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Researchers from the NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre and University College London have found that gene therapy improved visual acuity and preserved retinal structure in young children with AIPL1-associated severe retinal dystrophy. This is the first human trial of gene supplementation therapy targeting this condition.

Retinal dystrophy caused by biallelic variants in the AIPL1 gene leads to severe visual impairment from birth, with progressive degeneration and limited treatment options. Previous studies of early-onset rod-cone dystrophies, including AIPL1-related forms, highlighted a critical window for intervention during early childhood, when some photoreceptor structure remains intact. Prior research using Aipl1-deficient mouse models and human retinal organoids demonstrated partial restoration of photoreceptor function through .

In the study, “Gene therapy in children with AIPL1-associated severe retinal dystrophy: an open-label, first-in-human interventional study,” published in The Lancet, researchers administered a single subretinal injection of a recombinant adeno-associated (rAAV8.hRKp. AIPL1) carrying the AIPL1 gene to one eye of each child to assess the safety and efficacy of gene supplementation therapy in improving visual function and preserving retinal structure.

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The symptoms of schizophrenia vary greatly from person to person. A new study appearing in the American Journal of Psychiatry shows how these differences manifest themselves in the structure of the brain.

Schizophrenia is a complex mental health condition that affects perception, thought and emotions. This complexity is reflected in the individual manifestations of the disease: for some patients, perceptual disturbances are the main problem, while for others, cognitive impairments are more prevalent.

“In this sense, there is not one , but many, each with different neurobiological profiles,” says Wolfgang Omlor, first author of the study and senior physician at the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich.

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From integrated photonics to quantum information science, the ability to control light with electric fields—a phenomenon known as the electro-optic effect—supports vital applications such as light modulation and frequency transduction. These components rely on nonlinear optical materials, in which light waves can be manipulated by applying electric fields.

Conventional nonlinear optical materials such as lithium niobate have a large electro-optic response but are hard to integrate with silicon devices. In the search for silicon-compatible materials, aluminum scandium nitride (AlScN), which had already been flagged as an excellent piezoelectric—referring to a material’s ability to generate electricity when pressure is applied, or to deform when an electric field is applied—has come to the fore. However, better control of its properties and means to enhance its electro-optic coefficients are still required.

Researchers in Chris Van de Walle’s computational materials group at UC Santa Barbara have now uncovered ways to achieve these goals. Their study, published in Applied Physics Letters, explains how adjusting the material’s atomic structure and composition can boost its performance. Strong electro-optic response requires a large concentration of scandium—but the specific arrangement of the scandium atoms within the AlN crystal lattice matters.

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According to my recursive universe theory, we need Primordial Consciousness to explain the beginning of the first Universe. Please take a look at this YouTube video clip!

Consciousness is one of those topics that makes everyone uncomfortable—scientists, philosophers, and just about anyone who dares to question the nature of reality. Why? Because, despite all our technological advancements and scientific breakthroughs, we still don’t have a clear idea of what consciousness actually is or where it comes from. It’s the elephant in the room, the mystery that science can’t seem to crack. We can map the brain and understand its functions, but that still doesn’t explain why we experience thoughts, feelings, or self-awareness.

Some argue that consciousness is nothing more than the byproduct of biological processes, a lucky accident of evolution. But what if that’s not the whole story? What if consciousness isn’t a mere side effect of neurons firing but something far more fundamental—something that’s intertwined with the fabric of the universe itself?

Continue reading “Consciousness May Have Created the Universe — This Is Very Strange” | >

What if a simple vial of synthetic blood could save millions of lives? From cutting-edge laboratories to the frontlines of disaster zones, scientists are revolutionizing medicine with the development of artificial blood. In this episode of Beyond the Veil, we take you on a journey into the world of groundbreaking innovations like ErythroMer, a shelf-stable synthetic red blood cell, and lab-grown blood cells that could transform healthcare as we know it.

Join us as we explore:
🔬 The intricate science behind replicating blood\’s vital functions.
💡 How Dr. Allan Doctor and his team are making synthetic red blood cells a reality with ErythroMer.
🩸 The NHS’s revolutionary trial of lab-grown red blood cells.
🌍 The potential to save lives in remote areas, on battlefields, and even during space exploration.
🚀 The hurdles, breakthroughs, and future implications of artificial blood research.

💉 This isn\’t just a story about science; it\’s a tale of perseverance, hope, and the determination to rewrite the rules of medicine.

Sources and Research Cited in this Episode:

Continue reading “ErythroMer and Beyond: The Future of Blood Technology” | >

Identifying and delineating cell structures in microscopy images is crucial for understanding the complex processes of life. This task is called “segmentation” and it enables a range of applications, such as analyzing the reaction of cells to drug treatments, or comparing cell structures in different genotypes.

It was already possible to carry out automatic segmentation of those biological structures, but the dedicated methods only worked in specific conditions and adapting them to new conditions was costly. An international research team led by Göttingen University has now developed a method for retraining the existing AI-based software Segment Anything on over 17,000 with over 2 million structures annotated by hand.

The new model is called Segment Anything for Microscopy and it can precisely segment images of tissues, cells and similar structures in a wide range of settings. To make it available to researchers and medical doctors, they have also created μSAM, user-friendly software to “segment anything” in microscopy images. The work is published in Nature Methods.

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I wondered when this would start!

“This means that should everything go according to plan, the humanoid robot will eventually be put to work building itself.” 🤖 🤖

Apptronik, an Austin-based maker of humanoid robots, on Tuesday announced a new pilot partnership with American supply chain/manufacturing stalwart, Jabil. The deal arrives two weeks after Apptronik announced a $350 million Series A financing round aimed at scaling up production of its Apollo robot.

The Jabil deal is the second major pilot announced by Apptronik. It follows a March 2024 partnership that put Apollo to work on the Mercedes-Benz manufacturing floor. While the company tells TechCrunch that its partnership with the automaker is ongoing, it has yet to graduate beyond the pilot stage.

Continue reading “Apptronik’s humanoid robots take the first steps toward building themselves” | >