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Working in a stem cell laboratory necessitates a thorough understanding of complex cell culture protocols, the operation of sensitive scientific equipment, adherence to safety standards, and general laboratory etiquette. For novice student researchers, acquiring the necessary specialized knowledge before their initial laboratory experience can be a formidable task. Similarly, for experienced laboratory personnel, efficiently and uniformly training new trainees to a rigorous standard presents a significant challenge. In response to these issues, we have developed an educational and interactive virtual cell culture environment. This interactive virtual lab aims to equip students with foundational knowledge in maintaining cortical brain organoids and to instill an understanding of pertinent safety procedures and laboratory etiquette. The gamification of this training process seeks to provide laboratory supervisors in highly specialized fields with an effective tool to integrate students into their work environments more rapidly and safely.

The Internet of Things (IoT) provides a simple framework to control online devices easily. IoT is now a commonplace tool used by technology companies but is rarely used in biology experiments. IoT can benefit cloud biology research through alarm notifications, automation, and the real-time monitoring of experiments. We developed an IoT architecture to control biological devices and implemented it in lab experiments. Lab devices for electrophysiology, microscopy, and microfluidics were created from the ground up to be part of a unified IoT architecture. The system allows each device to be monitored and controlled from an online web tool. We present our IoT architecture so other labs can replicate it for their own experiments.

Project-based learning (PBL) has long been recognized as an effective way to teach complex biology concepts. However, not all institutions have the resources to facilitate effective project-based coursework for students. We have developed a framework for facilitating PBL using remote-controlled internet-connected microscopes. Through this approach, one lab facility can host an experiment for many students around the world simultaneously. Experiments on this platform can be run on long timescales and with materials that are typically unavailable to high school classrooms. This allows students to perform novel research projects rather than just repeating standard classroom experiments. To investigate the impact of this program, we designed and ran six user studies with students worldwide. All experiments were hosted in Santa Cruz and San Francisco, California, with observations and decisions made remotely by the students using their personal computers and cellphones. In surveys gathered after the experiments, students reported increased excitement for science and a greater desire to pursue a career in STEM. This framework represents a novel, scalable, and effective PBL approach that has the potential to democratize biology and STEM education around the world.

Organ-on-a-chip systems combine microfluidics, cell biology, and tissue engineering to culture 3D organ-specific in vitro models that recapitulate the biology and physiology of their in vivo counterparts. Here, we have developed a multiplex platform that automates the culture of individual organoids in isolated microenvironments at user-defined media flow rates. Programmable workflows allow the use of multiple reagent reservoirs that may be applied to direct differentiation, study temporal variables, and grow cultures long term. Novel techniques in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chip fabrication are described here that enable features on the upper and lower planes of a single PDMS substrate. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of automated cerebral cortex organoid cultures shows benefits in reducing glycolytic and endoplasmic reticulum stress compared to conventional in vitro cell cultures.

Simultaneous longitudinal imaging across multiple conditions and replicates has been crucial for scientific studies aiming to understand biological processes and disease. Yet, imaging systems capable of accomplishing these tasks are economically unattainable for most academic and teaching laboratories around the world. Here, we propose the Picroscope, which is the first low-cost system for simultaneous longitudinal biological imaging made primarily using off-the-shelf and 3D-printed materials. The Picroscope is compatible with standard 24-well cell culture plates and captures 3D z-stack image data. The Picroscope can be controlled remotely, allowing for automatic imaging with minimal intervention from the investigator. Here, we use this system in a range of applications. We gathered longitudinal whole organism image data for frogs, zebrafish, and planaria worms. We also gathered image data inside an incubator to observe 2D monolayers and 3D mammalian tissue culture models. Using this tool, we can measure the behavior of entire organisms or individual cells over long-time periods.

Microgravity in spaceflight produces headward fluid shifts which probably contribute to Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS). Developing new methods to mitigate these shifts is crucial for preventing SANS. One possible strategy is the use of self-generated lower body negative pressure (LBNP). This study evaluates biological or physiological effects induced by bed rest to simulate adaptations to microgravity. Participants were tested during powered LBNP and dynamic self-generated (SELF) LBNP at 25 mmHg for 15 min. The results were compared to the physiologic responses observed in seated upright and supine positions without LBNP, which served as controls for normal gravitational effects on fluid dynamics. Eleven participants' (five male, six female) heart rates, blood pressures, and cross-sectional areas (CSA) of left and right internal jugular veins (IJV) were monitored. Self-generated LBNP, which requires mild to moderate physical activity, significantly elevated heart rate and blood pressure (p < 0.01). Self-generated LBNP also significantly reduced right IJV CSA compared to supine position (p = 0.005), though changes on the left side were not significant (p = 0.365). While the effects of SELF and traditional LBNP on IJV CSA were largely similar, traditional LBNP significantly reduced IJV CSA on both sides. Given its low mass, volume, and power requirements, SELF LBNP is a promising countermeasure against SANS. Results from this study warrant longer-term studies of SELF LBNP under simulated spaceflight conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the clinical characteristics and visual outcomes of ocular syphilis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive and negative patients. We performed a retrospective chart review of all patients with newly diagnosed ocular syphilis between January 2015 and August 2021. 68 eyes of 41 patients (22 eyes in 12 HIV-positive patients, 46 eyes in 29 HIV-negative patients) were included. The most common ophthalmic feature was posterior uveitis in HIV-positive and anterior uveitis in HIV-negative patients; 58.3% (7 out of 12 patients) of HIV-positive and 48.2% (14 out of 29 patients) of HIV-negative patients were diagnosed with neurosyphilis. There were no significant differences in laterality, presence of concurrent rash, rapid plasma reagin (RPR) titers, presenting, and final corrected visual acuity between both groups. Nearly one-fifth of eyes may suffer from severe visual loss of ≤ 20/200. HIV co-infection may not result in visual outcomes in syphilis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of fMRI blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) reactivity with the level of epigenetic methylation of SLC6A4 in blood DNA from a sample of healthy participants and patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: We investigated patients with MDD and healthy controls using fMRI and an emotional attention-shifting task. We assessed site-specific DNA methylation of a previously characterized SLC6A4 region in peripheral blood DNA using pyrosequencing. Results: Our study involved 25 patients with MDD and 35 healthy controls. Activation in the anterior insula elicited by negative emotional content was significantly positively associated with the degree of SLC6A4 methylation. Significantly negative associations were observed between activation in the posterior insula and the degree of SLC6A4 methylation when judging the geometry of pictures after seeing negative in contrast to positive emotional stimuli. Healthy controls with a high degree of SLC6A4 methylation depicted significantly more activity elicited by positive stimuli in limbic regions and more activity elicited by negative stimuli in limbic as well as cognitive control regions than those with a low degree of SLC6A4 methylation. Limitations: It is impossible to measure methylation directly in the brain and thus we assessed peripheral methylation of SLC6A4. Since the association was cross-sectional, no conclusion about cause and effect can be drawn. Conclusion: Our study provides further support to the hypothesis that particular DNA methylation states that are associated with brain function during emotion processing are detectable in the periphery., Introduction Childhood adversity, such as childhood maltreatment, plays an important role in a number of multifactorial mental disorders. Recent studies reveal that certain aspects of stress-related mental disorders result from [...]

Hemoglobin S/OArab (Hgb S/OArab) disease is a rare hemoglobinopathy which presents similarly to sickle cell retinopathy, with only three prior reports that describe associated retinal findings. In this report, we present ophthalmic examination findings in 2 patients with Hgb S/OArab. One patient exhibited peripheral ischemia and sunburst lesions without neovascular disease, and the other patient developed proliferative retinopathy of both eyes and multiple posterior-pole branch retinal artery occlusions in one eye. To our knowledge, this is the first case of retinal arterial occlusive disease in Hgb S/OArab, and the first report of fundus autofluorescence and OCT angiography in Hgb/OArab retinopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]