Abnormal rhythmic electrical signals in the retina are a hallmark of several vision disorders, but their origins have remained unclear. Researchers have discovered how the loss of the TRPM1 ion channel disrupts communication between retinal cells, triggering oscillations that distort visual signaling. Oscillations observed in Trpm1 knockout mice are strikingly similar to those found in retinitis pigmentosa–model mice, revealing a common generative mechanism for these abnormal rhythmic signals in retinal diseases.

The University of Liverpool has unveiled an ambitious plan for a new £100 million AI Materials Hub for Innovation (AIM-HI) dedicated to accelerating the application of artificial intelligence in materials chemistry. 

MIT researchers designed a device that quickly recovers drinking water from an atmospheric water harvesting material. The system uses ultrasonic waves to shake the water out of the material, recovering water in minutes. 

Extracellular vesicles carry diverse molecules that cells use for communication. New tool enables scientists to ‘draw’ precise micropatterns with these vesicles, mimicking those deposited by cells in our bodies. Cells sometimes follow and internalize these vesicle patterns like a roadmap. Technology could help scientists better understand and exploit how vesicles signal cells to repair, heal or proliferate disease.