...to elicit hearing when hair cells are non-functional, is basically what cochlear implants have been doing for decades. They just don't have that fancy light activated style to them. Very good question! I hope that answered it ❤️(4/4)

...possesses, meaning the width of a hydrogen atom, AND the spiral ganglion neurons didn't die off and possessed projections close enough to the organ of Corti to still be activated, then there could be a way to do a similar bypass. The fundamental idea though, of bypassing the sensory cells...(3/4)

...cochlear implant to improve frequency selectivity, which works similar to the research you mentioned; by expressing light sensitive channels in the spiral ganglion neurons that relay sound information. If we had a channel at our disposal that activated with the same sensitivity hearing... (2/4)

There is, but it's more indirect. The way in which the visual system transduces information is actually simpler than the ear, and a simple knock-in of an optically activated protein can bypass the photoreceptors without much fiddling. Work is being done to try out a light version of a... (1/4)

Keep an eye out on our website to read more about each presentation and poster! 👀

sheffield.ac.uk/hearing

Ceriani et al. (2025). A machine-learning-based approach to predict early hallmarks of progressive hearing loss. Hearing Research 464, 109328.

doi.org/10.1016/j.he...

@hearingshef.bsky.social