UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON

A new material, NaxV2(PO4)3, developed by researchers increases sodium-ion battery energy density by over 15%, making it a sustainable, affordable alternative to lithium-ion batteries.

Baby's first vocalizations linked to heart rate, indicating speech development tied to autonomic nervous system, per University of Houston study.

A new open-source image analysis platform, SPACe, developed by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, and the University of Houston, provides a computational resource-efficient tool to analyze large datasets from cell painting assays, capturing diverse single cell responses and revealing new avenues for drug development.

ABC13 celebrates 70 years in Houston, inspiring the Astrodome's design and featuring icons like Dave Ward and Marvin Zindler. The station's mascot, KiTiRiK, was a beloved children's TV host, and ABC13 remains a community leader with extensive local coverage and charitable events.

A UH engineer seeks physician collaborators for a wearable eye-tracking system to monitor brain activity. The F-PEMSA sensors, smaller than a penny, attach to the temple for continuous eye movement data. The team aims to develop wireless, full-scale sensors for clinical trials, pending funding. The eyes are a window into the brain, and F-PEMSA could improve diagnoses of neurological disorders.

CellChorus, a Houston biotech company, received up to $2.5 million from NCATS for its TIMING platform, which uses AI and advanced microscopy for single-cell analysis. The funding supports label-free cell analysis via new AI and ML models, aiming to advance immuno-oncology therapies.

A review on clinical trials of implantable brain-computer interfaces features insights from Jose Contreras-Vidal and Mariska Vansteensel, discussing existing trials, technological advancements, participant etiologies, clinical implications, and future research directions.

UH researchers developed a small, non-invasive, inexpensive wearable sensor for continuous eye movement monitoring to predict neurological disorders, outperforming existing technologies.

Opioid overdoses in Texas surged, with Austin-Travis County EMS responding to 75 cases in days, including 50 in 24 hours. A fentanyl vaccine, under development by University of Houston researchers, aims to prevent addiction by blocking the drug from reaching the brain. Clinical trials are set to begin in 2025, though FDA approval and public availability could take 5-10 years. Free Narcan kits are available in Austin to combat overdoses.

A fentanyl vaccine developed by University of Houston researchers is expected to enter clinical trials mid-next year, aiming to prevent the opioid from entering the brain and causing overdose. The vaccine, successful in animal studies, is licensed to Ovax, which raised over $10 million for its production and testing. Despite challenges, including lengthy clinical trial processes and stigma around addiction, the vaccine is seen as a potential tool in the fight against the opioid crisis.