Scientists at Case Western Reserve University and Vanderbilt University found that pulsed light can pace contractions in an avian embryonic heart, with no apparent damage to the tissue. The work, “Optical pacing of the embryonic heart,” was published in the advanced online issue of Nature Photonics. According to the scientists, this non-invasive device may prove an effective tool in understanding how environmental factors that alter an embryo’s heart rate lead to congenital defects.

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