46 William C . Campbell
Mutebutton
46 William C . Campbell
Mutebutton
( neuromod )
47
2015 saw the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine being jointly awarded to Donegal born William C . Campbell . The Trinity College Dublin graduate was awarded the prize for his work on avermectins , an anti-parasitic drug used in domestic farm animals . While working at Merck in the USA , Prof Campbell developed Avermectin from a component of a strain of bacteria identified by Chinese professor You Tu , with whom he shares the prize . Avermectin was then further refined to produce Ivermectin , a profound treatment for ‘ River Blindness ’, and is named on the World Health Organisation ’ s list of essential medicines required as a staple of the modern health system .
Researchers at the National University of Ireland Maynooth have developed a technology that aims to alleviate the symptoms of tinnitus , a condition where the person ‘ hears ’ noises such as ringing or hissing even though there is no external source of the sound . The device , called MuteButton , simultaneously stimulates the sense of hearing and touch by playing sounds to the ear and stimulating touch using sensors on the tongue . The approach targets centres in the spinal cord and brain that integrate sound and touch , with the aim of suppressing the perceived but imaginary sounds of tinnitus .
www . mutebutton . ie