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And it turns out that light may be more than just something photoreceptors detect. Photostimulation promoted their maturation, affecting their structure and gene expression, with effects extending to the function of retinal circuitry.

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Reposted by Alex Garanto

We can now grow miniature models of the human retina, retinal organoids, or “mini-retinas”, from stem cells in the lab. Yet, paradoxically, we grow these light-sensitive tissues mostly in the dark. So we decided to turn on the light.

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Reposted by Alex Garanto

Photostimulation improves maturation of human photoreceptors - Nature Communications

Yesterday was apparently all about light. August 12 brought a solar eclipse, the Perseid meteor shower… and the publication of our new @NatureComms paper about what light does to the human retina. We probably couldn’t have picked a better date. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.com

Human retinal organoids can be taught to “see”: rhythmic light stimulation enhances photoreceptor maturation, strengthens retinal connectivity and improves functional responses, revealing light as a d...

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Reposted by Alex Garanto

And there is another nice coincidence: alongside our paper, a back-to-back study from our colleagues @jandritu.bsky.social at Radboud University Medical Center was published, reaching a very similar conclusion independently and using a different experimental approach.

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👁️‍This interdisciplinary project will combine cutting-edge stem cell technology, retinal organoid development, and genetic/functional assays to better understand patient-specific mechanisms of vision loss and pave the way for precision medicine in ophthalmology.

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🚨 PhD position available 🚨 👀 We are excited to announce a fully funded PhD position in our lab, focused on developing personalized induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based models to study inherited retinal diseases as part of the Lifelong VISION consortium!

📰 Both papers are now out as back-to-back bioRxiv publications, reinforcing the idea that light is more than a trigger. Thank you very much to everyone involved in this work! #light #retinalorganoids #maturation #stemcells #photostimulation #development #photoreceptors #iPSC @radboudumc.bsky.social

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Photostimulation Improves Maturation of Human Photoreceptors

⭐ We were excited to come across the work in @tomasbarta.bsky.social’s group. In the work conducted by Canan Çeliker and collaborators (www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...), the use of flickering light for 2 weeks, revealed similar conclusions with respect the role of light in improving maturation.

biorxiv.org

The human retina contains photoreceptor cells that detect light and enable vision. The development of these cells involves a tightly regulated cascade of structural and molecular events, and their dys...

Together, these results support the idea that light enhances photoreceptor maturation and could be key to improving the functionality of retinal organoids.

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🔬 Interestingly, RNA and protein levels did not always correlate directly, underlining the complexity of translational regulation. 🔬 Importantly, light exposure did not induce cell death, oxidative stress, or autophagy, suggesting it is safe and potentially beneficial.

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🔬 We observed earlier and higher expression of photoreceptor marker genes in the light-exposed organoids. 🔬 Proteomics analysis at the end of differentiation revealed enrichment of rod photoreceptor markers at the protein level 🔬 We observed increased number of rods by immunostaining.

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💡 Light matters 💡 Despite major advances in generating retinal cells in vitro, these cells are typically cultured in the dark. But why would cells develop light-sensitive features if there is no light around?

Mike Cheetham @cheethamlab.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

Reposted by Alex Garanto

Congratulations Owen and many thanks to Alex and Amanda.

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Reposted by Alex Garanto

hardcastlelab.bsky.social @hardcastlelab.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

Congratulations Owen on your PhD defence 🥳🎉🥂huge thank you to examiners @jandritu.bsky.social and @amandajcarr.bsky.social

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Alex Garanto @jandritu.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

Nice pictures! Thanks a lot @cheethamlab.bsky.social for the nice time in London! See you in Prague!

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Alex Garanto @jandritu.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

And thanks to @amandajcarr.bsky.social for the guidance and help navigating my first viva! It was very nice to finally meeting you in person!

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Alex Garanto @jandritu.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

Congrats Owen! And of course also to you and @cheethamlab.bsky.social! He did great & we had very interesting discussions! Thanks for the invitation & thinking about me as the external expert. I really enjoyed it! It was lovely to catch up with you! Thanks a lot for the hospitality!

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Alex Garanto @jandritu.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

🚨𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟮 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝗙𝗙𝗲𝗰𝗧🚨 🔬 Join an international network driving innovative treatments and delivery methods for a variety of disorders with leading experts in RNA therapeutics 🌍 🔗 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘄: euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/296420 more info: www.effect-dn.eu

euraxess.ec.europa.eu

12 PhDs on Antisense oligonucleotide research to foster the full therapeutic potential of antisense technology across tissues

EFFecT (European Training Program to Foster the Full Therapeutic Potential of Antisense Technology across Tissues) is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network (2025-2028), offering 12 PhD positions.

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Alex Garanto @jandritu.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

5 Partners & 1 Associated partner of #EFFecT are present at SMOT (Synergistic Meeting on Oligonucleotide Therapeutics) celebrating #rarediseaseday.@radboudumc.bsky.social @dutchantisense.bsky.social @uvsq.bsky.social #ucl @cbm-csic-uam.bsky.social @varechavala.bsky.social

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Alex Garanto @jandritu.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

The mutation at protein level, if no splicing defect would be present, would be a synonymous change. Therefore the normal protein will be produced.