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Magnificent Monday Morning. Today's sunrise in Chicago.

DB-OTO Gene Therapy for Inherited Deafness | NEJM Genetic deficiency of otoferlin, a protein critical to synaptic transmission by the sensory hair cells of the ear, causes congenital deafness. Medicines to treat the condition are lacking; children...

New @nejm.org
One-shot gene therapy for a type of congenital deafness enabled some children to hear for the first time, and 3 of 12 kids achieved normal hearing
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2400521

Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE

New England’s last coal plant has stopped operating, according to its owners Granite Shore Power, the company that owns the coal plant in Bow, New Hampshire, said they ceased commercial operations Sept. 12, about a year and a half after they announced they would retire their f...

With Merrimack Station shutting down in New Hampshire, there will no longer be coal burned in New England to power the grid.

Hello October! The first sunrise of October 2026 with the Hancock in Chicago.

Swimmers Return To Chicago River For 1st Time In A Century: 'The River Is So Clean' Hundreds of swimmers dove into the Chicago River Sunday to raise money for ALS research and highlight the river's rebound after years of pollution and unsafe conditions.

Swimmers returned to the Chicago River for the first time in a century today, marking the river's transformation from a formerly polluted and hazardous waterway.
blockclubchicago.org/2025/09/21/s...

As Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo put it: "A city where you can get let go of your child's hand"

Incredible

A cyclist rides through the flooded bike lane on Clark Street amid heavy rainfall and thunderstorms this afternoon.
📍 Lakeview, Chicago

#OnAssignment for @blockclubchi.bsky.social
#ILWX

A bright arc of lightning stretches across the night sky over Chicago. Smaller tendrils of lightning stretches across the opposite direction creating a powerful, chaotic scene

Late-forming storms put on quite a light show over Chicago last night. The sonic booms of extremely close strikes and deep, rolling rumbles of distant thunder went on for hours.

I caught this shot just before midnight, and moments before I was about to call it quits #ILwx #Chicago

Chicago River Swim Announced for September, and This Time Organizers Have the City’s Approval The event will mark the first open water swim in the Chicago River in nearly 100 years, according to organizers.

For the first time in nearly 100 years, the Chicago River will host a sanctioned open water swim.

The 2025 Chicago River Swim was announced, and this time organizers made sure to obtain the necessary city approvals first.

Funding cuts ripple across Northwestern, as faculty urge no deal with Trump Northwestern University faculty say their work has been pummeled by a $790 million funding freeze imposed by the Trump administration.

Nearly four months have passed since the Donald Trump administration abruptly froze $790 million in federal funding at Northwestern University, and the school’s fragile research infrastructure has been pummeled by cuts.

Made-to-order DNA goes big: new tech doubles size of custom genetic sequences Enzyme-based techniques and refinements in organic chemistry ease the generation of extended DNA sequences.

A technology feature in Nature describes how enzyme-based techniques and refinements in organic chemistry are easing the generation of extended DNA sequences. 🧬 🧪

Cool

Cool

We traveled to DC to talk to Congressional Staffers about the impact of NIH and NIBIB funding. It enables us to develop synthetic biology tools to advance cell & genetic medicines for patients in need. REPOST to deliver the message that SCIENCE saves lives & makes America GREAT!

Lots of work was presented at ASGCT this year about engineered AAV capsids that are liver detargeted. It makes me think this is a challenge that can be overcome!

Boston Public Works Department crews raising castings on School Street

What'd you do over the weekend? Public Works began resurfacing the street in front of the Chipotle where Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense

So happy that this is out in the world! Josh gives a great primer on the story. More details in the preprint @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social!

Summary Table of the massive defunding of biomedical research in the United States
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Precision gene editing medicine makes history, and it’s just getting started - Nature Biotechnology Despite their astounding success, custom-made base editors and prime editors will need time to broaden their clinical impact.

Despite their astounding success, custom-made base editors and prime editors will need time to broaden their clinical impact www.nature.com/articles/s41...

@synbio1.bsky.social

This kind of smart, walkable, mixed-use urbanism is illegal to build in most American cities

the data backs this sentiment up!

In a June Democratic mayoral primary, Zohran Mamdani received more votes than 22 sitting US Senators received in their most recent general elections.

If you're going to ask someone to bring a burrito to your home by car, it's fair to ask you to chip in $1.50 to help address the Chicagoland transit fiscal cliff and fight climate change. #TaxBurritoTaxis
chi.streetsblog.org/2025/06/21/c...

@stevevance.net

People With Severe Diabetes Are Cured in Small Trial of New Drug Most in a small group of patients receiving a stem cell-based infusion no longer needed insulin, but the drug may not suit those with more manageable type 1 diabetes.

A single infusion of a stem cell-based treatment may have cured 10 out of 12 people with the most severe form of type 1 diabetes. One year later, these 10 patients no longer need insulin. The other two patients need much lower doses.

Having the most T-riffic (and spoiler-free) Day with Pari from Love On The Spectrum. . SO MANY people to thank for making this happen: -Rebecca and @Netflix for reconnecting my with my old train pal. ... TikTok video by WBZ NewsRadio

I loved this video with her from Boston’s NPR station

www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8r5UNL3/

In vivo CAR T cell generation to treat cancer and autoimmune disease Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies have transformed treatment of B cell malignancies. However, their broader application is limited by complex manufacturing processes and the necessity f...

🚨NEW - In vivo CAR T cell generation to treat cancer and autoimmune disease @capstantx.bsky.social direct delivery of mRNA-encoded CARs to CD8+ T cells in mouse & NHP models shows tumor control not only in blood, but also tissue. Immune reset seen at B cell recovery www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Public transit is awesome! The New York City subway is a modern miracle. It’s safer than driving