Our next paper, published in the journal Light: Science & Applications and titled “Single-capillary endothelial dysfunction resolved by optoacoustic mesoscopy,” introduces a foundational optical capability for jointly processing spatial and temporal information encoded in light. Using a carefully engineered dielectric metasurface, we demonstrate first‑order spatiotemporal differentiation on a single femtosecond pulse, achieving micrometer‑scale spatial resolution together with sub‑picosecond temporal resolution. By performing mathematical operations directly on ultrafast light fields as they evolve in space and time, this approach overcomes key limitations of conventional optical computing methods that analyze spatial and temporal dimensions separately, enabling real‑time, passive processing of complex spatiotemporal signals. We further show that this framework allows direct extraction of transverse motion information from intensity‑only measurements, substantially simplifying ultrafast motion sensing.

In the context of OPTOMICS and diabetes research, this work provides foundational capability for processing the rich spatiotemporal information encoded in advanced optical imaging modalities like optoacoustics. Diabetes‑related changes in microvasculature, tissue dynamics, and functional vascular responses often manifest subtly across space and time, requiring sensitive and standardized analytical tools. By enabling simultaneous spatiotemporal computation at the speed of light, the demonstrated approach opens pathways toward more robust extraction of dynamic biomarkers, supports scalable, data‑driven phenotyping, and lays conceptual groundwork for next‑generation optical systems aimed at precision diagnostics in metabolic disease research.

The translational potential of such optoacoustic microvascular assessment is illustrated in a recent Helmholtz Munich press release, which describes how non‑invasive optoacoustic imaging can detect early signs of heart disease through the skin by resolving microvascular and endothelial dysfunction at high resolution (link). Together, these efforts outline a coherent pathway from optical computation and OPTOMICS‑driven methodology to future precision diagnostics in cardiometabolic disease.

You can read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-025-02103-6