Many modern fitness trackers and smartwatches feature integrated LEDs. The green light emitted, whether continuous or pulsed, penetrates the skin and can be used to measure the wearer’s heart rate during physical activity or while at rest.
These watches have become extremely popular. A team of ETH researchers now wants to capitalise on that popularity by using LEDs to control genes and change the behaviour of cells through the skin. The team is led by Martin Fussenegger from the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering in Basel. He explains the challenge to this undertaking: “No naturally occurring molecular system in human cells responds to green light, so we had to build something new.”
The green light from the smartwatch activates the gene. The ETH professor and his colleagues ultimately developed a molecular switch that, once implanted, can be activated by the green light of a smartwatch. The switch is linked to a gene network that the researchers introduced into human cells. As is customary, they used HEK 293 cells for the prototype. Depending on the configuration of this network – in other words, the genes it contains – it can produce insulin or other substances as soon as the cells are exposed to green light. Turning the light off inactivates the switch and halts the process.
SQU Academic Edits Volume on Nutrition-related Diseases and Treatments
Dr Mostafa I. Waly from the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University edited a book titled Nutritional Management and Metabolic Aspects of Hyperhomocysteinemia released by Springer, New York, recently.
This book presents a platform reference for the primary prevention of hyperhomocysteinemia-mediated chronic diseases and the potential protective role of antioxidants, B-vitamins, dietary bioactive agents and functional foods against oxidative stress associated with hyperhomocysteinemia.
The book is structurally formatted into 21 chapters and has assembled an impressive collection of expert authors in their relevant field. The book also provides a comprehensive approach in summarising that: Hyperhomocysteinemia is the confounding factor of oxidative stress and human chronic diseases, and dietary bioactive agents supplementation substantially lowers hyperhomocysteinemia. This book features exciting content, which explores current topics in the field of nutrition research. The editor is confident that the readers will find this book informative and enlightening.
