The detected event was identified as a single muon which crossed the entire detector, inducing signals in more than one third of the active sensors. The inclination of its trajectory combined with its enormous energy provides compelling evidence that the muon originated from a cosmic neutrino interacting in the vicinity of the detector.

“KM3NeT has begun to probe a range of energy and sensitivity where detected neutrinos may originate from extreme astrophysical phenomena. This first ever detection of a neutrino of hundreds of PeV opens a new chapter in neutrino astronomy and a new observational window on the Universe,” comments Paschal Coyle, KM3NeT Spokesperson at the time of the detection, and researcher at CNRS Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique — Centre de Physique des Particules de Marseille, France.

The high-energy universe is the realm of cataclysmic events such as accreting supermassive black holes at the centre of galaxies, supernova explosions, gamma ray bursts, all as yet not fully understood. These powerful cosmic accelerators, generate streams of particles called cosmic rays. Some cosmic rays may interact with matter or photons around the source, to produce neutrinos and photons. During the travel of the most energetic cosmic rays across the Universe, some may also interact with photons of the cosmic microwave background radiation, to produce extremely energetic “cosmogenic” neutrinos.

“Neutrinos are one of the most mysterious of elementary particles. They have no electric charge, almost no mass and interact only weakly with matter. They are special cosmic messengers, bringing us unique information on the mechanisms involved in the most energetic phenomena and allowing us to explore the farthest reaches of the Universe,” explains Rosa Coniglione, KM3NeT Deputy-Spokesperson at the time of the detection, researcher at the INFN National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Italy.

Although neutrinos are the second most abundant particle in the Universe after photons, their weak interaction with matter makes them very hard to detect and requires enormous detectors. The KM3NeT neutrino telescope, currently under construction, is a giant deep-sea infrastructure distributed across two detectors ARCA and ORCA. In its final configuration, KM3NeT will occupy a volume of more than one cubic kilometre. KM3NeT uses sea water as the interaction medium for neutrinos. Its high-tech optical modules detect the Cherenkov light, a bluish glow that is generated during the propagation through the water of the ultra-relativistic particles produced in neutrino interactions.

“To determine the direction and energy of this neutrino required a precise calibration of the telescope and sophisticated track reconstruction algorithms. Furthermore, this remarkable detection was achieved with only one tenth of the final configuration of the detector, demonstrating the great potential of our experiment for the study of neutrinos and for neutrino astronomy,” comments Aart Heijboer, KM3NeT Physics and Software Manager at the time of the detection, and researcher at Nikhef National Institute for Subatomic Physics, The Netherlands.

The KM3NeT/ARCA (Astroparticle Research with Cosmics in the Abyss) detector is mainly dedicated to the study of the highest energy neutrinos and their sources in the Universe. It is located at 3450 m depth, about 80 km from the coast of Portopalo di Capo Passero, Sicily. Its 700 m high detection units (DUs) are anchored to the seabed and positioned about 100 m apart. Every DU is equipped with 18 Digital Optical Modules (DOM) each containing 31 photomultipliers (PMTs). In its final configuration, ARCA will comprise 230 DUs. The data collected are transmitted via a submarine cable to the shore station at the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Sud.

The KM3NeT/ORCA (Oscillation Research with Cosmics in the Abyss) detector is optimised to study the fundamental properties of the neutrino itself. It is located at a depth of 2450 m, about 40 km from the coast of Toulon, France. It will comprise 115 DUs, each 200 m high and spaced by 20 m. The data collected by ORCA are sent to the shore station at La Seyne Sur Mer.

“The scale of KM3NeT, eventually encompassing a volume of about one cubic kilometre with a total of about 200,000 photomultipliers, along with its extreme location in the abyss of the Mediterranean Sea, demonstrates the extraordinary efforts required to advance neutrino astronomy and particle physics. The detection of this event is the result of a tremendous collaborative effort between many international teams of engineers, technicians and scientists,” comments Miles Lindsey Clark, KM3NeT Technical Project Manager at the time of the detection, and research engineer at the CNRS — Astroparticle and Cosmology laboratory, France.

This ultra-high energy neutrino may originate directly from a powerful cosmic accelerator. Alternatively, it could be the first detection of a cosmogenic neutrino. However, based on this single neutrino it is difficult to conclude on its origin. Future observations will focus on detecting more such events to build a clearer picture. The ongoing expansion of KM3NeT with additional detection units and the acquisition of additional data will improve its sensitivity and enhance its ability to pinpoint cosmic neutrino sources, making it a leading contributor to multi-messenger astronomy.

The KM3NeT Collaboration brings together more than 360 scientists, engineers, technicians and students of 68 institutions from 21 countries all over the world.

KM3NeT is included in the roadmap of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures, which recognises KM3NeT as a priority research infrastructure for Europe. In addition to the funding provided by research agencies in several countries, KM3NeT has benefitted from various fundings through the European research and innovation programmes as well as the European Regional Development Fund.

Vimentin is a type III intermediate filament (IF) protein normally expressed in cells that develop into connective tissue, blood vessels, and lymphatic tissue (mesenchymal cells). Despite being widely studied, its role in tumour growth and progression remains unexplored.

A team of researchers at Queen Mary University of London have discovered how a small change in the vimentin protein can make breast cancer more aggressive. By modifying a specific amino acid cysteine to serine residue at position 328 in vimentin, they discovered that this mutation disrupted the protein’s interaction with the cell’s structural network. Remarkably, the mutated vimentin induced aggressive cancer-like behaviour in breast cancer cells, including faster cell growth, migration, and invasion accompanied by reduced cell adhesion. RNA-sequencing further revealed that the presence of mutant vimentin was associated with upregulation of a non-coding RNA called XIST, suggesting a potential link between this mutation and gene expression changes that drive cancer progression.

Researchers also found that mutant vimentin made breast cancer cells grow without depending on the hormone oestrogen when injected into immuno-compromised mice. The tumours in these mice showed high expression of cancer stem cell markers CD56 and CD20, suggesting a role for mutant vimentin in driving cancer stem cell-like behaviour that is often associated with tumour progression, therapeutic resistance and recurrence.

Senior author Ahmad Waseem, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Oral Biology at the Institute of Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, said: “Our study has discovered a molecular interaction that, when disrupted, causes breast cancer cells to behave like cancer stem cells. Additionally, we identified a potential biomarker that could help detect these stem-like cells in breast cancer tissues. This discovery represents an important step towards understanding how breast cancer develops and spreads, with potential implications for early diagnosis, prognosis, and targeted treatment strategies.” The lead author, Dr Saima Usman (HEC Fellow), did her PhD with Professor Waseem on this project.

Co-author Andrew Yeudall, Professor of Oral Biology in the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University, said: “The study will open new avenues for our understanding of cancer stem cell behaviour. For several years, Professor Waseem and I have been interested in studying the cancer-related roles of vimentin, which is induced in almost all later-stage tumours that have spread to other sites in the body and can be difficult to treat. We used MCF-7, a model breast epithelial cell line, partly because it is devoid of vimentin which therefore makes it easier to define functions related to specific vimentin mutations. Our observation that the cells became more aggressive, and that stem cell markers were induced, may unlock the door to new therapeutic approaches for breast and other cancers.”

“We want to help the prepared food industry produce appetizing, healthy meals for older adults,” said Carolyn Ross, professor in WSU’s School of Food Science. “Malnutrition is quite prevalent in people over 60 because food may be available, but they won’t eat it if they don’t like it. We want to walk a line where food is tasty, convenient, and full of nutrients.”

In a paper recently published in the Journal of Food Science, Ross and her team developed desirable and nutritious dairy-rich breakfasts and desserts for older adults, defined as anyone over age 60. They asked 81 people, with an average age of 71, to taste two breakfast meals and two desserts. Scientists then asked a series of questions about the meals and individual eating habits.

Food-related nostalgia may be difficult to measure, but it showed up in many responses, Ross said.

“We asked what people thought about when it came to food and nostalgia,” she said. “Many responses were tied to a person, like their grandmother’s cookies. If a product evoked more nostalgia, then we found that they liked it more.”

Many responses to the nostalgia question revolved around barbeque, which stood out to Ross because nostalgia is so personal.

“I was surprised by the importance of comfort and nostalgia,” she said. “Those terms are tricky to describe, but it’s one of those ‘you know it when you see it’ things. We’re working now to hone down how people define those terms so we can help make more foods that appeal to this age range.”

Ross said she’s hoping to work with prepared food manufacturers to design foods specifically for older adults who want convenient but nutritious meals that they will enjoy.

“This is a huge and growing population,” she said. “We want to help keep them healthy and happy for a long time.”

Studying food nostalgia is a newer avenue of food science work, Ross said, but examining comfort food is a bit more established. Preference can vary widely due to cultural differences. In this study, whenever people labeled something as a comfort food, they liked it more. One ingredient was commonly placed in the comfort category: cheese.

“Participants’ perceived comfort level decreased if we decreased the flavor level,” Ross said. “That really stood out with cheese; when the participants said there wasn’t enough cheese flavor in the meal, then the comfort associated with the meal decreased. Cheese seems to mean comfort.”

The research team also found that food texture is important, which is not a new conclusion. Texture can have a significant impact on whether people will eat something.

“It’s not one specific texture or textures that matter, it’s a variety of textures,” Ross said. “Having a diet with a lot of texture variety, including textures like crispy and firm, along with soft and creamy foods, really stood out. And for older adults, who may not be able to eat the same firm and crispy foods they once could, keeping as much texture variety as possible is still important.”

In future studies, Ross hopes to look more at flavor and other specific meal attributes that increase comfort.

Researchers from the University of Gothenburg, together with colleagues from the University of Pittsburgh in the US, published their findings in the journal Nature Medicine.

The study provides insights into what happens during the earliest phase when the protein tau is transformed into thread-like strands (fibrils) in the nerve cells. This is one of the processes in Alzheimer’s disease and occurs alongside the formation of amyloid plaques. In healthy individuals, the protein tau stabilizes the tubular building blocks (microtubules) that make up the long projections of the nerve cells.

During the development of Alzheimer’s disease, tau undergoes pathological changes. First, tau forms small, soluble aggregates that are secreted from the nerve cells and are thought to be able to spread these changes to other nerve cells. The protein is then converted into larger, harmful, thread-like strands in the nerve cells.

Tohidul Islam, a researcher at the University of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska Academy, is one of the study’s lead authors.

“In our study, we look at how tau is modified, which leads it to form its soluble clumps. We found that changes in two specific amino acids, serine-262 and serine-356, happen before these thread-like fibrils start to form in the nerve cells,” says Tohidul Islam

Complementary drugs

Alzheimer’s research has made significant advances around the world in recent years. Many countries — although not yet in the EU — have approved the Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab. An American drug donanemab is also being developed. Both drugs target the process that is deemed to be the most important in the progression of the disease: the accumulation of the protein beta-amyloid in the brain.

“Our hypothesis is that tau in its soluble form helps the disease process to spread in the brain,” says Kaj Blennow, a University of Gothenburg professor and one of the senior researchers behind the study. “If researchers want to develop drugs in the future to combat the tau pathology as a complement to drugs that target the amyloid plaque, we now know which regions are of interest to focus on.”

Measuring the effect of treatment

The drug lecanemab was first introduced almost two years ago and has demonstrated good results in terms of reducing the amyloid plaque in the brain among patients at an early stage of Alzheimer’s disease. However, it is impossible to know with any degree of certainty what the long-term results will be. The findings regarding the soluble phosphorylated small aggregates of the protein tau also offer a new opportunity to demonstrate the protein changes before the larger fibrils form in the nerve cells. The study therefore provides a biomarker that can be directly linked to the amount of tau pathology in patients’ brains.