Concordia researchers have designed process that uses ultrasound to modify the behaviour of cancer-fighting T cells by increasing their cell permeability. They targeted freshly isolated human immune cells with tightly focused ultrasound beams and clinically approved contrast agent microbubbles. When hit with the ultrasound, the bubbles vibrate at extremely high frequency, acting as a push-pull on the walls of the T cell’s membranes. This can mimic the T cell’s natural response to the presence of an antigen. The T cell then begins to secrete vital signalling molecules that would otherwise be restricted by the tumour’s hostile microenvironment. The process does not damage the cell itself.

A team of researchers from the University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) and the University of Newcastle (Australia) has introduced a novel, two-stage bioconversion system that uses insect larvae to transform plastic waste into valuable by-products, offering a sustainable solution to two global environmental challenges—plastic pollution and organic waste management.