CRISPR-guided Drug Repurposing for Cryptosporidium, MIT Bionic Knee, Infrared LiFi, and Near-Earth Object Updates

Episode snapshot

The Naked Scientists episode covers breakthrough work on a potential treatment for cryptosporidiosis using CRISPR to identify drug targets, a novel bionic knee that communicates with the remaining limb through bone, infrared LiFi as a new wireless technology, and recent near-Earth object observations including Bennu samples that shed light on solar system history.

• CRISPR screens identify host genes and repurposed cholesterol pathway drug that reduces parasite growth in cells and mice, with human trials planned.
• MIT’s bionic knee uses miloneural interface to provide natural movement and sensory feedback, potentially becoming standard care.
• Infrared LiFi offers massive bandwidth and privacy advantages, with Bridge XE enabling gigabit connectivity.
• Bennu samples reveal salts and organic molecules, offering clues on the solar system's early environment.
• Question of the week explains how thousands of cell states emerge from gene expression patterns.

Introduction

The Naked Scientists episode surveys four major science frontiers: a potential therapy for the gut parasite Cryptosporidium, advances in bionic prosthetics for above the knee amputation, a new approach to wireless connectivity using infrared LiFi, and updates on near Earth objects including samples from the asteroid Bennu. Each segment highlights how existing knowledge is being repurposed or reimagined to improve health, mobility, connectivity, and planetary science understanding.

Cryptosporidium and CRISPR guided drug repurposing

Cryptosporidium is a common intestinal parasite that can cause severe illness in young children and immunocompromised individuals. The podcast explains that current remedies are limited, with nitazoxanide being the only approved option, yet its efficacy is not optimal for the most vulnerable groups. Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute used CRISPR gene editing to selectively disable nearly every gene expressed by human intestinal cells in culture. This broad genetic screen aimed to reveal which host cell pathways the parasite relies on for growth. The reasoning is that if a host cell pathway is essential to the parasite, a drug that targets that pathway might inhibit parasite growth as well.

The team identified a metabolically central gene in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. A drug previously developed to target this gene, decades ago, was found to impede the parasite's growth in cell culture and in a mouse model. This demonstrates a path from basic host-parasite biology to drug repurposing, leveraging existing safety data. While translating from mice to humans is complex, the researchers are moving toward clinical trials in endemic areas, prioritizing safety data that has already progressed to Phase 3 trials. In immunocompromised contexts, reductions in parasite burden and intestinal damage were significant, with more than half reduction observed in the mouse model. The work represents a potential shift for cryptosporidiosis treatment, especially for vulnerable populations such as HIV-positive individuals or young children.

The segment concludes with anticipation for human studies and the potential to fast track safety data, given the prior clinical trial experience with the drug in question. The Francis Crick Institute researchers, including Bishara Mazouk, emphasize the translational trajectory from cell culture to animal models and toward human trials, highlighting the value of repurposing known drugs with established safety profiles.

Bionic knee and miloneural interface

In another major segment, MIT researchers unveil a breakthrough bionic knee that integrates with the body at the level of bone and residual muscles. The approach, known as an agonist antagonist miloneural interface, reconnects muscles that previously controlled the knee to enable more natural and dynamic movement, including faster walking, stairs, and obstacle navigation. Importantly, the interface provides direct force feedback from the bone back to the brain, creating a sense of phantom knee movement and a closed control loop that mirrors the brain’s motor commands with sensory feedback.

Patients report emotional and practical improvements when using the device, with learning curves described as gentle and intuitive, as the device relies on neural activity the brain already uses to control motion. The researchers emphasize the pilot nature of the work and discuss two main pathways for future development: a fully autonomous smart device versus continuing to share control with the human pilot to enable more dynamic actions such as football or rapid obstacle avoidance. The team sees this human-in-the-loop approach as essential for both movement performance and psychological well-being, and the paper detailing the work was published in Science, positioning it as a potential new standard in above knee prosthetics.

Infrared LiFi and the future of connectivity

A third topic focuses on infrared LiFi as a new approach to wireless connectivity that avoids crowded RF spectrum limitations. Pure LiFi’s architecture leverages infrared light to encode data, producing high bandwidths and enhanced privacy because light does not pass through solid objects. The discussion covers the scale-up potential, including defense and government use cases where privacy is critical, and cable-replacement scenarios enabling gigabit Internet in previously challenging environments. Experts explain that infrared LiFi can operate at extremely high speeds due to rapid on-off switching and light intensity modulation, with receivers integrated into consumer devices for seamless, secure data transfer. The interview also touches on the market readiness and how LiFi will complement existing cellular and Wi-Fi technologies rather than replace them entirely.

Near-Earth objects and Bennu

The program returns to space science with a discussion of dozens of near Earth objects (NEOs) that approach our planet, including a plane-sized asteroid that passed by at about four million miles away. The conversation emphasizes the strategic importance of ongoing monitoring to identify potentially hazardous asteroids and mitigate planetary impact risk. The piece explains the Tunguska event as a reference point for the devastation a 50-meter asteroid could cause if it struck a populated region. The talk also covers how small objects and dust continually enter Earth’s atmosphere, forming a constant background flux of extraterrestrial material, and how meteorites recovered on Earth provide insights into early Solar System formation.

Turning to Bennu, the Osiris-REx mission has delivered samples that scientists continue to study. The analysis has revealed salts and organic material preserved in pristine conditions, which is crucial because salts are prone to dissolution in humid air. The grains within Bennu predate the asteroid’s accretion, offering clues about the solar system’s evolution and indicating Bennu likely originated far beyond the outer regions of the solar system before migrating into near-Earth space. In sum, Bennu’s samples illuminate the early solar system and planetary formation processes, providing context for how Earth-like materials may have formed and migrated inward.

Question of the week: cell types and gene expression

The podcast closes with a discussion of a user question about the number of human cell types. The answer emphasizes that all cells share the same genome, but the diverse patterns of gene expression, regulated by transcription factors, shape cell identity. The Human Cell Atlas is described as a large international effort to map cell types by molecular signatures rather than relying solely on morphology. The project suggests thousands of distinct cell states and estimates the human body contains roughly 37 trillion cells, with targeted sampling across tissues aimed at charting the majority of cell space. The discussion underscores how high-throughput technologies are transforming our understanding of cellular diversity and identity.

Closing and credits

The episode concludes with a reminder about the Naked Scientists program’s Cambridge roots, the show’s association with Spitfire for production, and a teaser for the next installment focusing on dinosaurs, drones, and imaging technologies.