Testing the equivalency of human "predators" and deep neural networks in the detection of cryptic moths.

Researchers have shown growing interest in using deep neural networks (DNNs) to efficiently test the effects of perceptual processes on the evolution of color patterns and morphologies. Whether this is a valid approach remains unclear, as it is unknown whether the relative detectability of ecologically relevant stimuli to DNNs actually matches that of biological neural networks. To test this, we compare image classification performance by humans and six DNNs (AlexNet, VGG-16, VGG-19, ResNet-18, SqueezeNet, and GoogLeNet) trained to detect artificial moths on tree trunks.

Development of sound production in Danionella cerebrum.

Acoustic signalling, integral to intraspecific communication and reproductive behaviour, undergoes notable changes during an animal's ontogenetic development. The onset and progression of this maturation in fish remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the ontogeny of acoustic communication in the miniature teleost Danionella cerebrum, one of the smallest known vertebrates and an emerging model organism.

The mechanism for directional hearing in fish.

Locating sound sources such as prey or predators is critical for survival in many vertebrates. Terrestrial vertebrates locate sources by measuring the time delay and intensity difference of sound pressure at each ear. Underwater, however, the physics of sound makes interaural cues very small, suggesting that directional hearing in fish should be nearly impossible.

CARs derived from broadly neutralizing, human monoclonal antibodies identified by single B cell sorting target hepatitis B virus-positive cells.

To design new CARs targeting hepatitis B virus (HBV), we isolated human monoclonal antibodies recognizing the HBV envelope proteins from single B cells of a patient with a resolved infection. HBV-specific memory B cells were isolated by incubating peripheral blood mononuclear cells with biotinylated hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), followed by single-cell flow cytometry-based sorting of live, CD19 IgG HBsAg cells. Amplification and sequencing of immunoglobulin genes from single memory B cells identified variable heavy and light chain sequences.

Miniaturized CAR knocked onto CD3ε extends TCR function with CAR specificity under control of endogenous TCR signaling cascade.

Immunotherapy using TCR and especially CAR transgenic T cells is a rapidly advancing field with the potential to become standard of care for the treatment of multiple diseases. While all current FDA approved CAR T cell products are generated using lentiviral gene transfer, extensive work is put into CRISPR/Cas mediated gene delivery to develop the next generation of safer and more potent cell products. One limitation of all editing systems is the size restriction of the knock-in cargo.