Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
8 October 2023 | 12:36pm CAT
2-min read

In a world facing growing water scarcity and dental health challenges, two groundbreaking developments have emerged, according to a file report compiled by Ml Mohammed Bham at Radio Islam International.

A collaboration between US and Chinese scientists has yielded a remarkable breakthrough in seawater desalination. The prototype, powered solely by passive solar energy, can produce 4 to 6 litres of clean water per hour. Researchers envision that a scaled-up version of this technology could support entire coastal households in sunny climates throughout the year.

The team behind this innovation comprises scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Their creation is a compact desalination unit, approximately the size of a briefcase, harnessing thermohaline circulation – a process inspired by the ocean’s natural currents.

Thermohaline circulation, often referred to as the “great ocean conveyor belt” by NASA, involves the movement of water from polar regions to the depths of the polar oceans, gradually pushing less saline water towards tropical oceans. In this context, the seawater circulates in swirling eddies, and when coupled with sunlight, it facilitates evaporation, leaving the salt behind while collecting pure water vapor.

According to Lenan Zhang, a research scientist at MIT’s Device Research Laboratory, this innovation opens up the possibility of producing water through sunlight at a cost even lower than tap water. For coastal communities grappling with water scarcity, this development holds immense promise. Importantly, all components of the desalination unit are designed for a 10-year lifespan.

In a parallel realm of scientific achievement, a Japanese dental scientist named Takahashi discovered the first evidence of a drug capable of regrowing adult teeth in mice. This groundbreaking discovery has now led to clinical trials in healthy human adults, conducted by the pharmaceutical firm Toregem Biopharma and funded by Kyoto University.

These clinical trials, set to commence next July, will examine the effectiveness of Takahashi’s antibody-based drugs targeting a protein that suppresses the growth of new teeth from tooth buds in adults. Takahashi’s earlier research demonstrated that ferrets, similar to humans in dental development, could regrow their teeth when administered the drug.

Anodontia, a congenital condition affecting about 1% of the population, results in tooth development issues, with approximately 10% of patients experiencing oligodontia, where six or more natural teeth are missing. Takahashi’s research delves into specific genes responsible for these dental anomalies, targeting the USAG1 gene with a neutralising antibody, ultimately enabling normal tooth growth.

Takahashi, whose lifelong dream has been to facilitate the regrowth of teeth, is confident that this research will revolutionise dentistry. With clinical trials on the horizon, there is renewed hope for people born with dental conditions like anodontia.

Listen to the full file report compiled by Mohammed Bham.