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In this newsletter

• Doctors cure blindness in children

• Unexpected player in muscle health- grapes

• Mosquito antennae may detect disasters

• SpaceX debris crash in Poland

Doctors cure blindness in children

Doctors at the Moorfields Eye Hospital at the University College London (UCL) have made a remarkable breakthrough by developing a cure for blindness in children with leber congenital amaurosis (LCA),  a severe form of retinal dystrophy caused by defects in the AIPL1 gene. 

Children born with LCA can only perceive light and dark, and their limited vision deteriorates within a few years. A harmless virus carrying healthy copies of the AIPL1 gene was injected into the retina of children aged one and two. This gene is crucial for photoreceptor function and helps cells convert light into electrical signals that the brain interprets as vision. 

The surgery took 60 minutes, and the children were followed up for five years. The four children, who hailed from the US, Turkey, and Tunisia, can now see shapes, locate toys, recognize their parents' faces, and, in some cases, even read and write.

The results were published in the journal The Lancet. 

Unexpected player in muscle health- grapes

A recent study from Western New England University has revealed that consuming grapes daily may change muscle gene expression. It can potentially lead to increased strength and resilience. Given the widespread problem of age-related muscle loss, the potential benefits of grapes for muscle health are both promising and important.

Daily grape consumption influences muscle gene expression, with stronger effects in women, leading to more similar metabolic profiles between sexes. Increased activity in genes linked to lean muscle mass and decreased activity in genes associated with muscle breakdown suggest improved function, potentially offering new strategies to combat age-related muscle loss.

This study advances nutrigenomics and the development of dietary strategies for maintaining muscle strength and preventing age-related decline.

The insights were published in the journal Foods. 

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Mosquito antennae may detect disasters

A much-maligned creature could hold the key to a major advancement in disaster relief. 

Mosquitoes use their antennae to "hear" their surroundings, detect important sounds even amidst the noise of their own wingbeats. Researchers at Purdue University are building artificial mosquito antennae to understand better how these insects sense vibrations.

Research groups at Purdue gained insights by examining the structure of the mosquitoes' antennae, especially the arrangement and shape of their sensory hairs. Using micro-CT scans and computer modeling revealed that their structure enables them to detect specific sounds related to species and sex, even against background noise.

Mosquito antenna research could lead to advancements like smart noise-canceling materials. These materials, potentially using microfluidic channels or tunable metamaterials, could be used in various applications, from soundproofing buildings and headphones to even acoustic cloaking. 

Successful research in this area could improve our ability to monitor and detect natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis too. 

The findings were published in the journal Acta Biomaterialia. 

SpaceX debris crash in Poland

At about 03:30 GMT on Wednesday, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket illuminated the sky across Europe by re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere. The reports of its sightings came from Denmark, Sweden and England. After its re-entry, the pieces of the rocket then crashed into Poland. Experts believe some pieces might have landed in Ukraine as well. 

Designed for reusability, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is used to carry people and payloads into the Earth's thermosphere and sometimes beyond. The rocket responsible for this debris was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on February 1st. According to astrophysicist Dr Jonathan McDowell, it was supposed to re-enter the Earth in a controlled manner and crash into the Pacific Ocean.

Due to the failure of the engine the debris was seen orbiting the Earth for the past few weeks. Traveling at approximately 17,000 mph, the debris passed over England, then parts of Scandinavia, before some pieces impacted eastern Europe at speeds of several hundred miles per hour. 

Space debris re-enters Earth's atmosphere frequently, usually burning up completely. However, larger pieces can survive and reach the ground. Large, uncontrolled rocket re-entries are rare but potentially dangerous. 

The report was published by BBC.

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Thanks for reading.
Until next time,
Adya