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If ever there was an event that would seem designed for dwelling on the past, it would be the anniversary celebration of an institute centered on the study of memory, but the first of many insights offered by the 20th Anniversary Exhibition of The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT Sept. 22 was that memory is all about the future.

Ever since University of California at Berkeley psychology professor David Foster was a postdoc in the Picower Institute lab of Fairchild Professor Matthew Wilson, his research has employed sophisticated neural recordings and behavioral experiments showing that animals dont just store memories of the spaces and objects around them. In the first talk of the day, Foster demonstrated that during periods of rest animals often think about where they might want to go and rehearse possible future routes in their mind. In other words, much like people do, they use past memory of their experiences to consider how to move forward in the future.

Picower professor Susumu Tonegawa, who founded MITs Center for Learning and Memory in 1994 and worked with the Picower family to create the Picower Institute in 2002, spoke right after Foster. He described new research led by postdoc Afif Aqrabawi showing how the brain physically turns individual memories of experience into generalizable knowledge for use in the future. Tonegawa offered the example of restaurant dining. After a few delicious dinners, you learn the general idea of what to expect the next time. A decade ago Tonegawas lab showed how individual event memories are represented by connected ensembles of neurons called engrams. A key ingredient of Aqrabawis new findings is that generalized knowledge arises from the activity of neurons that inhabit the overlap of related engrams. Essentially, they enable the brain to represent the similarities among single experiences that compose knowledge.

Susumu Tonegawa discusses his lab's research on how individual memories are integrated to produce generalized knowledge.

Photo: Faith Ninivaggi

Just as the meaning of memory is to inform the future, a clear message of the symposium was that the last two decades of the Picower Institutes research, discoveries, and innovations, as well as the training it has provided to hundreds of scientists who have carried on independent careers, are helping to shape the present and future of neuroscience, medicine, and industry.

Each of the Picower Institutes 13 labs were represented through talks delivered by the primary investigator, a current trainee, or a member of Picowers growing alumni community. As Picower professor and institute director Li-Huei Tsai framed it for the hybrid audience of about 1,700 people, Each of todays talks will illustrate in different ways the impact of our research and training on current questions across many areas of neuroscience.

MIT President L. Rafael Reif, in a prerecorded message, presaged the broad and urgent significance of the research those talks would cover when he praised the Picower Institute as a brilliant collective of scientists who work together to help us better understand ourselves and to advance solutions that offer people with brain disorders real, practical hope.

Reif and Tsai also led many speakers in thanking Barbara Picower, president of the JPB Foundation, not only for the gift she and her late husband Jeffry gave back in 2002, but for continued support, vision, and insight ever since.

In her remarks, Picower reflected those expressions of gratitude back on the researchers.

I am only an enabler, she said. It wouldnt matter how much money anybody put into the institute if we didnt have great scientists doing great work. So I would like to turn this around a little bit and say thank you to our scientists, many of them who have also been at the institute for 20 years or more.

Impacts at Picower

One of those long-tenured scientists is Picower professor Earl K. Miller, whose talk took on a past-and-future theme explicitly. He described his labs 27-year journey from a time when neuroscientists thought the brain worked like clockwork individual parts all playing single, distinct roles to the modern era, where advances in technology and understanding have revealed that amazing cognitive abilities such as working memory, prediction, categorization, and attention emerge from the brains ability to process information through dynamically assembled networks. His work, for instance, has shown that neurons can take on multiple roles and that brain waves of particular frequencies can assemble and coordinate ensembles of neurons as needed to sculpt the flow of information across the brains cortex. Hardwired connections, therefore, represent possible routes for information flow, but dont determine it.

The Picower Institute: 20 Years of Discovery & Impact

In fact, Lister Brothers Associate Professor Steve Flavell noted that while his labs model organism, the C. elegans worm, is the only animal on the planet whose whole neural wiring diagram has been mapped out, it is still capable of producing a rich and flexible repertoire of behaviors. He described how his lab has developed advanced microscopy and computational techniques to enable unprecedentedly comprehensive correlations of the little animals neural activity and behavior. That in turn has allowed him to demonstrate fundamental principles of how nervous systems can account for many variables, such as internal states and environmental conditions, to generate situationally appropriate behaviors even from hardwired circuits.

Jeongtae Kwon, a postdoc in the lab of Mark Hyman Jr. Associate Professor Gloria Choi, described a vivid new example of behavioral flexibility in mice. He recently led a study showing that while male mice have a powerful mating instinct, a circuit connecting olfactory regions with a brain region called the amygdala will override that instinct if a potential mating partner smells like she is sick. Essential to this social distancing circuits function is the presence of the neuromodulatory chemical TRH. Kwon is planning to continue his work when he starts his own lab in Korea in October.

Picower researchers are not only illuminating how the brain produces knowledge, cognition, and behavior, but also consciousness. Representing the lab of Emery N. Brown, Edward Hood Taplin Professor of Medical Engineering and Computational Neuroscience, graduate student Indie Garwood described how the lab has shown how ketamine general anesthesia works. Theyve found that it promotes an unusual signature of gamma wave activity that disrupts consciousness and that the waves arise from how the drug promotes elevated production of the neuromodulatory chemical acetylecholine. Such findings point to new ideas for the future, she said, including improving monitoring anesthesia in the operating room, improving understanding of how ketamine affects the brain at a systemic level, and understanding more about how drugs like ketamine affect consciousness.

Brown lab graduate student Indie Garwood makes a point during her talk about the mechanisms of ketamine general anesthesia in the brain.

Photo: Faith Ninivaggi

In his talk, Newton Professor Mriganka Sur traced an arc of his labs 30 years of research from the past to the future, showing how fundamental research can lead to the development of clinical treatments. Beginning with a revolutionary study in which he demonstrated the brains plasticity by showing how a developing ferrets brain would repurpose the auditory cortex to augment the visual cortex if cut off from input from the ears, Surs lab has gone on to study cortical plasticity intensely. His lab has produced powerful demonstrations of how neural activity changes with learning and how individual neural connections, or synapses, change to enable such adaptive flexibility. He also described how such investigations have revealed a promising treatment for Rett syndrome: In 2009 the lab showed how a protein that is crucial for regulating synaptic plasticity is lacking in the developmental condition and that many symptoms can be improved with doses of the protein called IGF-1. A company that has run with the idea has now successfully completed phase 3 clinical trials and asked the FDA to approve the treatment.

We expect that IGF-1 peptide, with two methyl groups added so that it is bioavailable longer, will be approved as the first thereapeutic for any neurodevelopmental disorder, Sur said.

Ever since Associate Professor Myriam Heiman joined the institute in 2011, her research has been guided by the principle that fundamental understanding can lead to breakthroughs in addressing disease. She focused her talk on a new, highly emblematic and collaborative study led by grad student Francisco Garcia. Using several innovative techniques, the research not only produced the first comprehensive map of the cell types that make up the brains blood vessels, but also identified specific ways in which the integrity of the blood-brain barrier unravels in Huntingtons disease. Because blood-brain barrier deficiencies are noted in many other diseases, she said, the findings could help address many disorders.

Impact beyond

As much as the Picower Institute contributes to the field through research in its labs, it also contributes by training researchers, like Foster and Kwon, who then establish their own. When he was a postdoc in Tsais lab, for example, Joel Blanchard engineered a cutting-edge model of the human blood-brain barrier using stem cells to investigate the effects of an Alzheimers disease risk gene. Now an assistant professor at Mt. Sinai, he continues to use stem cells to study aging and neurodegenerative disease. In his talk, Blanchard described a new study in which his lab used stem cells to model the pathology of a gene mutation that causes a rare juvenile form of Parkinsons disease. The models have revealed that the mutation causes cells called astrocytes to become toxic to neighboring dopamine-producing neurons and have helped the lab identify a drug that can prevent the adverse pathology.

Much as Blanchard has continued his neurodegeneration work, Ben Auerbach, an alumnus of the lab of Picower professor Mark Bear, has continued to study autism in his lab as an assistant professor at the University of Illinois. Auerbach described how his team has used rats modeling Fragile X syndrome to understand, at multiple levels of brain physiology, how the genetic mutation underlying the disease produces a symptom common across many autism spectrum disorders: sensory hypersensitivity. Hes found that it derives from hyperactivity among neurons in the auditory cortex and shown that chemically intervening to promote inhibition reduces auditory hypersensitivity.

In his talk, Boston University Assistant Professor Jerry Chen discussed how his lab has been developing technologies to allow measurements spanning neural gene expression, connectivity, activity, and animal behavior to produce vertically integrated insights for every animal subject in the lab. Earlier this year, the lab used the approach to identify and characterize the key role a previously unknown type of neuron plays as a hub of cortical circuits enabling sensory processing in mice. As he spoke, he traced roots of the success back to both technologies and scientific ideas he learned when he was in the Picower lab of William R. and Linda R. Young Professor Elly Nedivi.

There is, of course, no requirement at all that alumni carry on their research with such clear continuity. Sometimes the training and exposure they gain at the Picower Institute proves just as valuable for launching into distinct career territory.

For example, Sung-Yon Kim, now a professor at Seoul National University, was the first postdoc in the Picower Institute and chemical engineering lab of Kwanghun Chung. In Chungs lab, Kim contributed to developing innovative technologies for clearing, labeling, preserving, imaging, and analyzing brains and other tissues. But in his own research hes making discoveries about something quite different: identifying the neural and circuit mechanisms that underlie survival behaviors including finding warmth and regulating eating.

And Zacchary Piccioli, an alumnus of the lab of Menicon Professor Troy Littleton, didnt speak about neuroscience at all. Instead, as a director of R&D strategy at Moderna, he discussed how the company hopes to use the distinct advantages inherent in mRNA vaccines (like the companys highly successful Covid-19 vaccines) in the fight against other infectious diseases such as influenza.

I think Zach is a really wonderful example of how Picower alumni have impacts beyond just the field neuroscience including in clinical therapeutics, Littleton said.

Right before she closed the day, inviting viewers and attendees to the unveiling of the new painting Learnings and Memories by artist Mila Sheng in the Picower Institute lobby, MIT School of Science Dean Nergis Mavalvala noted that a particular excitement she finds in science is that finding the answers to research questions often yields new questions that evoke further discovery. There will always be more to learn.

Were not only celebrating the past 20 years of Picower Institute history but we are also kicking off the next 20 years of discovery and impact, Mavalvala said. The quest goes on.

Mila Sheng (in white) looks on as Picower Institute staff members David Orenstein and Will Lawson drop a cloth to unveil "Learnings and Memories," a painting exploring multiple scales of neurosicence imagery in the lobby of The Picower Institute.

Photo: Faith Ninivaggi

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Celebrating 20 years of discovery, Picower Institute looks ahead to continuing impact - MIT News

07 Oct 2022 --- This week in industry news, the gauge for world food commodity prices declined for the sixth month in a row in September. BlueNalu revealed its plans to increase profitability with its first large-scale facility for cell-based seafood. Sensient Technologies acquired natural colors and extracts manufacturer Endemix, while Solina continues its expansion of sauces and dressings in North America. Fresh Del Monte and Decapolis joined forces to provide industry-wide blockchain traceability solutions. Meanwhile, Beneo opened an additional rice starch production line which it touted to increase production capacity to 50%.

In brief: Business movesAccording to a report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), prices of vegetable oils have lead the decline in food prices as of late. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 136.3 points in September, down 1.1% from August while remaining 5.5% higher than its value a year earlier. The Index tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of commonly traded food commodities. The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index drove the decline, decreasing by 6.6% over the month to reach its lowest level since February 2021. International quotations for palm, soy, sunflower and rapeseed oils were all lower. Lingering heavy inventories of palm oil, coinciding with seasonally rising production in Southeast Asia, pushed palm oil prices down. Higher soy oil export availabilities in Argentina, increased sunflower oil supplies from the Black Sea region and lower crude oil prices also contributed to the drop in this subindex.BlueNalu is on a track to significant profitability with the launch of its first large-scale facility for cell-based seafood, partly due to a series of breakthrough technologies. These technologies are expected to reduce both operating and capital costs for large-scale production drastically, while enabling a projected 75% gross margin. The companys first product will be bluefin tuna toro, a highly prized and specialty portion that commands premium pricing across global markets. Commonly known challenges include scalable cell growth technologies; the development of food-grade raw materials;BlueNalu is on track to significant profitability with the launch of its first large-scale facility.production methods that enable regulatory approval and consumer adoption; and processes that support continuous volume production. Given these challenges, species selection, product format and market fit are critical factors in the profitability equation.

Fresh Del Monte Produce has invested a 39% stake in Decapolis. This Jordanian and UK-based start-up company provides blockchain-driven food safety and quality traceability technology for the F&B industry. The two companies plan to roll out Decapolis Food Guard (DFG), the blockchain-based traceability solution, across all Fresh Del Monte business segments, starting with Fresh Del Montes pineapple operations in Costa Rica. Decapolis Food Guard provides full traceability solutions through the DFG chain of records which capture assessments at each stage of production, from planting to distribution through QR codes.

Steakholder Foods has filed a provisional patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office, regarding methods and systems for adipocyte differentiation. The patent application details a new and improved process for differentiating stem cells into fat (increasing cultivated fat yields from stem cells), which is more easily reproducible and cost-effective than current methods. This patent filing is the latest step in Steakholder Foods push to reduce global dependence on animal-derived components. To date, Steakholder Foods patent portfolio fully owned by Steakholder Foods group companies includes a granted patent and 15 patent applications.

Beneoopened its new rice starch production line with a special inauguration event. The addition of the new line increases production capacity at the suppliers Wijgmaal facility in Belgium by 50%, allowing the company to continue meeting the growing demand for its clean label rice ingredients. Beneo is a global provider of rice flour, starch and protein for the food and feed industry, and the companys unique rice derivatives are used in producing a wide range of clean label products. The increasing demand for natural and clean label ingredients has led to Beneos production line expansion in a wide range of applications. Beneo is a global provider of rice flour, starch and protein for the food and feed industry.

In brief: Acquisitions Sensient Technologies has acquired Endemix Doal Maddeler(Endemix). Endemix, located in Turkey, is a vertically integrated natural color and extract company servicing the food and beverage markets. The acquisition of this business strengthens Sensients extensive natural color portfolio capabilities and puts Sensient operations closer to key botanical growing areas. Sensient will continue to focus on natural solutions to support its customers in meeting demands for healthier, cleaner products.

Solina, a European producer of savory ingredient solutions, has signed an agreement to acquire Saratoga Food Specialties to continue its expansion in North America. The regulatory approval process is underway and the transaction is expected to close at the end of October 2022. With US-based operations in California, Illinois and Nevada, and annual sales of US$280 million, Saratoga supplies Quick Service Restaurants and food manufacturers with custom dry seasoning blends and liquid solutions such as sauces, dressings and glazes. Upon closing, the Saratoga leadership team and its 500 employees will join Solina.

Puratos UK has bolstered its portfolio of locally made products following the acquisition of fruit grower and processor Fourayes. The move underlines the bakery and patisserie ingredient specialists commitment to future generations through responsible, transparent and local sourcing. The Puratos local and transparent fruit sourcing program aims to embed sustainability through the entire value chain, from sourcing of raw materials to usage of products by customers and consumers. Fourayess range of fruit fillings, industrial jams and mincemeat will complement and enhance Puratoss existing local fillings capabilities in Simonswood, further expanding the offer of locally-produced ingredients to customers.

In brief: Miscellaneous highlightsAleph Farms has announced the addition of Kevin Benmoussa as its executive VP and chief financial officer. Based in Aleph Farms US headquarters in New York Citys historic Meatpacking District, Benmoussa will lead the companys global growth agenda, spearhead its operational expansion in the US, and oversee finance, administration and legal departments globally for the company.

CuliNEX, a US clean label food product and plant-based formulation consultancy, has revealed that Jenny Holman has joined the team as a new project manager. Holman will immediately immerse herself in client projects, launching in with her new colleagues to lead and execute clean label innovations for clients.

Kerrygoldhas launched a one-of-a-kind experience that brings recipes to life through fable-like stories. The Magical Pantry helps families cook together through an innovative digital platform thatThe makers of Hormel Black Label bacon brand are celebrating National Sausage Month during October.integrates recipes seamlessly into childrens stories so kids can learn and practice cooking skills every time they read. The Magical Pantry, designed for both desktop and mobile, lets young families fully customize a character, pick from almost 40 recipes and select one of 4 unique fables to read and enjoy.

The makers of Hormel Black Label bacon brand are celebrating National Sausage Month during October. The brand team heard the pleas of sausage lovers far and wide and is bringing back its Little Sizzlers original pork sausages at select US retail locations.

By Elizabeth Green

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Weekly Roundup: FAO Food Price Index drops for sixth consecutive month, BlueNalu's new alt-seafood facility - Food Ingredients First

AVMA Editor-In-Chief Lisa Fortier is one of four equine veterinarians who have been inducted this year into the Equine Research Hall of Fame. Established by the University of Kentucky Equine Research Foundationnow the UK Gluck Equine Research Foundationthe Hall of Fame honors those distinguished researchers who have dedicated their careers to equine science.

Along with Dr. Fortier, the other inductees are Drs. Katrin Hinrichs, Jennifer Anne Mumford, and Stephen M. Reed.

The success of Kentuckys horse industry is inseparable from the decades of hard work by outstanding equine researchers, said Dr. Stuart Brown, chair of the Gluck Equine Research Foundation, in a Sept. 14 announcement. Though impossible to measure, it is a unique privilege to recognize the impact made by these four scientists in advancing the health and wellbeing of the horse and, on behalf of the entire equine community, show our appreciation.

Dr. Fortier became editor-in-chief of the AVMA journals and director of the AVMA Publications Division in June 2021. She also holds the title of James Law professor of surgery at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. In addition, Dr. Fortier serves on the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authoritys Racetrack Safety Standing Committee.

Over the past 30 years, Dr. Fortier has garnered an international reputation for significant contributions in equine joint disease, cartilage biology, and regenerative medicine, according to the announcement. She has focused her research on early diagnosis and treatment of equine orthopedic injuries to prevent permanent damage to joints and tendons. She is perhaps best known for her work in regenerative medicine, pioneering the use of biologics such as platelet-rich plasma, bone marrow concentrate, and stem cells for use in horses and humans. Dr. Fortiers lab has also been instrumental in breakthroughs related to diagnosis of cartilage damage and clinical orthopedic work.

Previously, Dr. Fortier held the title of editor-in-chief of the Journal of Cartilage and Joint Preservation. She received her veterinary degree from Colorado State University in 1991, then completed an internship in equine surgery at Illinois Equine Hospital. She completed a surgical residency and a PhD in veterinary medicine at Cornell University. Dr. Fortier is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

I am deeply honored to have been selected for this international award. I couldnt have done it without the support of my three wonderful children, friends, and colleaguesand, of course, the horses, Dr. Fortier said.

Dr. Hinrichs has devoted her career to research in equine reproductive physiology and assisted reproduction techniques. Specifically, her focus has included equine endocrinology, oocyte maturation, fertilization, sperm capacitation, and the application of these to assisted reproduction techniques. Her work has resulted in producing the first cloned horse in North America and developing the medical standard for effective intracytoplasmic sperm injection and in vitro culture for embryo production in horses, the announcement states.

Dr. Hinrichs earned her veterinary degree in 1978 from the University of California-Davis. She completed residency training in large animal reproduction at the University of Pennsylvanias New Bolton Center and earned a PhD in the Biomedical Graduate Group at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists.

A posthumous inductee, Dr. Mumford earned international recognition for her research on the leading causes of acute infectious respiratory disease in horses, including equine herpesvirus and equine influenza virus and, to a lesser extent, Streptococcus equi.

Dr. Mumford made numerous significant contributions in these areas, according to the announcement, including developing improved vaccines, diagnostics, and international surveillance. She also helped establish research groups in the related fields of equine genetics and immunology.

Dr. Mumford earned her veterinary degree and a PhD on bacteriophages from the University of Nottingham. During her career of more than 30 years, she established the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, England, as one of the worlds leading centers for the study of the biology, epidemiology, immunology, and pathology of diseases, including equine herpesvirus and equine influenza, as well as bacterial diseases, including Streptococcus and Clostridium infection. She died in September 2019.

Dr. Reed is widely recognized as one of the most prominent equine neurologists. His list of 180 peer-reviewed publications includes significant contributions to equine medicine, neurology, physiology, and pathophysiology.

A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, he has written and spoken extensively on wobbler syndrome, equine protozoal myelitis, head trauma, and neurologic examinations.

Dr. Reed earned his veterinary degree in 1976 from The Ohio State University. He completed internship and residency training in large animal medicine at Michigan State University.

Hall of FameThe Equine Research Hall of Fame provides a lasting tribute to the most renowned equine researchers in a variety of disciplines and serves as an international forum for honoring outstanding achievements in equine research. The first class of 12 scientists was inducted in December 1990, and there are currently less than 40 total inductees.

Inductees are selected for the honor by an international scientific committee that evaluates the achievements and contributions of eminent researchers who were nominated by their peers and colleagues. The inducteesactive, retired or deceasedare individuals from throughout the world who have expanded the body of knowledge of equine science through their contributions to basic or applied research.

The 2022 class will be inducted on Oct. 26 at Kroger Field on the University of Kentuckys Lexington campus. More information is available at gluck.ca.uky.edu/fame.

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AVMA editor-in-chief becomes Equine Research Hall of Famer, with three others - American Veterinary Medical Association

Researchers have discovered that boosting neuron formation restores memory in mice with Alzheimers disease.

Scientists have discovered that increasing the production of new neurons in mice with Alzheimers disease (AD) rescues the animals memory defects. The study shows that new neurons can incorporate into the neural circuits that store memories and restore their normal function. This suggests that boosting neuron production could be a viable strategy to treat AD patients. The study, which was published on August 19 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), was done by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago.

New neurons are created from neural stem cells via a process known as neurogenesis. Previous studies have shown that neurogenesis is impaired in both AD patients and laboratory mice carrying genetic mutations linked to AD. This impairment is especially serious in a region of the brain called the hippocampus, which is crucial for memory acquisition and retrieval.

However, the role of newly formed neurons in memory formation, and whether defects in neurogenesis contribute to the cognitive impairments associated with AD, is unclear, says Professor Orly Lazarov of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine.

The new study shows that boosting neurogenesis increases the number of newly formed neurons involved in storing and retrieving memories (arrows) in the hippocampus of mice with AD. Credit: 2022 Mishra et al. Originally published in Journal of Experimental Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20220391

In the new JEM study, Lazarov and his colleagues boosted neurogenesis in AD mice by genetically enhancing the survival of neuronal stem cells. The scientists deleted the gene Bax, which plays a major role in neuronal stem cell death, ultimately leading to the maturation of more new neurons. Increasing the production of new neurons in this manner restored the animals cognitive performance, as demonstrated in two different tests measuring spatial recognition and contextual memory.

By fluorescently labeling neurons activated during memory acquisition and retrieval, the scientists discovered that, in the brains of healthy mice, the neural circuits involved in storing memories include many newly formed neurons alongside older, more mature neurons. These memory-storing circuits contain fewer new neurons in AD mice, but the integration of newly formed neurons was restored when neurogenesis was increased.

Further analyses of the neurons forming the memory-storing circuits revealed that boosting neurogenesis also increases the number of dendritic spines. These are structures in synapses known to be critical for memory formation. Plus, boosting neurogenesis also restores a normal pattern of neuronal gene expression.

Lazarov and colleagues confirmed the importance of newly formed neurons for memory formation by specifically inactivating them in the brains of AD mice. This reversed the benefits of boosting neurogenesis, preventing any improvement in the animals memory.

Our study is the first to show that impairments in hippocampal neurogenesis play a role in the memory deficits associated with AD by decreasing the availability of immature neurons for memory formation, Lazarov says. Taken together, our results suggest that augmenting neurogenesis may be of therapeutic value in AD patients.

Reference: Augmenting neurogenesis rescues memory impairments in Alzheimers disease by restoring the memory-storing neurons by Rachana Mishra, Trongha Phan, Pavan Kumar, Zachery Morrissey, Muskan Gupta, Carolyn Hollands, Aashutosh Shetti, Kyra Lauren Lopez, Mark Maienschein-Cline, Hoonkyo Suh, Rene Hen and Orly Lazarov, 19 August 2022, Journal of Experimental Medicine.DOI: 10.1084/jem.20220391

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Boosting Neuron Formation To Restore Memory in Alzheimers Disease - SciTechDaily

The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) announced recipients of its second-annual innovation awards Wednesday at the Illinois State Fairs Tech Prairie STEAM Expo, recognizing individuals from the IINs 15 hubs who have made key advances in research, technology commercialization and education.

The awards were presented to faculty, staff or scientists from IIN hubs in four of the IINs key subject areas: computing and data, environment and water, food and agriculture, and health and wellness. The IIN also presented awards for an open category of innovation and to a student innovator from IIN hubs.

It is our honor to celebrate these innovators and their discoveries, said Jay Walsh, vice president for economic development and innovation for the University of Illinois System, which coordinates the IIN. They all are shining examples of the fantastic research and discovery happening across our state.

Innovators were honored for developments in using numerous data streams to provide in-depth forecasting systems for agricultural ecosystems, the discovery and utilization of microbial biomes to produce new materials from organic waste, creating a new method to manufacture biodegradable plastic from agricultural biomass and food waste, and a new program that gives children the opportunity to gain real-life space exploration experience.

These innovators are an example of one of the things I love most about our state: we have brilliant people coming up with solutions to some of the worlds most difficult challenges, said Bruce Sommer, director of economic development and innovation at the University of Illinois Springfield, whose office facilitated the awards program. I am encouraged by the diversity of our recipients and the incredible work that they are doing.

IIN Innovation Award recipientsComputing & Data CategoryKaiyu Guan, Blue Waters associate professor in ecohydrology and remote sensing, University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignDr. Guan developed the technology to observe and measure land and water resources for every farm on the planet, which powers his startup company Habiterre. Habiterre integrates data streams from satellites, airplanes, automobiles and ground sensor networks to create a comprehensive view of farmland. Those data streams are processed with the companys fusion algorithms, which eliminate gaps in the data and remove the effects of clouds, and have been verified with actual ground truth information, creating a quantitative analysis of individual fields at a 30-meter (100-foot) resolution and at a daily frequency, recording the past 20+ years. Then they apply scientific models and proprietary algorithms to evaluate crop growth conditions, water use, biochemical status, and management practices. Starting with a well-established scientific model for simulating entire agriculture ecosystems, Habiterre added proprietary improvements that incorporate hundreds of variables above and below ground, then it constrained the model with actual observations, create a reliable, realistic and holistic view of each farm. This effort has created the most advanced model for crop growth, carbon cycles, and nutrient dynamics. Using AI and advanced mathematical tools to combine the data and model, we have created the first real forecasting capabilities for agro-ecosystems. Habiterre can directly see how different components of carbon, water, and nutrients change during the growth season and how they are impacted by farming practices. Additionally, the company can create simulations that make it possible to predict the outcomes of various changes, from switching crop varieties and management practices, to assessing the impacts of climate change. With the aid of supercomputers and cloud computing, they can process millions of farm-level simulations simultaneously, allowing us to achieve field-level accuracy over large geographic areas.

Environment & Water CategoryScott Hamilton-Brehm, associate professor in biological sciences, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleDr. Hamilton-Brehm is an innovator in the discovery and utilization of geothermal and subsurface microbial biomes to perform green remediation and recovery of organic waste to produce new materials and to produce value-added materials and food. Hamilton-Brehm holds two patents, led the student team that received funding as one of the finalists in the Carbon Removal XPRIZE competition, and was part of the team selected for funding through the NASA Deep Space Food Challenge. Dr. Hamilton-Brehm also led the efforts by SIU to produce for the State of Illinois over 100,000 vials of Viral Transport Medium (VTM) during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Carbon Removal XPRIZE award focused on the innovative use of Oxidative Hydrothermal Dissolution (OHD) to convert captured carbon, in the form of almost any plant-based waste biomass, into a water-soluble liquid. The resulting liquid can then be pumped into natural or man-made geologic recesses where microbes will eat the waste, thereby sequestering the carbon contained within the waste. The advantage of this approach over air-based carbon capture is dramatically revealed when one recognizes that one pound of raw plant matter contains about the same amount of carbon as one million liters of air. Hamilton-Brehm and his team were selected as one of the top 60 teams worldwide for the XPRIZE. More recently, Hamilton-Brehm and his team played a crucial role in obtaining funding from NASA through the Deep Space Food Challenge program to develop their next-generation food production system called Bites, which will utilize plastic and biomass waste as the carbon source for food generation.

Food & Agriculture CategoryLahiru Jayakody, assistant professor in microbiology, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleDr. Jayakody is a young innovator in synthetic microbiology and green chemistry and holds or has applications for seven patents. His patents on engineering robust microbial cell factories apply to developing multiple technologies, including valorization of unconventional feedstock such as industrial-wastewater streams and waste plastic. He developed a novel thermo-bio-catalytic hybrid process to valorize untapped waste carbon in the agricultural biomass, i.e., high-toxic aldehydes and aromatics, industrial food waste, and waste plastic. His innovative approach merged engineered microbial-based biofunneling and biofunctionalization of organic substrates with Dr. Ken Anderson's (2021 IIN Innovation Award) Oxidative Hydrothermal Dissolution technology (OHD), to produce advanced platform chemicals to replace incumbent petrochemicals and microbial-based food ingredients for next-generation food production. Jayakody partnered with one of the world's leading green tea manufacturers, Ito En Japan, to develop and commercialize technology to manufacture novel biodegradable plastic from waste tea, coffee, and postconsumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. The generated chemicals will be used to make advanced PET alternatives and smart food packaging materials. He also leads the team "Bites," which has invented a next-generation food production system using this technology. His innovative synthetic microbial-based process converts waste plastic into edible, 3D printed, customized, nutritious food for astronauts. His team was one of 18 winners of the Phase I NASA Deep Space Food Challenge and the only Illinois-based team.

Health & Wellness CategoryMohammad Islam, research assistant professor in chemistry, University of Illinois ChicagoDr. Islam has recently engineered a cell-based method of preventing infection from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Spike protein (S) of SARS-CoV-2 uses human receptor containing angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) cells to initiate viral entry into the body. By preventing the receptor binding domain (RBD) of S protein from binding with ACE2 cells, SARS-CoV-2 can be prevented from infecting the human body. Dr. Islam developed an ACE2 decoy receptor that binds with the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with low nanomolar affinity and 10-fold affinity enhancement over the wildtype. Dr. Islam used computational mutagenesis and molecular dynamics simulations to design the soluble decoy ACE2, which is known as ACE2-FFWF. This research was published in the Journal of Chemical Information and Modelling, (J. Chem. Inf. Model. 61, 46564669) where Dr. Islam acted as the principal investigator and the corresponding author of the paper. Dr. Islams research develops and advances a new class of soluble sACE2 that can act as potential therapeutics against variants of concern, namely omicron, alpha, beta, delta, delta plus, and gamma.

Open CategoryKeith Jacobs, statewide 4-H STEM specialist, University of Illinois ExtensionKeith Jacobs is uniquely contributing to the recruitment, diversification and mentoring of the next generation workforce in computing and STEM. Jacobs designed a new program called 4-H in Space that gives middle and high school youth the opportunity to gain real-life experience in space exploration by building, programming, and launching real satellites into orbit. The students gain deep experience in subjects like coding, mechanical engineering and astronomy, all of which help hone their STEM skills. Jacobs expects to reach some 2,000 young people in this first year of the program, with a goal of reaching 10,000 young people by 2025. Additionally, Jacobs developed partnerships with the Laboratory for Advanced Space Systems in Illinois (LASSI), and the International Space Station national Laboratories (ISSNL) to create unique hands-on learning opportunities for youth in the program. A select group of youth the Illinois Mission Command team traveled to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in July 2022, where they designed an experiment to be launched and tested on the International Space Station. In collaboration with the LASSI group in the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaigns Aerospace Engineering Department, Mission Control youth will code and launch a cube satellite in 2023. Youth will then monitor and analyze data received from the programmed sensors in space. The youth in Mission Control reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of Illinois, and reflect Jacobs commitment to inspiring under-represented youth to pursue STEM careers. Jacobs innovative program design is already being scaled to other states through the network of land-grant universities. To date, he has trained and mentored 4-H staff in three other states. In 2023, his curriculum 4-H in Space will be made available, with the potential reach the 7 million youth in 4-H across the country.

Student CategoryPierre Paul, We Hear You, Distillery LabsPaul and his team have developed We Hear You, an AI-based sign language translator as well as a personalized automatic door opener fob for persons with disabilities that are accommodated under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Currently, the ADA guidelines only provide guidance based on the minimum standards and requirements that have to be met. We Hear You's mission is to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities, and they are actively seeking to create solutions that proactively resolve the challenges that they continue to face even when there are accessible pathways throughout their daily journeys. Pierre and his team have validated the problem they're solving in providing innovative solutions that solve accessibility issues. They have won a number of competitions including the Social Innovation Challenge, and the Big Idea Competition while at Bradley University. Additionally, they have been incubated at Bravelaunch, gBETA Distillery Labs, and most recently at UIUCs iVenture Accelerator.

Read more from the original source:
Illinois Innovation Network honors innovators from across state - University of Illinois

Global Autologous Stem Cell and Non-Stem Cell Based Therapies Market Size study, By Type (Autologous Stem Cells, Autologous Non-Stem Cells), By Product (Blood Pressure (BP) Monitoring Devices, Pulmonary Pressure Monitoring Devices, Intracranial Pressure (ICP) Monitoring Devices), By Application (Neurodegenerative Disorders, Autoimmune Diseases, Cancer and Tumors, Cardiovascular Diseases), By End-User (Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Center), and Regional Forecasts 2022-2028

Global Autologous Stem Cell and Non-Stem Cell Based Therapies Market is valued approximately USD $billion in 2021 and is anticipated to grow with a healthy growth rate of more than % over the forecast period 2022-2028.

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Autologous stem-cell transplantation is a form of transplant in which stem cells or homogenous cells are removed from an individuals body, accumulated, and then returned to the same person. It is also known as autogenous stem-cell transplantation or autogenic or auto-SCT. The two common forms of stem cell transplantation are allogenic stem cell transplantation and autologous stem cell transplantation. The increasing prevalence of cancer and diabetes in all age groups, rising geriatric population, increasing demand for the autologous stem cell and non-stem cell primarily based therapies, execution of several favorable government policies are the primary factors that may accelerate the market demand. For instance, according to the National Cancer Institute, there were nearly 16.9 million cancer survivors in the United States, which is anticipated to reach 22.2 million by 2030. Additionally, the increasing number of research and development activities and vast untapped markets in developing economies are further propelling market growth around the world. However, the shortage of skilled professionals hinders the market growth over the forecast period of 2022-2028. Also, the introduction of novel autologous stem cell-based therapies in regenerative medicine is anticipated to act as a catalyzing factor for the market demand during the forecast period.

The key regions considered for the global Autologous Stem Cell and Non-Stem Cell-Based Therapies market study include Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Rest of the World. North America is the leading region across the world in terms of market share owing to the availability of well-developed healthcare infrastructure for the treatment of many infectious disorders and minimizing risks involved with the therapy. Whereas, Asia-Pacific is anticipated to exhibit the highest CAGR over the forecast period 2022-2028. Factors such as rising investment for advancing healthcare facilities, as well as the imposition of favorable reimbursement policies, would create lucrative growth prospects for the Autologous Stem Cell and Non-Stem Cell-Based Therapies market across the Asia-Pacific region.

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Major market players included in this report are:Antria (CRO)BioheartBrainstorm Cell TherapeuticsCytoriDendreon CorporationFibrocellGenesis BiopharmaGeorgia Health Sciences UniversityNeostemOpexa TherapeuticsThe objective of the study is to define market sizes of different segments & countries in recent years and to forecast the values to the coming eight years. The report is designed to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the industry within each of the regions and countries involved in the study. Furthermore, the report also caters the detailed information about the crucial aspects such as driving factors & challenges which will define the future growth of the market. Additionally, the report shall also incorporate available opportunities in micro markets for stakeholders to invest along with the detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product offerings of key players. The detailed segments and sub-segment of the market are explained below:

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By Type:Autologous Stem CellsAutologous Non-Stem CellsBy Product:Blood Pressure (BP) Monitoring DevicesPulmonary Pressure Monitoring DevicesIntracranial Pressure (ICP) Monitoring DevicesBy Application:Neurodegenerative DisordersAutoimmune DiseasesCancer And TumorsCardiovascular DiseasesBy End-User:HospitalsAmbulatory Surgical CenterBy Region:North AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeUKGermanyFranceSpainItalyROE

Asia PacificChinaIndiaJapanAustraliaSouth KoreaRoAPACLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of the World

Table of Content

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Autologous Stem Cell and Non-Stem Cell Based Therapies Market Size 2022 Industry Overview, Key Technology and Forecast Research 2030 - Taiwan News

Everywhere on earth, people are living longer than ever beforeon average. The fastest-growing age group is centenarians, although living to a hundred years of age is still a rare accomplishment. Fewer than one person in a thousand lives that long, even in Japan, today's longest-lived country.

Rare though they may be, the number of centenarians alive today has almost quadrupled since Jeanne Calment's death in 1997. But for all this increase, some twenty-four years after her death, no one has approached Jeanne Calment's longevity record. For that matter, no one has surpassed the 119-year longevity of Sarah Knauss. It is also difficult to ignore the fact that the rate of life expectancy increase in the world's longest-lived countries has slowed appreciably, even before we were blasted by COVID-19. Life expectancy in the United States, for instance, has not increased since 2015.

If you want to start a brawl at a demography convention, bring up the subject of a "limit" to human life. Is there a limit to life expectancy? Is there a longevity limit that no human will ever surpass? Either question will probably do for one demographer or another to throw the first punch.

More and more people, living longer and longer and pushing up against a limit of human life, could require more and more medical help and could live more and more years in paindemented and disabled.

In 1980, Stanford physician James Fries made a strange, somewhat optimistic, somewhat pessimistic prediction. He claimed and still claims, in fact that the limit of life expectancy is about eighty-five years. That's the pessimistic part of his prediction. The optimistic part is that he also predicted that science will continue to find ways to keep us healthy longer, so that more and more of those eighty-five years will be spent in good health. The period of ill health that many suffer will be compressed into a smaller and smaller slice of time. The alternative is frightening. More and more people, living longer and longer and pushing up against a limit of human life, could require more and more medical help and could live more and more years in paindemented and disabled. Some people might say that we are reaching toward that dystopian future today as healthcare systems worldwide groan under the weight of care for the elderly.

A decade after Fries made this prediction, it was echoed by a group of professional demographers, most notably S. Jay Olshansky from the University of Illinois Chicago, who has been particularly vocal on the issue. Olshansky also weighed in on the length of maximum life. He offered then and still thinks that no one is likely to surpass Jeanne Calment's longevity record by more than a few years ever. Other demographers have been equally vociferous about their opinion that human life has no limit. They think that life expectancy will keep rising for the foreseeable future and that maximum longevity records will be broken again and again. One group has predicted that people born after the year 2000, which includes all the students I teach today, can expect to live a century or more. For what it's worth, some forty years after Fries's prediction, Japan now has a life expectancy of 84 years. The "limit" people can smirk about this. The no-limits crowd would be quick point out that Japanese life expectancy is being dragged down by those wimpy men. Japanese women have already surpassed the Fries limit. They can now expect to live 87 years. It was mainly due to my appreciation for the lessons nature could teach us about living healthy and living long that Olshansky and I made our $1 billion wager, which I'll describe shortly.

The workhorse of medical research continues to be the laboratory mouse one of the shortest-lived and most cancer-prone mammals known.

Recall that nature in the guise of certain animals such as birds, bats, and mole-rats has repeatedly discovered how to deal with damaging free radicals much better than humans can. Other species (like elephants and whales) have developed dramatically better cancer resistance than humans. Still others, such as my beloved quahogs, have evolved ways to keep muscles strong and hearts beating for centuries. At some point, I am confident, the full armamentarium of the biomedical research enterprise will be deployed to study and eventually understand these lessons nature has to teach us about preserving and prolonging health.

The biochemist Leslie Orgel, who is famous for his research on the origin of life, was fond of pointing out something that should be obvious to all readers of this book by now. In fact, he pointed it out so often that it has become known as "Orgel's second rule" to wit, evolution is cleverer than you are. What Orgel meant by his second rule, of course, was that evolution, with several billion years and billions of species with which to tinker, will have discovered solutions to problems that humans might never dream of. In the context of prolonging our health, this means that nature will have discovered many ways of combating the inherently destructive processes of life, such as free-radical damage and protein misfolding. Given that such a well-respected scientist pointed out such an obvious truth decades ago, I am somewhat astonished that the biomedical research community has stuck largely with studying animals that are so demonstrably failures at combating these processes. The workhorse of medical research continues to be the laboratory mouse one of the shortest-lived and most cancer-prone mammals known. In a certain sense, I understand why. So much work has gone into developing tools for instructive intervening in mouse biology that we can do more sophisticated experiments with the mouse than any other mammal. We can deliberately turn individual genes on or off in any part of the mouse body at any time during a mouse's life. We can insert genes from humans, whales, bats, or other species into the mouse and turn them on and off when and where we wish. But genes do not operate in isolation. A whale gene in a mouse may do little more than caricature its role in its hometown, so to speak. Genes' activities must be coordinated like the instruments in an orchestra if you want them to produce beautiful music. Introducing a car horn into an orchestra is not likely to improve its music, no matter how useful the car horn may be in its native environment.

Because of the mouse's short life, we can also determine quickly whether a particular gene variant or new drug will preserve health or life in a mouse. In fact, researchers focusing on the biology of aging have already discovered about a dozen drugs that keep mice healthy and alive longer. Some of these drugs are in early human trials as I write. I purposely am not mentioning the names of any of them because some people are so desperate to live longer they might start taking them before we know for sure whether they are safe, much less effective, for people. What works in mice does not necessarily work in humans.

Medical research is as inherently tradition-bound and conservative as any ecclesiastical hierarchy.

Certainly, some of these drugs may represent longevity breakthroughs. Time will tell. But remember, mice are losers in the game of healthy longevity. An exercise designed to improve the gait of the lame may be unlikely enhance the speed of an already accomplished sprinter. Mice are lame, but humans are already accomplished sprinters. So a drug that allows a mouse to live three rather than two years (or a fruit fly three rather than two months) may be unlikely to extend human health. Human biology may have already solved whatever problems limit a mouse's life. Don't forget, we are already the longest-lived terrestrial mammal. A mouse could learn a great deal about improving and extending its health from studying us. From this perspective, it is hardly surprising that only about one in ten cancer therapies effective in mice has turned out to also be effective in people. We are certainly grateful for the one in ten of those therapies, but might there be a more evolutionarily sensible approach to prolong health? For Alzheimer's disease, none of the over three hundred mouse successes has succeeded in people.

Medical research is as inherently tradition-bound and conservative as any ecclesiastical hierarchy. Funds for research are distributed according to the opinions of scientists who are exquisitely well trained in spotting flaws and detecting uncertainties in traditional experimental paradigms. I ought to know, as I have served on many, many such committees, and I plead guilty to having weighed in on such flaws and uncertainties as I found. There is nothing wrong with such scientific conservatism. It prevents money being wasted on hopelessly wrong-headed research.

But there is also a role for the scientifically adventurous and for out-of-normal-bounds researchfor the wild and crazy idea that just might turn out to be true and, if so, then revolutionary. An acquaintance of mine, who also happens to be a Nobel Prize winner, likes to recount with glee how the work that won him his Nobel Prize was the only part of his research proposal that was rejected by a governmental review group.

But I think this hidebound approach to health research is changing. The bestiary of acceptable species on which respectable researchers can experiment is expanding. Naked mole-rats and blind mole-rats are now safely within the research bestiary. That progress may be due to another kind of limit the limit of what we can learn from studying short-lived, cancer-prone laboratory species. As more and more people realize that nature provides us many examples of animals that combat fundamental aging processes more successfully than humans, there will be pressure to see what we can learn from those species. Some of that pressure may come from the private sector, where some very wealthy people appear to have a personal interest in remaining healthy longer. If you pay attention to headlines, this already seems to be happening.

We are not likely to have laboratory colonies of Greenland sharks, bow-head whales, rough-eyed rockfish, or even Brandt's bats any time soon. The good news is that while we may not have whales in the lab, we can have whales in a dish. That is, we can grow and study whale cells grown in the lab in exquisite detail today. The 2012 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine was won by Shinya Yamanaka for discovering how to transform skin, liver, blood, or virtually any cell type into stem cells. Stem cells in a dish can in turn be transformed back into heart cells, muscle cells, or brain cells or even turned into miniature organs. An obvious use of the Yamanaka technology is to develop it to grow replacement parts for aging humans from their own cells. We are not far from being able to use this technology to cure certain diseases such as diabetes and Parkinson's disease. But a less obvious use of Yamanaka technology is to study how bird or bat or whale or shark brain or muscle cells deal with damaging free radicals and avoid turning cancerous or how quahog cells avoid misfolding their proteins for centuries.

Methuselah's Zoo, I believe, holds the key to prolonging human health. It may seem like a radical idea but perhaps a radical idea whose time has come. Let's all agree to acknowledge that evolution is cleverer than you are. Are you listening, Silicon Valley zillionaires?

It was this sort of thinking that led to my $1 billion wager.

It was 2001. I found myself sitting in a small conference room on the UCLA campus with perhaps a dozen scientists and a reporter from the New York Times. We had come together to discuss the future of human health. The reporter asked a question: when will we see the first 150-year-old human? We shifted uncomfortably in our seats. No one wanted to go out on a limb except me. I blurted out, "I think that person is already alive." As I think back on that moment, it seems like that was exactly the right question to ask. And, amazingly, I think I gave exactly the right answer.

No one, I suspect, thinks that we will ever see a 150-year-old human, someone nearly thirty years older than Jeanne Calment, just because we have gotten better and better at diagnosing and treating individual diseases like cancer, stroke, and dementia. I certainly don't think that. It will happen only if we learn to treat aging itself as if it were a disease and delay or eliminate all those diseases simultaneously.

Jay Olshansky, premier public skeptic of exceptional longevity, whom I already knew and respected, read an account of this conference and phoned me to disagree. How strongly did I believe that, he asked. Would I like to make a friendly wager?

We didn't actually put up half a billion dollars each. Neither of our university salaries were quite up to that. What we did decide to do was put up $150 apiece. It had a nice symmetry. $150 each for 150 years to see if a 150-year-old human was alive. Olshansky did some quick back-of-the-envelope calculations. At the historic growth rate of the US stock market, our $300 could in 150 years turn into about $500 million. A dozen years later, when no one had still approached the age of Jeanne Calment, a reporter asked us once again whether we still felt confident that we would win our bet. We both did. To prove it, we doubled its size, each putting another $150 into the pot. Now we could safely claim that our wager was for a cool $1 billion. Even better, Olshansky had been actively investing our money, and now some twenty years after we made the wager, our pot had grown at considerably faster than the historical rate of the US stock market.

So what exactly was the wager? If by the year 2150 there exists or has ever existed a single, thoroughly documented 150-year-old and if that 150-year-old is mentally competent enough to hold a simple conversation, then my descendants or in the best of all scenarios, I myselfwill get the accumulated wealth. If not, then Olshansky's descendants will inherit the money.

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I keep documentation of the wager in a safe place. My daughters have been informed of theiror their sons' and daughters'future wealth. In many public debates and private conversations, Olshansky and I have discovered that we agree on many things. We agree that traditional medical research will not get us to the 150-year-old human. We agree that the only way to accomplish that is to find ways to treat aging itself as if it were a disease. A relatively small group of scientists, including yours truly, is working on exactly this in a new research specialty we call geroscience. Olshansky and I disagree only on how rapidly the big breakthroughs in treating aging will occur. Most of my geroscientist colleagues are sticking with the tried and true laboratory animals. But a few are now branching out. Many species with exceptional resistance to aging now have now had their genomes sequenced, and their cells are safely tucked away in laboratories, where researchers labor to learn their secrets. On the day that we can rely on staying healthy for ninety or a hundred years and somewhere someone is 150 years old or older, then we will have the creatures in Methuselah's Zoo to thank.

Adapted from "Methuselah's Zoo: What Nature Can Teach Us About Living Longer, Healthier Lives" by Steven N. Austad, published by The MIT Press.

More:
Animals could hold the key to human longevity. Here's why - Salon

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. Light-activated proteins can help normalize dysfunction within cells and could be used as a treatment for diseases such as cancer or mitochondrial diseases, new research suggests.

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University at Buffalo published the results of their study in the journal Nature Communications.

The research centers on the functions of mitochondria, organelles within a cell that act as the cells power plant and source of energy. Hundreds of mitochondria are constantly coming together a process called fusion and dividing into smaller parts a process known as fission to stay balanced in healthy cells, said study leader Jiajie Diao, a professor of cancer biology at UC. But when mitochondria are not functioning properly, there is an imbalance of this process of fission and fusion.

This imbalance can lead to a number of mitochondrial diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and certain cancers.

Previous research found that another organelle within cells called a lysosome can play a role in mitochondria fission. When a mitochondria comes in contact with a lysosome, the lysosome can act like a pair of scissors and cut the mitochondria into smaller pieces.

The current research focused on jump-starting the fission process by bringing the lysosomes and mitochondria together within cells. This was accomplished using a technique known as optogenetics, which can precisely control specific cell functions using light.

Many proteins in plants are light-sensitive, informing plants whether it is day or night. Optogenetics borrows these light-sensitive proteins from plants and uses them in animal cells, said study coauthor Kai Zhang, a biochemistry professor at Illinois who developed the optogenetic tools for controlling mitochondria and lysosomes with blue light. By attaching such proteins to organelles, one can use light to control the interaction between them, such as mitochondria and lysosomes shown in this work.

The researchers attached two separate proteins to mitochondria and lysosomes within stem cells. When stimulated by blue light, the proteins naturally bind to each other to form one new protein, which also brings the mitochondria and lysosome into contact. Once they are brought together, the lysosome can cut the mitochondria, achieving fission.

We found that this technique can recover mitochondrial function, Diao said. Some of the cells even can go back to normal. This proves that just by using some simple light stimulation, we can at least partially recover the mitochondrial function of the cell.

This technique could be especially useful for patients with dramatically oversized mitochondria that need to be divided into smaller pieces to achieve normal cell function, Diao said. The technique also could be aimed at cancer cells, continually separating the mitochondria into smaller pieces until they can no longer function.

Eventually the cancer cell will be killed because mitochondria are their energy, Diao said. Without normal functional mitochondria, all of the cancer cells will be killed.

Since the proteins are activated by light, the optogenetic technique allows for a more targeted approach to specific cells, Diao said. Only cells exposed to the light are affected, meaning healthy cells nearby do not have their mitochondria unbalanced through the technique.

There are currently other processes that can be used to induce mitochondrial fission, but Diao said the optogenetic method is safer since it does not involve chemicals or toxic agents.

What we have is actually the natural process, were just making it faster, Diao said. So its not like a chemical or a therapy or a radiotherapy, where you need to reduce the side effects.

Diaos team is using the same technique to encourage fusion to address issues when mitochondria are unbalanced because they are too small and not coming together as they should within cells.

Further research from Zhangs lab also will include developing new optogenetic systems working with different colors of light, including green, red and infrared, since a longer wavelength will be needed to penetrate human tissue.

We would like to further expand the toolbox by introducing multicolor optogenetic systems to give us multiple ways to control how organelles behave and interact, Zhang said. For instance, one color makes organelles come together, while the other color forces them apart. This way, we can precisely control their interactions.

From the current research using human stem cells, the team hopes to progress to animal models on the way to eventually testing the technique in humans through clinical trials. At the same time, other research groups are studying the use of magnetic fields and acoustic vibrations instead of light to accomplish similar results, Diao said.

The National Institutes of Health supported this work.

Originally posted here:
Light-activated technique helps bring cell powerhouses back into balance - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Report Ocean recently added a research report on the 3D Cell Culture market. The report includes an extensive analysis of the markets characteristics, COVID-19 impact, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive environment, market shares, trends, and strategies. In addition, it traces the development of the market over time and projects regional market growth. It compares the market to other markets and situates it in relation to the larger market.

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The estimated market value of 3D Cell Culture in 2020 is US$ 2,717.6 million and it is predicted that it will grow at a CAGR of 29.1%.

A 3D cell culture is an artificial environment where biological cells grow or connect with their surrounding habitats in three dimensions. It develops types of different cells and tissues formulation which is not feasible under 2D culture systems. It has more properties of tissue mutation and cell cohesion. The early-stage drug discovery and other related research have earned 3D cell structure increasing popularity which can be seen in its growing application.

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Research Methodology:The 3D cell culture market has been analyzed by utilizing the optimum combination of secondary sources and in-house methodology, along with an irreplaceable blend of primary insights. The real-time assessment of the market is an integral part of our market sizing and forecasting methodology. Our industry experts and panel of primary participants have helped in compiling relevant aspects with realistic parametric estimations for a comprehensive study. The participation share of different categories of primary participants is given below:

3D cell culture is growing at a fast pace in the healthcare environment because of the significant scale of implementations in various areas like cancer research, vitro environment, and regenerative medicine. It has the potential to understand tissue maturation and formation, organogenesis, and cell differentiation has increased its utility. Now animal prototypes in clinical testing and experiments are replaced because of its similarity with cells in vivo. The 3D cell culture market is majorly driven through the increasing usage of 3D cell culture in diagnostic centers, hospitals, pharmaceutical, and biotech companies. Which directly increases the demand for organ transplantation, tissue regeneration, and regenerative medicine.

The research report segregates the market into the following segments:

By ProductScaffold-based 3D Cell CulturesHydrogels/ECM AnalogsSolid ScaffoldsMicropatterned SurfacesScaffold-free 3D Cell CulturesLow Attachment PlatesHanging Drop Plates3D Bioreactors3D Petri DishesMicrofluidics-based 3D Cell CulturesMagnetic & Bioprinted 3D Cell Cultures

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By ApplicationCancer & Stem Cell ResearchDrug Discovery & Toxicology TestingTissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine

By End UserPharmaceutical & Biotechnology CompaniesResearch InstitutesCosmetics IndustryOther End Users

Some of the prominent companies in the area of 3D Cell Culture are:3D Biotek, LLCAdvanced Biomatrix, IncBectonDickinson and CompanyCorning IncorporatedKuraray Co., LtdLonza Group LtdMerck & Co., IncSynthecon IncorporatedThermo Fisher Scientific IncVWR Corporation.

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The report also contains insight regarding technological innovations and advanced solutions for the 3D Cell Culture. The study also gives an in-depth idea about the major competitors in the market, their journey and the competitive edge via systematic analytical tools including SWOT analysis. As per Report ocean Research, the estimated market value of 3D Cell Culture in 2020 is US$ 2,717.6 million and it is predicted that it will grow at a CAGR of 29.1%.

There are three important factors which are the driving forces behind the growth of 3D Cell Culture market:

The key features which have fueled its increased its growth are:

The rise in the prevalence rate of cancerGrowing Focus on Personalized MedicineHigh Degree of Corporate Inclusion for Research

The physiologic, histologic, and functional properties of the respective tissues have given the homotypic and heterotypic 3D tissue culture models. These properties enhance the different cellular functions such as adhesion, migration, gene expression, and proliferation. The creation of duct-like structures in vitro environments can be formed by two important factors such as normal polarization and differentiation of epithelial cells as well as with the usage of 3D cultures. Moreover, the synergistic effect required for the interactions of cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM), which can control the expression of molecules involved in cell differentiation, is also achieved in 3D cell cultures.

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The potential that 3D models have so that it can minimize the accompanying flaws with 2D monolayer cultures is predetermined to fuel the demand for these techniques in the near future. The rising demand from the shift of 2D to 3D technology is pushing the growth of this market. In addition, opportunistic marketing competitors are entering this segment due to its high market potential. Subsequently, this will further propel the market.

These technologies provide advanced tools that can help to explore key aspects of disease and enable demonstration of micro-environmental factors that support in-vivo tumor growth. 3D concept of artificial cell cultivation provides vast benefits in the analysis of phenotypic heterogeneity of cancers and heterotypic intercellular crosstalk for 3D Cell Culture vendors to fulfill both the residential as well as commercial sectors.

Table of Content

Market OverviewMarket DynamicsAssociated Industry AssessmentMarket Competitive LandscapeAnalysis of Leading CompaniesMarket Analysis and Forecast, By Product TypesMarket Analysis and Forecast, By ApplicationsMarket Analysis and Forecast, By RegionsConclusions and RecommendationsAppendix

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3D Cell Culture Market Anticipated to Achieve Lucrative Growth by 2030 with 3D Biotek, LLC, Advanced Biomatrix, Inc, Becton, Dickinson and Company,...

Report Ocean recently added a research report on the Single-cell Analysismarket. The report includes an extensive analysis of the markets characteristics, COVID-19 impact, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive environment, market shares, trends, and strategies. In addition, it traces the development of the market over time and projects regional market growth. It compares the market to other markets and situates it in relation to the larger market.

Other business intelligence tools include market definition, regional market opportunity, sales and revenue by region, manufacturing cost analysis, industrial chain, market effect factors analysis, market size forecast, market data and graphs and statistics, tables, bar and pie charts, and more. Obtain a thorough report (with a full TOC, more than 100 tables, figures, and charts). Extensive Analysis Impact Analysis of the Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Market Outbreak.

Single-cell Analysis Market is predicted to grow at a CAGR of ~17.1%. The market is predicted to reach $2005 million in 2026 from $763.4 million in 2020.

Single-cell Analysis Market by Product, Cell Type, Technique, End User, and by Geography .North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World)- Forecast to 2026Single-cell analysis is the examination & study of proteins, study of small molecules, and other cells at the single-cell level. This analysis allows the study of variations of cell-to-cell in the group of cells. The objective of the single-cell analysis is to gain insight into the mechanisms of cellular functionality, which requires an understanding of each of the cellular components, including protein content, DNA, and RNA, as well as the cellular metabolites.

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Research Methodology:The single-cell analysis market has been analyzed by utilizing the optimum combination of secondary sources and in-house methodology, along with an irreplaceable blend of primary insights. The real-time assessment of the market is an integral part of our market sizing and forecasting methodology. Our industry experts and panel of primary participants have helped in compiling relevant aspects with realistic parametric estimations for a comprehensive study. The participation share of different categories of primary participants is given below:

The information collected from this analysis is significant for cancer research for the discovery of tumor cells and genetic diagnosis. The factors such as advanced technology in products of single-cell analysis, increasing preference for customized medicine and rapidly increasing various chronic diseases such as cancer, which fuel the demand for the single-cell analysis market. However, the expensive products in the single-cell analysis are restraining market growth. Single-cell Analysis Market is predicted to grow at a CAGR of ~17.1%. The market is predicted to reach $2005 million in 2026 from $763.4 million in 2020.

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The Single-cell Analysis Market is segmented as follows:

Based on Product:ConsumablesBeadsMicroplatesReagentsAssay KitsOther ConsumablesInstrumentsFlow CytometersNGS SystemsPCR InstrumentsSpectrophotometersMicroscopesCell CountersHCS SystemsMicroarraysOther Instruments

Based on Cell Type:Human CellsAnimal CellsMicrobial Cells

Based on Technique:Flow CytometryNext-generation SequencingPolymerase Chain ReactionMicroscopyMass SpectrometryOther Techniques

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Based on End User:Academic & Research LaboratoriesBiotechnology & Pharmaceutical CompaniesHospitals & Diagnostic LaboratoriesCell Banks & IVF Centres

Based on Geography:North AmericaEuropeAsia PacificRest of the World

In the product based segmentation consumables segment is expected to have the largest share in the market. The reasons for the demand for consumables products are regularly purchasing the consumables compared to the instruments and the significant usage of consumables in the research and genetic exploration and segregation of RNA and DNA.

Based on cell type segmentation, the human cell segment is having the largest share in the market. The human cell is greatly used in the research laboratories due to the rising incidence of infectious diseases in the elderly population and the high investments in stem cell research.On the bases of technique, the next-generation sequencing segment is expected to have the largest share in the market due to the increasing chronic diseases and next-generation sequencing allowing researchers to perform various applications.

Further, based on end-user segmentation, the academic and research laboratories segment is expected to have the largest share in the market. The increasing number of colleges and universities of medical and high investments in life science research are the factors accelerating the demand for single-cell analysis.

Moreover, based on the geography Asia Pacific region is playing a vital role in the market share compared to other regions due to rising number of patients in countries such as China and India, growing investments in the research and development in this field and outsourcing of drug discovery services to the Asia Pacific region. In addition, North America is the second-largest contributor to the market due to the high expenditure in the research and development and increased scope for stem cell research in this region.

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The single-cell analysis market is expanding globally due to the increasingly advanced technology in the single-cell analysis products. The major factors accelerating the single-cell analysis market include rapidly increasing chronic diseases and cancer cases all over the world, increasing biotechnology & biopharmaceutical industries, and life science research. Although, due to high competition, the persistence of new entrants and small players is difficult in the market, and this is a challenge for market growth. The emerging markets in Asia are the future opportunities for the market.

The key market competitors in the market are Becton, Dickinson and Company, Danaher Corporatio, Merck Millipore, Qiagen N.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc, General Electric Company, BARCO, Promega Corporation, Shanghai Goodview Electronics, Fluidigm Corporation, Agilent Technologies, Inc, Nanostring Technologies, Inc., Tecan Group Ltd, Sartorius AG, LUMINEX CORPORATION, Takara Bio Inc., Takara Bio Inc., Fluxion Biosciences and Menarini Silicon Biosystems.

Moreover, the single-cell analysis has the largest scope in cancer research for the detection of the various tumor cells, preimplantation, and genetic diagnosis as the drastic increase in the cancer cases globally. The government is also supporting financially for cell-based research.The single-cell analysis market report provides the present drifts, opportunities, restraining factors, and the challengesThis report provides the overall analysis of the strategies acquired by market players based on the competitive analysisThis report gives the quantitative analysis of the market which allow the users to perceive the market factual of the overall regions

Table of Content

Market OverviewMarket DynamicsAssociated Industry AssessmentMarket Competitive LandscapeAnalysis of Leading CompaniesMarket Analysis and Forecast, By Product TypesMarket Analysis and Forecast, By ApplicationsMarket Analysis and Forecast, By RegionsConclusions and RecommendationsAppendix

Access Full Report, here:-https://reportocean.com/industry-verticals/sample-request?report_id=IR442

About Report Ocean:We are the best market research reports provider in the industry. Report Ocean believes in providing quality reports to clients to meet the top line and bottom line goals which will boost your market share in todays competitive environment. Report Ocean is a one-stop solution for individuals, organizations, and industries that are looking for innovative market research reports.

Get in Touch with Us:Report Ocean:Email:sales@reportocean.comAddress: 500 N Michigan Ave, Suite 600, Chicago, Illinois 60611 UNITED STATES Tel: +1 888 212 3539 (US TOLL FREE)Website:https://www.reportocean.com/

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Single cell Analysis Market Is Likely To Witness Exponential Growth By 2030 | Danaher Corporatio, Merck Millipore, Qiagen N.V., Thermo Fisher...