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Scientists said Monday they have developed the first mobile printer that can produce thumbnail-sized patches able to deliver mRNA Covid vaccines, hoping the tabletop device will help immunise people in remote regions.

While many hurdles remain and the 3D printer is likely years away from becoming available, experts hailed the “exciting” finding.

The device prints two-centimetre-wide patches which each contain hundreds of tiny needles that administer a vaccine when pressed against the skin.

These “microneedle patches” offer a range of advantages over traditional jabs in the arm, including that they can be self-administered, are relatively painless, could be more palatable to the vaccine-hesitant and can be stored at room temperature for long periods of time.

The popular mRNA Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna need to be refrigerated, which has caused distribution complications — particularly in developing countries that have condemned the unequal distribution of doses during the pandemic.

The new printer was tested with the Pfizer and Moderna jabs, according to a study in the journal Nature Biotechnology, but the goal of the international team of researchers behind it is for it to be adapted to whatever vaccines are needed.

Robert Langer, co-founder of Moderna and one of the study’s authors, told AFP that he hoped the printer could be used for “the next Covid, or whatever crisis occurs”.

Ana Jaklenec, a study author also from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said the printer could be sent to areas such as refugee camps or remote villages to “quickly immunise the local population,” in the event of a fresh outbreak of a disease like Ebola.

Vacuum-sealed

Microneedle patch vaccines are already under development for Covid and a range of other diseases, including polio, measles and rubella.

But the patches have long struggled to take off because producing them is an expensive, laborious process often involving large machines for centrifugation.

To shrink that process down, the researchers used a vacuum chamber to suck the printer “ink” into the bottom of their patch moulds, so it reaches the points of the tiny needles.

The vaccine ink is made up of lipid nanoparticles containing mRNA vaccine molecules, as well as a polymer similar to sugar water.

Once allowed to dry, the patches can be stored at room temperature for at least six months, the study found. The patches even survived a month at a balmy 37 degrees Celsius (99 Fahrenheit).

Mice which were given a vaccine patch produced a similar level of antibody response to others immunised via a traditional injection, the study said.

The printed patches are currently being tested on primates, which if successful would lead to trials on humans.

A real breakthrough?

The printer can make 100 patches in 48 hours. But modelling suggested that — with improvements — it could potentially print thousands a day, the researchers said.

“And you can have more than one printer,” Langer added.

Joseph DeSimone, a chemist at Stanford University not involved in the research, said that “this work is particularly exciting as it realises the ability to produce vaccines on demand”.

“With the possibility of scaling up vaccine manufacturing and improved stability at higher temperatures, mobile vaccine printers can facilitate widespread access to RNA vaccines,” said DeSimone, who has invented his own microneedle patches.

Antoine Flahault, director of the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva, said that production and access to vaccines could be “transformed through such a printer”.

“It might become a real breakthrough,” he told AFP, while warning that this depended on approval and mass production, which could take years.

Darrick Carter, a biochemist and CEO of US biotech firm PAI Life Sciences, was less optimistic.

He said that the field of microneedle patches had “suffered for 30 years” because no one had yet been able to scale up manufacturing in a cost-effective way.

“Until someone figures out the manufacturing scale-up issues for microneedle patches they will remain niche products,” he told AFP.


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NASA’s SPHEREx Mission Sends First Space Images Before Full Sky Survey

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NASA’s SPHEREx Mission Sends First Space Images Before Full Sky Survey

NASA’s SPHEREx mission has sent back its first images from space. This marks an important step before it begins the full survey of the sky. The space telescope, which was launched on March 11, 2025, is designed to scan millions of galaxies and collect data in infrared light. On March 27, its detectors captured uncalibrated images that show thousands of light sources, including distant stars and galaxies. The images, processed with added colours for infrared wavelengths, confirm that SPHEREx is operating as expected. Once fully operational, the telescope will take 600 exposures daily and map the entire sky four times during its two-year mission.

Recorded Images Reveals Interesting Details

According to NASA’s SPHEREx mission, the observatory’s six detectors recorded images of the same area of the sky, providing a wide field of view. The top three images represent one portion of the sky, while the bottom three cover the same section. As per the report, the SPHEREx catpured each image with around 100,000 light sources. As per multiple reports, scientists can now learn more about what celestial objects and its distance from Earth with the help of infrared wavelengths. The data from SPHEREx will also help researchers to explore the origins of water in the Milky Way. Moreover, it might also help the scientists to find more clues about the universe’s earliest moments.

Olivier Doré, SPHEREx project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Caltech, told NASA that the telescope is functioning as intended. The infrared light detected by SPHEREx is invisible to human eyes, but colour mapping enables researchers to visualise and analyse it. The observatory’s unique design includes 17 infrared wavelength bands for each detector, creating a total of 102 hues in every six-image capture.

How the Telescope Works

Unlike Hubble or the James Webb Space Telescope, which focuses on specific areas of space, SPHEREx is built for large-scale surveys. It uses spectroscopy to break down light and identify chemical compositions and distances of celestial bodies. Light entering the telescope is divided into two paths, each leading to three detectors. Specialised filters process the incoming wavelengths, allowing for detailed observations of millions of cosmic sources.

Beth Fabinsky, deputy project manager at JPL, said in NASA’s official statement that the successful image capture represents a major milestone. The telescope has also reached its target operating temperature of minus 350 degrees Fahrenheit, crucial for detecting faint infrared signals. Since focusing cannot be adjusted after launch, mission engineers verified the accuracy of the telescope’s optics before sending it into space.

Jamie Bock, principal investigator at JPL and Caltech, confirmed in NASA’s report that the telescope is performing as expected. Engineers will continue testing before the observatory begins routine operations in late April.

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Iceland’s Grindavík town evacuated as volcanic fissure erupts with lava!

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Iceland’s Grindavík town evacuated as volcanic fissure erupts with lava!

A volcanic fissure has emerged near Grindavík on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula after a series of strong earthquakes. Lava has breached the town’s defence barriers. The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) has warned that the fissure may continue to expand. The eruption began along the Sundhnúkur crater row early in the morning. By 9:45 a.m. local time, a fissure stretching nearly 1,200 metres had opened north of Grindavík. The crack is moving southward. Officials have raised the hazard level to the highest risk category.

Evacuations and Road Closures

According to the IMO, a second fissure has appeared inside Grindavík’s protective barriers. Authorities have evacuated the town along with the Blue Lagoon spa. Roads in and out of the area have been shut. Some residents have refused to leave. Local media outlet Visir has reported that emergency services remain on high alert.

Impact of Volcanic Gas

Weather forecasts indicate that volcanic gas will be carried northeastward towards Reykjavík. The capital is located about 40 kilometres away. The IMO has stated that by tomorrow morning, changing wind patterns may direct the gas southwest and eastward. Residents have been told to remain indoors as much as possible while closely monitoring air quality updates. Reykjanes Peninsula has experienced about 11 eruptions since 2021. Eight have occurred along the Sundhnúkur crater row since last year. Scientists continue to monitor the situation closely. Authorities have urged people to avoid the affected region.

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JWST Captures Unseen Details of Exoplanets in HR 8799 and 51 Eridani Systems

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JWST Captures Unseen Details of Exoplanets in HR 8799 and 51 Eridani Systems

Astronomers have released new images of planets within the HR 8799 and 51 Eridani star systems. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was used in a way that was different from standard procedures to achieve these results. Capturing direct images of exoplanets is challenging due to the brightness of host stars, which often obscures planetary details. To allow more light through, researchers adjusted JWST’s coronagraphs. This helps in enhancing the visibility of these distant worlds. This adjustment provided clearer insights into planetary atmospheres and their compositions.

Unconventional Use of JWST’s Coronagraphs

According to a study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, lead author William Balmer, a Ph.D. candidate at Johns Hopkins University, explained to Space.com that a thinner part of the coronagraph mask was used. This allowed more starlight to diffract, reducing the risk of completely obscuring planets. Coronagraphs typically block starlight to reveal faint celestial bodies, but this modification provided a balance between removing excessive glare and preserving planetary details.

Key Discoveries and Observations

The JWST’s mid-infrared imaging captured HR 8799 at 4.6 microns. It is a wavelength that is mainly blocked by Earth’s atmosphere. Balmer stated that previous ground-based attempts had failed, demonstrating JWST’s stability in detecting exoplanets. Observations at 4.3 microns were also conducted. This revealed the presence of carbon dioxide. It is a very important step in determining the planetary formation processes. The detected carbon dioxide levels suggested that these planets likely formed through core accretion, gathering heavy elements over time.

Future Research and Expanding Studies

There are many research planned to study the four additional planetary systems. Balmer’s team has been allocated more JWST observation time to confirm whether similar gas giants formed through core accretion. This could offer more insights into the stability of planetary systems and potential habitability of smaller, unseen planets.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.


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