Solar Wind Hits Pluto Hard 22.6%, Whereas Those Exposed to Zika Shrank by 16%

Selections from the RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS scientific literature

VIROLOGY Zika shrinks ‘mini brains’ in culture

The Zika virus may trigger an NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI immune response that causes developing brain cells to stop dividing and self-destruct. The link between Zika infection and the birth of babies with abnormally small heads, or microcephaly, has grown stronger, but it is still not clear how the virus attacks developing brains. Tariq Rana at the University of California, San Diego, and his team grew cerebral organoids — 3D structures that model the developing brain — from human embryonic stem cells PLANETARY SCIENCE and then infected them with Zika. Over a 5-day period, uninfected organoids grew by Solar wind hits Pluto hard 22.6%, whereas those exposed to Zika shrank by 16%. The solar wind is diverted by Pluto, suggesting New Jersey and his colleagues identified a Zika infection boosted the that, like some larger planets, the dwarf planet ‘Plutopause’ — a region where Pluto’s tenuous activity of a pathogen-sensing has a shield against the stream of energized atmosphere shields the dwarf planet from the gene, TLR3, which has been particles emanating from the Sun. solar wind. linked to brain inflammation Before NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft The Plutopause is relatively small and well and degeneration. Blocking visited the dwarf planet (pictured) in 2015, defined, much like the solar-wind boundaries the TLR3 protein in infected most scientists thought that Pluto interacted around Mars and Venus. Even though Pluto is organoids lessened the damage with the solar wind in the same way as a comet small, it still exerts enough gravitational pull caused by the virus. does. Comets lack protection from the wind, to keep its atmosphere sufficiently close to Cell Stem Cell http://doi.org/bgrx which diffuses around the cometary surface. provide a buffer from the solar wind. (2016) But in analysing data from the spacecraft, J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys. http://doi.org/bgdv David McComas at Princeton University in (2016) BIOMATERIALS

Second ‘skin’ film reshapes the skin, making to physically damage their Self-driven jamming may turns back time bags under the eyes look less environment. help microbes to invade puffy and reducing wrinkling. A team led by Oskar soft materials, which could A polymer film that sticks The film was made from Hallatschek of the University contribute to biofouling — the to human skin reduces the reagents that are considered to of California, Berkeley, created accumulation of unwanted appearance of wrinkles and be safe for the skin. It could be a microscopic chamber that microbial material on surfaces, bags under the eyes. used cosmetically or in wound would hold roughly 100 cells of the authors say. Robert Langer at the dressings, the authors say. budding yeast (Saccharomyces Nature Phys. http://dx.doi. Massachusetts Institute of Nature Mater. http://dx.doi. cerevisiae). As the cells org/10.1038/nphys3741 (2016) Technology in Cambridge org/10.1038/nmat4635 (2016) proliferated, they did not leave and his colleagues designed a the chamber in a steady stream CELL BIOLOGY polysiloxane-based film that BIOPHYSICS through a narrow exit channel is applied to and cured on the but instead jammed together, Immune cell aids skin. The transparent film has Jammed microbes building up contact pressures vascular repair similar mechanical properties feel the pressure of almost 1 megapascal. This to skin, allowing it to conform force was enough to cause White blood cells that gobble to the surface. In small studies Microbes living in a confined cracks in agar gels containing up cellular debris also help to with human volunteers, the space can push up against growing yeast cells, and to slow heal damaged blood vessels in researchers showed that the each other with enough force down the organism’s growth. the brain.