Part of this light is reflected back, and the pattern of reflection indicates activity in the tissue it has been reflected from in particular, changes in the flow of blood to that tissue.

ECONOMIST: Lie detection

This approach has the advantage that the tissue has a functioning system of blood vessels to deliver nutrients, so it should be possible to grow tissue cultures more than a millimetre thick the current limit.

ECONOMIST: Monitor

Employing it in adult mice not only led to blood vessels that have lasted so far for over a year, but the blood vessels themselves are now surrounded with muscle tissue meaning that the body is able to use those vessels to properly regulate blood flow.

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