Connect with us

Technology

Space-Grown Brain Organoids Help Advance New Neurological Treatment

Published

on

Startup Leverages ISS National Lab to Test Viral Vector That Delivers Gene Therapy

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Did you know some viruses don’t cause illness and can instead be used to treat disease? Biotechnology startup Axonis Therapeutics reprogrammed a virus to carry a novel gene therapy to neurons to treat neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and spinal cord injury. The company needed a way to test the therapeutic in a mature human brain model, which is difficult to produce on Earth. To address this challenge, Axonis leveraged the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory to quickly grow 3D human brain organoids and test the therapeutic.

The team’s groundbreaking research is featured in the latest issue of Upward, official magazine of the ISS National Lab. In the article, Axonis Therapeutics co-founder and chief scientific officer Shane Hegarty says, “Doing research in space is not something you’d ever think about normally, but the opportunity to leverage microgravity conditions can unlock a lot of untouched potential by pushing the boundaries of science in a unique environment.” 

Viruses infect cells in a host and insert genetic material into them. In viruses that cause disease, the genetic material takes over cells and damages them. However, viruses can be reprogrammed to carry helpful genetic material. Axonis has modified a virus that is not harmful to humans to act as a viral vector. This vector targets neurons and delivers gene therapy designed to prevent neuron degeneration and spur regeneration. Importantly, it must be delivered only to neurons and no other cells in the body.

The viral vector worked in mice but required testing in a mature human brain model. On Earth, gravity forces cells to grow in 2D monolayers, and it is hard to culture multiple neuron subtypes together. The Axonis team learned about researchers who sent mature liver cells to space, and the cells spontaneously assembled into a 3D liver organoid. The team wondered if mature central nervous system (CNS) cells would do the same.

Axonis was awarded a Technology in Space Prize—funded by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™, which manages the ISS National Lab, and Boeing in partnership with the MassChallenge startup accelerator program—to conduct research on the space station. The team co-cultured mature neurons and astrocytes on the ISS, and within 72 hours, the cells self-assembled into 3D brain organoids—a feat not possible on Earth. The viral vector was loaded with a fluorescent protein gene instead of the gene therapy, and the team was excited to see glowing green neurons, meaning the viral vector had worked. These successful results significantly de-risked Axonis’ therapeutic and helped move it closer to clinical trials.

Hegarty said the company’s ISS National Lab-sponsored research also helped put Axonis on the map and made it easier for the startup to attract seed investors. Axonis recently announced the completion of a successful $115 million Series A financing campaign that was oversubscribed (the company received investor interest beyond its fundraising target). The company will use the funding to advance another of its therapeutics—this one to treat epilepsy and pain—through clinical proof-of-concept in patients.

To learn more about Axonis’ exciting ISS National Lab-sponsored investigation, read the Upward feature “From Viral Villain to Gene Therapy Hero.”

Download a high-resolution image for this release: Space-Grown Brain Organoid.

About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory:
The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Laboratory® allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve quality of life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS™) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CASIS accepts corporate and individual donations to help advance science in space for the benefit of humanity. For more information, visit our donations page.

Media Contact:        

Patrick O’Neill 

904-806-0035 

PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org  

 

International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory
       Managed by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS)
__________________________________________________________________________________ 

1005 Viera Blvd., Suite 101, Rockledge, FL 32955 • 321.253.5101 • www.ISSNationalLab.org

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/space-grown-brain-organoids-help-advance-new-neurological-treatment-302313255.html

SOURCE International Space Station National Lab

Continue Reading

Technology

Advanced Process Solutions Elevates Clint Johnson to Vice President of Services and Operations

Published

on

By

Veteran Semiconductor Leader Brings More Than 20 Years of Operational Excellence, Strategic Growth, and Industry Leadership

DALLAS, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Advanced Process Solutions (APS), an industry leader in high precision and high purity manufacturing and process technology solutions, serving the semiconductor, aerospace, electronics, and industrial markets, today announced the promotion of Clint Johnson to Vice President of Services and Operations. As APS continues to expand its presence and capabilities within the semiconductor industry, Johnson’s leadership will play a critical role in advancing the company’s mission, strengthening customer partnerships, and delivering best-in-class service solutions.

“Clint has been an invaluable asset to APS since joining us as Director of Field Services earlier this year,” said Suhas Uppalapati, Chairman of APS. “He has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a relentless focus on operational performance. His dedication to customer success, workforce development, and continuous improvement quickly established him as a key contributor, and we are excited to see him continue to push APS forward in this expanded role.”

Johnson oversees APS’s service and operational functions, ensuring the organization maintains the highest standards of safety, regulatory compliance, quality, and customer satisfaction. His leadership approach is rooted in accountability, collaboration, and operational discipline, creating an environment where teams are empowered to excel while supporting the company’s broader strategic objectives.

“I am honored to step into the role of Vice President of Services and Operations and to work alongside such a talented team,” said Johnson. “The semiconductor and advanced manufacturing sectors are moving at an unprecedented pace. Together, we will continue focusing on safety, quality, and operational execution to ensure APS is uniquely positioned to help our global customers scale, optimize workflows, and meet today’s complex production demands.”

Prior to APS, Johnson spent more than 20 years in operational management at Air Liquide, a world leader in chemical manufacturing. He earned a degree in organizational leadership from East Texas A&M University.

About Advanced Process Solutions (APS)

Advanced Process Solutions (APS) is a leading provider of precision manufacturing, engineered process systems, and ultra-high-purity solutions serving the semiconductor, aerospace, electronics, and advanced industrial markets. With over 25 years of industry experience, APS specializes in chemical delivery and dispensing systems, specialty gas distribution, filtration and purification, precision fabrication, automation and controls, and turnkey process system integration.

Strategically located in the Dallas Metroplex, APS supports the rapidly expanding U.S. semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem, including Texas’s emerging “Silicon Prairie.” To support its continued growth and innovation, APS is expanding into a purpose-built, 100,000-square-foot, high-tech manufacturing facility in Van Alstyne, Texas, featuring a Center of Excellence, state-of-the-art research and development capabilities, and advanced cleanroom facilities. This investment will significantly enhance APS’s manufacturing capacity, engineering capabilities, and ability to deliver next-generation process solutions.

Combining engineering expertise, manufacturing excellence, and an unwavering commitment to quality and safety, APS partners with leading global manufacturers to deliver innovative, reliable, and scalable solutions that enhance operational efficiency and support mission-critical production environments.

For more information, visit www.APSNextGen.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/advanced-process-solutions-elevates-clint-johnson-to-vice-president-of-services-and-operations-302918995.html

SOURCE Advanced Process Solutions

Continue Reading

Technology

From Grid Constraint to AI Growth: Hitachi Vantara and Duraflow Transform Data Center Energy Management for Greater AI and Compute Capacity

Published

on

By

Hitachi Vantara pilots one of the world’s largest Phase Change Material installations in its Netherlands data center, demonstrating how organizations can use up to 90% less electricity for thermal managementImplementation requires zero water for cooling, reducing the resources needed to support data center operationsThis generates more computing capacity from existing power infrastructure, rather than diverting power to cooling

ZALTBOMMEL, The Netherlands and SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates demand for computing power, data centers face a growing challenge: how to increase AI and compute capacity when access to additional electricity is increasingly constrained.

Hitachi Vantara, the data storage, infrastructure and hybrid cloud management subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd. (TSE: 6501), is demonstrating a new approach to address this challenge by showing how data centers can effectively use their power for AI and compute capacity rather than power and cooling. At its data center in the Netherlands, Hitachi Vantara has deployed one of the world’s largest operational Phase Change Material (PCM) installations, using technology developed by Dutch thermal energy company Duraflow.

For more information about Hitachi Vantara’s approach to AI, please visit: https://www.hitachivantara.com/solutions/ai-analytics

Depending on the application, PCM technology can help reduce electricity consumption related to thermal management by up to 90%, while requiring no water for cooling. By reducing the energy needed to manage power and cooling, a greater share of available electrical capacity can be used for computing – an increasingly important consideration as organizations deploy more energy-intensive AI workloads.

Tackling the energy challenge behind AI
Every watt consumed by AI ultimately becomes heat and managing that heat requires as much as 40% of a data center’s total energy needs. At the same time, as AI workloads continue to grow, the ability to convert available electricity into useful computing capacity will increasingly determine how quickly digital infrastructure can expand. This creates a growing challenge for data center operators seeking to increase computing capacity within constrained power infrastructure. In regions where grid congestion or limited access to additional electricity can constrain data center expansion, improving infrastructure efficiency can help organizations make more computing capacity available within their existing power connection.

Hitachi Vantara faced this challenge as demand for high-density computing and AI infrastructure increased. Rather than assuming that more computing required a greater amount of power, the company explored ways to make its existing electrical capacity work harder. The resulting deployment of Duraflow’s PCM technology provides a real-world proof point for this approach at an operational scale.

Real-world performance: 240 kW of cooling with low electrical consumption
The installed system provides a total cooling capacity of 240 kW across two 120 kW PCM units. According to operational monitoring data, the two units collectively consume just 5–8 kW of electricity, depending on operating conditions. For comparison, a conventional DX cooling system delivering the same 240 kW cooling capacity would require an estimated 60–80 kW of compressor power. These operational figures illustrate how PCM-based thermal management can significantly reduce the electricity required for cooling, freeing up more of the data center’s available power capacity for computing.

“This project started with a very practical challenge: how do we grow our computing capacity when access to additional electricity is limited,” said Simon Ninan, Senior Vice President of Business Strategy, Hitachi Vantara. “We realized that if we could dramatically reduce the amount of power required for thermal management, we could make more of our existing electrical capacity available for computing. By partnering with Duraflow, we are demonstrating how smarter energy management can become an important enabler of AI growth.”

The approach also supports Hitachi Vantara’s broader commitment to operating more efficiently and sustainably, including its goal of becoming carbon neutral in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by FY2030.

Building efficiency across the infrastructure stack
The deployment is part of Hitachi Vantara’s broader focus on helping organizations get more value from their infrastructure while managing the growing energy demands of digital workloads.

That approach extends across the infrastructure stack. Hitachi Vantara’s Virtual Storage Platform One (VSP One) Block includes a 4:1 Data Reduction Guarantee and features Dynamic Carbon Reduction technology, which reduces energy consumption by switching CPUs into eco-mode during periods of low activity. Its always-on compression capability allows the system to switch from inline data reduction to post processing, which further reduces energy consumption and helps reduce a CO2 footprint by as much as 40%.

“Addressing the energy demands of AI isn’t about optimizing one part of the business in isolation,” said Courtney Hadden, Sustainability Director, Hitachi Digital. “It’s about working in concert across the organization and with innovative ecosystem partners to find efficiencies at every stage – from the products we build, how we bring them to market, and everything in between. The answer cannot simply be to consume more power. We need to become smarter about how we use the power we already have.”

Dutch innovation, demonstrated at operational scale
Developed in the Netherlands, Duraflow’s PCM technology absorbs thermal energy during periods of peak demand before releasing it in a controlled manner when demand decreases. Unlike conventional cooling approaches that rely continuously on electrically driven refrigeration to remove heat, PCM technology provides a way to manage and store thermal energy more efficiently. The system requires no water for cooling, helping data centers reduce their reliance on water resources while significantly lowering the electricity needed for thermal management.

“Developing technology is one thing; proving that it can operate at this scale in a live, mission-critical environment is another,” said Simon Loerakker, CEO, Duraflow. “Our collaboration with Hitachi Vantara has allowed us to demonstrate the potential of innovation at an unprecedented scale. Together, we are showing that sustainable innovation and the growth of AI infrastructure can go hand in hand.”

For more information on Hitachi Vantara’s AI-enabled infrastructure, please visit: https://www.hitachivantara.com/en-us/products/storage-platforms.

Additional Resources:

Blog: Raising the Stakes for Sustainable, AI-ready InfrastructureBlog: Five Habits That Cut IT Energy Waste, Without Spending MorePress Release: Hitachi Vantara Releases FY2025 Sustainability Report, Highlighting Leadership in Energy-Efficient Infrastructure for AI-Driven WorkloadsWebinar: Green Data: Sustainable Innovations in Data CentersPress Release: Hitachi Vantara Unveils New Virtual Storage Platform One Capabilities to Enable Stronger Cyber Resilience, Performance and Sustainability

About Duraflow
Duraflow develops advanced thermal energy management technology based on Phase Change Materials (PCM). Its independently developed technology enables organizations to significantly reduce energy consumption for thermal management, maximize the use of existing electrical infrastructure and support the sustainable growth of mission-critical digital environments.

About Hitachi Vantara
Hitachi Vantara is transforming the way data fuels innovation. A wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., Hitachi Vantara provides the data foundation the world’s leading innovators rely on. Through data storage, infrastructure systems, cloud management, and digital expertise, the company helps customers build the foundation for sustainable business growth. To learn more, visit www.hitachivantara.com.

About Hitachi, Ltd. 
Through its Social Innovation Business (SIB) that brings together IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products, Hitachi aims to be a global leader in continuously transforming social infrastructure through digital, contributing to a harmonized society where the environment, wellbeing, and economic growth are in balance. Hitachi operates worldwide across four sectors – Digital Systems & Services, Energy, Mobility, and Connective Industries – as well as a Strategic SIB Business Unit focused on new growth areas. With Lumada at its core, Hitachi creates value by combining data, technology, and domain knowledge to solve customer and social challenges. Revenues for FY2025 (ended March 31, 2026) totaled 10,586.7 billion yen, with 606 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 290,000 employees worldwide. Visit us at www.hitachi.com.

HITACHI is a trademark or registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. All other trademarks, service marks, and company names are properties of their respective owners.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/from-grid-constraint-to-ai-growth-hitachi-vantara-and-duraflow-transform-data-center-energy-management-for-greater-ai-and-compute-capacity-302920057.html

SOURCE Hitachi Vantara

Continue Reading

Technology

Parks Associates: HDR Is Shaping the Future of Premium Video Entertainment

Published

on

By

New Parks Associates white paper, developed in partnership with InterDigital, examines how HDR is advancing viewing experiences across streaming, live sports, gaming, and mobile devices

PLANO, Texas, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — New research from Parks Associates shows high dynamic range (HDR) is becoming a foundational component of premium video entertainment, creating opportunities for television manufacturers, streaming services, and content creators to differentiate through picture quality. The research, High Dynamic Range and the Future of Video, developed in partnership with InterDigital, examines HDR’s expanding role across the entertainment ecosystem.

HDR enhances brightness and contrast and produces richer colors and more lifelike images for the video-viewing experience. The white paper explores how broader device support, growing content availability, and advances in production and distribution are moving HDR from a premium feature toward an expected part of high-quality viewing.

“HDR gives the entertainment industry a powerful way to make improvements in picture quality,” said Michael Goodman, Director, Entertainment Research, Parks Associates. “For manufacturers, it helps demonstrate the value of advanced displays. For streaming services and content owners, it provides an opportunity to deliver a more compelling experience and preserve the creative intent of their programming.”

“Consumers may not always know HDR by name, but they recognize the experience it enables: richer color, deeper contrast and a more lifelike picture,” said Lionel Oisel, Head of Video Labs, InterDigital. “As HDR expands across streaming, live sports, gaming and mobile, the opportunity is to make that premium experience consistent and efficient on every screen. Innovation in HDR, video compression and delivery will be fundamental to making that possible.”

The white paper identifies several developments shaping HDR’s next phase:

Smart TVs are the foundation. Smart TVs are the primary streaming video device in 62% of US internet households with a connected TV device.

Live sports and gaming expand HDR’s relevance. These experiences showcase HDR’s ability to reproduce bright highlights, detailed shadows, and realistic imagery, while pushing improvements in production and real-time processing.

Mobile viewing extends HDR beyond the television. Mobile phones account for 24% of weekly video consumption, with tablets contributing another 11%.

Technology advances improve delivery economics. AI-assisted image processing, cloud-based production, and next-generation codecs such as Versatile Video Coding (VVC) will simplify workflows and deliver HDR more efficiently.

The research also identifies challenges that require continued collaboration to ensure the successful expansion of HDR. Differences in HDR formats, device capabilities, and service implementations can produce inconsistent viewing experiences. Content providers must manage the cost and complexity of supporting multiple formats as audiences move from standard to HDR in their video viewing.

Parks Associates and InterDigital will highlight this research at Future of Video: Business of Streaming, an executive conference for the streaming and video industries on November 17-18 in Marina del Rey, California. Register here. 

For more information, contact Mindi Sue Sternblitz-Rubenstein.

About Parks Associates

Parks Associates helps companies identify new opportunities, refine strategy, and accelerate growth in connected technology markets through data-driven insights and industry expertise. With more than 40 years of experience, the firm delivers proprietary consumer and industry research, market forecasts, and strategic analysis that guide business decisions across personal, connected home, small business, and commercial technology ecosystems. Parks Associates supports clients in navigating evolving markets including AI, security, smart home, broadband, entertainment, energy, multifamily, smart buildings, and connected health.

The firm also fosters industry growth and collaboration by convening thousands of leaders each year through its flagship executive conferences, including CONNECTIONS™, Connected Health Summit, Smart Energy Summit, Smart Spaces, and Future of Video. Learn more at https://www.parksassociates.com.

Mindi Sue Sternblitz-Rubenstein
Parks Associates
972.490.1113
425707@email4pr.com 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/parks-associates-hdr-is-shaping-the-future-of-premium-video-entertainment-302920326.html

SOURCE Parks Associates

Continue Reading

Trending