Acoustics

The Hidden Language of Sound: Uncovering its Impact on Our Cells

There’s a sensation that you experience — near a plane taking off or a speaker bank at a concert — from a sound so total that you feel it in your very being. When this happens, not only do your brain and ears perceive it, but your cells may also. Technically speaking, sound is a simple phenomenon, consisting of compressional mechanical waves transmitted through substances, which exists universally in the non-equilibrated material world. Sound is also a vital source of environmental information for living beings, while its capacity to induce physiological responses at the cell level is only just beginning to be understood.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 18, 2025

Veronic D.

The sensation of being enveloped by a powerful sound is one we’ve all experienced at some point – whether it’s the rumble of a plane taking off or the thumping bass of a concert. But what if I told you that this experience goes beyond just our ears and brain? Research suggests that our cells, too, respond to sound waves in profound ways.

Sound, as a phenomenon, is often considered simple and straightforward. It’s a mechanical wave transmitted through substances, existing everywhere in the non-equilibrated material world. However, its significance extends far beyond mere existence. Sound serves as a vital source of environmental information for living beings, and its impact on our cells is only just beginning to be understood.

A team of researchers from Kyoto University have been studying the effects of sound on cellular activities. Building upon previous work, they designed an experiment to investigate how acoustic pressure can induce cellular responses. The setup involved attaching a vibration transducer to a cell culture dish, which was then connected to an amplifier and digital audio player. This allowed them to emit sound signals within the range of physiological frequencies to cultured cells.

The researchers analyzed the effects using various methods, including RNA-sequencing, microscopy, and more. Their results revealed that cells do indeed respond to audible acoustic stimulation, with significant effects on cell-level activities. One particular finding was the suppression of adipocyte differentiation – a process by which preadipocytes transform into fat cells. This opens up possibilities for using acoustics to control cell and tissue states.

The study also identified about 190 sound-sensitive genes and observed how sound signals are transmitted through subcellular mechanisms. Perhaps most significantly, this research challenges the traditional understanding of sound perception in living beings, which holds that it’s mediated by receptive organs like the brain. It turns out that our cells respond to sounds, too.

The implications of this study are profound, offering potential benefits for medicine and healthcare. Sound-based therapies could become a non-invasive, safe, and immediate tool for treating various conditions. As we continue to explore the hidden language of sound, we may uncover even more surprising ways in which it influences our cells and overall well-being.

Source:Kyoto University

Original Link:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250416135736.htm

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Acoustics

Harnessing Microbubbles for Advanced Fluid Control

A watched pot never boils, goes the old saying, but many of us have at least kept an eye on the pot, waiting for the bubbling to start. It’s satisfying to finally see the rolling boil, behind which complex physical mechanisms are at play. When this happens, the bubbles that form continuously change in shape and size. These dynamic movements influence the surrounding fluid flow, thereby affecting the efficiency of heat transfer from the heat source to the water. Manipulating small amounts of liquid at high speeds and frequencies is essential for processing large numbers of samples in medical and chemical fields, such as in cell sorting. Microbubble vibrations can create flows and sound waves, aiding in liquid manipulation. However, the collective behavior and interactions of multiple bubbles is poorly understood, so their applications have been limited.

Published

5 days ago

May 3, 2025

Mona V

Harnessing Microbubbles for Advanced Fluid Control
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Researchers at Kyoto University have made a groundbreaking discovery in the manipulation of microbubbles to control fluids. By precisely adjusting the distance between these tiny bubbles, scientists can fundamentally alter liquid flow, revolutionizing applications in medical and chemical fields.

The team’s innovative setup employs laser light to photothermally heat degassed water, allowing them to generate two microbubbles that spontaneously vibrate at sub-megahertz frequencies. These vibrations interact with each other, synchronizing their movements and influencing the surrounding fluid flow.

By adjusting the distance between the bubbles by just 10 micrometers, researchers observed a staggering change in vibration frequency of over 50%. This remarkable finding has significant implications for fluid control tools in various industries.

“We did not expect to observe such clear vibrational coupling between two oscillating bubbles,” says corresponding author Kyoko Namura. “The vibrations of the bubbles we generated were very stable over time and highly reproducible, allowing us to capture changes in their vibrations when their relative positions were even slightly adjusted.”

This breakthrough provides a new method for fluid control in various applications, including medical and chemical fields where faster analysis and data collection are essential. The research team plans to explore ways to actively select bubble vibration frequencies and modes, control larger arrays of bubbles, and analyze the sound waves and flows generated around them.

Harnessing microbubbles has the potential to revolutionize various industries, offering a more efficient and accurate way to manipulate fluids. As researchers continue to push the boundaries of this technology, we can expect to see exciting advancements in fields such as medicine, chemistry, and beyond.

Acoustics

Unraveling the Dynamics of Hand Clapping: A Window into Bioacoustics and Personal Identification

Researchers elucidate the complex physical mechanisms and fluid dynamics involved in a handclap, with potential applications in bioacoustics and personal identification, whereby a handclap could be used to identify someone.

Published

2 months ago

March 13, 2025

Mona V

The study, led by Professor Sunny Jung of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, aimed to explore how hand clapping generates sound depending on various factors such as hand shape, size, and technique. The researchers used high-speed cameras to track the motion, air flow, and sound produced by 10 volunteers clapping their hands in different ways.

The results showed that the larger the cavity between the palms, the lower the frequency of the clap. This is because the air column pushed by the jet flow of air coming out of the hand cavity causes the disturbance in the air, producing the sound we hear. The researchers also found that the softness of the hands plays a role in dampening the sound.

The study compared human data to theoretical projections using a traditional resonator called a Helmholtz resonator and confirmed that it can predict the frequency of the human handclap. This finding has potential implications for bioacoustics, as it may help explain various phenomena involving soft material collision and jet flow.

Moreover, the researchers discovered that claps are so short compared to sound made through a traditional resonator due to the softness of the hands vibrating after impact and absorbing energy. This knowledge can be used to design handclapping shapes that make the hand more rigid, resulting in a longer-lasting sound.

The study opens the door to using a handclap as a personal identifier or signature, with another researcher testing its potential for taking attendance in a class. The connection between the physics of hand clapping and its applications is new, and this research provides a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon.

This study was supported in part by funding from the National Science Foundation and involved co-authors from Cornell University and the University of Mississippi’s National Center for Physics and Astronomy.