Hasanuddin University study reveals insights for climate resilience in smallholder cacao farms

Multi-layered shade systems can improve soil health and plant physiology in cacao agroforestry under climate stress

Hasanuddin University

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Researchers from Hasanuddin University, Indonesia report that using a mix of shade trees, including coconut, banana, and Gliricidia sepium, can boost cacao growth through improved plant–leaf–soil interactions and climate resilience of cacao plants.

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Credit: EverJean from Openverse via Flickr Image source link: https://openverse.org/image/116c3f3b-90da-476e-941b-d1f27d9947fc

Chocolate is one of the world’s most widely consumed foods. It is made from cacao beans grown by millions of smallholder farmers globally. High-quality cacao beans require optimal growing conditions, which are essential for producing good-quality chocolates. However, growing climate variability such as rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and prolonged dry spells, are making it harder to maintain healthy crops and stable yields. Indonesia, the world’s third largest cacao producer, is facing the brunt of these challenges, which are directly impacting cacao production.

To address these challenges, a team of researchers led by Professor Risma Neswati from the Department of Soil Sciences at Hasanuddin University, Indonesia, carried out a field study in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, where cacao farming is widely practiced. They investigated different types of shade trees—trees planted alongside crops to provide partial cover from direct sunlight—namely, coconut, banana, and Gliricidia sepium, and evaluated various combinations of these trees alongside two high-yielding cacao clones (MCC 02 and Sulawesi 2), to assess their impact on soil–plant–leaf relationships and how they help cacao plants cope with climate stress. “We studied different shade trees and how they affected the soil, plant health, and the growth of cacao plants,” explains Prof. Neswita. Their findings were published in Volume 100 of Agroforestry Systems on March 11, 2026.

After analyzing different combinations of trees, the researchers found that integrating a mix of shade trees works better compared to using just one type or no shade at all. The study demonstrated that these mixed, layered shade systems, consisting of coconut, banana, and G. sepium, not only improved the soil quality through enrichment of important nutrients, such as nitrogen, but also boosted the soil’s ability to retain them. It also helped create a more stable microenvironment under the trees, thereby protecting the cacao plants from direct exposure to extreme heat and helping retain moisture.

Additionally, these shaded systems also improved plant physiology through increased levels of chlorophyll in the plants, resulting in healthier leaves. Researchers note that this helped provide a better control over water loss, which is critical during dry periods. Notably, these strategies led to stronger plant growth and consistent early fruit development. When comparing the growth of cacao trees under different environments, trees under mixed shade grew taller, developed wider canopies, and produced more young fruits than those without shade. “We found that different cacao varieties require different levels of shade. While some perform best under denser shade, others grow better with slightly more sunlight,” notes Prof. Neswita. In this way, farmers can improve yields by matching cacao varieties with suitable shade systems.

The authors emphasize that, in addition to planting shade trees, proper management through spacing and pruning can make cacao farms more resilient to climate stress. In addition, keeping fallen leaves on the ground as natural mulch can also help maintain soil fertility and moisture. The findings also support global efforts toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those focused on sustainable agriculture and climate action.

While the results are promising, researchers note that more studies are needed across different regions and seasons to better understand how these shade systems can be applied to improve yields worldwide. Overall, the findings highlight the value of simple, nature-based solutions by showing how soil, plants, and the environment work together. This approach offers a practical pathway for building climate-resilient cacao farms and improving future production.

 

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Reference
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-026-01444-4  

 

About Hasanuddin University, Indonesia
Hasanuddin University (Universitas Hasanuddin or Unhas) is one of Indonesia’s largest autonomous universities, located in Makassar. Established on September 10, 1956, and named after Sultan Hasanuddin of the Gowa Kingdom, the university has grown into a major center for higher education with 17 faculties, including medicine, engineering, law, agriculture, and natural sciences. Its origins date back to 1947 with an economics faculty linked to the University of Indonesia. Today, Unhas focuses on advancing science, technology, arts, and culture, with a strong emphasis on the Indonesian Maritime Continent, aiming to develop innovative and globally competitive graduates.
Learn more, here: https://www.unhas.ac.id/about/

 

About Professor Risma Neswati from Hasanuddin University, Indonesia
Dr. Risma Neswati is a Professor and Head of the Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Hasanuddin University, Indonesia. She holds a Ph.D. in Soil Science, and her research focuses on soil fertility, land evaluation, agroforestry, and climate-resilient agriculture. She also works on soil conservation and GIS-based land assessments. Till date, Dr. Neswati has authored more than 65 scientific publications, and her work contributes to improving sustainable land management and agricultural productivity in Indonesia.

 

Funding information
The authors gratefully acknowledge the Indonesian Education Scholarship (Beasiswa Pendidikan Indonesia, BPI), The Center for Higher Education Funding and Assessment (PPAPT), the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education Agency (LPDP), and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia for support to the doctoral scholarship publication programme (contract No. 00912/J5.2.3/BPI.06/9/2022).

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Journal

Agroforestry Systems

DOI

10.1007/s10457-026-01444-4 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Multistrata shade structures soil–leaf–physiology coupling and enhances climate resilience in smallholder cacao hedgerows

 

Canadian nephrologist shares common-sense, patient-centered solutions to transplant inequities

International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation

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Speaking today at the 46th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) Jagbir Gill, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology at the University of British Columbia (UBC), shared practical strategies for reducing disparities in access to transplantation.

“Transplant access should mean that every potentially eligible patient has a real chance to receive one,” said Dr. Gill. “Right now, we know that’s not happening—especially for Indigenous peoples and other underserved groups.”

Drawing on years of research regarding accessing kidney transplantation and his work with Indigenous communities in Canada, Dr. Gill said inequities in transplant care are not inevitable, but rather the result of systems that weren’t designed with cultural safety in mind.

Dr. Gill and his colleagues demonstrated that access to kidney transplantation was consistently more challenging for Indigenous patients in Canada.

“There are barriers at every stage of the workup and follow-up process,” said Dr. Gill, a past president of the Canadian Society of Transplantation.

These disparities are rooted in a long history of systemic racism, such as the residential school system—a government-funded, church-run program that forcibly removed Indigenous children from their families begun in the late 19th century, which has resulted in a profound and enduring lack of trust in healthcare institutions. Geography can add another layer of obstacles.

“Many Indigenous communities are located in remote or rural regions far from transplant centers and local services on reserve often rely on nurses or visiting physicians and do not offer specialized transplant care,” he said. “The result is a system in which the people who need the most support face the highest logistical and emotional barriers.”

From Description to Action

Dr. Gill stressed that simply documenting inequities is no longer enough. “We’ve spent years describing the problem. The real question now is: what actions can we take within the parts of the system we can control?”

Rather than imposing top-down fixes, his team has co-developed practical solutions with Indigenous patients, families, and community leaders. Key elements of their approach include co-designed education, providing culturally safe spaces, and navigation support.

Storytelling instead of pamphlets

By consulting with the Indigenous community, Dr. Gill’s team learned that traditional written materials had little impact. In response, they developed videos featuring Indigenous patients who have gone through the living donation process and kidney transplantation, including prominent and respected community members. The well-received videos are now central to their education strategy.

Culturally safe care and sacred spaces

The team integrated an Indigenous wellness liaison into its transplant program to support patients in culturally appropriate ways, including facilitating spiritual practices or ceremonies. To foster a sense of safety and respect, patient education sessions and group discussions are held in a designated sacred space within the hospital, rather than in conventional clinical rooms.

Nurse navigators and coordinated workups

Research revealed that missed appointments weren’t a result of non-adherence, but rather the result of transportation and logistical hurdles, such as traveling long distances to healthcare facilities, lost wages, and a lack of childcare.

To help patients overcome these obstacles, programs schedule transplant workups as a single, carefully planned visit for remote patients, with the help of a dedicated nurse navigator who coordinates tests and appointments.

Lessons for Heart and Lung Transplantation

Dr. Gill told the ISHLT audience that the principles guiding these interventions translate directly to heart and lung transplantation, where the same structural, cultural, and geographic challenges apply. Patients must travel to the same tertiary centers, stay for complex recoveries, and navigate long-term follow-up. Similarly, the same issues of trust, racism, and representation exist in other marginalized communities globally—including Black and Latino populations in the United States and Canada.

“The same practical strategies that we’ve deployed to increase access to kidney transplants among the Indigenous population could help heart and lung programs close gaps in access,” he said.

A Model That Can Be Expanded

Dr. Gill closed by emphasizing that while his team started with the Indigenous population, the same model can and should be extended to other under-resourced groups, including non-Indigenous patients in rural areas and those facing financial hardship.

“The goal is not to just create a special track for a select few, but to ensure that those most in need are cared for in a way that ensures equity and apply our learnings to improve care for everyone,” he said.

The annual meeting and scientific sessions of ISHLT are being held from 22–25 April at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada.

END

ABOUT ISHLT

The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) is a not-for-profit, multidisciplinary, professional organization dedicated to improving the care of patients with advanced heart or lung disease through transplantation, mechanical support, and innovative therapies via research, education, and advocacy. ISHLT members focus on transplantation and a range of interventions and therapies related to advanced heart and lung disease.

 

Reimagining heart transplant allocation worldwide

International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation

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Today at the 46th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT), Eileen Hsich, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic, outlined a bold vision for the future of heart transplantation that moves beyond national borders to address global inequities in organ allocation.

In her talk, Dr. Hsich argued that persistent disparities in access to heart transplantation—and the underutilization of donor hearts—demand a rethinking of current allocation systems.

Moving Toward Heart Allocation on a Global Scale

“Across the world, there is a fundamental mismatch between the number of patients waiting for a heart transplant and the number of transplants performed,” said Dr. Hsich, Professor of Medicine and Medical Director for Heart Transplantation at the Cleveland Clinic. “If we want to reduce waitlist deaths and improve equity, we need to rethink how we allocate and utilize donor hearts, potentially on a global scale.”

Data presented from ISHLT and United States-based registries highlight ongoing disparities. Socioeconomic status plays an increasing role, with lower-income patients experiencing higher waitlist mortality and reduced access to transplantation.

“These disparities reflect the difference between equality and equity,” Dr. Hsich said. “True equity requires that the population receiving transplants matches the population in need. That’s not just equal access, but appropriate access.”

Wealthier countries perform significantly more heart transplants than lower-income regions, despite similar or greater need. Countries like Canada demonstrate an effective alignment between transplant rates and waitlist demand.

To improve utilization of available organs, Dr. Hsich said emerging tools such as the Donor Utilization Score (DUS) can help identify donor hearts suitable for transplantation.

“We already have tools to better assess donor heart quality,” she said. “The next step is ensuring we use as many viable hearts as possible.”

Technologies Enable Donor Organs to Remain Viable Longer

Advances in organ preservation and transport offer the potential for donor organs to travel further distances to where they’re most needed. Technologies such as normothermic machine perfusion and cold oxygenated perfusion are continually lengthening the time donor organs can be kept viable, thereby enabling international travel.

Dr. Hsich pointed to a recent transatlantic transplant case in which a donor heart was successfully transported from the West Indies to Paris and implanted in a 70-year-old recipient who recovered well and was discharged within 30 days.

“This is no longer theoretical, it’s already happening,” she said. “The question is whether we are ready to scale it.”

A global allocation system, she noted, would not be unprecedented. International registries such as DKMS have successfully facilitated more than 125,000 bone marrow transplants worldwide, demonstrating the feasibility of cross-border organ matching.

However, significant challenges remain. A global heart transplant system would require international cooperation, financial sustainability, regulatory oversight, and agreement on ethical principles such as reciprocity and fairness.

“Globalization raises important ethical questions,” Dr. Hsich said. “We must ensure that any system promotes equity, maintains quality, and delivers strong outcomes for patients everywhere.”

ISHLT Uniquely Positioned to Lead Global Allocation Efforts

She suggested that ISHLT is uniquely positioned to lead such an effort, given its global membership, scientific expertise, and existing registry infrastructure.

“With the right governance and collaboration, we can build an international system that reduces disparities and ensures no viable donor heart goes unused,” she said.

The annual meeting and scientific sessions of the ISHLT are being held from 22–25 April at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada.

END

ABOUT ISHLT

The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) is a not-for-profit, multidisciplinary, professional organization dedicated to improving the care of patients with advanced heart or lung disease through transplantation, mechanical support, and innovative therapies via research, education, and advocacy. ISHLT members focus on transplantation and a range of interventions and therapies related to advanced heart and lung disease.

 

‘Chameleon’ bees change color with the weather

Queen Mary University of London

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A sweat bee in the wild (photo by Jeremiah Bender who retains the copyright on this images. This may be used in any article in association with this story). 

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Credit: A sweat bee in the wild (photo by Jeremiah Bender who retains the copyright on this images. This may be used in any article in association with this story).

Some bees really do change colour with the weather, according to new research that shows humidity can temporarily alter the shimmering hues of certain species.

In a study published today in Biology Letters, scientists led by Dr Madeleine Ostwald of Queen Mary University of London found that moisture in the air can cause sweat bees to change colour — and then change back again when conditions dry out.

Sweat bees are known for their bright, metallic greens and blues. Until now, reports that their colours could shift have been anecdotal. This new research provides the first experimental proof.

The team studied museum specimens of a North American sweat bee, Agapostemon subtilior. When the bees were placed in dry air, they appeared deep blue. But when humidity increased, they took on a warmer, copper‑green colour. Once dried again, the bees returned to blue.

Unlike most animals, whose colours come from pigments, these bees get their colour from microscopic structures on their bodies that reflect and scatter light at particular wavelengths. The same effect creates the iridescent feathers of hummingbirds and the shifting skin colours of cuttlefish.

In some animals, these tiny structures swell slightly when exposed to moisture, causing them to reflect redder colours. The researchers believe a similar process may be happening in bees, although more work is needed to fully understand the mechanism.

The scientists also looked at colour changes in the wild. By analysing hundreds of public photos from the citizen science app iNaturalist, they compared bee colour with local humidity levels. While many factors influence a bee’s appearance, the team found that bees in drier areas tended to look bluer — matching the lab results.

Interestingly, older museum specimens showed the strongest colour changes. The researchers think this may be because bees’ outer shells slowly degrade over time, allowing moisture to enter more easily.

The findings suggest this colour‑changing effect could be common among bees, which display a wide range of shimmering colours and live in environments ranging from deserts to rainforests.

Insects use colour for many reasons, including temperature control, communication, and camouflage. Whether these subtle colour shifts affect how bees behave or survive is still unknown.

Dr Madeleine Ostwald, Lecturer in Ecology, Conservation & Biodiversity at Queen Mary said: “When people think of bees, they often picture drab, brown honey bees. In reality, bees are incredibly diverse and colourful — and we’re only just starting to understand how their appearance reflects the climate they live in.”

She added: “Most people associate colour‑change with animals like chameleons that actively control it. These bees aren’t choosing to change colour — it’s happening passively, simply in response to the humidity around them. That adds a whole new layer of mystery to why these colours evolved in the first place.”

 

The study was carried out with researchers Leslie Cervantes Rivera, Jorge De La Cruz and Katja Seltmann from the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

 

“Humidity induces structural colour change and contributes to biogeographic colour variation in sweat bees” will be published on 00.05 BST April 22, 2026 in Biology Letters

 

A sweat bee in San Diego County, California. Image from iNaturalist taken by Karen Fraser (user “fraskar”) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/272490405, CC0. 

Credit

Image from iNaturalist taken by Karen Fraser (user “fraskar”) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/272490405, CC0.

Journal

Biology Letters

Article Title

Humidity induces structural colour change and contributes to biogeographic colour variation in sweat bees

Article Publication Date

22-Apr-2026

 

Study looks to Africa to best support Aussies living with chronic conditions

Curtin University researchers will lead an international study in South Africa aimed at implementing community-delivered interventions that address mental health and substance use-related barriers to staying engaged in treatment for chronic conditions

Curtin University

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Professor Bronwyn Myers (second from left) with some of the community health workers Curtin researchers will be working with in South Africa.

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Credit: Curtin University

Curtin University researchers will lead an international study in South Africa aimed at implementing innovative community-delivered interventions that address mental health and substance use-related barriers to staying engaged in treatment for chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

 

Led by Curtin enAble Institute Director Professor Bronwyn Myers, the project will run for five years after being awarded a $2.1 million National Health and Medical Research Council Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases Strengthening Health Systems grant.The project is being conducted in partnership with the South African Medical Research Council.

 

Professor Myers said despite healthcare being available, many people stopped treatment for chronic conditions because untreated mental health or substance use disorders made it harder to stay engaged.

 

“Community health workers already visit people in their homes, so they’re often the first to see when someone has missed appointments or stopped taking medication but they haven’t always had the training or support to respond effectively to mental health and substance use issues,” Professor Myers said.

 

“This study will test what happens when those home visits are backed by better training and peer support for mental health and substance use recovery, so community care teams can recognise the problem early, respond without stigma and help people reduce mental health and substance use barriers to staying connected to care instead of falling through the cracks.”

 

The study will test a program named Siyakhana - an isiXhosa word meaning ‘we build each other up’. It involves skills-based mental health and substance use training for community health workers and embeds peer recovery coaches with lived experience directly into community health teams to deliver additional mental health and substance use supports to patients.

 

The study will follow the outcomes of more than 5000 patients, measuring whether the approach helps people re‑engage with care and delivers value for money at a health‑system level.

 

Professor Myers said South Africa was the best place to conduct the study before applying the findings to Australia.

 

“As South Africa already has a large, established community health worker program, this is the ideal place for testing this health system strengthening intervention properly, at scale and much faster than we currently could in Australia where community health worker programs are only beginning to be implemented,” Professor Myers said.

 

Professor Myers said the approach responded to pressures facing both countries.

 

“Australia faces rising chronic disease rates, workforce shortages and growing demand for community‑based care, particularly in regional and underserved areas,” she said.

 

“By generating strong, real‑world evidence in South Africa, we can guide smarter, more cost‑effective decisions about how Australia expands community health workers and peer‑supported care.”

 

For more information about the Curtin enAble Institute, visit here.

 

USC-led team receives funding to build next-generation medical device that uses tears to monitor health

Researchers from USC and the California Institute of Technology aim to develop a tiny sensor and drug delivery system, implanted near the eye, with dry eye disease as its first target

Keck School of Medicine of USC

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A team of researchers from USC in collaboration with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have received approximately $7.8 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Ocular Laboratory for Analysis of Biomarkers (OCULAB) program to build a medical device that could transform testing and treatment for a range of health conditions. The project, Personalized Automated Continuous Treatment for Eye Plus Systemic Disease (PACE+), aims to develop an implantable system, placed near the eye, that can measure biomarkers in tears to monitor dry eye disease (DED) and automatically deliver medication to treat the condition. The technology uses remote sensing capabilities and could be expanded for use in a range of other diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and neurological conditions.

ARPA-H, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, focuses on rapidly accelerating innovation to solve society’s most pressing health problems. OCULAB, which is led by ARPA-H program manager Calvin Roberts, MD, is focused on the development of a tear-based system that can measure biomarkers of DED and deliver medication for personalized treatment. ThePACE+ project is well positioned to meet this challenge, drawing on longstanding collaborations that unite clinical and biological expertise with advanced biomedical engineering. 

The OCULAB approach centers on tears as a diagnostic fluid. Tears contain many of the same biomarkers as blood but are easier to collect. Compared to intermittent blood draws, continuous monitoring of tears can track disease states more chronically with less burden to patients.

“Many people don’t realize how much information is in our tears. Because we can collect this information non-invasively and in real time, it can help personalize the approach to managing and treating a number of health conditions,” said Mark S. Humayun, MD, PhD, director of the USC Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics and co-director of the USC Roski Eye Institute at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, who is leading the PACE+ project team.

An implant for dry eye disease

In DED, which affects more than 20 million people in the United States, tears do not adequately lubricate the eyes, causing dryness, pain and inflammation. Diagnosing and treating DED involves periodic testing and daily eye drops, which many patients find uncomfortable, inconvenient or difficult to adjust when symptoms change.

Humayun and his team will work to develop a closed-loop system that keeps DED symptoms under control, similar to the way an insulin pump monitors blood sugar and automatically adjusts dosing to keep it stable.

They intend to build a tiny implant, the size of a grain of rice, that can be placed through a small existing opening in the eyelid (corner of the eye) during a quick, painless procedure. A chip inside the implant measures tear biomarkers linked to DED symptoms and sends the data to the patient’s smartphone. The phone then automatically dispatches medication as needed through a second small device, tucked between the eye and lower lid. This helps manage symptoms as they fluctuate without requiring any action from the patient.

The researchers face several technical challenges. Because biomarker levels in tears are typically lower than levels in blood, the system must be highly sensitive. Meanwhile, most existing biosensors can measure markers for days or weeks, but the PACE+ system’s goal is to work for up to six months.

Power and data transfer are also difficult with such a small device. The system may be powered using a biofuel cell, which uses an energy source from the human body, or near-field communication (NFC), which wirelessly supplies power from a nearby device, such as a smartphone. NFC may also be used to transfer data between the implant and the patient’s smartphone.

Building a tear-based device

Over the next 18 months, the researchers will focus on engineering and validating the system. This includes demonstrating in the lab that the sensor can accurately measure DED biomarkers, confirming that the system can be safely positioned around the eye and conducting early tests in preclinical models. If the team meets these milestones, the project is eligible for up to $9.3 million in additional funding.

Beyond DED, the team will also explore whether the system can reliably measure depression-related biomarkers, including serotonin. The technology could someday be used for detecting and monitoring breast cancer, prostate cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, infertility and a number of other conditions with known tear-based biomarkers.

“This has never been done before, anywhere in the world,” said Humayun, who is also the inaugural holder of the Dennis and Michele Slivinski Chair in Macular Degeneration Research and University Professor of ophthalmology, biomedical engineering, and stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. “It’s a moonshot, but it could give us a far better way to monitor and manage some of the world’s most common and serious diseases.”

About this research

In addition to Humayun, the project’s other investigators include experts in dry eye Sarah Hamm-Alvarez and Maria C. Edman from the Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California; drug development expert Stan Louie from the Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California; and bioelectromagnetics expert Gianluca Lazzi from the Keck School of Medicine and the Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California. California Institute of Technology (Caltech) collaborators include microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) expert Yu-Chong Tai; high-performance, low-power, mixed-mode integrated systems expert Azita Emami; biosensor design expert Wei Gao; and artificial intelligence and machine learning expert Yisong Yue. The project also includes biomanufacturing expert Andrew Urazaki from Urazaki Corp.

This research is funded, in part, by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).  The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Government.