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  • Lithium, Alzheimer Disease, and a Turning Point in Mental Health Care

    Lithium, Alzheimer Disease, and a Turning Point in Mental Health Care

    Alzheimer disease (AD) remains one of the greatest challenges in modern medicine. It is a black hole that consumes memory, independence, dignity, and time. Despite decades of research and over $42 billion invested since the 1990s,1 the failure rate associated with mainstream AD therapeutics has hovered near 100%.2 Even the newest interventions offer only modest delays in decline, not prevention or cure.

    On August 6, 2025, however, the conversation shifted. Nature published a groundbreaking paper, “Lithium Deficiency and the Onset of Alzheimer’s Disease,” from researchers in Boston and Chicago.3 Their findings have profound implications not only for AD research, but for the future of mental health care.

    Lithium: An Old Mineral, a New Frontier

    Lithium is one of the oldest elements in the universe—present in our soil, water, food chain, and the tissues of most vertebrate organisms.4,5 Since ancient times, it has been recognized for its stabilizing effects on mood.6,7 For more than a century, lithium carbonate has been a gold-standard treatment for bipolar disorder.8

    But lithium’s potential extends beyond bipolar illness. Epidemiological studies have long demonstrated that regions with higher natural lithium concentrations in drinking water have lower rates of suicide and dementia.9-17 Clinical trials, whether using high-dose pharmaceutical lithium or low-dose nutritional forms, have consistently shown neuroprotective effects—even in patients with AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).18-21

    In my clinical practice, I have spent over 30 years studying and applying low-dose lithium to support cognitive health, stabilize mood, and prevent suicide. I explored this in my book Nutritional Lithium: A Cinderella Story and in my 2024 Psychiatric Times article, “Low-Dose Lithium: A New Frontier in Mental Health Treatment.” At the time, many regarded these ideas with skepticism.

    The new Nature study validates what functional and integrative psychiatrists have observed for decades: lithium is a micronutrient that is absolutely essential for brain health.

    The Breakthrough Findings

    The research team behind the Nature study found that lithium levels in the brains of patients with MCI and AD were significantly lower than those of healthy controls. Even more striking, synapse-choking plaques of amyloid-beta peptides—1 of the 2 hallmark lesions of AD—were shown to bind lithium, further depleting levels in surrounding brain tissue.

    Animal studies later confirmed that lithium deficiency worsens the formation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles (intracellular “tangles” of tau protein are the second of the 2 hallmark AD brain lesions), accelerates memory loss, and impairs neuronal health.3 Conversely, restoring lithium—in, specifically, the form of low-dose lithium orotate—reduced plaques and tangles, preserved memory, and achieved near total prevention of age-related neurodegenerative changes. Importantly, these benefits were achieved without the adverse effects on kidney and thyroid function often associated with higher-dose lithium carbonate.

    A New Era in Psychiatry

    The implications here are profound. For decades, mainstream medicine has pursued “magic bullets” for AD, with disappointing results. The Nature study underscores that addressing nutritional deficiencies—in this case, lithium—may be equally or more important.

    As Bruce Yankner, MD, PhD, of Harvard Medical School noted, “What impresses me the most about lithium is the widespread effect it has on the various manifestations of Alzheimer’s. I really have not seen anything quite like it.”22

    This recognition is not about saying “I told you so” but rather about gratitude. Gratitude that science is catching up to what decades of research, functional psychiatry practice, and clinical observation have suggested: lithium, in safe, nutritional doses, is one of nature’s most powerful allies for mental wellness.

    My hope is that this achievement marks a turning point, where traditional and functional psychiatry converge around evidence-based, individualized care. Lithium’s story spans 13.8 billion years.4 Today, it opens into a new chapter—one filled with hope for patients, families, and the future of mental health.

    Dr Greenblatt is the chief medical officer of Psychiatry Redefined, an online educational platform for integrative and functional psychiatry.

    References

    1. Cummings JL, Goldman DP, Simmons-Stern NR, Ponton E. The costs of developing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease: a retrospective exploration. Alzheimers Dement. 2021;18(3):469-477.

    2. Cummings J, Feldman HH, Scheltens P. The “rights” of precision drug development for Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2019;11(1):76.

    3. Aron L, Ngian ZK, Qiu C, et al. Lithium deficiency and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Nature. 2025. Online ahead of print.

    4. Xu K. A long journey of lithium: from the big bang to our smartphones. Energy & Environ Mater. 2019;2(4):229-233.

    5. Szklarska D, Rzymski P. Is lithium a micronutrient? from biological activity and epidemiological observation to food fortification. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2019;189(1):18-27.

    6. Galen. On the Affected Parts, trans. R. Siegel. S. Karger; 1976.

    7. Cade JFJ. Lithium salts in the treatment of psychotic excitement. Med J Aust. 1949;2(10):349-352.
    8. Won E, Kim YK. An oldie but goodie: lithium in the treatment of bipolar disorder through neuroprotective and neurotrophic mechanisms. Int J Mol Sci. 2017;18(12):2679.

    9. Fraiha-Pegado J, de Paula VJR, Alotaibi T, et al. Trace lithium levels in drinking water and risk of dementia: a systematic review. Int J Bipolar Disord. 2024;12(1):32.

    10. Fadaei A. An investigation into the association between suicide mortality rate and lithium levels in potable water: a review study. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2023;38(2):73-80.

    11. Chen S, Underwood BR, Jones PB, et al. Association between lithium use and the incidence of dementia and its subtypes: a retrospective cohort study. PLoS Med. 2022;19(3):e1003941.

    12. Memon A, Rogers I, Fitzsimmons SMDD, et al. Association between naturally occurring lithium in drinking water and suicide rates: systematic review and meta-analysis of ecological studies. Br J Psychiatry. 2020;217(6):667-678.

    13. Fajardo VA, LeBlanc PJ, Fajardo VA. Trace lithium in Texas tap water is negatively associated with all-cause mortality and premature death. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2018;43(4):412-414.

    14. König D, Baumgartner J, Blüml V, et al. [Impact of natural lithium ressources on suicide mortality in Chile 2000-2009: a geographical analysis]. Neuropsychiatr. 2017;31(2):70-76.

    15. Kessing LV, Gerds TA, Knudsen NN, et al. Association of lithium in drinking water with the incidence of dementia. JAMA Psychiatry. 2017;74(10):1005-1010.

    16. Ohgami H, Terao T, Shiotsuki I, et al. Lithium levels in drinking water and risk of suicide. Br J Psychiatry. 2009;194(5):464-446.

    17. Dawson EB, Moore TD, McGanity WJ. The mathematical relationship of drinking water lithium and rainfall to mental hospital admission. Dis Nerv Syst. 1970;31(12):811-820.

    18. Damiano RF, Loureiro JC, Pais MV, et al. Revisiting global cognitive and functional state 13 years after a clinical trial of lithium for mild cognitive impairment. Braz J Psychiatry. 2023;45(1):46-49.

    19. Forlenza OV, Radanovic M, Talib LL, Gattaz WF. Clinical and biological effects of long-term lithium treatment in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment: randomised clinical trial. Br J Psychiatry. 2019;215(5):668-674.

    20. Nunes MA, Viel TA, Buck HS. Microdose lithium treatment stabilized cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Curr Alzheimer Res. 2013;10(1):104-107.

    21. Forlenza OV, Diniz BS, Radanovic M, et al. Disease-modifying properties of long-term lithium treatment for amnestic mild cognitive impairment: randomised controlled trial. Br J Psychiatry. 2011;198(5):351-356.

    22. Lithium loss ignites Alzheimer’s, but lithium compound can reverse disease in mice. Medical Xpress. Accessed August 21, 2025. https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/lithium-loss-ignites-alzheimers-but-lithium-compound-can-reverse-disease-in-mice/ar-AA1K1Krj

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  • Astronomer’s New CEO Speaks—Yes, About That

    Astronomer’s New CEO Speaks—Yes, About That

    The only people from Astronomer attending the Coldplay concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on July 16 were CEO Andy Byron and his head of HR, Kristin Cabot. They were swaying in mid-hug when the roving kiss cam, a staple at the band’s performances, zeroed in on them. You have probably seen the clip of what happened next. The two of them scrambled like kids caught raiding a cookie jar. Even Coldplay’s anodyne frontman Chris Martin couldn’t ignore their response. “They’re either having an affair, or they’re just very shy,” he remarked. The CEO and his subordinate are no longer with the company. Astronomer, a billion-dollar startup you’d likely never heard of until last month, will never be the same.

    “We found out the way the rest of the world found out,” says Pete DeJoy, who cofounded the company and took over as chief executive when Byron left. He’s speaking to me from Astronomer’s new headquarters in the Flatiron district of New York City. Until our conversation, his main public statement following the concert had been a LinkedIn post thanking his employees for their resilience and conspicuously omitting any mention of why a “surreal” spotlight was suddenly trained on the company. DeJoy, a self-described nerd, can still hardly believe what happened last month. But don’t be fooled. The kiss-cam incident created a rare opportunity to call attention to the company’s accomplishments, and show off a bit of corporate savvy in how to handle the situation. The most entertaining thing that has ever happened at a Coldplay concert turned out to be weirdly rhapsodic for the company it supposedly humiliated. (Though maybe not so much for Byron and Cabot.) But it still makes DeJoy cringe.

    That’s why, in our extensive conversation, DeJoy made a point of distancing himself from the events at Gillette Stadium. He managed to twist every question about the presumably sizzling goings-on in the corporate suite into a tribute to the heads-down, stick-to-business ethos of the firm’s 300 workers.

    Cosmic Mess

    DeJoy insists that within the company, there was no inkling of any hanky-panky in the C-suite. Still, I wonder, could the company have been in any way lax in allowing its frisky executives to shatter the bounds? “Look, we’re reviewing all of our policies,” he tells me. “It’s really important to me that we make sure that we prohibit relationships between employees that create real or perceived conflicts of interest.” So there’s an outside investigation? “I’m just going to say all of our workplace policies are being reviewed no matter what. It’s important to get this one right.” He won’t say whether the “review” entails Astronomer hiring an outside firm to investigate the scandal. Nor did he answer my question about whether Byron got a severance package upon his untimely departure.

    I asked him directly: Is DeJoy pissed at his former boss for embarrassing the company? “No, no, I don’t think I can say I am,” he insists. “People make mistakes. We really just want to continue focusing on what matters here, which is our customers and our business.” (See what I mean about messaging?) I ask when he last spoke to Byron. “A long time ago,” he says. “Before the event.” Wait, you haven’t talked to him since the Jumbotron? “That’s correct,” he says. Now that’s cold play.

    On the other hand, Astronomer’s outsourced response to the incident will go into the marketing hall of fame. While employees were working overtime to assure customers that the kiss-cam drama wouldn’t impact the company’s services, its executives hired Ryan Reynolds’ cheeky media firm Maximum Effort. The result was a 60-second ad with Gwyneth Paltrow (Martin’s ex), who displayed Oscar-level deadpan when she promised the internet she’d answer their questions about the incident. The joke was that her responses to queries about the concert were bromides about the firm’s geeky business. (Kind of like my interview with DeJoy.) Responding to “OMG! What the actual f!” she said. “Yes, Astronomer is the best place to run Apache Airflow.” The absurdity of Paltrow, who is more often associated with organic skin-care products and jade eggs, talking about “data workflow automation” was priceless. It successfully shifted the narrative, at least a bit, to a question that many people were suddenly asking: What the actual f is Astronomer?

    DeJoy, who says he never got to meet his famous (albeit temporary) spokesperson, is more than happy to answer the question. The company was started by a small group of techies in Cincinnati in 2017. The original idea involved data tracking. That’s sort of why they named their firm Astronomer. “Astronomers were the first data engineers, because they were making sense of how the world worked by intuiting how the stars were moving in the night sky,” says DeJoy. “That’s very much the job of a data engineer these days, right?” If you say so!


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  • In outback Australia, a telescope searches for a hidden universe. Down on Earth, misconduct claims rock the project | Square Kilometre Array

    In outback Australia, a telescope searches for a hidden universe. Down on Earth, misconduct claims rock the project | Square Kilometre Array

    It is hailed as a global endeavour to explore the hidden universe – a powerful telescope comprising more than 130,000 antennae being built in outback Western Australia.

    Along with a sister telescope in South Africa, the Square Kilometre Array Observatory is a €2bn (A$3.6bn) project tasked with mapping the first billion years of the universe.

    One day, the SKAO’s antennae – which look like metal Christmas trees scattered across the desert – could confirm the existence of extraterrestrial life, prove Einstein’s theory of relativity and explain how galaxies have evolved over time.

    But while the venture is being lauded as one of the most significant scientific endeavours of the 21st century, the Guardian can reveal that the organisation managing the funds of 16 member states has been rocked by allegations of financial misconduct.

    The organisation has denied any wrongdoing.

    The SKAO’s antennae resemble metal Christmas trees scattered across the desert. Photograph: SKAO/Max Alexander

    The Australian government contribution to the SKAO has blown out by more than $150m from 2020 to 2024 compared with its initial budget, with the additional expenditure partly attributed to funding shortfalls for the project.

    In March this year, as the telescope in Australia captured its first images of faraway galaxies using just 1% of its capacity, a former senior employee of the project was filing a “protected disclosure” report calling for an investigation into the SKAO’s financial management.

    As an intergovernmental organisation, the Square Kilometre Array Observatory is not subject to national laws or regulatory oversight in Australia where the employee is based, so the complaint went directly to the organisation’s global chair, the Italian astrophysicist Filippo Maria Zerbi.

    The concerns outlined in the disclosure had previously been raised with senior staff internally.

    In response to the whistleblower’s report, an email from Zerbi – sent in May 2025 and seen by the Guardian – confirms the organisation is conducting an external independent evaluation of the litany of allegations made against it.

    The email states that the chair is taking “all necessary actions” in response to the concerns raised, and given the volume of disclosed information, “further external and independent investigation into specific elements is necessary before reaching any conclusions and proceeding with the next steps”.

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    The whistleblower has also raised concerns with the financial reporting council in the UK where the SKAO is headquartered, claiming the structure of the organisation had created a “regulatory blind spot” that had allowed for the “systematic deception of 16 sovereign governments”.

    The Square Kilometre Array Observatory was established by an international treaty in 2019, endowing it with special legal status; it is immune from normal legal processes and exempt from paying tax. International staff employed on the project in Australia are hired on diplomatic visas.

    A bird’s eye view of two completed stations in June 2024. The SKAO is not subject to national laws or regulatory oversight in Australia. Photograph: SKAO

    While the UK and Australia are majority shareholders in the project, the total financial contributions of each member nation are not disclosed.

    The Australian government announced in 2021 that it would contribute $387m to the SKAO over a decade for the construction and operation of the telescope, with $141m committed over the four-year forward estimates.

    At the time, the then prime minister, Scott Morrison, said the project would “help our scientists make more discoveries than we can imagine today, whether it’s better understanding the origin and future of our stars and galaxies, to how gravity works across the universe”.

    Portfolio budget statements for the Department of Industry, Science and Resources published since show the total amount spent is substantially more than this, with a total spend of $475m from 2021 to 2025.

    A department spokesperson said the additional spending included Australia’s member state contributions to the SKAO Observatory and “Australia’s other commitments to the SKA project, including investment in the Australian SKA Regional Centre and site readiness and local communities”.

    “Part of the investment is also leveraging the Australian SKA site’s fibre optic connection to provide connectivity for two communities nearby to the site – the Pia Wadjarri Remote Aboriginal Community and the Murchison Settlement,” the spokesperson said.

    The amount spent between 2020 and 2024 was $164m more than initially budgeted in 2020.

    The spokesperson said there had been changes to the administered budgeted expenses for the SKA project “due to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, adjustments to economic parameters, and the reprofiling of funds as part of regular updates to budget estimates”.

    In the 2025-26 budget, the government announced an additional $47.9m in the budget’s contingency reserve “to address funding shortfalls for the SKA project” alongside other member nations.

    In response to the disclosure, a copy of which has been seen by the Guardian, Zerbi has initiated an investigation into claims that public funds from member states have been lost through trading accounts – and then covered up by the organisation through the shuffling of funds internally.

    At the centre of the misconduct allegations is a claim that at least £12m (A$25.1m) was lost through investment in three money market funds, with one fund allegedly losing 45% of its value. The Guardian has seen balance sheet extracts and statements that appear to confirm the investments by the SKAO, which is headquartered at the Jodrell Bank Observatory near Manchester.

    The report also calls for an investigation into claims funds are being shifted within the organisation, and currency fluctuations being fabricated to conceal these losses from the governing council overseeing the project.

    A spokesperson for the SKAO denied the allegations, but confirmed it was “assisting an independent, external investigation” into them.

    “No capital loss has been incurred in these investment holdings. Money market funds are inherently low-risk, highly liquid investments and were selected for SKAO’s investment portfolio for this reason,” the spokesperson said.

    “Any reduction seen in the investment balances relates to amounts being redeemed (withdrawn) from the investments to support SKAO’s normal cash requirements, for example to pay suppliers and staff salaries.”

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    “SKAO follows recognised best practice, and its financial activities and reports are subject to rigorous internal audits and independent external audits which are reported to Finance Committee and Council. No adverse findings of note have been reported.”

    Portfolio budget statements reveal the Australian government contributed $475m between 2021 and 2025 towards the SKAO. Photograph: SKAO/Max Alexander

    Other complaints detailed in the whistleblower’s report include allegations that procurement budgets have been mismanaged, leading to delays and change in scope.

    One example is the project’s failure to build a permanent power supply to the telescope at the Australian site, which is now being run on temporary diesel generators.

    The SKAO website claims power for the project’s central processing plant “is provided by a photovoltaic plant [solar] and energy storage system backed up by diesel generators, generating renewable energy a majority of the time to power the antennas and all site infrastructure”.

    However, no solar plant has yet been built. The project is yet to award a tender for the power plant and is allegedly spending more than $1m a year on diesel to power the plant.

    A tender document published by the SKAO in March reveals that a “phase one” diesel-operated system for the site is “expected to be operational in early 2026”, with the tender seeking interest to build a “phase two” power plant to integrate renewable energy.

    The SKAO spokesperson confirmed that the project would be running on diesel generators until the long-term solar-based plant was operational – expected in late 2028.

    “An expert team is implementing a complex multi-stage power procurement process that will result in a long-term power purchase agreement with an independent power provider to build and operate a radio quiet power station with a very high fraction of power generated from solar photovoltaic cells and using a substantial battery energy storage system.”

    The Guardian can also reveal that a €5m European Commission grant claimed by the SKAO consortium for infrastructure development was partially clawed back.

    A letter sent from the European Research Executive Agency to the UK-based deputy director general of the SKAO, Simon Berry, indicates that the commission was seeking repayment of €3.4m that had already been paid.

    It is understood that the amount ultimately recognised by the European Commission was €2.5m of the original €5m grant after many of the claimed costs were deemed ineligible.

    The grant, allocated under the Horizon 2020 program, had been intended to support “the detailed design of the infrastructure required” for the telescope sites in Australia and South Africa.

    The Australian SKAO site is being run on temporary diesel generators. Photograph: CSIRO/Alex Cherney

    The SKAO spokesperson said the grant had been overseen by the SKA organisation – the predecessor company to the SKAO that is in the process of being wound up.

    “As is often the case, with a complex major project of this sort, there were some costs deemed ineligible, but by the closeout of the project these were modest in nature and the arrangements resolved amicably between all the project partners and the EC, with the full knowledge and approval from the Organisation’s governance structures,” the spokesperson said.

    An “internal update” circulated within the organisation in early July suggests there have also been changes to the project’s scope and schedule.

    According to the update, a “programme and schedule risk review” had established “extensions to our Mid and Low schedules”. (“Low” refers to the Australian telescope, while “Mid” refers to the project in South Africa.)

    The document also refers to a “budget gap” that will be assessed over the coming months. “Then we’ll look at how we can manage this, through reducing or deferring some of our scope.”

    The circular states that the organisation is aware that “our current contingency budget is insufficient to cover the expected ECPs [engineering change proposals] and remaining risk” of the project.

    In response to questions from the Guardian about the project’s changed scope, the SKAO spokesperson said: “The scope and schedule of the SKA project, a massive undertaking to deliver the world’s two largest and most complex radio telescopes, are under constant review.

    “SKAO Council, comprising representatives of the governments of the member states that make up SKAO and supported by its Finance Committee, has oversight of all such issues. A recent schedule update has been notified to Council and the wider scientific community, and is driven by programmatic not financial reasons,” he said.

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  • Bay FC Trade for Canadian International Defender Sydney Collins

    Bay FC Trade for Canadian International Defender Sydney Collins

    Talented defender comes to Bay FC through trade with North Carolina Courage

    SAN JOSE, Calif. (August 22, 2025) – Bay FC announced today the club has acquired defender Sydney Collins ahead of this weekend’s match against the Washington Spirit in a trade with the North Carolina Courage. The Canadian joins Bay FC immediately after the club acquired her for the remainder of the 2025 season in exchange for $60,000 in 2025 intra-league transfer funds from the North Carolina Courage. Collins will be available for selection for Bay FC this weekend.

    “We are delighted to welcome Sydney Collins to Bay FC,” said head coach Albertin Montoya. “Sydney is a highly talented defender whose skill set and composure make her an excellent fit within the dynamics of our roster. Her international experience with Canada has further shaped her into a confident and reliable player, and her presence will provide immediate impact while also helping to strengthen and solidify our backline for the future.”

    “I am thrilled to be joining Bay FC and to return to the Bay Area, which is home for me,” said Collins, “I’m excited for the opportunity to play in front of such incredible fans, and I am thrilled to be part of the strong culture the club is building. I look forward to working with my teammates, the staff, and everyone at the club as we continue to build for the future.”

    Collins began her professional career with North Carolina in 2023, being selected eighth overall in the 2023 NWSL draft. Her rookie season, she appeared in four matches for the club, tallying 194 minutes. She spent the 2024 season and start of 2025 on the season-ending injury list, being activated last month and returning to the pitch as a substitute and logging 29 minutes in a 4-0 friendly victory vs. Mexican side Chivas July 26.

    A Canadian international, Collins helped Les Rouges qualify for the 2024 Olympics and was set to join the squad in Paris before suffering an injury in preparation for the tournament. Collins spent her college career locally at Cal, playing four seasons with the Golden Bears and earning Third Team All-Pac-12 honors in 2021 and Second Team All-Pac-12 honors in 2022.

    Bay FC hosts the Washington Spirit for ‘The Show’ this weekend at San Francisco’s Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. The club is set to break the all-time single-match attendance record for all U.S. women’s professional league sports at the match and fans are encouraged to buy tickets as soon as possible to ensure their seat at this historic match.

    Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. PT before a national audience on CBS, and fans are encouraged to arrive early to take in special performances inside and outside the ballpark ahead of kickoff and grab a Bay FC x Oracle Park flag giveaway. Limited tickets are still available by visiting BayFC.com/OraclePark.

    About Bay Football Club
    Bay Football Club (Bay FC) is the professional soccer franchise representing the Bay Area and the 14th team to join the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Bay FC was established in April 2023 and co-founded by USWNT legends Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton, and Aly Wagner in partnership with global investment firm Sixth Street and an investor group of leading tech, business and sports executives. Sixth Street’s investment is the largest institutional investment to date in a women’s professional sports franchise. Bay FC is changing the face of women’s soccer as we know it. The Club began play in the 2024 season. Tickets are now on sale for Bay FC at BayFC.com and fans can follow Bay FC’s social channels (@wearebayfc) for the latest news, merchandise, and events.


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  • The squad’s first impressions of Mbeumo

    The squad’s first impressions of Mbeumo

    The Cameroon international has proved a big hit with supporters since signing on the dotted line from Brentford last month, and it may not come as a surprise to learn that our no.19 has been a popular addition to the Old Trafford dressing room too.

    In the second episode of our ‘First Impressions’ series, nine Reds rate Bryan, all of them very highly…

    Matthijs de Ligt: “He’s a really nice guy, really humble. It’s really nice speaking to him. I really like him as a person. His finishing, his speed, his strength: he’s a really good player and obviously he already showed it in the Premier League, so I think he can be a really good player for us and he can help us a lot. I think he’s not even fit yet, he knows he has to work hard, because obviously he’s been short of pre-season because he didn’t train at Brentford. I think he’s already shown so much quality but when he becomes even more fit, you’ll see the real potential coming out. I can’t wait to see that, because it will help us as a team massively.”

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  • DPM reviews availability, prices of essential commodities – RADIO PAKISTAN

    1. DPM reviews availability, prices of essential commodities  RADIO PAKISTAN
    2. DPM highlights Govt’s commitment to ensuring price stability, adequate supplies of essential goods  Associated Press of Pakistan
    3. Dar reviews prices, supplies of essential goods in market  24 News HD
    4. DPM underscores need to enhance petroleum exploration, increase productivity for affordable energy  Associated Press of Pakistan

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  • 1,800 Global Leaders Converge in Paris for the Most Powerful Week in Space

    1,800 Global Leaders Converge in Paris for the Most Powerful Week in Space

    Paris, August 20, 2025 – In less than 30 days, Paris becomes the center of the space economy. From September 15 to 19, 2025, more than 1,800 decision-makers, 250+ top-tier speakers, and 600+ organizations from 60+ countries will unite at World Space Business Week (WSBW), the Space Defense and Security Summit (SDSS), and the newly launched Space Innovation Summit (SPIN).

    Together, these three flagship events form the world’s most influential gathering of defense leaders, government officials, business executives, innovators, and investors — where strategies are set, deals are signed, and the future of space is defined.

    Three Events. One Global Stage.

    World Space Business Week (WSBW) | September 15–19, 2025 – Hôtel du Collectionneur
    1,400 decision-makers | 200+ top-tier speakers | 600+ organizations | 60+ countries
    The premier global space business event spotlighting market trends, investment flows, satellite communications, Earth observation, mobility, and space infrastructure.

    Space Defense and Security Summit (SDSS) | September 16–17, 2025 – Les Salons Hoche
    300+ decision-makers | 60+ global speakers | 50+ institutions | 35+ countries
    A strategic platform for governments, militaries and industry leaders to address the evolving challenges of space defense, resilience, and security.

    Space Innovation Summit (SPIN) | September 17, 2025 – Hôtel du Collectionneur
    200+ decision-makers | 80+ organizations | 25+ speakers
    Novaspace’s newest summit, dedicated to breakthrough technologies, start-up showcases, dual-use innovations, and entrepreneurial visions transforming the space sector.

    The strategic proximity of the three events provides an unparalleled environment for connecting with potential investors, innovators, clients, and partners — driving cross-sector collaboration and real deal-making opportunities.

    World-class Lineup of Global Space Leaders

    Notable confirmed speakers include European Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, General Brian W. Gibson (United States Space Command), General Vincent Chusseau (French Space Command), General Michael Traut (German Space Command), Jeong Gyuheon (Defense Acquisition Program Administration – DAPA), Josef Aschbacher (ESA), Gwynne Shotwell (SpaceX), Adel Al-Saleh (SES), Max Haot (Vast), Jean-François Fallacher (Eutelsat Group), and Ricky Freeman (Amazon Kuiper Government Services) — among many other government representatives, high-ranking officers, C-level executives, investors, and innovators shaping the next era of the global space domain.

    A Pivotal Moment for the Space Domain

    “With these three summits taking place simultaneously, Paris becomes the decision-making hub for the global space domain,” said Pacôme Révillon, CEO of Novaspace. “We are proud to host the conversations, partnerships, and deals that will shape the industry for years to come.”

    ***

    About Novaspace
    Novaspace is a global leader in space consulting and market intelligence, formed through the merger of Euroconsult and SpaceTec Partners. This strategic move combines the distinctive strengths of both entities to significantly amplify our international presence and service capabilities. With over 40-year legacy of expertise in guiding public and private entities in strategic decision-making, Novaspace offers end-to-end consulting services, from project strategy definition to implementation, providing data-led perspectives on critical issues. Novaspace presents an expanded portfolio of services, featuring combined expertise in management and technology consulting, top-tier executive summits, and market intelligence. Trusted by 1,200 clients in over 60 countries, with offices strategically located in Brussels, London, Montreal, Munich, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Toulouse, and Washington D.C.

    Media Enquiries: Olivia Garnier | Communications Lead | olivia.garnier@nova.space

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  • UMass Chan scientists explain how transcription factors compete with DNA repair operations, increasing errors that lead to mutations

    UMass Chan scientists explain how transcription factors compete with DNA repair operations, increasing errors that lead to mutations

    Raluca Gordan, PhD
    Photo: Bryan Goodchild

    Scientists at UMass Chan Medical School have explained how proteins that regulate gene function called transcription factors (TF) can increase genetic mutations by competing with DNA repair operations during genome replication. Published in Cell, these findings show that this natural rivalry between TFs and DNA repair can explain, in part, why TF binding sites show an increased mutation rate compared to the rest of the genome, especially in cancer cells. 

    Mutation rates vary greatly across the human genome, with some areas being far more prone to errors. Studies have shown that mutations at regulatory sites bound by TFs happen at a higher rate compared to the rest of the genome, but the reasons for this are not well understood.  

    “Cancer cells accumulate a lot of mutations. Some are more important than others,” said Raluca Gordan, PhD, professor of genomics & computational biology. “Our results show that many mutations prevalent in TF binding sites are less likely to be selected for cancer cell survival, and instead are the result of a natural competition between TFs and DNA repair, which means that such mutations should not be prioritized for screening and in-depth studies by scientists.” 

    The DNA mismatch repair mechanism is a crucial component in maintaining genetic fidelity from a parent cell to a daughter cell. Mismatch repair (MMR) proteins, like MutSα, scan the DNA of a daughter cell as it is being copied—a process called DNA replication—before cell division starts to ensure that it matches the parent cell. If the MMR protein finds a mistake, it signals the cell to cut out the DNA region containing the incorrect nucleotide and replace it with a correct sequence. This helps maintain genetic stability from one cell generation to the next. 

    Studying single nucleotide errors, however, is challenging for scientists. These errors are very rare, occurring at most once in every 1 million cell divisions.  

    “You can’t do a study based on one cell,” said Wei Zhu, PhD, a former student in Dr. Gordan’s lab at Duke University and now a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School. “You’d have to sequence millions and millions and millions of cells to assemble enough mutations to study this phenomenon.”

    Wei Zhu, PhD
    Wei Zhu, PhD
    Photo    : HuthPhoto, Durham, NC

    Additionally, modern genome sequencing technologies aren’t accurate enough for this kind of work. Even the best technologies have an error rate in the thousands, which is far higher than the 1 in a 1 million rate of replication errors Gordan and colleagues were hoping to study. For small genomic areas, such as TF sites that span only 10 to 20 base pairs, quantifying mutations that result from replication errors is practically impossible with current sequencing technologies.  

    To overcome these challenges, Gordan and colleagues developed a mutagenic system using yeast genetics. This system allowed scientists to easily isolate and select cells for very specific mutations—down to the nucleotide—in TF binding sites. This technique allowed them to produce the quantity of nucleotide-specific mutated cells for testing.  

    They then tested these mutations to determine how well the TF protein, versus the MMR protein MutSα, bound to the DNA mismatch errors that gave rise to the mutations. What they found was that these mismatches were preferentially bound by the TF instead of MutSα. As a result, these mismatch replication errors were less likely to be recognized and fixed by MutSα and were instead being passed down to daughter cells. In following cell generations, these unrepaired mismatches then show up as mutations.  

    “From an evolutionary perspective it is easier for a cell to evolve a TF binding site than a gene,” said Dr. Zhu. “For this reason, you can understand how the TF-MMR competition that we discovered can, over time, lead to beneficial mutations that are selected and maintained by the organism. In cancer cells, however, this natural TF-MMR competition process can be problematic for two reasons. First, having more mutations in TF binding sites gives the cancer cells more mutations to select from for increased survival. Second, even when the mutations resulting from TF-MMR competition aren’t doing anything and are just along for the ride, they can obscure cancer-promoting mutations that now become harder to detect.” 

    Gordan and colleagues plan to model the formation of mutations in cancer cells to identify specific mutations that are more common in cancer but cannot be explained by this newly discovered TF-MM competition mechanism.


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