New AI research lab at The Mount Sinai Hospital aims to transform patient care for complex heart procedures

Scientists from Trinity College Dublin have discovered how nanoplastics – even smaller than microplastics – disrupt energy metabolism in brain cells. Their findings may have implications for better understanding neurodegenerative diseases characterised by declining neurological or brain function, and even shed new light on issues with learning and memory.  

The study, led by Dr Gavin Davey and undergraduate Devin Seward from Trinity’s School of Biochemistry and Immunology, has revealed the specific mechanism by which these tiny nanoplastics can interfere with energy production in the brain in an animal model. The findings, recently published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials: Plastics, provide fresh insights into the potential health risks posed by environmental plastics.