News briefs

Bacteria‐infected mosquitoes could help control dengue fever

Researchers from Monash University in collaboration with Indonesia’s Gadjah Mada University may have found a way to control dengue fever by releasing mosquitoes infected with the wMel strain of Wolbachia pipientis bacteria. The researchers released infected mosquitoes to control dengue in 12 clusters in Indonesia, and compared this to 12 clusters where they released no mosquitoes. The team found that introducing wMel mosquitoes into the wild populations reduced symptomatic dengue, and resulted in a reduction in hospitalisations for dengue among study participants by 86%. wMel has “virus‐blocking” properties, and affects mosquito reproduction to make sure that all baby mosquitoes are also infected with the bacteria — which researchers say could help control the population and the spread of the virus. Co‐Principal Investigator, Professor Cameron Simmons from Monash University said: “This trial result shows the significant impact the Wolbachia method can have in reducing dengue in urban populations. This result demonstrates what an exciting breakthrough Wolbachia can be — a safe, durable and efficacious new product class for dengue control is just what the global community needs.” The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2030243

UQ develops quantum microscope that can see the impossible

University of Queensland researchers have created a quantum microscope that can reveal biological structures that would otherwise be impossible to see. The microscope is powered by the science of quantum entanglement, an effect Einstein described as “spooky interactions at a distance”. Professor Warwick Bowen, from UQ’s Quantum Optics Lab and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, said it was the first entanglement‐based sensor with performance beyond the best possible existing technology. “This breakthrough will spark all sorts of new technologies — from better navigation systems to better MRI machines,” Professor Bowen said. “Entanglement is thought to lie at the heart of a quantum revolution. We’ve finally demonstrated that sensors that use it can supersede existing, non‐quantum technology. It’s the first proof of the paradigm‐changing potential of entanglement for sensing.” A major success of the team’s quantum microscope was its ability to catapult over a “hard barrier” in traditional light‐based microscopy. “The best light microscopes use bright lasers that are billions of times brighter than the sun,” Professor Bowen said. “Fragile biological systems like a human cell can only survive a short time in them and this is a major roadblock. The quantum entanglement in our microscope provides 35% improved clarity without destroying the cell, allowing us to see minute biological structures that would otherwise be invisible.” The research was published in Nature.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03528-w