£1.6 million award supports blood test development for dementia diagnosis


A University of St Andrews researcher has received a prestigious £1.6 million Career Development Award from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to develop a blood-based diagnostic tool for dementia - using advanced microscopy and molecular fi ngerprinting techniques to detect disease-linked protein structures.


Dr John Danial, from the School of Physics and Astronomy, is one of only nine UK recipients of the award this year. His project aims to create a diagnostic method capable of detecting a range of neurodegenerative diseases, including rare and currently hard-to- diagnose dementias, using patient blood samples.


The work builds on recent discoveries showing that amyloid proteins - implicated in diseases like Alzheimer’s - form distinct fi bril structures in different types of dementia. If these structural ‘fi ngerprints’ can be identifi ed in body fl uids, they could serve as highly specifi c diagnostic markers.


To achieve this, Dr Danial’s team will develop a system to capture amyloid strands directly from blood, then apply bespoke fl uorescent dyes developed by Amandeep Kaur at Monash University. These dyes bind to the fi brils, enabling their structural signatures to be visualised using high-resolution microscopy.


Dr Danial will collaborate closely with Professor Craig Ritchie at the University of St Andrews School of Medicine and Scottish Brain Sciences, as well as researchers at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, University College London, and the UK Dementia Research Institute.


“This award supports our ambition to develop a single accurate blood test for a wide range of brain diseases - including rare, fatal forms of dementia,” said Dr Danial. “We’re combining cutting-edge molecular tools with high-resolution imaging to create a diagnostic platform with real clinical impact.”


Dr John Danial. Credit: University of St Andrews The project aligns


with the MRC’s strategic priorities in


neurosciences and mental health and aims to bridge the gap between laboratory discovery and clinical application by enabling earlier and more accurate dementia diagnosis.


More information online: ilmt.co/PL/2q48 65052pr@reply-direct.com


New biomarker offers hope for predicting multiple sclerosis progression


Researchers at the University of Turku, Finland, have identifi ed a promising new biomarker that could help predict how multiple sclerosis (MS) will develop in individual patients.


The study [1], led by Professor Laura Airas in collaboration with German and Dutch partners, found that the thickness of the infl ammatory cell rim surrounding brain lesions strongly correlates with the severity and pace of MS progression. Their fi ndings were published in Nature Medicine.


Using PET imaging data from 114 Finnish MS patients alongside detailed post-mortem brain tissue analysis from Dutch patients, the team discovered that wider infl ammatory rims around lesions are linked to more aggressive disease advancement.


Professor Airas explained: “When microglial cells create a thick rim around MS lesions, their damaging activity extends deeper into


healthy brain tissue, causing irreversible harm.”


This breakthrough not only enables earlier identifi cation of patients who may benefi t from more intensive treatment but also provides a new way to monitor the effectiveness of emerging drugs by tracking changes in lesion rims.


The research holds particular promise for improving therapies for progressive MS, a form of the disease that currently lacks effective treatment options.


More information online: ilmt.co/PL/bwRn


The image shows an MS lesion in the brain, marked in colour. On the right is a close-up image of this broad-rim lesion. Credit: University of Turku


1. Broad rim lesions are a new pathological and imaging biomarker for rapid disease progression in multiple sclerosis published in Nature Medicine


65068pr@reply-direct.com New insights into cell division dynamics and shape


Researchers from The University of Manchester have discovered new details about how cells divide in living organisms, overturning the traditional view taught in schools for over 100 years.


In a Wellcome-funded study [1] published in Science, the team shows that the commonly taught idea - that cells become spherical before splitting evenly into two identical daughter cells - doesn’t hold true for many cells in the body.


Instead, they found that many dividing cells don’t round up, leading to asymmetric division where daughter cells differ in size and function. This process plays a key role in generating the diverse cell types needed for tissues and organs.


The researchers demonstrated that a parent cell’s shape before division infl uences whether it rounds up and whether its daughters are symmetrical. Shorter, wider cells tend to round and divide evenly, while longer, thinner cells divide asymmetrically without rounding.


The team used real-time imaging in transparent zebrafi sh embryos to observe this behaviour in developing blood vessels, noting that fast- moving ‘tip’ cells divide asymmetrically to produce daughter cells with distinct roles.


They also applied micropatterning - a technique that controls cell shape by designing protein-coated surfaces - to human cells, confi rming the link between cell shape and division symmetry.


These findings have broad implications for understanding diseases like cancer, where asymmetric division may promote tumour growth and metastasis, and for regenerative medicine, where controlling cell division could improve tissue repair strategies.


More information online: ilmt.co/PL/kkQ3


1.Interphase cell morphology defi nes the mode, symmetry, and outcome of mitosis, published in Science 65070pr@reply-direct.com


Microscale cavitation drives on-demand fertiliser generation


A miniature £20 device using ultrasound to induce chemical reactions at the microscale could pave the way for decentralised fertiliser production - offering a low-cost, low-resource alternative to traditional nitrate synthesis.


Researchers at the University of Glasgow have developed a sonochemical microreactor that uses ultrasound-driven cavitation to convert nitrogen and oxygen from air into plant-ready nitrate. This breakthrough harnesses bubble implosion dynamics


captured and optimised using high-speed imaging - to replicate reactions typically requiring high-pressure industrial processes.


By pulsing focused ultrasound through air-saturated water, the team triggered microscale hot spots inside collapsing bubbles, reaching temperatures as high as 5000°C. These fl eeting, extreme conditions were suffi cient to break molecular nitrogen and recombine it with oxygen - creating nitrate molecules without relying on fossil fuels or the high energy inputs of the Haber-Bosch process.


The research [1], published in Cell Reports Physical Science, describes how optimised pulsed ultrasound - 4 ms bursts every 80 ms - maximised nitrate yield. High-speed visualisation of bubble behaviour was crucial for refi ning this timing.


L-R:Dr Paul Prentice, Professor Mark Symes, and Dr Lukman Yusuf with their prototype sonoreactor. Credit: University of Glasgow


In proof-of-concept tests, the team’s palm-sized reactor achieved 40 μM nitrate in 20 ml of water within eight minutes. Though modest, the result marks a signifi cant advance in sonochemistry


and microreactor design, with the potential for fi eld-deployable fertiliser production in low-resource or off-grid settings.


-


According to the team: “We’ve shown that nitrates can be produced from air and water using a simple, low-cost device powered only by sound waves. This could decentralise fertiliser production, letting farmers in remote areas press a button and create fertiliser on demand.”


The next phase will focus on scaling the technology and improving energy effi ciency, while also assessing the agricultural performance of the nitrate produced.


The research was supported by funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Royal Society.


More information online: ilmt.co/PL/xojn


1. Towards decentralized nitrogen fi xation using pulsed ultrasound published in Cell Reports Physical Science 65065pr@reply-direct.com


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