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Following is a summary of current science news briefs.
FDA panel says Vertex/CRISPR to assess safety risks of gene therapy in follow-up study
A panel of advisers to the U.S. health regulator said on Tuesday Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics could assess potential safety risks of their sickle cell disease gene therapy after approval. If the therapy is approved, Vertex has proposed a 15-year follow up of patients to evaluate the safety outcomes of the therapy.
Dinosaur-killing asteroid impact fouled Earth’s atmosphere with dust
It was, to put it mildly, a bad day on Earth when an asteroid smacked Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula 66 million years ago, causing a global calamity that erased three-quarters of the world’s species and ended the age of dinosaurs. The immediate effects included wildfires, quakes, a massive shockwave in the air and huge standing waves in the seas. But the coup de grâce for many species may have been the climate catastrophe that unfolded in the following years as the skies were darkened by clouds of debris and temperatures plunged.
Biggest Chinese Antarctic fleet sets off to build research station
Two Chinese icebreaker research vessels and a cargo ship set sail on Wednesday for the Antarctic with more than 460 personnel on board to help complete construction of China’s fifth station on the world’s southernmost continent. China’s biggest flotilla of research vessels deployed to the Antarctic will focus on building the station on the rocky, windswept Inexpressible Island near the Ross Sea, a deep Southern Ocean bay named after a 19th century British explorer.
Europe’s space agency boss sees progress on Ariane 6 launcher
Europe’s top space official said on Tuesday there was “light at the end of tunnel” in efforts to bring the delayed Ariane 6 to the launchpad and restore Europe’s independent access to space. Europe’s new heavyweight launch vehicle has been delayed by technical glitches, leaving the continent relying on Elon Musk’s SpaceX for some launches until some time in 2024.
(With inputs from agencies.)