Global Scans · Genetics · Weekly Summary

• [New] Biologists from Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf and the universities in Cologne and Frankfurt / Main found that they could change bee behaviour by manipulating a particular gene and selectively reducing activity in certain neural circuits. ScienceDaily
• [New] Beyond GM has joined 42 animal welfare, environmental, farming and food organizations in warning the European Commission against weakening safeguards for gene-edited animals as industry groups seek to extend the EU's new approach to gene-edited plants into livestock and aquaculture. Beyond GM
• [New] The HIV research pipeline faces growing threats from sharp reductions in training and career development programmes (e.g. NIH T and F awards, D43 grants and diversity supplements) - programmes that have historically supported the next generation of HIV researchers and global health leaders. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] The combination of technology generation transition demand with regulatory digital switchover mandates across emerging markets creates a highly predictable, policy-driven equipment upgrade demand wave that equipment manufacturers can plan capacity and R&D investments around through 2033. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Policymakers and public leaders who embed foresight into government planning and decision-making will be better equipped to accelerate SDG progress, navigate global uncertainty, and build institutions capable of delivering on the promise of sustainable development for present and future generations. UN DESA Publications
• [New] The UN 2.0 Quintet of Change identifies foresight as one of the five capabilities to navigate rising uncertainty, seize emerging opportunities and enhance support for the SDGs and future generations. UN DESA Publications
• [New] Researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NYU's Center for Data Science developed a multimodal artificial intelligence test that may predict breast cancer recurrence faster and more affordably than current genomic assays. NYU Langone News
• [New] Spravato demonstrated that a dissociative-acting molecule administered under clinical supervision could clear FDA approval, generate durable reimbursement, and scale into a real commercial franchise rather than a boutique therapy. Forbes
• [New] The Fiscal Year 2028 R&D priorities memorandum has the Genesis Mission connecting federal data, advanced compute, national labs, foundation models, and scientific instruments to accelerate progress across a number of core sectors. Atlantic Council
• [New] No amount of experimentation can counteract the damaging effects that dramatically reduced funds and politicized processes will have on the foundation of the United States' scientific and technological leadership and ability to train the next generation of innovators. Atlantic Council
• [New] More than $124 trillion in U.S. household wealth is expected to transfer across generations through 2048. Hamilton Lane
• [New] OpenAI plans its largest-ever ChatGPT overhaul, integrating coding tools, agents, image generation, and over 90 third-party services into a single interface. Medium
• [New] The rise of AI-generated content is expected to impact TikTok significantly. Enrich Labs
• [New] Tesla plans to unveil the third generation of its Optimus humanoid robot in the first quarter of 2026. Grokipedia
• [New] The transition to generative search engines presents a profound opportunity for the UK charity sector. Third SectorMainNet
• [New] Artificial general intelligence could arrive within five years, and called for an international watchdog and a US-led coalition to vet frontier models before deployment. Build Fast with AI
• [New] The idea that GLP-1s may reduce cancer risk for much of the world is being inferred from data generated almost entirely in a few rich ones. The Conversation
• [New] AI is outpacing governance and pushes child-safety rules UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that AI is developing faster than effective oversight and called for globally harmonized rules, especially to protect children. Prompt Injection
• [New] So far observations in Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia and at Great Falls Park on the Maryland-Virginia border generally support their finding that wild fringetrees in natural landscapes will suffer higher attack rates and be more severely impacted by EAB than trees in managed landscapes. Center for Invasive Species Prevention
• [New] Understanding whether koala populations are shrinking helps conservationists act early, before populations lose genetic diversity and face increased risks from inbreeding. ScienceDaily

Last updated: 02 August 2026