longer reads, the newsletter highlights the emergence of digital twins of human organs. These virtual, same-size models can be used for virtual surgery and clinical trials to help determine optimal treatments and assess disease risk, though the technology requires careful development. The edition closes with lighter items meant to brighten the reader’s day, from a gruelling Empire State Building race to seasonal recipes and curiosities about caterpillars and Antarctic movie traditions.
