Latest news with #AVA
The Journal
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Journal
The family-friendly wild bee festival run by two 'citizen scientists' in Co Dublin
IT'S SUMMERTIME, WHICH means it's festival season: we've seen festivals like AVA, Forbidden Fruit, ATN, and Beyond the Pale come and go. But today marks the beginning of a slightly different type of festival – the Skerries Annual Wild Bee Festival. Kicking off this evening with the screening of ' Plight of the Bumblebee ', a new documentary concerning the world of bees and their connection to Irish religion, folklore, and biodiversity, the festival will run until Sunday evening. This year marks the fourth occurrence of the festival, which began in 2022. Described as 'a family-friendly event with bee themed crafts and activities for children as well as educational events and lectures suited to serious nature lovers both amateurs and experts', it was originally put on by the National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC) in collaboration with Fingal County Council. After its first successful outing, however, the centre had to move on from Skerries to spread the message to other parts of the country. Charles and Marion Heasman, a retired couple involved with the NBDC who describe themselves as 'keen amateur naturalists and citizen scientists', decided that although the NBDC had to 'spread the love around the countryside', they wanted the festival to continue in Skerries. 'So we formed a group, and we've run the festival for the last three years, including this one, which is the fourth,' Charles told The Journal . The festival is run 'on a shoestring', but between small grants from the council and some local fundraising, the couple have been successful in making it free to attend – although this evening's screening requires the purchase of a ticket due to the cost to put the documentary on. Advertisement Charles Heasman Charles Heasman Both 2023 and 2024 were slightly less well-attended than it had been hoped due to inclement weather, but with a brighter forecast for this weekend, the Heasmans are hoping for a turnout of a couple of thousand people. 'When the NBDC organised the first one, it was fairly academically inclined for people that were already in the conservation field, as it were, and interested,' Charles said. 'We make our festival much more family friendly.' The couple described some of the activities aimed at children on offer, including face painting, fancy dress, arts and crafts, among others. Marion said that they hope that their festival allows people to become more engaged in the ongoing climate crisis – but also to provide a lighter view. 'A lot of people get anxious about climate change and biodiversity,' she said, 'and just having talks and being able to say, 'well, hold on a minute. We can all do something little to help – don't get too anxious'.' Charles Heasman Charles Heasman The weekend event, which is to be held at Skerries Mills, will feature activities for children, bird watching, talks from ecologists and botanists, walks around certain parts of the area to explore the local ecology, as well workshops. The local community garden, which the Heasmans are also involved in, is at the same site, which has 'lots of bees' – including a threatened species of bumblebee that those involved in the NBDC's work are trying to conserve. The Large Carder Bee located in the Skerries garden just prior to the festival in 2022 after efforts were made over a number of years to lure it in with the pollinator friendly garden. The NBDC has described Skerries as 'leading the way in demonstrating how a local community can work together and take action'. You can find out more about the festivities here . Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Business Wire
10-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Emulate Launches AVA™ Emulation System to Accelerate Drug Development With First-of-its-Kind High-Throughput Organ-Chip Platform
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Emulate, Inc., the world leader in Organ-on-a-Chip technology, today announced the commercial launch of the AVA™ Emulation System, a self-contained instrument that cultures, incubates, and images up to 96 independent Organ-Chip samples in a single run. AVA delivers an unprecedented magnitude of in vivo -level insights faster than animal models while cutting consumable costs four-fold and in-lab labor by half compared to current generation technologies. These transformative capabilities give the pharmaceutical industry the practical means to pivot beyond animal testing and into truly human-relevant territory. With the FDA targeting animal studies to become 'the exception rather than the norm,' the need for proven human models is urgent. Emulate's Liver-Chip S1—the first and only Organ-Chip admitted to the FDA's ISTAND program. Share 'AVA gives scientists unprecedented experimental capacity with the biological depth of live human tissue—something no other platform can match,' said Jim Corbett, Chief Executive Officer at Emulate. 'By combining Emulate's proven Organ-on-a-Chip technology with high-throughput consumables, automated imaging, and streamlined workflows in one benchtop unit, AVA lets teams ask bigger questions earlier and move the right drug candidates forward faster.' AVA Emulation System: Three Instruments in One AVA is the first self-contained Organ-on-a-Chip workstation to fuse high-throughput microfluidic tissue culture, full environmental control, and real-time imaging into a single, compact benchtop unit. Key performance gains include: Expanded experimental power – 96 independent Organ-Chip samples in a single run enable researchers to achieve microplate-level scale of their Organ-Chip experiments, enabling side-by-side comparison of dozens of compounds, doses, or stimuli. Lower operating costs – AVA achieves a four-fold drop in consumable spend and up to 50% fewer cells and media per sample compared to previous generation technology. Time & labor savings – Hands-on, in-lab time is reduced by more than half, thanks to automated microscopy, remote monitoring, and the revolutionary new Chip-Array™ consumable that integrates 12 independent Organ-Chips into an SBS format for streamlined workflows with multichannel pipettes and automated liquid handlers. AI-ready datasets – A typical 7-day experiment can generate >30,000 time-stamped data points from daily imaging and effluent assays, with post-takedown omics pushing the total into the millions—providing a rich, multi-modal foundation to feed machine-learning pipelines for target discovery, lead optimization, and safety prediction. A Timely Answer to Shifting Regulations With the FDA targeting animal studies to become 'the exception rather than the norm,' the need for proven human models is urgent. Emulate's Liver-Chip S1—the first and only Organ-Chip admitted to the FDA's ISTAND program—has already outperformed animals, showing 87% sensitivity and 100% specificity for drug-induced liver injury in a 2022 Communications Medicine study. AVA now scales that level of human relevance across discovery, efficacy, and toxicology screens, accelerating safer therapies through the pipeline. 'Moving towards reduction and in some cases replacement of animal models demands both biological fidelity and throughput,' noted Dr. Lorna Ewart, Emulate Chief Scientific Officer. 'AVA meets those dual requirements, empowering teams to rank-order lead candidates, pinpoint off-target toxicities, and advance safer therapies with unprecedented speed and confidence.' Broad Impact Across Industries In biopharma, this type of reduction and replacement is already a reality. A leading pharmaceutical company has demonstrated the power of implementing Organ-Chips into their development pipeline when one of their scientists saved millions of dollars and years of development time by using Emulate Liver-Chips ahead of non-human primates to screen lipid-nanoparticle (LNP) candidates. AVA's leap in throughput of predictive human biology stands to benefit not only biopharma but a wide spectrum of sectors that currently rely on inaccurate animal testing. Large pharmaceutical pipelines can now run comparable screens in a single AVA experiment, while smaller biotech teams gain enterprise-level capacity without adding headcount or infrastructure. Beyond therapeutics, contract research organizations, consumer-product companies, and environmental agencies can harness AVA to evaluate industrial chemicals, food additives, and cosmetic ingredients under human-relevant conditions—bringing faster, more ethical safety and efficacy decisions to market-driven and regulatory programs alike. Availability Global orders are open immediately. For pricing or demonstrations, please submit a request here. About Emulate Emulate, Inc. is the pioneer of Organ-on-a-Chip technology, enabling researchers to accurately replicate human tissue function and disease biology through next generation in vitro models. From target discovery to IND submission, Emulate aims to ignite a new era in human health research—one that reduces animal testing, cuts drug development costs, and accelerates the delivery of life-saving treatments. Emulate's Organ-Chip platforms, consumables, and organ models help the world's leading pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic teams generate human-relevant data that advance safer, more effective therapies. Learn more at
The Print
08-06-2025
- Health
- The Print
Docu-film exploring Ayurveda to hit screens on June 11
National award-winning filmmaker Vinod Mankara, who helmed the docu-film, said its main objective is to show how the rare virtues of Ayurveda are utilised in modern medical treatment to counter the misinformation against the ancient treatment system. Titled 'Ayurveda – The double helix of life', the 90-minutes-long English documentary would be released by Minister of State for Ayush and Health and Family welfare Prataprao Jadhav at the Film Division Theatre, New Delhi, it's makers said here. Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 8 (PTI) A documentary delving deep into the traditional Indian system of Ayurveda and showcasing its immense potential and hidden prospects is all set to premiere in New Delhi on June 11. He said the documentary is highly engaging and presents Ayurveda as a 'sastra' with legitimacy, rather than merely romanticising its antiquity. 'It offers a comprehensive view of the manufacturing sector, major hospitals, ongoing research, and clinical innovations in areas such as infertility, renal stones, and diabetic neuropathy,' the director said. The documentary highlights aspects like the technology transfer in the development of Rejuran (skin rejuvenation treatment) and sustained-release dressing pads, Mankara, who also penned the script of the film, said. Beginning with the basics of manufacturing, the film traces the evolution of Ayurvedic medicines from traditional formulations to more user-friendly contemporary dosage forms. The research segment is showcasing groundbreaking advancements in both fundamental and translational research, the director said adding that clinical innovations and the immense potential of integrative medicine are also discussed in depth in the docu-film. 'The docu-film discusses various significant aspects regarding Ayurveda like how Parkinson disease is treated in Germany by integrating the traditional Indian treatment system,' he explained. The documentary has been produced by Dr A V Anoop under the banner of A V A productions. The Ayurvedic Medicine Manufacturers Organisation of India (AMMOI) also was also a partner in its production. It features insights from 52 people, including doctors and medical scientists from India and various foreign countries. Experts from the World Health Organisation have also contributed to the documentary, which the director said would be screened in various countries. Besides the union minister, Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush is also expected to attend the June 11 premier along with other significant personalities. PTI LGK ROH This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Courier
03-06-2025
- Business
- The Courier
Fifers enjoying bumper early strawberry harvest - but 'wee shortage' of berries looms
Nothing says summer like a punnet of strawberries – and our recent sunny weather has seen this year's crop start early and strong. But the current bumper harvest could lead to a dip in supply later in June, according to one of north Fife's leading producers, Fife farmer Keith Adamson owns 240 polytunnels, spanning some 40 acres in the north of the Kingdom. The public have been able to purchase this fruit via his popular shop, The West Friarton Farm Strawberry Shed, since Monday May 19 with customers raving about the berries' exceptional size and flavour. All told, Keith hopes to harvest approximately 400 tonnes of strawberries this year. But his plants' early burst of productivity might come at a cost later this month when they could produce less fruit. 'There could be a wee shortage of strawberries come the middle of June,' Keith told me on a visit to West Friarton. But strawberry fans shouldn't panic, he assures me. At least not yet. Read on find out why. Keith sells most of his fruit to the supermarkets. The very best berries, however, are sold at the Strawberry Shed – at the Forgan Roundabout, off the A92 – which is open seven days a week, 10am to 7pm. Thanks to being picked at the peak of their ripeness and sold on the same day, these strawberries are much more flavourful than those sold in the supermarkets. 'People always taste our strawberries, and their first reaction is: 'Man, this is what I remember as a child',' Keith says. 'You can't go into a supermarket and experience that.' Although many customers don't realise it, they likely eat several strawberry varieties over the course of the summer. 'A strawberry is not good for the whole season,' Keith tells me. For this reason, he grows several varieties on the farm, including magnum, favori and AVA. (He also grows a small number of white strawberries that always get customers talking.) Each of the varieties taste slightly different. AVA has what most would deem a classic profile – sweet and with a fruity aroma. Magnum strawberries are even sweeter and are celebrated for their juiciness. While Keith's personal favourite is Malling centenary, most of his customers are fond of AVA. 'People come in and ask for AVA,' Keith says. 'That's because AVA was the original strawberry we started with 20 years ago.' Regardless of the variety, all of Keith's strawberries are picked by hand. They are also pollinated by British bees. A small hive, about the size of two shoeboxes, sits in every polytunnel. 'They love the strawberry flowers, and they pollinate everything – every flower becomes a strawberry, as long as it's pollinated,' Keith says. The warm and sunny spring has caused strawberries across the country to fruit incredibly well during this early part of the season. However, the plants' current productiveness could be an issue in the future. Plug plants (those grown in a polytunnel) usually fruit for around six weeks. Because of this, farmers are in the habit of planting their strawberry crops at set intervals. In normal conditions, this ensures one crop is coming in while the other is on the way out. The warm, sunny weather has meant an intense early harvest. This threatens to throw this schedule out of sync. This is slightly ironic given that last year it was cold weather that played havoc on the season. On a positive note, the sunshine has meant that this year's crop is incredibly sweet. During my visit to both the Strawberry Shed and West Friarton Farm, I have an opportunity to fact check this for myself. After Keith shows me how to properly pick one – pinch the stalk between your thumbnail and forefinger – I quickly gorge myself on the vibrant fruit. No matter how many I eat, each provides a wave of summer feeling that even a bout of rain fails to dampen. With strawberries like these around, this summer can't fail to be a sweet one. So my advice is get them before they're gone. Even living without them for a couple of weeks seems too much.
Belfast Telegraph
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
New stage to debut at 2025 AVA Festival on Titanic Slipways
The two-day event kicks off on Friday with a new stage, The Dock. Watch: AVA Festival returns to Belfast Event organiser Sarah McBriar said: 'It's looking amazing, we've got so many new additions to the festival this year and sunshine is forecast for Friday.' The Dock features layered platforms for dancers, a Funktion-One sound system supplied by Hertz-U Audioand a custom audiovisual rigfrom Visual Spectrum Studio. She added: 'It's a mixture of dancing and live shows, it's that kind of an amphitheatre-style stage as well, and we have built lots of shipping containers and scaffolding stuff around it. 'So, it's still got the industrial feel of AVA, but the intimacy of an epic stage.' The Dock is an 'homage' to Belfast. She explained: 'I think that's what we've always done, both with who we programme and who we book, but also, like, the scenery and the location. 'It's an amazing site here on the slipways, and the fact that we've got the Titanic (museum) and the cranes as a backdrop. We've got the city, the water, the boats come in, the sunsets over the city... it's a gorgeous location.' This year's festival promises 'something for everyone'. Ms McBriar added: 'If you're into bands, we've got Chalk, we've got obviously Underworld playing live, and Overmono, all the way through to lots of local acts like DJ Time of the Month, Reger, Mark Blair... and also, if you're into techno, we've got 9x9. 'So yeah, it's pretty much like a massive bill. But I think also just the atmosphere and the people and the crowd and the energy... you know, even if you're not massively into the music, it's also just the atmosphere and the whole experience.' The AVA team is working hard to ensure festival-goers enjoy a quality experience. She said: 'We've got 'chill out' spaces, a really cool hospitality space with Wing It, lots of amazing local food traders, a new Be Perfect bus, where people can go and get a facial, and then obviously all the amazing stages as well. 'You can chill, you can dance, you can rave, you can get lots of amazing drinks from our bars.' AVA will run from Friday to Saturday with tickets still available online. 'Our weekend tickets are actually really close to selling out. So if you haven't already got your ticket, get onto it ASAP,' she said. 'And then we've got a handful of day tickets remaining.'
