Targeted genetic intervention is one method that is helping the field of agriculture improve plant breeding, particularly with the use of approaches including synthetic biology to conserve endangered species, such as American Chestnut trees, black-footed ferrets, corals and frogs. Conserving wildlife with breeding programs doesn't help threatened species to adapt, but synthetic biology may be able to bring protection by adapting genetics, writes Tiffany Kosch, a researcher at the University of Melbourne in Australia.

The Biden administration on Friday set up a new service at 1-800-232-0233 for Americans to order free COVID-19 tests by phone. A text-based line at 1-888-720-7489 was also launched to help callers with hearing problems as part of the White House's efforts to expand access to the free tests.

The FDA has given breakthrough status designation to Diadem for its AlzoSure Predict blood-based biomarker prognostic assay that could help in the early detection of Alzheimer's disease.

Thermo Fisher Scientific and Oncocyte have signed a collaboration and comarketing agreement for two in vitro diagnostic tests for cancer. They will clinically validate Thermo Fisher's Oncomine Comprehensive Assay Plus and develop Oncocyte's DetermaIO assay on the Ion Torrent Genexus system.

For a span of two years, the Medtronic Foundation will invest approximately $4 million in STEM education for over 60,000 underserved and underrepresented students in Northern California, Minnesota and Puerto Rico. "Together with our partners and Medtronic employee volunteers, we're narrowing in on places we are uniquely equipped to help create a world where there are no barriers to health, well-being and prosperity," said Medtronic Foundation Director of Programs & Partnerships Jess Daly.

Intuitive generated $1.6 billion in sales and $380.6 million in profits during its fiscal fourth quarter, which ended Dec. 31, 2021.

The PFAS Exposure direct-to-consumer at-home test, which helps determine the level of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances in a person's blood, has been released by Eurofins subsidiary empowerDx in the US.

The FDA has given 510(k) clearance to SoftSmile for its Vision aligner software that could help health care providers create precise orthodontic aligners. The company will be marketing the software as a standalone application that doctors can use directly.

Qure.ai has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its qXR-BT, an artificial intelligence algorithm that can help clinicians determine if breathing tube placement is correct.

The FDA has given clearance to MRIguidance for its BoneMRI image processing software. Using an MRI scan, the software creates a 3D CT-like image to improve bone structure visualization.