University of Bern

The CHEOPS space telescope is providing new information on the mysterious exoplanet WASP-76b. This ultra-hot giant is characterized by an asymmetry between the amount of light observed on its eastern terminator -- the fictitious line that separates its night side from its day side -- and that observed on its western terminator. This peculiarity is thought to be due to a 'glory', a luminous phenomenon similar to a rainbow, which occurs if the light from the star -- the 'sun' around which the exoplanet orbits -- is reflected by clouds made up of a perfectly uniform substance. If this hypothesis is confirmed, this would be the first detection of this phenomenon outside our solar system. The CHEOPS space telescope, whose scientific operations centre is based at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), is providing new information on the mysterious exoplanet WASP-76b. This ultra-hot giant is characterised by an asymmetry between the amount of light observed on its eastern terminator -- the fictitious line that separates its night side from its day side -- and that observed on its western terminator. This peculiarity is thought to be due to a ''glory'', a luminous phenomenon similar to a rainbow, which occurs if the light from the star -- the ''sun'' around which the exoplanet orbits -- is reflected by clouds made up of a perfectly uniform substance. If this hypothesis is confirmed, this would be the first detection of this phenomenon outside our solar system. This work, carried out in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the University of Bern (UNIBE), is published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. WASP-76b is an ultra-hot giant planet. Orbiting its host star twelve times closer than Mercury orbits our Sun, it receives more than 4,000 times the Sun's radiation on Earth. ''The exoplanet is 'inflated' by the intense radiation from its star. So, although it is 10% less massive than our cousin Jupiter, it is almost twice as big,'' explains Monika Lendl, assistant professor in the Department of Astronomy of the UNIGE Faculty of Science, and co-author of the study. Since its discovery in 2013, WASP-76b has been the subject of intense scrutiny by astronomers. A strangely hellish picture has emerged. One side of the planet is always facing its star, reaching temperatures of 2,400 degrees Celsius. Elements that would form rocks on Earth melt and evaporate here, before condensing on the slightly cooler night side, creating clouds of iron that drip molten iron rain. The crucial contribution of CHEOPS One of the most disturbing observations for astronomers is the asymmetry between the planet's two terminators. The terminator is the imaginary line that separates the day and night sides of a planet. In the case of WASP-76b, the observations show an increase in the amount of light from the terminator to the east of the planet compared with the one to the west. To solve this mystery, astronomers used no fewer than twenty-three observations with the CHEOPS space telescope, spread over three years. The ESA satellite, which is piloted by Switzerland and has its scientific operations centre at the UNIGE Department of Astronomy, observed numerous secondary eclipses of the planet (when it passes behind its star) and several phase curves (continuous observation during a complete revolution of the planet). Combining these new data with those from other telescopes (TESS, Hubble and Spitzer), the astronomers were able to put forward a surprising hypothesis to explain the excess luminous flux on the eastern side of the planet: ''This unexpected glow could be caused by a strong, localised and anisotropic reflection -- i.e. one that depends on direction -- what we call a glory,'' explains Olivier Demangeon, researcher at the Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço in Portugal and lead author of the study. A first outside our solar system Glories are common phenomena on Earth. They have also been observed on Venus. The effect, similar to a rainbow, occurs when light is reflected by clouds made up of perfectly uniform droplets. In the case of Earth, the droplets are made out of water, but the nature of these droplets on WASP-76b remains mysterious. It could be iron, as this has already been detected in the planet's extremely hot atmosphere. The detection of this phenomenon on WASP-76b is the first of its kind outside our solar system. ''The reason why no such glory has ever been observed outside our solar system is that this phenomenon requires very specific conditions. First of all, the atmospheric particles must be almost perfectly spherical, completely uniform and sufficiently stable to be observed throughout a long time. These droplets have to be directly illuminated by the planet's host star, and the observer -- in this case CHEOPS -- must be in the right position,'' explains Olivier Demangeon. Results to be confirmed Further data will be needed to confirm with certainty that this intriguing excess of light on the eastern terminator of WASP-76b is a glory. This confirmation would attest to the presence of clouds made up of perfectly spherical droplets that have existed for at least three years, or that are constantly renewing themselves. For such clouds to persist, the temperature of the atmosphere would also have to be stable over time -- a fascinating and detailed insight into what could be happening on WASP-76b. Detecting such tiny phenomena at such a great distance will enable scientists and engineers to identify others that are just as crucial. For example, the reflection of starlight off liquid lakes and oceans -- a necessary condition for habitability.

Coastal seas form a complex transition zone between the two largest CO2 sinks in the global carbon cycle: land and ocean. Ocean researchers have now succeeded for the first time in investigating the role of the coastal ocean in a seamless model representation. Coastal seas form a complex transition zone between the two largest CO2 sinks in the global carbon cycle: land and ocean. Ocean researchers have now succeeded for the first time in investigating the role of the coastal ocean in a seamless model representation. The team led by Dr. Moritz Mathis from the Cluster of Excellence for Climate Research CLICCS at Universität Hamburg and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon was able to show: The intensity of CO2 uptake is higher in coastal seas than in the open ocean. This is evidenced by a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change. To counteract ongoing climate change, it is important to understand how CO2 emissions are distributed. And which exchange processes between the atmosphere, ocean and land regulate the distribution. Methodological developments in recent years have allowed for a more flexible inclusion of physical and biogeochemical processes in climate models and for capturing individual regions with higher resolution. Researchers from the Cluster of Excellence "Climate, Climatic Change, and Society" (CLICCS) have taken advantage of this. In collaboration between Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Universität Hamburg, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology and University of Bern, they have developed a new type of ocean model that can efficiently simulate the transport, storage and turnover of carbon in the global coastal ocean for the first time: ICON-Coast. More realistic representation In computational climate science, land and ocean, the Earth's two major carbon reservoirs, have so far been considered separately. The transport of carbon into the coastal seas, for example via river inputs, coastal erosion and tidal flats, has been ignored. Coast-specific processes could only be considered in a limited and spatially coarse manner because climate models were developed for global scales. Due to the more realistic representation and higher resolution in the transition zone between land and ocean used in ICON-Coast, the model offers new possibilities to explore the effects of climate change on coastal areas and marine ecosystems, such as risks from heat waves, storms, or global sea level rise. The coastal ocean is small but significant It is known from observations that the increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration enhances the uptake of CO2 into the ocean, thereby significantly mitigating climate change. Simulations with ICON-Coast now shed light on the causes and enable understanding of the function of coastal and marginal seas in the Earth's climate dynamics: "Our analyses show that intense plankton growth is the key to enhanced CO2 uptake in the coastal ocean and that this uptake is higher than in the open ocean. This is due to climate-induced changes in the circulation and increasing nutrient inputs from rivers," says Dr Moritz Mathis, who led the study. The researchers also expect that the intensity difference between coastal seas and the open ocean will continue to strengthen further with ongoing CO2 emissions. All the more important: "Coastal management strategies that disturb biological production could weaken the ocean's CO2 uptake and make climate protection more difficult," emphasizes Mathis. "With the new model, we can also test approaches to CO2 avoidance such as offshore wind energy for their effectiveness and undesirable side effects."

New Scientific Advisory Board member played instrumental role in FDA approval and commercialization of multiple blockbuster products CHICAGO, IL, Feb. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MAIA Biotechnology, Inc., (NYSE American: MAIA) (“MAIA”, the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing targeted immunotherapies for cancer, today announced the appointment of immuno-oncology leader Remus Vezan, M.D., Ph.D., to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). With over 20 years of academic and biopharmaceutical industry experience, Dr. Vezan is a highly regarded leader in drug development of novel therapeutic modalities, including cell and gene therapies, and played a pivotal role in the development and approval of CAR-T cell products TECARTUS® and YESCARTA® (Gilead), and kinase inhibitor IMBRUVICA® (AbbVie). Dr. Vezan currently serves as Vice President, Global Clinical Development at BeiGene. “Dr. Vezan holds vast experience in guiding oncology assets through all stages of development, from research to clinical strategies and registration. His extensive engagement with the regulatory agencies to maximize clinical and commercial opportunities has been instrumental in garnering multiple FDA and global approvals for novel therapies including biologics and CAR-T cell products,” said Vlad Vitoc, M.D., MAIA’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “It is a pleasure to welcome Remus to the MAIA franchise, where he will provide valued guidance along our pathway to approval and commercialization of our lead candidate THIO.” Previously, as executive director of clinical development at Kite Pharma (Gilead Sciences), Dr. Vezan was primarily responsible for managing and overseeing the clinical development of CART-cell products, including axi-cell/YESCARTA®, the first CART-cell therapy approved for relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma, and brexu-cell/TECARTUS®, the first CART-cell therapy approved for mantle cell lymphoma and adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Earlier, Remus served as Medical Director at Pharmacyclics, an AbbVie Company, where he was the clinical lead for IMBRUVICA® in lymphoplasmacytic lymphomas. Dr. Vezan’s therapeutic expertise includes both hematology and oncology, with various treatment modalities including next generation small molecules and adaptive cellular therapies (CAR-T, NK, autologous, allogeneic). Dr. Remus Vezan commented, “It is my pleasure and privilege to join MAIA as scientific advisor and support the efforts of the MAIA team in advancing the clinical development of its first-in-class telomere targeting agent. THIO is a next generation asset with the potential to provide meaningful clinical benefit to many patients with malignancies.” Dr. Vezan completed his medical training (M.D. and Ph.D.) at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj, Romania, and University of Bern, Switzerland. He holds multiple medical and scientific affiliations including the American Society of Hematology (ASH), the European Hematology Association (EHA), and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). His work has appeared in numerous scientific papers and publications. About THIO THIO (6-thio-dG or 6-thio-2’-deoxyguanosine) is a first-in-class investigational telomere-targeting agent currently in clinical development to evaluate its activity in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). Telomeres, along with the enzyme telomerase, play a fundamental role in the survival of cancer cells and their resistance to current therapies. The modified nucleotide 6-thio-2’-deoxyguanosine (THIO) induces telomerase-dependent telomeric DNA modification, DNA damage responses, and selective cancer cell death. THIO-damaged telomeric fragments accumulate in cytosolic micronuclei and activates both innate (cGAS/STING) and adaptive (T-cell) immune responses. The sequential treatment with THIO followed by PD-(L)1 inhibitors resulted in profound and persistent tumor regression in advanced, in vivo cancer models by induction of cancer type–specific immune memory. THIO is presently developed as a second or later line of treatment for NSCLC for patients that have progressed beyond the standard-of-care regimen of existing checkpoint inhibitors. About MAIA Biotechnology, Inc. MAIA is a targeted therapy, immuno-oncology company focused on the development and commercialization of potential first-in-class drugs with novel mechanisms of action that are intended to meaningfully improve and extend the lives of people with cancer. Our lead program is THIO, a potential first-in-class cancer telomere targeting agent in clinical development for the treatment of NSCLC patients with telomerase-positive cancer cells. For more information, please visit www.maiabiotech.com. 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