The research, published in the scientific journal Discover Food, was led by Dr. Asaf Tzachor, Founder and Academic Director of the Aviram Sustainability and Climate Program at Reichman University, together with researchers from Iceland, Denmark and Austria. Using advanced biotechnology and carefully controlled light conditions, the team produced carbon-neutral, nutrient-rich Spirulina biomass containing active vitamin B12. According to the researchers, this is the first time biologically active vitamin B12 has been reported in Spirulina.

A Global Vitamin B12 Problem

Vitamin B12 is an essential micronutrient involved in several critical processes in the body, including red blood cell formation and normal nervous system function. More than a billion people worldwide are estimated to have low levels of the vitamin.

For many people, meat and dairy products are important dietary sources of B12. The recommended intake cited by the researchers is 2.4 µg/day. However, producing animal-based foods at the scale required to meet global demand also carries environmental costs, which has driven interest in more sustainable alternatives.

Spirulina blue green algae (Arthrospira platensis) has often been promoted as one such option because it is nutrient dense and can be cultivated with a relatively small environmental footprint. But there has been a major obstacle.

Traditional Spirulina contains much of its B12 in the form of pseudo-vitamin B12. Although chemically similar to the vitamin humans need, this form is not bioavailable to people, meaning the body cannot effectively use it. That limitation has prevented conventional Spirulina from serving as a reliable replacement for animal-sourced vitamin B12.

Using Light to Change Spirulina’s Nutrition

To address that problem, researchers from Reichman University, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Ruppin Academic Center, Danish Technological Institute, and MATIS, Iceland, carried out an exploratory study of a biotechnology platform developed by VAXA Technologies in Iceland.

The team examined the system’s engineering design, its inputs (such as energy), and the nutritional composition of the biomass it produced.

A central feature of the technology is photonic management (modified light conditions). By changing the light environment in which Spirulina grows, the researchers were able to encourage production of biologically active vitamin B12.

The cultivated Spirulina also contained other bioactive compounds associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting properties.

Most notably, the resulting carbon-neutral biomass contained 1.64 µg of active vitamin B12 per 100 grams, compared with 0.7-1.5 μg per 100 grams in beef.

Dr. Asaf Tzachor explains, “the findings demonstrate that photosynthetically controlled Spirulina can produce desirable levels of active vitamin B12, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional animal-source foods.”

Could Spirulina Supply Vitamin B12 at Scale?

The researchers also explored what could happen if the system were expanded far beyond its current scale.

In one scenario, reallocating electricity currently used by heavy industry in Iceland could support production of 277,950 tonnes of Spirulina biomass each year. The researchers estimate that this amount would contain about 4555 grams of active vitamin B12 annually.

According to their calculations, that quantity could provide the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for more than 13.8 million children aged 1-3.

More ambitious production scenarios could potentially supply enough vitamin B12 to meet the RDA for more than 26.5 million children aged 1-3 and more than 50 million children aged 0-6 months.

These figures are projections based on possible scale-up scenarios rather than existing production levels, but they illustrate the nutritional potential the researchers see in the technology.

A More Sustainable Source of an Essential Vitamin

If the approach can be successfully expanded, photosynthetically controlled Spirulina could provide another route for addressing vitamin B12 deficiency while reducing some dependence on meat and dairy production.

The work also highlights how biotechnology can alter the nutritional properties of microorganisms and other rapidly growing food sources. Rather than simply cultivating conventional Spirulina, researchers are changing the conditions under which it grows to encourage production of specific compounds that are useful to humans.

The findings represent a step toward developing more sustainable sources of essential nutrients, although further research and larger-scale production will be needed to determine how the technology could fit into real-world food systems.

Reichman University and the Aviram Foundation established the Aviram Sustainability and Climate Program in response to growing environmental and public health challenges around the world. The program trains students from a range of disciplines to develop strategies for addressing resource scarcity, climate change, and extreme weather events, as well as food, water, and energy crises.

In a study recently published in The Journals of Gerontology, researchers examined metabolites, small chemicals and molecules created during normal processes in the body. They found that certain combinations of these metabolites were associated with earlier or later death in dogs in ways that closely resembled patterns previously identified in humans.

“The molecules that are risky for dogs or protective against a sooner death are very similar to those in people, showing that we share important features of aging biology, which is really interesting and rewarding,” said Dr. Kate Creevy, chief veterinary officer for the Dog Aging Project and a professor in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, where the work of the Dog Aging Project is generously supported by the WoodNext Foundation. “Our findings also highlight the value of pet dogs as a model for studying long-term health and lifespan.”

Searching for Biological Signs of Lifespan

Metabolites can provide a snapshot of what is happening inside cells, making them useful for detecting biological patterns that may be connected to health and aging.

For the study, researchers analyzed blood samples from dogs participating in the Dog Aging Project. This community science effort follows dogs throughout their lives, with owners contributing detailed survey information and, in some cases, physical samples. The research team examined the blood for metabolic patterns associated with lifespan, focusing specifically on whether individual dogs died earlier or later.

“Death is an easy outcome to understand,” Creevy said. “It is very easy to tell when a person or a dog has died, whereas other features of aging health are a bit more nuanced.”

Using mortality as a clear endpoint allows scientists to work backward and investigate which biological processes may have contributed to the outcome. These processes can include metabolism, inflammation and the ways cells react to stress.

“If we understand why something happened, we have a greater chance of identifying ways to change it,” Creevy said.

A Metabolic Fingerprint of Aging

Rather than focusing on individual molecules, the researchers analyzed thousands of metabolites together to look for larger patterns associated with risk. Creevy said these broader groups can reveal more about what may be taking place inside cells than any single molecule alone.

“Some of my colleagues refer to it as a fingerprint,” Creevy said. “We often look at a pattern or grouping that has a relationship with better or worse outcomes rather than just looking at a single molecule.”

These measurable biological indicators, known as biomarkers, can help researchers estimate the likelihood of certain health outcomes by revealing changes occurring inside the body.

“Importantly, those biomarkers do not necessarily cause an outcome; when we find a biomarker associated with sooner or later mortality, we don’t know that it’s causing it,” Creevy said. “But if we understand why that biomarker is present, we may be able to identify what the cause of the relationship is.”

Finding these recurring patterns gives scientists possible starting points for investigating the mechanisms behind aging and, eventually, identifying biological targets that might help improve health over time.

Dogs and Humans Share Similar Aging Signals

The researchers then asked whether the metabolic patterns seen in dogs also appeared in people. To find out, they compared their results with five large published studies of human mortality that used similar methods to examine metabolites.

Across those studies, the signals associated with earlier or later death were broadly similar to those found in dogs.

That consistency was one of the most striking results, adding evidence that dogs and humans share important features of the biology that underlies aging.

“Frequently, we know a little more about this in people than we do in dogs,” Creevy said. “If we have the same targets, we’ll be able to leverage human research to benefit dogs.”

The similarities could allow scientists to use knowledge already gained from human research to improve canine health, while also using dogs to study how aging develops across an entire lifespan.

Why Dogs Are Valuable for Aging Research

Pet dogs offer several advantages for researchers studying aging. They share many parts of everyday life with humans, including their surroundings, diets and activity patterns. That overlap gives scientists an opportunity to examine how lifestyle and environment affect long-term health.

“One of the things we like most about learning from dogs as it pertains to aging is their widely varied lifestyles that mirror their owners’ lifestyles in a way that’s less true for other companion animals,” Creevy said.

Cats, for example, often live more independent and relatively consistent lifestyles. Dogs are more likely to follow the routines, environments and activity patterns of the people they live with.

Their shorter lifespans provide another major advantage. Humans, on average, live into their 70s, while dogs typically live only 12-13 years. That difference allows researchers to observe aging and lifespan outcomes in dogs much more quickly than would be possible in human studies.

Inside the Dog Aging Project

The research was made possible by the Dog Aging Project, a nationwide, long-term study that follows pet dogs living with owners across the United States.

Owners who participate provide extensive information about their dogs’ lives, while a subset also submit biological samples each year. Together, those contributions allow researchers to track changes in health and aging over time.

“The owners who enroll their dogs make everything possible,” Creevy said. “The dedication and commitment of these owners to participate in research and discovery to better the health of dogs is remarkable.”

Creevy said the latest findings are an early but important step toward understanding the mechanisms that influence aging. Researchers have now identified metabolic patterns associated with lifespan, giving them specific biological signals to investigate further.

“This is a starting point,” she said. “We’ve identified these metabolites, and now we know where to start looking.”

For people who own dogs, Creevy said the practical message is straightforward. Many of the same behaviors that promote healthier aging in people are also likely to benefit dogs.

“Keeping them on a healthy diet, at a healthy body weight, and preserving mobility and cognitive health — just like we would do for ourselves,” Creevy said. “What’s good for us is probably good for them.”

The findings do not prove that melatonin itself caused the increased risks. However, they raise new questions about the long-term safety of a supplement that many people view as a harmless or “natural” way to improve sleep.

Why Melatonin Is So Widely Used

Melatonin is a hormone made naturally by the pineal gland in the brain. It helps control the body’s sleep and wake cycle, also known as the circadian rhythm. Levels of the hormone typically rise when it gets dark and fall during daylight.

Synthetic melatonin is chemically identical to the hormone produced by the body. It is commonly used for insomnia (difficulty falling and/or staying asleep) and jet lag.

Melatonin supplements are available over the counter in many countries, including the U.S. In the U.S., over-the-counter supplements are not regulated, so each brand of supplement can vary in strength, purity, etc.

For the new study, researchers divided participants according to their documented melatonin use. People with at least one year of melatonin use recorded in their electronic medical records were placed in the “melatonin group.” Those with no record of melatonin use anywhere in their medical records were assigned to the “non-melatonin group.”

“Melatonin supplements may not be as harmless as commonly assumed. If our study is confirmed, this could affect how doctors counsel patients about sleep aids,” said Ekenedilichukwu Nnadi, M.D., lead author of the study and chief resident in internal medicine at SUNY Downstate/Kings County Primary Care in Brooklyn, New York.

Researchers Looked for Long-Term Heart Risks

Melatonin is often promoted as a safe sleep aid, but researchers say there is limited evidence about its cardiovascular safety when taken for extended periods.

That uncertainty led the team to investigate whether long-term melatonin use might be associated with heart failure among people who already had chronic insomnia.

Heart failure does not mean that the heart has completely stopped working. It develops when the heart cannot pump enough oxygen-rich blood to meet the body’s needs. According to the American Heart Association’s 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, the condition affects about 6.7 million adults in the U.S.

Researchers used data from the TriNetX Global Research Network, a large international database containing de-identified electronic health records.

They examined five years of medical records for adults with chronic insomnia whose records showed melatonin use for more than a year. Those participants were matched with other people who also had insomnia but had no documented melatonin use.

Anyone who had already been diagnosed with heart failure or who had been prescribed other sleep medications was excluded.

Heart Failure Risk Was About 90% Higher

The main analysis found a substantial difference between the two groups.

Among adults with insomnia, people with documented long-term melatonin use (12 months or more) had about a 90% higher chance of developing heart failure during the following five years compared with matched nonusers. Heart failure occurred in 4.6% of the melatonin group compared with 2.7% of the comparison group.

Researchers then performed another analysis designed to strengthen confidence that participants had actually been using melatonin over an extended period.

When they limited the analysis to people who had filled at least two melatonin prescriptions at least 90 days apart, the association remained. That group had an 82% higher risk of heart failure. (Melatonin is only available by prescription in the United Kingdom.)

Hospitalization and Death Were Also Higher

A secondary analysis found even larger differences in some outcomes.

People in the melatonin group were nearly 3.5 times as likely to be hospitalized for heart failure as those in the comparison group. The hospitalization rates were 19.0% and 6.6%, respectively.

Deaths from any cause were also more common among people with documented melatonin use. During the five-year period, 7.8% of participants in the melatonin group died compared with 4.3% of those in the non-melatonin group, making the risk nearly twice as high.

“Melatonin supplements are widely thought of as a safe and ‘natural’ option to support better sleep, so it was striking to see such consistent and significant increases in serious health outcomes, even after balancing for many other risk factors,” Nnadi said.

The results also drew concern from sleep researcher Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., C.C.S.H., FAHA, who was not involved in the study.

“I’m surprised that physicians would prescribe melatonin for insomnia and have patients use it for more than 365 days, since melatonin, at least in the U.S., is not indicated for the treatment of insomnia. In the U.S., melatonin can be taken as an over-the-counter supplement and people should be aware that it should not be taken chronically without a proper indication,” said Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., C.C.S.H., FAHA, chair of the writing group for the American Heart Association’s 2025 scientific statement, Multidimensional Sleep Health: Definitions and Implications for Cardiometabolic Health.

St-Onge is a professor of nutritional medicine in the division of general medicine and director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep & Circadian Research in the department of medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City.

Important Limitations Complicate the Findings

The study comes with several significant limitations, particularly because melatonin is handled differently from one country to another.

Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, require a prescription for melatonin, while others, including the United States, allow people to buy it over the counter. Researchers did not have access to participants’ locations because the medical data had been de-identified.

Melatonin use was identified only when it appeared in electronic medical records. That means people in the U.S. or other countries who bought melatonin over the counter without having it entered into their medical records could have been incorrectly classified as nonusers.

As a result, the melatonin and nonmelatonin groups may not perfectly reflect who was actually taking the supplement.

There was another complication involving hospitalizations. The number of heart failure-related hospitalizations was higher than the number of newly diagnosed heart failure cases because hospitals may enter a variety of related diagnostic codes. Those records do not always include a code specifically identifying a new heart failure diagnosis.

Researchers also did not have information about how severe each participant’s insomnia was or whether participants had other psychiatric disorders.

Those missing factors are important because people with more severe insomnia, depression, anxiety, or other conditions may be more likely to use melatonin and could independently have a different cardiovascular risk.

“Worse insomnia, depression/anxiety, or the use of other sleep-enhancing medicines might be linked to both melatonin use and heart risk,” Nnadi said. “Also, while the association we found raises safety concerns about the widely used supplement, our study cannot prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship. This means more research is needed to test melatonin’s safety for the heart.”

What the Study Included

• The analysis included 130,828 adults (average age of 55.7 years; 61.4% women) who had been diagnosed with insomnia.
• The data came from TriNetX, established in 2013, a growing global network of real-world, de-identified patient information used for medical research.
• Of the participants, 65,414 had been prescribed melatonin at least once and reported using it for at least one year.
• Researchers also created a comparison group (control group) made up of people who had never been prescribed melatonin. These participants were matched to the melatonin group using 40 factors, including demographic characteristics, existing health conditions, and medications.
• Anyone who had already been diagnosed with heart failure was excluded, as were people who had been prescribed other kinds of sleeping pills such as benzodiazepines.
• The melatonin and comparison groups were matched for age, sex, race/ethnicity, heart and nervous system diseases, medications for heart and nervous system diseases, blood pressure, and body mass index.
• Researchers then examined electronic medical records covering the five years after the groups were matched.
• For the primary analysis, they searched for medical codes indicating an initial diagnosis of heart failure. Secondary outcomes included codes associated with hospitalization for heart failure or death.
• The researchers also carried out what is known as a sensitivity analysis, a method used to check whether results remain similar when the study criteria are changed slightly.
• For this additional test, participants in the melatonin group had to have filled at least two melatonin prescriptions at least 90 days apart. The association with higher heart failure risk remained, providing an additional check on the original findings.
• Even so, the researchers emphasize that the study was observational. It identified an association between long-term documented melatonin use and serious health outcomes, but it cannot establish that melatonin directly caused those outcomes. Further research will be needed to determine whether long-term melatonin use itself affects cardiovascular health and, if so, why.

The findings suggest that the region’s geology could eventually support a new domestic energy source and, if developed at scale, a major hydrogen export industry.

Magnetite Could Generate Hydrogen Underground

The research focuses on magnetite, a mineral that is abundant in Western Australia’s huge iron ore deposits across the Pilbara region.

Scientists from ECU’s School of Engineering found that magnetite can release hydrogen gas when it reacts with hot water under conditions similar to those deep below the Earth’s surface.

The team also discovered a way to stimulate the process. By injecting a solution into banded iron formations, the researchers were able to increase hydrogen generation, raising the possibility that naturally produced hydrogen could one day be deliberately enhanced underground.

“Australia could be sitting on a massive, untapped energy reserve — and the potential is enormous,” Associate Professor Alireza Keshavarz said.

“There is enough hydrogen for Australia to benefit for generations, and potentially enough for us to become a major exporter of clean energy to the rest of the world.”

Recreating Deep Underground Conditions

To investigate how the process works, the researchers placed magnetite samples in water at 200°C under high pressure for 60 days. Those conditions were designed to reproduce the hot, pressurized environment found deep underground.

The experiments gave researchers a clearer picture of how natural hydrogen can form within rock and what conditions are needed for production to continue over time.

The findings are especially significant for Western Australia because the region contains some of the largest banded iron formations on Earth.

“Western Australia has some of the world’s largest banded iron formations. If we can unlock this resource at scale, it could be transformative for our energy future,” lead author Kaveh Moghanirahimi said.

“We even see the potential for Western Australia to strengthen its energy independence during times of crisis through access to this naturally generated hydrogen.”

From Laboratory Experiments to Natural Hydrogen Exploration

Professor Stefan Iglauer, from ECU’s School of Engineering, said the results bring researchers closer to understanding how hydrogen production might work in real underground rock formations rather than only in controlled laboratory settings.

“This work helps bridge the gap between laboratory experiments and real geological systems,” Professor Iglauer said.

The study also found that the amount of magnetite alone does not determine how much hydrogen can be produced. The structure of the rock matters as well, particularly whether water can move through it and reach fresh mineral surfaces.

“Our findings show that hydrogen production depends not only on the amount of magnetite present, but also on how easily water can access fresh mineral surfaces through fractures, pores and permeable pathways.”

That means fractures, pores, and other pathways through the rock could play a critical role in determining whether natural hydrogen can be generated efficiently enough to become a practical energy resource.

The research, Geometry-driven controls on hydrothermal natural hydrogen generation from magnetite mineral, has been published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.

In these diseases, the retina’s photoreceptor cells, which detect incoming light, gradually deteriorate and die. Yet much of the neural circuitry deeper within the retina can remain intact and capable of functioning. The problem is that, without photoreceptors, these surviving cells no longer receive the light signals needed to send visual information toward the brain.

That remaining retinal circuitry has become an important target for scientists trying to restore light sensitivity. Existing approaches include gene therapy, which is suitable for only a small fraction of patients with particular mutations, and electronic retinal prostheses, which can be invasive, costly, and require significant training. Optogenetics and light-responsive drugs have also entered clinical testing. Light-responsive drugs have produced encouraging safety results, but restoring high-quality vision under ordinary levels of illumination remains difficult.

Light-Activated Drugs Offer a New Approach

A research consortium led by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) has now developed a new class of photoswitchable small-molecule drugs designed to restore important visual functions in animal models of blindness. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS).

The compounds are designed to take over part of the job normally performed by photoreceptors. They can be delivered by injection into the eye, much like other ophthalmic drugs, or even applied as eye drops. Neither method requires genetic modification or an implanted device. The compounds have also shown promising safety profiles, making them potential candidates for future therapies aimed at restoring vision.

“These molecules do not cure blindness, because they do not address the cause of photoreceptor degeneration. But they are remarkably effective at restoring sight, and they do so using a very simple and potentially patient-friendly approach,” explains Pau Gorostiza, ICREA Research Professor at IBEC, leader of the Nanoprobes and Nanoswitches group, member of CIBER-BBN and co-leader of the study.

“Our goal was to restore vision using a molecular mechanism that is as close as possible to how the healthy retina works,” says Rosalba Sortino, former PhD student at the University of Barcelona, currently a postdoctoral researcher at Gorostiza’s group at IBEC and co-first author of the study. “Instead of bypassing retinal processing, we aimed to reactivate it right at the same level of the retinal circuit as the lost photoreceptor cells.”

The results build on more than 10 years of research. The project included the team led by Pedro de la Villa at the University of Alcalá (UAH), along with researchers from the Institut de Química Avançada de Catalunya (IQAC-CSIC), the University of Barcelona (UB), the Institute Ramón y Cajal of Health Research (IRYCIS), the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), and the Fundació Eduard Soler.

Restoring Visual Function in Blind Animals

The technique relies on photopharmacology, an approach that allows the activity of a drug to be reversibly controlled using light. Researchers alter the chemical structure of a drug by incorporating a light-sensitive molecular switch. When exposed to light, the switch changes the drug’s activity.

Using this strategy, the team created a family of compounds known as prosthe6. These molecules target ON-bipolar neurons and restored saccadic eye movements (optokinetic reflex) in blinded zebrafish larvae, a model commonly used to investigate visual acuity.

The researchers also found that the treatment could restore innate light-avoidance behavior in mouse models of age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.

Healthy mice instinctively prefer darker environments and avoid brightly illuminated spaces. This behavior depends entirely on a functioning visual system. Blind mice lose that preference because they cannot detect the difference between light and dark.

After receiving prosthe6, however, the blind mice once again spontaneously favored dark areas. That behavior indicated that they were able to detect light and use the visual information to guide their actions. No training was necessary.

The effect also occurred at illumination levels similar to those found indoors or outside on an overcast day. This suggests that the treatment restored functional light perception strongly enough to produce natural, visually guided behavior.

Two compounds in particular, prosthe6-12 and prosthe6-15, produced especially promising results. The restored visual behaviors appeared after injection into the eye and also following topical administration as eye drops.

Replacing the Function of Lost Photoreceptors

Prosthe6 works by targeting ON bipolar cells, retinal neurons that normally receive information from the photoreceptors, the cells responsible for sensing light.

“In healthy vision, ON bipolar cells play a key role in passing on information about the presence of light to the rest of the visual circuit. In degenerative eye diseases, although the photoreceptors are lost, much of this underlying circuitry remains intact but inactive. This creates a major therapeutic opportunity,” explains de la Villa, co-leader of the study.

The compounds target a protein (mGlu6) within this surviving retinal circuitry. By doing so, prosthe6 can effectively substitute for some of the function normally provided by missing photoreceptors.

When light reaches the eye, the molecules change shape. That change triggers signaling within the retina in a way that resembles the normal visual process. The researchers describe the compounds as “molecular prostheses” because they allow the retina to respond to light again without implanted hardware or genetic modification.

Another important feature is their ability to function under ordinary illumination. Unlike some optogenetic approaches, they do not require devices that amplify or deliver specialized light. The molecules are small and water-soluble, and they respond to common visible or white light, including normal indoor illumination and daylight, without the need for unusually intense or specialized light sources.

Moving Toward Possible Human Treatments

The findings arrive shortly after publication of the first-ever clinical trial of a photopharmacological drug for vision restoration (which targets an unrelated protein). That milestone suggests that photopharmacology is beginning to move from experimental research toward potential clinical use.

The prosthe6 technology is protected by patent, and researchers are now studying its safety and formulation with the goal of extending how long the restored visual function lasts.

The team is also working with Eyelumina,a spin-off company in formation to secure investments that support translational development and future clinical trials.

“Turning this into a therapy is a long and laborious process,” says Gorostiza. “But the results show that there is a realistic possibility of restoring high-quality vision with drugs, non-invasively, reversibly and with a mechanism that is independent of the specific retinal disorder or genetic mutation to reach a majority of patients.”

If the approach ultimately proves successful in people, it could provide a widely accessible and affordable alternative to current vision-restoration technologies. It could be particularly important for people with advanced retinal degeneration who currently have no effective treatment options.

The project received early funding from the patients’ foundation Fundaluce (2016), CaixaHealth (Drug4sight, 100010434), the Government of Catalonia (Innovadors, Producte, and Peris programs), and CIBER-BBN (valorization program).

The work also formed part of Rosalba Sortino’s doctoral thesis. The University of Barcelona awarded her the Extraordinary Doctoral Prize for the 2023-24 academic year for the thesis, which she presented at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences.

Unlike Webb, which was built to study relatively small regions of the universe in extraordinary depth, Roman is designed to survey vast areas of the sky quickly. Both observatories can detect infrared light, giving astronomers the ability to compare and combine their observations. Used together, the two missions could reveal far more about the universe than either telescope could on its own.

A Hubble-Sized Mirror With a Much Wider View

Roman has a 7.9-foot primary mirror, the same diameter as the Hubble Space Telescope’s, along with two major scientific instruments. Its Coronagraph Instrument will block and filter the light from stars so astronomers can study exoplanets and disks around them. Its Wide Field Instrument is designed to match the sensitivity of Hubble’s cameras while imaging an area 100 times larger.

Over more than 30 years, Hubble has observed roughly 0.1% of the night sky. Roman, by comparison, has the potential to survey the entire sky at the same resolution.

That wide view will allow Roman to find rare objects both close to Earth and across enormous cosmic distances. Scientists expect it to capture dying stars, newly discovered worlds, galaxy clusters and many other targets. University of Arizona researchers will contribute to several major areas of Roman science.

Probing Dark Matter and Dark Energy

One of Roman’s main scientific goals is to investigate dark matter and dark energy, two mysterious components that account for nearly all of the universe. Dark matter exerts gravity but does not give off light, while dark energy is associated with the accelerating expansion of the universe.

NASA selected the U of A’s Arizona Cosmology Lab to support two efforts aimed at better understanding these phenomena, including one wide-field science team and one project infrastructure team.

Elisabeth Krause, a professor of astronomy and physics, leads the wide-field science team “Kinematic Lensing with the Roman Space Telescope.” The group received $2 million to develop a cosmological measurement technique known as kinematic lensing.

By combining Roman images with spectroscopic measurements, the researchers hope to study dark matter and dark energy with greater precision than has previously been possible.

Another U of A group will play a leading role in the multi-institutional project infrastructure team “Maximizing Cosmological Science with the Roman High Latitude Imaging Survey.” Tim Eifler, a professor of astronomy and physics, leads the working group responsible for interpreting Roman’s cosmological observations.

Turning Galaxy Surveys Into a Map of the Universe

Roman will identify galaxies across a wide range of distances, determine where they are located, and measure their characteristics. Astronomers will use those observations to build large catalogs and then apply physical models to determine what those catalogs reveal about the structure and evolution of the universe.

Those calculations will require substantial computing power. The NASA Roman Project awarded Eifler’s lab $800,000 for computing resources that will become part of a new university-wide high-performance computing system scheduled to arrive this fall. The lab will also receive another $2.4 million over five years to carry out the science.

“This infrastructure will take us from catalogs to cosmological interpretation,” Eifler said. “We’ll be able to do things like determine how much dark energy and dark matter are in the universe.”

Eifler also serves as co-chair of the cosmology group, which includes more than 1,000 scientists around the world.

“It’s fantastic to rally the community and to organize us around this science case,” he said. “This really is a dream job.”

Directly Imaging Distant Planets

Roman’s Coronagraphic Instrument will use masks, prisms, detectors, filters, and self-flexing mirrors to demonstrate technologies capable of suppressing starlight. By reducing the overwhelming glare of a host star, astronomers can directly image nearby planets and disks that would otherwise be extremely difficult to see.

Direct imaging represents an important step forward in exoplanet science. Nearly all known exoplanets have been discovered indirectly, including through methods that detect the slight drop in a star’s brightness when a planet passes in front of it.

Roman’s coronagraph will instead help astronomers search for planets by blocking the glare from their stars. The instrument is expected to detect planets that are 100 million times fainter than their host stars, a performance 100 to 1,000 times better than existing space-based coronagraphs.

“It will be a crucial pathfinder for a future Habitable Worlds Observatory,” a recommended telescope that would be specifically designed to search for signs of life in other solar systems, said Schuyler Wolff, an associate research professor of astronomy leading the observation planning working group for the Coronagraph Instrument.

Preparing Roman’s Exoplanet Observations

Lunar and Planetary Laboratory director Mark Marley, associate professor of astronomy Ewan S. Douglas, Steward Observatory assistant research professor Ramya Anche, and astronomy postdoctoral research associate Justin Hom also helped develop the Coronagraph Instrument. They will participate in future science through the observation planning working group.

Marley, together with LPL associate professor Ty Robinson and LPL postdoctoral research associate Zarah Brown, will use Coronagraph Instrument data to study the atmospheres of planets beyond our solar system.

Brown has been modeling the climates and spectra of self-luminous giant planets. These worlds are often young and hot enough to emit their own thermal infrared light.

The model predicts atmospheric temperature, composition and clouds, along with the infrared spectrum each object should produce. Those predictions are especially important because most of these planets have never been observed at these wavelengths.

“That predicted spectrum is critical for planning,” Brown said. “Roman’s coronagraph is working with extremely faint, high-contrast targets, so the team has to schedule enough observing time to detect a candidate without burning more of the mission’s limited time than necessary.”

Anche’s team is examining the structure of extrasolar systems, while Hom is leading efforts to identify the best stars for calibrating the Coronagraph Instrument. Hom also leads precursor observing programs with ground-based telescopes, work that is essential for confirming which targets should be selected for future Roman science programs.

Roman Science Begins in January 2027

Once Roman begins science operations in January, its data will be made available to researchers across the scientific community.

The U of A will lead nine NASA-approved investigations using Roman data, bringing in more than $2 million in funding. Researchers will use those observations to investigate additional topics including supermassive black holes, gravitational lenses, galaxy formation, reionization and cosmic dust.

Researchers analyzed 212 plant-based meat alternatives (PMBAs) and plant-based beverages (PBBs) purchased from UK stores. Every product tested contained at least one of 19 mycotoxins, and some contained several.

The study was led by the University of Parma in Italy and coauthored by Cranfield University. Researchers examined a wide range of products commonly available to UK shoppers, including burgers, vegetarian chicken pieces, vegan sausages, and oat, almond and soy-based milks.

Why Mycotoxins Appear in Plant-Based Foods

Mycotoxins can be especially common in plant-based products because many of their ingredients, including grains, legumes and seeds, may be exposed to mould while they are being grown or stored.

Despite the widespread detection of mycotoxins, the levels measured in the UK products remained below recommended EU guideline levels. The researchers said this reflects the high quality standards maintained by the UK food industry.

Long-Term Exposure Could Still Matter

The concern is not necessarily the amount present in a single product. Previous research studies have indicated that repeated exposure to small amounts of mycotoxins can add up over time and may eventually create health concerns.

Eating individual plant-based products is therefore unlikely to cause problems on its own. However, the researchers say that a diet based entirely on plant foods could increase cumulative exposure to mycotoxins if that exposure is not properly managed. In severe cases, mycotoxin exposure has been associated with liver and kidney damage, suppression of the immune system, and cancer.

The findings provide new data that can be used to estimate dietary exposure and improve risk assessments for consumers in the UK.

Experts Call for Better Monitoring

Andrea Patriarca, Senior Lecturer in Mycology at Cranfield University, said:

“Mycotoxins occur naturally in foods and cannot be completely avoided. As consumers, we should not be frightened or deterred from enjoying a variety of products.

“However, a significant concern arises when new foods enter the market, as there are currently no established regulations to monitor mycotoxins. We collaborate closely with various sectors in the food industry, from farmers to food companies, to help implement effective mycotoxin management integrated within food safety standards. The data from our research helps food safety organisations in assessing risks, particularly in complex multi-ingredient products.

“We are currently collaborating with the University of Parma to evaluate the risks faced by the population based on different dietary habits. Our aim is to advise policymakers and raise awareness among vulnerable consumers.”

The full research paper, “Mycotoxin contamination in plant-based beverages and meat alternatives: A survey of the UK market,” is published in Food Control.

This work was carried out under the Horizon Europe FunShield4Med project (HORIZON-WIDERA-2021-ACCESS-03) Grant Agreement No 101079173 funded by the European Union.