Best of 2024: Intricate Advancements
As 2024 draws to a close, the following publication review features a collection of selected studies from our annual short-list. From uncovering the evolutionary novelties of sound production in baleen whales, the physiological properties and functions of Krause corpuscles, and the mechanisms underlying working memory, this year's research highlights traverse a multitude of innovative applications.
Worth the Weight: Impacts of Microgravity on Muscle Health
In anticipation of the 2024 American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR) conference, the following publication launches into the latest insights on microgravity and muscle health.
Forward Advances in Biomechanics
In the context of muscle, the field of biomechanics explores how muscles generate force, produce movement, and interact with the surrounding muscle architecture, such as bones and tendons. These assessments are critical to understanding how muscles function during movement and how injuries arise, as well as informing rehabilitative practices and therapeutic strategies. The following publication review features recent advances in this field – ranging from the mechanical properties of rotator cuff muscles to the impact of lengthening and force velocity on different muscle groups.
Going to Great Pains: Breakthroughs in Nociception Research
Gearing up for the much-anticipated Society for Neuroscience (SfN) meeting, known as the premier global neuroscience event, this month’s publication review centers around nociception. Here, we highlight how recent advances on the role of sensory neurons elucidate nociceptive pathways, and cover how a novel nociceptive methodology provides a promising technique for standardizing and assessing nocifensive behaviours.
Down to the Muscle: Sarcopenia Modelling and Interventions
Over the years, research into sarcopenia and aging has increasingly focused on improved models, mechanistic insights, and intervention testing. To highlight this trend, the following review covers the musculoskeletal characterization of aging models and the mitigating effect of a promising neuroprotective compound.
Hearty Insights: Recent Advances in the Cardiac Field
Coming off the heels of this year’s Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions (BCVS 2024), the following publication review focuses on an array of cardiac research, ranging from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) to whole animal studies.
Scent-sational Developments in Neuroscience
In anticipation for ISOT 2024, taking place every 4 years, June's publication review encompasses a proof-of-concept for a novel biological sensor and novel insights into odour perception in the piriform cortex. Together, these studies underscore the widespread contributions of olfaction research, with profound implications on technological developments and our understanding of cognitive functions.
Women’s Health Month: Strides in Muscle Physiology
In honour of Women's Health Month, May’s publication review covers recent advances in female-focused muscle physiology research. These investigations into gradual ovarian failure, the impact of non-sugar sweeteners during the reproductive stage, and the effects of partial glycogen synthase kinase 3 knockdown, collectively advance our understanding of how sex differences can impact muscle physiology.
Spring into Action: Proteins of the Myofilament
In anticipation of the upcoming Myofilament Meeting, April’s publication review covers recent advances in the myofilament field. From the effects of inotropic agents on cardiac myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity, protein kinase D’s role in cardiac homeostasis, and the contribution of specific myosin-binding protein C domains in muscle contraction, the following studies usher in a promising trend of exciting breakthroughs.
Moving Mountains: Recent Feats in Muscle Physiology
As we March towards the 2024 American Physiology Summit, this month’s publication review covers recent advancements in the realm of muscle physiology, including the development of an improved resistance training method, the long-term musculoskeletal consequences of chemotherapy, and the characterization of crossbridge kinetics in cardiac trabeculae. Taken together, these studies reveal a promising trend of breakthroughs in muscle physiology.
Tackling the Heart of the Issue: Advances in Cardiovascular Research
February notably marks “Heart Month”, aiming to highlight the importance of cardiovascular health and its critical implications on our overall wellbeing. Tackling the heart of the issue, several cardiovascular studies stand out as key players within the preclinical research landscape. The following publication review covers recent advancements in the field, including a promising therapeutic drug candidate for heart failure as well as novel insights into the cardiovascular biology of Marfan syndrome and muscle contraction regulation.
Molecular Deep Dives in Force Production
As we launch full force into 2024, studies exploring the molecular underpinnings of force production in mice have blazed the trail of functional muscular research. From calcium dynamics during muscle contraction, to muscle impairments in myotonic dystrophy, and the effects of running on muscle mass in a dystrophic mouse model, January's novel insights into muscle function and regulation have important implications on our understanding of muscle physiology and health.
Best of 2023: Across Countries and Applications
2023 has proved to be a particularly fruitful year for scientific discovery, with a multitude of pioneering studies spanning continents and disciplines. From the intricate workings of muscle physiology in Switzerland to the nuanced understanding of migraine mechanisms in the USA, the discernment of mosquito olfactory processing in India, and the innovative strides in sustainable materials science in Germany and Austria, this year's research highlights embody the spirit of global collaboration and scientific ingenuity. We hope that, by highlighting the multitude of ways our instruments provide precise and reliable data, future and current researchers can draw inspiration for new and innovative ways to collaborate across borders.
Unravelling the Intricacies of Somatosensation
Somatosensation, the process responsible for our perception of the world, is more mechanistically complex than it may seem. Pressure, temperature, and pain are just a few of the various parameters that most organisms use to situate and navigate themselves throughout the world. While these phenomena are well described at a functional level (i.e. the five senses), this sort of communication at the cellular level is much more involved1. Nonetheless, recent publications utilizing our systems have made considerable strides in this field, unveiling some of the mechanisms and cellular basis behind mechano- and somatosensation.
Renewed Interests: Harnessing Engineered Constructs to Explore Novel Strategies in Regenerative Medicine
Tissue engineering is at the forefront of regenerative medicine, offering immense promise for restoring or enhancing the function of impaired tissues and organs. While tissue constructs remain costly in clinical settings, their use as a research tool holds vast potential for drug discovery, aiding and expediting the screening of drug candidates. In this publication review, we will discuss three recent publications leveraging specialized equipment from Aurora Scientific to advance the innovative field of engineered tissue constructs.
Cancer Cachexia-Induced Muscle Atrophy
Cancer cachexia is a muscle wasting syndrome that is associated with certain cancers, but most commonly with advanced malignancies. This syndrome arises as a result of tumor-induced metabolic changes, causing the body to break down skeletal muscle and adipose tissue in response to nutritional deficiencies. These changes manifest as severe weight loss, anorexia, asthenia, and anemia, impairing the patient's capacity to tolerate infections, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments (Dhanapal et al., 2022). While research characterizing the multifactorial origins of this syndrome is still ongoing, three recent publications featuring our scientific equipment have made notable advances in the current understanding of this muscle wasting disease, and are discussed in this publication review.
Scents of Security: Emerging Olfaction Applications with Biorobots
The following publication review showcases several new and exciting findings in the olfactory sciences, highlighting how our instruments helped these researchers stir up the lab. The natural world often serves as inspiration for innovation, and insects – specifically their olfactory systems – have become a recent research topic of interest. Given the remarkable sensitivity of insect odor detection systems, the potential applications of this budding field are numerous.
Recent Therapeutic Advances in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) Models
The following publication review showcases recent studies focused on therapeutic advances in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) that use Aurora Scientific equipment.
Analyzing Cardiac Tissue Function
The following publication review showcases recent studies that use Aurora Scientific equipment to make advances in the field of biomechanics.
The Latest in Biomechanics
The following publication review showcases recent studies that use Aurora Scientific equipment to make advances in the field of biomechanics.
Exercise Science
Aurora Scientific equipment has played important roles in helping researchers understand muscle physiology under a variety of conditions in animal models as highlighted in this publication review.
Neuromuscular Junction and Muscle Pathophysiology
Thanks to Aurora Scientific equipment, numerous groups have been able to further expand our understanding of these pathologies and how we can improve muscle function. This publication review highlights some of the latest pathophysiological research that utilize our line of equipment.
Biophysics
The equipment needed to induce force, mount samples, and capture structural changes are among Aurora Scientific’s line of instrumentation and is highlighted in some recent publications in this review.
Comparative Biology Using Animal Models
Aurora Scientific provides instrumentation to aid in collecting and analyzing data in numerous comparative animal models highlighted in some recent publications in this review.
Unique and Interesting Animal Models
At Aurora Scientific, we provide instrumentation to help assess muscle biomechanics in a variety of animal models from flies to octopuses, and highlight some recent examples in this publication review.