Recently, there has been a lot of buzz around a “new” tool that scientists have found to perform genetic manipulation that is referred to as CRISPR/Cas. The ability to edit DNA has been available for quite some time, so what makes this method special? The answer lies in what it is and how well it works.

What Is CRISPR?

CRISPR is an acronym that stands for “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats.” It is not actually a technology; it is a natural DNA sequence found in bacteria. So why do we care about bacterial DNA? What scientists have discovered is that there is a part of the bacterial DNA where DNA sequences would show up over and over and, in between those duplicate sequences, there were more unique sequences that matched the viruses that the bacteria had run into in the past. The bacteria use those unique sequences to identify the viruses that are a threat so they can defend themselves much like an immune system.

New education technology companies have entered the market and are attracting millions of dollars in funding from venture capitalists. In different ways, these companies are working to provide innovative solutions to on-going problems in education.

To learn more, check out the eight education tech companies listed below. The startups highlighted in this article are less than seven years old and have all been profiled in the Ed Tech Startup Dashboard Q3 2015 by Simba Information, a leading provider of market research and analysis.

The United States is the largest cosmetics market in the world, and its total revenue is expected to exceed 62 billion in 2016. However, the global market is still growing, with opportunities in emerging markets throughout Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.

The beauty and cosmetics industry can be broken down into smaller segments including make-up, skin care and lotions, hair products, and fragrances and perfumes. Together, these segments form an industry that continues to grow year after year. To learn more about specific segments and find out about new industry trends, read the post below.

Leeyen Rogers, age 25, decided to stop drinking soda for health reasons. Instead, she drinks tea to stay hydrated during her busy workweeks as VP of marketing at JotForm in San Francisco.

She prefers to drink iced tea during the day and hot tea at night for relaxation. For Leeyen, tea is a versatile, guilt-free beverage that doesn’t have the potential sugar crash associated with soda. “I don’t love drinking plain water, so tea is a healthy and delicious alternative,” she says.

Leeyen’s beverage choice is representative of a larger trend influencing American consumer habits. The overall demand for tea has increased due to its perceived health benefits, convenience, and availability. In the United States, volumes in the ready-to-drink tea category grew by 3.7 percent, outperforming carbonated soft drinks, which declined 1 percent.

In 2015, the market experienced a stampede of wearable devices. Consumers had access to some of the newest tech devices that were able to track movement, heartbeats, location, and more. However, many consumers found that these wearables came up short. Costs were high, and expectations for accuracy were not always met. Wearable devices held a 30 percent return rate and high product abandonment after six months.

This doesn’t mean consumers should give up hope. Although our main introduction to wearables has consisted of watches and wristbands, the future is looking even bigger, and is more focused on smart textiles and clothing.

What trends should market researchers expect in 2016? To find out, we asked a variety of executives and thought leaders to share their predictions for the coming year. Our sources include industry veterans at established firms, as well as a number of innovative entrepreneurs.

These respondents cited a range of influential factors including the role of mobile devices, big data, and social analytics in understanding consumer behavior. New technological developments could help market researchers unlock real-time data and answer strategic business questions more quickly and accurately. To find out more about these trends, check out the series of quotes below. 

In 2015, the manufacturing and construction industries experienced high growth in profits and innovation. A number of trends gained momentum including the Internet of Things, next-shoring, and an increase in commercial buildings, single-family homes, and manufacturing plant construction.

To sustain and even surpass this year’s growth, companies will need to understand the trends that are expected to impact these industries in 2016. A range of factors such as e-commerce, robotics, security concerns, and green initiatives will influence these industries in the year to come. Read on to learn more.  

Advancements in technology have allowed manufacturers to develop and sell devices with the abilities to do just about anything. In 2015, we were introduced to the iWatch, a hoverboard, and 3D printers in our homes, but what’s in store for 2016? Follow along in this blog to learn about five technology trends that will drive the consumer electronics market in the coming year.

The travel industry is undergoing tremendous change. Social media is opening up new creative ways for travel companies to market to consumers and broaden their reach. At the same time, mobile shopping is skyrocketing, forcing industry players to adapt quickly in order to capture the sales of on-the-go shoppers.

Perhaps most importantly, the sharing economy is now a multibillion dollar market and one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry. Some analysts speculate that disruption is the “new normal” in the travel industry. To learn more about these shifts, read the blog post below.

There is a big migration underway from traditional voice to data. This is not to mean that voice goes away in favor of only non-voice services. What this really means is that traditional circuit-switched (bearer) is going away and thus traditional voice calling plans. One of the key technologies that will help drive this migration is WebRTC.