Whirlpools are mostly associated with death and danger on the high seas, but these glowing vortexes are working to help humanity. One of the most difficult steps in creating diagnostic tests is purifying samples to remove unwanted particles while concentrating biomarkers of interest. Due to the specific wavelengths of vibrations used to create these whirlpools, they efficiently trap cells, bacteria and other larger bioparticles found in saliva while leaving antibodies and viruses free to flow forward through multiple biosensing chambers.

Created by Tony Jun Huang, the William Bevan Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Duke, and his Acoustofluidics Lab, they represent the first step in a new single-chip diagnostic prototype that can detect viral RNA and a full spectrum of antibodies to enhance our ability to navigate and neutralize future pandemics.

Australian researchers have discovered that multiple chemicals found in cigarette smoke and e-cigarettes alter the function of a key type of immune cell found in the lungs. The study, to be published January 17 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), suggests that these alterations make cigarette smokers, and those exposed to second- and third-hand smoke, more susceptible to respiratory infections, and exacerbate smoking-related inflammatory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Young rabbits with cystic fibrosis (CF) exhibit significant pancreatic endocrine dysfunction, including smaller islet sizes and impaired glucose metabolism. This innovative model highlights the potential for rabbits to bridge gaps in understanding CF-related diabetes and other pancreatic conditions.