Cat Video Made With Atoms

 

  

 

Quantum computing promises to solve problems that are impossible for classical computers. Instead of bits that can only be 0 or 1, quantum machines use qubits, which can exist in multiple states at once. This greatly increases computational power but also introduces major challenges: qubits are unstable and prone to errors.

Among the various platforms under development, Rydberg atom arrays stand out for their potential. In these systems, individual atoms are trapped using beams of light called optical tweezers. This technique offers high precision, allows flexible connections between atoms, and can be scaled up to very large systems. Thanks to these features, key steps toward quantum computing have already been demonstrated, including error correction and the simulation of complex physical phenomena.

A significant obstacle arises when loading atoms into the system: many positions in the array remain empty. To make full use of the system, the atoms must be rearranged to form a defect-free array. Traditional methods move atoms one by one, which is far too slow for systems containing thousands of particles.

The solution proposed by the cited research team combines artificial intelligence (AI) with a spatial light modulator (SLM). This device can modify a laser beam in real time and, guided by AI, shift all atoms in parallel toward their final positions. The process is divided into very small steps to minimize losses and errors.

Here is how it works: first, rubidium atoms are randomly loaded. A camera records their distribution, and a neural network identifies which sites are occupied. Then, the AI calculates the optimal route for each atom to move. Finally, the SLM generates light holograms that simultaneously guide all the atoms into their target positions, forming the desired array.

Using this technique, researchers succeeded in building the largest defect-free array ever reported: 2,024 perfectly ordered atoms. The paper shows a video of the famous Schroedinger cat made with atoms. This achievement brings us closer to more powerful quantum computers and opens the door to simulations of physical systems that are impossible to study with current technologies.

For further information and the Schroedinger Cat Video, see Phys. Rev. Letters

A new genomic editing strategy using lipid nanoparticles with spherical nucleic acids and CRISPR

 

CRISPR-Cas systems are a recently discovered biological tool that functions like “molecular scissors,” capable of locating and cutting specific fragments of DNA to modify or correct them with great precision. This gene-editing machinery has transformed biology by offering the possibility of correcting genetic errors.

However, one of its main challenges has been transporting the editing machinery safely and efficiently into cells, since traditional methods—such as viral vectors or lipid nanoparticles (LNPs)—often present issues like toxicity, low efficiency, or immune reactions.

A recent study proposes an innovative solution by encapsulating the CRISPR-Cas machinery inside lipid nanoparticles coated with spherical nucleic acids (SNAs), resulting in nanostructures of approximately 130 nm in size. The outer DNA layer facilitates entry into cells, while the lipid core stabilizes the CRISPR-Cas system and enables its controlled release. The lipid nanostructure includes both the plasmids that encode the CRISPR machinery, and the templates required for DNA repair by means of the HDR (homology-directed repair) pathway.

In summary, this design allows for improved cellular uptake of the nanoparticle, which in turn delivers the CRISPR-Cas machinery. It reduces toxicity and increases gene-editing efficiency.

The research team tested this strategy using different cell types and evaluating how many nanoparticles successfully entered the cells, if there were toxic effects, and whether the CRISPR machinery was effectively delivered. They then analyzed the cellular DNA to confirm if CRISPR had produced the expected edits.

The results showed that this system not only generated the typical nucleotide deletion edits but also enabled precise repairs by means of the HDR pathway. Compared with conventional LNPs, the new structures were more efficient, showed no toxicity, and maintained high cell viability even at elevated concentrations.

The researchers emphasized that these hybrid nanoparticles, called LNP-SNAs, could in the future be adapted to target specific organs. Thanks to their greater safety and efficacy, CRISPR-LNP-SNAs represent a versatile and scalable platform that brings gene-editing therapies closer to clinical application.

For further details, see: PNAS