Science News Report
Stay Informed with Research Discoveries and Highlights
Science MiniBriefs
2025 – [Quarter 03]
885 News Items
| TITLE | HEADLINE | Article Title | SOURCE | SYNOPSIS | CONTENT | Seq |
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| Tiny Gut “Sponge” Bacteria Found To Flush Out Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemicals” | Gut Bacteria Discovered To Remove Toxic PFAS Chemicals From The Body Efficiently | Human gut bacteria bioaccumulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. | University of Cambridge | Researchers from Cambridge have identified gut bacteria that effectively absorb and eliminate harmful PFAS “forever chemicals” from the body in animal studies. This discovery suggests that enhancing these bacteria could lead to probiotic treatments designed to guard against health issues linked to PFAS exposure, such as cancers and heart disease, amidst ongoing legislative efforts to control these widespread pollutants. | Probiotic Gut Bacteria May Flush Out PFASIllustration showing gut bacteria accumulating perfluorononanoic acid – a forever chemical – as dense clumps. Credit: Peter Northrop / MRC Toxicology Unit -- Scientists have discovered that certain species of microbe found in the human gut can absorb PFAS -- the toxic and long-lasting 'forever chemicals.' They say boosting these species in our gut microbiome could help protect us from the harmful effects of PFAS. -- PFAS have been linked with a range of health issues including decreased fertility, developmental delays in children, and a higher risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases. -- Scientists at the University of Cambridge have identified a family of bacterial species, found naturally in the human gut, that absorb various PFAS molecules from their surroundings. When nine of these bacterial species were introduced into the guts of mice to 'humanise' the mouse microbiome, the bacteria rapidly accumulated PFAS eaten by the mice -- which were then excreted in faeces. -- The researchers also found that as the mice were exposed to increasing levels of PFAS, the microbes worked harder, consistently removing the same percentage of the toxic chemicals. Within minutes of exposure, the bacterial species tested soaked up between 25% and 74% of the PFAS. -- The results are the first evidence that our gut microbiome could play a helpful role in removing toxic PFAS chemicals from our body -- although this has not yet been directly tested in humans. -- The researchers plan to use their discovery to create probiotic dietary supplements that boost the levels of these helpful microbes in our gut, to protect against the toxic effects of PFAS. -- The results are published today in the journal Nature Microbiology. -- PFAS (Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) can't be avoided in our modern world. These man-made chemicals are in many everyday items including waterproof clothing, non-stick pans, lipsticks and food packaging, used for their resistance to heat, water, oil and grease. But because they take thousands of years to break down, they are accumulating in large quantities in the environment - and in our bodies. -- Dr Kiran Patil, in the University of Cambridge's MRC Toxicology Unit and senior author of the report, said: "Given the scale of the problem of PFAS 'forever chemicals', particularly their effects on human health, it's concerning that so little is being done about removing these from our bodies." | 1 |
| Researchers Tested 200 Toddlers — 96 Chemicals Were Lurking In Their Bodies | Study Reveals Toddlers Carrying Unmonitored Chemicals May Be At Risk For Development | Exposures to Contemporary and Emerging Chemicals among Children Aged 2 to 4 Years in the United States Environmental Influences on the Child Health Outcome (ECHO) Cohort. | University of California - Davis Health | A concerning study has revealed that young children in the U.S. are exposed to 96 different chemicals, many of which are unmonitored and associated with health risks. Researchers found higher levels of these substances in toddlers, particularly among certain demographics. They call for improved biomonitoring and regulations to better protect vulnerable populations during critical stages of development, as even low levels can disrupt hormones and brain function. | Untracked Toxins in 90% of US PreschoolersPreschoolers are unwitting sponges for an evolving cocktail of household and environmental chemicals. Credit: Shutterstock -- A national study published in Environmental Science & Technology finds children aged 2 to 4 years in the United States are routinely exposed to a broad range of potentially harmful chemicals. Many of the chemicals the researchers identified are not routinely monitored and may pose health risks. -- The research was conducted by multiple institutions across the United States in coordination with the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO), a program supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). -- The researchers analyzed urine samples from 201 children aged 2 to 4 years. They tested for 111 chemicals. Their study found: -- 96 chemicals were detected in at least five children. -- 48 chemicals were found in over half of the children. -- 34 chemicals were detected in more than 90% of children -- including nine chemicals not currently tracked in national health surveys like the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). -- "Our study shows that childhood exposure to potentially harmful chemicals is widespread. This is alarming because we know early childhood is a critical window for brain and body development," said Deborah H. Bennett, lead author and UC Davis professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences. "Many of these chemicals are known or suspected to interfere with hormones, brain development and immune function." -- Children exposed to chemicals through everyday activities -- The NIH-funded ECHO Cohort combines data from pregnancy and pediatric cohorts to examine the impacts of early environmental exposures on child health and development. This study looked at samples of 201 children from four states (California, Georgia, New York and Washington). | 2 |
| Ultrafast 12-Minute MRI Maps Brain Chemistry To Spot Disease Before Symptoms | Engineers Transform MRIs Into Advanced Brain Imaging Tools For Early Disease Detection | Ultrafast J-resolved magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging for high-resolution metabolic brain imaging. | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau | Engineers at the University of Illinois have developed a revolutionary MRI technology that transforms standard scans into high-resolution metabolic imaging tools capable of detecting brain diseases much earlier. This innovative approach enhances precision in diagnosing conditions such as tumors and multiple sclerosis, paving the way for personalized treatment strategies in neurology by revealing metabolic activity within the brain. | 12-Minute MRI Spots Brain Disease EarlyA 12-minute scan now exposes the brain’s hidden chemical chatter, catching silent tumors and neuro-inflammation early. Fast, non-invasive metabolic maps promise sharper diagnoses and bespoke care. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new technology that uses clinical MRI machines to image metabolic activity in the brain could give researchers and clinicians unique insight into brain function and disease, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign report. The non-invasive, high-resolution metabolic imaging of the whole brain revealed differences in metabolic activity and neurotransmitter levels among brain regions; found metabolic alterations in brain tumors; and mapped and characterized multiple sclerosis lesions -- with patients only spending minutes in an MRI scanner. -- Led by Zhi-Pei Liang, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and a member of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the U. of I., the team reported its findings in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering. -- "Understanding the brain, how it works and what goes wrong when it is injured or diseased is considered one of the most exciting and challenging scientific endeavors of our time," Liang said. "MRI has played major roles in unlocking the mysteries of the brain over the past four decades. Our new technology adds another dimension to MRI's capability for brain imaging: visualization of brain metabolism and detection of metabolic alterations associated with brain diseases." -- Conventional MRI provides high-resolution, detailed imaging of brain structures. Functional MRI maps brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow and blood oxygenation level, which are closely linked to neural activity. However, they cannot provide information on the metabolic activity in the brain, which is important for understanding function and disease, said postdoctoral researcher Yibo Zhao, the first author of the paper. -- "Metabolic and physiological changes often occur before structural and functional abnormalities are visible on conventional MRI and fMRI images," Zhao said. "Metabolic imaging, therefore, can lead to early diagnosis and intervention of brain diseases." -- Both MRI and fMRI techniques are based on magnetic resonance signals from water molecules. The new technology measures signals from brain metabolites and neurotransmitters as well as water molecules, a technique known as magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging. These MRSI images can provide significant new insights into brain function and disease processes, and could improve sensitivity and specificity for the detection and diagnosis of brain diseases, Zhao said. -- Other attempts at MRSI have been bogged down by the lengthy times required to capture the images and high levels of noise obscuring the signals from neurotransmitters. The new technique addresses both challenges. -- "Our technology overcomes several long-standing technical barriers to fast high-resolution metabolic imaging by synergistically integrating ultrafast data acquisition with physics-based machine learning methods for data processing," Liang said. With the new MRSI technology, the Illinois team cut the time required for a whole brain scan to 12 and a half minutes. -- The researchers tested their MRSI technique on several populations. In healthy subjects, the researchers found and mapped varying metabolic and neurotransmitter activity across different brain regions, indicating that such activity is not universal. In patients with brain tumors, the researchers found metabolic alterations, such as elevated choline and lactate, in tumors of different grades -- even when the tumors appeared identical on clinical MRI images. In subjects with multiple sclerosis, the technique detected molecular changes associated with neuroinflammatory response and reduced neuronal activity up to 70 days before changes become visible on clinical MRI images, the researchers report. | 3 |
| Is Cheese Secretly Fueling Your Nightmares? Science Weighs In | Is Dairy Linked To Your Nightmares? Researchers Explore The Connection To Sleep | More dreams of the rarebit fiend: food sensitivity and dietary correlates of sleep and dreaming. | Frontiers | A study shows that lactose intolerance in students correlates with increased instances of nightmares, suggesting that dairy consumption could disrupt sleep and influence dream quality. Researchers recommend dietary adjustments, such as avoiding late-night dairy products, to improve sleep quality. Further investigations are needed to fully understand the relationship between gut health and dreaming. | Is Cheese Fueling Your Nightmares?Nightmares spiked among lactose-intolerant students, pointing to dairy-driven tummy troubles that meddle with REM sleep and dream mood. Credit: Shutterstock -- If you find eating some foods makes you sleep badly, you’re not alone — and there may be a physical cause for your bad dreams. Scientists investigating links between diet, sleep problems, and cultural beliefs about diet and sleep have found that healthier evening eating habits lead to better sleep and better recall of dreams, while the consumption of dairy products is associated with nightmares. This is thought to be because lactose intolerance causes overnight digestive upsets which then affect people’s dreams. -- Scientists have found that eating too much dairy could ruin your sleep. Researchers questioned more than 1,000 students about the quality of their sleep, their eating habits, and any perceived link between the two, and found a strong association between nightmares and lactose intolerance — potentially because gas or stomach pain during the night affects people's dreams. -- "Nightmare severity is robustly associated with lactose intolerance and other food allergies," said Dr Tore Nielsen of Université de Montréal, lead author of the article in Frontiers in Psychology. "These new findings imply that changing eating habits for people with some food sensitivities could alleviate nightmares. They could also explain why people so often blame dairy for bad dreams!" -- Sweet dreams? -- Although folk beliefs have long held that what you eat affects how you sleep, there's very little evidence to prove or disprove them. To investigate, researchers surveyed 1,082 students at MacEwan University. They asked about sleep time and quality, dreams and nightmares, and any perceived association between different kinds of dreams and different foods. They also asked about participants' mental and physical health and their relationship with food. -- About a third of respondents reported regular nightmares. Women were more likely to remember their dreams and to report poor sleep and nightmares, and nearly twice as likely as men to report a food intolerance or allergy. About 40% of participants said that they thought eating late at night or specific foods affected their sleep; roughly 25% thought particular foods could make their sleep worse. People who ate less healthily were more likely to have negative dreams and less likely to remember dreams. -- "We are routinely asked whether food affects dreaming — especially by journalists on food-centric holidays," said Nielsen. "Now we have some answers." -- Cheesy culprits -- Most participants who blamed their bad sleep on food thought sweets, spicy foods, or dairy were responsible. Only a comparatively small proportion — 5.5% of respondents — felt that what they ate affected the tone of their dreams, but many of these people said they thought sweets or dairy made their dreams more disturbing or bizarre. | 4 |
| Synthetic Storm: What’s Really In Your Teen’s Vape — And Why Scientists Are Alarmed | Teen Vaping Trends Raise Alarms As Dangerous Substances Become More Popular Among Youth | Adolescent Cannabis Vaping Trends (2021–2023): Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, Cannabidiol, and Synthetic Cannabinoids. | Elsevier | A national study highlights a worrying rise in teen vaping of THC, CBD, and synthetic cannabinoids, with a notable lack of awareness regarding what substances they are inhaling. This trend raises urgent concerns about adolescent health, particularly given that girls are now vaping these substances more than boys. Researchers advocate for enhanced educational efforts and stricter regulatory measures to mitigate the risks associated with vaping. | Unseen Danger: What Are Teens Really Vaping?A new study shows a big jump in teen vaping of THC, CBD, and powerful synthetic drugs. Many teens don’t even know what they’re inhaling — and that’s what worries scientists the most. Credit: Shutterstock -- Novel research has revealed that adolescent vaping of current delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) has increased between 2021 and 2023. Also, adolescents are increasingly unsure about the substances they vaped in their e-cigarettes. A new study appearing in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, sheds light on this alarming trend and contributes to informing evidence-based public health policies and harm reduction strategies aimed at protecting youth from the long-term consequences of vaping. -- Vaping of substances other than nicotine has become increasingly popular among adolescents in the United States. The current study analyzed national trends of adolescent cannabis vaping from the National Youth Tobacco Survey for 2021, 2022, and 2023, comprising a total of 69,899 US middle and high school students (aged 11 to 18 years). -- Lead investigator Jack Chung, BApsych (Hons), National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, and School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Queensland, says, "We found a significant increase in adolescent vaping of THC, CBD, and SCs from 2021 to 2023. THC vaping peaked in 2022 while the use of SCs continued to increase. Adolescents increasingly expressed uncertainty about the substances they were vaping; for example, uncertain respondents answering 'don't know' if they have vaped SCs tripled across the years. Our results also showed that females had a higher prevalence of THC, CBD, and SCs vaping compared to males." -- In 2023, it is estimated that 7.4% (or 2.55 million) of US adolescents were currently vaping THC, while 2.9% (or 999,000) were vaping CBD, and 1.8% (or 620,000) were vaping SCs. Individuals who vape cannabis exhibit more mental health symptoms compared to those who use traditional combustion methods of dry herbs and flowers. SCs are typically lab-synthesized to mimic the effects of naturally occurring cannabinoids and often bind more strongly to brain receptors, leading to more intense and unpredictable health consequences. -- Mr. Chung remarks, "One of the most unexpected findings from our study was the continued rise in adolescent use of SCs. This trend is particularly alarming given that these substances are often accessed through unregulated, illicit markets, where there are no safety standards or quality controls. The growing popularity of SCs among youth raises serious concerns about potential health risks and highlights the urgent need for targeted public health interventions and regulatory oversight. These synthetic cannabinoids products could potentially be deadly, with many adolescents unknowingly vaping these harmful and synthetic substances." -- Co-investigator Gary C.K. Chan, PhD, National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Queensland, adds, "We still know very little about the long-term health effects of cannabis vaping, which makes it even more important to understand what's in your vape." -- This study is one of the first to track national adolescent vaping prevalence of THC, CBD, and SCs independently, given that most recent studies categorized various cannabinoids vaping under the umbrella term "cannabis vaping," despite their vastly different psychological and health effects. -- Mr. Chung concludes, "Experimentation with substance use among teenagers is often driven by peer influence, curiosity, and a desire for social acceptance. This age group may also be increasingly exposed to cannabis-related marketing on social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, as well as social media influencers and celebrities. I hope this study will raise awareness of youth cannabis vaping and divert public health resources into better psychoeducation on adolescent vaping, as well as tailored harm reduction interventions to protect our young generations." | 5 |
| Is That Really ADHD? Why Flawed Trials May Be Misleading Millions | Flawed ADHD Research May Mislead Treatment Approaches, Researchers Warn About Study Methods | Diagnosing ADHD in adults in randomized controlled studies: a scoping review. | University of Copenhagen - Faculty of Humanities | A new analysis of ADHD clinical trials indicates significant flaws in diagnostic processes, often leading to misdiagnoses due to inadequate assessments. Researchers found that many studies overlooked necessary evaluations to differentiate ADHD from other mental health conditions, raising concerns about the validity of treatment protocols influenced by these studies and the potential misguidance of clinical practices. | ADHD Trials Are Skipping Crucial StepsMany celebrated ADHD trials trusted shaky diagnoses, so their “proven” treatments may rest on uncertain foundations. Credit: Shutterstock -- Originally developed for children, the diagnosis of ADHD is often difficult to make in adults. This is partly because the diagnostic criteria are based on behaviour in children. When diagnosing adults, however, these criteria are often based on adults' subjective experiences, e.g., of having difficulty concentrating or being very impulsive. -- "The rising number of adults diagnosed with ADHD raises important questions about diagnostic validity -- especially since many were never identified in childhood and are now seeking help, sometimes prompted by ADHD content on social media. That made us curious: how have randomized controlled trials on ADHD dealt with this diagnostic challenge?" Dr. Igor Studart explains. -- Moreover, ADHD shares its symptoms with a number of other mental disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, making it crucial to exclude these disorders when diagnosing ADHD. This requires a thorough diagnostic assessment by an experienced psychologist or psychiatrist. -- But it is not always the case that such a thorough assessment is made. A new study from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil now shows that even psychiatric research into ADHD often neglects this fundamental work. -- "We have examined how 292 of the most credible studies in evidence-based medicine -- the so-called randomised controlled trials -- diagnosed their adult subjects," says Professor of Psychiatry and Consultant Psychiatrist Julie Nordgaard, who conducted the study together with Associate Professor and Senior Researcher Mads Gram Henriksen and Dr. Igor Studart. -- She continues: -- "We conclude that half of the studies did not ensure a broad and thorough diagnostic assessment of the patients before the trial to rule out other disorders. This means that they can't actually know, if their subjects have other mental disorders such as depression or schizophrenia. And that's not all. More than half of the studies included subjects, who have also been diagnosed with other mental disorders, making the diagnosis even more difficult to allocate," Julie Nordgaard explains. -- According to the researchers, these methodological shortcomings are problematic, because they imply that it is impossible to know which disorders and symptoms the treatment investigated in these trials potentially had an effect on. -- "This makes the research results from many of these clinical trials difficult to utilise. Yet, the results of randomised controlled trials are considered particularly trustworthy, and they may inform the guidelines we use to treat adult ADHD patients, even though the results from many of these trials should be assessed very carefully," says Mads Gram Henriksen. | 6 |
| This Virus Infects Millions—And We Just Discovered Its Secret Weapon | New Mechanism Discovered: How CMV Evades Immune Detection And Causes Birth Defects | The GATE glycoprotein complex enhances human cytomegalovirus entry in endothelial cells. | University of Pittsburgh | Scientists have uncovered a novel mechanism by which cytomegalovirus (CMV), a leading cause of birth defects, evades the immune system. This virus utilizes a hidden protein complex to infiltrate blood vessel cells, which could explain the challenges in developing effective vaccines. The findings open new avenues for targeted therapies that might prevent CMV-related birth defects and improve treatment outcomes for affected individuals. | Virus Behind Birth Defects ExposedCMV, a virus responsible for serious birth defects, has been hiding in plain sight, using a secret protein complex to sneak into cells and dodge the immune system. Scientists now believe this hidden entryway may be the key to stopping it. Credit: Shutterstock -- New research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and La Jolla Institute for Immunology, published today (June 30) in Nature Microbiology, reveals an opportunity for developing a therapy against cytomegalovirus (CMV), the leading infectious cause of birth defects in the United States. -- Researchers discovered a previously unappreciated mechanism by which CMV, a herpes virus that infects the majority of the world's adult population, enters cells that line the blood vessels and contributes to vascular disease. In addition to using molecular machinery that is shared by all herpes viruses, CMV employs another molecular "key" that allows the virus to sneak through a side door and evade the body's natural immune defenses. -- The finding might explain why efforts to develop prophylactic treatments against CMV have, so far, been unsuccessful. This research also highlights a new potential avenue for the development of future antiviral drugs and suggests that other viruses of the herpes family, such as Epstein-Barr and chickenpox, could use similar molecular structures to spread from one infected cell to the next while avoiding immune detection. -- "If we don't know what weapons the enemy is using, it is hard to protect against it," said senior author Jeremy Kamil, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at Pitt. "We found a missing puzzle piece that represents one possible reason why immunization efforts against CMV have been unsuccessful." -- In the United States, approximately one in every 200 babies is born with congenital CMV infection. Of the babies infected, one in five will have birth defects, such as hearing loss, or go on to have long-term health challenges. For most adults, CMV infections are asymptomatic. But a CMV infection during pregnancy presents significant health risks to the unborn child and could be deadly for people who are immunosuppressed, including organ transplant recipients. -- Because of the large size of its genome and its complicated molecular machinery, CMV long evaded attempts to develop prophylactic treatments. Similar to other herpes viruses, CMV relies on a protein called gH to enter cells of the vessel lining. But unlike other herpes viruses, which use a protein partner called gL to facilitate infection, the new study found that CMV replaces gL with another partner called UL116 and recruits a protein called UL141. The resulting complex of gH-UL116-UL141, called GATE by the authors, then becomes an alternative tool for breaking into cells lining the blood vessels and causing internal damage while simultaneously preventing the body's own immune system from recognizing the signs of infection. -- The newly discovered GATE could become a potential vaccine target for CMV and other herpes viruses. -- "Previous attempts to generate a CMV vaccine have failed, but that was before we identified the GATE complex. We hope that new strategies targeting GATE will improve our chances to combat CMV infection, and also perhaps cleanse our bodies of this lifelong infection," said Chris Benedict, Ph.D., associate professor at La Jolla Institute for Immunology and co-senior author of the study with Kamil and LJI professor, president & CEO Erica Ollmann Saphire, Ph.D., MBA. "If we can develop antiviral drugs or vaccines that inhibit CMV entry, this will allow us to combat the many diseases this virus causes in developing babies and immune-compromised people." -- Other authors of this research are Michael Norris, Ph.D., of the University of Toronto; Lauren Henderson, Mohammed Siddiquey, Ph.D., both of Louisiana State University Health Shreveport; and Jieyun Yin, Ph.D., Kwangsun Yoo, Ph.D., Simon Brunel, Ph.D., Michael Mor, Ph.D., and Erica Ollmann Saphire, Ph.D., all of La Jolla Institute for Immunology. | 7 |
| Scientists Just Found A Sugar Switch That Protects Your Brain From Alzheimer's | Surprising Sugar Mechanism Found In Brain Cells Could Change Alzheimer’s Treatment Approaches | Neuronal glycogen breakdown mitigates tauopathy via pentose-phosphate-pathway-mediated oxidative stress reduction. | Buck Institute for Research on Aging | A breakthrough study has revealed how brain cells utilize sugar not just for energy but to enhance antioxidant defenses, with implications for Alzheimer’s treatment. Researchers found that when sugar-clearing systems are compromised, toxic proteins accumulate, leading to degeneration. This discovery could guide new therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing or slowing the progression of dementia. | A Sweet Discovery in Alzheimer’s ResearchBrain cells use sugar in a surprising way that helps clear out harmful buildup. This discovery could lead to new strategies for preventing or slowing Alzheimer’s. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study from scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging has revealed a surprising player in the battle against Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia: brain sugar metabolism. Published in Nature Metabolism, the research uncovers how breaking down glycogen -- a stored form of glucose -- in neurons may protect the brain from toxic protein buildup and degeneration. -- Glycogen is typically thought of as a reserve energy source stored in the liver and muscles. While small amounts also exist in the brain, particularly in support cells called astrocytes, its role in neurons has long been dismissed as negligible. "This new study challenges that view, and it does so with striking implications," says Professor Pankaj Kapahi, PhD, senior scientist on the study. "Stored glycogen doesn't just sit there in the brain; it is involved in pathology." -- The research team, led by postdoc Sudipta Bar, PhD, discovered that in both fly and human models of tauopathy (a group of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's), neurons accumulate excessive glycogen. More importantly, this buildup appears to contribute to disease progression. Bar says tau, the infamous protein that clumps into tangles in Alzheimer's patients, appears to physically bind to glycogen, trapping it and preventing its breakdown. -- When glycogen can't be broken down, the neurons lose an essential mechanism for managing oxidative stress, a key feature in aging and neurodegeneration. By restoring the activity of an enzyme called glycogen phosphorylase (GlyP) -- which kicks off the process of glycogen breakdown -- the researchers found they could reduce tau-related damage in fruit flies and human stem cell-derived neurons. -- Rather than using glycogen as a fuel for energy production, these enzyme-supported neurons rerouted the sugar molecules into the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) -- a critical route for generating NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) and Glutathione, molecules that protect against oxidative stress. "By increasing GlyP activity, the brain cells could better detoxify harmful reactive oxygen species, thereby reducing damage and even extending the lifespan of tauopathy model flies," said Bar. -- Even more promising, the team demonstrated that dietary restriction (DR) -- a well-known intervention to extend lifespan -- naturally enhanced GlyP activity and improved tau-related outcomes in flies. They further mimicked these effects pharmacologically using a molecule called 8-Br-cAMP, showing that the benefits of DR might be reproduced through drug-based activation of this sugar-clearing system. "This work could explain why GLP-1 drugs, now widely used for weight loss, show promise against dementia, potentially by mimicking dietary restriction," said Kapahi. -- Researchers also confirmed similar glycogen accumulation and protective effects of GlyP in human neurons derived from patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), strengthening the potential for translational therapies. Kapahi says the study emphasizes the power of the fly as a model system in uncovering how metabolic dysregulation impacts neurodegeneration. "Work in this simple animal allowed us to move into human neurons in a much more targeted way," he said. -- Kapahi also acknowledges the Buck's highly collaborative atmosphere as a major factor in the work. His lab, with expertise in fly aging and neurodegeneration, took advantage of proteomics expertise in the Schilling lab and the Seyfried lab (at Emory University) as well as the Ellerby lab which has expertise in human iPSCs and neurodegeneration. -- Kapahi says this study not only highlights glycogen metabolism as an unexpected hero in the brain but also opens up a new direction in the search for treatments against Alzheimer's and related diseases. "By discovering how neurons manage sugar, we may have unearthed a novel therapeutic strategy: one that targets the cell's inner chemistry to fight age-related decline," he says. "As we continue to age as a society, findings like these offer hope that better understanding -- and perhaps rebalancing -- our brain's hidden sugar code could unlock powerful tools for combating dementia." | 8 |
| This AI Tracks Lung Tumors As You Breathe — And It Might Save Lives | AI Tool Revolutionizes Lung Tumor Tracking During Breathing, Enhancing Cancer Treatment Precision | Deep learning for automated, motion-resolved tumor segmentation in radiotherapy. | Northwestern University | The development of an AI tool named iSeg is enhancing the precision of radiation therapy by accurately identifying lung tumors in 3D as they shift during breathing. This innovative technology matches the accuracy of expert clinicians and uncovers cancerous areas that may be missed, promising to streamline treatment planning and improve outcomes for patients undergoing radiation therapy. | AI Sees Tumors Doctors MissiSeg’s deep-learning model tracks lung tumors in motion, matching doctor accuracy and exposing hidden danger zones—promising faster, fairer, and more effective radiation therapy. (Study author Troy Teo pointing at the AI tool he built.) Credit: Northwestern University -- In radiation therapy, precision can save lives. Oncologists must carefully map the size and location of a tumor before delivering high-dose radiation to destroy cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. But this process, called tumor segmentation, is still done manually, takes time, varies between doctors -- and can lead to critical tumor areas being overlooked. -- Now, a team of Northwestern Medicine scientists has developed an AI tool called iSeg that not only matches doctors in accurately outlining lung tumors on CT scans but can also identify areas that some doctors may miss, reports a large new study. -- Unlike earlier AI tools that focused on static images, iSeg is the first 3D deep learning tool shown to segment tumors as they move with each breath -- a critical factor in planning radiation treatment, which half of all cancer patients in the U.S. receive during their illness. -- "We're one step closer to cancer treatments that are even more precise than any of us imagined just a decade ago," said senior author Dr. Mohamed Abazeed, chair and professor of radiation oncology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. -- "The goal of this technology is to give our doctors better tools," added Abazeed, who leads a research team developing data-driven tools to personalize and improve cancer treatment and is a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. -- The study was published today (June 30) in the journal npj Precision Oncology. -- How iSeg was built and tested -- The Northwestern scientists trained iSeg using CT scans and doctor-drawn tumor outlines from hundreds of lung cancer patients treated at nine clinics within the Northwestern Medicine and Cleveland Clinic health systems. That's far beyond the small, single-hospital datasets used in many past studies. -- After training, the AI was tested on patient scans it hadn't seen before. Its tumor outlines were then compared to those drawn by physicians. The study found that iSeg consistently matched expert outlines across hospitals and scan types. It also flagged additional areas that some doctors missed -- and those missed areas were linked to worse outcomes if left untreated. This suggests iSeg may help catch high-risk regions that often go unnoticed. | 9 |
| Ancient DNA Reveals Leprosy Hit The Americas Long Before Colonization | Ancient DNA Unveils Leprosy's American Roots, Challenging Historical Perspectives On The Disease | 4,000-year-old Mycobacterium lepromatosis genomes from Chile reveal long establishment of Hansen’s disease in the Americas. | Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology | New research reconstructing ancient genomes from the rare pathogen Mycobacterium lepromatosis suggests that leprosy existed in the Americas long before European contact. This genetic analysis challenges previous notions that leprosy was solely a colonial import, hinting at indigenous origins for this disease and underscoring the importance of ancient DNA studies in understanding historical health issues. | Ancient Skeleton Rewrites Leprosy’s StorySkeleton that yielded a 4000-year-old M. lepromatosis genome. Credit: © Oscar Eduardo Fontana-Silva & Anna Brizuela -- To the point -- Hansen's Disease (leprosy) is thought to have originated in Eurasia: previous studies on Mycobacterium leprae, the dominant form of leprosy, suggest the disease originated in Eurasia. -- Ancient pathogen genomes from old bones: a team of scientists from Germany and Argentina have reconstructed two genomes of Mycobacterium lepromatosis in 4000-year-old human skeletons from Chile. This pathogen is regarded as a second, less common, cause of Hansen's Disease. -- A new American chapter for Hansen's Disease: two pathogens that are responsible for the same disease evolved separately on opposite sides of the world for thousands of years. -- Hansen's Disease, more commonly known as leprosy, is a chronic disease that can lead to physical impairment. Today it exists in over 100 countries, and while the infection is treatable, access to treatment varies widely with socioeconomic conditions. Its mention in historical texts give us a glimpse into its past impact on population health in Europe and Asia. Prolonged untreated infection can result in characteristic changes in bone, and these have been documented in archaeological skeletons as early as 5000 years ago in Europe, Asia, and Oceania. So far, absence of these characteristic changes in the pre-contact American contexts suggests that leprosy was one of the many diseases introduced to the continent in the colonial period. Thereafter it afflicted humans and curiously also armadillos. -- From a genetic perspective, Hansen's Disease is caused by either the globally dominant Mycobacterium leprae or the newly identified and rare Mycobacterium lepromatosis. The recovery of M. leprae from archaeological bone in Europe suggests the disease originated in Eurasia sometime during the Neolithic transition about 7000 years ago. Similar emergence estimates have been proposed for other notorious diseases such as plague, tuberculosis, and typhoid fever. Ancient genomes for M. lepromatosis have remained elusive, and these may hold important clues on the history of Hansen's Disease. -- Past disease in the American continent -- We know comparatively little about the infectious disease experience of the diverse communities of people living in the Americas before the colonial period. This accounts for almost 20,000 years of human history, and the diverse ecosystems into which humans integrated across the continent would have presented challenges to the immune system not otherwise encountered in other parts of the world. We know very little of these diseases, as they were smothered by the onslaught of pathogens that Europeans later brought with them. Archaeological study of human bones from the pre-contact Americas confirm that the time was far from disease-free, but often the traces seen on the bones aren't specific enough to assign to a known disease. -- "Ancient DNA has become a great tool that allows us to dig deeper into diseases that have had a long history in the Americas," says Kirsten Bos, group leader for Molecular Paleopathology at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. She and her team have been studying pathological bone from American context for over a decade. Some diseases that the group has found were expected - just last year they found evidence that the family of diseases closely related to syphilis had its roots in the Americas, which many had suspected. "The advanced techniques now used to study ancient pathogen DNA allows us to look beyond the suspects and into other diseases that might not be expected from the context," she adds. | 10 |
| Scientists Discovered How A Scent Can Change Your Mind | Scientists Uncover How Smells Influence Decision-Making And Emotional Responses In Mice | Projecting neurons from the lateral entorhinal cortex to the basolateral amygdala mediate the encoding of incidental odor–taste associations. | IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute) | A recent study sheds light on how the brain forms indirect associations between stimuli, using mice to explore the circuits involved. Researchers found that the amygdala collaborates with cortical regions to link smells to tastes and fears. Disabling these circuits disrupted the connections, suggesting potential implications for treating conditions like PTSD and psychosis through targeted brain-modulation therapies. | How a Single Smell Can Change Your MindThe amygdala acts as a switchboard, letting harmless cues gain emotional punch through linked experiences. Credit: Shutterstock -- Our brain makes decisions based on direct associations between stimuli in our environment, but it often also does so based on events that initially appear unrelated. How does it achieve this? A recent study by the Cellular Mechanisms in Physiological and Pathological Behavior Research Group at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, published in PNAS, offers new insights into this process and identifies the brain areas involved. -- Using observations in mice, led primarily by first author and PhD student José Antonio González Parra and supervised by Dr. Arnau Busquets, the research team was able to determine the mechanisms involved in how the brain makes decisions based on indirect associations between different stimuli. That is, instead of directly associating a specific stimulus with a rewarding or aversive situation, the brain establishes connections between two or more stimuli. As Dr. Busquets explains, "The project aims to understand how the brain enables us to make decisions based on indirect relationships between stimuli in our environment." -- In this context, the mice were subjected to various behavioral tests. They were trained to associate one smell-banana-with a sweet taste, and another smell-almond-with a salty taste. Later, a negative stimulus was associated with the smell of banana. From that point on, the mice rejected the sweet taste, which was linked to the banana smell and thus carried a negative connotation. In other words, "they formed an indirect association between the sweet taste and the aversive stimulus through its link to a specific smell," explains Busquets. -- The Role of the Amygdala -- Using genetic techniques delivered via viral vectors, the researchers were able to observe which areas of the mice's brains were activated throughout the process of encoding and consolidating the associations. They found that the amygdala, a brain region associated with responses such as fear and anxiety and involved in certain mental disorders like psychosis and PTSD, was activated when the mice linked olfactory and taste stimuli. -- At the same time, they identified other brain areas that were also involved and interacted with the amygdala. Thanks to imaging techniques, they were able to establish a connection between these areas and a part of the cerebral cortex. "We have identified a brain circuit that controls associations between stimuli and allows for these indirect associations," says Dr. Busquets. They also confirmed that if amygdala activity was inhibited while the mice were exposed to the stimuli, the animals were unable to form these indirect associations. -- As Dr. Arnau Busquets explains, the researchers believe that the brain circuits involved in decision-making processes in humans are similar to those in mice. Therefore, the data obtained in this newly published study could be relevant for treating certain mental disorders linked to amygdala activity. "Alterations in these indirect associations form the basis of various mental disorders," he adds. "Understanding the brain circuits involved in these complex cognitive processes can help us design therapeutic strategies for humans." In this sense, future approaches could include brain stimulation or modulation of activity in these areas in people with PTSD or psychotic symptoms. | 11 |
| New Tech Tracks Blood Sodium Without A Single Needle | Innovative Tech Monitors Sodium Levels Non-Invasively, Aiding Health Management For Various Conditions | Non-invasive, real-time monitoring of blood Na+in vivo using terahertz optoacoustics. | Optica | Researchers have created a groundbreaking system for real-time, non-invasive monitoring of sodium levels in the blood utilizing terahertz radiation and optoacoustic detection. This innovative approach circumvents traditional blood testing challenges and holds promise for enhancing the diagnosis and management of conditions like dehydration and neurological disorders, paving the way for safer, more efficient medical practices. | Blood Tests Without the BloodResearchers developed an optoacoustic (OA) terahertz spectroscopy system that can be used for long-term, non-invasive monitoring of blood sodium levels. Their approach successfully reduces signal interference caused by water, which strongly absorbs terahertz radiation. Credit: Zhen Tian, Tianjin University -- In a new study, researchers demonstrated long-term, non-invasive monitoring of blood sodium levels using a system that combines optoacoustic detection with terahertz spectroscopy. Accurate measurement of blood sodium is essential for diagnosing and managing conditions such as dehydration, kidney disease and certain neurological and endocrine disorders. -- Terahertz radiation, which falls between microwaves and the mid-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum, is ideal for biological applications because it is low-energy and non-harmful to tissues, scatters less than near-infrared and visible light and is sensitive to structural and functional biological changes. -- "For biomedical applications, terahertz spectroscopy still faces two key challenges: detecting molecules other than water in complex biological samples and penetrating thick tissue layers to enable detection inside the body," said research team leader Zhen Tian from Tianjin University in China. "By adding optoacoustic detection, we were able to overcome these challenges and demonstrate the first in vivo detection of ions using terahertz waves. This is an important step toward making terahertz-based techniques practical for clinical use." -- In Optica, Optica Publishing Group's flagship journal for high-impact research, the researchers describe their new multispectral terahertz optoacoustic system and show that it can be used for noninvasive, long-term monitoring of sodium concentration in live mice without the need for any labels. Preliminary tests performed with human volunteers were also promising. -- "With further development, this technology could be used to monitor sodium levels in patients without the need for blood draws," said Tian. "The real-time sodium measurements could be used to safely correct imbalances in critical patients while avoiding dangerous neurological complications that can occur when sodium levels rapidly change." -- Using sound to cut the noise -- The new work is part of a larger project aimed at advancing and implementing terahertz technology in the biomedical field using terahertz optoacoustic techniques. One key aim of the project is to reduce signal interference caused by water, which strongly absorbs terahertz radiation. -- To overcome this interference, the researchers developed a modular system that irradiates the sample with terahertz waves. As the sample absorbs these waves, it vibrates the sodium ions connected to water molecules in the blood, creating ultrasound waves that are detected with an ultrasonic transducer. This technique, known as optoacoustic detection, converts the absorbed terahertz energy into sound waves for measurement. -- "Terahertz optoacoustic technology represents a groundbreaking advancement for biomedical applications by effectively overcoming the water absorption barrier that has historically limited these applications," said Tian. "The broader significance of this work extends far beyond blood sodium detection. This technology has the capability to identify various biomolecules -- including sugars, proteins, and enzymes -- by recognizing their unique terahertz absorption signatures." | 12 |
| New IQ Research Shows Why Smarter People Make Better Decisions | Study Shows Higher IQ Correlates With Improved Decision-Making And Life Predictions | IQ, genes, and miscalibrated expectations.. | University of Bath | A study conducted at the University of Bath has found that individuals with higher IQs are more adept at making accurate life expectancy forecasts, suggesting a direct link between intelligence and decision-making capabilities. The research indicates that smarter individuals can better assess risks and make informed choices, potentially improving their overall life outcomes compared to those with lower IQs. | How Intelligence Boosts Your Odds in LifeBright minds forecast life’s risks far better, guiding smarter choices and richer outcomes. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study from the University of Bath's School of Management has found that individuals with a higher IQ make more realistic predictions, which supports better decision-making and can lead to improved life outcomes. -- The research, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, shows that people with a low IQ (the lowest 2.5% of the population) make forecasting errors that are more than twice as inaccurate as those made by people with a high IQ (the top 2.5% of the population). -- The research used data from a nationally representative sample of people over 50 in England (English Longitudinal Study of Ageing ELSA), assessing their ability to predict their own life expectancy. -- Individuals were asked to predict their probability of living to certain ages, and these estimates were compared with the probabilities taken from Office for National Statistics life tables (a demographic tool used to analyse death rates and calculate life expectancies at various ages). The study controlled for differences in lifestyle, health, and genetic longevity. -- By analyzing participants' scores on a variety of cognitive tests, as well as genetic markers linked to intelligence and educational success, Chris Dawson, Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science at the University of Bath, showed that smarter individuals tend to have more accurate beliefs about uncertain future events -- they are more skilled at assessing probability. -- Individuals with a higher IQ are significantly better at forecasting, making fewer errors (both positive and negative) and showing more consistent judgement compared to those with a lower IQ. -- "Accurately assessing the probability of good and bad things happening to us is central to good decision-making," said Professor Dawson. "Almost all decisions we make, whether it's starting a business, investing, crossing the road, choosing who to date, all require probabilistic assessments. -- "IQ is already known to predict health, wealth, income, occupational status and educational attainment and this research highlights one possible channel through which people with a lower IQ do worse on all these outcomes." -- Professor Dawson suggests that explicitly stating probability estimates on information relating to health and finance for example, rather than relying on individuals to do their own calculations, could help people prone to forecasting errors to make more informed, accurate decisions. | 13 |
| Scientists Discover ‘Off Switch’ Enzyme That Could Stop Heart Disease And Diabetes | Researchers Identify Enzyme That Could Restore Cholesterol Processing And Combat Chronic Diseases | HDLR-SR-BI Expression and Cholesterol Uptake are Regulated via Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 in Macrophages under Inflammation. | University of Texas at Arlington | Researchers at UT Arlington have identified an enzyme called IDO1 that, when inhibited, restores proper cholesterol processing in immune cells, presenting a potential method to combat inflammation-driven diseases. This discovery could impact the treatment of various conditions, including heart disease and diabetes, by targeting IDO1 and another enzyme, NOS, to improve cholesterol regulation and overall health outcomes. | ‘Off Switch’ Enzyme Could Stop Heart DiseaseScientists have uncovered a switch-like enzyme that, when blocked, could stop inflammation from wrecking cholesterol balance and triggering serious diseases. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists at The University of Texas at Arlington have identified a new enzyme that can be "turned off" to help the body maintain healthy cholesterol levels -- a significant development that could lead to new treatments for diseases that affect millions of Americans. -- "We found that by blocking the enzyme IDO1, we are able to control the inflammation in immune cells called macrophages," said Subhrangsu S. Mandal, lead author of a new peer-reviewed study and professor of chemistry at UT Arlington. "Inflammation is linked to so many conditions -- everything from heart disease to cancer to diabetes to dementia. By better understanding IDO1 and how to block it, we have the potential to better control inflammation and restore proper cholesterol processing, stopping many of these diseases in their tracks." -- Inflammation plays a crucial role in the immune system, helping the body fight infections and heal injuries. But when inflammation becomes abnormal -- due to stress, injury or infection -- it can damage cells, disrupt normal functions and increase the risk of serious diseases. During these periods, macrophages can't absorb cholesterol properly, which can lead to chronic disease. -- The team -- Dr. Mandal, postdoctoral researcher Avisankar Chini; doctoral students Prarthana Guha, Ashcharya Rishi and Nagashree Bhat; master's student Angel Covarrubias; and undergraduate researchers Valeria Martinez, Lucine Devejian and Bao Nhi Nguyen -- found that the enzyme IDO1 becomes activated during inflammation, producing a substance called kynurenine that interferes with how macrophages process cholesterol. -- When IDO1 is blocked, however, macrophages regain their ability to absorb cholesterol. This suggests that reducing IDO1 activity could offer a new way to help prevent heart disease by keeping cholesterol levels in check. -- The researchers also found that nitric oxide synthase (NOS), another enzyme linked in inflammation, worsens the effects of IDO1. They believe that inhibiting NOS could provide another potential therapy for managing cholesterol problems driven by inflammation. -- "These findings are important because we know too much cholesterol buildup in macrophages can lead to clogged arteries, heart disease and a host of other illnesses," Mandal said. "Understanding how to prevent the inflammation affecting cholesterol regulation could lead to new treatments for conditions like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and others." -- Next, the research team plans to dig deeper into how IDO1 interacts with cholesterol regulation and whether other enzymes play a role. If they can find a safe way to block IDO1, it could open the door for more effective drugs to prevent inflammation-related diseases. -- This work is supported by the National Institutes of Health (1 R15 997 HL170257-01), National Science Foundation (NSF AGEP 998 Award -- 2243017), and the Schwartzberg Companies. | 14 |
| The Gene That Hijacks Fear: How PTEN Rewires The Brain’s Anxiety Circuit | New Insights Into The PTEN Gene Show Its Role In Anxiety And Autism Traits | PTEN in somatostatin neurons regulates fear and anxiety and is required for inhibitory synaptic connectivity within central amygdala. | Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience | Research has demonstrated that deletion of the PTEN gene in specific brain cells disrupts fear circuits, leading to anxiety-like behaviors in mice, which mirrors traits associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study provides insights into how genetic factors can influence neural circuitry and behavioral outcomes, advancing our understanding of ASD and potential therapeutic interventions. | The Gene That Hijacks FearScientists have uncovered how the loss of a key autism-linked gene, PTEN, rewires emotional brain circuits and drives anxiety-related behaviors. Credit: Shutterstock -- PTEN Connection to Autism: Up to 25% of those with brain overgrowth and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) carry variations in a gene called PTEN; PTEN-deficient mouse models exhibit ASD-like characteristics Cell-type Specific Model: PTEN loss in specific neurons leads to circuit imbalance and altered behavior Excitation-Inhibition Imbalance: Strengthened excitatory drive and loss of local inhibitory connections in an amygdala circuit Behavioral effects: This circuit imbalance results in increased fear learning and anxiety in mice -- core traits seen in ASD. Researchers at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience have discovered how loss of a gene strongly associated with autism and macrocephaly (large head size) rewires circuits and alters behavior. Their findings, published in Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, reveal specific circuit changes in the amygdala resulting from PTEN loss in inhibitory neurons, providing new insights into the underlying circuit alterations that contribute to heightened fear and anxiety. -- PTEN has emerged as one of the most significant autism risk genes. Variations in this gene are found in a significant proportion of people with autism who also exhibit brain overgrowth, making it a key player in understanding differences in brain function. To investigate the impact of PTEN misregulation, researchers have turned to animal models, where global reduction of PTEN results in altered sociability, repetitive behaviors, and increased anxiety that are often associated with ASD in humans. -- But understanding how PTEN dysfunction results in specific circuit and behavioral changes has been difficult in animal models that disrupt PTEN throughout the nervous system. Therefore, MPFI research group leader Dr. McLean Bolton and her team have focused on the changes in the central lateral amygdala driven by loss of PTEN in a critical neuronal population -- somatostatin-expressing inhibitory neurons. -- Alterations in the function of inhibitory neurons in the development of ASD have been seen through both human tissue studies and genetic mouse models. Moreover, the PTEN gene is known to regulate the development of inhibitory neurons. Therefore, a cell-type-specific disruption of PTEN in inhibitory neurons was a valuable target for understanding specific circuit changes associated with ASD. -- "Although a cell-type specific disruption does not replicate the genome-wide changes seen in humans, it is essential to examine how genetic risk factors operate within distinct neural circuits," explained Dr. Bolton. "Understanding these mechanisms is a crucial step toward targeted interventions for specific traits such as severe anxiety." -- The team, led by Dr. Tim Holford, combined a genetic model that disrupted PTEN only in somatostatin-containing inhibitory neurons with a unique circuit mapping approach previously developed in the lab. This approach measured the electrical responses of individual neurons to the sequential optogenetic activation of hundreds of nearby neurons, allowing rapid mapping of connectivity and strength with the precision of electrical recordings and the scale of imaging approaches. -- "This is a powerful method that we can use to determine changes in local neuron connectivity and strength resulting from genetic variations. We were interested in uncovering how the disruption of PTEN signaling in a single cell type would change the way the brain processes information and contribute to the broad ASD phenotype," described Dr. Holford. -- The scientists focused on the circuits in the central amygdala (CeL) - a brain region known to serve as an inhibitory gate on the downstream expression of fear responses - and found striking results. Deleting PTEN specifically in somatostatin-containing interneurons disrupted local inhibitory connectivity in the CeL by roughly 50% and reduced the strength of the inhibitory connections that remained. This diminished connectivity between inhibitory connections within the CeL was contrasted by an increase in the strength of excitatory inputs received from the basolateral amygdala (BLA), a nearby brain region that relays emotionally-relevant sensory information to the CeL. -- Behavioral analysis of the genetic model demonstrated that this imbalance in neural signaling was linked to heightened anxiety and increased fear learning, but not alterations in social behavior or repetitive behavior traits commonly observed in ASD. The results not only confirm that PTEN loss in this specific cell type is sufficient to induce specific ASD-like behaviors, but also provide one of the most detailed maps to date of how local inhibitory networks in the amygdala are affected by genetic variations associated with neurological disorders. Importantly, the altered circuitry did not affect all ASD-relevant behaviors -- social interactions remained largely intact -- suggesting that PTEN-related anxiety and fear behaviors may stem from specific microcircuit changes. | 15 |
| This Brain Scan Sees Alzheimer’s Coming—But Only In Some Brains | New Brain Scan Marker Effective For Detecting Alzheimer’s Risk In Some Populations | Establishing tau-PET cut-points for cognitive diagnosis with 18F-PI-2620 in a multi-ethnoracial cohort. | Keck School of Medicine of USC | A promising new tau-based brain imaging marker could enhance the detection of Alzheimer’s risk, although its effectiveness currently varies among different racial groups. This research from USC highlights the need for improved diagnostic methods that can address disparities, particularly since the tau marker shows potential in identifying significant Alzheimer biomarkers in Hispanic and White populations. | New Brain Scan May Spot Alzheimer’s Risk EarlyThis image shows average tau buildup in the brain using PI-2620. The tracer uptake in different regions is measured by a quantitative method called Standardized Uptake Value Ratio (SUVR), helping compare tau levels. Warm colors (yellow, orange, red) indicate higher SUVR and more tau, while cooler colors (green, blue) show lower SUVR and less tau. Credit: USC Stevens INI -- A team of researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC's Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) has identified a new brain imaging benchmark that may improve how researchers classify biologically meaningful changes associated with Alzheimer's disease, especially in Hispanic and non-Hispanic White populations. The new study, published in Imaging Neuroscience, is part of the Health and Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities (HABS-HD), a multi-university collaboration led by the University of North Texas Health Science Center and supported by the National Institute on Aging. -- Using an advanced brain imaging scan called tau PET, the research team studied over 675 older adults from HABS-HD, aiming to identify the optimal brain signal that distinguishes individuals with clinically-relevant biological markers of AD from those who are aging normally. -- Tau PET enables researchers to visualize abnormal proteins in the brain which contribute to Alzheimer's disease, known as tau, by using a small amount of a special radioactive tracer that highlights areas where tau has accumulated. With these scans, researchers can establish tau cut-points, a new type of biomarker used to determine whether a scan shows an amount of tau protein in the brain high enough to suggest possible early signs of Alzheimer's disease or related conditions. This new benchmark could eventually inform the way clinicians interpret tau PET scans and better identify who may be at risk for AD. -- In this study, researchers compared tau PET scans of study participants who were cognitively impaired with those who were not impaired based on cognitive tests to establish a tau cut-point that would indicate a higher risk for Alzheimer's disease. They found one -- but it was only effective in certain circumstances. -- "Our tau cut-point was able to distinguish whether study participants had cognitive impairment - but only when another abnormal protein, amyloid, was also present in those with cognitive impairment, and only in Hispanic and non-Hispanic White participants," said senior author Meredith N. Braskie, PhD, assistant professor of neurology. "In non-Hispanic Black participants, the tau cut-point did not perform as expected. This suggests that other pathologies or conditions may be driving cognitive decline in this group. Our study is an important step toward better understanding how tau relates to cognition in diverse populations and has important implications for future clinical trials that aim to target tau." -- The team used a new imaging tracer called 18F-PI-2620, to measure tau protein buildup in the brain. They found that when tau levels in the medial temporal lobe -- a region deep in the brain -- exceeded a certain threshold, it strongly indicated cognitive impairment related to AD. -- "While our findings support prior research linking medial temporal lobe tau to cognitive impairment, establishing a cut-point in this region using 18F-PI-2620, marks an important step toward defining tau positivity for both research and clinical applications. At the same time, the limited reliability of tau as an indicator of cognitive impairment in non-Hispanic Black participants highlights the need for more diverse populations in research and for future studies to examine both biological and social determinants of Alzheimer's disease," said lead author Victoria R. Tennant, a PhD candidate in USC's Neuroscience Graduate Program. -- The findings reflect a growing focus in AD research on making sure diagnostic tools work for everyone -- not just in narrow clinical trial populations. Alzheimer's disease is known to affect the brain in stages. While amyloid plaques often build up early, tau tangles are more closely tied to memory loss and other symptoms. -- "This type of imaging is critical for understanding who is at risk and how the disease develops," said Stevens INI director Arthur W. Toga, PhD. "These findings are just the latest to come from HABS-HD, which is the most comprehensive study of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in diverse communities. HABS-HD has already produced key findings related to ethnic variations in AD biomarkers, the influences of social determinants on cognitive health, and vascular contributions to dementia, just to name a few. We hope this work will lead to more personalized care and better outcomes for all communities." | 16 |
| Scientists Reveal Your Morning Coffee Flips An Ancient Longevity Switch | Caffeine Activates Longevity Mechanism—New Study Links Coffee To Better Health Outcomes | Dissecting the cell cycle regulation, DNA damage sensitivity and lifespan effects of caffeine in fission yeast. | Queen Mary University of London | A new study reveals how caffeine activates AMPK, a crucial cellular sensor that helps cells manage stress and energy shortages, potentially contributing to longevity and health benefits. Research conducted on fission yeast illustrates caffeine's role beyond alertness, suggesting it may play a significant part in cellular aging processes and promoting better health outcomes. | Fission yeast cells in which the glucose transporter Ght5 is fluorescently labelled with Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). Credit: Olga Xintarakou, Queen Mary University of London -- A new study from the Cellular Ageing and Senescence laboratory at Queen Mary University of London's Cenfre for Molecular Cell Biology, reveals how caffeine -- the world's most popular neuroactive compound -- might do more than just wake you up. The study in the journal Microbial Cell shows how caffeine could play a role in slowing down the ageing process at a cellular level. -- Caffeine has long been linked to potential health benefits, including reduced risk of age-related diseases. But how it works inside our cells, and what exactly are its connections with nutrient and stress responsive gene and protein networks has remained a mystery -- until now. -- In new research published by scientists studying fission yeast -- a single-celled organism surprisingly similar to human cells -- researchers found that caffeine affects ageing by tapping into an ancient cellular energy system. -- A few years ago, the same research team found that caffeine helps cells live longer by acting on a growth regulator called TOR (Target of Rapamycin). TOR is a biological switch that tells cells when to grow, based on how much food and energy is available. This switch has been controlling energy and stress responses in living things for over 500 million years. -- But in their latest study, the scientists made a surprising discovery: caffeine doesn't act on this growth switch directly. Instead, it works by activating another important system called AMPK, a cellular fuel gauge that is evolutionarily conserved in yeast and humans. -- "When your cells are low on energy, AMPK kicks in to help them cope," explains Dr Charalampos (Babis) Rallis, Reader in Genetics, Genomics and Fundamental Cell Biology at Queen Mary University of London, the study's senior author. "And our results show that caffeine helps flip that switch." -- Interestingly, AMPK is also the target of metformin, a common diabetes drug that's being studied for its potential to extend human lifespan together with rapamycin. -- Using their yeast model, the researchers showed that caffeine's effect on AMPK influences how cells grow, repair their DNA, and respond to stress -- all of which are tied to ageing and disease. -- "These findings help explain why caffeine might be beneficial for health and longevity," said Dr John-Patrick Alao the postdoctoral research scientist leading this study. "And they open up exciting possibilities for future research into how we might trigger these effects more directly -- with diet, lifestyle, or new medicines." | 17 |
| Sweet-Smelling Molecule Halts Therapy-Resistant Pancreatic Cancer | Sweet-Smelling Benzaldehyde Battles Therapy-Resistant Pancreatic Cancer Cells | Benzaldehyde suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity and overcomes treatment resistance in cancer by targeting the interaction of 14-3-3ζ with H3S28ph. | Fujita Health University | Japanese researchers discovered that benzaldehyde, a compound responsible for the aroma of almonds and apricots, can effectively stop the growth of therapy-resistant pancreatic cancer cells by disrupting essential protein interactions. This discovery could lead to new treatment options that target cancer cells without harming healthy ones, especially when paired with existing therapies like radiation. | Fragrant Molecule Halts Cancer SpreadCancerous cells forming a lump in the pancreatic tissue. Credit: Scientific Animations Inc. -- Cancer cells have the capacity to multiply rapidly. The aggressive cancer cells undergo conversion from their tightly connected epithelial state into a mesenchymal state, which lacks contact restrictions and spreads easily to other parts of the body. Such epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity also makes the cancer cells resistant to elimination by anticancer therapies. -- The search is ongoing for newer anticancer agents that can overcome this acquired resistance to therapy and destroy the 'rogue' cancer cells. A group of researchers led by Dr. Hideyuki Saya, Director of the Oncology Innovation Center, Fujita Health University, Japan, has uncovered the mechanism of the anticancer activity of benzaldehyde, a compound responsible for the aroma of almonds, apricots, and figs. -- Giving insights into their motivation for this study, Dr. Saya explains, "In the 1980s, researchers demonstrated the anticancer activity of benzaldehyde and its derivatives. The first author of our study, Dr. Jun Saito, is the daughter of one of the researchers involved in those early studies, and she was driven by a strong desire to uncover the mechanism behind benzaldehyde's anticancer effects." This study, published online in the British Journal of Cancer on May 02, 2025, shows the impact of benzaldehyde on key signaling protein interactions within the cancer cells and the resulting cytotoxicity. -- Early studies reported the ability of benzaldehyde to inhibit the progressive development of mouse embryonic cells, indicating its potential in preventing rapid cell proliferation. Here, the anticancer effects of benzaldehyde were studied by using a mouse model grafted to have a growing pancreatic cancer. -- In cell culture studies, benzaldehyde inhibited the growth of cancer cells resistant to radiation therapy and also those resistant to treatment with osimertinib, an agent blocking tyrosine kinases in growth factor signaling. Benzaldehyde synergized with radiation to eliminate previously radiation-resistant cancer cells. -- The study findings revealed that benzaldehyde exerted its anticancer effects by preventing interactions of the signaling protein 14-3-3ζ with the Ser28-phosphorylated form of histone H3 (H3S28ph). This interaction, key to cancer cell survival, was also responsible for treatment resistance and the expression of genes related to epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. -- Here, benzaldehyde prevented 14-3-3ζ-dependent phosphorylation of the serine28 amino acid of histone H3. Consequently, benzaldehyde treatment reduced the expression of genes responsible for treatment resistance. Treatment of mice with a benzaldehyde derivative inhibited the growth of pancreatic tumors and suppressed the epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity, thus preventing the spread of cancer to distant organs like the lungs. -- By blocking an interaction key to cancer cell survival, benzaldehyde overcomes therapy resistance and prevents metastasis. Sharing the implications of their findings, Dr. Saya concludes, "The 14-3-3ζ protein has long been considered a target for cancer therapy, but its direct inhibition is not feasible due to its important functions in normal cells. Our results suggest that inhibition of the interaction between 14-3-3ζ and its client proteins by benzaldehyde has the potential to overcome the problem." -- The present study shows benzaldehyde is effective against cancer cells that have acquired resistance to radiation and tyrosine kinase inhibitors commonly used in cancer treatment. In the long term, this study suggests its potential as a combinatorial anticancer agent, alongside molecular-targeted therapies. | 18 |
| Why Anger Cools After 50: Surprising Findings From A New Menopause Study | Anger Management Eases For Women After 50, Study Reveals | Anger, aging, and reproductive aging: observations from the Seattle Midlife Women’s Health Study. | The Menopause Society | A recent study tracking over 500 women between 35 and 55 years old indicates that anger traits, such as hostility, decrease as women age and progress through menopause. While emotional regulation improves with age, suppressed anger remains constant, suggesting complex shifts in emotional health during midlife that warrant further examination. | Why Anger Fades With AgeNew research reveals that women’s anger levels—including explosive reactions and hostility—tend to drop as they move through menopause, hinting at a surprising benefit of aging: improved emotional control. Credit: Shutterstock -- There has been a lot of research focused on understanding women's experiences with depression during the menopause transition and early menopause, but there are few studies on perimenopausal women's experiences with emotional arousal, such as anger. A new study shows that women's anger traits significantly decrease with age starting at midlife. Results of the study are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society. -- Anger is defined as antagonism toward someone or something, often accompanied by a propensity to experience and express it indiscriminately. This is different from hostility, which refers to a fear-eliciting emotion. Some describe hostility as constantly being ready for a fight. -- Studies of anger and its health implications in midlife women date back to 1980 but have predominantly focused on heart disease, including hypertension and coronary artery disease. Further study of women and heart disease revealed that increasing trait anger (anger proneness) was associated with increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure over a 3-year period. -- Subsequent studies of the relationship of anger and hostility to carotid atherosclerosis revealed that women with higher anger scores had high intima-media thickness 10 years later. There have also been studies associating anger with depression. Women with anger issues are more likely to develop more severe depressive symptoms during the menopause transition. This effect was strongest in women using hormone therapy for menopause symptoms. -- To date, however, no study has accounted for the progression of anger traits through the menopause transition. The objective of this new analysis involving more than 500 women aged 35 to 55 years was to examine the influence of aging and reproductive-aging stages on women's reports of anger. -- Based on the results, the researchers concluded that chronologic age is significantly related to most anger measures, including anger temperament, anger reaction, anger expressed aggressively, and hostility. Specifically, these forms of anger decreased significantly with age. Only anger suppressed was not related to age. Similarly, reproductive-aging stages significantly affected anger, resulting in a decrease after the late-reproductive stages. These results suggest better emotion regulation may occur during midlife. -- Additional study of women's anger in context of everyday life is recommended to effectively inform emotion regulation and anger management strategies and their consequences for midlife and older women. -- Study results are published in the article "Anger, aging, and reproductive aging: observations from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study." -- "The mental health side of the menopause transition can have a significant effect on a woman's personal and professional life. This aspect of perimenopause has not always been acknowledged and managed. It is well recognized that fluctuations in serum hormone concentrations during the postpartum period, as well as monthly fluctuations in reproductive-aged women corresponding with their menstrual cycles and during perimenopause, can result in severe mood swings associated with anger and hostility. Educating women about the possibility of mood changes during these vulnerable windows and actively managing symptoms can have a profound effect on overall quality of life and health," says Dr. Monica Christmas, associate medical director for The Menopause Society. | 19 |
| This Sun-Powered Sponge Pulls Drinking Water Straight From The Ocean | Revolutionary Solar-Powered Aerogel Transforms Seawater Into Drinkable Water | Size-Insensitive Vapor Diffusion Enabled by Additive Freeze-Printed Aerogels for Scalable Desalination. | American Chemical Society | Researchers have developed a groundbreaking solar-powered aerogel that transforms seawater into potable water using only sunlight and a plastic cover. This new desalination technology maintains efficiency at larger sizes, promising a sustainable and cost-effective solution to freshwater production in the future by utilizing natural sunlight. | Solar Sponge Makes Seawater DrinkableThis isn’t a paper chain, it’s a 3D-printed material that soaks up seawater, purifying it into salt-free water. Credit: Adapted from ACS Energy Letters 2025, DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.5c01233 -- Most of Earth's water is in the oceans and too salty to drink. Desalination plants can make seawater drinkable, but they require large amounts of energy. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Energy Letters have developed a sponge-like material with long, microscopic air pockets that uses sunlight and a simple plastic cover to turn saltwater into freshwater. A proof-of-concept test outdoors successfully produced potable water in natural sunlight in a step toward low-energy, sustainable desalination. -- This isn't the first time scientists have created spongy materials that use sunlight as a sustainable energy source for cleaning or desalinating water. For example, a loofah-inspired hydrogel with polymers inside its pores was tested on chromium-contaminated water and, when heated by the sun, the hydrogel quickly released a collectible, clean water vapor through evaporation. But while hydrogels are squishy and liquid-filled, aerogels are more rigid, containing solid pores that can transport liquid water or water vapor. Aerogels have been tested as a means of desalination, but they are limited by their evaporation performance, which declines as the size of the material increases. So, Xi Shen and colleagues wanted to design a porous desalination aerogel that maintained its efficiency at different sizes. -- The researchers made a paste containing carbon nanotubes and cellulose nanofibers and then 3D-printed it onto a frozen surface, allowing each layer to solidify before the next was added. This process formed a sponge-like material with evenly distributed tiny vertical holes, each around 20 micrometers wide. They tested square pieces of the material, ranging in size from 0.4 inches wide (1 centimeter) to about 3 inches wide (8 centimeters), and found that the larger pieces released water through evaporation at rates as efficient as the smaller ones. -- In an outdoor test, the researchers placed the material in a cup containing seawater, and it was covered by a curved, transparent plastic cover. Sunlight heated the top of the spongy material, evaporating just the water, not the salt, into water vapor. The vapor collected on the plastic cover as liquid, moving the now clean water to the edges, where it dripped into a funnel and container below the cup. After 6 hours in natural sunlight, the system generated about 3 tablespoons of potable water. -- "Our aerogel allows full-capacity desalination at any size," Shen says, "which provides a simple, scalable solution for energy-free desalination to produce clean water." -- The authors acknowledge funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong SAR, the Environment and Conservation Fund of Hong Kong SAR, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. | 20 |
| The Pandemic Pet Boom Was Real. The Happiness Boost Wasn’t | Pandemic Pet Ownership Didn’t Boost Long-Term Happiness, Study Finds | Short-term effects of pet acquisition and loss on well-being in an unbiased sample during the COVID-19 pandemic. | Eötvös Loránd University | A study from Hungary challenges the notion of a universal "pet effect," finding that acquiring or losing pets during the COVID-19 lockdown did not significantly impact emotional well-being. Surprisingly, new dog owners reported decreased calmness and satisfaction over time, suggesting that the expected emotional benefits of pet ownership may be overstated. | Pets Didn’t Cure Lockdown LonelinessPandemic data show acquiring or losing a pet barely nudged well-being, challenging the feel-good promise of adoption campaigns. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study challenges the belief in a universal "pet effect" on human well-being. Using data collected during COVID-19 lockdowns, researchers found no significant change in respondents' well-being when they acquired or lost a pet in their household. The findings suggest that, even during a time of extreme isolation, human-animal bonds may not be as emotionally transformative as we like to believe. -- Humans and their pets, a match made in heaven? Does adopting a new dog make you happier and less lonely? It is now commonplace to associate pet ownership with health and happiness for the human and the animal. Still, science has had a hard time pinning down the 'pet effect' -- a hypothesised boost in life quality for those who surround themselves with cats, dogs, or other companion animals. Only a few years ago, circumstances presented us with a severe test of the importance of human-animal bonds -- a global pandemic, COVID-19, which confined people to their homes, cutting them off from face-to-face contact in both work and personal life. -- Researchers at ELTE Eötvös Loránd University have examined how pet acquisition and loss were experienced during the pandemic and the short- and long-term effects of acquiring a pet on the participants. The study was published in Scientific Reports. "Through a collaboration with a psychologist team led by Zsolt Demetrovics and Róbert Urbán, we had access to a unique data set," explains Eniko Kubinyi, head of the MTA-ELTE 'Momentum' Companion Animals Research Group. "During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns, almost three thousand people across Hungary participated three times in data collection, several months apart. We noticed that 65 people acquired a pet and 75 lost one during the study, and decided to investigate how their well-being changed over time." -- The researchers found little support for the romanticised view we hold of pet owners and their emotional well-being. A short-lived boost in cheerfulness appeared after acquiring a dog, however, in a long run, dog owners' calmness, life-satisfaction, cheerfulness, and activity had gone down. Most surprisingly, the researchers found that losing a pet did not leave a mark on the well-being of their former owners. -- Ádám Miklósi, who initiated the data collection on companion animals, emphasises, "We rarely have access to data that documents spontaneous pet acquisition from people unbiased in their attitude toward pet ownership. Usually, pet lovers are identified and studied when the decision to adopt an animal is already settled. It appears that, at least during stressful periods, the average person, who may not be the primary caregiver but simply shares a household with the pet, is not significantly affected by the pet's loss, nor is their well-being a strong predictor of the decision to acquire one." -- "What surprised me most,' adds Judit Mokos, data scientist and one of the paper's first authors, 'was that a new pet in the household had no effect on the respondents' loneliness. Dog adoption is often promoted as a solution for elderly and/or lonely people. Shelters and pet food companies promote adoption as a means of alleviating loneliness. However, our research suggests that dogs do not provide a real solution to loneliness; rather, they make the new owners more anxious." -- Kubinyi concludes, "Based on the data, most people, living together with a companion animal, do not seem to experience any long-term 'pet effect', nor do they bond strongly with their animal. It is possible that the dynamics of the pandemic have led many to make impulsive choices against their long-term interest, or that only certain groups -- like devoted animal lovers or older adults living alone -- truly benefit from pets in stressful times." -- It appears that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the emotional bonds people formed with animals often fell short of expectations. | 21 |
| Are Lefties Really More Creative? 100 Years Of Data Say No | Left-Handers Aren’t More Creative: A Century Of Research Says So | Handedness and creativity: Facts and fictions. | Cornell University | A comprehensive review of studies by Cornell University researchers debunks the myth that left-handed individuals are inherently more creative. Their analysis found no consistent advantage for left-handers in creative thinking tests, and in some cases, right-handers performed better, suggesting that cultural biases may have perpetuated this misconception. | Are Lefties Really More Creative?Lefties aren’t innately more inventive; broad data reveal any creative edge belongs, if anything, to right-handers. The enduring myth rides on rarity, artistry, and a dash of “tortured genius” folklore. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scouring more than a century of studies that explored links between handedness and creativity, new Cornell University research finds the widespread belief that lefties are more creative is not actually true. -- "The data do not support any advantage in creative thinking for lefties," said Daniel Casasanto, associate professor of psychology. "In fact, there is some evidence that righties are more creative in some laboratory tests, and strong evidence that righties are overrepresented in professions that require the greatest creativity." -- Casasanto is the senior author of "Handedness and Creativity: Facts and Fictions," published in the Psychonomic Bulletin and Review. -- Casasanto said there are scientific reasons to believe that left-handed people, conservatively estimated to comprise about 10% of the population, would have an edge in creativity. Divergent thinking - the ability to explore many possible solutions to a problem in a short time and make unexpected connections - is supported more by the brain's right hemisphere. -- The researchers conducted a meta-analysis - sorting through nearly 1,000 relevant scientific papers published since 1900. Most were weeded out because they did not report data in a standardized way or included only righties (the norm in studies seeking homogeneous samples), leaving 17 studies reporting nearly 50 effect sizes. -- The meta-analysis revealed that handedness made little difference in the three most common laboratory tests of its link to divergent thinking; if anything, righties had a small advantage on some tests. -- "If you look at the literature on the whole," Casasanto said, "this claim of left-handed creativity is simply not supported." -- What has sustained belief in left-handers' special creativity? One factor, the authors speculate, is left-handed exceptionalism: the idea that it's rare to be a lefty and rare to be a creative genius, so perhaps one explains the other. Another is the popular perception that creative genius is linked to mental illness. It turns out lefties, who are more likely to be artists, experience higher rates of depression and schizophrenia. -- "This idea that left-handedness, art and mental illness go together - what we call the 'myth of the tortured artist' - could contribute to the appeal and the staying power of the lefty creativity myth," Casasanto said. | 22 |
| A Tiny Implant Just Helped Paralyzed Rats Walk Again—Is Human Recovery Next? | Tiny Implant Restores Movement In Paralyzed Rats After Spinal Injury | Daily electric field treatment improves functional outcomes after thoracic contusion spinal cord injury in rats. | University of Auckland | A novel implantable device developed by researchers at the University of Auckland and Chalmers University has restored movement in rats with spinal cord injuries. This ultra-thin device delivers gentle electrical currents to stimulate nerve healing, offering hope for future treatments that can benefit humans suffering from similar injuries. | Shock Therapy Brings Spines Back to LifeAn implantable electronic device safely restored movement to rats following spinal cord injuries. Credit: University of Auckland -- Spinal cord injuries are currently incurable with devastating effects on people's lives, but now a trial at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland offers hope for an effective treatment. -- Spinal cord injuries shatter the signal between the brain and body, often resulting in a loss of function."Unlike a cut on the skin, which typically heals on its own, the spinal cord does not regenerate effectively, making these injuries devastating and currently incurable," says lead researcher Dr Bruce Harland, a senior research fellow in the School of Pharmacy at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland. -- Before birth, and to a lesser extent afterwards, naturally occurring electric fields play a vital role in early nervous system development, encouraging and guiding the growth of nerve tissue along the spinal cord. Scientists are now harnessing this same electrical guidance system in the lab.An implantable electronic device has restored movement following spinal cord injury in an animal study, raising hopes for an effective treatment for humans and even their pets. -- "We developed an ultra-thin implant designed to sit directly on the spinal cord, precisely positioned over the injury site in rats," Dr Harland says. -- The device delivers a carefully controlled electrical current across the injury site. "The aim is to stimulate healing so people can recover functions lost through spinal-cord injury," Professor Darren Svirskis, director of the CatWalk Cure Program at the University's School of Pharmacy says. -- Unlike humans, rats have a greater capacity for spontaneous recovery after spinal cord injury, which allowed researchers to compare natural healing with healing supported by electrical stimulation. -- After four weeks, animals that received daily electric field treatment showed improved movement compared with those who did not. -- Throughout the 12-week study, they responded more quickly to gentle touch. -- "This indicates that the treatment supported recovery of both movement and sensation," Harland says. "Just as importantly, our analysis confirmed that the treatment did not cause inflammation or other damage to the spinal cord, demonstrating that it was not only effective but also safe." | 23 |
| AI Sees What Doctors Miss: Fatty Liver Disease Hidden In Chest X-Rays | AI Detects Fatty Liver Disease Hidden In Chest X-Rays | Performance of a Chest Radiograph–based Deep Learning Model for Detecting Hepatic Steatosis. | Osaka Metropolitan University | Researchers in Japan have developed an AI capable of detecting fatty liver disease from standard chest X-rays, a breakthrough that could transform early diagnosis. This method is cost-effective and widely accessible, providing a new tool for identifying this silent yet serious health condition without the need for expensive equipment. | AI Sees What Doctors MissAn AI developed in Japan can now detect fatty liver disease from regular chest X-rays, opening the door to faster, cheaper, and more accessible screening. Credit: Shutterstock -- Fatty liver disease, caused by the accumulation of fat in the liver, is estimated to affect one in four people worldwide. If left untreated, it can lead to serious complications, such as cirrhosis and liver cancer, making it crucial to detect early and initiate treatment. -- Currently, standard tests for diagnosing fatty liver disease include ultrasounds, CTs, and MRIs, which require costly specialized equipment and facilities. In contrast, chest X-rays are performed more frequently, are relatively inexpensive, and involve low radiation exposure. Although this test is primarily used to examine the condition of the lungs and heart, it also captures part of the liver, making it possible to detect signs of fatty liver disease. However, the relationship between chest X-rays and fatty liver disease has rarely been a subject of in-depth study. -- Therefore, a research group led by Associate Professor Sawako Uchida-Kobayashi and Associate Professor Daiju Ueda at Osaka Metropolitan University's Graduate School of Medicine developed an AI model that can detect the presence of fatty liver disease from chest X-ray images. -- In this retrospective study, a total of 6,599 chest X-ray images containing data from 4,414 patients were used to develop an AI model utilizing controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) scores. The AI model was verified to be highly accurate, with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) ranging from 0.82 to 0.83. -- "The development of diagnostic methods using easily obtainable and inexpensive chest X-rays has the potential to improve fatty liver detection. We hope it can be put into practical use in the future," stated Professor Uchida-Kobayashi. | 24 |
| Fire Smoke Exposure Leaves Toxic Metals And Lasting Immune Changes | Wildfire Smoke Alters Immune System: New Harvard Study Reveals | Immune impacts of fire smoke exposure. | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health | Harvard scientists discovered that exposure to wildfire smoke can alter the immune system, even in healthy individuals, leading to immune activation and genetic changes linked to allergies. This research opens avenues for understanding the long-term health effects of smoke exposure and potential therapeutic interventions. | Fire Smoke Leaves Lasting Immune ChangesBeing around fire smoke can reprogram your immune system, Harvard researchers found — triggering inflammation, allergy-linked genes, and even embedding toxic metals into your blood cells. Credit: Shutterstock -- Key points: -- Healthy adults exposed to fire smoke -- which can be composed of gases, particulate matter, and toxins -- showed alterations to their immune systems, including changes in the regulation of genes associated with asthma and allergies, and in immune cells that play a key role in fighting pathogens, compared to adults who had no exposure to fire smoke. -- The study is the first to examine the specific immune mechanisms associated with fire smoke exposure, showing cellular-level changes related to smoke's known negative impacts on respiratory, cardiac, neurological, and pregnancy outcomes. -- According to the researchers, the findings may pave the way for new therapeutics to mitigate, or prevent altogether, the health effects of smoke exposure and environmental contaminants. -- Exposure to fire smoke -- which can be composed of particulate matter, gases, materials from buildings such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), toxic metals, and carcinogenic compounds -- may alter the immune system on a cellular level, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study is the first to examine the specific cellular changes associated with fire smoke exposure, documenting how smoke can damage the body through the immune system. -- "We've known that smoke exposure causes poor respiratory, cardiac, neurological, and pregnancy outcomes, but we haven't understood how," said corresponding author Kari Nadeau, John Rock Professor of Climate and Population Studies and chair of the Department of Environmental Health. "Our study fills in this knowledge gap, so that clinicians and public health leaders are better equipped to respond to the growing threat of difficult to contain, toxic wildfires." -- The study was published pn June 26 in Nature Medicine. -- The researchers collected blood from two cohorts matched by age, sex, and socioeconomic status: 31 smoke-exposed adults, both firefighters and civilians, and 29 non-smoke-exposed adults. None of the participants had an acute or chronic condition, and none were taking immunomodulatory drugs at or before the time of the blood draw, which took place within one month after participants had been exposed to fire smoke. -- Using cutting-edge single-cell -omic techniques -- epigenetic assays and mass cytometry -- and bioinformatic analytical tools, the researchers examined and analyzed individual cells within each blood sample. | 25 |
| Brain Scan Breakthrough Reveals Why Parkinson’s Drugs Don’t Always Work | Brain Imaging Breakthrough Explains Varied Responses To Parkinson’s Drug | Cortical Effects of Dopamine Replacement Account for Clinical Response Variability in Parkinson's Disease. | Simon Fraser University | A study using advanced MEG brain imaging has uncovered why the Parkinson’s drug levodopa may not work uniformly among patients. By mapping brain signals pre- and post-treatment, researchers found that the drug sometimes activates unintended brain regions, paving the way for more personalized and effective treatment strategies. | Why Parkinson’s Drugs Don’t Always WorkA new brain imaging method reveals why Parkinson’s drug levodopa doesn’t work equally for everyone—some brains react in unexpected ways, opening the door to more tailored treatments. Credit: Shutterstock -- Simon Fraser University researchers are using a new approach to brain imaging that could improve how drugs are prescribed to treat Parkinson's disease. -- The new study, published in the journal Movement Disorders, looks at why levodopa - the main drug used in dopamine replacement therapy - is sometimes less effective in patients. -- The drug is typically prescribed to help reduce the movement symptoms associated with the neurodegenerative disorder. -- While it is effective in improving symptoms for the vast majority of patients, not everyone experiences the same level of benefit. -- In order to find out why this is the case, an SFU collaboration with researchers in Sweden has used magnetoencephalography (MEG) technology to determine how the drug affects signals in the brain. -- "Parkinson's is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease worldwide and it is the most rapidly increasing, in terms of incidence," says Alex Wiesman, assistant professor in biomedical physiology and kinesiology at SFU. -- "Treating this disease, both in terms of helping people with their symptoms, but also trying to find ways to reverse the effects, is becoming more and more important. -- "If clinicians can see how levodopa activates certain parts of the brain in a patient, it can help to inform a more personalised approach to treatment." -- The study was a collaboration with researchers at Karolinska Institute in Sweden, who used MEG to collect data from 17 patients with Parkinson's disease - a relatively small sample size. | 26 |
| Scientists Turn Beer Yeast Into Mini Factories For Smart Drugs | Yeast Transformed Into Mini Drug Factories For Pharmaceutical Advancements | Screening macrocyclic peptide libraries by yeast display allows control of selection process and affinity ranking. | Università Ca' Foscari Venezia | Scientists at Ca' Foscari University have created a method to transform ordinary yeast into glowing micro-factories for drug discovery. This innovation allows for the rapid synthesis and analysis of billions of peptide-based compounds, accelerating the development of safer, more precise medicines without the need for animal testing. | Mini Yeast Factories Build New MedicinesBillions of engineered yeast cells are lighting the way to safer, faster drug discovery by producing potential new medicines with pinpoint accuracy—no lab rats required. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, in collaboration with researchers from Japan, China, Switzerland, and Italy, have developed an innovative method to produce and rapidly analyze a vast array of macrocyclic peptides, molecules increasingly used in modern medicine. The research, published in Nature Communications, harnesses the familiar brewer's yeast, turning billions of these tiny organisms into miniature fluorescent factories, each capable of creating a unique peptide with potential therapeutic applications. -- Macrocyclic peptides are promising drugs because they combine precision targeting, stability, and safety, offering fewer side effects than traditional drugs. However, conventional methods for discovering and testing these peptides are often complex, difficult to control, slow, and environmentally unfriendly. -- To overcome these limitations, the researchers engineered common brewer's yeast cells to individually produce different macrocyclic peptides. Each yeast cell acts like a tiny factory that lights up when prod-ucing the compound, allowing scientists to swiftly identify promising peptides. Using advanced fluorescence-based techniques, the team screened billions of these micro-factories in just a few hours, a process that is significantly faster and more ecofriendly than existing methods. -- Sara Linciano, lead author and postdoctoral researcher at Ca' Foscari's Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, explains: "We manipulated yeast cells so that each one functions as a 'micro-factory' that becomes fluorescent when producing a specific compound. This allowed us to analyze 100 million different peptides rapidly and effectively." -- Ylenia Mazzocato, co-leader of the study, highlights the sustainability of their approach: "By exploiting the natural machinery of yeast, we produce peptide molecules that are biocompatible and biodegradable, making them safe for health and the environment, a truly 'green pharma' approach." -- The team also clarified how these peptides precisely bind to their targets. Zhanna Romanyuk, who contributed to the structural analysis, says: "Using X-ray crystallography, we demonstrated the excellent binding properties of these peptides, confirming their precision and potency." -- This new method offers significant advancements for drug discovery, especially for challenging targets that conventional drugs cannot easily address. Alessandro Angelini, associate professor and study coordinator, emphasizes: "We are pushing the boundaries of this technology to create macrocyclic peptides that can deliver advanced therapies directly to specific cells, potentially revolutionising treatments. This could greatly benefit patient health and have substantial scientific and economic impacts." -- This work was part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), supported by the European Union's Next Generation EU initiative, involving multidisciplinary teams from Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Kyoto Institute of Technology (KIT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Padova, and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), including experts in chemistry, biophysics, biochemistry, and computational sciences. -- Part of this technology has already been patented by Ca' Foscari and was recently acquired by the startup Arzanya S.r.l. "Seeing our technology gain international recognition makes me proud," Angelini concludes. "I I hope Arzanya S.r.l. can provide our talented young researchers with the opportunity to pursue their passions here in Italy, without necessarily needing to move abroad." | 27 |
| Lemurs Age Without Inflammation—And It Could Change Human Health Forever | Lemurs Show No Inflammaging: A New Hope For Aging | Comparison of age-related inflammation and oxidative stress in two lemur species. | Duke University | Current research on lemurs challenges the long-held belief that aging inevitably leads to chronic inflammation in humans. A study comparing two lemur species revealed that they do not exhibit "inflammaging," indicating that environmental factors might significantly influence age-related inflammation. This opens new avenues for potential preventative measures against aging-related diseases in humans, drawing insights from our primate relatives’ biology. | Rethinking Aging: Lemurs Break the RulesLemurs don’t inflame with age. Can humans learn their secret? Credit: Shutterstock -- What can lemurs tell us about inflammation and aging, aka "inflammaging" in humans? That's the question Elaine Guevara, a biological anthropologist who studies the evolution of life history and aging in primates, set out to understand. -- In newly published research on age-related inflammation in ring-tailed and sifaka lemurs, Guevara discovered that perhaps we should rethink the inevitability of inflammaging in humans. -- Although similar in many ways, ring-tailed and sifaka lemurs show differences in life pacing and lifespan, making useful comparisons. Because lemurs and humans are primates and share a common ancestor that lived millions of years ago, they offer valuable insights into human evolution. -- Her findings, she said, were "surprising." -- "Contrary to our predictions, neither species showed age-related change in either marker of oxidative stress. Neither lemur species exhibited age-related change in inflammation; if anything, contrary to our prediction, ring-tailed lemurs showed marginal declines in inflammation with age," Guevara said. -- This finding, consistent with a few recent studies of other non-human primates, suggests that lemurs avoid the phenomenon of "inflammaging" widely observed in humans. -- The study shows inflammaging is not a universal feature of primates, pointing to some differences that might suggest it turns out it's not even a universal feature of humans, according to Christine Drea, a professor of evolutionary anthropology who was one of the researchers working with Guevara. -- What is Inflammaging? -- As we grow older, low-grade chronic inflammation sets in, which in turn can cause health problems such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer and osteoarthritis. | 28 |
| No Training Needed: How Humans Instinctively Read Nature’s Signals | Humans Read Nature’s Signals Instinctively: No Training Required | Perceived biodiversity: Is what we measure also what we see and hear? | British Ecological Society | A recent study reveals that people's perceptions of biodiversity through visual and auditory cues closely align with scientific measures, suggesting an inherent ability to assess ecological health. Conducted by researchers from various institutions, this research indicates that recognizing biodiversity may enhance mental well-being, emphasizing the importance of our intuitive connections to nature—even in individuals without ecological training. | How We Instinctively Detect BiodiversityOrdinary people can accurately judge biodiversity through sight and sound, and what they perceive may benefit their mental health. Credit: Shutterstock -- People's intuitive perception of biodiversity through visual and audio cues is remarkably accurate and aligns closely with scientific measures of biodiversity. This is according to new research published in the British Ecological Society journal, People and Nature. -- In a new study led by researchers at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, participants with no ecological training were asked to sort images and audio recordings of forests based on perceived biodiversity. -- The researchers found that the biodiversity levels that participants perceived from the images and audio recordings closely matched the actual biodiversity of the forests. -- How we perceive the natural world has implications for our health. Previous research has suggested that it is perceived biodiversity, rather than measured biodiversity, that is linked to our well-being. -- Lead author Kevin Rozario, iDiv, said: "Because it's suspected that perceived biodiversity translates into mental health benefits, it's important to identify what people perceive with regards to biodiversity, what the contribution of the different senses could be, and under which circumstances people's perception of biodiversity best aligns with what ecologists measure." -- To understand what indicators of biodiversity people were perceiving, the researchers also asked the study participants to sort the images and audio recordings according to any criteria that stood out to them. -- Visually, people noticed vegetation density, light conditions or color. Acoustically, people noticed birdsong characteristics, volume or emotions that the audio evoked. -- "Not only are we experiencing an extinction of species, but also and extinction of biodiverse experiences." said Kevin Rozario. -- "We recommend to conserve and restore diverse forests characterised by a variety of tree species and structures to also provide habitats for different vocalising bird species. These conservation measures will have the dual benefit of meeting conservation goals while also increasing people's experience of biodiversity and therefore likely increasing mental well-being." | 29 |
| Frozen Light Switches: How Arctic Microbes Could Revolutionize Neuroscience | Cold Microbes Illuminate Brain Tech: Discovering Light-Sensitive Proteins | CryoRhodopsins: A comprehensive characterization of a group of microbial rhodopsins from cold environments. | European Molecular Biology Laboratory | Researchers have discovered unique light-sensitive proteins called cryorhodopsins in cold-adapted microorganisms, which have the potential to be used as molecular switches in neuroscience. These proteins, found in extreme environments like glaciers, may enable precise control of brain cell activity and hold promise for innovative applications in medical technology, including light-based tools for auditory and neurological therapies. | How Glacial Molecules Might Control the MindCryorhodopsins are a group of proteins found in cold-loving microorganisms. They have the remarkable ability to turn cellular electrical activity on and off. Credit: Daniela Velasco/EMBL -- Imagine the magnificent glaciers of Greenland, the eternal snow of the Tibetan high mountains, and the permanently ice-cold groundwater in Finland. As cold and beautiful these are, for the structural biologist Kirill Kovalev, they are more importantly home to unusual molecules that could control brain cells' activity. -- Kovalev, EIPOD Postdoctoral Fellow at EMBL Hamburg's Schneider Group and EMBL-EBI's Bateman Group, is a physicist passionate about solving biological problems. He is particularly hooked by rhodopsins, a group of colorful proteins that enable aquatic microorganisms to harness sunlight for energy. -- "In my work, I search for unusual rhodopsins and try to understand what they do," said Kovalev. "Such molecules could have undiscovered functions that we could benefit from." -- Some rhodopsins have already been modified to serve as light-operated switches for electrical activity in cells. This technique, called optogenetics, is used by neuroscientists to selectively control neuronal activity during experiments. Rhodopsins with other abilities, such as enzymatic activity, could be used to control chemical reactions with light, for example. -- Having studied rhodopsins for years, Kovalev thought he knew them inside out - until he discovered a new, obscure group of rhodopsins that were unlike anything he had seen before. -- As it often happens in science, it started serendipitously. While browsing online protein databases, Kovalev spotted an unusual feature common to microbial rhodopsins found exclusively in very cold environments, such as glaciers and high mountains. "That's weird," he thought. After all, rhodopsins are something you typically find in seas and lakes. -- These cold-climate rhodopsins were almost identical to each other, even though they evolved thousands of kilometres apart. This couldn't be a coincidence. They must be essential for surviving in the cold, concluded Kovalev, and to acknowledge this, he named them 'cryorhodopsins'. -- Rhodopsins out of the blue -- Kovalev wanted to know more: what these rhodopsins look like, how they work, and, in particular, what color they are. | 30 |
| New Research Confirms That Neurons Form In The Adult Brain | Your Brain Grows New Cells Even In Old Age: A Surprising Discovery | Identification of proliferating neural progenitors in the adult human hippocampus. | Karolinska Institutet | A groundbreaking study confirms that the human brain continues to generate new neurons in the hippocampus, even in older age. Using advanced analysis methods, researchers from Sweden identified early-stage neuronal cells, suggesting that the brain's adaptability is greater than previously believed. This discovery may pave the way for innovative treatments for memory loss and other neurodegenerative disorders. | Neurons Form in the Adult Brain—ConfirmedNew cells are still being made in the adult brain, scientists have confirmed. They found the source of these fresh neurons in the memory center, offering hope for improving brain health and aging. Credit: Shutterstock -- A study in the journal Science presents compelling new evidence that neurons in the brain's memory centre, the hippocampus, continue to form well into late adulthood. The research from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden provides answers to a fundamental and long-debated question about the human brain's adaptability. -- The hippocampus is a brain region that is essential for learning and memory and involved in emotion regulation. Back in 2013, Jonas Frisén's research group at Karolinska Institutet showed in a high-profile study that new neurons can form in the hippocampus of adult humans. The researchers then measured carbon-14 levels in DNA from brain tissue, which made it possible to determine when the cells were formed. -- Identifying cells of origin -- However, the extent and significance of this formation of new neurons (neurogenesis) are still debated. There has been no clear evidence that the cells that precede new neurons, known as neural progenitor cells, actually exist and divide in adult humans. -- "We have now been able to identify these cells of origin, which confirms that there is an ongoing formation of neurons in the hippocampus of the adult brain," says Jonas Frisén, Professor of Stem Cell Research at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, who led the research. -- From 0 to 78 years of age -- In the new study, the researchers combined several advanced methods to examine brain tissue from people aged 0 to 78 years from several international biobanks. They used a method called single-nucleus RNA sequencing, which analyses gene activity in individual cell nuclei, and flow cytometry to study cell properties. By combining this with machine learning, they were able to identify different stages of neuronal development, from stem cells to immature neurons, many of which were in the division phase. -- To localize these cells, the researchers used two techniques that show where in the tissue different genes are active: RNAscope and Xenium. These methods confirmed that the newly formed cells were located in a specific area of the hippocampus called the dentate gyrus. This area is important for memory formation, learning and cognitive flexibility. -- Hope for new treatments | 31 |
| Scientists Just Found A Major Flaw In A Key COVID Drug Study | Major Find Reveals Flaw In COVID Drug Research: A Step Backward | The mechanism for GTP-mediated RNA capping by the SARS-CoV-2 NiRAN domain remains unresolved. | Rockefeller University | A significant error in understanding a key coronavirus structure could derail antiviral drug development, as researchers at Rockefeller University discovered that the NiRAN domain of SARS-CoV-2 was misrepresented in a widely cited study. This revelation emphasizes the critical need for accurate scientific models to ensure effective therapeutic strategies against COVID and related viruses, potentially saving considerable time and resources. | Critical Error Found in Key COVID ModelA widely trusted model of a coronavirus structure turned out to be wrong. Scientists at Rockefeller uncovered that a crucial part of the virus was misrepresented, putting antiviral drug efforts at risk. Credit: Shutterstock -- The COVID pandemic illustrated how urgently we need antiviral medications capable of treating coronavirus infections. To aid this effort, researchers quickly homed in on part of SARS-Cov-2's molecular structure known as the NiRAN domain -- an enzyme region essential to viral replication that's common to many coronaviruses. A drug targeting the NiRAN domain would likely work broadly to shut down a range of these pathogens, potentially treating known diseases like COVID as well as helping to head off future pandemics caused by related viruses, -- In 2022, scientists in China (Yan et al.) published a structural model describing exactly how this domain works. It should have been a tremendous boon for drug developers. -- But the model was wrong. -- "Their work contains critical errors," says Gabriel Small, a graduate fellow in the laboratories of Seth A. Darst and Elizabeth Campbell at Rockefeller. "The data does not support their conclusions." -- Now, in a new study published in Cell, Small and colleagues demonstrate exactly why scientists still don't know how the NiRAN domain works. The findings could have sweeping implications for drug developers already working to design antivirals based on flawed assumptions, and underscore the importance of rigorous validation. -- "It is absolutely important that structures be accurate for medicinal chemistry, especially when we're talking about a critical target for antivirals that is the subject of such intense interest in industry," says Campbell, head of the Laboratory of Molecular Pathogenesis. "We hope that our work will prevent developers from futilely trying to optimize a drug around an incorrect structure." -- A promising lead -- By the time the original paper was published in Cell, the Campbell and Darst labs were already quite familiar with the NiRAN domain and its importance as a therapeutic target. Both laboratories study gene expression in pathogens, and their work on SARS-CoV-2 focuses in part on characterizing the molecular interactions that coordinate viral replication. -- The NiRAN domain is essential for helping SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses cap their RNA, a step that allows these viruses to replicate and survive. In one version of this process, the NiRAN domain uses a molecule called GDP to attach a protective cap to the beginning of the virus's RNA. Small previously described that process in detail, and its structure is considered solved. But the NiRAN domain can also use a related molecule, GTP, to form a protective cap. Determined to develop antivirals that comprehensively shut down the NiRAN domain, scientists were keen to discover the particulars of the latter GTP-related mechanism. | 32 |
| AI Spots Deadly Heart Risk Most Doctors Can't See | AI Outshines Doctors In Identifying Heart Risks: A New Era In Health | Multimodal AI to forecast arrhythmic death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. | Johns Hopkins University | An advanced AI model developed by Johns Hopkins University, named MAARS, effectively identifies patients at risk for sudden cardiac death by analyzing heart MRI scans alongside comprehensive medical histories. This model significantly outperforms traditional clinical guidelines and promises to enhance patient outcomes by accurately predicting cardiac issues, potentially saving lives while minimizing unnecessary medical interventions. | Ai Spots Deadly Heart RiskMAARS reads heart-scar “fingerprints” that doctors miss, predicting fatal arrhythmias with nearly 90% accuracy and revolutionizing care for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new AI model is much better than doctors at identifying patients likely to experience cardiac arrest. -- The linchpin is the system's ability to analyze long-underused heart imaging, alongside a full spectrum of medical records, to reveal previously hidden information about a patient's heart health. -- The federally-funded work, led by Johns Hopkins University researchers, could save many lives and also spare many people unnecessary medical interventions, including the implantation of unneeded defibrillators. -- "Currently we have patients dying in the prime of their life because they aren't protected and others who are putting up with defibrillators for the rest of their lives with no benefit," said senior author Natalia Trayanova, a researcher focused on using artificial intelligence in cardiology. "We have the ability to predict with very high accuracy whether a patient is at very high risk for sudden cardiac death or not." -- The findings are published today in Nature Cardiovascular Research. -- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is one of the most common inherited heart diseases, affecting one in every 200 to 500 individuals worldwide, and is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young people and athletes. -- Many patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy will live normal lives, but a percentage are at significant increased risk for sudden cardiac death. It's been nearly impossible for doctors to determine who those patients are. -- Current clinical guidelines used by doctors across the United States and Europe to identify the patients most at risk for fatal heart attacks have about a 50% chance of identifying the right patients, "not much better than throwing dice," Trayanova says. -- The team's model significantly outperformed clinical guidelines across all demographics. | 33 |
| Deafness Reversed: Single Injection Brings Hearing Back Within Weeks | Groundbreaking Gene Therapy Restores Hearing In Kids: Hope For Deafness | AAV gene therapy for autosomal recessive deafness 9: a single-arm trial. | Karolinska Institutet | A pioneering gene therapy has shown remarkable success in restoring hearing in children and adults with congenital deafness, achieving significant results just one month post-injection. By delivering a healthy copy of the OTOF gene via a viral vector, the treatment improved auditory function in all participants, particularly benefiting young children, and sets the stage for future research targeting other forms of hearing loss. | Scientists Restore Hearing With a Single ShotA single injection of gene therapy helped restore hearing in deaf patients, with particularly strong results in children. Credit: Shutterstock -- Gene therapy can improve hearing in children and adults with congenital deafness or severe hearing impairment, a new study involving researchers at Karolinska Institutet reports. Hearing improved in all ten patients, and the treatment was well-tolerated. The study was conducted in collaboration with hospitals and universities in China and is published in the journal Nature Medicine. -- "This is a huge step forward in the genetic treatment of deafness, one that can be life-changing for children and adults," says Maoli Duan, consultant and docent at the Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and one of the study's corresponding authors. -- The study comprised ten patients between the ages of 1 and 24 at five hospitals in China, all of whom had a genetic form of deafness or severe hearing impairment caused by mutations in a gene called OTOF. These mutations cause a deficiency of the protein otoferlin, which plays a critical part in transmitting auditory signals from the ear to the brain. -- Effect within a month -- The gene therapy involved using a synthetic adeno-associated virus (AAV) to deliver a functional version of the OTOF gene to the inner ear via a single injection through a membrane at the base of the cochlea called the round window. -- The effect of the gene therapy was rapid and the majority of the patients recovered some hearing after just one month. A six-month follow-up showed considerable hearing improvement in all participants, the average volume of perceptible sound improving from 106 decibels to 52. -- Best results in children -- The younger patients, especially those between the ages of five and eight, responded best to the treatment. One of the participants, a seven-year-old girl, quickly recovered almost all her hearing and was able to hold daily conversations with her mother four months afterwards. However, the therapy also proved effective in adults. -- "Smaller studies in China have previously shown positive results in children, but this is the first time that the method has been tested in teenagers and adults, too," says Dr Duan. "Hearing was greatly improved in many of the participants, which can have a profound effect on their life quality. We will now be following these patients to see how lasting the effect is." | 34 |
| Parkinson’s Reversal? One Drug Brings Dying Brain Cells Back To Life | New Drug Revives Brain Cells In Parkinson’s: A Potential Breakthrough | Restoration of striatal neuroprotective pathways by kinase inhibitor treatment of Parkinson’s disease–linked LRRK2-mutant mice. | Stanford Medicine | Researchers at Stanford have made strides in reversing aspects of Parkinson's disease by inhibiting the overactive LRRK2 enzyme, which is linked to a genetic mutation. This treatment restored cellular structures and dopamine signaling in mouse models, suggesting that early intervention could slow or even reverse disease progression, potentially benefiting various forms of Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative disorders. | Parkinson’s Mutation Reversed With One DrugA potent LRRK2 inhibitor rebuilt primary cilia, revived dopamine signaling, and doubled nerve-ending density in mice with Parkinson’s mutations, suggesting enzyme-blocking therapy could slow or reverse disease. Credit: Shutterstock -- Putting the brakes on an enzyme might rescue neurons that are dying due to a type of Parkinson's disease that's caused by a single genetic mutation, according to a new Stanford Medicine-led study conducted in mice. -- The genetic mutation causes an enzyme called leucine-rich repeat kinase 2, or LRRK2, to be overactive. Too much LRRK2 enzyme activity changes the structure of brain cells in a way that disrupts crucial communication between neurons that make the neurotransmitter dopamine and cells in the striatum, a region deep in the brain that is part of the dopamine system and is involved in movement, motivation and decision making. -- "Findings from this study suggest that inhibiting the LRRK2 enzyme could stabilize the progression of symptoms if patients can be identified early enough," said Suzanne Pfeffer, PhD, the Emma Pfeiffer Merner Professor in Medical Sciences and a professor of biochemistry. Researchers can mitigate overactive LRRK2 using MLi-2 LRRK2 kinase inhibitor, a molecule that attaches to the enzyme and decreases its activity. -- Pfeffer added that because the genetic mutation is not the only way to end up with overactive LRRK2 enzyme, the inhibitor treatment might help with other types of Parkinson's disease or even other neurodegenerative diseases. -- Pfeffer is the senior author of the study published in Science Signaling on July 1. Ebsy Jaimon, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in biochemistry, is the lead author. The work is part of a longstanding collaboration with Dario Alessi, PhD, at the University of Dundee in Scotland. -- Cellular antennae -- About 25% of Parkinson's disease cases are caused by genetic mutations, and the single genetic mutation that makes the LRRK2 enzyme too active is one of the most common. An overactive LRRK2 enzyme causes cells to lose their primary cilia, a cellular appendage that acts like an antenna, sending and receiving chemical messages. A cell that has lost its primary cilia is like your mobile phone when the network is down -- no messages come through or are sent. -- In a healthy brain, many messages are sent back and forth between dopamine neurons in a region of the brain called the substantia nigra and the striatum. These cellular "conversations" are possible because dopamine neuron axons, which are tubular extensions coming off the cell body, reach all the way to the striatum to communicate with neurons and glia, cells that support neuronal function. -- An important communication that is disrupted by too much LRRK2 enzyme activity occurs when dopamine neurons are stressed and release a signal in the striatum called sonic hedgehog (named after the cartoon character). In a healthy brain, it causes certain neurons and astrocytes, a type of glial support cell, in the striatum to produce proteins called neuroprotective factors. As their name suggests, these proteins help shield other cells from dying. When there is too much LRRK2 enzyme activity, many of the striatal cells lose their primary cilia -- and their ability to receive the signal from dopamine neurons. This disruption in sonic hedgehog signaling means that needed neuroprotective factors are not produced. | 35 |
| Even Low Levels Of Air Pollution May Quietly Scar Your Heart, MRI Study Finds | Even Low Air Pollution Harms Your Heart: MRI Study Uncovers Hidden Risks | Association between Long-term Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and Myocardial Fibrosis Assessed with Cardiac MRI. | Radiological Society of North America | Long-term exposure to air pollution, even at supposedly safe levels, has been linked to early signs of heart damage in both healthy individuals and those with pre-existing conditions. Using advanced MRI technology, researchers identified heart scarring associated with particulate matter exposure, highlighting potential risks for cardiac health and emphasizing the need for improved air quality measures. | Air Pollution Quietly Scars the HeartEven everyday air pollution may be harming your heart without you knowing it. MRI scans revealed that people exposed to more pollution had more heart scarring, a possible early warning sign for heart problems. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers using cardiac MRI have found that long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with early signs of heart damage, according to a study that was published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The research indicates that fine particulate matter in the air may contribute to diffuse myocardial fibrosis, a form of scarring in the heart muscle that can precede heart failure. -- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. There is a large body of evidence linking poor air quality with cardiovascular disease. However, the underlying changes in the heart resulting from air pollution exposure are unclear. -- "We know that if you're exposed to air pollution, you're at higher risk of cardiac disease, including higher risk of having a heart attack," said the study's senior author Kate Hanneman, M.D., M.P.H., from the Department of Medical Imaging at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and University Health Network in Toronto. "We wanted to understand what drives this increased risk at the tissue level." -- Dr. Hanneman and colleagues used cardiac MRI, a noninvasive imaging technique, to quantify myocardial fibrosis and assess its association with long-term exposure to particles known as PM2.5. At 2.5 micrometers in diameter or less, PM2.5 particles are small enough to enter the bloodstream through the lungs. Common sources include vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions and wildfire smoke. -- The researchers wanted to evaluate the effects of air pollution on both healthy people and those with heart disease, so the study group included 201 healthy controls and 493 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease that makes it more difficult for the heart to pump blood. -- Higher long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution was linked with higher levels of myocardial fibrosis in both the patients with cardiomyopathy and the controls, suggesting that myocardial fibrosis may be an underlying mechanism by which air pollution leads to cardiovascular complications. The largest effects were seen in women, smokers and patients with hypertension. -- The study adds to growing evidence that air pollution is a cardiovascular risk factor, contributing to residual risk not accounted for by conventional clinical predictors such as smoking or hypertension. -- "Even modest increases in air pollution levels appear to have measurable effects on the heart," Dr. Hanneman said. "Our study suggests that air quality may play a significant role in changes to heart structure, potentially setting the stage for future cardiovascular disease." -- Knowing a patient's long-term air pollution exposure history could help refine heart disease risk assessment and address the health inequities that air pollution contributes to both in level of exposure and effect. For instance, Dr. Hanneman said, if an individual works outside in an area with poor air quality, healthcare providers could incorporate that exposure history into heart disease risk assessment. | 36 |
| Whispers In The Womb: How Cells “Hear” To Shape The Human Body | Cells Communicate Through Mechanical Tugs—Revealing Secrets Of Embryonic Development And Hearing | Synchronization in epithelial tissue morphogenesis. | University of Göttingen | Groundbreaking research has uncovered that embryonic skin cells communicate through subtle mechanical tugs, utilizing force-sensing proteins similar to those in our ears. This study suggests that these tiny movements orchestrate embryonic development, offering new insights into cell communication and the evolutionary links between hearing and body formation, revealing how life begins with mechanical interactions. | How Cells “Hear” to Shape the Human BodyEmbryos assemble themselves via a hidden symphony of tiny pulls, guided by hearing-style sensors that let neighboring cells move in perfect unison. Credit: Shutterstock -- Like all complex organisms, every human originates from a single cell that multiplies through countless cell divisions. Thousands of cells coordinate, move and exert mechanical forces on each other as an embryo takes shape. Researchers at the Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN), the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation, and the University of Marburg have now discovered a new way that embryonic cells coordinate their behavior. This involves molecular mechanisms previously known only from the process of hearing. The researchers attribute the fact that such different cells use the same proteins for two such different functions to their evolutionary origin. The results were published in Current Biology. -- The interdisciplinary research team used an unusual combination of methods from developmental genetics, brain research, hearing research and theoretical physics to make a surprising discovery in cell communication: they found that in thin layers of skin, cells register the movements of their neighboring cells and synchronize their own tiny movements with those of the others. Groups of neighboring cells thus pull together with greater force. Thanks to their high sensitivity, the cells coordinate very quickly and flexibly as these subtle forces are the fastest signals traveling across embryonic tissue. When the cells were genetically deprived of their ability to "listen" to each other, the entire tissue changed and development was delayed or failed altogether. -- The researchers integrated cellular coordination into computer models of the tissue . These models showed that the "whispering" among neighboring cells leads to an interwoven choreography of the entire tissue and protects it from external forces. Both effects were confirmed by video recordings of embryonic development and further experiments. "Using AI methods and computer-assisted analysis, we were able to examine about a hundred times more cell pairs than was previously possible in this field," explains Dr Matthias Häring, group leader at the CIDBN and co-author of the study. "This big data approach gives our results the high level of accuracy needed to reliably get to the bottom of these delicate interactions between cells." -- The mechanisms revealed here in embryonic development were already known to play a role in the process of hearing. For instance, when very quiet sounds are heard, the hair cells in the ear, which convert sound waves into nerve signals, react to tiny mechanical movements. At the threshold of hearing, the cell protrusions bend over distances of only a few atomic diameters. The ear is so sensitive because of special proteins that convert mechanical forces into electrical currents. Until now, almost no one suspected that such sensors of force also play an important role in embryonic development. In principle, this is possible because every cell in the body carries the genetic blueprints for all proteins and may use them as needed. -- The phenomenon could also provide insights into how the perception of force at a cellular level has evolved. "The evolutionary origin of these force-sensitive ion channel proteins probably lies in our single-celled ancestors, that we share with fungi and which emerged long before the origin of animal life," explains Professor Fred Wolf, Director of the CIDBN and co-author of the study. "But it was only with the evolution of the first animals that the current diversity of this protein type emerged." Future work should determine whether the original function of these cellular "nanomachines" was to perceive forces inside the body rather than, as in hearing, to perceive the outside world. | 37 |
| How A Lost Gene Gave The Sea Spider Its Bizarre, Leggy Body | Sea Spider Genome Decoded: Discovering How A Lost Gene Shaped Its Unique Body | The genome of a sea spider corroborates a shared Hox cluster motif in arthropods with a reduced posterior tagma. | University of Vienna | Scientists have successfully decoded the genome of the sea spider, revealing its unique anatomy and evolutionary biology. This extensive genetic analysis highlights the absence of genome duplications that other related arthropods possess, paving the way for deeper exploration into the life processes and evolutionary history of these ancient marine creatures. | Sea Spider Genome Solves an Evolutionary RiddlePycnogonum litorale, adult female feeding on a sea anemone. Credit: Georg Brenneis -- An international collaboration featuring the University of Vienna and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA) has led to the first-ever chromosome-level genome assembly of a sea spider (Pycnogonum litorale). The genome informs about the development of the characteristic sea spider body plan and constitutes a landmark for revealing the evolutionary history of chelicerates in general. The study was recently published in BMC Biology. -- Sea spiders (Pycnogonida) are marine arthropods with highly unusual anatomy: their trunk is very narrow and short, many of their internal organ systems extend into their long legs, and their abdomen is extremely reduced, to the point of being almost unrecognizable. Together with much better known animals such as spiders, scorpions, mites, or horseshoe crabs, sea spiders belong to the group called chelicerates, named after their claw-like mouthparts, the chelicerae. The bizarre body plan of these "no-bodies" raises fascinating questions: what genetic factors underlie its formation? And what can this tell us about the evolutionary history of chelicerates? The answers lie in their genome. -- A high-resolution genome -- To produce the genome assembly, researchers combined complementary sequencing technologies. First, the genetic material of a single P. litorale individual was obtained using so-called "long-read sequencing," a technology that is able to capture very long stretches of DNA. This facilitates the correct assembly of otherwise challenging repeated or complex genomic regions. Then, the spatial organization of the genome was assayed in a second P. litorale individual, revealing which DNA pieces lie close to each other in the cell nucleus. By leveraging the distance information, the correct order of the sequenced DNA stretches can be ascertained. This combination of data sources led to the assembly of 57 pseudochromosomes, representing almost the entirety of the sea spider genome in unprecedented resolution. This was additionally supplemented by novel datasets of gene activity in various developmental stages of P. litorale. "The genomes of many non-canonical laboratory organisms are challenging to assemble, and Pycnogonum is no exception. Only the combination of modern high-throughput data sources made a high-quality genome possible," says the study's first author Nikolaos Papadopoulos from the Department of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Vienna. "This can now serve as a stepping stone for further research." -- Lost genes, visible effects -- The research team paid special attention to the so-called Hox cluster - a gene family that is evolutionarily conserved across the animal kingdom. "In arthropods, Hox genes play a central role in the correct specification of the different body segments; but also in many other animal groups they are essential 'master controllers' during body plan development," explains Andreas Wanninger, one of the project leads at the Department for Evolutionary Biology at the University of Vienna. The exciting secret of Pycnogonum litorale: a part of the Hox cluster is missing completely from the genome, namely abdominal-A (Abd-A), a gene typically involved in specification and development of the posterior part of the body. Its absence could be linked to the extreme reduction of the pycnogonid abdomen. Similar conditions have been observed in other arthropods with reduced posteriors, such as certain mites and barnacles. Thus, sea spiders offer another example for the well-documented evolutionary relationship between Hox gene loss and body part reduction. -- The genome also offers insights into broader evolutionary patterns. Unlike spiders and scorpions, whose genomes show clear signs of ancient whole-genome duplications, no such traces can be found in the genome of P. litorale. As pycnogonids are considered the sister taxon to all chelicerates, this suggests that the genome of the chelicerate ancestor did not already have these duplications; rather, they must have happened much later in evolution, for certain chelicerate sub-groups. -- A new reference genome -- This newly assembled high-quality genome paves the way for further comparative studies. P. litorale thus becomes a novel valuable reference species in regards to questions about the interrelationships between chelicerates and the evolution of their body plans, as well as the genetic mechanisms that underlie the diversity of arthropods. "From an evolutionary developmental perspective, sea spiders are very interesting: their mode of development may be ancestral for arthropods, but at the same time they boast multiple body plan innovations unique to themselves. Beyond this, they also possess remarkable regenerative abilities," explains last author Georg Brenneis of the Department of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Vienna. He adds: "Now that we have the genome and comprehensive datasets on gene activities during development, we can systematically study all of these aspects on the molecular level." | 38 |
| Multisensory VR Forest Reboots Your Brain And Lifts Mood—Study Confirms | Multisensory Virtual Reality Forest Experience Boosts Mood And Connection To Nature | Multi- vs. unimodal forest-bathing in VR to enhance affective and cognitive recovery after acute stress. | Journal of Environmental Psychology | A study on the effects of virtual reality immersion in nature demonstrated that multisensory experiences significantly enhance mood and a sense of connection to nature compared to unisensory experiences. Participants showed improved short-term memory and decreased stress levels when exposed to a complete sensory virtual forest, paving the way for innovative mental health interventions using VR technology. | Virtual Forests Calm the MindTriple-sense VR “forest bathing” eases stress more than visuals, audio, or aroma alone, hinting at new digital wellness tools for green-starved environments. Credit: Shutterstock -- In Japan, Shinrin Yoku or forest bathing has already been used for therapeutic applications, for instance, to lower blood pressure and stress levels. For their study, the researchers wanted to find out whether forest bathing - consciously immersing oneself in nature - can also be effective when done virtually, and focused on whether the positive effect is stronger when several senses are addressed simultaneously. -- For the project, a high-quality 360° VR video was produced in Europe's largest Douglas fir forest, the Sonnenberg nature reserve near Parchim - complete with original sounds and the scent of essential oils from the Douglas fir. The participants experienced the virtual forest scenery either as a full sensory experience (with images, sound and scent) or in a reduced form whereby forest stimuli appealing to just a single sense - visual, auditory or olfactory - were used. In variants where only hearing or scent was activated, participants were placed in a neutral virtual environment to minimize visual stimuli and the influence of VR technology. -- Significantly better effect with sensory combination -- More than 130 participants were first put into an acute stress situation using stress-inducing images. Then, equipped with VR glasses, they experienced one of the four forest stimulation/ bathing variants. The results show that the combination of all three sensory stimuli led to a significantly greater improvement in mood and a stronger feeling of connection with nature compared to when individual sensory stimuli were presented. In addition to positive effects on mood, there were also limited improvements in working memory - the cognitive function that enables us to store, process and retrieve information in the short term. -- However, the researchers point out that the effects are area-specific and cannot yet be considered universally valid. Further studies with larger samples are needed to confirm the results and provide a better understanding of the mechanisms behind the restorative effects of virtual nature experiences. -- "We can already say that digital nature experiences can absolutely produce an emotional effect - even if they don't replace actual nature," reports Leonie Ascone, lead author of the study and researcher in the Neuronal Plasticity working group at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). -- Potential for clinics, waiting rooms and urban spaces -- Simone Kühn, head of the study and Director of the Center for Environmental Neuroscience at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, adds: "Especially in places with limited access to nature - such as clinics, waiting areas or urban interiors - multisensory VR applications or targeted nature staging could support mental well-being. The images, sounds and scents of nature offer previously underestimated potential for improving mood and mental performance in everyday situations." Kühn conducts intensive research into the effects of the environment on the human brain and, together with colleagues from universities in Vienna, Exeter and Birmingham, was recently able to prove that just from watching nature videos, patients perceive physical pain as less intense (Steininger et al., 2025). -- In brief: | 39 |
| Scientists Starved Worms — Then Discovered The Switch That Controls Aging | Starving Worms Uncover Mechanisms Of Aging And Potential Cancer Cell Resistance | A TFEB; axis systemically regulates diapause, stem cell resilience and protects against a senescence-like state. | Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing | Scientists have developed a significant model to study aging using worms. By subjecting them to fasting followed by refeeding, they observed that worms lacking the TFEB gene entered a senescent-like state similar to human aging, marked by stress and cell damage. This research provides insight into the mechanisms of aging, and may also help explain how some cancer cells evade treatment by entering a dormant state, opening avenues for potential interventions. | Worms Hit Pause—And Reveal Aging's SecretsWorms missing a key gene aged rapidly after fasting, offering a new way to study how aging starts—and how it might be reversed or controlled. Credit: Shutterstock -- The researchers induced the senescent-like state in worms by manipulating the transcription factor TFEB. Under normal conditions, worms subjected to long-term fasting followed by refeeding regenerate and appear rejuvenated. However, in the absence of TFEB, the worm's stem cells fail to recover from the fasting period and instead enter a senescent-like state. This state is characterised by markers such as DNA damage, nucleolus expansion, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the expression of inflammatory markers, which are similar to those observed in mammalian senescence. -- e fasting period and instead enter a senescent-like state. This state is characterised by markers such as DNA damage, nucleolus expansion, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the expression of inflammatory markers, which are similar to those observed in mammalian senescence. -- "We present a model for studying senescence at the level of the entire organism. It provides a tool to explore how senescence can be triggered and overcome," explains Adam Antebi, head of the study and director at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing. -- The TFEB-growth factor axis -- TFEB is a transcription factor involved in cellular responses to nutrient availability. It plays a crucial role in responding to fasting by regulating gene expression. In its absence, worms attempt to initiate growth programs without sufficient nutrients, leading to senescence. -- "With our new model, we conducted genetic screens to identify mutations that can circumvent senescence. We identified growth factors, including insulin and transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta), as the key signaling molecules that are dysregulated upon TFEB loss," Antebi explains. -- The TFEB-TGFbeta signaling axis is also regulated during cancer diapause, a state in which cancer cells remain in a dormant, non-dividing condition to survive chemotherapy. In the future, the researchers want to test whether their worm model can be used to find new treatments targeting senescent cells during aging as well as cancer dormancy. | 40 |
| A Cholesterol Secret Inside Ticks May Halt Lyme Disease Spread | Ticks Have Unique Method To Survive—Research Unveils Bacteria Stealing Cholesterol For Growth | ATF6 enables pathogen infection in ticks by inducing stomatin and altering cholesterol dynamics. | Washington State University | Researchers discovered that Lyme disease and anaplasmosis bacteria cleverly survive in ticks by hijacking the tick's cellular functions to extract necessary cholesterol. This manipulation enhances their survival until they can infect new hosts. The findings spotlight a new preventative approach to combat these diseases before transmission occurs, and suggest that similar tactics might be used by other blood-feeding insects, emphasizing the need for targeted research in tick-borne pathogens. | How Bacteria Hack Ticks to Spread DiseaseResearchers found that Lyme-causing bacteria manipulate tick cells to steal cholesterol and stay alive. Blocking this pathway could help stop the disease before it spreads. Credit: Shutterstock -- Washington State University researchers have discovered how the bacteria that cause anaplasmosis and Lyme disease hijack cellular processes in ticks to ensure their survival and spread to new hosts, including humans. -- Based in the College of Veterinary Medicine, the team found that the bacteria can manipulate a protein known as ATF6, which helps cells detect and respond to infection, to support its own growth and survival inside the tick. The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could serve as a launching point for developing methods to eliminate the bacteria in ticks before they are transmitted to humans and other animals. -- "Most research has looked at how these bacteria interact with humans and animals and not how they survive and spread in ticks," said Kaylee Vosbigian, a doctoral student and lead author on the study. "What we have found could open the door to targeting these pathogens in ticks, before they are ever a threat to people." -- Vosbigian and her advisor, Dana Shaw, the corresponding author of the study and an associate professor in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, focused their research on Ixodes scapularis, also known as the blacklegged tick, which is responsible for spreading both Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agents of anaplasmosis and Lyme disease. Both diseases are becoming increasingly common and can cause serious illness in humans and animals. -- The team discovered that when ATF6 is activated in tick cells, it triggers the production of stomatin, a protein that helps move cholesterol through cells as part of a normal cellular processes. The bacteria exploit this process against their tick hosts, using the cholesterol -which they need to grow and build their own cell membranes but cannot produce themselves - to support their own survival and success. -- "Stomatin plays a variety of roles in the cell, but one of its key functions is helping shuttle cholesterol to different areas," Vosbigian said. "The bacteria take advantage of this, essentially stealing the cholesterol they need to survive." -- When the researchers blocked the production of stomatin, restricting the availability of cholesterol, bacterial growth is significantly reduced. The researchers believe this shows targeting the ATF6-stomatin pathway could lead to new methods for interrupting the disease cycle in ticks before transmission occurs. -- As part of the study, Vosbigian also developed a new research tool called ArthroQuest, a free, web-based platform hosted by WSU that allows scientists to search the genomes of ticks, mosquitoes, lice, sand flies, mites, fleas and other arthropod vectors for transcription factor binding sites - genetic switches like ATF6 that control gene activity. -- "There aren't many tools out there for studying gene regulation in arthropods," Vosbigian said. "Most are built for humans or model species like fruit flies, which are genetically very different from ticks." | 41 |
| Mining The Deep Could Mute The Songs Of Sperm Whales | Deep-Sea Mining Threatens Whales And Dolphins In The Clarion Clipperton Zone | Threatened cetaceans in a potential deep seabed mining region, Clarion Clipperton Zone, Eastern Pacific, August 2023. | University of Exeter | The exploration for deep-sea minerals in the Clarion Clipperton Zone poses risks to the ecosystem of whales and dolphins, including endangered species. New studies indicate that mining noise and sediment could significantly disrupt marine life that relies on sound for communication. Researchers stress the urgent need for thorough risk assessments due to the rich, yet poorly understood, marine environment, highlighting the potential ecological consequences of mining activities in this area. | Whales and dolphins, including endangered sperm whales, inhabit a deep Pacific zone targeted for seabed mining. Scientists warn that noise and sediment from mining could disrupt their behavior and communication, with potentially widespread ecological consequences. Credit: Shutterstock -- Deep-sea mining in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean could harm ocean life including whales and dolphins, new research shows. -- The Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) of the Eastern Pacific is a vast area of deep ocean and seamounts. -- A Canadian firm - The Metals Company - is planning to explore parts of the CCZ for polymetallic nodules. -- In two new studies, researchers found whales and dolphins - including an endangered sperm whale - in the CCZ, and raise concerns about impacts on a wide range of marine species. -- "We know remarkably little about these ecosystems, which are hundreds of miles offshore and include very deep waters," said Dr Kirsten Young, from the University of Exeter. -- "We do know many species here are long-lived and slow-growing, especially on the seabed. -- "It's very hard to predict how seabed mining might affect these species and wider ecosystems, and these risks must urgently be assessed." -- Dr Young said noise from mining would travel great distances underwater - possibly hundreds of kilometres through a SOFAR channel. -- One of the research papers reviews noise sensitivity among species known to live in the CCZ, and finds that only 35% of taxonomic classes there have been studied for noise impacts. | 42 |
| Ancient Carbon ‘Burps’ Caused Ocean Oxygen Crashes — And We’re Repeating The Mistake | Study Links Ancient Oceanic Carbon Burps To Current Human CO₂ Emissions Concerns | Repeated occurrences of marine anoxia under high atmospheric O 2 and icehouse conditions. | University of California - Davis | A study has revealed that massive natural emissions of carbon dioxide from events like volcanic eruptions 300 million years ago led to significant declines in ocean oxygen, resulting in marine biodiversity loss. Using advanced climate modeling and sediment analysis, researchers identified five such events, raising alarms about today's human-driven CO₂ emissions, which are occurring at unprecedented rates, potentially triggering similar ecological crises in modern oceans. | Massive natural carbon releases 300 million years ago caused sharp declines in ocean oxygen, disrupting marine life. Scientists uncovered five such "burps" using sediment cores and climate modeling. The parallels with today’s rapid, human-driven CO₂ emissions are a sobering wake-up call. Credit: Shutterstock -- New research from the University of California, Davis, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Texas A&M University reveals that massive emissions, or burps, of carbon dioxide from natural earth systems led to significant decreases in ocean oxygen concentrations some 300 million years ago. -- Combining geochemical analyses of sediment cores and advanced climate modeling, the study, published June 23 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, highlights five periods when significant decreases in ocean oxygen levels (by 4% to 12%) coincided with significant increases in levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Such oxygen-less, or anoxic, events are known for their detrimental effects on marine life and biodiversity. -- Despite their roots in the deep past, the findings are relevant to the current global climate and its future. If events of a similar scale were to happen today, they would likely affect coastal areas that are important for fisheries and marine biodiversity. -- "This is our only analog for big changes in carbon dioxide at levels comparable to what we're living in today, where we see doublings and triplings of the levels," said senior author Isabel P. Montañez, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at UC Davis. -- What's different, though, is the source of the carbon dioxide. While carbon dioxide levels of long-past climates were influenced by natural systems like volcanic eruptions, human-produced and human-related carbon dioxide emissions strongly influence today's levels. -- "We're creating a burp now and at a rate two, maybe three, orders of magnitude faster than in the past," Montañez said. -- Sediment cores and deep climate modeling -- In the study, the team used sediment cores sourced from a geological formation in South China called the Naqing succession. By analyzing the geochemical makeup of these deep-water cores, specifically carbonate uranium isotopes, the team chronicled Earth's environmental conditions from 310 to 290 million years ago. -- "Through that analysis, we see these 'burps' not just in carbon dioxide but in the ocean's uranium isotope signature too," Montañez said. "They're totally aligned, and the size of those uranium spikes tell us about the magnitude of the ocean anoxia." | 43 |
| Scientists Create Living Building Material That Captures CO₂ From The Air | Innovative Living Material Captures CO₂: A Breakthrough From Photosynthetic Cyanobacteria | Dual carbon sequestration with photosynthetic living materials. | ETH Zurich | Researchers at ETH Zurich have created an innovative living material made from a gel infused with ancient cyanobacteria, which grows and captures CO₂ from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. This photosynthetic living material has applications in architecture, showcasing a fusion of design and sustainability. The bacteria also help form stable minerals that store carbon, offering an inspiring outlook on how living materials could contribute to environmental solutions and carbon sequestration. | Picoplanktonics shows large-format objects made of photosynthetic structures. Credit: Valentina Mori/ Biennale di Venezia -- The idea seems futuristic: At ETH Zurich, various disciplines are working together to combine conventional materials with bacteria, algae and fungi. The common goal: to create living materials that acquire useful properties thanks to the metabolism of microorganisms -- "such as the ability to bind CO2 from the air by means of photosynthesis," says Mark Tibbitt, Professor of Macromolecular Engineering at ETH Zurich. -- An interdisciplinary research team led by Tibbitt has now turned this vision into reality: it has stably incorporated photosynthetic bacteria -- known as cyanobacteria -- into a printable gel and developed a material that is alive, grows and actively removes carbon from the air. The researchers recently presented their "photosynthetic living material" in a study in the journal Nature Communications. -- Key characteristic: Dual carbon sequestration -- The material can be shaped using 3D printing and only requires sunlight and artificial seawater with readily available nutrients in addition to CO2 to grow. "As a building material, it could help to store CO2 directly in buildings in the future," says Tibbitt, who co-initiated the research into living materials at ETH Zurich. -- The special thing about it: the living material absorbs much more CO2 than it binds through organic growth. "This is because the material can store carbon not only in biomass, but also in the form of minerals -- a special property of these cyanobacteria," reveals Tibbitt. -- Yifan Cui, one of the two lead authors of the study, explains: "Cyanobacteria are among the oldest life forms in the world. They are highly efficient at photosynthesis and can utilize even the weakest light to produce biomass from CO2 and water." -- At the same time, the bacteria change their chemical environment outside the cell as a result of photosynthesis, so that solid carbonates (such as lime) precipitate. These minerals represent an additional carbon sink and -- in contrast to biomass -- store CO2 in a more stable form. -- Cyanobacteria as master builders -- "We utilize this ability specifically in our material," says Cui, who is a doctoral student in Tibbitt's research group. A practical side effect: the minerals are deposited inside the material and reinforce it mechanically. In this way, the cyanobacteria slowly harden the initially soft structures. | 44 |
| Gravity, Flipped: How Tiny, Porous Particles Sink Faster In Ocean Snowstorms | Tiny Porous Particles Challenge Sinking Dynamics In Ocean-Like Fluids—Revolutionary Findings Ahead | Diffusion-limited settling of highly porous particles in density-stratified fluids. | Brown University | New research has uncovered that in stratified ocean-like fluids, small porous particles can sink faster than larger ones, challenging previous assumptions about particle behavior. Using 3D-printed models in a controlled setting, scientists demonstrated that the absorption of salt influences the sinking speed, which can inform our understanding of carbon cycling and microplastic transport in oceans, potentially impacting efforts in oceanic carbon capture and environmental management. | New research uncovers surprising insights into how particles sink in stratified fluids like oceans, where the density of the fluid changes with depth. In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers show that the speed at which particles sink is determined not only by resistive drag forces from the fluid, but by the rate at which they can absorb salt relative to their volume. That means that smaller particles, counterintuitively, sink faster than larger ones. Credit: Harris Lab/Brown University -- The deep ocean can often look like a real-life snow globe. As organic particles from plant and animal matter on the surface sink downward, they combine with dust and other material to create "marine snow," a beautiful display of ocean weather that plays a crucial role in cycling carbon and other nutrients through the world's oceans. -- Now, researchers from Brown University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found surprising new insights into how particles sink in stratified fluids like oceans, where the density of the fluid changes with depth. In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they show that the speed at which particles sink is determined not only by resistive drag forces from the fluid, but by the rate at which they can absorb salt relative to their volume. -- "It basically means that smaller particles can sink faster than bigger ones," said Robert Hunt, a postdoctoral researcher in Brown's School of Engineering who led the work. "That's exactly the opposite of what you'd expect in a fluid that has uniform density." -- The researchers hope the new insights could aid in understanding the ocean nutrient cycle, as well as the settling of other porous particulates including microplastics. -- "We ended up with a pretty simple formula where you can plug in estimates for different parameters -- the size of the particles or speed at which the liquid density changes -- and get reasonable estimates of the sinking speed," said Daniel Harris, an associate professor of engineering at Brown who oversaw the work. "There's value in having predictive power that's readily accessible." -- The study grew out of prior work by Hunt and Harris investigating neutrally buoyant particles -- those that sink to a certain depth and then stop. Hunt noticed some strange behavior that seemed to be related to the porosity of the particles. -- "We were testing a theory under the assumption that these particles would remain neutrally buoyant," Hunt said. "But when we observed them, they kept sinking, which was actually kind of frustrating." -- That led to a new theoretical model of how porosity -- specifically, the ability to absorb salt -- would affect the rate at which they sunk. The model predicts that the more salt a particle can absorb relative to its size, the faster it sinks. That means, somewhat counterintuitively, that small porous particles sink faster than larger ones. -- To test the model, the researchers developed a way to make a linearly stratified body of water in which the density of the liquid increased gradually with depth. To do that, they fed a large tub with water sourced from two smaller tubs, one with fresh water and the other with salt water. Controllable pumps from each tub enabled them to carefully control the density profile of the larger tub. | 45 |
| The Atlantic's Chilling Secret: A Century Of Data Reveals Ocean Current Collapse | Study Reveals Weakening Ocean Currents Linked To Cold Patch In North Atlantic | Weakened Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation causes the historical North Atlantic Warming Hole. | University of California - Riverside | Researchers have linked a persistent cold patch in the North Atlantic, known as the South Greenland anomaly, to a long-term weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). By analyzing over a century of temperature and salinity data, the study reveals that the AMOC's slowdown has contributed to the observed cooling and may have significant implications for climate regulation, European weather patterns, and marine ecosystems, challenging assumptions in recent climate models. | Atlantic sea surface temperature trend between 1900 and 2005 for the average of six observation datasets. Credit: Kai-Yuan Li/UCR -- For more than a century, a patch of cold water south of Greenland has resisted the Atlantic Ocean's overall warming, fueling debate amongst scientists. A new study identifies the cause as the long-term weakening of a major ocean circulation system. -- Researchers from the University of California, Riverside show that only one explanation fits both observed ocean temperatures and salinity patterns: the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, is slowing down. This massive current system helps regulate climate by moving warm, salty water northward and cooler water southward at depth. -- "People have been asking why this cold spot exists," said UCR climate scientist Wei Liu, who led the study with doctoral student Kai-Yuan Li. "We found the most likely answer is a weakening AMOC." -- The AMOC acts like a giant conveyor belt, delivering heat and salt from the tropics to the North Atlantic. A slowdown in this system means less warm, salty water reaches the sub-polar region, resulting in the cooling and freshening observed south of Greenland. -- When the current slows, less heat and salt reach the North Atlantic, leading to cooler, fresher surface waters. This is why salinity and temperature data can be used to understand the strength of the AMOC. -- Liu and Li analyzed a century's worth of this data, as direct AMOC observations go back only about 20 years. From these long-term records, they reconstructed changes in the circulation system and compared those with nearly 100 different climate models. -- As the paper published in Communications Earth & Environment shows, only the models simulating a weakened AMOC matched the real-world data. Models that assumed a stronger circulation didn't come close. -- "It's a very robust correlation," Li said. "If you look at the observations and compare them with all the simulations, only the weakened-AMOC scenario reproduces the cooling in this one region." -- The study also found that the weakening of the AMOC correlates with decreased salinity. This is another clear sign that less warm, salty water is being transported northward. | 46 |
| Hidden Carbon Giants: Satellite Data Reveals A 40-Year Arctic Peatland Surge | Arctic Peatlands Storing Carbon Now Face Future Risks As Temperatures Continue To Rise | Satellite data indicates recent Arctic peatland expansion with warming. | University of Exeter | Arctic peatlands are expanding due to rising temperatures, which, for now, allows them to sequester more carbon. However, research shows that extreme warming could reverse this trend, potentially releasing significant carbon emissions back into the atmosphere. The study employed advanced techniques, including satellite data and drone observations, to monitor these ecosystems, highlighting the delicate balance between carbon storage and future climate impacts in the Arctic. | Drone image of the research team in an Arctic peatland. Credit: Dan Charman / ICAAP -- Peatlands across the Arctic are expanding as the climate warms, new research shows. -- Scientists used satellite data, drones and on-the-ground observations to assess the edges of existing peatlands (waterlogged ecosystems that store vast amounts of carbon). -- The study - led by the University of Exeter - found peatlands in the European and Canadian Arctic have expanded outwards in the last 40 years. -- While this could slow climate change by storing carbon, the researchers warn that extreme future warming could cause widespread loss of peatlands - releasing that carbon and further accelerating the climate crisis. -- "The Arctic has warmed faster than the rest of the planet, with average temperatures increasing by about 4°C in the last four decades," said Dr Katherine Crichton. -- "This has improved growing conditions for plants, causing 'greening' of the Arctic. We wanted to identify if this greening could be from peatland plant communities. -- "We know from paleo records that warmer periods in Earth's history led to more carbon being stored in peatlands. -- "Our new study puts these pieces together to examine whether our warming climate is causing peatland expansion - and we find strong evidence that it is." -- Peatlands cover just 3% of Earth's surface but they store about 600 billion tons of carbon - more than all the world's forest biomass combined. | 47 |
| Flash Floods In The Alps: How Climate Change Is Supercharging Summer Storms | Intensifying Summer Storms In The Alps Linked To Climate Change—Flash Floods Ahead | A 2°C warming can double the frequency of extreme summer downpours in the Alps. | University of Lausanne | Intense summer rainstorms are predicted to become more frequent in the Alps, with a 2°C temperature increase potentially doubling their occurrence. Researchers analyzed nearly 300 weather stations and identified that rising temperatures lead to more extreme precipitation events. This trend presents significant risks for infrastructure and public safety, underscoring the urgent need for adaptive strategies in Alpine regions to mitigate the impact of future extreme weather events. | Alpine cities may face twice as many extreme summer downpours with just 2 C of warming, researchers warn, following analysis of weather data across five European countries. Credit: Shutterstock -- Intense, short-lived summer downpours are expected to become both more frequent and more intense across Alpine regions as the climate warms. In a new study, scientists from the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and the University of Padova analyzed data from nearly 300 mountain weather stations and found that a 2°C rise in regional temperature could double the frequency of these extreme events. -- In June 2018, the city of Lausanne in Switzerland experienced an extreme and short-lived rainfall episode, with 41 millimeters of precipitation falling in just 10 minutes. Large parts of the city were flooded, resulting in estimated damage of 32 million Swiss Francs. These short, extreme events, often causing severe damage to property and posing risks to lives, are still very rare in Switzerland today. However, with the rise in temperatures caused by global warming, they are likely to become more frequent in the future, particularly over the Alpine mountains and their surroundings. Warm air retains more moisture (around 7% more per degree) and intensifies thunderstorm activity. As the Alpine region is warming faster than the global average, it is particularly hard hit. It is therefore urgent to assess the impact of global warming in these regions. In a new study published in npj Climate and Atmospheric Science (a Nature portfolio journal), scientists from UNIL's Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, in collaboration with the University of Padua (UNIPD) have demonstrated that an average temperature rise of 2°C could double the frequency of short-lived summer rainstorms in the Alpine region. With such warming, an intense storm currently expected every 50 years could occur every 25 years in the future. -- To obtain these results, the researchers examined data from almost 300 weather stations in the European Alps, spread across Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, and Italy. They focused on record-breaking rainfall events (lasting from 10 minutes to an hour) between 1991 and 2020, as well as temperatures associated with these storms. -- Based on these observations, a statistical model incorporating physics principles has been developed to establish a link between temperature and rainfall frequency, and then to simulate the future frequency of extreme precipitation using regional climate projections. "Our results show that an average temperature rise of 1°C would already be highly problematic," warns Nadav Peleg, researcher at UNIL and first author of the study. "The sudden and massive arrival of large volumes of water prevents the soil from absorbing the excess. This can trigger flash floods and debris flows, leading to infrastructure damage and, in some cases, casualties," he adds. "It is therefore crucial to understand how these events may evolve with climate change in order to plan appropriate adaptation strategies, such as improving urban drainage infrastructure where necessary." Francesco Marra, researcher at UNIPD and one of the main authors of the study adds: "An increase of 1°C is not hypothetical, it is likely to occur in the coming decades. We are already witnessing a tendency for summer storms to intensify, and this trend is only expected to worsen in the years ahead." | 48 |
| How Life Endured The Snowball Earth: Evidence From Antarctic Meltwater Ponds | Antarctic Ponds Provide Evidence Of Early Eukaryotic Life Amid Ice Age Conditions | Biosignatures of diverse eukaryotic life from a Snowball Earth analogue environment in Antarctica. | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MIT researchers have found evidence that during Earth's ancient "Snowball periods," life may have survived in meltwater ponds on glaciers. Their study of modern Antarctic ponds revealed that these aquatic environments could have supported early multicellular organisms. The findings provide new insights into how life persisted during extreme climate conditions, reshaping our understanding of evolutionary history and the resilience of early complex life forms. | A cyanobacterial mat fragment sampled from the periphery of a meltwater pond. Credit: Roger Summons -- When the Earth froze over, where did life shelter? MIT scientists say one refuge may have been pools of melted ice that dotted the planet's icy surface. -- In a study appearing in Nature Communications, the researchers report that 635 million to 720 million years ago, during periods known as "Snowball Earth," when much of the planet was covered in ice, some of our ancient cellular ancestors could have waited things out in meltwater ponds. -- The scientists found that eukaryotes -- complex cellular lifeforms that eventually evolved into the diverse multicellular life we see today -- could have survived the global freeze by living in shallow pools of water. These small, watery oases may have persisted atop relatively shallow ice sheets present in equatorial regions. There, the ice surface could accumulate dark-colored dust and debris from below, which enhanced its ability to melt into pools. At temperatures hovering around 0 degrees Celsius, the resulting meltwater ponds could have served as habitable environments for certain forms of early complex life. -- The team drew its conclusions based on an analysis of modern-day meltwater ponds. Today in Antarctica, small pools of melted ice can be found along the margins of ice sheets. The conditions along these polar ice sheets are similar to what likely existed along ice sheets near the equator during Snowball Earth. -- The researchers analyzed samples from a variety of meltwater ponds located on the McMurdo Ice Shelf in an area that was first described by members of Robert Falcon Scott's 1903 expedition as "dirty ice." The MIT researchers discovered clear signatures of eukaryotic life in every pond. The communities of eukaryotes varied from pond to pond, revealing a surprising diversity of life across the setting. The team also found that salinity plays a key role in the kind of life a pond can host: Ponds that were more brackish or salty had more similar eukaryotic communities, which differed from those in ponds with fresher waters. -- "We've shown that meltwater ponds are valid candidates for where early eukaryotes could have sheltered during these planet-wide glaciation events," says lead author Fatima Husain, a graduate student in MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS). "This shows us that diversity is present and possible in these sorts of settings. It's really a story of life's resilience." -- The study's MIT co-authors include Schlumberger Professor of Geobiology Roger Summons and former postdoct Thomas Evans, along with Jasmin Millar of Cardiff University, Anne Jungblut at the Natural History Museum in London, and Ian Hawes of the University of Waikato in New Zealand. -- Polar plunge -- Snowball Earth is the colloquial term for periods of time in Earth history during which the planet iced over. It is often used as a reference to the two consecutive, multi-million-year glaciation events which took place during the Cryogenian Period, which geologists refer to as the time between 635 and 720 million years ago. Whether the Earth was more of a hardened snowball or a softer "slushball" is still up for debate. But scientists are certain of one thing: Most of the planet was plunged into a deep freeze, with average global temperatures of minus 50 degrees Celsius. The question has been: How and where did life survive? | 49 |
| Thinking AI Models Emit 50x More CO2—And Often For Nothing | Research Shows Some AI Models Produce Excessive CO₂ Emissions—Users Can Adjust Their Impact | Energy costs of communicating with AI. | Frontiers | A study reveals that some large language models (LLMs) can produce significantly higher CO2 emissions than others, depending on their complexity and reasoning processes. Researchers found that emissions vary greatly based on the model's accuracy and the user's queries, highlighting the environmental impact of AI technologies. This research encourages users to make informed decisions about their AI usage to minimize their carbon footprint linked to LLM operations. | The more an AI thinks, the more carbon it emits. Reasoning-heavy models can produce 50x more emissions than concise ones, often without much gain in accuracy. Credit: Shutterstock -- No matter which questions we ask an AI, the model will come up with an answer. To produce this information - regardless of whether than answer is correct or not - the model uses tokens. Tokens are words or parts of words that are converted into a string of numbers that can be processed by the LLM. -- This conversion, as well as other computing processes, produce CO2 emissions. Many users, however, are unaware of the substantial carbon footprint associated with these technologies. Now, researchers in Germany measured and compared CO2 emissions of different, already trained, LLMs using a set of standardized questions. -- "The environmental impact of questioning trained LLMs is strongly determined by their reasoning approach, with explicit reasoning processes significantly driving up energy consumption and carbon emissions," said first author Maximilian Dauner, a researcher at Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences and first author of the Frontiers in Communication study. "We found that reasoning-enabled models produced up to 50 times more CO2 emissions than concise response models." -- 'Thinking' AI causes most emissions -- The researchers evaluated 14 LLMs ranging from seven to 72 billion parameters on 1,000 benchmark questions across diverse subjects. Parameters determine how LLMs learn and process information. -- Reasoning models, on average, created 543.5 'thinking' tokens per questions, whereas concise models required just 37.7 tokens per question. Thinking tokens are additional tokens that reasoning LLMs generate before producing an answer. A higher token footprint always means higher CO2 emissions. It doesn't, however, necessarily mean the resulting answers are more correct, as elaborate detail that is not always essential for correctness. -- The most accurate model was the reasoning-enabled Cogito model with 70 billion parameters, reaching 84.9% accuracy. The model produced three times more CO2 emissions than similar sized models that generated concise answers. "Currently, we see a clear accuracy-sustainability trade-off inherent in LLM technologies," said Dauner. "None of the models that kept emissions below 500 grams of CO2 equivalent achieved higher than 80% accuracy on answering the 1,000 questions correctly." CO2 equivalent is the unit used to measure the climate impact of various greenhouse gases. -- Subject matter also resulted in significantly different levels of CO2 emissions. Questions that required lengthy reasoning processes, for example abstract algebra or philosophy, led to up to six times higher emissions than more straightforward subjects, like high school history. -- Practicing thoughtful use | 50 |
| Buried For 23,000 Years: These Footprints Are Rewriting American History | Ancient Footprints Challenge Timeline: Humans In North America 23,000 Years Ago? | Paleolake geochronology supports Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) age for human tracks at White Sands, New Mexico. | University of Arizona | New findings from White Sands National Park suggest that human footprints discovered in ancient lakebeds provide evidence of human presence in North America as far back as 23,000 years ago, predating previous estimates. This study, which employs radiocarbon-dated mud to support earlier claims, adds a significant chapter to the understanding of human migration and occupation in the Americas, challenging long-held beliefs about the timeline of early inhabitants. | Ancient Footprints Rewrite American HistoryHuman footprints at White Sands National Park in New Mexico, reported in 2021, show that human activity occurred in the Americas as long as 23,000 years ago – about 10,000 years earlier than previously thought. A new U of A study supports the 2021 findings. Credit: Courtesy of David Bustos/White Sands National Park -- Vance Holliday jumped at the invitation to go do geology at New Mexico's White Sands. The landscape, just west of Alamogordo, looks surreal - endless, rolling dunes of fine beige gypsum, left behind by ancient seas. It's one of the most unique geologic features in the world. -- But a national park protects much of the area's natural resources, and the U.S. Army uses an adjacent swath as a missile range, making research at White Sands impossible much of the time. So it was an easy call for Holliday, a University of Arizona archaeologist and geologist, to accept an invitation in 2012 to do research in the park. While he was there, he asked, skeptically, if he could look at a site on the missile range. -- "Well, next thing I know, there we were on the missile range," he said. -- Holliday and a graduate student spent several days examining geologic layers in trenches, dug by previous researchers, to piece together a timeline for the area. They had no idea that, about 100 yards away, were footprints, preserved in ancient clay and buried under gypsum, that would help spark a wholly new theory about when humans arrived in the Americas. -- Researchers from Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom and the U.S. National Park Service excavated those footprints in 2019 and published their paper in 2021. Holliday did not participate in the excavation but became a co-author after some of his 2012 data helped date the footprints. -- The tracks showed human activity in the area occurred between 23,000 and 21,000 years ago - a timeline that would upend anthropologists' understanding of when cultures developed in North America. It would make the prints about 10,000 years older than remains found 90 years ago at a site near Clovis, New Mexico, which gave its name to an artifact assemblage long understood by archaeologists to represent the earliest known culture in North America. Critics have spent the last four years questioning the 2021 findings, largely arguing that the ancient seeds and pollen in the soil used to date the footprints were unreliable markers. -- Now, Holliday leads a new study that supports the 2021 findings - this time relying on ancient mud to radiocarbon date the footprints, not seeds and pollen, and an independent lab to make the analysis. The paper was published today in the journal Science Advances. -- Specifically, the new paper finds that the mud is between 20,700 and 22,400 years old - which correlates with the original finding that the footprints are between 21,000 and 23,000 years old. The new study now marks the third type of material - mud in addition to seeds and pollen - used to date the footprints, and by three different labs. Two separate research groups now have a total of 55 consistent radiocarbon dates. -- "It's a remarkably consistent record," said Holliday, a professor emeritus in the School of Anthropology and Department of Geosciences who has studied the "peopling of the Americas" for nearly 50 years, focusing largely on the Great Plains and the Southwest. | 51 |
| North America’s Oldest Pterosaur Unearthed In Arizona’s Triassic Time Capsule | North America’s Oldest Pterosaur Discovered In Triassic Fossil Find | Unusual bone bed reveals a vertebrate community with pterosaurs and turtles in equatorial Pangaea before the end-Triassic extinction. | Smithsonian | Recent fossil discoveries in Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park have unveiled North America's oldest known pterosaur, shedding light on an ecosystem shaped by evolutionary transitions before a mass extinction event. This finding, alongside other well-preserved specimens, provides valuable insights into ancient biodiversity and the dynamics of life prior to significant environmental changes. | North America’s Oldest Pterosaur UnearthedAn artist’s reconstruction of the fossilized landscape, plants, and animals found preserved in a remote bonebed in Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. The newly described pterosaur Eotephradactylus mcintireae is seen eating an ancient ray-finned fish alongside an early species of turtle and an early frog species, with the skeleton of an armored crocodile relative lying on the ground and a palm-like plant growing in the background. Credit: Brian Engh -- A Smithsonian-led team of researchers have discovered North America's oldest known pterosaur, the winged reptiles that lived alongside dinosaurs and were the first vertebrates to evolve powered flight. In a paper published on July 7 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers led by paleontologist Ben Kligman, a Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, present the fossilized jawbone of the new species and describe the sea gull-sized pterosaur alongside hundreds of other fossils -- including one of the world's oldest turtle fossils -- unearthed at a remote bonebed in Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. -- These fossils, which date back to the late Triassic period around 209 million years ago, preserve a snapshot of a dynamic ecosystem where older groups of animals, including giant amphibians and armored crocodile relatives, lived alongside evolutionary upstarts like frogs, turtles and pterosaurs. -- "The site captures the transition to more modern terrestrial vertebrate communities where we start seeing groups that thrive later in the Mesozoic living alongside these older animals that don't make it past the Triassic," Kligman said. "Fossil beds like these enable us to establish that all of these animals actually lived together." -- The new site helps fill in a gap in the fossil record that predates the end-Triassic extinction (ETE). Around 201.5 million years ago, volcanic eruptions associated with the break-up of the supercontinent Pangaea dramatically altered global climates and wiped out roughly 75% of the species on Earth. This cleared the way for newer groups, like dinosaurs, to diversify and dominate ecosystems worldwide. -- Direct evidence of this transition on land is difficult to find due to a lack of terrestrial fossil outcrops from right before the ETE. However, there are few better places to look than Petrified Forest National Park, which is famed for its Triassic fossil beds and colorful deposits of petrified wood. -- One of the park's geologic outcrops, the Owl Rock Member, is rich in volcanic ash. Minerals within the ash have allowed researchers to date the Owl Rock layer to around 209 million years old, making them among the park's youngest rocks. -- These rocks are also among the park's least studied according to William Parker, a paleontologist at Petrified Forest National Park and co-author of the new study. The exposures of the Owl Rock Member at the park are found in very remote areas and therefore have not received the same attention as other geological members in the park. -- In 2011, a team co-led by research geologist Kay Behrensmeyer, the National Museum of Natural History's curator of vertebrate paleontology, braved the area's rugged badlands, which are home to rattlesnakes and wild horses. They were searching for fossils of prehistoric precursors to mammals and ended up discovering a bonebed containing an entire Triassic ecosystem. -- "That's the fun thing about paleontology: you go looking for one thing, and then you find something else that's incredible that you weren't expecting," said Kligman, who began working on this site as part of his doctorate in 2018. | 52 |
| Hovering Fish Burn Twice The Energy—Study Shocks Scientists | Hovering Fish Burn Double The Energy Of Resting, Study Shows | Inherent instability leads to high costs of hovering in near-neutrally buoyant fishes. | University of California - San Diego | New research has shown that fish consume nearly twice as much energy when hovering compared to resting, contradicting the previous assumption that hovering was effortless. These findings reveal the active adjustments fish make to maintain their position in the water, offering insights that could influence the design of underwater robots and drones. | Fish Burn Energy Just to Stay in PlaceFish hover by constantly correcting their unstable bodies, doubling energy use; those insights reveal a maneuverability-versus-efficiency trade-off that could reshape underwater drone design. Credit: Shutterstock -- Fish make hanging motionless in the water column look effortless, and scientists had long assumed that this meant it was a type of rest. Now, a new study reveals that fish use nearly twice as much energy when hovering in place compared to resting. -- The study, led by scientists at the University of California San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, also details the biomechanics of fish hovering, which includes constant, subtle fin movements to prevent tipping, drifting or rolling. This more robust understanding of how fish actively maintain their position could inform the design of underwater robots or drones facing similar challenges. -- The findings, published on July 7 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, overturn the long-standing assumption in the scientific literature that maintaining a stationary position in water is virtually effortless for fish with swim bladders. -- The reason for this assumption was that nearly all bony fishes have gas-filled sacs called swim bladders that allow them to achieve neutral buoyancy -- neither sinking nor rising to the surface. The presence of a swim bladder and the stillness of hovering fish caused the research community to assume hovering was a form of rest that was easy for fish to maintain. -- Prior research from lead study author and Scripps marine biologist Valentina Di Santo found that the energy required for skates to swim at various speeds followed a distinct U-shaped curve, with slow and fast swimming requiring the most energy and intermediate speeds being the most energy-efficient. Based on these findings, Di Santo suspected there might be more to hovering than meets the eye. -- To learn more, Di Santo and her co-authors conducted experiments with 13 species of fishes with swim bladders. -- The team placed each fish in a specialized tank and recorded their oxygen consumption during active hovering and motionless resting (when the fish supports its weight with the bottom of the tank). While the fish were hovering, the researchers filmed them with high-speed cameras to capture their fin movements, tracking how each fin moved and how frequently they beat. -- The researchers also took a variety of measurements of each fish's body size and shape. In particular, the scientists measured the physical separation between the fish's center of mass, which is determined by weight distribution, and its center of buoyancy, which is related to the shape and location of its swim bladder. All these measurements provided a way to quantify how stable or unstable each fish was. -- The study found that, contrary to previous assumptions, hovering burns roughly twice as much energy as resting. | 53 |
| The Fatal Mutation That Lets Cancer Outsmart The Human Immune System | Genetic Mutation Makes Human Immune System Susceptible To Cancer, Researchers Discover | Evolutionary regulation of human Fas ligand (CD95L) by plasmin in solid cancer immunotherapy. | University of California - Davis Health | Researchers from UC Davis have identified a genetic mutation in humans that renders the immune protein Fas Ligand susceptible to inactivation by enzymes released from solid tumors, potentially explaining our increased vulnerability to certain cancers compared to other primates. This vulnerability not only complicates treatments like CAR-T therapy but is also hypothesized to have facilitated the evolution of larger human brains, prompting scientists to explore ways to inhibit the enzyme and restore immune efficacy. | Why Chimps Resist Tumors Better Than HumansA human-specific genetic change lets tumors disarm our immune cells—but blocking one enzyme might turn the tables. Credit: Shutterstock -- New research from UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center has uncovered an evolutionary change that may explain why certain immune cells in humans are less effective at fighting solid tumors compared to non-human primates. This insight could lead to more powerful cancer treatments. -- The study was published in Nature Communications. It revealed a tiny genetic difference in an immune protein called Fas Ligand (FasL) between humans and non-human primates. This genetic mutation makes the FasL protein vulnerable to being disabled by plasmin, a tumor-associated enzyme. This vulnerability seems unique to humans and is not found in non-human primates, such as chimpanzees. -- "The evolutionary mutation in FasL may have contributed to the larger brain size in humans," said Jogender Tushir-Singh, senior author for the study and an associate professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. "But in the context of cancer, it was an unfavorable tradeoff because the mutation gives certain tumors a way to disarm parts of our immune system." -- Tumor environment neutralizes key immune protein -- FasL is an immune cell membrane protein that triggers a programmed cell death called apoptosis. Activated immune cells, including CAR-T cells made from a patient's immune system, use apoptosis to kill cancer cells. -- The UC Davis team discovered that in human genes, a single evolutionary amino acid change -- serine instead of proline at position 153 -- makes FasL more susceptible to being cut and inactivated by plasmin. -- Plasmin is a protease enzyme that is often elevated in aggressive solid tumors like triple negative breast cancer, colon cancer and ovarian cancer. -- This means that even when human immune cells are activated and ready to attack the tumor cells, one of their key death weapons -- FasL -- can be neutralized by the tumor environment, reducing the effectiveness of immunotherapies. -- The findings may help explain why CAR-T and T-cell-based therapies can be effective in blood cancers but often fall short in solid tumors. Blood cancers often do not rely on plasmin to metastasize, whereas tumors like ovarian cancer rely heavily on plasmin to spread the cancer. | 54 |
| Why Do Killer Whales Keep Handing Us Fish? Scientists Unpack The Mystery | Orcas’ Fish Gifts Suggest They Seek Human Interaction | Testing the waters: Attempts by wild killer whales (Orcinus orca) to provision people (Homo sapiens).. | American Psychological Association | A recent study reveals that wild orcas exhibit a unique behavior of offering food to humans, suggesting a desire to forge social bonds. Over two decades, researchers documented 34 instances where orcas presented fish to swimmers and boaters, often waiting for acceptance, indicating a conscious attempt to build relationships, much like their interactions with one another. This behavior highlights the social intelligence of orcas and invites further exploration of their connection with humans. | Why Are Killer Whales Giving People Fish?Scientists logged dozens of orca “food presents” worldwide, finding the whales patiently waited to see if people would accept the treats. Credit: Shutterstock -- In the study, researchers from Canada, New Zealand and Mexico reported on 34 interactions spanning two decades in which orcas in the wild attempted to offer food to humans. The incidents took place in oceans around the world, from California to New Zealand to Norway to Patagonia. -- "Orcas often share food with each other - it's a prosocial activity and a way that they build relationships with each other," said study lead author Jared Towers, of Bay Cetology in British Columbia, Canada. "That they also share with humans may show their interest in relating to us as well." -- The research was published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology. -- Towers and his colleagues Ingrid Visser, PhD, of the Orca Research Trust in New Zealand, and Vanessa Prigollini, of the Marine Education Association in La Paz, Mexico, collected and analyzed information about 34 incidents of food sharing that they and others had experienced. On 11 of the occasions, the people were in the water when the orcas approached them, in 21 cases they were on boats, and in two cases they were on the shore. Some were captured on video and in photos, others were described in interviews with the researchers. -- In order to be included in the analysis, the incidents had to meet strict criteria -- in each case the whales had to have approached the people on their own (the people could not have closely approached the whales) and dropped the item in front of them. In all but one of the cases, the orcas waited to see what would happen after they made the offering, and in seven cases they tried more than once to offer the food, after the people initially refused it. -- Domesticated animals like dogs and cats sometimes offer food to humans, but this research marks some of the first detailed descriptions of similar behavior in non-domesticated animals. It makes sense, according to the researchers, because orcas are intelligent and social animals that use food sharing as a way to build relationships with kin and unrelated individuals. They also often hunt prey much larger than themselves, and thus sometimes have food to spare. -- "Offering items to humans could simultaneously include opportunities for killer whales to practice learned cultural behavior, explore or play and in so doing learn about, manipulate or develop relationships with us," the researchers wrote. "Giving the advanced cognitive abilities and social, cooperative nature of this species, we assume that any or all these explanations for, and outcomes of such behavior are possible." | 55 |
| How Female Friendships Help Chimp Babies Survive | Strong Social Ties Help Chimp Moms Raise Healthier Babies | Socially integrated female chimpanzees have lower offspring mortality. | Duke University | A groundbreaking study from Duke University indicates that female chimpanzees with strong social connections enhance their infants' survival rates, even in the absence of family support. Over 30 years of research revealed that females in tight-knit communities experienced up to a 95% survival rate for their newborns, suggesting that social ties may provide crucial benefits like shared protection and resources, hinting at the evolutionary roots of cooperative behavior in humans. | Friendship Saves Baby ChimpsNew study shows that chimpanzee moms with stronger social ties are more likely to raise surviving babies, even without help from kin. Credit: Photo courtesy of Madua Musa -- In chimpanzee communities, strong social ties can be a matter of life and death not just for the adults who form them, but for their kids, too. -- A new federally-funded study of wild eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) from Gombe National Park shows that female chimpanzees who were more socially integrated with other females in the year before giving birth were more likely to raise surviving offspring. -- The findings, published online on June 18 in iScience, show that these survival benefits hold for females even in the absence of close kin. Contrary to many other species, chimpanzee females are the dispersing sex, usually leaving their maternal group at sexual maturity and establishing themselves in a new social group away from their kin. -- "In species where females live in groups with their sisters and mothers, it's less surprising that female sociality is beneficial," said Joseph Feldblum, assistant research professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke and lead author on the study. "But female chimps don't usually have that. They are also less gregarious than males, so the fact that forming strong social connections still matters is striking." -- To test the connection between friendships and offspring survival, researchers analyzed more than three decades of behavioral data from 37 mothers and their 110 offspring. They focused on association and grooming -- how often females spent time near each other or engaged in social grooming behavior -- in the year before birth, to avoid including social behavior from the post-birth period, during which it would be difficult to establish the causal relationship between infant loss and social behavior. -- Females who were more socially connected had a considerably better chance of raising their babies through to their first year -- the period of highest infant mortality. A female with a sociality score twice the community average had a 95% chance her infant would survive the first year. One who was halfway below average saw that chance drop to 75%. The effect persisted through age five, which is roughly the age of weaning. -- The research team then tested whether having close female kin in the group -- like a sister or mother -- accounted for the survival benefit. The answer was "no." They also tested if the key was having bonds with males, who could potentially offer protection. The answer was also "no." What mattered the most was having social connections with other females, regardless of kinship. -- "That tells us it's not just about being born into a supportive family," said Feldblum. "These are primarily social relationships with non-kin." -- The authors noted that the mechanism of the survival benefit remains unresolved, although there are several possibilities. Social females might receive less harassment from other females, more help defending food patches or protecting their young, or their offspring could be less likely to be killed by another group member. Social connections might also have helped these females stay in better condition -- maybe better fed and less stressed -- through pregnancy, giving their offspring a better chance from the get-go. | 56 |
| Scientists Reveal A Spontaneous Reaction That Could Have Started Life | Urea Formation On Early Earth Offers Clue To Life’s Origins | Spontaneous formation of urea from carbon dioxide and ammonia in aqueous droplets. | ETH Zurich | In a significant discovery, ETH researchers have demonstrated a new method for the spontaneous formation of urea on aqueous surfaces without requiring high temperatures or catalysts. This finding suggests that urea, a key building block of life, could have formed naturally on early Earth through simple environmental interactions, offering fresh insights into the origins of life and the potential pathways for complex biological chemistry to develop. | A Hidden Reaction That Sparked Life?Graphical representation of urea formation in a droplet. Credit: Luis Quintero / ETH Zürich -- Urea is one of the most important industrial chemicals produced worldwide. It is used as a fertiliser, for the production of synthetic resins and explosives and as a fuel additive for cleaning car exhaust gases. Urea is also believed to be a potential key building block for the formation of biological molecules such as RNA and DNA in connection with the question of the origin of life. Until now, the origin of urea itself on Early Earth has not been conclusively clarified. -- A research team led by Ruth Signorell, Professor of Physical Chemistry at ETH Zurich, has discovered a previously unknown reaction pathway for the formation of urea that could provide an answer. The study has just been published in the journal Science. -- Chemistry on the water surface -- Either high pressures and temperatures or chemical catalysts are needed for the industrial production of urea from ammonia (NH₃) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Enzymes enable the same reaction to take place in humans and animals, removing toxic ammonia from the breakdown of proteins such as urea. As this simple molecule contains nitrogen as well as carbon and probably existed on the uninhabited Early Earth, many researchers view urea as a possible precursor for complex biomolecules. -- "In our study, we show one way in which urea could have formed on the prebiotic Earth," says Signorell - "namely where water molecules interact with atmospheric gases: on the water surface." -- Reactor on the edge of a droplet -- Signorell's team studied tiny water droplets such as those found in sea spray and fine mist. The researchers observed that urea can form spontaneously from carbon dioxide (CO2) and ammonia (NH₃) in the surface layer of the droplets under ambient conditions. The physical interface between air and liquid creates a special chemical environment at the water surface that makes the spontaneous reaction possible. -- As a droplet has a very large surface area in relation to its volume, chemical reactions mainly take place near this surface. Chemical concentration gradients form in this area, which acts like a microscopic reactor. The pH gradient across the interfacial layer of the water droplets creates the required acidic environment, which opens unconventional pathways that would otherwise not take place in liquids. -- "The remarkable aspect of this reaction is that it takes place under ambient conditions without any external energy," explains Mercede Mohajer Azizbaig, one of the two first authors. This not only makes the process interesting from a technical perspective but also provides valuable insights into processes that could be significant for evolution. | 57 |
| Fighting Fire With Fire: How Prescribed Burns Reduce Wildfire Damage And Pollution | Prescribed Burns Reduce Impact Of Wildfires According To New Study | Effect of Recent Prescribed Burning and Land Management on Wildfire Burn Severity and Smoke Emissions in the Western United States. | Stanford University | A Stanford-led study reveals that prescribed burns can notably reduce the severity of wildfires and smoke pollution. By analyzing satellite data, researchers found that areas treated with controlled fires experienced a decrease in wildfire intensity by 16% and smoke emissions by 14%. These findings underscore prescribed burns as an effective management strategy to combat the escalating risks of wildfires in various environments, although public perception and usage remain mixed. | How Controlled Burns Win the Fire FightNew research shows that prescribed burns—controlled fires set on purpose—can tame future wildfires and slash smoke pollution. Treated areas burned less intensely and produced much less smoke, offering a powerful tool in fighting the growing wildfire crisis. Credit: Shutterstock -- As wildfires increasingly threaten lives, landscapes, and air quality across the U.S., a Stanford-led study published in AGU Advances June 26 finds that prescribed burns can help reduce risks. The research reveals that prescribed burns can reduce the severity of subsequent wildfires by an average of 16% and net smoke pollution by an average of 14%. -- "Prescribed fire is often promoted as a promising tool in theory to dampen wildfire impacts, but we show clear empirical evidence that prescribed burning works in practice," said lead author Makoto Kelp, a postdoctoral fellow in Earth system science at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. "It's not a cure-all, but it's a strategy that can reduce harm from extreme wildfires when used effectively." -- Experts consider prescribed burns an effective strategy to reduce the threat of wildfires, and nearly $2 billion of federal funding had been set aside to conduct these and similar treatments to reduce hazardous fuel. Still, the use of prescribed burning in western states has expanded only slightly in recent years. Little research exists to quantify its effectiveness, and public opinion remains mixed amid concerns that prescribed burns can lead to smoky air and escaped fires. -- Data-driven fire strategy -- At Stanford, Kelp is working with climate scientist Noah Diffenbaugh and environmental economist Marshall Burke through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. Using high-resolution satellite imagery, land management records, and smoke emissions inventories, the research team compared areas treated with prescribed fire between late 2018 and spring 2020 to adjacent untreated areas that both later burned in the extreme 2020 fire season. The analysis found that areas treated with prescribed fire burned less severely and produced significantly less smoke. -- That finding is particularly important given the growing recognition of wildfire smoke as a major public health threat. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from wildfires has been linked to respiratory and cardiovascular problems and is increasingly driving poor air quality across the U.S. -- "People often think of wildfires just in terms of flames and evacuations," said Burke, an associate professor of environmental social sciences in the Doerr School of Sustainability. "But the smoke is a silent and far-reaching hazard, and prescribed fire may be one of the few tools that actually reduces total smoke exposure." -- Not all treatments are equal -- The study also highlights a key nuance: the authors found that prescribed fires were significantly more effective outside of the wildland-urban interface (WUI) -- the zones where homes meet wildland vegetation -- than within it. In WUI areas, where agencies often rely on mechanical thinning due to concerns about smoke and safety, fire severity was reduced by just 8.5%, compared to 20% in non-WUI zones. | 58 |
| These 545-Million-Year-Old Fossil Trails Just Rewrote The Story Of Evolution | Cambrian Explosion Timeline Revised: Evidence Of Early Complex Life Found | Quantitative decoding of Ediacaran locomotory trace fossil morphologies: Evidence for the emergence of slender anterior-posterior body profiles. | University of Barcelona | New fossil evidence suggests that the Cambrian explosion, a pivotal moment in the evolution of life, may have begun millions of years earlier than previously thought. By examining ancient trace fossils, researchers discovered complex, mobile organisms dating back to 545 million years ago, revealing a surprising sophistication that challenges established timelines and enhances our understanding of early evolutionary processes. | New Fossils Shift the Story of Complex LifeNew fossil evidence suggests that the Cambrian explosion, the moment complex animal life diversified, may have begun earlier than believed. Credit: Shutterstock -- The Cambrian explosion was an extraordinary phenomenon in the evolution of life on the planet that led to the emergence of many animal phyla and the diversification of species. During this period, some 530 million years ago, most of the basic body plans of organisms that have survived to the present day emerged. However, this great explosion of life that changed the evolutionary landscape on Earth may have occurred millions of years earlier than previously thought, a hypothesis now reinforced in a study published in the journal Geology. -- This is a main conclusion of a new study that analyses the body profiles of organisms -- symmetry, segmented bodies, exoskeletons, etc. -- from around 545 million years ago by analyzing trace fossils, which are the fossilized marks in rocks and sediments left by the activity of organisms in the past. -- The authors of the article are the experts Olmo Miguez Salas, from the Faculty of Earth Sciences at the University of Barcelona, and Zekun Wang, from the Natural History Museum in London (United Kingdom). -- Fossil traces of extinct animals -- The Cambrian explosion is a unique period in the history of life that poses many unanswered questions. To delve into the biodiversity of this period, most studies in paleontology tend to focus on the study of organisms that had hard parts. However, the study of trace fossils (or ichnofossils) opens up the possibility of discovering what the activity of hard-bodied, soft-bodied or skeletally deficient organisms preserved in the stratigraphic record was like. -- "The trace fossil record provides valuable information about evolutionary periods when soft-bodied fauna were dominant," says Olmo Miguez Salas, a Beatriu de Pinós postdoctoral researcher at the UB's Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics. "Fossil traces reflect the behavior of the organism that generates them, which is determined by habitat and responses to environmental stimuli. Therefore, they are an indicator of the paleoecological conditions in which the organisms that generated them lived." -- The authors have focused on the study of trace fossils in the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition, "a period of recognized paleoevolutionary interest that was a turning point in the evolution of complex life on Earth," says Miguez Salas. -- In this transition, there was a radical change in biodiversity and in the structure of organisms and ecosystems. "The Ediacaran fauna was dominated by complex, multicellular soft-bodied organisms. The transition to the Cambrian involved the extinction of much of the Ediacara fauna, and a rapid diversification of complex multicellular life forms with hard parts (e.g. exoskeletons). This is the evolutionary core from which most modern animal phyla emerged: what is known as the Cambrian explosion," notes the researcher. -- The Cambrian explosion may have happened much earlier | 59 |
| The First Pandemic? Scientists Find 214 Ancient Pathogens In Prehistoric DNA | Ancient Pathogens Discovered: A Look Into Our Disease History | The spatiotemporal distribution of human pathogens in ancient Eurasia. | University of Copenhagen - The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences | An extensive study of ancient DNA has revealed that the rise of farming around 6,500 years ago marked the beginning of zoonotic disease transmission, with significant implications for human health. By analyzing prehistoric human pathogens, researchers uncovered insights into how early human-animal interactions shaped our current health landscape, which may inform future vaccine development and public health strategies. | Ancient DNA Reveals the First Human PandemicsA massive ancient DNA study reveals that deadly diseases began spreading with the rise of farming 6,500 years ago—and we’re still living with the consequences. Credit: Shutterstock -- A research team led by Eske Willerslev, professor at the University of Copenhagen and the University of Cambridge, has recovered ancient DNA from 214 known human pathogens in prehistoric humans from Eurasia. -- The study shows, among other things, that the earliest known evidence of zoonotic diseases -- illnesses transmitted from animals to humans, like COVID in recent times -- dates back to around 6,500 years ago, with such diseases becoming more widespread approximately 5,000 years ago. It is the largest study to date on the history of infectious diseases and has just been published in the scientific journal Nature. -- The researchers analyzed DNA from over 1,300 prehistoric individuals, some up to 37,000 years old. The ancient bones and teeth have provided a unique insight into the development of diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites. -- The results suggest that humans' close cohabitation with domesticated animals -- and large-scale migrations of pastoralist from the Pontic Steppe -- played a decisive role in the spread of these diseases. -- "We've long suspected that the transition to farming and animal husbandry opened the door to a new era of disease -- now DNA shows us that it happened at least 6,500 years ago," says Professor Eske Willerslev. "These infections didn't just cause illness -- they may have contributed to population collapse, migration, and genetic adaptation." -- World's oldest trace of the plague -- In the study, the researchers found 214 pathogens. A remarkable finding is the world's oldest genetic trace of the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis, identified in a 5,500-year-old sample. The plague is estimated to have killed between one-quarter and one-half of Europe's population during the Middle Ages. -- Could have implications for future vaccines -- The findings could be significant for the development of vaccines and for understanding how diseases arise and mutate over time. | 60 |
| Brighter, Bolder, Hotter: Why Female Guppies Can't Resist Orange | Bright Orange Guppies Attract Mates: Color And Virility Are Linked | Deep learning reveals the complex genetic architecture of male guppy colouration. | University of British Columbia | A study from UBC indicates that male guppies exhibiting brighter orange coloration are not only more visually striking but also more sexually active. Researchers discovered that these vibrant hues are genetically linked to brain development, suggesting an evolutionary connection between appearance, behavior, and reproductive success, providing insights into the complex dynamics of sexual selection. | The Sexy Science of Guppy ColorFlashy male guppies aren’t just eye-catching — their color is linked to higher sexual activity and genetic health. UBC researchers traced the source of their vivid hues to the same cells that help form the brain, suggesting a surprising link between appearance and behavior. Credit: Shutterstock -- It turns out color isn't just fashionable for guppies: According to a new UBC study, the more orange a male, the more virile it is. -- The research published in Nature Ecology & Evolution shines light on an enduring evolutionary mystery: why male guppies have such vibrant and varied colors and patterns. -- Virile me up -- Zoologists Drs. Wouter van der Bijl and Judith Mank used deep learning, genetic studies and bred three generations of increasingly orange guppies to investigate. They found the more colorful males were up to two times more sexually active, performing for females at a greater rate and for longer periods of time, and attempting to sneakily copulate more often. -- Orange you glad to see me, baby? -- It's known that female guppies prefer orange, and unusual, patterns in their male partners, but the team found that the color diversity of guppies comes from the same cells that are responsible for forming the brain, suggesting a genetic link between how guppies look and how they behave. -- "Previously, people thought perhaps males realized that if they were more orange, they were more sexy. With the genetic link, it may be that they're healthier and fitter," said Dr. Mank. -- Let's recombine sometime -- The researchers found the guppy color genes, and the locations they appeared in, were tied to multiple chromosomes, creating a vast architecture of genetic possibilities. Seven orange and eight black color types were identified overall, allowing for a potential 32,768 unique pattern combinations. | 61 |
| Why Monkeys—And Humans—Can’t Look Away From Social Conflict | Macaques Are Drawn To Conflict: A Mirror To Human Nature | Reactions to social videos in long-tailed macaques. | Ohio State University | Long-tailed macaques exhibit preferences in video content similar to humans, displaying a keen interest in scenes of conflict, particularly involving familiar individuals. A study found that lower-ranking monkeys watched aggressive videos most intently, possibly for self-protective reasons, while higher-ranking individuals tended to avoid such content, illustrating how social dynamics influence their viewing behavior. | What Monkeys Choose to Watch May Surprise YouMonkeys can’t resist on-screen conflict, and they stare longest when the rivals are part of their own troop. Status and temperament decide who’s binge-watching whom. Credit: Shutterstock -- Have you ever wondered what kind of video content would most grab the attention of monkeys? -- A new study of long-tailed macaques suggests the monkeys seem to like some of the same kind of content that humans do: videos featuring aggression and individuals they know. -- "Humans and macaques are both social animals who have a fundamental need to belong," said Brad Bushman, co-author of the study and professor of communication at The Ohio State University. -- "It's not surprising that they both would be most interested in the video content that may help them navigate relationships in their groups." -- The study was published online recently in the journal Animal Cognition. It was led by Elisabeth H.M. Sterck, professor of animal behaviour and cognition at Utrecht University in The Netherlands. -- Researchers showed two-minute videos to 28 macaques that lived at a primate research center in The Netherlands. Each macaque saw multiple videos over time featuring monkeys in their group or strangers. Each individual video showed monkeys in one of four types of activities: conflict, grooming of each other, running, or sitting. -- The researchers calculated how much time the monkeys spent looking directly at the screen and their reactions while watching. -- Findings showed the macaques paid the most attention to videos featuring conflicts between monkeys. Running was the next most popular type of video. Grooming and sitting attracted the least attention. -- It is notable that both macaques and humans seem to be attracted to videos featuring similar content, Bushman said. | 62 |
| Tiny Creatures, Massive Impact: How Zooplankton Store 65 Million Tonnes Of Carbon Annually | Zooplankton Are Climate Heroes: Storing Massive Carbon Quantities | Seasonally migrating zooplankton strongly enhance Southern Ocean carbon sequestration. | University of Plymouth | Zooplankton, including copepods, play a crucial role in carbon sequestration in the Southern Ocean, diving deep to store vast amounts of carbon each year. A comprehensive study has unveiled that these tiny marine organisms contribute significantly to climate change mitigation through seasonal migrations, highlighting their importance in understanding oceanic carbon cycles and potential climate solutions. | Zooplankton Store 65 Million Tonnes of CarbonEach year, swarms of tiny zooplankton dive deep and silently trap millions of tons of carbon in the ocean’s depths, a natural climate solution we’ve barely noticed until now. Credit: Shutterstock -- A groundbreaking study has revealed that small but mighty zooplankton -- including copepods, krill, and salps -- are key players in the Southern Ocean's ability to absorb and store carbon. -- Led by an international team of researchers, and published in Limnology and Oceanography, the study quantifies for the first time how these tiny creatures collectively enhance carbon sequestration through their seasonal, vertical migrations. -- The Southern Ocean is a key region for carbon storage. Traditional thinking is that the carbon storage in the Southern Ocean is dominated by gravitational sinking of detritus produced by large zooplankton grazers, such as krill. -- This new research concerns another more recently described process called the 'seasonal migrant pump'. This process sees zooplankton migrate each year from surface waters to depths below 500m, storing carbon via their respiration and mortality during this deep overwintering phase. -- This figure shows the traditional view of how zooplankton transport carbon to depth (left panel) by eating phytoplankton in surface waters in summer, whereby their waste material (Particulate Organic Carbon, POC) sinks passively to great depth, thereby storing the carbon for thousands of years. This new study shows that a winter process known as the 'seasonal migrant pump' also leads to a substantial deep carbon storage (right panel). The zooplankton migrate downwards in autumn to overwinter below 500m where their respiration and death directly inject around 65 million tonnes of carbon annually into the deep ocean. -- The team first built a big database of zooplankton collected in thousands of net hauls from around the Southern Ocean, dating from the 1920s to the present day. From these they quantified the extent of the zooplankton's annual descent to overwinter at great depths, where they respire CO2 -- directly and efficiently injecting carbon into the deep ocean. -- Key Findings: -- 65 Million Tonnes of Carbon Stored Annually: The seasonal, vertical migration of zooplankton transports roughly 65 million tonnes of carbon to depths below 500 meters. -- Copepods Dominate the 'Seasonal Migrant Pump': Mesozooplankton (mainly small crustaceans called copepods) account for 80% of this carbon flux, while krill and salps contribute 14% and 6%, respectively. | 63 |
| Can One Vanishing Particle Shatter String Theory — And Explain Dark Matter? | Mysterious Five-Particle Structure Could Challenge String Theory And Reveal Dark Matter Clues | How to falsify string theory at a collider. | University of Pennsylvania | Physicists from Penn and Arizona State University are investigating a rare five-particle structure that could potentially challenge string theory, a cornerstone of modern physics. This elusive particle, predicted not to exist within the theory, may leave behind transient tracks in the Large Hadron Collider, offering groundbreaking insights into dark matter and possibly reshaping theoretical physics while opening new avenues for exploration in particle behavior. | Can One Particle Disprove String Theory?Physicists are searching for a rare five-particle signal at the LHC that string theory says shouldn't exist. If found, it could upend decades of theory—and offer new insight into dark matter. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers from Penn and Arizona State University pinpoint a lone five-particle package (a 5-plet) that could upend string theory by detecting it at the Large Hadron Collider. -- "Ghost" tracks that vanish mid-flight may be the smoking gun physicists are chasing. -- Early data squeeze the search window, but the next collider runs could make -- or break -- the case. -- In physics, there are two great pillars of thought that don't quite fit together. The Standard Model of particle physics describes all known fundamental particles and three forces: electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force. Meanwhile, Einstein's general relativity describes gravity and the fabric of spacetime. -- However, these frameworks are fundamentally incompatible in many ways, says Jonathan Heckman, a theoretical physicist at the University of Pennsylvania. The Standard Model treats forces as dynamic fields of particles, while general relativity treats gravity as the smooth geometry of spacetime, so gravity "doesn't fit into physics' Standard Model," he explains. -- In a recent paper, Heckman; Rebecca Hicks, a Ph.D. student at Penn's School of Arts & Sciences; and their collaborators turn that critique on its head. Instead of asking what string theory predicts, the authors ask what it definitively cannot create. Their answer points to a single exotic particle that could show up at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). If that particle appears, the entire string-theory edifice would be, in Heckman's words, "in enormous trouble." -- String theory: the good, the bad, the energy-hungry -- For decades, physicists have sought a unified theory that can reconcile quantum mechanics,and, by extension, the behavior of subatomic particles, with gravity -- which is described as a dynamic force in general relativity but is not fully understood within quantum contexts, Heckman says. A good contender for marrying gravity and quantum phenomena is string theory, which posits that all particles, including a hypothetical one representing gravity, are tiny vibrating strings and which promises a single framework encompassing all forces and matter. "But one of the drawbacks of string theory is that it operates in high-dimensional math and a vast 'landscape' of possible universes, making it fiendishly difficult to test experimentally," Heckman says, pointing to how string theory necessitates more than the familiar four dimensions -- x, y, z, and time -- to be mathematically consistent. -- "Most versions of string theory require a total of 10 or 11 spacetime dimensions, with the extra dimensions being sort of 'curled up' or folding in on one another to extremely small scales," Hicks says. | 64 |
| A Shocking New Way To Make Ammonia, No Fossil Fuels Needed | New Ammonia Production Method Could Revolutionize Hydrogen And Agriculture Industries | Regulating Multifunctional Oxygen Vacancies for Plasma‐Driven Air‐to‐Ammonia Conversion. | University of Sydney | Australian researchers have developed a cleaner method for producing ammonia—an essential fertilizer component—using only air and electricity. By mimicking lightning to generate ammonia, they bypass the traditional fossil fuel-dependent process, paving the way for more sustainable agricultural practices. This breakthrough could revolutionize the hydrogen and agricultural industries, offering environmentally friendly alternatives that contribute to reducing carbon footprints in global food production. | Lightning in a Lab: Turning Air Into FuelThe plasma column used to kickstart the process for 'green ammonia'. Credit: PJ Cullen/ Plasmaleap -- University of Sydney researchers have harnessed human-made lightning to develop a more efficient method of generating ammonia - one of the world's most important chemicals. Ammonia is also the main ingredient of fertilizers that account for almost half of all global food production. -- The team have successfully developed a more straightforward method to produce ammonia (NH3) in gas form. Previous efforts by other laboratories produced ammonia in a solution (ammonium, NH4+), which requires more energy and processes to transform it into the final gas product. -- The current method to generate ammonia, the Haber-Bosch process, comes at great climate cost, leaving a huge carbon footprint. It also needs to happen on a large scale and close to sources of cheap natural gas to make it cost-effective. -- The chemical process that fed the world, and the Sydney team looking to revolutionize it -- Naturally occurring ammonia (mostly in the form of bird droppings), was once so high in demand it fueled wars. -- The invention of the Haber-Bosch process in the 19th century made human-made ammonia possible and revolutionized modern agriculture and industry. Currently 90 percent of global ammonia production relies on the Haber-Bosch process. -- "Industry's appetite for ammonia is only growing. For the past decade, the global scientific community, including our lab, wants to uncover a more sustainable way to produce ammonia that doesn't rely on fossil fuels. -- "Currently, generating ammonia requires centralized production and long-distance transportation of the product. We need a low-cost, decentralized and scalable 'green ammonia'," said lead researcher Professor PJ Cullen from the University of Sydney's School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Net Zero Institute. His team has been working on 'green ammonia' production for six years. -- "In this research we've successfully developed a method that allows air to be converted to ammonia in its gaseous form using electricity. A huge step towards our goals." | 65 |
| Defying Physics: This Rare Crystal Cools Itself Using Pure Magnetism | Atacamite Crystal Discovered To Cool Itself With Magnetism—A Potential Cooling Revolution | Atacamite Cu2Cl(OH)3 in High Magnetic Fields: Quantum Criticality and Dimensional Reduction of a Sawtooth-Chain Compound. | Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf | In the Atacama Desert, researchers have identified atacamite, a green crystal, as a promising magnetocaloric material that self-cools when exposed to a magnetic field. Unlike conventional cooling methods that rely on gases and compressors, this unique property is tied to the crystal's structure and magnetic interactions. The discovery has potential implications for developing energy-efficient cooling technologies, offering environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional refrigeration methods. | Rare Crystal Cools Itself Using MagnetismArtistic representation of the magnetic sawtooth structure of atacamite: The magnetic moments (green) of the Cu ions (white and blue) cannot be completely aligned antiparallel to each other due to the triangular arrangement. At low temperatures, this results in the compromise arrangement shown. An external magnetic field destroys it and leads to an unexpectedly strong magnetocaloric effect, which could be used for efficient cooling. Credit: B. Schröder/HZDR -- Natural crystals fascinate with their vibrant colors, their nearly flawless appearance and their manifold symmetrical forms. But researchers are interested in them for quite different reasons: among the countless minerals already known, they always discover some materials with unusual magnetic properties. One of these is atacamite, which exhibits magnetocaloric behavior at low temperatures - that is, the material's temperature changes significantly when it is subjected to a magnetic field. A team headed by TU Braunschweig and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has now investigated this rare property (DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.216701). In the long term, the results could help to develop new materials for energy-efficient magnetic cooling. -- The emerald-green mineral atacamite, named for the place it was first found, the Atacama Desert in Chile, gets its characteristic coloring from the copper ions it contains. These ions also determine the material's magnetic properties: they each have an unpaired electron whose spin gives the ion a magnetic moment - comparable to a tiny needle on a compass. "The distinct feature of atacamite is the arrangement of the copper ions," explains Dr. Leonie Heinze of Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS). "They form long chains of small, linked triangles known as sawtooth chains." This geometric structure has consequences: although the copper ions' spins always want to align themselves antiparallel to one another, the triangular arrangement makes this geometrically impossible to achieve completely. "We refer to this as magnetic frustration," continues Heinze. As result of this frustration, the spins in atacamite only arrange themselves at very low temperatures - under 9 Kelvin (−264°C) - in a static alternating structure. -- When the researchers examined atacamite under the extremely high magnetic fields at HZDR's High Magnetic Field Laboratory (HLD), something surprising emerged: the material exhibited a noticeable cooling in the pulsed magnetic fields - and not just a slight one, but a drop to almost half of the original temperature. This unusually strong cooling effect particularly fascinated the researchers, as the behavior of magnetically frustrated materials in this context has scarcely been studied. However, magnetocaloric materials are considered a promising alternative to conventional cooling technologies, for example for energy-efficient cooling or the liquefaction of gases. This is because, instead of compressing and expanding a coolant - a process that takes place in every refrigerator - they can be used to change the temperature by applying a magnetic field in an environmentally friendly and potentially low-loss approach. -- What is the origin of this strong magnetocaloric effect? -- Additional studies at various labs of the European Magnetic Field Laboratory (EMFL) provided more in-depth insights. "By using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we were clearly able to demonstrate that the magnetic order of atacamite is destroyed when a magnetic field is applied," explains Dr. Tommy Kotte, a scientist at HLD. "This is unusual as the magnetic fields in many magnetically frustrated materials usually counteract the frustration and even encourage ordered magnetic states." -- The team found the explanation for the mineral's unexpected behavior in complex numerical simulations of its magnetic structure: while the magnetic field aligns the copper ions' magnetic moments on the tips of the sawtooth chains along the field and thus reduces the frustration as expected, it is precisely these magnetic moments that mediate a weak coupling to neighboring chains. When this is removed, a long-range magnetic order can no longer exist. This also provided the team with an explanation for the particularly strong magnetocaloric effect: it always occurs when a magnetic field influences the disorder - or more precisely, the magnetic entropy - of a system. In order to compensate for this rapid change in entropy, the material has to adjust its temperature accordingly. This is the very mechanism the researchers have now managed to demonstrate in atacamite. -- "Of course, we do not expect atacamite to be extensively mined in the future for use in new cooling systems," says Dr. Tommy Kotte, "but the physical mechanism we have investigated is fundamentally new and the magnetocaloric effect we observed is surprisingly strong." The team hopes their work will inspire further research, especially a targeted search for innovative magnetocaloric materials within the extensive class of magnetically frustrated systems. | 66 |
| Ice In A Million-Degree Fermi Bubble Reveals The Milky Way’s Recent Eruption | Cold Hydrogen Clouds Challenge Our Understanding Of The Milky Way | A New High-latitude H i Cloud Complex Entrained in the Northern Fermi Bubble. | North Carolina State University | Astronomers have detected unexpectedly cold hydrogen clouds nestled within the superheated Fermi bubbles in the Milky Way, suggesting that these structures are about a million years old. This discovery contradicts earlier models of bubble formation and indicates a more complex interaction between energy and matter in galaxies, prompting a reevaluation of our understanding of the galactic environment. | Milky Way’s Recent Eruption RevealedAn artist's interpretation of the highest-latitude neutral hydrogen clouds ever detected within the Fermi Bubbles in the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. The cold clouds reside more than 13,000 light-years above the Galactic center, in a region where frigid materials like this were never expected to be discovered. Credit: NSF/AUI/NSF NRAO/P.Vosteen -- Researchers have found clouds of cold gas embedded deep within larger, superheated gas clouds -- or Fermi bubbles -- at the Milky Way's center. The finding challenges current models of Fermi bubble formation and reveals that the bubbles are much younger than previously estimated. -- "The Fermi bubbles are enormous structures of hot gas that extend above and below the disk of the Milky Way, reaching about 25,000 light years in each direction from the galaxy's center -- spanning a total height of 50,000 light years," says Rongmon Bordoloi, associate professor of physics at North Carolina State University and corresponding author of the research. -- "Fermi bubbles are a relatively recent discovery -- they were first identified by telescopes that 'see' gamma rays in 2010 -- there are different theories about how it happened, but we do know that it was an extremely sudden and violent event, like a volcanic eruption but on a massive scale." -- Bordoloi and the research team used the U.S. National Science Foundation Green Bank Telescope (NSF GBT) to observe the Fermi bubbles and get high resolution data about the composition of the gas within and the speed at which it is moving. These measurements were twice as sensitive as previous radio telescope surveys of the Fermi bubbles and allowed them to observe finer detail within the bubbles. -- Most of the gas inside the Fermi bubbles is around 1 million degrees Kelvin. However, the research team also found something surprising: dense clouds of neutral hydrogen gas, each one measuring several thousand solar masses, dotted within the bubbles 12,000 light years above the center of the Milky Way. -- "These clouds of neutral hydrogen are cold, relative to the rest of the Fermi bubble," says Andrew Fox, ESA-AURA Astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute and coauthor of the paper. -- "They're around 10,000 degrees Kelvin, so cooler than their surroundings by at least a factor of 100. Finding those clouds within the Fermi bubble is like finding ice cubes in a volcano." -- Their existence is surprising because the hot (over 1 million degrees Kelvin), high-velocity environment of the nuclear outflow should have rapidly destroyed any cooler gas. -- "Computer models of cool gas interacting with hot outflowing gas in extreme environments like the Fermi bubbles show that cool clouds should be rapidly destroyed, usually within a few million years, a timescale that aligns with independent estimates of the Fermi bubbles' age," Bordoloi says. "It wouldn't be possible for the clouds to be present at all if the Fermi bubbles were 10 million years old or older. | 67 |
| Hidden DNA-Sized Crystals In Cosmic Ice Could Rewrite Water—And Life Itself | Cosmic Ice Contains Hidden Micro-Crystals, Changing Our Understanding Of Ice | Low-density amorphous ice contains crystalline ice grains. | University College London | A team from UCL and the University of Cambridge has uncovered that "space ice," long believed to be disordered, actually contains tiny crystals. This revelation alters our comprehension of cosmic ice and has significant implications for astrophysics, including theories on the origins of life and advances in materials technology, indicating that even simple ice can possess complex structures. | Hidden DNA-Sized Crystals Found in Cosmic IceVisual representation of the structure of low-density amorphous ice. Many tiny crystallites (white) are concealed in the amorphous material (blue). Credit: Michael B Davies, UCL and University of Cambridge -- "Space ice" contains tiny crystals and is not, as previously assumed, a completely disordered material like liquid water, according to a new study by scientists at UCL (University College London) and the University of Cambridge. -- Ice in space is different to the crystalline (highly ordered) form of ice on Earth. For decades, scientists have assumed it is amorphous (without a structure), with colder temperatures meaning it does not have enough energy to form crystals when it freezes. -- In the new study, published in Physical Review B, researchers investigated the most common form of ice in the Universe, low-density amorphous ice, which exists as the bulk material in comets, on icy moons and in clouds of dust where stars and planets form. -- They found that computer simulations of this ice best matched measurements from previous experiments if the ice was not fully amorphous but contained tiny crystals (about three nanometers wide, slightly wider than a single strand of DNA) embedded within its disordered structures. -- In experimental work, they also re-crystallized (i.e. warmed up) real samples of amorphous ice that had formed in different ways. They found that the final crystal structure varied depending on how the amorphous ice had originated. If the ice had been fully amorphous (fully disordered), the researchers concluded, it would not retain any imprint of its earlier form. -- Lead author Dr Michael B. Davies, who did the work as part of his PhD at UCL Physics & Astronomy and the University of Cambridge, said: "We now have a good idea of what the most common form of ice in the Universe looks like at an atomic level. -- "This is important as ice is involved in many cosmological processes, for instance in how planets form, how galaxies evolve, and how matter moves around the Universe." -- The findings also have implications for one speculative theory about how life on Earth began. According to this theory, known as Panspermia, the building blocks of life were carried here on an ice comet, with low-density amorphous ice the space shuttle material in which ingredients such as simple amino acids were transported. -- Dr Davies said: "Our findings suggest this ice would be a less good transport material for these origin of life molecules. That is because a partly crystalline structure has less space in which these ingredients could become embedded. | 68 |
| They Glow Without Fusion—Hidden Stars That May Finally Reveal Dark Matter | Dark Dwarfs Could Illuminate The Mystery Of Dark Matter | Dark dwarfs: dark matter-powered sub-stellar objects awaiting discovery at the galactic center. | Sissa Medialab | A new study discusses the intriguing possibility of "dark dwarfs," stars powered by dark matter instead of the typical fusion process. These faint stars could provide crucial insights into the nature of dark matter and its role in the universe, as their existence hinges on dark matter interactions. Identifying such stars may lead to breakthroughs in understanding one of cosmology's greatest mysteries. | Dark Matter May Power These Hidden StarsAstronomers believe there may be stars that shine without fusion, lit instead by dark matter deep in their cores. Finding one could help solve one of the universe’s greatest mysteries. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- The Anglo-USA team behind the study named them dark dwarfs. Not because they are dark bodies -- on the contrary -- but because of their special link with dark matter, one of the most central topics in current cosmology and astrophysics research. "We think that 25% of the universe is composed of a type of matter that doesn't emit light, making it invisible to our eyes and telescopes. We only detect it through its gravitational effects. That's why we call it dark matter," explains Jeremy Sakstein, Professor of Physics at the University of Hawai'i and one of the study's authors. -- What we know today about dark matter is that it exists and how it behaves -- but not yet what it actually is. Over the past fifty years, several hypotheses have been proposed, but none have yet gathered enough experimental evidence to prevail. Studies like the one by Sakstein and colleagues are important because they offer concrete tools to break this deadlock. -- Among the most well-known dark matter candidates are the Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) -- very massive particles that interact very weakly with ordinary matter: they pass through things unnoticed, don't emit light and don't respond to electromagnetic forces (so they don't reflect light and remain invisible), and reveal themselves only through their gravitational effects. This type of dark matter would be necessary for dark dwarfs to exist. "Dark matter interacts gravitationally, so it could be captured by stars and accumulate inside them. If that happens, it might also interact with itself and annihilate, releasing energy that heats the star," Sakstein explains. -- Ordinary stars -- like our Sun -- shine because nuclear fusion processes occur in their cores, generating large amounts of heat and energy. Fusion happens when a star's mass is large enough that gravitational forces compress matter toward the centre with such intensity that they trigger reactions between atomic nuclei. This process releases a huge amount of energy, which we see as light. Dark dwarfs also emit light -- but not because of nuclear fusion. "Dark dwarfs are very low mass objects, about 8% of the Sun's mass," Sakstein explains. Such a small mass is not sufficient to trigger fusion reactions. For this reason, such objects -- although very common in the universe -- usually only emit a faint light (due to the energy produced by their relatively small gravitational contraction) and are known to scientists as brown dwarfs. -- However, if brown dwarfs are located in regions where dark matter is particularly abundant -- such as the center of our galaxy -- they can transform into something else. "These objects collect the dark matter that helps them become a dark dwarf. The more dark matter you have around, the more you can capture," Sakstein explains. "And, the more dark matter ends up inside the star, the more energy will be produced through its annihilation." -- But all of this relies on a specific type of dark matter. "For dark dwarfs to exist, dark matter has to be made of WIMPs, or any heavy particle that interacts with itself so strongly to produce visible matter," Sakstein says. Other candidates proposed to explain dark matter -- such as axions, fuzzy ultralight particles, or sterile neutrinos -- are all too light to produce the expected effect in these objects. Only massive particles, capable of interacting with each other and annihilating into visible energy, could power a dark dwarf. -- This entire hypothesis, however, would have little value if there weren't a concrete way to identify a dark dwarf. For this reason, Sakstein and colleagues propose a distinctive marker: "There were a few markers, but we suggested the Lithium-7 because it would really be a unique effect" the scientist explains. Lithium-7 burns very easily and is quickly consumed in ordinary stars. "So if you were able to find an object which looked like a dark dwarf, you could look for the presence of this lithium because it wouldn't be there if it was a brown dwarf or a similar object." -- Tools like the James Webb Space Telescope might already be able to detect extremely cold celestial objects like dark dwarfs. But, according to Sakstein, there's another possibility: "The other thing you could do is to look at a whole population of objects and ask, in a statistical manner, if it is better described by having a sub-population of dark dwarfs or not." -- If in the coming years we manage to identify one or more dark dwarfs, how strong would that clue be in support of the hypothesis that dark matter is made of WIMPs? "Reasonably strong. With light dark matter candidates, something like an axion, I don't think you'd be able to get something like a dark dwarf. They don't accumulate inside stars. If we manage to find a dark dwarf, it would provide compelling evidence that dark matter is heavy, interacts strongly with itself, but only weakly with the Standard Model. This includes classes of WIMPs, but it would include some other more exotic models as well," concludes Sakstein. Observing a dark dwarf wouldn't conclusively tell us that dark matter is a WIMP, but it would mean that it is either a WIMP or something that, for all intents and purposes, behaves like a WIMP." | 69 |
| Quantum Computers Just Got An Upgrade – And It’s 10× More Efficient | New Pulse-Driven Qubit Amplifier Revolutionizes Quantum Computing Efficiency | Pulsed HEMT LNA Operation for Qubit Readout. | Chalmers University of Technology | Researchers at Chalmers University have developed an innovative pulse-driven qubit amplifier that is ten times more efficient and minimizes heat generation, crucial for maintaining quantum states. This advancement paves the way for more powerful quantum computers by reducing decoherence and enhancing the overall performance of quantum systems, thereby unlocking new possibilities in various fields reliant on quantum computing technologies. | Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed a highly efficient amplifier that activates only when reading information from qubits. Credit: Chalmers University of Technology | Yin Zeng | Maurizio Toselli -- Quantum computers can solve extraordinarily complex problems, unlocking new possibilities in fields such as drug development, encryption, AI, and logistics. Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed a highly efficient amplifier that activates only when reading information from qubits. Thanks to its smart design, it consumes just one-tenth of the power consumed by the best amplifiers available today. This reduces qubit decoherence and lays the foundation for more powerful quantum computers with significantly more qubits and enhanced performance. -- Bits, which are the building blocks of a conventional computer, can only ever have the value of 1 or 0. By contrast, the common building blocks of a quantum computer, quantum bits or qubits, can exist in states having the value 1 and 0 simultaneously as well as all states in between in any combination. This means that a 20 qubit quantum computer can represent over a million different states simultaneously. This phenomenon, which is called superposition, is one of the key reasons that quantum computers can solve exceptionally complex problems that are beyond the capabilities of today's conventional supercomputers. -- Amplifiers are essential - but cause decoherence -- To be able to utilize a quantum computer's computational power, qubits must be measured and converted into interpretable information. This process requires extremely sensitive microwave amplifiers to ensure that these weak signals are accurately detected and read. However, reading quantum information is an extremely delicate business - even the slightest temperature fluctuation, noise, or electromagnetic interference can cause qubits to lose their integrity, their quantum state, rendering the information unusable. Because the amplifiers generate output in the form of heat, they also cause decoherence. As a result, researchers in this field are always in pursuit of more efficient qubit amplifiers. Now, Chalmers researchers have taken an important step forward with their new, highly efficient amplifier. -- "This is the most sensitive amplifier that can be built today using transistors. We've now managed to reduce its power consumption to just one-tenth of that required by today's best amplifiers - without compromising performance. We hope and believe that this breakthrough will enable more accurate readout of qubits in the future," says Yin Zeng, a doctoral student in terahertz and millimeter wave technology at Chalmers, and the first author of the study published in the journal IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques. -- An essential breakthrough in scaling up quantum computers -- This advance could be significant in scaling up quantum computers to accommodate significantly more qubits than today. Chalmers has been actively engaged in this field for many years through a national research program, the Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology. As the number of qubits increases, so does the computer's computational power and capacity to handle highly complex calculations. However, larger quantum systems also require more amplifiers, leading to greater overall power consumption, which can lead to decoherence of the qubits. -- "This study offers a solution in future upscaling of quantum computers where the heat generated by these qubit amplifiers poses a major limiting factor," says Jan Grahn, professor of microwave electronics at Chalmers and Yin Zeng's principal supervisor. -- Activated only when needed | 70 |
| Scientists Just Mapped Platinum Atoms — And It Could Transform Catalysis Forever | Scientists Map Platinum Atoms To Transform Catalysis Understanding | Coordination environments of Pt single-atom catalysts from NMR signatures. | ETH Zurich | A collaborative research effort has leveraged nuclear magnetic resonance to study platinum-based catalysts at the atomic level, aiming to enhance their efficiency in industrial applications. This groundbreaking approach could lead to significant reductions in platinum usage, a valuable and carbon-intensive metal, by optimizing the performance of single-atom catalysts used in various chemical processes. | Mapping Platinum One Atom at a TimeThe catalyst consists of single platinum atoms (red) surrounded by nitrogen (blue) and carbon atoms (grey). Using nuclear magnetic resonance, such atomic environments can now be precisely studied for the first time. Credit: Javier Pérez-Ramírez / ETH Zürich -- Using nuclear magnetic resonance, researchers at ETH Zurich have studied the atomic environments of single platinum atoms in solid supports as well as their spatial orientation. In the future, this method can be used to optimize the production of single-atom catalysts. -- Catalysis -- the acceleration of a chemical reaction by adding a particular substance -- is extremely important in industry as well as in everyday life. Around 80 % of all chemical products are produced with the help of catalysis, and technologies like exhaust catalysts or fuel cells are also based on this principle. One particularly effective and versatile catalyst is platinum. However, because platinum is a very rare and expensive precious metal whose production causes a lot of CO2 emissions, it is important to use as little of it as possible while maximizing its efficiency. -- Catalysts with single atoms -- In recent years, scientists have tried to develop so-called single-atom catalysts, in which each atom contributes to the chemical reaction. These catalysts are made by depositing single platinum atoms on the surface of a porous host material, for instance carbon doped with nitrogen atoms. The nitrogen atoms act as anchoring points which the platinum atoms can latch on to. -- A team of researchers led by Javier Pérez-Ramírez and Christophe Copéret at the Department of Chemistry and Applied Life Sciences of ETH Zurich, together with colleagues at the Universities of Lyon and Aarhus, have now shown that such single-atom catalysts are more complex than previously thought. Using nuclear magnetic resonance, they were able to show that the individual platinum atoms in such a catalyst can have very different atomic environments, which influence their catalytic action. In the future, this discovery will make it possible to develop more efficient catalytic materials. The researchers recently published their findings in the scientific journal Nature. -- Chance encounters lead to breakthrough -- "Until now individual platinum atoms could only be observed through the 'lens' of an electron microscope -- which looks impressive but doesn't tell us much about their catalytic properties," says Pérez-Ramírez. Together with Copéret he thought about how one might characterize the individual platinum atoms more precisely. The collaboration began with a chance encounter during a meeting in the framework of the NCCR Catalysis program. -- After the meeting, the two researchers developed the idea to try nuclear magnetic resonance. This method, on which the MRI in a hospital is based and which is typically used for investigating molecules in laboratories, the spins of atomic nuclei in a strong static magnetic field react to oscillating magnetic fields of a certain resonant frequency. In molecules, this resonant frequency depends on how the different atoms are arranged inside the molecule. "Likewise, the resonant frequencies of the single platinum atoms are influenced by their atomic neighbours -- for instance, carbon, nitrogen or oxygen -- and their orientation relative to the static magnetic field," Copéret explains. -- This leads to many different resonant frequencies, much like the different tones in an orchestra. Finding out which instrument is producing a particular tone isn't easy. "As luck would have it, during a visit to Lyon one of us met a simulation expert from Aarhus who was visiting there at the same time," says Copéret. Such encounters, and the collaborations resulting from them, are essential for scientific progress, he adds. Together with the ETH-collaborator, the simulation expert developed a computer code that made it possible to filter out the many different "tones" of the individual platinum atoms from the muddle. | 71 |
| A Star Exploded Twice — First-Ever Image Reveals Its Cosmic Fingerprint | Rare Double-Detonation Supernova Caught In Action By Astronomers | Calcium in a supernova remnant as a fingerprint of a sub-Chandrasekhar-mass explosion. | ESO | Astronomers have successfully captured evidence of a rare “double-detonation” supernova from a white dwarf star, confirming its explosive demise through detailed observations of the remnant SNR 0509-67.5. This finding sheds light on the mechanisms behind Type Ia supernovae, critical for understanding cosmic expansion and the formation of elements, while addressing longstanding questions about the origins of such stellar explosions. | Star Explodes Twice, Leaves Cosmic ClueThis artist’s impression illustrates the supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5. Observations from ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) show that these are the expanding remains of a star that died with a double-detonation hundreds of years ago. Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser -- For the first time, astronomers have obtained visual evidence that a star met its end by detonating twice. By studying the centuries-old remains of supernova SNR 0509-67.5 with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT), they have found patterns that confirm its star suffered a pair of explosive blasts. Published today, this discovery shows some of the most important explosions in the Universe in a new light. -- Most supernovae are the explosive deaths of massive stars, but one important variety comes from an unassuming source. White dwarfs, the small, inactive cores left over after stars like our Sun burn out their nuclear fuel, can produce what astronomers call a Type Ia supernova. -- "The explosions of white dwarfs play a crucial role in astronomy," says Priyam Das, a PhD student at the University of New South Wales Canberra, Australia, who led the study on SNR 0509-67.5 published today in Nature Astronomy. Much of our knowledge of how the Universe expands rests on Type Ia supernovae, and they are also the primary source of iron on our planet, including the iron in our blood. "Yet, despite their importance, the long-standing puzzle of the exact mechanism triggering their explosion remains unsolved," he adds. -- All models that explain Type Ia supernovae begin with a white dwarf in a pair of stars. If it orbits close enough to the other star in this pair, the dwarf can steal material from its partner. In the most established theory behind Type Ia supernovae, the white dwarf accumulates matter from its companion until it reaches a critical mass, at which point it undergoes a single explosion. However, recent studies have hinted that at least some Type Ia supernovae could be better explained by a double explosion triggered before the star reached this critical mass. -- Now, astronomers have captured a new image that proves their hunch was right: at least some Type Ia supernovae explode through a 'double-detonation' mechanism instead. In this alternative model, the white dwarf forms a blanket of stolen helium around itself, which can become unstable and ignite. This first explosion generates a shockwave that travels around the white dwarf and inwards, triggering a second detonation in the core of the star -- ultimately creating the supernova. -- Until now, there had been no clear, visual evidence of a white dwarf undergoing a double detonation. Recently, astronomers have predicted that this process would create a distinctive pattern or fingerprint in the supernova's still-glowing remains, visible long after the initial explosion. Research suggests that remnants of such a supernova would contain two separate shells of calcium. -- Astronomers have now found this fingerprint in a supernova's remains. Ivo Seitenzahl, who led the observations and was at Germany's Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies when the study was conducted, says these results show "a clear indication that white dwarfs can explode well before they reach the famous Chandrasekhar mass limit, and that the 'double-detonation' mechanism does indeed occur in nature." The team were able to detect these calcium layers (in blue in the image) in the supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5 by observing it with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) on ESO's VLT. This provides strong evidence that a Type Ia supernova can occur before its parent white dwarf reaches a critical mass. -- Type Ia supernovae are key to our understanding of the Universe. They behave in very consistent ways, and their predictable brightness -- no matter how far away they are -- helps astronomers to measure distances in space. Using them as a cosmic measuring tape, astronomers discovered the accelerating expansion of the Universe, a discovery that won the Physics Nobel Prize in 2011. Studying how they explode helps us to understand why they have such a predictable brightness. -- Das also has another motivation to study these explosions. "This tangible evidence of a double-detonation not only contributes towards solving a long-standing mystery, but also offers a visual spectacle," he says, describing the "beautifully layered structure" that a supernova creates. For him, "revealing the inner workings of such a spectacular cosmic explosion is incredibly rewarding." | 72 |
| Citizen Scientists Spot Rare Exploding Star In Real-Time | Citizen Scientists Spot Rare Exploding Star In Real-Time | GOTO065054+593624: An 8.5 mag amplitude dwarf nova identified in real time via Kilonova Seekers. | University of Warwick | Citizen scientists participating in the Kilonova Seekers initiative have discovered a stellar flash, identifying a rare cataclysmic variable star named GOTO0650. Their prompt alerts led to rapid observations that classified the star in its unique evolutionary stage, demonstrating the power of public engagement in real-time astrophysics and highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts in astronomical research. | Citizen Scientists Discover Exploding StarVolunteers racing through real-time telescope images flagged a sudden blaze now dubbed GOTO0650. Their alerts triggered professional and amateur observations that unmasked a rare, late-stage cataclysmic variable and proved crowd-power essential for tomorrow’s data deluge. Credit: Shutterstock -- Previously described as playing astronomical 'spot the difference,' Kilonova Seekers asks the public to compare the latest images of a section of night sky to an image of the same section of space taken on previous nights. Their goal - to spot new stars or significant changes in light intensity that may indicate that something remarkable has happened in space. -- Published today (July 1) in Astronomy & Astrophysics, the project has announced its first published major discovery - a bright exploding star. -- The object underwent an extreme brightening (increasing by 2500 times) that was not seen when compared to the image taken 2 days earlier. The quick response and diligent work of the public allowed the object to be studied and classified early in its evolution, identifying it as a cataclysmic variable star, and given the name GOTO0650. -- Co-lead of Kilonova Seekers, Dr. Tom Killestein, Warwick Prize Fellow in the Astronomy and Astrophysics group, University of Warwick said: "Kilonova Seekers is a unique opportunity for members of the public to take part in true real-time astrophysics. Remarkably, public volunteers identified this star as an object of interest within 3 1/2 hours of the image being taken by the GOTO telescopes - this discovery could have been missed among many other objects without their efforts. -- "The involvement of the volunteers didn't stop there, as there was a huge follow-up response from the public. It was flagged for further observations from the Swift and Einstein Probe space observatories, and GOTO0650 was bright enough for amateur astronomers to take impressively high-quality observations of with their own equipment, which formed a key part of the paper and really helping us understand the object." -- Cataclysmic variable stars sporadically increase in brightness by large amounts before dropping back to normal levels. They are compact binary star systems, consisting of a white dwarf star stealing matter from its companion donor star. Periodically, material from the donor star hits a critical density and temperature within the disc of gas that surrounds the white dwarf, which causes an explosive outburst and bright flashes of light. -- The fast response of the public enabled the team to get an unusually highly complete dataset on the star, including spectroscopy, X-ray, and UV measurements, supplemented by the impressively high-quality observations of the amateur astronomers. These observations suggest it is a period bouncer, the final state of a cataclysmic variable star, and a rare object to find even in the age of widespread wide-field imaging surveys. -- Co-lead of Kilonova Seekers, Dr Lisa Kelsey, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Institute of Astronomy and Kavli Institute for Cosmology, Cambridge said: "Citizen science is a powerful way to make novel serendipitous discoveries in vast datasets that would normally need to be analysed in depth by scientists. -- "With over 2.8 million classifications so far, the discovery of GOTO0650 is really the pinnacle of 2 years of consistent hard work from our volunteers. Without the Kilonova Seekers volunteers flagging this object, rapid follow-up would not have been possible, and this object may have been missed entirely." | 73 |
| Earth’s Weather Satellites Just Spent 10 Years Watching Venus — Here’s What They Found | Himawari Satellites Track Venus' Atmospheric Changes Over A Decade | Temporal variation in the cloud-top temperature of Venus revealed by meteorological satellites. | University of Tokyo | Scientists have repurposed data from Japan’s Himawari weather satellites to monitor Venus, uncovering daily variations in cloud-top temperatures and atmospheric waves. By combining infrared images from ten years of observations, researchers demonstrate that these meteorological satellites can serve as valuable tools for planetary science, providing insights into Venus’ atmospheric dynamics and complementing future missions to the planet. | Venus Revealed Through Weather Satellite EyesRepurposed Himawari images captured near Earth’s rim reveal Venus’ cloud-top temperature rhythms and hidden atmospheric waves, proving weather satellites can double as long-term planetary sentinels. Credit: Japan Meteorological Agency -- Imaging data from Japan's Himawari-8 and -9 meteorological satellites have been successfully used to monitor temporal changes in Venus' cloud-top temperature, revealing unseen patterns in the temperature structure of various waves. A team led by the University of Tokyo collated infrared images from 2015-25 to estimate brightness temperatures on day to year scales. The results demonstrate that meteorological satellites can serve as additional eyes to access the Venusian atmosphere from space and complement future observations from planetary missions and ground-based telescopes. -- The Himawari-8 and -9 satellites, launched in 2014 and 2016, respectively, were developed to monitor global atmospheric phenomena through use of their multispectral Advanced Himawari Imagers (AHIs). The University of Tokyo team led by visiting researcher Gaku Nishiyama saw the opportunity to use the cutting-edge sensor data for spaceborne observations of Venus, which is coincidentally captured by the AHIs near the Earth's rim. -- Observing temporal temperature variations in the cloud tops of Venus is essential to understand its atmospheric dynamics and related phenomena, such as thermal tides and planetary-scale waves. Obtaining data for these phenomena presents multiple challenges, as Nishiyama explained. "The atmosphere of Venus has been known to exhibit year-scale variations in reflectance and wind speed; however, no planetary mission has succeeded in continuous observation for longer than 10 years due to their mission lifetimes," he said. "Ground-based observations can also contribute to long-term monitoring, but their observations generally have limitations due to the Earth's atmosphere and sunlight during the daytime." -- Meteorological satellites on the other hand appear suited to fill this gap with their longer mission lifetimes (the Himawari-8 and -9 satellites are scheduled for operation until 2029). The AHIs allow multiband infrared coverage, which has been limited in planetary missions to date, essential for retrieving temperature information from different altitudes, along with low-noise and frequent observation. Aiming to demonstrate this potential to contribute to Venus science, the team investigated the observed temporal dynamics of the Venusian atmosphere and provided a comparative analysis with previous datasets. "We believe this method will provide precious data for Venus science because there might not be any other spacecraft orbiting around Venus until the next planetary missions around 2030," said Nishiyama. -- The team first established a data archive by extracting all Venus images from the collected AHI datasets, identifying 437 occurrences in total. Taking into account background noise and apparent size of Venus in the captured images, they were able to track the temporal variation in cloud-top temperature during the periods where the geostationary satellite, Venus and the Earth lined up in a row. -- The retrieved temporal variations in brightness temperatures were then analyzed on both year and day scales and compared for all infrared bands to investigate variability of thermal tides and planetary-scale waves. Variation in thermal tide amplitude was confirmed from the obtained dataset. The results also confirmed change in amplitude of planetary waves in the atmosphere with time, appearing to decrease with altitude. While definitive conclusions on the physics behind the detected variations were challenging due to the limited temporal resolution of the AHI data, variations in the thermal tide amplitude appeared possibly linked to decadal variation in the Venus atmosphere structure. -- In addition to successfully applying the Himawari data to planetary observations, the team was further able to use the data to identify calibration discrepancies in data from previous planetary missions. -- Nishiyama is already looking at implications of the study beyond Venus' horizon. "I think that our novel approach in this study successfully opened a new avenue for long-term and multiband monitoring of solar system bodies. This includes the moon and Mercury, which I also study at present. Their infrared spectra contain various information on physical and compositional properties of their surface, which are hints at how these rocky bodies have evolved until the present." The prospect of accessing a range of geometric conditions untethered from the limitations of ground-based observations is clearly an exciting one. "We hope this study will enable us to assess physical and compositional properties, as well as atmospheric dynamics, and contribute to our further understanding of planetary evolution in general." -- Funding: This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP22K21344, 23H00150, and 23H01249, and JSPS Overseas Research Fellowship. | 74 |
| JWST Unlocks 10-Billion-Year Mystery Of How Galaxies Shape Themselves | JWST Reveals Ancient Disks Structure In Galaxies Over 10 Billion Years | The emergence of galactic thin and thick discs across cosmic history. | Tohoku University | Scientists utilized the James Webb Space Telescope to make groundbreaking observations of ancient galaxies, revealing the presence of both thin and thick disks dating back 10 billion years. This discovery shows that galaxies initially formed chaotic, thick disks before evolving into the calm, thin structures we associate with modern galaxies like the Milky Way. The sequential formation of these disks indicates a significant shift in galaxy evolution over time, offering new insights into the universe's history and structure. | JWST Shows How Galaxies Took ShapeThe figures illustrate the revealed sequential disk formation in this study: thick disk only galaxies dominate the early epochs (bottom panel), while galaxies exhibiting both thin and thick disks appear more commonly in later epochs of the universe (top panel). Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, T. Tsukui -- Many galaxies, including our own Milky Way, are characterized by a flat, extended, rotating stellar disk. These disk galaxies commonly contain two main parts: a thin disk and a thick disk. The thin disk contains younger, metal-rich stars, while the thick disk contains older, metal-poor stars. These distinct components hold fossil records that help astronomers understand how galaxies form stars, build up elements like oxygen and carbon, essential for life, and evolve into their present shapes. -- Until now, thin and thick disks have only been identified in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies. It has been impossible with previous telescopes to distinguish the thin edge of a distant galaxy when viewed from the side. -- That changed with the launching of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in 2021, which is currently the largest telescope in space. -- An international team of researchers has examined 111 JWST images of distant edge-on galaxies, ones where the alignments enabled the researchers to observe the galaxies' vertical disk structures. -- Takafumi Tsukui (formerly of the Australian National University and now based at Tohoku University), who led the research team, says that observing distant galaxies is like using a time machine, allowing us to see how galaxies have built their disks over cosmic history. -- "Thanks to the JWST's sharp vision, we were able to identify thin and thick disks in galaxies beyond our local universe, some going as far back as 10 billion years ago." -- The study revealed a consistent trend: in the earlier universe, more galaxies appear to have had a single thick disk, while in later epochs, more galaxies showed a two-layered structure with an additional thin disk component. This suggests that galaxies first formed a thick disk, followed by the formation of a thin disk within it. In more massive galaxies, this thin disk appears to have formed earlier. -- The study estimated the thin disk formation time for Milky Way-sized galaxies to be around 8 billion years ago. This figure aligns with formation timelines for the Milky Way itself, where stellar ages can be measured. -- To understand the revealed sequential formation from thick to thin disks and the corresponding formation timelines, the team not only examined the stellar structure but also the motion of gas, direct ingredients of stars obtained from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and ground-based surveys in the literature. These observations supported a coherent formation scenario: | 75 |
| Chang’e-6 Unearths Volcanic And Magnetic Mysteries On The Moon’s Farside | Chang’e-6 Samples Reveal Moon’s Secrets: Understanding Geological Differences | Ultra-depleted mantle source of basalts from the South Pole–Aitken basin. | Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters | China’s Chang’e-6 mission has unearthed the first samples from the Moon's far side, providing insights into its geological evolution and volcanic history. Analysis of materials from the South Pole–Aitken Basin has revealed key information about ancient volcanic activity and magnetic fields, deepening our understanding of the Moon's differences and their implications for both lunar and Earth geology. | Secrets Unearthed from the Moon’s FarsideSamples from the Moon's farside reveal it experienced volcanism for over a billion years, harbored a rebounding magnetic field, and contains surprisingly dry, depleted mantle material. Credit: Shutterstock -- The Moon's near and far sides exhibit striking asymmetry -- from topography and crustal thickness to volcanic activity -- yet the origins of these differences long puzzled scientists. China's Chang'e-6 mission, launched on May 3, 2024, changed this by returning 1,935.3 grams of material from the lunar farside's South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA), the Moon's largest, deepest, and oldest known impact structure, measuring 2,500 kilometers in diameter. The samples arrived on Earth on June 25, 2024. -- Previous studies indicated that the SPA was formed by a colossal impact approximately 4.25 billion years ago, releasing energy greater than that of a trillion atomic bombs. But the effect of this impact on lunar geology and thermal evolution was one of planetary science's greatest unsolved questions until recently. -- In the past year, research teams led by CAS institutions including the Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGG) and the National Astronomical Observatories (NAOC), along with Nanjing University and others, have made four landmark discoveries based on the SPA samples. Their findings were published in four cover articles in the journal Nature. -- According to Prof. WU Fuyuan, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a researcher at IGG, the profound geological consequences of the impact that formed the SPA are, for the first time, revealed collectively in these four Nature papers. -- The cover stories focus on the following areas: -- Prolonged Volcanic Activity: Analysis identified two distinct volcanic phases on the lunar farside -- 4.2 billion and 2.8 billion years ago -- indicating that volcanic activity persisted for at least 1.4 billion years, far longer than previously thought. -- Fluctuating Magnetic Field: Measurements of paleomagnetic intensities in basalt clasts revealed a rebound in the Moon's magnetic field 2.8 billion years ago, suggesting that the lunar dynamo, which generates magnetic fields, fluctuated episodically rather than fading steadily. -- Asymmetric Water Distribution: The farside mantle was found to have significantly lower water content than the nearside mantle, indicating that volatile elements are unevenly distributed within the lunar interior -- adding another aspect to the Moon's asymmetry. -- Mantle Depletion Signatures: Geochemical analysis of basalt points to an "ultra-depleted" mantle source, likely resulting from either a primordial depleted mantle or massive melt extraction triggered by large impacts. This highlights the role of major impacts in shaping the Moon's deep interior. | 76 |
| This Breakthrough Turns Old Tech Into Pure Gold — No Mercury, No Cyanide, Just Light And Salt | New Gold Extraction Method Is Eco-Friendly: No More Toxic Chemicals | Sustainable gold extraction from ore and electronic waste. | Flinders University | Researchers at Flinders University have developed a sustainable method for extracting gold from ore and e-waste, utilizing safer chemicals and reusable polymers. This innovative technique, which avoids harmful substances like mercury and cyanide, holds promise for addressing both gold recovery and the escalating e-waste crisis, potentially transforming practices for miners and recyclers while protecting health and the environment. | Turning E-Waste Into Gold, SafelyGold recovered from electronic waste in the Flinders University study. Credit: Flinders University -- An interdisciplinary team of experts in green chemistry, engineering and physics at Flinders University in Australia has developed a safer and more sustainable approach to extract and recover gold from ore and electronic waste. -- Explained in the leading journal Nature Sustainability, the gold-extraction technique promises to reduce levels of toxic waste from mining and shows that high purity gold can be recovered from recycling valuable components in printed circuit boards in discarded computers. -- The project team, led by Matthew Flinders Professor Justin Chalker, applied this integrated method for high-yield gold extraction from many sources - even recovering trace gold found in scientific waste streams. -- The progress toward safer and more sustainable gold recovery was demonstrated for electronic waste, mixed-metal waste, and ore concentrates. -- "The study featured many innovations including a new and recyclable leaching reagent derived from a compound used to disinfect water," says Professor of Chemistry Justin Chalker, who leads the Chalker Lab at Flinders University's College of Science and Engineering. -- "The team also developed an entirely new way to make the polymer sorbent, or the material that binds the gold after extraction into water, using light to initiate the key reaction." -- Extensive investigation into the mechanisms, scope and limitations of the methods are reported in the new study, and the team now plans to work with mining and e-waste recycling operations to trial the method on a larger scale. -- "The aim is to provide effective gold recovery methods that support the many uses of gold, while lessening the impact on the environment and human health," says Professor Chalker. -- The new process uses a low-cost and benign compound to extract the gold. This reagent (trichloroisocyanuric acid) is widely used in water sanitation and disinfection. When activated by salt water, the reagent can dissolve gold. | 77 |
| Scientists Just Recreated A 1938 Experiment That Could Rewrite Fusion History | Reviving 1938 Fusion Experiment: A Potential Game-Changer In Energy | Modern version of the uncited 1938 experiment that first observed DT fusion. | Los Alamos National Laboratory | A collaborative effort between Los Alamos and Duke University has resurrected a 1938 experiment that likely marked the first observation of deuterium-tritium fusion. By confirming the original findings, modern scientists have traced the potential influence of this early work on subsequent nuclear research, revealing its significant role in shaping the future of fusion energy and national security applications. | The 1938 Spark Behind Fusion EnergyAn overlooked 1938 experiment by Arthur Ruhlig likely marked the first DT fusion observation. Modern scientists replicated it, revealing its hidden role in shaping nuclear research and energy futures. Credit: Shutterstock -- A Los Alamos collaboration has replicated an important but largely forgotten physics experiment: the first deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion observation. As described in Physical Review C, the reworking of the previously unheralded experiment confirmed the role of University of Michigan physicist Arthur Ruhlig, whose 1938 experiment and observation of deuterium-tritium fusion likely planted the seed for a physics process that informs national security work and nuclear energy research to this day. -- "As we've uncovered, Ruhlig's contribution was to hypothesize that DT fusion happens with very high probability when deuterium and tritium are brought sufficiently close together," said Mark Chadwick, associate Laboratory director for Science, Computation and Theory at Los Alamos. "Replicating his experiment helped us interpret his work and better understand his role, and what proved to be his essentially correct conclusions. The course of nuclear fuel physics has borne out the profound consequences of Arthur Ruhlig's clever insight." -- The DT fusion reaction is central to enabling fusion technologies, whether as part of the nation's nuclear deterrence capabilities or in ongoing efforts to develop fusion for civilian energy. For instance, the deuterium-tritium reaction is at the center of efforts at the National Ignition Facility to harness fusion. Los Alamos physicists developed a theory about where the idea came from -- Ruhlig -- and then built an experiment that would confirm the import and accuracy of Ruhlig's suggestion. -- Tracking down the origin of DT fusion -- In 2023, Chadwick was working with colleagues, including theoretical physicist Mark Paris, on a compendium of the early history of the development of fusion. A reasonably well-known part of that history is the suggestion -- at a meeting at future Manhattan Project-director J. Robert Oppenheimer's July 1942 Berkeley physics conference -- by physicist Emil Konopinski that DT fusion, among numerous possible fusion reactions, would be particularly advantageous as a component of a fission-reaction weapon. -- But Chadwick and his Los Alamos colleagues wondered: How did Konopinski arrive at this insight about DT fusion? Seizing on the most viable fusion process among several options this early in the program -- the Manhattan Project had started in earnest only months before -- certainly proved a fortuitous decision. -- Searching the National Security Research Center archive one night, Chadwick came across a 1986 audio recording of Konopinski recounting the decision making around deuterium-tritium reactions. (The team made the Konopinski recording available on YouTube.) His voice coming out of the past, reflecting on an even further past, Konopinski several times attributed his motivation to explore deuterium-tritium research to his knowledge of "pre-war" research. -- Tritium was discovered in 1934 by experimental physicist Ernest Rutherford's team. Rutherford was a titan of early physics, having advanced the model of the atom with Neils Bohr, and also having overseen work by James Chadwick to discover the neutron. Starting with 1934, Paris scoured the published physics literature, eventually coming across Ruhlig's single-author, 1938 letter to the editor published in Physical Review about a gamma-ray experiment. -- Ruhlig was working with deuterium-on-deuterium interactions: blasting deuterium with a beam of deuterons and studying gamma-ray effects. (A deuteron is the nucleus -- one neutron and one proton -- of a deuterium atom.) In what is nearly an aside in the final paragraph of the letter, Ruhlig described observing protons with extremely high energies, inferring that they were generated by secondary reactions: tritium-on-deuterium fusion neutrons scattering protons out of a thin cellophane foil placed inside a cloud chamber. He cited a private conversation with Hans Bethe in unpacking what he'd seen. The DT reaction "must be an exceedingly probable one," he concluded, offering a quantitative estimate of one in 1,000 energetic protons against lower-energy protons. | 78 |
| The Sleep-Heart Link Doctors Are Urging Women Over 45 To Know | Midlife Sleep Habits Matter More Than You Might Think For Heart Health | Prospective associations of American Heart Association Life’s Essential 8 with subclinical measures of vascular health, cardiovascular disease events, and all-cause mortality in women traversing menopause. | University of Pittsburgh | New research indicates that midlife sleep quality significantly impacts heart health in menopausal women. A study found that only 20% of these women achieve optimal heart health scores, with sleep, blood pressure, glucose levels, and nicotine use playing pivotal roles. This emphasizes the menopause transition as a crucial time for women to focus on enhancing their heart health through better sleep practices. | Better Sleep, Stronger Heart After 45Sleep could be a secret weapon for heart health. New research ties better sleep during menopause to lower long-term risks of cardiovascular disease and death. Credit: Shutterstock -- During the menopause transition, only 1 in 5 women have optimal scores using the American Heart Association's health-assessment tool, known as Life's Essential 8 (LE8). Among the tool's eight components, four of them -- blood glucose, blood pressure, sleep quality and nicotine use -- are key in driving future cardiovascular risks, with sleep being particularly crucial for long-term cardiovascular health. -- The findings - published on July 8 in Menopause - were made by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Baylor University. -- "Previously we've shown that the menopause transition is a time of accelerating cardiovascular risk," said senior author Samar R. El Khoudary, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor of epidemiology at Pitt's School of Public Health. "This study underscores that it's also an opportunity for women to take the reins on their heart health." -- The team analyzed health data collected from about 3,000 women who participated in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), an ongoing, longitudinal, multi-site, multi-ethnic study of midlife women that began in 1996. The researchers compared the women's LE8 scores at baseline, around age 46, to their evolving health trajectories over time, from subclinical cardiovascular disease measures, such as increased carotid-artery thickness, to cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes, to mortality of all causes. The team also examined impacts of each of the individual LE8 components: nutrition, physical activity, smoking abstinence, sleep, body mass index, blood lipids, blood sugar and blood pressure. -- The analysis showed that four LE8 components -- blood glucose, blood pressure, sleep quality and nicotine use -- were the most important factors driving the study participants' future cardiovascular risks. -- Above all, sleep emerged as a potential predictor for long-term effects of cardiovascular disease events and all-cause mortality, though it was not linked to the shorter-term effects of carotid-artery thickening. The team found that at midlife, meeting the bar for healthy sleep, defined in Life's Essential 8 as seven to nine hours on average for most adults, may contribute to women's heart health and longevity, a hypothesis that should be tested in a future clinical trial, said Ziyuan Wang, Ph.D. candidate at Pitt Public Health and first author. -- Low total LE8 scores correlated with increased cardiovascular risk, as expected -- however, only 21% of the midlife women studied had an ideal LE8 score. -- "With heart disease being the leading cause of death in women, these findings point to the need for lifestyle and medical interventions to improve heart health during and after menopause among midlife women," said El Khoudary. -- Other authors on the study were Ziyuan Wang, M.S., Emma Barinas-Mitchell, Ph.D., Maria M. Brooks, Ph.D., Jared W. Magnani, M.D., M.Sc., and Rebecca C. Thurston, Ph.D., all of Pitt; Carol A. Derby, Ph.D., of Albert Einstein College of Medicine; and Kelly R. Ylitalo, Ph.D., of Baylor University. | 79 |
| Alzheimer’s Doesn’t Strike At Random: These 4 Early-Warning Patterns Tell The Story | Spotting Alzheimer’s Early: 4 Key Patterns For Prevention And Detection | Identifying common disease trajectories of Alzheimer’s disease with electronic health records. | University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences | Researchers at UCLA Health have identified four unique diagnostic pathways that indicate an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. By analyzing millions of electronic health records, they found that these sequential patterns provide better predictive power than single risk factors, suggesting that early intervention based on these pathways could revolutionize Alzheimer’s prevention strategies. | Alzheimer’s Doesn’t Strike at RandomFour diagnostic pathways forecast Alzheimer’s, and their step-by-step patterns beat lone risk factors at prediction. Credit: Shutterstock -- UCLA Health researchers have identified four distinct pathways that lead to Alzheimer's disease by analyzing electronic health records, offering new insights into how the condition develops over time rather than from isolated risk factors. -- The study, published in the journal eBioMedicine, examined longitudinal health data from nearly 25,000 patients in the University of California Health Data Warehouse and validated findings in the nationally diverse All of Us Research Program. Unlike previous research that focused on individual risk factors, the UCLA analysis mapped sequential diagnostic patterns that revealed how conditions progress step-by-step toward Alzheimer's disease. -- "We found that multi-step trajectories can indicate greater risk factors for Alzheimer's disease than single conditions," said first author Mingzhou Fu, a medical informatics pre-doctoral student at UCLA. "Understanding these pathways could fundamentally change how we approach early detection and prevention." -- The research identified four major trajectory clusters: -- Mental health pathway: Psychiatric conditions leading to cognitive decline -- Encephalopathy pathway: Brain dysfunction conditions that escalate over time -- Mild cognitive impairment pathway: Gradual cognitive decline progression -- Vascular disease pathway: Cardiovascular conditions that contribute to dementia risk -- Each pathway showed distinct demographic and clinical characteristics, suggesting that different populations may be vulnerable to different progression routes. | 80 |
| New Research Shows Monday Stress Is Etched Into Your Biology | Monday Jitters? New Research Links Stress To Your Body’s Biology | Are anxious Mondays associated with HPA-axis dysregulation? A longitudinal study of older adults in England. | The University of Hong Kong | A study reveals that the anxiety many feel at the start of the week significantly affects long-term health. Researchers found that older adults who dread Mondays show elevated cortisol levels, indicating chronic stress linked to cardiovascular risks. This phenomenon suggests that societal influences, not just workplace stress, contribute to Monday anxiety and its biological markers. | Monday Stress Is Etched Into Your BiologyAnxious Mondays drive a lingering cortisol surge—23 % higher in hair samples—linking the weekly transition to long-term heart-health threats, even after careers end. Credit: Shutterstock -- A research study led by Professor Tarani Chandola from the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has revealed that Mondays uniquely drive long-term biological stress, regardless of working status, with implications for heart health. -- The research has identified a striking biological phenomenon: older adults who feel anxious on Mondays exhibit significantly higher long-term stress hormone levels, up to two months later. This "Anxious Monday" effect, observed in both working and retirees, points to a deep-rooted link between the start of the week and dysregulation of the body's stress response system, a known driver of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, the study analyzed data from over 3,500 older adults participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). -- Key Findings -- 23% Higher Cortisol Levels: Older adults reporting Monday anxiety had 23% elevated cortisol levels in hair samples (reflecting cumulative exposure over two months) compared to peers anxious on other days. -- Non-Workers Not Spared: The effect persisted among retirees, challenging assumptions that workplace stress alone explains Monday's toll. -- CVD Connection: Mondays are linked to a 19% spike in heart attacks -- this study identifies HPA-axis dysregulation as a potential biological bridge. -- Not just higher levels of Monday anxiety: Only 25% of the Monday effect was due to greater feelings of anxiety on Mondays. The rest was because of the greater effect of feeling anxious on Mondays compared to other days. -- The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulates stress hormones like cortisol, which, when chronically elevated, contribute to hypertension, insulin resistance, and immune dysfunction. While prior research noted higher cortisol on weekdays versus weekends, this is the first study to pinpoint Mondays as uniquely disruptive. The findings suggest societal rhythms -- not just job demands -- embed themselves in human physiology, with lasting health risks. -- "Mondays act as a cultural 'stress amplifier,'" said Professor Chandola. "For some older adults, the week's transition triggers a biological cascade that lingers for months. This isn't about work -- it's about how deeply ingrained Mondays are in our stress physiology, even after careers end. | 81 |
| Pregnancy’s 100-Million-Year Secret: Inside The Placenta’s Evolutionary Power Play | Discovering Pregnancy’s Evolution: The Ancient Partnership Between Mother And Fetus | Cell type and cell signalling innovations underlying mammalian pregnancy. | University of Vienna | A groundbreaking study has mapped the evolutionary origins of cell interactions at the mother-fetus interface across six mammals. This research reveals that pregnancy is a well-coordinated partnership rather than a struggle, with ancient cellular collaborations enhancing nutrient exchange and hormonal communication, which may explain the complexities of human pregnancy today. | Pregnancy’s 100-Million-Year SecretPregnancy may look like a power struggle, but it's actually an ancient, finely-tuned collaboration. Credit: Shutterstock -- An international research team led by scientists from the University of Vienna has uncovered new insights into how specialized cell types and communication networks at the interface between mother and fetus evolved over millions of years. These discoveries shed light on one of nature's most remarkable innovations - the ability to sustain a successful pregnancy. The findings have just been published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. -- Pregnancy that lasts long enough to support full fetal development is a hallmark evolutionary breakthrough of placental mammals - a group that includes humans. At the center of this is the fetal-maternal interface: the site in the womb where a baby's placenta meets the mother's uterus, and where two genetically distinct organisms - mother and fetus - are in intimate contact and constant interaction. This interface has to strike a delicate balance: intimate enough to exchange nutrients and signals, but protected enough to prevent the maternal immune system from rejecting the genetically "foreign" fetus. -- To uncover the origins and mechanisms behind this intricate structure, the team analyzed single-cell transcriptomes - snapshots of active genes in individual cells - from six mammalian species representing key branches of the mammalian evolutionary tree. These included mice and guinea pigs (rodents), macaques and humans (primates), and two more unusual mammals: the tenrec (an early placental mammal) and the opossum (a marsupial that split off from placental mammals before they evolved complex placentas). -- A Cellular "Atlas of Mammal Pregnancy" -- By analyzing cells at the fetal-maternal interface, the researchers were able to trace the evolutionary origin and diversification of the key cell types involved. Their focus was on two main players: placenta cells, which originate from the fetus and invade maternal tissue, and uterine stromal cells, which are of maternal origin and respond to this invasion. -- Using molecular biology tools, the team identified distinct genetic signatures - patterns of gene activity unique to specific cell types and their specialized functions. Notably, they discovered a genetic signature associated with the invasive behavior of fetal placenta cells that has been conserved in mammals for over 100 million years. This finding challenges the traditional view that invasive placenta cells are unique to humans, and reveals instead that they are a deeply conserved feature of mammalian evolution. During this time, the maternal cells weren't static, either. Placental mammals, but not marsupials, were found to have acquired new forms of hormone production, a pivotal step toward prolonged pregnancies and complex gestation, and a sign that the fetus and the mother could be driving each other's evolution. -- Cellular Dialogue: Between Cooperation and Conflict -- To better understand how the fetal-maternal interface functions, the study tested two influential theories about the evolution of cellular communication between mother and fetus. -- The first, the "Disambiguation Hypothesis," predicts that over evolutionary time, hormonal signals became clearly assigned to either the fetus or the mother - a possible safeguard to ensure clarity and prevent manipulation. The results confirmed this idea: certain signals, including WNT proteins, immune modulators, and steroid hormones, could be clearly traced back to one source tissue. | 82 |
| The Surprising Link Between Hearing Loss, Loneliness, And Lifespan | Hearing Aids Boost Confidence, Social Life, And Overall Well-Being—Here’s How | Social Outcomes Among Adults With Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants. | University of Southern California - Health Sciences | A new study demonstrates that using hearing aids or cochlear implants can significantly enhance social engagement and overall well-being for those with hearing loss. The research indicates that restoring hearing not only alleviates feelings of isolation but also has potential cognitive benefits, emphasizing the importance of addressing untreated hearing loss in improving quality of life. | Sound Restored, Life ReclaimedA sweeping USC review shows that restoring sound with modern devices rekindles social confidence and dims loneliness, hinting at cognitive perks. Credit: Shutterstock -- Hearing loss doesn't just affect how people hear the world -- it can also change how they connect with it. -- A new study from the USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, part of Keck Medicine of USC, published today in JAMA Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, is the first to link hearing aids and cochlear implants, surgically implanted devices that help those with profound hearing loss perceive sound, to improved social lives among adults with hearing loss. -- "We found that adults with hearing loss who used hearing aids or cochlear implants were more socially engaged and felt less isolated compared to those who didn't use them," said Janet Choi, MD, MPH, an otolaryngologist with Keck Medicine and lead researcher of the study. "This suggests that hearing devices may help prevent the social disconnection and broader health consequences that can follow untreated hearing loss." -- Hearing loss affects an estimated 40 million American adults, yet many go untreated. When left unaddressed, hearing loss can make communication difficult, leading people to withdraw from conversations and social activities, according to Choi. -- Previous research has shown that over time, social withdrawal can reduce mental stimulation and increase the risk of loneliness, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline and dementia. It has also linked chronic social isolation to biological and neurological changes, including increased brain inflammation and alterations in brain structure. -- "Understanding the link between hearing loss, hearing device use and social isolation is crucial," said Choi. "Until this study, it has been unclear whether hearing devices could help reverse the isolation." -- Choi and her fellow researchers conducted a comprehensive, systematic review and meta-analysis of 65 previously published studies, encompassing over five thousand participants, on how hearing aids and cochlear implants affect three key measures: social quality of life, perceived social handicap, which refers to the limitations and frustrations hearing loss can create in social situations, and loneliness. -- The researchers found that adults using hearing devices feel more socially connected and less limited in social situations. They are better able to engage in group conversations and feel more at ease in noisy or challenging listening environments. Participants also reported feeling less socially handicapped by their hearing loss, with fewer barriers and frustrations during interactions and an improved ability to stay engaged without feeling excluded. This increased confidence can help users connect more easily with family, friends and colleagues, leading to stronger feelings of belonging and reduced social anxiety. The study also suggested hearing devices may reduce loneliness, although further research is needed in this area, according to Choi. -- Those with cochlear implants reported the most improvement in their social quality of life. This is likely because cochlear implants offer greater hearing restoration than hearing aids, especially for individuals with more severe hearing loss. As a result, they may experience more noticeable improvements in social engagement once their hearing is restored. | 83 |
| Cough Medicine Turned Brain Protector? Ambroxol May Slow Parkinson’s Dementia | Could Ambroxol, A Cough Medicine, Hold Promise For Parkinson’s Dementia Treatment? | Ambroxol as a Treatment for Parkinson Disease Dementia. | Lawson Research Institute | Lawson Research Institute is exploring the use of Ambroxol, a common cough medicine in Europe, as a potential treatment for dementia associated with Parkinson’s disease. In a clinical trial, Ambroxol stabilized symptoms and brain damage markers in patients, hinting at its therapeutic value and offering hope for slowing dementia progression without serious side effects. | Ambroxol May Slow Parkinson’s DementiaA common cough syrup ingredient kept Parkinson’s dementia from getting worse in a small trial and showed hints of cognitive improvement, all without serious side effects. Credit: Shutterstock -- Dementia poses a major health challenge with no safe, affordable treatments to slow its progression. -- Researchers at Lawson Research Institute (Lawson), the research arm of St. Joseph's Health Care London, are investigating whether Ambroxol -- a cough medicine used safely for decades in Europe -- can slow dementia in people with Parkinson's disease. -- Published on June 30 in the prestigious JAMA Neurology, this 12-month clinical trial involving 55 participants with Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) monitored memory, psychiatric symptoms and GFAP, a blood marker linked to brain damage. Parkinson's disease dementia causes memory loss, confusion, hallucinations and mood changes. About half of those diagnosed with Parkinson's develop dementia within 10 years, profoundly affecting patients, families and the health care system. -- Led by Cognitive Neurologist Dr. Stephen Pasternak, the study gave one group daily Ambroxol while the other group received a placebo. "Our goal was to change the course of Parkinson's dementia," says Pasternak. "This early trial offers hope and provides a strong foundation for larger studies." -- Key findings from the clinical trial include: -- Ambroxol was safe, well-tolerated and reached therapeutic levels in the brain -- Psychiatric symptoms worsened in the placebo group but remained stable in those taking Ambroxol. -- Participants with high-risk GBA1 gene variants showed improved cognitive performance on Ambroxol -- A marker of brain cell damage (GFAP) increased in the placebo group but stayed stable with Ambroxol, suggesting potential brain protection. | 84 |
| Breakthrough Microchip Reveals How Your Body Fights Viruses—In Just 90 Minutes | Revolutionary Microchip Offers Rapid Insights Into Antibody Responses With Just A Drop | Microfluidics combined with electron microscopy for rapid and high-throughput mapping of antibody–viral glycoprotein complexes. | Scripps Research Institute | Researchers at Scripps Research have developed a revolutionary microchip that allows for rapid analysis of how a person’s antibodies interact with viruses using just a drop of blood. This innovative technology can expedite vaccine development and improve our understanding of immune responses, providing insights that were previously unattainable with traditional methods. | New Microchip Maps Antibody-Virus ReactionsThe new system, known as microfluidic EM-based polyclonal epitope mapping (mEM), offers researchers faster, clearer insights that could help accelerate vaccine development and antibody discovery. Credit: Scripps Research -- A new microchip invented by Scripps Research scientists can reveal how a person's antibodies interact with viruses -- using just a drop of blood. The technology offers researchers faster, clearer insights that could help accelerate vaccine development and antibody discovery. -- "This lets us take a quick snapshot of antibodies as they are evolving after a vaccine or pathogen exposure," says Andrew Ward, professor in the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology at Scripps Research and senior author of the new paper published in Nature Biomedical Engineeringon June 3, 2025. "We've never been able to do that on this timescale or with such tiny amounts of blood before." -- When someone is infected with a virus, or receives a vaccine, their immune system creates new antibodies to recognize the foreign invader. Some antibodies work well against the pathogen, while others attach to it only weakly. Figuring out exactly which parts of the virus the best antibodies stick to is key information for scientists trying to optimize vaccines, since they want to design vaccines that elicit strong, reliable immune responses. -- "If we know which particular antibodies are leading to the most protective response against a virus, then we can go and engineer new vaccines that elicit those antibodies," says Leigh Sewall, a graduate student at Scripps Research and first author of the new paper. -- In 2018, Ward's lab unveiled a technique known as electron microscopy-based polyclonal epitope mapping (EMPEM). This method allowed scientists to visualize how antibodies in blood samples attach to a virus. Although groundbreaking, it had downsides: it took a full week to complete and required relatively large amounts of blood. -- "During the COVID-19 pandemic, we began really wanting a way to do this faster," says Alba Torrents de la Peña, a Scripps Research staff scientist who helped lead the work. "We decided to design something from scratch." -- With the new system, known as microfluidic EM-based polyclonal epitope mapping (mEM), researchers start with four microliters of blood extracted from a human or animal-about one hundred times less than what's required in original EMPEM. The blood is injected in a tiny, reusable chip where viral proteins are stuck to a special surface. As the blood flow through the chip, antibodies recognize and bind to those. Then, the viral proteins -- with any antibodies attached -- are gently released from the chip and prepared for imaging using standard electron microscopy. The entire process only takes about 90 minutes. -- To test the value and effectiveness of mEM, the research team used the system to map antibodies in humans and mice that had either received a vaccination against or been infected with a virus, including influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and HIV. The new technique was not only fast at mapping out the interactions between antibodies and those viruses, but more sensitive than EMPEM; it revealed new antibody binding sites on both influenza and coronavirus proteins that had not been picked up by EMPEM. -- To track how antibodies evolved over time in individual mice after they received a vaccination against one of the pathogens, the team took small blood samples from a mouse at different time points. | 85 |
| It’s Never Too Late: Just Moving More Could Add Years To Your Life | Move More, Live Longer: The Lifesaving Benefits Of An Active Lifestyle | Physical activity trajectories and accumulation over adulthood and their associations with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. | BMJ Group | A comprehensive analysis of 85 studies reveals that maintaining physical activity at any point in adulthood can notably lower mortality risk. While consistent activity correlates with a 30-40% reduction in death risk, even increasing activity later in life can lead to a 20-25% decrease, highlighting that it’s never too late to improve health through exercise. | Consistent Exercise Cuts Death Risk by 30-40%Surprisingly, even modest amounts of physical activity, below the official recommendations, can lead to meaningful benefits, suggesting that it’s never too late and never too little to start moving for better health and longevity. Credit: Shutterstock -- Being consistently physically active in adulthood is linked to a 30–40% lower risk of death from any cause in later life, while upping levels from below those recommended for health is still associated with a 20–25% lower risk, finds a pooled data analysis of the available evidence, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. -- The findings prompt the researchers to conclude that switching to a more active lifestyle at any point in adult life may extend the lifespan, and that it’s never too late to start. -- Currently, it’s recommended that adults should aim for 150-300 weekly minutes of moderate intensity physical activity, or 75-150 weekly minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity, or a combination of the two, note the researchers. -- But while these recommendations were based on the best evidence available, most of it captured measurements of physical activity at only one point in time, which might hide the potential impact of changing patterns during adulthood, they add. -- The researchers therefore wanted to find out if differing patterns of physical activity, as well as its cumulative impact during adulthood, might be associated with a lower risk of death from all causes, and specifically from cardiovascular disease and cancer. -- They scoured research databases for relevant studies that assessed physical activity at two or more points in time, and included in their review 85 studies published in English up to April 2024, with sample sizes ranging from 357 to 6,572,984 participants. -- Fifty nine of the studies looked at long term patterns of physical activity across adulthood; 16 looked at the average benefits of different physical activity levels; and 11 explored the potential impact of cumulative physical activity on risk of death. -- To overcome the challenges posed by different analytical methods used, the researchers carried out separate analyses for each of them. -- Pooled data analysis of the study results showed that, overall, a higher level of physical activity was associated with lower risks of all the included outcomes. | 86 |
| How A Hidden Brain Circuit Fuels Fibromyalgia, Migraines, And PTSD | New Findings Reveal How The Brain Turns Pain Into Emotional Suffering | Thalamic CGRP neurons define a spinothalamic pathway for affective pain. | Salk Institute | Scientists at the Salk Institute have uncovered a neural circuit in mice that links emotional distress with physical pain, which could lead to new treatments for chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia and PTSD. This research reveals how pain can carry emotional weight, potentially transforming our approach to treating pain without relying on addictive medications. | The Brain Switch That Fuels PainPain isn’t just physical—it’s emotional, too. Researchers have uncovered a brain circuit that adds emotional distress to pain, helping explain chronic suffering in conditions like migraines and PTSD. Credit: Shutterstock -- Pain isn't just a physical sensation -- it also carries emotional weight. That distress, anguish, and anxiety can turn a fleeting injury into long-term suffering. -- Researchers at the Salk Institute have now identified a brain circuit that gives physical pain its emotional tone, revealing a new potential target for treating chronic and affective pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, migraine, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). -- Published on July 9, 2025, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study identifies a group of neurons in a central brain area called the thalamus that appears to mediate the emotional or affective side of pain in mice. This new pathway challenges the textbook understanding of how pain is processed in the brain and body. -- "For decades, the prevailing view was that the brain processes sensory and emotional aspects of pain through separate pathways," says senior author Sung Han, associate professor and holder of the Pioneer Fund Developmental Chair at Salk. "But there's been debate about whether the sensory pain pathway might also contribute to the emotional side of pain. Our study provides strong evidence that a branch of the sensory pain pathway directly mediates the affective experience of pain." -- The physical sensation of pain is what allows you to immediately detect it, assess its intensity, and identify its source. The affective part of pain is what makes it so unpleasant. This emotional discomfort motivates you to take action and helps you learn to associate negative feelings with the situation so you can avoid it in the future. -- This is a critical distinction. Most people start to perceive pain at the same stimulus intensities, meaning we all process the sensory side of pain fairly similarly. In comparison, our ability to tolerate pain varies greatly. How much we suffer or feel threatened by pain is determined by our affective processing, and if that becomes too sensitive or lasts too long, it can result in a pain disorder. This makes it important to understand which parts of the brain control these different dimensions of pain. -- Sensory pain was thought to be mediated by the spinothalamic tract, a pathway that sends pain signals from the spinal cord to the thalamus, which then relays them to sensory processing areas across the brain. -- Affective pain was generally thought to be mediated by a second pathway called the spinoparabrachial tract, which sends pain information from the spinal cord into the brainstem. -- However, previous studies using older research methods have suggested the circuitry of pain may be more complex. This long-standing debate inspired Han and his team to revisit the question with modern research tools. | 87 |
| This Tiny Implant Could Save Diabetics From Silent, Deadly Crashes | This Tiny Implant Could Revolutionize Emergency Care For Type 1 Diabetes | Emergency delivery of particulate drugs by active ejection using in vivo wireless devices. | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MIT engineers have created a groundbreaking implantable device that contains glucagon and can be triggered to release during diabetes emergencies, such as low blood sugar episodes. This innovative technology promises to provide a safety net for Type 1 diabetes patients, particularly during sleep or for children unable to self-administer emergency treatment. | Tiny Implant Could Prevent Diabetic ComasA new implantable device carries a reservoir of glucagon that can be stored under the skin and could save diabetes patients from dangerously low blood sugar. Credit: MIT -- For people with Type 1 diabetes, developing hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is an ever-present threat. When glucose levels become extremely low, it creates a life-threatening situation for which the standard treatment of care is injecting a hormone called glucagon. -- As an emergency backup, for cases where patients may not realize that their blood sugar is dropping to dangerous levels, MIT engineers have designed an implantable reservoir that can remain under the skin and be triggered to release glucagon when blood sugar levels get too low. -- This approach could also help in cases where hypoglycemia occurs during sleep, or for diabetic children who are unable to administer injections on their own. -- "This is a small, emergency-event device that can be placed under the skin, where it is ready to act if the patient's blood sugar drops too low," says Daniel Anderson, a professor in MIT's Department of Chemical Engineering, a member of MIT's Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), and the senior author of the study. "Our goal was to build a device that is always ready to protect patients from low blood sugar. We think this can also help relieve the fear of hypoglycemia that many patients, and their parents, suffer from." -- The researchers showed that this device could also be used to deliver emergency doses of epinephrine, a drug that is used to treat heart attacks and can also prevent severe allergic reactions, including anaphylactic shock. -- Siddharth Krishnan, a former MIT research scientist who is now an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University, is the lead author of the study, which was published on July 9 in Nature Biomedical Engineering. -- Emergency response -- Most patients with type 1 diabetes use daily insulin injections to help their body absorb sugar and prevent their blood sugar levels from getting too high. However, if their blood sugar levels get too low, they develop hypoglycemia, which can lead to confusion and seizures, and may be fatal if it goes untreated. -- To combat hypoglycemia, some patients carry preloaded syringes of glucagon, a hormone that stimulates the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream. However, it isn't always easy for people, especially children, to know when they are becoming hypoglycemic. | 88 |
| Matching Your Workouts To Your Personality Could Make Exercising More Enjoyable And Give You Better Results | Your Workout Personality Matters: Find The Best Exercise For You | Personality traits can predict which exercise intensities we enjoy most, and the magnitude of stress reduction experienced following a training program. | Frontiers | A study from University College London suggests that aligning workouts with individual personality traits can significantly boost exercise enjoyment and effectiveness. By understanding how traits like extroversion or neuroticism affect workout preferences, the research highlights the importance of personalized fitness plans in reducing stress and increasing adherence to exercise. | Hate Exercise? You’re Doing It WrongResearchers found that tailoring exercise style to traits like extraversion or neuroticism boosts enjoyment and slashes stress, making fitness stick. Credit: Shutterstock -- Finding motivation to exercise can be the greatest challenge in working out. This might be part of the reason why less than a quarter of people achieve the activity goals recommended by the World Health Organization. -- But what if working out could be more enjoyable? One way of achieving this could be opting for types of exercise that fit our personalities. To this end, researchers in the UK now have examined how personality affects what types of exercise we prefer, and our commitment and engagement to them. The results were published in Frontiers in Psychology. -- "We found that our personality can influence how we engage with exercise, and particularly which forms of exercise we enjoy the most," said first author Dr Flaminia Ronca from University College London's (UCL) Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health. -- "Understanding personality factors in designing and recommending physical activity programs is likely to be very important in determining how successful a program is, and whether people will stick with it and become fitter," added senior author Prof Paul Burgess from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. -- Different sports for different people -- The researchers recruited participants that attended lab testing for baseline fitness. They then split them into two groups; the first group was provided with an eight-week home-based fitness plan made up of cycling and strength training (intervention group), the other group continued their usual lifestyle (control group). During lab testing, the first intervention week, and after the intervention, all participants completed a questionnaire on how much they'd enjoyed each training session. The personality traits examined in the study included extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, and openness. -- "Our brains are wired in different ways, which drives our behaviors and how we interact with our environment," Ronca explained. "So it's not surprising that personality would also influence how we respond to different intensities of exercise." -- For example, people scoring high on extraversion enjoyed high intensity sessions with others around, including team sports. Contrary, people scoring high on neuroticism preferred private workouts. While they are fine with high intensity, they need short breaks in between. Others, scoring high on consciousness and openness were found to engage in exercise regardless of whether they particularly enjoyed it or were driven by curiosity, respectively. -- Stress less | 89 |
| Hate Exercise? Neuroscience Maps The Routine Your Personality Will Love | Hate Exercise? Neuroscience Reveals The Routine Your Personality Will Enjoy | Personality traits can predict which exercise intensities we enjoy most, and the magnitude of stress reduction experienced following a training program. | University College London | Research from UCL highlights the benefits of matching exercise types to individual personalities as a way to enhance fitness and decrease stress levels. The study found that extroverts thrive on high-intensity workouts, while those with neurotic tendencies prefer shorter, more private exercises, suggesting that enjoyment is crucial for maintaining an active lifestyle. | The Science of Liking Your WorkoutMatching exercise style to personality keeps people moving, improves strength, and gives high-strung types a notable stress break. Credit: Shutterstock -- The key to sticking to and reaping the rewards of exercise over the long term may be as simple as doing something you enjoy, say the authors of a new study from UCL. -- Previous research has shown that the personalities of people who engage in different types of organized sport tend to vary. But what is less clear is how personality affects the types of exercise people actually enjoy doing. -- The new study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, explored whether individual personality traits corresponded to the enjoyment of different types of exercise, whether participants completed a prescribed exercise program, and the subsequent impact on their fitness levels. -- The study found several correlations between exercise type and personality traits, including extroverts' enjoyment of high intensity exercise and the preference of those with the neuroticism trait - associated with people prone to worrying - for short bursts of activity rather than prolonged effort. -- Dr Flaminia Ronca, first author of the study from UCL Surgery & Interventional Science and the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH), said: "We know that the global population is becoming increasingly sedentary. You often hear about people trying to become more active, but struggling to make lasting changes. In this study, we wanted to understand how personality can influence this to support the development of effective interventions for changes in health behavior. -- "We found some clear links between personality traits and the type of exercise the participants enjoyed most, which I think is important because we could potentially use this knowledge to tailor physical activity recommendations to the individual - and hopefully help them to become and remain more active." -- For the study, the team assessed 132 volunteers from the general public with a range of fitness levels and backgrounds, who were assigned either to an eight-week cycling and strength training program (intervention group), or to a resting control group1. -- Participants' benchmark fitness levels were assessed at the beginning of the programme. Strength was tested via press ups, performing a plank to failure, and countermovement jumps (jumping again immediately after landing). This was followed by a low intensity cycling session for 30 minutes, and then a cycling test to measure their peak oxygen capacity (V̇O2 max test) after a short rest. -- The team also assessed their perceived stress levels on a scale of one to 10, as well as their personality traits using the Big 5 model, a common personality test in the field of sport and exercise psychology. The Big 5 model groups individuals according to whether their dominant trait is extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism or openness2. | 90 |
| Cognitive Collapse And The Nuclear Codes: When Leaders Lose Control | Shocking Health Issues Among World Leaders: How It Affects Decision-Making | The frequently impaired health of leaders of nuclear weapon states: an analysis of 51 deceased leaders. | University of Otago | A study reveals that many leaders of nuclear-armed nations suffered from serious health issues during their terms, potentially impacting their decision-making abilities during global crises. This raises concerns about the need for greater transparency and health evaluations for leaders to reduce risks associated with nuclear weapon launch authority. | Sick World Leaders Raised Risk of Nuclear WarThe research underscores the need for greater transparency, better safeguards for nuclear decisions, and reforms such as mandatory health evaluations and shared launch authority to reduce global security risks. Credit: Shutterstock -- Many former leaders of the world's nine nuclear-armed nations were impaired by health conditions while in office, raising concerns over their decision-making abilities while they had access to nuclear weapon launch codes, a study from the University of Otago, New Zealand, has found. -- The study analyzed the health information of 51 deceased leaders of nuclear-armed countries: China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Eight of the leaders died from chronic disease while still in office, five from heart attacks or strokes. Many of the leaders had multiple serious health issues while in office, including dementia, personality disorders, depression and drug and alcohol abuse. -- The research was led by Professor Nick Wilson, from the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington - Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Pōneke, with Associate Professor George Thomson and independent researcher Dr Matt Boyd. Professor Wilson says that of the leaders who left office while still alive, 15 had confirmed or possible health issues which likely hastened their departure. -- "Probably all of this group of 15 leaders had their performance in office impaired by their health conditions. In some cases, the degree of impairment was profound, such as in the case of two former Israeli Prime Ministers: Ariel Sharon, who became comatose after suffering a stroke in office, and Menachem Begin, whose depression was so severe he spent his last year as leader isolated in his home. Impairment during crises was also seen in the case of Richard Nixon's bouts of heavy drinking - including during a nuclear crisis involving the Middle East. -- "There have also been occasions where health information about leaders has been kept secret at the time." -- This was the case for multiple US presidents, including Dwight D Eisenhower, whose doctor described his 1955 heart attack as a digestive upset; John F Kennedy, whose aides lied about him having Addison's disease, a serious, chronic condition; and Ronald Reagan, whose administration hid the extent of his injuries after he was shot in 1981, and the likely signs of his dementia near the end of his term. -- Professor Wilson says Kennedy was in poor health during his first two years in office in 1961 and 1962, with his performance likely impaired from Addison's disease, back pain, and his use of anabolic steroids and amphetamines. It was in 1961 that he authorized the failed CIA-backed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba and that his poor performance at a Cold War summit with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in Vienna was noted. In turn, Khrushchev's poor mental health probably contributed to him triggering both the Berlin Crisis and the Cuban Missile Crisis. -- In France, long-serving President François Mitterrand clung onto power until the end of his term in 1995, despite keeping secret his advanced prostate cancer and after his doctor had concluded in late 1994 that he was no longer capable of carrying out his duties. This latest study follows previous research involving Professor Wilson on the health of former New Zealand Prime Ministers. It found the performance of at least four of the leaders was impaired, in three cases by poor health, and, in the case of Robert Muldoon, by his heavy drinking. -- Professor Wilson says with the rise in international instability following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 it has become even more important to ensure there is good leadership and governance in those countries with nuclear weapons. | 91 |
| It’s Not That You Look—It’s When: The Hidden Power Of Eye Contact | The Timing Of Eye Contact: A Hidden Power For Communication | The temporal context of eye contact influences perceptions of communicative intent. | Flinders University | Flinders University researchers have discovered that the timing and sequence of eye contact can significantly impact social interactions, even with robots. Their study identified a specific gaze pattern that signals a request for help, offering insights that could improve human-robot communication and enhance clarity in social cues. | Decoded: The Language of Eye ContactDecoding eye contact could unlock better human-robot connection and help people communicate more clearly, even in noisy or high-stakes environments. Credit: Shutterstock -- For the first time, a new study has revealed how and when we make eye contact -- not just the act itself -- plays a crucial role in how we understand and respond to others, including robots. -- Led by cognitive neuroscientist Dr Nathan Caruana, researchers from the HAVIC Lab at Flinders University asked 137 participants to complete a block-building task with a virtual partner. -- They discovered that the most effective way to signal a request was through a specific gaze sequence: looking at an object, making eye contact, then looking back at the same object. This timing made people most likely to interpret the gaze as a call for help. -- Dr Caruana says that identifying these key patterns in eye contact offers new insights into how we process social cues in face-to-face interactions, paving the way for smarter, more human-centered technology. -- "We found that it's not just how often someone looks at you, or if they look at you last in a sequence of eye movements but the context of their eye movements that makes that behavior appear communicative and relevant," says Dr Caruana, from the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work. -- "And what's fascinating is that people responded the same way whether the gaze behavior is observed from a human or a robot. -- "Our findings have helped to decode one of our most instinctive behaviors and how it can be used to build better connections whether you're talking to a teammate, a robot, or someone who communicates differently. -- "It aligns with our earlier work showing that the human brain is broadly tuned to see and respond to social information and that humans are primed to effectively communicate and understand robots and virtual agents if they display the non-verbal gestures we are used to navigating in our everyday interactions with other people." -- The authors say the research can directly inform how we build social robots and virtual assistants that are becoming ever more ubiquitous in our schools, workplaces and homes, while also having broader implications beyond tech. | 92 |
| This Tiny Brain Molecule Could Hold The Key To Learning, Memory—And Alzheimer’s Treatment | Tiny Molecule Cypin May Unlock New Treatments For Brain Health | Cypin regulates K63-linked polyubiquitination to shape synaptic content. | Rutgers University | Rutgers researchers have found that the protein cypin plays a critical role in connecting brain cells, which is essential for learning and memory. By understanding cypin’s function in tagging proteins at synapses, this study opens new avenues for potential treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, aiming to enhance brain resilience and cognitive function. | How Cypin Powers Thought and MemoryCypin, a brain protein, boosts learning and memory by organizing and preserving the proteins that neurons need to talk to each other, hinting at future treatments for brain disorders. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists have discovered how a key protein helps maintain strong connections between brain cells that are crucial for learning and memory. -- Results of the study, published in the journal Science Advances, could point the way to new treatments for traumatic brain injuries and diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, the scientists said. -- Their research, led by a Rutgers University-New Brunswick professor, uncovered a previously unknown role for cypin, a brain protein. Members of the research team found that cypin promotes the presence of tags on specific proteins at synapses, namely the tiny gaps where the brain cells, known as neurons, communicate. The marking helps ensure that the right proteins are in the right place, allowing the synapses to work properly. -- The researchers said the insight has potentially profound implications for the treatment of brain disorders. -- "Our research indicates that developing treatments or therapies that specifically focus on the protein cypin may help improve the connections between brain cells, enhancing memory and thinking abilities," said Bonnie Firestein, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience in the School of Arts and Sciences and an author of the study. "These findings suggest that cypin could be used to develop treatments for neurodegenerative and neurocognitive diseases, as well as brain injuries." -- Firestein has been studying cypin for more than two decades. Her latest work uncovered several important aspects of how cypin functions and why it is significant for brain health. -- One of the crucial discoveries is that cypin helps add a special tag to proteins in synapses connecting neurons. This tag ensures proteins are correctly positioned and able to send signals effectively. Proper tagging and movement of proteins are essential for the neurons to function correctly. -- Another important finding is that cypin interacts with a complex of proteins, known as the proteasome, which is responsible for breaking down proteins. When cypin attaches or binds to the proteasome, it slows down this breakdown process, leading to an accumulation of proteins. This buildup can positively affect various cellular functions, which are important for the communication between neurons. -- Firestein's research also shows that when there is more cypin present, the levels of important proteins in the synapses increase. These proteins are vital for effective communication between neurons, empowering learning and memory. | 93 |
| Your Brain’s Hidden Defenses Against Alzheimer’s | Mapping Tau Movement: Your Brain’s Defense Against Alzheimer’s | Selective vulnerability and resilience to Alzheimer's disease tauopathy as a function of genes and the connectome. | University of California San Francisco Medical Center | Researchers at UCSF have developed a groundbreaking "Google Maps" model that illustrates how tau proteins travel through the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. By integrating imaging, genetics, and advanced brain-network modeling, they've identified how certain genes can either facilitate or hinder tau's destructive journey, revealing new potential targets for treatment and changing the narrative around Alzheimer’s progression. | Your Brain’s Hidden Defenses Against Alzheimer’sBy treating tau spread like a GPS route, researchers uncovered genes that act as traffic lights—some speed the protein along neural roads, others set up detours that spare critical areas. Credit: Shutterstock -- It's been recognized for some time that Alzheimer's disease affects brain regions differently and that tau -- a protein known to misbehave -- plays an important role in the disease. Normally, tau helps stabilize neurons, but in Alzheimer's disease, it begins to misfold and tangle inside neurons. It spreads across the brain forming toxic clumps that impair neuronal function and ultimately lead to cell death. -- Brain areas like the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus succumb early to tau tangles, while other areas, like the primary sensory cortices, remain resilient to the disease. In the quest to better understand this selective vulnerability (SV) or resilience (SR) to Alzheimer's disease, researchers have looked to gene association and transgenic studies to identify Alzheimer's risk genes. But past research has not shown a clear link between the location of genetic risk factors and associated tau pathology. -- Now, a new study by UC San Francisco researchers has made a leap toward answering that question -- by combining brain imaging, genetics, and advanced mathematical modeling into a powerful new lens. The study, published July 9 in Brain, shows multiple distinct pathways by which risk genes confer vulnerability or resilience in Alzheimer's disease. -- The study introduced a model of disease spread called the extended Network Diffusion Model (eNDM). The researchers applied this model on brain scans from 196 individuals at various stages of Alzheimer's. They subtracted what the model predicted from what they saw in the scans. The leftovers, called "residual tau," pointed to areas where something else besides brain connections influence the buildup of tau -- in this case, genes. -- Using brain gene expression maps from the Allen Human Brain Atlas, the researchers tested the degree to which Alzheimer's risk genes explain the patterns of both actual and residual tau. This allowed them to tease apart genetic effects that act with or independently of the brain's wiring. -- "We think of our model as Google Maps for tau," said senior study author Ashish Raj, PhD, UCSF professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging. "It predicts where the protein will likely go next, using real-world brain connection data from healthy people." -- This upends traditional view of how tau moves in the brain -- The study team uncovered four distinct gene types based on how much and in what manner they were predictive of tau: Network-Aligned Vulnerability (SV-NA), which are genes that boost tau spread along the brain's wiring; Network-Independent Vulnerability (SV-NI), which are genes that promote tau buildup in ways unrelated to connectivity; Network-Aligned Resilience (SR-NA), which are genes that help protect regions that are otherwise tau hotspots; and Network-Independent Resilience (SR-NI), which are genes that offer protection outside of the network's usual path -- like hidden shields in unlikely spots. -- "Vulnerability-aligned genes dealt with stress, metabolism, and cell death; resilience-related ones were involved in immune response and the cleanup of amyloid-beta -- another Alzheimer's culprit," said study first author Chaitali Anand, PhD, a UCSF post-doctoral researcher. "In essence, the genes that make parts of the brain more or less likely to be affected by Alzheimer's are working through different jobs -- some controlling how tau moves, others dealing with internal defenses or cleanup systems." | 94 |
| Not All Exercise Boosts Mental Health — It’s The Why That Matters Most | The Right Environment Transforms Exercise From Chore To Joy | Up for Debate: Does Regular Physical Activity Really Improve Mental Health? | University of Georgia | A recent study from the University of Georgia emphasizes that the mental health benefits of exercise hinge more on the context of the activity than just the amount of physical movement. Exercising in enjoyable settings with friends can markedly enhance mood compared to exercising out of obligation, highlighting the importance of social and environmental factors in the mental health benefits of physical activity. | Not All Exercise Helps Your Mind. Here’s Why.The mental boost from exercise depends more on the why and where than just the what. Group fun, good weather, and a sense of purpose can transform a workout into a mental health enhancer. Credit: Shutterstock -- Research often points to exercise as a good way to boost mental health, but a recent study from the University of Georgia suggests that it's not just physical movement that affects mental health. -- It's how, where and why you exercise that makes the difference. -- "Historically, physical activity research has focused on how long someone exercises for or how many calories were burned," said Patrick O'Connor, co-author of the study and a professor in the Mary Frances Early College of Education's Department of Kinesiology. "The 'dose' of exercise has been the dominant way researchers have tried to understand how physical activity might influence mental health, while often ignoring whether those minutes were spent exercising with a friend or as part of a game." -- While research shows that leisure-time physical activity -- like going for a run, taking a yoga class or biking for fun -- correlates with better mental health outcomes, these benefits may vary significantly depending on the environment and circumstances surrounding the activity, according to the researchers. -- To analyze these factors, the researchers reviewed three types of studies. These included large-scale epidemiological studies that examined health patterns in populations, randomized controlled trials where some groups received exercise treatments and others did not, and a much smaller but growing set of investigations into contextual factors. -- Exercise and mental health -- Multiple studies found that people who engage in regular leisure-time physical activity tend to report lower levels of depression and anxiety. But it's less clear for other forms of activity like cleaning the house or working for a lawn care company. The context may matter as much as the intensity or amount of physical activity. -- "For example, if a soccer player runs down the field and kicks the game-winning ball, their mental health is fantastic," O'Connor said. "In contrast, if you do the exact same exercise but miss the goal and people are blaming you, you likely feel very differently. Anecdotes such as these show how context matters even when people are performing a similar exercise dose." -- Numerous randomized controlled trials also showed that adopting regular exercise routines boosted mental health, especially for individuals with existing mental health disorders. However, these studies were typically based on small, short-term and homogenous samples, so the results likely aren't generalizable to larger, more diverse groups. | 95 |
| Study Finds Tummy-Tuck Patients Still Shedding Pounds Five Years Later | Tummy Tucks: A Surprising Long-Term Weight Loss Strategy Revealed | What Happens to Weight following Abdominoplasty: An Analysis of 188 Consecutive Cases. | Wolters Kluwer Health | New research published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery shows that tummy tuck patients can expect continued weight loss even years after their surgery. Following 188 individuals over a five-year period, findings indicate that those with higher initial body mass indexes maintained weight loss, suggesting lifestyle improvements post-surgery contribute to these ongoing changes, making tummy tucks more life-altering than initially thought. | Tummy Tuck Leads to Ongoing Weight LossPeople who get tummy tucks often keep losing weight for years, especially if they were heavier to begin with. The trend may be tied to healthier habits formed after surgery. Credit: Shutterstock -- Most patients undergoing "tummy tuck" surgery (abdominoplasty) to remove excess skin and tissue after weight loss continue to lose weight in the months and years after surgery, suggests a follow-up study in the July issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer. -- "We found that patients not only maintained their weight loss after abdominoplasty, but also continued to lose weight over time - up to ten pounds, on average," comments senior author John Y.S. Kim of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago. "This postoperative weight loss appears greater, and increases at later follow-up times, in patients with initially higher body mass index [BMI]." -- Continued weight loss up to five years after tummy tuck -- Abdominoplasty is a cosmetic surgical procedure to improve the appearance of the abdomen. In 2023, ASPS Member Surgeons performed more than 170,000 abdominoplasties, according to ASPS statistics. Many of these procedures are performed in patients with massive weight loss that leaves them with excess, sagging skin. -- Plastic surgeons have observed that patients may continue to lose weight after abdominoplasty. However, there is little research evidence on this issue, including whether the abdominoplasty procedure itself contributes to long-term weight loss. -- Dr. Kim and colleagues performed a study to assess changes in body weight in 188 patients who underwent abdominoplasty between 2018 and 2022. Ninety-seven percent of patients were women. The average preoperative weight was about 168 pounds with a BMI of 27.7. Most patients underwent liposuction or a further procedure to remove excess fat (lipectomy) at the same time as abdominoplasty. Trends in body weight were assessed through up to five years after surgery. -- The results showed continued weight loss after abdominoplasty. At three to six months, average weight loss was between five and six pounds, with about a three percent decrease in BMI. From one to four years, weight loss was about five pounds, for a BMI reduction of about two percent. By five years (in a limited number of patients), average weight loss was nearly ten pounds, with more than a five percent decrease in BMI. -- 'Near-constant negative change in body weight' after abdominoplasty -- Overall, about 60% of patients lost weight during follow-up. Further analysis showed a "near constant negative change in body weight that did not significantly change over time," the researchers write. | 96 |
| Feeling Mental Exhaustion? These Two Areas Of The Brain May Control Whether People Give Up Or Persevere | Mental Exhaustion? New Study Shows Your Brain’s Hidden Decision-Making Power | The Neurobiology of Cognitive Fatigue and Its Influence on Effort-Based Choice. | Johns Hopkins Medicine | A study utilizing functional MRI scans has revealed that mental exhaustion is associated with two brain regions that assess whether it's worth pushing through cognitive challenges. The findings indicate that while mental fatigue is real, high rewards can motivate individuals to continue working, suggesting new avenues for treating cognitive fatigue in conditions such as PTSD and depression through targeted therapies. | How Your Brain Decides to Keep Going—or QuitTwo brain areas team up to monitor mental fatigue and decide whether to keep going or give up. Credit: Shutterstock -- Key Takeaways: -- Two areas of the brain may work in combination to tell the brain when it's "feeling" tired. -- People with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often experience cognitive fatigue. -- Results of the study may provide a way for physicians to better evaluate and treat people who experience such fatigue. -- In experiments with healthy volunteers undergoing functional MRI imaging, scientists have found increased activity in two areas of the brain that work together to react to, and possibly regulate, the brain when it's "feeling" tired and either quits or continues exerting mental effort. -- The experiments, designed to help detect various aspects of brain fatigue, may provide a way for physicians to better evaluate and treat people who experience overwhelming mental exhaustion, including those with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the scientists say. -- A report on the NIH-funded study was published online June 11 in the Journal of Neuroscience, detailing results on 18 female and 10 male healthy adult volunteers given tasks to exercise their memory. -- "Our lab focuses on how [our minds] generate value for effort," says Vikram Chib, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical engineering at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a research scientist at Kennedy Krieger Institute. "We understand less about the biology of cognitive tasks, including memory and recall, than we do about physical tasks, even though both involve a lot of effort." Anecdotally, Chib says, scientists know cognitive tasks are tiring, and relatively less about why and how such fatigue develops and plays out in the brain. -- The 28 study participants, who ranged in age from 21 to 29, were paid $50 to participate in the study, and were told they could receive additional payments based on their performance and choices. All participants received a baseline MRI scan before the experiments began. | 97 |
| Selfies, Sugar, And Death: How Tourists Are Endangering Elephants | The Dark Side Of Feeding Wild Elephants: A Recipe For Disaster | Don't feed the elephant: A critical examination of food-provisioning wild elephants. | University of California - San Diego | An 18-year study reveals that feeding wild elephants is not as harmless as it seems. Elephants in Sri Lanka and India have become dependent on human handouts, resulting in dangerous behaviors and health risks. The study highlights the need to reconsider human-wildlife interactions, as habituated animals can pose threats to both themselves and humans, emphasizing the importance of preserving natural foraging instincts. | Feeding Wild Elephants Is Killing ThemHuman feeding of wild animals can cause animals to lose their foraging ability and become a conduit for disease transmission. Credit: Udawalawe Elephant Research Project -- A study led by a scientist at the University of California San Diego offers new warnings on the dangers of human interactions with wildlife. -- Assistant Professor Shermin de Silva of the School of Biological Sciences studies endangered Asian elephants and has reported on their shrinking habitats, a downturn that has resulted in territorial conflicts between people and elephants. -- Along with her study coauthors, de Silva now provides fresh evidence in the journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence on the serious consequences of humans supplying food to wild animals. The report indicates that such provisioning can lead wildlife to become habituated to people, causing the animals to become bolder and more prone to causing problems. Even for those who live in areas without native elephant populations, the new study provides cautionary information about interactions with any wildlife species living among us. -- Wild elephants are a prime attraction in Asia, with Sri Lanka and India featuring some of the world's last abundant populations of Asian elephants. -- In Sri Lanka, de Silva studied 18 years of elephant-tourist interactions at Udawalawe National Park. She found that the elephants congregating near tourists at the park's southern boundary have developed "begging" behavior and have become habituated to sugary foods, sometimes breaking through fences to continue being fed. As a result of elephants being drawn to the fence, several people have been killed or injured, and at least three elephants have been killed, while others have ingested plastic food bags and other contaminants. Such close human-wildlife encounters, including tourists feeding animals from sightseeing vehicles, also increases the risk of disease transmission to animals. -- In India's Sigur region, study coauthors Priya Davidar and Jean-Philippe Puyravaud of the Sigur Nature Trust observed feeding interactions with 11 male Asian elephants, four of which died from suspected human causes. One elephant was successfully rehabilitated and returned to natural foraging behavior. -- "Many people, especially foreign tourists, think Asian elephants are tame and docile, like domestic pets," said de Silva, a faculty member in the Department of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution and founder of the non-profit conservation organization Trunks & Leaves. "They don't realize these are formidable wild animals and try to get too close in order to take photographs or selfies, which can end badly for both parties." -- Of the 800 to 1,200 elephants estimated living in Udawalawe National Park, the study found that 66 male elephants, or nine to 15% of the local male population of Asian elephants, were observed begging for food. Some elephants, including a popular male named Rambo, became local celebrities as they solicited food from tourists over several years. -- "Food-conditioned animals can become dangerous, resulting in the injury and death of wildlife, people or both," the researchers note in their paper. "These negative impacts counteract potential benefits." | 98 |
| Ancient Recipes Or Rituals? Neanderthal Bones Reveal A Prehistoric Culinary Mystery | Neanderthal Food Prep: Cultural Practices Revealed By Butchery Marks | Cut from the same cloth? Comparing Neanderthal processing of faunal resources at Amud and Kebara caves (Israel) through cut-marks analyses. | Frontiers | New findings suggest that Neanderthals living just 70 kilometers apart in Israel had different butchery techniques, hinting at distinct cultural practices. The study of animal bones shows that variations in cut marks cannot be attributed to resources or skills, suggesting that traditions surrounding food preparation may have been passed down through generations, revealing a more complex social dynamic than previously thought. | Did Neanderthals Have Food Traditions?Neanderthals from two nearby caves butchered meat differently — possibly reflecting distinct cultural traditions or even early "family recipes." Credit: Shutterstock -- Did Neanderthals have family recipes? A new study suggests that two groups of Neanderthals living in the caves of Amud and Kebara in northern Israel butchered their food in strikingly different ways, despite living close by and using similar tools and resources. Scientists think they might have been passing down different food preparation practices. -- “The subtle differences in cut-mark patterns between Amud and Kebara may reflect local traditions of animal carcass processing,” said Anaëlle Jallon, PhD candidate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and lead author of the article in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology. “Even though Neanderthals at these two sites shared similar living conditions and faced comparable challenges, they seem to have developed distinct butchery strategies, possibly passed down through social learning and cultural traditions. -- “These two sites give us a unique opportunity to explore whether Neanderthal butchery techniques were standardized,” explained Jallon. “If butchery techniques varied between sites or time periods, this would imply that factors such as cultural traditions, cooking preferences, or social organization influenced even subsistence-related activities such as butchering.” -- Written in the bones -- Amud and Kebara are close to each other: only 70 kilometers apart. Neanderthals occupied both caves during the winters between 50 and 60,000 years ago, leaving behind burials, stone tools, hearths, and food remains. Both groups used the same flint tools and relied on the same prey for their diet — mostly gazelles and fallow deer. But there are some subtle differences between the two. The Neanderthals living at Kebara seem to have hunted more large prey than those at Amud, and they also seem to have carried more large kills home to butcher them in the cave rather than at the site of the kill. -- At Amud, 40% of the animal bones are burned and most are fragmented. This could be caused by deliberate actions like cooking or by later accidental damage. At Kebara, 9% of the bones are burned, but less fragmented, and are thought to have been cooked. The bones at Amud also seem to have undergone less carnivore damage than those found at Kebara. -- To investigate the differences between food preparation at Kebara and at Amud, the scientists selected a sample of cut-marked bones from contemporaneous layers at the two sites. They examined these macroscopically and microscopically, recording the cut-marks’ different characteristics. Similar patterns of cut-marks might suggest there were no differences in butchery practices, while different patterns might indicate distinct cultural traditions. -- The cut-marks were clear and intact, largely unaffected by later damage caused by carnivores or the drying out of the bones. The profiles, angles, and surface widths of these cuts were similar, likely due to the two groups’ similar toolkits. However, the cut-marks found at Amud were more densely packed and less linear in shape than those at Kebara. -- Cooking from scratch | 99 |
| Dirty Water, Warm Trucks, And The Real Reason Romaine Keeps Making Us Sick | New Study Pinpoints How Romaine Lettuce E. Coli Outbreaks Can Be Prevented | Risk assessment of Escherichia coli O157:H7 along the farm-to-fork fresh-cut romaine lettuce supply chain. | Cornell University | E. coli outbreaks in romaine lettuce can significantly reduce with improved agricultural practices, according to a new study. By identifying the risks associated with untreated surface water irrigation and advocating for better cold storage methods, researchers provide clear strategies for minimizing contamination, ultimately aiming for safer produce and reducing public health risks. | Why Lettuce Keeps Making Us SickScientists have traced major E. coli risks in romaine to how it’s watered and cooled. Changing irrigation methods and improving cold storage could dramatically reduce contamination. Credit: Shutterstock -- E. coli outbreaks in romaine lettuce have long been a public health concern. and now a new Cornell University paper suggests that a combination of efforts in the field, and even postharvest techniques, can minimize risk to human health. -- Co-authored by Renata Ivanek, a professor in the department of population medicine and diagnostic sciences, and Martin Wiedmann, professor in food safety, the paper outlines interventions likely to make a concrete difference in the safety of the nation's romaine. -- "This study supports that interventions should focus on reducing produce contamination via contaminated irrigation water, on assuring that produce washes applied during processing consistently deliver reasonably high reductions of bacterial numbers, and on improving temperature control during distribution," Wiedmann said. -- "We tried to describe the system as holistically as possible to account for different risk factors and how they could have interactions," Ivanek said. "There's not just one intervention that will save us all. We spent a lot of time trying to understand the preharvest component, especially the irrigation water piece and how much risk can be explained by that." -- Study results suggested that much contamination originates from irrigation with untreated surface water applied through overhead spray irrigation systems. They found that risk from irrigation was reduced either through water treatments or by switching to furrow or drip irrigation. -- "While not the most common system, spray irrigation is used in a number of fields for its benefits during germination, its cooling effect on plants and other reasons. But drip or furrow irrigation reduces the probability that water directly touches the leaves," Ivanek said, acknowledging that switching to these other irrigation systems introduces significant potential additional costs to grower. -- Ivanek and her co-authors also explored the importance of maintaining proper cold storage temperatures along the entire supply chain to romaine's final destination. -- "Time and temperature play a role in food safety, and also in food quality and shelf life," she said, describing a "perfect storm" if contamination happens at the farm or processing level and then improper transportation temperatures allow bacteria to grow. -- The comprehensive practices and interventions explored in this study intend to aid decision-makers in establishing and enhancing food safety best management practices, Ivanek said. | 100 |
| 11,000-Year-Old Feast Uncovered: Why Hunters Hauled Wild Boars Across Mountains | Epic Feasts: Ancient Iranians Celebrated With Wild Boars From Distant Lands | Transport of animals underpinned ritual feasting at the onset of the Neolithic in southwestern Asia. | Australian National University | New research uncovers that ancient Iranians engaged in symbolic gift-giving practices by hosting feasts with wild boar sourced from various regions. The analysis of tooth enamel from boars indicates a cultural significance placed on geography, suggesting that these early communities valued their relationships and traditions long before the advent of agriculture. | 11,000-Year-Old Feast UncoveredSamples of ancient boar teeth unearthed at the archaeological site of Asiab in the Zagros Mountains. Credit: Nic Vevers/ANU -- Magnets and shot glasses serve as fun holiday souvenirs, but certain foods synonymous with a country's identity can make for extra meaningful gifts for friends and loved ones; think French cheese, Dutch Stroopwafels and Canadian maple syrup. -- According to new research, communities that lived in western Iran about 11,000 years ago during the Early Neolithic period took a similar approach when it came to gift-giving. -- They invested significant effort to bring wild boars hunted in dispersed parts of the landscape as gifts to be eaten at a communal celebration that took place at what is now the archaeological site of Asiab in the Zagros Mountains. -- The findings, conducted by an international team of researchers including scientists from The Australian National University (ANU), suggest this practice of offering gifts that have geographical symbolism can be traced back to prehistory. -- "Food and long-standing culinary traditions form an integral component of cultures all over the globe. It is for this reason holidays, festivals, and other socially meaningful events commonly involve food. For example, we cannot imagine Christmas without the Christmas meal, Eid without the food gifts, or Passover without matzo ball soup," Dr Petra Vaiglova from ANU said. -- The scientists unearthed the skulls of 19 wild boars that were neatly packed and sealed inside a pit within a round building at the Asiab site. Butchery marks on the animals' skulls suggest they were used for feasting, but until now scientists were unsure where these boars came from. -- Dr Vaiglova and the international research team examined the tooth enamel of five of these wild boars. The researchers analysed microscopic growth patterns and chemical signatures inside the enamel that offered "tell-tale" signs indicating that at least some of the boars used for the feast were not from the area where the gathering took place. -- "Just like trees and their annual growth rings, teeth deposit visible layers of enamel and dentine during growth that we can count under the microscope. This is the first time these growth layers have been used to guide geochemical analysis of animal teeth to answer questions about human-animal interactions," Dr Vaiglova said. -- "Rainfall and bedrock have distinct isotopic values in different geographical locations. These isotopic values get incorporated into animal tissues through drinking water and food. Measuring the isotopic values of tooth enamel allowed us to assess whether all the animals came from the same part of the region or whether they originated from more dispersed locations. | 101 |
| Do Dogs Know Who’s Kind? Scientists Put It To The Test—And Got A Surprise | Surprise! Dogs May Not Judge Human Character As We Thought | Do dogs form reputations of humans? No effect of age after indirect and direct experience in a food-giving situation. | Kyoto University | Recent findings indicate that dogs may not judge human character as we assume. A study reveals that dogs did not show preference for humans based on kindness or cruelty observed towards other dogs. This suggests that dogs’ social evaluation skills might be more complex and nuanced than previously believed, warranting further exploration. | Dogs May Not Be Moral DetectivesDogs may not be the sharp social judges we believe. Even after watching kindness or cruelty, they didn’t show a preference, revealing surprising limits to their social evaluation skills. -- Kyoto, Japan -- Many people tend to trust dogs' instincts regarding humans. If dogs gravitate towards you, dog lovers will likely see you as safe and trustworthy, but if dogs are apprehensive around you, some may begin to question your character. Yet how and even if dogs socially evaluate people remains a mystery. -- Studies have demonstrated that cognitively complex and social animal species -- such as chimpanzees -- can form reputations of humans either through direct interaction or by observing third-party interactions. The historically intimate relationship dogs have with humans has also made them the focus of considerable research, but findings have proven inconsistent. -- Previous research conducted at the Wolf Science Center in Austria found that pack-living dogs and wolves did not form reputations of individual humans after both direct and indirect experience with them. This nonjudgmental attitude may be due to the animals' limited experience interacting with humans, so further study required the participation of more experienced dogs. -- In a new study, a research team observed 40 pet dog participants to investigate whether age and development influences how they form reputations of humans. They first arranged for the dogs to eavesdrop on another dog's interactions with two humans, one of whom was generous and fed the dog demonstrator, while the other did not feed the dog. -- After observing another dog's experience, the dogs interacted with the two humans directly while the researchers analyzed their behavior, taking note of who the dogs approached first, along with behaviors like jumping up and their proximity to each person. -- The results revealed that dogs across all age groups did not significantly prefer the generous person who fed the dog compared to the selfish person who refused to feed the dog. Their behavior toward the two humans did not exceed chance levels following indirect eavesdropping or direct experience with them. -- "It's clear that reputation formation may be more complex than previously thought, even for animals like dogs that closely cooperate with humans," says corresponding researcher Hoi-Lam Jim, who recently joined the faculty at Kyoto University. -- This study highlights the methodological challenges in accurately capturing dogs’ understanding and evaluation of humans. Since direct reputation formation is a prerequisite for eavesdropping, the researchers were not surprised to find no evidence of reputation formation, but they did not expect the lack of evidence for it after direct interaction. -- "It is possible that methodological challenges in the experimental design, particularly the use of a two-choice test, may explain our negative findings, rather than an absence of capacity," says Jim. | 102 |
| This 10-Minute Ozone Hack Keeps Mangoes Fresh For 28 Days | Mango Lifesaver: Ozonated Water Extends Shelf Life By Two Weeks | Postharvest aqueous ozonation alleviates chilling injury by upregulating ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle and associated antioxidant enzymes in cold-stored ‘kensington pride’ mango fruit. | Edith Cowan University | Researchers at Edith Cowan University have discovered that dipping mangoes in ozonated water can extend their shelf life by up to two weeks. This method not only reduces spoilage but also helps prevent chilling injuries, offering a promising solution to food waste and benefiting both consumers and producers in the mango industry. | How to Make Mangoes Last 2x LongerA quick ozone-infused water dip may be the key to keeping mangoes fresher for longer. Researchers have extended shelf life to 28 days while cutting spoilage by 40%, offering a sustainable solution to a growing food waste problem. Credit: Shutterstock -- In good news for mango lovers, new research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has identified a way to extend the storage life of the popular tropical fruit. -- The study, led by ECU School of Science Lecturer Dr Mekhala Vithana, found that dipping mangoes in ozonated water (aqueous ozonation) for 10 minutes before cold storage extended the cold storage life by up to two weeks, with significantly lowered occurrence of chilling injury. -- "Increasing storage life of mangoes is incredibly important for both growers and traders, as it reduces food loss during storage and offers a longer market window," Dr Vithana said. -- Rise in popularity and consequential waste -- With a global rise in the consumption of fruit and vegetables in recent years, there has been a subsequent increase in the production of mangoes. -- However, a significant proportion is lost along the supply chain due to rapid ripening and excessive perishability. -- "It is estimated that about 20 per cent of the total Australian mango production is lost or wasted, and horticultural produce is responsible for about 50 per cent of the total food waste in Australia," Dr Vithana said. -- "Therefore, it is important to explore eco-friendly and cost-effective technologies to minimize post-harvest losses of mangoes." -- Growers to traders | 103 |
| When Rainforests Died, The Planet Caught Fire: New Clues From Earth’s Greatest Extinction | Rainforest Collapse: The Unexpected Climate Villain Behind The Great Dying | Early Triassic super-greenhouse climate driven by vegetation collapse. | University of Leeds | Recent research links the collapse of tropical forests during the Great Dying to prolonged global warming. Fossil analysis suggests that the loss of the planet’s largest carbon sink led to a surge in greenhouse gases, shedding light on the potential repercussions of current tropical forest depletion on global climate stability. | New Clues From Earth’s Greatest ExtinctionFossil clues show the Great Dying’s lingering heat wasn’t just volcanic—deforested tropics stopped absorbing carbon, letting greenhouse gases spike and temperatures soar. Credit: Shutterstock -- The collapse of tropical forests during Earth's most catastrophic extinction event was the primary cause of the prolonged global warming which followed, according to new research. -- The Permian-Triassic Mass Extinction - sometimes referred to as the "Great Dying," happened around 252 million years ago, leading to the massive loss of marine species and significant declines in terrestrial plants and animals. -- The event has been attributed to intense global warming triggered by a period of volcanic activity in Siberia, known as the Siberian Traps, but scientists have been unable to pinpoint why super-greenhouse conditions persisted for around five million years afterwards. -- Now a team of international researchers led by the University of Leeds and the China University of Geosciences in Wuhan has gathered new data which supports the theory that the demise of tropical forests, and their slow recovery, limited carbon sequestration - a process where carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and held in plants, soils or minerals. -- During extensive field studies, the team used a new type of analysis of fossil records as well as clues about past climate conditions found in certain rock formations to reconstruct maps of changes in plant productivity during the Permian-Triassic Mass Extinction. -- Their results, which are published on July 2 in Nature Communications,show that vegetation loss during the event led to greatly reduced levels of carbon sequestration resulting in a prolonged period where there were high levels of CO2. -- The paper's lead author, Dr Zhen Xu, from the School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, said: "The causes of such extreme warming during this event have been long discussed, as the level of warming is far beyond any other event. -- "Critically, this is the only high temperature event in Earth's history in which the tropical forest biosphere collapses, which drove our initial hypothesis. Now, after years of fieldwork, analysis and simulations, we finally have the data which supports it." -- The researchers believe their results reinforce the idea that thresholds, or 'tipping points' exist in Earth's climate-carbon system which, when reached, means that warming can be amplified. | 104 |
| Antarctica’s Ocean Flip: Satellites Catch Sudden Salt Surge Melting Ice From Below | Antarctica’s Shocking Transformation: Saltier Oceans And Melting Ice Revealed | Rising surface salinity and declining sea ice: A new Southern Ocean state revealed by satellites. | University of Southampton | A dramatic shift in Antarctica's Southern Ocean is underway, with increasing salinity and melting sea ice at unprecedented rates. This change, which has reversed long-standing trends, is releasing hidden heat and poses a serious threat to polar ecosystems, signaling broader implications for global climate patterns and wildlife survival. | Antarctica’s Ocean Flip Stuns ScientistsAntarctica is losing sea ice at an alarming rate, and scientists now say the Southern Ocean has suddenly become much saltier, letting heat rise and melt ice from underneath. It’s a feedback loop that’s speeding up climate change. Credit: University of Southampton -- Researchers have discovered a dramatic and unexpected shift in the Southern Ocean, with surface water salinity rising and sea ice in steep decline. -- Since 2015, Antarctica has lost sea ice equal to the size of Greenland -- the largest environmental shift seen anywhere on Earth in the last decades. The Southern Ocean is also getting saltier, and this unexpected change is making the problem worse. -- For decades, the ocean's surface freshened (becoming less salty), helping sea ice grow. Now, scientists say that trend has sharply reversed. -- Using European satellite data, research led by the University of Southampton has discovered a sudden rise in surface salinity south of 50° latitude. -- This has coincided with a dramatic loss of sea ice around Antarctica and the re-emergence of the Maud Rise polynya in the Weddell Sea - a huge hole in the sea ice nearly four times the size of Wales, which hadn't occurred since the 1970s. -- The findings were published on June 30 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. -- Dr Alessandro Silvano from the University of Southampton who led the research said: "Saltier surface water allows deep ocean heat to rise more easily, melting sea ice from below. It's a dangerous feedback loop: less ice leads to more heat, which leads to even less ice. -- "The return of the Maud Rise polynya signals just how unusual the current conditions are. If this salty, low-ice state continues, it could permanently reshape the Southern Ocean -- and with it, the planet. The effects are already global: stronger storms, warmer oceans, and shrinking habitats for penguins and other iconic Antarctic wildlife." -- In these polar waters, cold, fresh surface water overlays warmer, saltier waters from the deep. In the winter, as the surface cools and sea ice forms, the density difference (stratification) between water layers weakens, allowing these layers to mix and heat to be transported upward, melting the sea ice from below and limiting its growth. | 105 |
| Banned In Europe, Sprayed In America: The Fungicide Threatening Our Pollinators | Fungicide Dangers: Chlorothalonil Threatens Insect Fertility And Pollinator Health | Chlorothalonil exposure impacts larval development and adult reproductive performance in Drosophila melanogaster. | Macquarie University | A study reveals that the common fungicide chlorothalonil, prevalent in agricultural practices, significantly impacts insect fertility, threatening vital pollinator populations. Researchers urge a reassessment of its use in light of these findings, advocating for sustainable alternatives to protect both agriculture and the health of ecosystems. | Common Farm Chemical Threatens PollinatorsA routine crop spray may silently doom the very pollinators that keep farms alive. Credit: Shutterstock -- A widely-used agricultural chemical sprayed on American and Australian fruits and vegetables to prevent fungal disease is killing beneficial insects critical for pollination and ecosystem health, new Macquarie University research shows. -- The study, published in Royal Society Open Science, found chlorothalonil - one of the world's most extensively used fungicides - severely impacts insect reproduction and survival, even at the lowest levels routinely detected on food. -- "Even the very lowest concentration has a huge impact on the reproduction of the flies that we tested," says lead author Darshika Dissawa, a PhD candidate from Macquarie's School of Natural Sciences. -- "This can have a big knock-on population impact over time because it affects both male and female fertility." -- The researchers exposed fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) to chlorothalonil levels matching those typically found in produce from cranberries to wine grapes. Even at the lowest dose, flies showed a 37 percent drop in egg production compared with unexposed individuals. -- Chlorothalonil is a widely applied broad-spectrum fungicide in American agriculture, used on crops like: -- Tomatoes -- Potatoes -- Peanuts | 106 |
| Florida Cat Sniffs Out Another New Virus—And Scientists Are Listening | Meet Pepper: The Cat Sniffs Out A New Virus Discovery | Coding complete sequences of the 10 genomic segments of a mammalian orthoreovirus type 3 isolated from a Blarina peninsulae shrew. | University of Florida | A cat named Pepper has played a pivotal role in the discovery of a new strain of orthoreovirus found in a shrew. Researchers at the University of Florida identified this virus during routine testing, highlighting the importance of wildlife surveillance for emerging viruses and showcasing Pepper's unexpected contribution to scientific research. | Scientist’s Cat Helps Uncover a New VirusAuthor John Lednicky's cat Pepper and its prey helped discover yet another new strain of virus. Credit: John Lednicky -- Pepper, the pet cat who made headlines last year for his role in the discovery of the first jeilongvirus found in the U.S., is at it again. This time, his hunting prowess contributed to the identification of a new strain of orthoreovirus. -- John Lednicky, Ph.D., Pepper's owner and a University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions virologist, took Pepper's catch -- a dead Everglades short-tailed shrew -- into the lab for testing as part of his ongoing work to understand transmission of the mule deerpox virus. -- Testing revealed the shrew had a previously unidentified strain of orthoreovirus. Viruses in this genus are known to infect humans, white-tailed deer, bats and other mammals. While orthoreoviruses' effects on humans are not yet well understood, there have been rare reports of the virus being associated with cases of encephalitis, meningitis and gastroenteritis in children. -- "The bottom line is we need to pay attention to orthoreoviruses, and know how to rapidly detect them," said Lednicky, a research professor in the PHHP Department of Environmental and Global Health and a member of UF's Emerging Pathogens Institute. -- The UF team published the complete genomic coding sequences for the virus they named "Gainesville shrew mammalian orthoreovirus type 3 strain UF-1" in the journal Microbiology Resource Announcements. -- "There are many different mammalian orthoreoviruses and not enough is known about this recently identified virus to be concerned," said the paper's lead author Emily DeRuyter, a UF Ph.D. candidate in One Health. "Mammalian orthoreoviruses were originally considered to be 'orphan' viruses, present in mammals including humans, but not associated with diseases. More recently, they have been implicated in respiratory, central nervous system and gastrointestinal diseases." -- The Lednicky lab's jeilongvirus and orthoreovirus discoveries come on the heels of the team publishing their discovery of two other novel viruses found in farmed white-tailed deer. Given the propensity of viruses to constantly evolve, paired with the team's sophisticated lab techniques, finding new viruses isn't entirely surprising, Lednicky said. -- "I'm not the first one to say this, but essentially, if you look, you'll find, and that's why we keep finding all these new viruses," Lednicky said. -- Like influenza virus, two different types of orthoreovirus can infect a host cell, causing the viruses' genes to mix and match, in essence, creating a brand new virus, Lednicky said. | 107 |
| Lemurs Age Without Inflammation—And It Could Change Human Health Forever | No Inflammation? Lemurs Show Hope For Aging-Related Health Improvements | Comparison of age-related inflammation and oxidative stress in two lemur species. | Duke University | Recent research on lemurs reveals that chronic inflammation, often seen as an inevitable part of aging in humans, may not be universal. A study led by Elaine Guevara indicates that age-related inflammation varies among primate species, suggesting that environmental factors might significantly influence our aging process and open new avenues for preventing age-related diseases. | Rethinking Aging: Lemurs Break the RulesLemurs don’t inflame with age. Can humans learn their secret? Credit: Shutterstock -- What can lemurs tell us about inflammation and aging, aka "inflammaging" in humans? That's the question Elaine Guevara, a biological anthropologist who studies the evolution of life history and aging in primates, set out to understand. -- In newly published research on age-related inflammation in ring-tailed and sifaka lemurs, Guevara discovered that perhaps we should rethink the inevitability of inflammaging in humans. -- Although similar in many ways, ring-tailed and sifaka lemurs show differences in life pacing and lifespan, making useful comparisons. Because lemurs and humans are primates and share a common ancestor that lived millions of years ago, they offer valuable insights into human evolution. -- Her findings, she said, were "surprising." -- "Contrary to our predictions, neither species showed age-related change in either marker of oxidative stress. Neither lemur species exhibited age-related change in inflammation; if anything, contrary to our prediction, ring-tailed lemurs showed marginal declines in inflammation with age," Guevara said. -- This finding, consistent with a few recent studies of other non-human primates, suggests that lemurs avoid the phenomenon of "inflammaging" widely observed in humans. -- The study shows inflammaging is not a universal feature of primates, pointing to some differences that might suggest it turns out it's not even a universal feature of humans, according to Christine Drea, a professor of evolutionary anthropology who was one of the researchers working with Guevara. -- What is Inflammaging? -- As we grow older, low-grade chronic inflammation sets in, which in turn can cause health problems such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer and osteoarthritis. | 108 |
| Scholars Just Solved A 130-Year Literary Mystery—And It All Hinged On One Word | Literary Mystery Solved: The Song Of Wade Reinterpreted After 130 Years | The Lost Song of Wade: Peterhouse 255 Revisited. | University of Cambridge | After more than a century of confusion, Cambridge researchers have redefined the Song of Wade, transforming it from a monster-filled myth to a chivalric romance. They discovered that "elves" in a medieval sermon were actually "wolves," significantly altering the narrative. This breakthrough not only clarifies Chaucer's work but also highlights the cultural references within medieval texts. | Chaucer’s Mystery Solved After 130 YearsJames Wade (left) and Seb Falk (right) with Peterhouse MS 255 open at the sermon, in the University Library in Cambridge. Credit: Courtesy of the Master and Fellows of Peterhouse / University of Cambridge -- A medieval literary puzzle which has stumped scholars including M.R. James for 130 years has finally been solved. Cambridge scholars now believe the Song of Wade, a long lost treasure of English culture, was a chivalric romance not a monster-filled epic. The discovery solves the most famous mystery in Chaucer's writings and provides rare evidence of a medieval preacher referencing pop culture in a sermon. -- The breakthrough, detailed on July 15 in The Review of English Studies, involved working out that the manuscript refers to 'wolves' not 'elves', as scholars previously assumed. -- Dr James Wade and Dr Seb Falk, colleagues at Girton College, Cambridge, argue that the only surviving fragment of the Song of Wade, first discovered by M.R. James in Cambridge in 1896, has been "radically misunderstood" for the last 130 years. -- "Changing elves to wolves makes a massive difference," Seb Falk said. "It shifts this legend away from monsters and giants into the human battles of chivalric rivals." -- James Wade said: "It wasn't clear why Chaucer mentioned Wade in the context of courtly intrigue. Our discovery makes much more sense of this." -- "Here we have a late-12th-century sermon deploying a meme from the hit romantic story of the day," Seb Falk said. "This is very early evidence of a preacher weaving pop culture into a sermon to keep his audience hooked." -- "Many church leaders worried about the themes of chivalric romances - adultery, bloodshed, and other scandalous topics - so it's surprising to see a preacher dropping such "adult content" into a sermon,"said James Wade. -- For the first time, the researchers have identified the great late-medieval writer Alexander Neckam (1157-1217) as the most likely author of the Humiliamini sermon. The 800-year-old document is part of MS 255, a Peterhouse Cambridge collection of medieval sermons. -- Discoveries made 130 years apart | 109 |
| New Study Cracks The “Tissue Code” — Just Five Rules Shape Organs | Unlocking Health: New Tissue Code Reveals Five Rules For Organ Maintenance | Dynamic Organization of Cells in Colonic Epithelium is Encoded by Five Biological Rules. | ChristianaCare | A study from ChristianaCare and the University of Delaware has unveiled five fundamental rules governing how cells behave in the body, forming what could be considered a “tissue code.” This discovery helps explain tissue organization during cell turnover and may enhance our understanding of various medical conditions, including cancer and birth defects, by revealing how organs maintain their structure. | Just Five Rules Shape OrgansComputer-generated image showing how cells in the human colon renew and organize over time, based on mathematical modeling. Credit: ChristianaCare -- Every day, your body replaces billions of cells -- and yet, your tissues stay perfectly organized. How is that possible? -- A team of researchers at ChristianaCare's Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute and the University of Delaware believe they've found an answer. In a new study published in the scientific journal Biology of the Cell, they show that just five basic rules may explain how the body maintains the complex structure of tissues like those in the colon, for example, even as its cells are constantly dying and being replaced. -- This research is the product of more than 15 years of collaboration between mathematicians and cancer biologists to unlock the rules that govern tissue structure and cellular behavior. -- "This may be the biological version of a blueprint," said Bruce Boman, M.D., Ph.D., senior research scientist at ChristianaCare's Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research and faculty member in the departments of Biological Sciences and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Delaware. "Just like we have a genetic code that explains how our genes work, we may also have a 'tissue code' that explains how our bodies stay so precisely organized over time." -- Math Meets Medicine -- The researchers used mathematical modeling -- essentially, creating a computer simulation of how cells behave -- to see if a small number of rules could account for the highly organized structure of the lining of the colon. That's an ideal place to study: cells in the colon renew every few days, but the overall shape and structure stays remarkably stable. -- After running many simulations and refining their models, the team identified five core biological rules that appear to govern the structure and behavior of cells: -- 1. Timing of cell division. -- 2. The order in which cells divide. | 110 |
| Dogs Can Detect Parkinson’s Years Before Symptoms—With 98% Accuracy | Dogs As Detectives: Canines Identify Parkinson’s With Remarkable Accuracy | Trained dogs can detect the odor of Parkinson's disease. | University of Bristol | Dogs have demonstrated an ability to detect Parkinson's disease through scent with impressive accuracy. In a double-blind trial, they achieved up to 80% sensitivity and 98% specificity by identifying skin swabs from Parkinson's patients, offering the potential for a non-invasive diagnostic tool that could facilitate earlier treatment and potentially alter disease progression. | Dogs Can Detect Parkinson’s Years Before SymptomsDogs can smell Parkinson’s before symptoms show—sniffing out early disease markers that humans can’t detect. Credit: Shutterstock -- People with Parkinson's disease (PD) have an odour that can be reliably detected from skin swabs by trained dogs, a new study has shown. -- The research, in collaboration with Medical Detection Dogs and the Universities of Bristol and Manchester, was published on July 15 in The Journal of Parkinson's Disease. -- Two dogs were trained by the charity, Medical Detection Dogs, to distinguish between sebum swabs from people with and without Parkinson's disease. -- In a double blind trial, they showed sensitivity of up to 80% and specificity of up to 98%. -- Not only that, they detected it in samples from patients who also had other health conditions. -- The dogs were trained over a number of weeks on over 200 odor samples from individuals that had tested positive for PD and control samples from people who did not have the disease. Samples were presented to the dogs on a stand system and the dogs were rewarded for correctly indicating a positive sample and for correctly ignoring a negative sample. -- In the double-blind testing, meaning that only a computer knew where the correct samples were, each line was also presented in reverse order so that samples for which no decision was made were re-presented. Then any unsearched samples were collected together in new lines, until a decision had been made for all samples. -- A definitive diagnostic test for Parkinson's Disease (PD) remains elusive, so identification of potential biomarkers could help diagnosis and timely intervention. -- Claire Guest, Medical Detection Dogs CEO and Chief Scientific Officer, says: "We are extremely proud to say that once again, dogs can very accurately detect disease. | 111 |
| Fiji Ant Plant Builds Tiny Condos That Stop Ant Wars | Ant Plant Innovation: Fiji’s Unique Architecture Prevents Ant Conflicts | Compartmentalization reduces conflict in multipartner plant-insect symbioses. | Washington University in St. Louis | Researchers studying a unique ant plant in Fiji have uncovered how its compartmentalized tubers allow multiple ant species to coexist peacefully. By providing separate chambers for each species, the Squamellaria plant prevents violent conflicts that could arise from direct competition, showcasing an evolutionary strategy that maximizes nutrient exchange while minimizing aggression among its insect residents. | Fiji Plant Builds Ant Condos to Stop Wars3D model of Squamellaria tenuiflora domatia based on CT-scanning data reveal domatium compartmentalization. Each color-coded cavity (red, yellow, blue) form distinct 'ant-apartments' that are isolated of each other, but connected to the outside. Credit: G. Chomicki and S. Renner -- Odd plants from a remote Pacific island reveal new insights into an important ecological question: how unrelated and antagonistic partners can form long-term mutualistic relationships with the same host. -- Scientists studying ant plants in Fiji have discovered one way that a host plant can keep the peace among residents that might otherwise kill each other. By providing separate chambers inside a gradually enlarging tuber -- each chamber with an entry hole from the outside but no connection to any adjacent chamber -- the Squamellaria plant prevents conflicts between the multiple ant species that feed it and call it home. The new research from Washington University in St. Louis and Durham University in the United Kingdom was reported on July 10 in Science. -- "Our study shows that compartmentalization is one solution," said Guillaume Chomicki, of Durham, first author of the study. "The importance of compartmentalization is clear from the deadly conflicts sparked when the partition between distinct ant species living in adjacent compartments is removed. -- "But it's not for the good of the ants that these plants have evolved those compartments -- no, it's for their own good. Because the more ants that live inside a tuber, the more nutrients for the plant," he said. -- "Dried Squamellaria tubers -- and similar tubers, many of which have been sitting in herbaria or natural history collections since at least the 1880s -- never yielded the insights Guillaume was able to gain in the field," said Susanne S. Renner, a biologist in Arts & Sciences at WashU, senior author of the study. "One needs two things: Seeing and identifying the ants, and then understanding that the tubers contain entirely separate compartments with separate entrances to the outside, just like a condo building." -- In biology, a symbiotic relationship, or symbiosis, is a close and long-term interaction between two different species. When this relationship is mutually beneficial, it is called a mutualism. Many symbioses involve one host species having several mutualist partners. Yet theory predicts that unrelated partners can lead to destabilizing conflict through competition for host resources. -- In the case of Squamellaria, Chomicki and Renner previously had reported on how certain specialized ants actively farm Squamellaria -- by planting its seeds and fertilizing the seedlings with their feces -- and then nesting in the domatia (hollow chambers) that form on each plant shortly after the unfolding of its cotyledons. Only after the ants insert a seed into a crevice in bark can Squamellaria begin to germinate. -- The farming activity is essential to the plant's survival, as it is an epiphyte that grows on the branches of rainforest trees and has no other way get established in the rainforest canopy. Back in 2014, during a field excursion high in the treetops of Waisali Rainforest Reserve, Chomicki pulled down a Squamellaria that revealed an even more complex set of interactions. -- "When I dissected this plant (Squamellaria wilkinsonii), which had a domatium that was about 8 inches in diameter, I was very surprised to see two ant colonies living inside it," he said. "My immediate thought was parabiosis, a specific type of symbiotic association where two species of ants nest together. But the nests were completely separate, which was puzzling." | 112 |
| Chirality Shock: Geneva Chemists Forge Millennia-Stable ‘Mirror-Proof’ Drugs | Chirality Breakthrough: Chemists Create Stable Mirror-Proof Molecules For Future Drugs | All-Heteroatom-Substituted Carbon Spiro Stereocenters: Synthesis, Resolution, Enantiomeric Stability, and Absolute Configuration. | Université de Genève | A collaborative team from the University of Geneva and the University of Pisa has created highly stable chiral molecules, a breakthrough for drug development. By replacing carbon in these molecules with oxygen and nitrogen, they achieved unprecedented stability, which could prevent harmful transformations in life-saving drugs and lead to innovative geometrically-controlled materials for future applications. | Mirror Molecules, Frozen ForeverMirror molecules synthesized in this study, featuring an asymmetric carbon (grey) fully substituted by oxygen atoms (red), Hydrogen atoms are in white. Credit: © Pierrick Berruyer -- Can you imagine a life-saving molecule whose "twin" is a deadly poison? As surprising as it may seem, this chemical reality is known as "chirality." Like a right hand and a left hand, two molecules can have the same composition, but a different shape and arrangement in space. And this difference can change everything. Understanding and controlling this phenomenon is crucial to drug design. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with the University of Pisa, has developed a new family of remarkably stable chiral molecules. This work opens up new prospects for the design of geometry-controlled drugs. It is published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. -- A molecule, or any object, is said to be chiral if it cannot be superimposed on its mirror image by any combination of rotations, translations and geometric changes. This is similar to our two hands, which appear identical but cannot be superimposed, whether viewed from the back or the palm. This universal molecular asymmetry requires chemists to design chiral molecules capable of interacting precisely with living systems. -- Within a molecule, chirality often arises from the presence of one or more asymmetry centers, known as stereogenic centers. These are often made up of a central carbon atom, itself linked to four different groups or chains of atoms, usually carbon as well. The group led by Jérôme Lacour, Full Professor in the Department of Organic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UNIGE Faculty of Science, has created a new type of stereogenic center. This time, the central carbon atom is not surrounded by carbon chains, but only by oxygen and nitrogen atoms. A first in the field of chemistry. -- ''Molecules with this new type of stereogenic center had never before been isolated in a stable form. Their synthesis and characterization mark a major conceptual and experimental breakthrough,'' explains Jérôme Lacour. -- Outstanding stability -- The stability of chiral molecules is a particularly important parameter. Mirror molecule pairs are structurally very close, and in many cases spontaneous switching from one to the other is possible, for example under the effect of temperature. As if a left hand were suddenly transformed into a right hand. In this way, we could switch from a drug to an inactive or even toxic molecule! The new molecular structures developed by the UNIGE team feature exceptional chiral stability, meaning that the switch from one molecule to its mirror sister is particularly unlikely. -- Olivier Viudes, PhD student and first author of the study explains: "Using dynamic chromatography techniques and quantum chemistry calculations, we have shown that, for the first molecule developed, it would take 84,000 years at room temperature for half a sample to transform into its mirror molecule." For a drug, such stability guarantees safe storage, without the need for specific conditions. For the second molecule, this time has been estimated at 227 days at 25°C. -- The new stereogenic centers developed by the Geneva team should enable the design of stable, controlled, three-dimensional chiral molecules. These structures open up new possibilities for drug design and the creation of new materials. ''These novel stereogenic centers offer a new way of organizing molecular space. They open up a whole new degree of freedom and imagination in chemical synthesis,'' concludes Gennaro Pescitelli, professor at the University of Pisa and co-principal investigator of the article. | 113 |
| It Looked Like Nothing—Then Scientists Found A World 10x The Size Of Jupiter | Hidden Exoplanet Discovered: A Gas Giant Found In A Young Star’s Disc | A young gas giant and hidden substructures in a protoplanetary disk. | University of Cambridge | Astronomers have identified a hidden exoplanet in the protoplanetary disc of a young star, MP Mus, using advanced observational techniques. Initially thought to be devoid of planets, the star’s disc revealed a Jupiter-sized gas giant, marking a significant advancement in detecting young planets and suggesting new methods for exploring planetary formation around other stars. | Giant Planet Uncovered in Star’s FogWhen astronomers first observed it with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), they saw a smooth, planet-free disc, shown here in the right image. The team, led by Álvaro Ribas, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge, UK, gave this star another chance and re-observed it with ALMA at longer wavelengths that probe even deeper into the protoplanetary disc than before. These new observations, shown in the left image, revealed a gap and a ring that had been obscured in previous observations, suggesting that MP Mus might have company after all. Credit: ALMA(ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/A. Ribas et al. -- Astronomers have detected a giant exoplanet - between three and ten times the size of Jupiter - hiding in the swirling disc of gas and dust surrounding a young star. -- Earlier observations of this star, called MP Mus, suggested that it was all alone without any planets in orbit around it, surrounded by a featureless cloud of gas and dust. -- However, a second look at MP Mus, using a combination of results from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the European Space Agency's Gaia mission, suggest that the star is not alone after all. -- The international team of astronomers, led by the University of Cambridge, detected a large gas giant in the star's protoplanetary disc: the pancake-like cloud of gases, dust and ice where the process of planet formation begins. This is the first time that Gaia has detected an exoplanet within a protoplanetary disc. The results, reported in the journal Nature Astronomy, suggest that similar methods could be useful in the hunt for young planets around other stars. -- By studying how planets form in the protoplanetary discs around young stars, researchers can learn more about how our own Solar System evolved. Through a process known as core accretion, gravity causes particles in the disc to stick to each other, eventually forming larger solid bodies like asteroids or planets. As young planets form, they start to carve gaps in the disc, like grooves on a vinyl record. -- However, observing these young planets is extremely challenging, due to the interference from the gas and dust in the disc. To date, only three robust detections of young planets in a protoplanetary disc have been made. -- Dr Álvaro Ribas from Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy, who led the research, specialises in studying protoplanetary discs. "We first observed this star at the time when we learned that most discs have rings and gaps, and I was hoping to find features around MP Mus that could hint at the presence of a planet or planets," he said. -- Using ALMA, Ribas observed the protoplanetary disc around MP Mus (PDS 66) in 2023. The results showed a young star seemingly all alone in the universe. Its surrounding disc showed none of the gaps where planets might be forming, and was completely flat and featureless. -- "Our earlier observations showed a boring, flat disc," said Ribas. "But this seemed odd to us, since the disc is between seven and ten million years old. In a disc of that age, we would expect to see some evidence of planet formation." | 114 |
| This Algorithm Just Solved One Of Physics’ Most Infamous Problems | Physics Breakthrough: New Method Solves The Long-Standing Polaron Problem | First-principles diagrammatic Monte Carlo for electron–phonon interactions and polaron. | California Institute of Technology | Caltech researchers have advanced our understanding of electron dynamics in complex materials by developing an effective method to sum Feynman diagrams. This innovative approach has solved the long-standing polaron problem, providing insights into how electrons flow in various substances and paving the way for new discoveries in materials science. | How Monte Carlo Solved a Quantum RiddleIllustration of a polaron in a crystal: the central bright sphere is the charge carrier, distorting the surrounding lattice. The wavy lines represent high-order Feynman diagrams for the electron–phonon interaction, summed with quantitative accuracy with the new Caltech method. Credit: Ella Maru Studio -- Caltech scientists have found a fast and efficient way to add up large numbers of Feynman diagrams, the simple drawings physicists use to represent particle interactions. The new method has already enabled the researchers to solve a longstanding problem in the materials science and physics worlds known as the polaron problem, giving scientists and engineers a way to predict how electrons will flow in certain materials, both conventional and quantum. -- In the 1940s, physicist Richard Feynman first proposed a way to represent the various interactions that take place between electrons, photons, and other fundamental particles using 2D drawings that involve straight and wavy lines intersecting at vertices. Though they look simple, these Feynman diagrams allow scientists to calculate the probability that a particular collision, or scattering, will take place between particles. -- Since particles can interact in many ways, many different diagrams are needed to depict every possible interaction. And each diagram represents a mathematical expression. Therefore, by summing all the possible diagrams, scientists can arrive at quantitative values related to particular interactions and scattering probabilities. -- "Summing all Feynman diagrams with quantitative accuracy is a holy grail in theoretical physics," says Marco Bernardi, professor of applied physics, physics, and materials science at Caltech. "We have attacked the polaron problem by adding up all the diagrams for the so-called electron-phonon interaction, essentially up to an infinite order." -- In a paper published in Nature Physics, the Caltech team uses its new method to precisely compute the strength of electron-phonon interactions and to predict associated effects quantitatively. The lead author of the paper is graduate student Yao Luo, a member of Bernardi's group. -- For some materials, such as simple metals, the electrons moving inside the crystal structure will interact only weakly with its atomic vibrations. For such materials, scientists can use a method called perturbation theory to describe the interactions that occur between electrons and phonons, which can be thought of as "units" of atomic vibration. Perturbation theory is a good approximation in these systems because each successive order or interaction becomes decreasingly important. That means that computing only one or a few Feynman diagrams - a calculation that can be done routinely - is sufficient to obtain accurate electron-phonon interactions in these materials. -- Introducing Polarons -- But for many other materials, electrons interact much more strongly with the atomic lattice, forming entangled electron-phonon states known as polarons. Polarons are electrons accompanied by the lattice distortion they induce. They form in a wide range of materials including insulators, semiconductors, materials used in electronics or energy devices, as well as many quantum materials. For example, an electron placed in a material with ionic bonds will distort the surrounding lattice and form a localized polaron state, resulting in decreased mobility due to the strong electron-phonon interaction. Scientists can study these polaron states by measuring how conductive the electrons are or how they distort the atomic lattice around them. -- Perturbation theory does not work for these materials because each successive order is more important than the last. "It's basically a nightmare in terms of scaling," says Bernardi. "If you can calculate the lowest order, it's very likely that you cannot do the second order, and the third order will just be impossible. The computational cost typically scales prohibitively with interaction order. There are too many diagrams to compute, and the higher-order diagrams are too computationally expensive." | 115 |
| These Mysterious Stars Could Glow Forever Using Dark Matter | Dark Matter Stars: Mysterious ‘Dark Dwarfs’ Could Shine Forever | Dark dwarfs: dark matter-powered sub-stellar objects awaiting discovery at the galactic center. | Durham University | A new class of star-like objects, dubbed "dark dwarfs," may hold secrets about dark matter, according to scientists. These unusual entities are theorized to form when brown dwarfs absorb dark matter to sustain their energy, shining brightly at the galaxy's core. Their detection could offer vital clues about the elusive nature of dark matter. | Dark Dwarfs May Burn at the Milky Way’s CoreA new cosmic suspect may help crack the dark matter mystery: glowing “dark dwarfs.” Formed when failed stars capture dark matter near the galactic center, they could shine forever and betray their presence through traces of lithium. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- A new kind of cosmic object could help solve one of the universe's greatest mysteries: dark matter. -- Particle Astrophysicists have proposed the existence of a strange new type of star-like object, called a 'dark dwarf', which may be quietly glowing in the center of our galaxy. -- Far from being dark in appearance, these unusual objects are powered by dark matter (the invisible substance thought to make up about a quarter of the universe). -- The discovery comes from a UK-US research team and the full research findings has been published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (JCAP). -- Using theoretical models, the scientists suggest that dark matter can get trapped inside young stars, producing enough energy to stop them from cooling and turning them into stable, long-lasting objects they call dark dwarfs. -- Dark dwarfs are thought to form from brown dwarfs, which are often described as failed stars. -- Brown dwarfs are too small to sustain the nuclear fusion that powers most stars, so they cool and fade over time. But if they sit in a dense pocket of dark matter, like near the Milky Way's center, they could capture dark matter particles. -- If those particles then collide and destroy each other, they release energy keeping the dark dwarf glowing indefinitely. -- The existence of these objects depends on dark matter being made of specific kinds of particles, known as WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles). | 116 |
| Lasers Capture The Invisible Dance Of Wind And Waves | Wind And Waves: Lasers Capture Hidden Energy Interactions Above The Ocean | Direct observations of airflow separation over ocean surface waves. | Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon | A groundbreaking method using high-resolution lasers has revealed new insights into wind-wave interactions above the ocean. By capturing airflow just above ocean waves, researchers identified two distinct mechanisms where short and long waves interact with wind, enhancing our understanding of energy transfer in climate models and potentially improving weather predictions. | How Wind Powers the WavesHigh-resolution laser images expose two rival wind–wave mechanisms that could turbo-charge future weather and climate predictions. Credit: Shutterstock -- The international team, led by Dr. Marc Buckley from the Hereon Institute of Coastal Ocean Dynamics, has achieved a breakthrough in high-resolution imaging of the ocean surface. Using a specially developed laser measurement system aboard the research platform FLIP (Floating Instrument Platform) in the Pacific Ocean, they were able to capture high-resolution images of airflow just a few millimeters to one meter above the ocean surface. They identified two wind-wave coupling mechanisms that occur simultaneously but act differently. -- Short waves, about one meter in length, move slower than the wind. This causes a separation of the airflow: the wave crest blocks the wind, creating a pressure difference that transfers energy to the wave. Long waves, on the other hand -- up to 100 meters in length -- move faster than the wind and generate different airflow patterns through their motion. These mechanisms operate simultaneously in different parts of the wave field -- a crucial insight for advancing atmospheric and oceanic models. -- Relevance for Weather, Climate, and Marine Biochemistry -- The interactions between wind and waves are a central component of the Earth's climate and weather systems. While it is largely accepted that these complex interactions control the exchange of energy, heat, and greenhouse gases between the atmosphere and the ocean -- affecting sea state, weather, and currents, the mechanisms remain, until today, largely unknown. The research team plans to further develop the system to also capture movements below the water surface with greater precision. -- "Until now, no one has measured the airflow this close to the ocean surface, let alone mapped the mechanisms of energy exchange at such a fine scale," says lead author Buckley. "Our observations shed light on a physical frontier. This will enable us to advance the theoretical framework and develop more accurate descriptions of air-sea exchange processes, which have so far been only partially understood." -- Unique Imaging Above the Open Ocean -- The imagery is based on a laser that passes through both air and water: the green beam hits water droplets introduced into the air -- similar to mist illuminated by sunlight. These droplets follow the motion of the airflow, scatter the laser light, and make even the smallest movements in the air visible. At the same time, the laser penetrates the water surface. At the wind-driven surface, the light is refracted -- revealing the structure of the water surface. This combination allows both the air and water sides to be visualized. The method is based on Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), an established technique in fluid dynamics. PIV provides precise information about flow structure and wind speeds. This marks the first time the technique has been used over the open ocean. -- Cutting-edge research for a changing world -- Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon`s scientific research aims at preserving a world worth living in. To this end, around 1000 employees generate knowledge and research new technologies for greater resilience and sustainability -- for the benefit of the climate, the coast and people. The path from idea to innovation leads through a continuous interplay between experimental studies, modeling and AI to digital twins that map the diverse parameters of climate and coast or human biology in the computer. This is an interdisciplinary approach that spans from the fundamental scientific understanding of complex systems to scenarios and practical applications. As an active member of national and international research networks and the Helmholtz Association, Hereon supports politics, business and society in shaping a sustainable future by transferring the expertise it has gained. | 117 |
| Why Broken Crystals Are Stronger | Crystal Flaws: Why Imperfections Can Make Crystals Stronger | Revisiting Volterra defects: geometrical relation between edge dislocations and wedge disclinations. | The University of Osaka | Researchers at The University of Osaka have utilized differential geometry to explore crystal defects that impact material strength. Their innovative mathematical models illustrate how these imperfections interact, suggesting that leveraging such flaws could lead to the development of tougher and smarter materials, fundamentally changing how we approach material engineering. | Why Broken Crystals Are StrongerA dipole moment of positive and negative wedge disclinations—the “the other side of the coin” of a single edge dislocation indicated by the replacement of affine connections. The inverted “T” marks the edge dislocation, whereas the triangles represent the wedge disclinations. The curved lines depict the deformation field characterizing the metric generated by the wedge disclinations. Credit: Shunsuke Kobayashi, Katsumi Takemasa and Ryuichi Tarumi -- Crystals are known far and wide for their beauty and elegance. But even though they may appear perfect on the outside, their microstructure can be quite complicated, making them difficult to model mathematically. -- But there are people rising to the challenge. In an article published this month in Royal Society Open Science, researchers from The University of Osaka used differential geometry to provide a robust, rigorous, and unified description for the mechanics of crystals and their defects. -- In an ideal crystal, each atom is arranged in a perfectly periodic pattern. However, most crystals, upon closer examination, are not perfect. They contain small defects in their structure -- a missing atom here, an extra bond there. These defects have important mechanical consequences -- they could be the starting point of a fracture, for example, or they could even be used to strengthen materials. Understanding defects and their phenomena is thus very important to researchers. -- "Defects come in many forms," explains lead author of the study Shunsuke Kobayashi. "For example, there are so-called dislocations associated with the breaking of translational symmetry and disclinations associated with the breaking of rotational symmetry. Capturing all of these kinds of defects in a single mathematical theory is not straightforward." -- Indeed, previous models have failed to reconcile the differences between dislocations and disclinations, suggesting that modifications to the theory are needed. New mathematical tools using the language of differential geometry proved to be exactly what the team needed to address these issues. -- "Differential geometry provides a very elegant framework for describing these rich phenomena," says Ryuichi Tarumi, senior author. "Simple mathematical operations can be used to capture these effects, allowing us to focus on the similarities between seemingly disparate defects." -- Using the formalism of Riemann-Cartan manifolds, the research team was able to elegantly encapsulate the topological properties of defects and rigorously prove the relationship between dislocations and disclinations; previously, only empirical observations existed, and their rigorous mathematical forms were a mystery. In addition, they were able to derive analytical expressions for the stress fields caused by these defects. -- The team hopes that their geometric approach to describing the mechanics of crystals will eventually inspire scientists and engineers to design materials with specific properties by taking advantage of defects, such as the strengthening of materials that is seen with disclinations. In the meantime, these results are yet another example of how beauty in mathematics can help us understand beauty in nature. | 118 |
| Mysterious Object Found Dancing With Neptune | Cosmic Dance: New Object Found Dancing In Sync With Neptune | LiDO: Discovery of a 10:1 Resonator with a Novel Libration State. | Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian | Astronomers have discovered a unique object, 2020 VN40, that orbits the Sun in sync with Neptune’s gravitational pull, marking it as the first known body with such a rhythm. This finding provides valuable insights into the dynamics of the outer solar system and may influence our understanding of planetary formation and movements. | Mysterious Object Found Dancing With NeptuneA team of astronomers led by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian has discovered a rare object far beyond Neptune, from a class known as trans-Neptunian objects, that is moving in rhythm with the giant planet. This image shows the orbits of all of the objects discovered in the Outer Solar System Origins Survey. The orbit of 2020 VN40 is the thickest one, tilted up and to the left from the orbits of most of the objects. The orbits of the giant planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are the white circles. Credit: Rosemary Pike, CfA -- A team of astronomers led by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian has discovered a rare object far beyond Neptune, from a class known as trans-Neptunian objects, that is moving in rhythm with the giant planet. This object, called 2020 VN40, is the first confirmed body that orbits the sun once for every ten orbits Neptune completes. -- This discovery helps scientists understand how objects in the outer solar system behave and how they got there. It supports the idea that many distant objects are temporarily "caught" in Neptune's gravity as they drift through space. -- "This is a big step in understanding the outer solar system," said Rosemary Pike, lead researcher from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. "It shows that even very distant regions influenced by Neptune can contain objects, and it gives us new clues about how the solar system evolved." -- The finding was published this month in The Planetary Science Journal, a publication of the American Astronomical Society. -- The discovery was made by the Large inclination Distant Objects (LiDO) survey, which searched for unusual objects in the outer solar system. This survey used the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope for the main survey operations, and Gemini Observatory and Magellan Baade for additional observations. -- The survey was designed to search for bodies with orbits that extend far above and below the plane of the Earth's orbit around the sun, part of the outer solar system that hasn't been well-studied. -- "It has been fascinating to learn how many small bodies in the solar system exist on these very large, very tilted orbits," said Dr. Samantha Lawler (University of Regina), a core member of the LiDO team. The object's average distance is about 140 times farther from the sun than Earth and follows a very tilted path around the solar system. -- What makes 2020 VN40 even more interesting is how it moves compared to Neptune. Most objects with a simple ratio of the duration of their orbit compared to the duration of Neptune's orbit always come closest to the sun when Neptune is far away. In contrast, 2020 VN40 comes closest to the sun when Neptune is very close by, if you look at their positions from above the solar system. The tilt of 2020 VN40's orbit means that the objects are not actually close, because 2020 VN40 is actually far below the solar system- they only appear close when flattened onto a map. All other known resonant trans-Neptunian objects orbit such that they avoid this alignment at their closest approach to the sun, even in the flattened view. -- "This new motion is like finding a hidden rhythm in a song we thought we knew," said Ruth Murray-Clay (University of California Santa Cruz), co-author of the study. "It could change how we think about the way distant objects | 119 |
| Astronomers Just Witnessed Planets Being Born Around A Baby Star 1300 Light-Years Away | Planet Birth Unveiled: Astronomers Capture Formation Around A Distant Star | Refractory solid condensation detected in an embedded protoplanetary disk. | European Southern Observatory (ESO) | For the first time, astronomers have observed the early stages of planet formation around a star outside our Solar System. Utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope and ALMA, researchers detected the initial solidification of minerals in the dusty disc of star HOPS-315, shedding light on the processes that may have shaped our own Solar System. | First-Ever Glimpse of a Solar System Being BornThis is HOPS-315, a baby star where astronomers have observed evidence for the earliest stages of planet formation. The image was taken with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which ESO is a partner. Together with data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), these observations show that hot minerals are beginning to solidify. In orange, we see the distribution of carbon monoxide, blowing away from the star in a butterfly-shaped wind. In blue, we see a narrow jet of silicon monoxide, also beaming away from the star. These gaseous winds and jets are common around baby stars like HOPS-315. Credit: ALMA(ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/M. McClure et al. -- International researchers have, for the first time, pinpointed the moment when planets began to form around a star beyond the Sun. Using the ALMA telescope, in which the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is a partner, and the James Webb Space Telescope, they have observed the creation of the first specks of planet-forming material -- hot minerals just beginning to solidify. This finding marks the first time a planetary system has been identified at such an early stage in its formation and opens a window to the past of our own Solar System. -- "For the first time, we have identified the earliest moment when planet formation is initiated around a star other than our Sun," says Melissa McClure, a professor at Leiden University in the Netherlands and lead author of the new study, published on July 16 in Nature. -- Co-author Merel van 't Hoff, a professor at Purdue University, USA, compares their findings to "a picture of the baby Solar System," saying that "we're seeing a system that looks like what our Solar System looked like when it was just beginning to form." -- This newborn planetary system is emerging around HOPS-315, a 'proto' or baby star that sits some 1300 light-years away from us and is an analogue of the nascent Sun. Around such baby stars, astronomers often see discs of gas and dust known as 'protoplanetary discs', which are the birthplaces of new planets. While astronomers have previously seen young discs that contain newborn, massive, Jupiter-like planets, McClure says, "we've always known that the first solid parts of planets, or 'planetesimals', must form further back in time, at earlier stages." -- In our Solar System, the very first solid material to condense near Earth's present location around the Sun is found trapped within ancient meteorites. Astronomers age-date these primordial rocks to determine when the clock started on our Solar System's formation. Such meteorites are packed full of crystalline minerals that contain silicon monoxide (SiO) and can condense at the extremely high temperatures present in young planetary discs. Over time, these newly condensed solids bind together, sowing the seeds for planet formation as they gain both size and mass. The first kilometer-sized planetesimals in the Solar System, which grew to become planets such as Earth or Jupiter's core, formed just after the condensation of these crystalline minerals. -- With their new discovery, astronomers have found evidence of these hot minerals beginning to condense in the disc around HOPS-315. Their results show that SiO is present around the baby star in its gaseous state, as well as within these crystalline minerals, suggesting it is only just beginning to solidify. "This process has never been seen before in a protoplanetary disc -- or anywhere outside our Solar System," says co-author Edwin Bergin, a professor at the University of Michigan, USA. -- These minerals were first identified using the James Webb Space Telescope, a joint project of the US, European and Canadian space agencies. To find out where exactly the signals were coming from, the team observed the system with ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, which is operated by ESO together with international partners in Chile's Atacama Desert. -- With these data, the team determined that the chemical signals were coming from a small region of the disc around the star equivalent to the orbit of the asteroid belt around the Sun. "We're really seeing these minerals at the same location in this extrasolar system as where we see them in asteroids in the Solar System," says co-author Logan Francis, a postdoctoral researcher at Leiden University. -- Because of this, the disc of HOPS-315 provides a wonderful analogue for studying our own cosmic history. As van 't Hoff says, "this system is one of the best that we know to actually probe some of the processes that happened in our Solar System." It also provides astronomers with a new opportunity to study early planet formation, by standing in as a substitute for newborn solar systems across the galaxy. | 120 |
| A Strange Fossil At The Edge Of The Solar System Just Shook Up Planet Nine Theories | Strange Discovery: New Object Challenges Our Understanding Of The Solar System | Discovery and dynamics of a Sedna-like object with a perihelion of 66 au. | National Institutes of Natural Sciences | A newly discovered object, 2023 KQ14, beyond Pluto offers new perspectives on the early Solar System. This "sednoid" has an unusual orbit that diverges from similar objects, hinting at past celestial disturbances and potentially challenging the existence of Planet Nine, thus expanding our understanding of solar system dynamics. | “Fossil” Discovered in Outer Solar SystemA newly spotted icy body in the outer Solar System, 2023 KQ14, may upend theories about Planet Nine and offers fresh clues about ancient planetary migrations. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Subaru Telescope has made an exciting discovery: a small body beyond Pluto, with implications for the formation, evolution, and current structure of the outer Solar System. -- The object was found as part of the survey project FOSSIL (Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy), which takes advantage of the Subaru Telescope's wide field of view. The object was discovered through observations taken in March, May, and August 2023 using the Subaru Telescope. The object is currently designated 2023 KQ14; a more classical name will be assigned later by the International Astronomical Union. After that, follow-up observations in July 2024 with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and a search for unrecognized sightings of the object in old data from other observatories allowed astronomers to track the object's orbit over 19 years. Due to its peculiar distant orbit, 2023 KQ14 has been classified as a "sednoid," making it only the fourth known example of this rare type of object. -- Numerical simulations conducted by the FOSSIL team, some of which used the PC cluster operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, indicate that 2023 KQ14 has maintained a stable orbit for at least 4.5 billion years. Although its current orbit differs from those of the other sednoids, the simulations suggest that their orbits were remarkably similar around 4.2 billion years ago. -- The fact that 2023 KQ14 now follows an orbit different from the other sednoids indicates that the outer Solar System is more diverse and complex than previously thought. This discovery also places new constraints on the hypothetical Planet Nine. If Planet Nine exists, its orbit must lie farther out than typically predicted. -- Dr. Yukun Huang of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan who conducted simulations of the orbit comments, "The fact that 2023 KQ14's current orbit does not align with those of the other three sednoids lowers the likelihood of the Planet Nine hypothesis. It is possible that a planet once existed in the Solar System but was later ejected, causing the unusual orbits we see today." -- Regarding the significance of this discovery, Dr. Fumi Yoshida states, "2023 KQ14 was found in a region far away where Neptune's gravity has little influence. The presence of objects with elongated orbits and large perihelion distances in this area implies that something extraordinary occurred during the ancient era when 2023 KQ14 formed. Understanding the orbital evolution and physical properties of these unique, distant objects is crucial for comprehending the full history of the Solar System. At present, the Subaru Telescope is among the few telescopes on Earth capable of making such discoveries. I would be happy if the FOSSIL team could make many more discoveries like this one and help draw a complete picture of the history of the Solar System." | 121 |
| Scientists Just Simulated The “Impossible” — Fault-Tolerant Quantum Code Cracked At Last | Quantum Leap: New Algorithm Simulates Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing At Last | Classical Simulation of Circuits with Realistic Odd-Dimensional Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill States. | Chalmers University of Technology | A multinational team has developed an algorithm allowing classical computers to simulate fault-tolerant quantum circuits using the GKP bosonic code, breaking new ground in quantum computing. This innovation not only offers a vital tool for verifying quantum computations but also sets the stage for advancements in quantum technology across various fields. | Researchers Pull Off Quantum Simulation FeatQuantum computers can perform complex computations thanks to their ability to represent an enormous number of different states at the same time in a so-called quantum superposition. Representing these superpositions of states is incredibly difficult to describe. Now, a research team has found a relatively simple method to simulate some relevant quantum superpositions of states. The illustration shows one of these superpositions, which can be created inside what’s known as a continuous-variable quantum computer. The team was able to observe how these states change when they interact with each other, and they were also able to simulate those changes using wave-like patterns - like the ones you see in the image. Credit: Chalmers University of Technology I Cameron Calcluth -- Quantum computers still face a major hurdle on their pathway to practical use cases: their limited ability to correct the arising computational errors. To develop truly reliable quantum computers, researchers must be able to simulate quantum computations using conventional computers to verify their correctness - a vital yet extraordinarily difficult task. Now, in a world-first, researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, the University of Milan, the University of Granada, and the University of Tokyo have unveiled a method for simulating specific types of error-corrected quantum computations - a significant leap forward in the quest for robust quantum technologies. -- Quantum computers have the potential to solve complex problems that no supercomputer today can handle. In the foreseeable future, quantum technology's computing power is expected to revolutionise fundamental ways of solving problems in medicine, energy, encryption, AI, and logistics. -- Despite these promises, the technology faces a major challenge: the need for correcting the errors arising in a quantum computation. While conventional computers also experience errors, these can be quickly and reliably corrected using well-established techniques before they can cause problems. In contrast, quantum computers are subject to far more errors, which are additionally harder to detect and correct. Quantum systems are still not fault-tolerant and therefore not yet fully reliable. -- To verify the accuracy of a quantum computation, researchers simulate - or mimic - the calculations using conventional computers. One particularly important type of quantum computation that researchers are therefore interested in simulating is one that can withstand disturbances and effectively correct errors. However, the immense complexity of quantum computations makes such simulations extremely demanding - so much so that, in some cases, even the world's best conventional supercomputer would take the age of the universe to reproduce the result. -- Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, the University of Milan, the University of Granada and the University of Tokyo have now become the first in the world to present a method for accurately simulating a certain type of quantum computation that is particularly suitable for error correction, but which thus far has been very difficult to simulate. The breakthrough tackles a long-standing challenge in quantum research. -- "We have discovered a way to simulate a specific type of quantum computation where previous methods have not been effective. This means that we can now simulate quantum computations with an error correction code used for fault tolerance, which is crucial for being able to build better and more robust quantum computers in the future," says Cameron Calcluth, PhD in Applied Quantum Physics at Chalmers and first author of a study recently published in Physical Review Letters. -- Error-correcting quantum computations - demanding yet crucial -- The limited ability of quantum computers to correct errors stems from their fundamental building blocks - qubits - which have the potential for immense computational power but are also highly sensitive. The computational power of quantum computers relies on the quantum mechanical phenomenon of superposition, meaning qubits can simultaneously hold the values 1 and 0, as well as all intermediate states, in any combination. The computational capacity increases exponentially with each additional qubit, but the trade-off is their extreme susceptibility to disturbances. -- "The slightest noise from the surroundings in the form of vibrations, electromagnetic radiation, or a change in temperature can cause the qubits to miscalculate or even lose their quantum state, their coherence, thereby also losing their capacity to continue calculating," says Calcluth. | 122 |
| Tai Chi, Yoga, And Jogging Rival Pills For Beating Insomnia | Exercise Outperforms Pills For Insomnia: Discover Natural Remedies That Improve Sleep Quality | Effects of various exercise interventions in insomnia patients: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. | BMJ Group | Recent research emphasizes the potential of exercise as a primary treatment for insomnia, revealing that activities like yoga, Tai Chi, walking, and jogging significantly enhance sleep quality. While cognitive behavioral therapy remains beneficial, exercise-based methods, particularly Tai Chi, showed remarkable improvements in sleep duration and efficiency, suggesting that these natural remedies could effectively combat insomnia with minimal side effects. | The Best Exercise for Insomnia?Tai Chi, yoga, and jogging rival traditional insomnia treatments, significantly improving sleep length, quality, and reducing nighttime awakenings—all with minimal side effects. Credit: Shutterstock -- Yoga, Tai Chi, walking and jogging may be the best forms of exercise to improve sleep quality and ease insomnia, suggest the findings of a comparative pooled data analysis published in the online journal BMJ Evidence Based Medicine. -- The findings back the use of exercise as a primary treatment strategy for poor sleep patterns, say the researchers. -- Characterized by difficulties falling and staying asleep, and early morning awakening, the prevalence of insomnia ranges from 4-22%, note the researchers. It is associated with heightened risks of various mental and physical health conditions, including dementia and cardiovascular disease. -- Drug treatments for insomnia are not without their side effects, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), while effective, isn't always available due to the shortage of trained therapists, explain the researchers. -- An emerging body of research suggests that exercise is helpful, but current guidelines don't specify which types of exercise might be most beneficial. The researchers therefore set out to plug this knowledge gap, with a view to informing clinical practice and helping patients choose the most appropriate exercise for managing their insomnia. -- They scoured research databases looking for relevant randomized clinical trials published up to April 2025 and included 22 in a network meta analysis -- a statistical technique used to simultaneously compare multiple interventions. -- The trials involved 1348 participants and 13 different treatment approaches to ease insomnia, seven of which were exercise based: yoga; Tai Chi; walking or jogging; aerobic plus strength exercise; strength training alone; aerobic exercise combined with therapy; and mixed aerobic exercises. These programs ranged from 4 up to 26 weeks in length. -- The other approaches included CBT; sleep hygiene; Ayurveda; acupuncture/massage; nothing; and existing treatment, such as usual care and/or lifestyle changes, the durations of which ranged from 6 to 26 weeks. -- Validated scoring systems for sleep quality and insomnia severity -- PSQI and the ISI45 -- as well as subjective and objective measures of total sleep time, sleep efficiency (percentage of time spent asleep while in bed), number of awakenings after going to sleep, and time taken to fall asleep (sleep latency) were used to assess sleep patterns. | 123 |
| Six-Hour ‘Undo’ Button: GAI-17 Rewinds Stroke Damage And May Beat Alzheimer’s | New Drug GAI-17 May Reverse Stroke Damage And Show Promise Against Alzheimer’s | Inhibition of GAPDH aggregation as a potential treatment for acute ischemic stroke. | Osaka Metropolitan University | Researchers in Osaka have developed a promising drug, GAI-17, that inhibits protein clumping to reduce cell death and paralysis in mice with acute strokes. This drug not only prevents significant brain damage but also shows potential benefits for treating other neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, while demonstrating no major side effects, even when administered hours after a stroke. | One Drug Offers Hope for Stroke PatientsGAI-17 shields mouse brains from stroke damage, restores movement, works up to six hours after onset, and does so without harming heart or vessels, opening doors to treat various neurodegenerative diseases. Credit: Shutterstock -- Stroke is said to be the second leading cause of death worldwide after heart disease. To prevent the death of neurons in the brain, a research group led by Osaka Metropolitan University Associate Professor Hidemitsu Nakajima of the Graduate School of Veterinary Science has developed a drug that inhibits a protein involved in cell death. -- The multifunctional protein GAPDH (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) is linked to pathogenesis in many intractable brain and nervous system diseases. The team developed GAI-17, a GAPDH aggregation inhibitor. When this inhibitor was administered to model mice with acute strokes, there was a significantly lower level of brain cell death and paralysis compared to untreated mice. -- GAI-17 also showed no side effects of concern, such as adverse effects on the heart or cerebrovascular system. Furthermore, experiments using GAI-17 showed improvement in the mice even when administered six hours after a stroke. -- "The GAPDH aggregation inhibitor we have developed is expected to be a single drug that can treat many intractable neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's disease," stated Professor Nakajima. "Going forward, we will verify the effectiveness of this approach in disease models other than stroke and promote further practical research toward the realization of a healthy and long-lived society." -- The findings were published in iScience. | 124 |
| Can’t Sleep, Can’t Focus, Can’t Thrive? ADHD And Insomnia May Be A Vicious Cycle | Insomnia May Explain Low Satisfaction In Adults With ADHD Traits | Associations of ADHD traits, sleep/circadian factors, depression and quality of life. | University of Southampton | A recent study indicates a strong correlation between insomnia and reduced life satisfaction in adults with ADHD traits. Findings suggest that poor sleep may exacerbate emotional challenges and attention difficulties faced by these individuals, forming a vicious cycle that diminishes overall well-being and quality of life. | Insomnia May Explain Why ADHD Adults Feel UnhappyA poor night’s sleep could be the missing link in understanding why adults with ADHD traits feel less happy—insomnia may be dragging their mood and quality of life down. Credit: Shutterstock -- Insomnia could explain why adults with ADHD traits report having a lower quality of life, according to new research led by the University of Southampton and the Netherlands Institute of Neuroscience. -- A study published on July 15 in BMJ Mental Health found that having higher ADHD traits was associated with a lower quality of life and that insomnia could be part of the reason why. -- At least one in four people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) report having a sleep disorder, with insomnia being the most common of these. -- "Our findings show a link between ADHD traits, insomnia severity, and reduced life satisfaction," says Dr Sarah L. Chellappa, Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Southampton and senior author on the research paper. -- "We know that sleep disruption can impact neurobehavioral and cognitive systems, including attention and emotional regulation. At the same time, sleep disruption may arise from ADHD-related impulsivity and hyperactivity, suggesting a reinforcing cycle between sleep disorders and ADHD." -- Researchers from the University of Southampton and the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (Prof Eus Van Someren) examined data from the Netherlands Sleep Registry, an online survey with more than ten thousand adult participants. -- The team analysed responses from 1,364 participants who had answered questions about ADHD traits, sleep disturbances, circadian factors, depression, and quality of life. -- They found ADHD traits were associated with worse depression, more severe insomnia, lower sleep quality, and a preference for going to bed and waking up later. -- ADHD and insomnia severity both predicted a lower quality of life, with analysis suggesting insomnia was the potential link in this association. | 125 |
| In Seconds, AI Builds Proteins To Battle Cancer And Antibiotic Resistance | AI Revolutionizes Protein Design To Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria And Cancer | Inhibiting heme piracy by pathogenic Escherichia coli using de novo-designed proteins. | Monash University | Australian scientists have harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to swiftly create proteins that target antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as E. coli. This breakthrough allows for the rapid design of treatments that could significantly advance the fight against superbugs and other diseases, revolutionizing the biomedical field by accelerating drug development processes. | AI Designs Protein That Kills Deadly BacteriaAI is transforming how we create proteins, allowing Australian researchers to kill superbugs with lab-made molecules generated in seconds instead of years. Credit: Shutterstock -- In the last year, there has been a surge in proteins developed by AI that will eventually be used in the treatment of everything from snakebites to cancer. What would normally take decades for a scientist to create -- a custom-made protein for a particular disease -- can now be done in seconds. -- For the first time, Australian scientists have used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate a ready-to-use biological protein, in this case, one that can kill antibiotic resistant bacteria like E. coli. -- This study, published in Nature Communications, provides a new way to combat the growing crisis caused by antibiotic resistant super bugs. By using AI in this way, Australian science has now joined countries like the US and China having developed AI platforms capable of rapidly generating thousands of ready-to-use proteins, paving the way for faster, more affordable drug development and diagnostics that could transform biomedical research and patient care. -- The Nature Communications paper is co-led by Dr. Rhys Grinter and Associate Professor Gavin Knott, a Snow Medical Fellow, who lead the new AI Protein Design Program with nodes at the University of Melbourne Bio21 Institute and Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute. -- According to Dr. Grinter and A/Prof. Knott, the AI Protein Design Platform used in this work is the first in Australia that models the work done by David Baker (who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry last year) developing an end-to-end approach that could create a wide range of proteins. "These proteins are now being developed as pharmaceuticals, vaccines, nanomaterials and tiny sensors, with many other applications yet to be tested" Associate Professor Knott said. -- For this study, the AI Protein Design Platform used AI-driven protein design tools that are freely available for scientists everywhere. "It's important to democratize protein design so that the whole world has the ability to leverage these tools," said Daniel Fox, the PhD student who performed most of the experimental work for the study. "Using these tools and those we are developing in-house, we can engineer proteins to bind a specific target site or ligand, as inhibitors, agonists or antagonists, or engineered enzymes with improved activity and stability." -- According to Dr Grinter, currently proteins used in the treatment of diseases like cancer or infections are derived from nature and repurposed through rational design or in vitro evolution and selection. "These new methods in deep learning enable efficient de novo design of proteins with specific characteristics and functions, lowering the cost and accelerating the development of novel protein binders and engineered enzymes," he said. -- Since the work of David Baker, new tools and software are being developed, such as Bindcraft and Chai which have been incorporated into an AI Protein Design Platform co-led by Dr. Grinter and A/Prof. Knott.. -- Professor John Carroll, Director of the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, said the new AI Protein Design Program 'brings Australia "right up to speed in this exciting new modality for designing novel therapeutics and research tools. It is testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of two fabulous young scientists who have worked night and day to build this capability from scratch." | 126 |
| A Tiny Chemistry Hack Just Made Mrna Vaccines Safer, Stronger, And Smarter | Olive Oil's Secret Ingredient Enhances mRNA Vaccines For Better Health Outcomes | Mannich reaction-based combinatorial libraries identify antioxidant ionizable lipids for mRNA delivery with reduced immunogenicity. | University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science | In a notable advancement, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have enhanced mRNA vaccine delivery systems by integrating olive oil’s anti-inflammatory properties. This innovation reduces side effects and increases vaccine efficacy, paving the way for the development of improved therapies and vaccines that could revolutionize public health strategies. | A New Recipe for Safer, Stronger mRNA VaccinesA forgotten chemical recipe just made mRNA vaccines safer, stronger, and surprisingly versatile. Credit: Shutterstock -- As millions of people know firsthand, the most common side effect of mRNA vaccines like the COVID-19 shot is inflammation: soreness, redness and a day or two of malaise. But what if mRNA vaccines could be redesigned to sidestep that response altogether? -- In a new paper in Nature Biomedical Engineering, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania show that tweaking the structure of the ionizable lipid, a key component of the lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) that deliver mRNA, not only reduces inflammation but also boosts vaccine effectiveness for preventing or treating a range of diseases, from COVID-19 to cancer. -- The key change? Adding phenol groups, chemical compounds with anti-inflammatory properties famously found in foods like olive oil. "By essentially changing the recipe for these lipids, we were able to make them work better with fewer side effects," says Michael J. Mitchell, Associate Professor in Bioengineering (BE) and the paper's senior author. "It's a win-win." -- Revising the Recipe -- Until now, the ionizable lipids in LNPs -- one of four types of lipids in LNPs, and arguably the most important -- have largely been synthesized using chemical reactions that combine two components into a new molecule, much like two halves of a sandwich coming together. -- "Because these processes have been so successful, there hasn't been much effort to look for alternatives," says Ninqiang Gong, a former postdoctoral fellow in the Mitchell Lab and co-first author of the paper. -- Looking back at the history of chemistry, the team found an alternative approach: the Mannich reaction, named after the German chemist who discovered it more than a century ago. -- Rather than two components, the Mannich reaction combines three precursors, allowing for a greater variety of molecular outcomes. "We were able to create hundreds of new lipids," says Gong. -- Exploring that "library" of lipids led the team to discover that adding a phenol group -- a combination of hydrogen and oxygen connected to a ring of carbon molecules -- substantially reduced inflammation. | 127 |
| Active But Still Gaining Weight? Duke Scientists Reveal Why | Duke Study: Diet Not Laziness Fuels Global Obesity Epidemic—Here’s Why | Energy expenditure and obesity across the economic spectrum. | Duke University | A comprehensive study from Duke University challenges the notion that inactivity is driving the obesity epidemic, revealing that increased caloric intake is the main factor. Researchers found high caloric consumption, rather than decreased physical activity, largely contributes to obesity rates in wealthier nations, emphasizing the need for revised public health guidance. | Global Obesity Crisis Tied to Diet, Not LazinessObesity is growing, but not because we're lazier. It’s our diets, not our activity levels, that have changed the most as countries develop. Credit: Shutterstock -- A newly released study from Duke University's Pontzer Lab, housed in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology in Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, looks at the correlations between economic development, daily energy expenditure and the rise in a country's obesity level. -- While many experts have offered that rising obesity rates are due to declining physical activity as societies become more industrialized, the findings show that people in wealthier countries expend just as much -- or even more -- energy daily. In an article recently published in PNAS, Duke researchers point instead to higher caloric intake as the primary driver, suggesting that diet rather than idleness plays the bigger role in the global obesity crisis. -- "Despite decades of trying to understand the root causes of the obesity crisis in economically developed countries, public health guidance remains stuck with uncertainty as to the relative importance of diet and physical activity. This large, international, collaborative effort allows us to test these competing ideas. It's clear that changes in diet, not reduced activity, are the main cause of obesity in the U.S. and other developed countries," says Herman Pontzer, principal investigator with the Pontzer Lab and professor in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology. -- The researchers analyzed thousands of measurements of daily energy expenditure, body fat percentage and body mass index (BMI) from adults aged 18 to 60 across 34 populations spanning six continents. The more than 4,200 adults included in the study came from a wide range of lifestyles and economies, including hunter-gatherer, pastoralist, farming and industrialized populations. To further categorize the level of industrialization, they also integrated data from the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) to incorporate measures of lifespan, prosperity and education. -- "While we saw a marginal decrease in size-adjusted total energy expenditure with economic development, differences in total energy expenditure explained only a fraction of the increase in body fat that accompanied development. This suggests that other factors, such as dietary changes, are driving the increases in body fat that we see with increasing economic development," says Amanda McGrosky, a Duke postdoctoral alumna and lead investigator for the study who is now an assistant professor of biology at Elon University. -- The researchers hope the study helps clarify public health messaging and strategies to tackle the obesity crisis and explain that the findings do not mean that efforts to promote physical activity should be minimized. Instead, the data support an emerging consensus that both diet and exercise should be prioritized. "Diet and physical activity should be viewed as essential and complementary, rather than interchangeable," the study notes. They will next work to identify which aspects of diet in developed countries are most responsible for the rise in obesity. | 128 |
| Doctors Used Music Instead Of Medication—What They Saw In Dementia Patients Was Remarkable | Music Therapy Offers Hope In NHS Dementia Wards—Results Are Encouraging | Music therapy embedded in the life of dementia inpatient care to help prevent and manage distress: a feasibility study to inform a future trial. | Anglia Ruskin University | An innovative pilot study in NHS dementia wards is exploring the effectiveness of live music therapy, known as MELODIC, to alleviate patient distress without medication. Early results indicate that this approach improves well-being and reduces disruptive behaviors, suggesting a promising alternative to traditional drug-based treatments for dementia patients. | Music Soothes Dementia Better Than ExpectedMusic may soon be a vital tool in dementia care. A new NHS trial found that live music therapy sessions improved quality of life and reduced distress on hospital wards. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new treatment that uses music therapy on dementia wards could improve care and support for some of the NHS's most vulnerable patients. -- Researchers at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust have piloted a music therapy approach called MELODIC, across two NHS dementia wards. -- More alternatives to psychotropic medication are needed to support dementia patients who experience severe distress. -- The pilot study involved a music therapist being embedded on hospital wards, the delivery of clinical music sessions and the implementation of musical care plans for each patient, and results from the research have now been published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry. -- Music therapy, delivered by trained therapists, can include singing, playing or listening to music. The therapist can also identify specific ways that music can be used by families and carers in an individual's daily care routine. -- During the study, patient data suggested a slight improvement in quality-of-life scores among patients and a reduction in the severity of distress symptoms and disruptiveness, although agitation scores increased slightly. -- There were no increases in routinely reported incidents, and no adverse events related to music therapy interventions were reported. This is relevant for future research on mental health dementia wards where limited studies have been conducted to date. -- Lead author Naomi Thompson, a researcher at the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said: "People with dementia on inpatient mental health wards are often experiencing very high levels of distress, and staff are under immense pressure to manage this in ways that are safe and compassionate. -- "Our study yielded promising results and importantly showed that the MELODIC tool can be used effectively in these highly complex settings, giving an alternative option to current ways of managing severe distress, such as psychotropic medication." | 129 |
| Not Just Hot Flashes: The Hidden Depression Crisis In Early Menopause | Premature Menopause: Understanding The Emotional Impact Beyond Hormonal Changes | Depressive symptoms in women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI): a cross-sectional observational study. | The Menopause Society | A new study highlights that nearly 30% of women facing premature menopause experience depression linked to emotional and psychological challenges rather than hormonal changes. Key risk factors include younger diagnosis ages and lack of support, underscoring the need for tailored interventions that address the emotional impact of this condition. | The Hidden Depression Crisis in Early MenopauseMany women diagnosed with premature menopause face intense emotional and physical challenges, but not all are affected the same way. A new study finds nearly one-third of women with this condition suffer from depressive symptoms and pinpoints key risk factors—like younger age at diagnosis, grief from infertility, and lack of emotional support. Credit: Shutterstock -- Premature menopause has been described as a life-changing diagnosis with profound physical, psychological, and social consequences. Affected women not only experience the effects of estrogen deficiency, but they also experience the unanticipated loss of reproductive function. However, some women are more adversely affected by these changes than others. A new study helps explore reasons for these differences. Results are published on July 16 in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society. -- Premature menopause, medically known as premature or primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), is a condition in which the ovaries cease to function normally before the age of 40. It has been linked to an elevated lifetime risk for depression and anxiety. A recent meta-analysis revealed an odds ratio of 3.3 for depression and 4.9 for anxiety in women with POI compared with those without the condition. The increased risk is understandable given the combined experience of infertility and the additional burdens resulting from estrogen deficiency, such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, reduced bone mineral density, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, among others. For some women, infertility means altered life goals, loss of sense of control, social stigma, and disrupted social roles. -- However, not all women experience depression or the same level of depression when presented with the same diagnosis. In this new study, researchers gathered data from nearly 350 women with POI to try to identify the specific variables that contribute to the likelihood of depressive symptoms. Their first observation was the high prevalence of depression among participants. Nearly one-third (29.9%) of the women with POI suffered from depressive symptoms. -- The researchers additionally found that a younger age at POI diagnosis, severe menopause symptoms, fertility-related grief, and lack of emotional support were risk factors. No significant difference was found in depressive symptoms between women using estrogen plus progestogen therapy and those not using hormone therapy, underscoring the role of psychosocial factors. Interestingly, a genetic cause for POI was associated with lower depressive symptoms. Another unexpected result was that, even though a higher burden of menopause symptoms was independently associated with depressive symptoms, hot flashes (specifically night sweats) were not. -- This is the first known large-scale study to investigate specific variables that are associated with depressive symptoms in women with POI. The researchers believe its results highlight the importance of comprehensive care addressing both physical and psychological aspects of menopause at an early age. -- Survey results are published in the article "Depressive symptoms in women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI): a cross-sectional observational study." -- "The high prevalence of depressive symptoms in those with POI highlights the importance of routine screening in this vulnerable population. Although hormone therapy is recognized as the standard of care for those with POI for management of some menopause-related symptoms and preventive care, it is not first-line treatment for mood disorders. This was evident in this study in which there was no difference in depressive symptoms between those using hormones and those not using hormone therapy. Addressing behavioral-health concerns with evidence-based interventions should be part of any comprehensive POI care plan," says Dr. Monica Christmas, associate medical director for The Menopause Society. | 130 |
| Nature’s Longevity Hack: How Human Eggs Stay Fresh For 50 Years | Human Eggs Stay Viable For Decades By Slowing Waste Disposal—A Longevity Secret | The proteostatic landscape of healthy human oocytes. | Center for Genomic Regulation | Research into human egg cells has revealed a unique strategy for maintaining cellular viability over decades by slowing internal waste disposal systems. This finding sheds light on how eggs preserve their quality for potential use in IVF, offering new insights into reproductive biology and strategies for enhancing fertilization success rates. | How Human Eggs Stay Fresh for 50 YearsNew research reveals that human eggs protect themselves by suppressing internal waste systems, preserving their quality over decades. This unique survival tactic could reshape approaches to IVF. Credit: Shutterstock -- Human eggs are some of the most patient cells in the body, lying dormant for decades until needed. A study published on July 16 in The EMBO Journal shows that the cells deliberately slow the activity of their internal waste disposal systems as they mature, most likely an evolutionary design which keeps metabolism low and damage at bay. -- "By looking at more than a hundred freshly donated eggs, the largest dataset of its kind, we found a surprisingly minimalist strategy that helps the cells stay pristine for many years," says Dr. Elvan Böke, corresponding author of the study and Group Leader at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona. -- Women are born with one to two million immature eggs, a stock that dwindles to a few hundred by menopause. Each egg must avoid wear-and-tear for up to five decades before it can support a pregnancy. The new study suggests how they manage it. -- Protein recycling is essential housekeeping, and lysosomes and proteasomes are the cell's main waste disposal units. But every time these cellular components degrade proteins, they consume energy. This in turn can create reactive oxygen species (ROS), harmful molecules that can damage DNA and membranes. The team did not measure ROS directly, but hypothesise that by tapping the brakes on recycling, the egg keeps ROS production to a minimum while still doing enough housekeeping to survive. -- The idea meshes with the group's previous work, published in 2022, which showed that human oocytes deliberately skip a fundamental metabolic reaction to curb ROS production. Taken together, the two studies suggest that human eggs power down in different ways to keep potential damage as low as possible for as long as possible. -- The discovery was made possible by collecting over 100 eggs from 21 healthy donors aged 19-34 at Dexeus Mujer, a Barcelona fertility clinic, 70 of which were fertilization-ready eggs and 30 still-immature oocytes. Using fluorescent probes, they tracked lysosome, proteasome and mitochondrial activity in live cells. All three readouts were roughly 50 percent lower than in the eggs' own surrounding support cells and fell even further as the cells matured. -- Live-imaging showed the eggs literally jettisoning lysosomes into the surrounding fluid during the last hours before ovulation. At the same time, mitochondria and proteasomes migrated to the cell's outer rim. "It's a type of spring cleaning we didn't know human eggs were capable of," says first author Dr. Gabriele Zaffagnini. -- The research is the largest-scale study of healthy human eggs collected directly from women. Most laboratory research to date has relied on eggs that have been ripened artificially in a dish, yet such in-vitro-matured oocytes often behave abnormally and are linked to poorer IVF results. -- The study could lead to new strategies to improve success rates for the millions of IVF cycles attempted worldwide each year. "Fertility patients are routinely advised to take random supplements to improve egg metabolism, but evidence for any benefit for pregnant outcomes is patchy," says Dr. Böke. | 131 |
| Popular Sugar Substitute Linked To Brain Cell Damage And Stroke Risk | Erythritol Sweetener Linked To Potential Risks For Brain Health And Stroke | The non-nutritive sweetener erythritol adversely affects brain microvascular endothelial cell function. | University of Colorado at Boulder | New findings from the University of Colorado Boulder raise concerns about the safety of erythritol, a common sugar substitute, revealing that even small amounts may negatively affect brain blood vessel cells and increase stroke risk. This research prompts a reevaluation of the health implications associated with widely consumed non-nutritive sweeteners. | Sugar Substitute Linked to Brain Cell DamageEven small amounts of erythritol may trigger harmful changes in brain blood vessels, potentially raising stroke risk. Credit: Shutterstock -- From low-carb ice cream to keto protein bars to "sugar-free" soda, the decades-old sweetener erythritol is everywhere. -- But new University of Colorado Boulder research shows the popular sugar substitute and specialty food additive comes with serious downsides, impacting brain cells in numerous ways that can boost risk of stroke. -- The study was published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. -- "Our study adds to the evidence suggesting that non-nutritive sweeteners that have generally been purported to be safe, may not come without negative health consequences," said senior author Christopher DeSouza, professor of integrative physiology and director of the Integrative Vascular Biology Lab. -- First approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2001, erythritol is a sugar alcohol, often produced by fermenting corn and found in hundreds of products. It has almost no calories, is about 80% as sweet as table sugar, and has negligible impact on insulin levels, making it a favorite for people trying to lose weight, keep their blood sugar in check or avoid carbohydrates. -- But recent research has begun to shed light on its risks. -- One recent study involving 4,000 people in the U.S. and Europe found that men and women with higher circulating levels of erythritol were significantly more likely to have a heart attack or stroke within the next three years. -- DeSouza and first author Auburn Berry, a graduate student in his lab, set out to understand what might be driving that increased risk. -- Researchers in the lab treated human cells that line blood vessels in the brain for three hours with about the same amount of erythritol contained in a typical sugar-free beverage. | 132 |
| The silent threat: How hearing loss and loneliness are fueling memory decline | Hearing Loss And Loneliness: A Dangerous Duo Accelerating Cognitive Decline In Seniors | Profiles of social isolation and loneliness as moderators of the longitudinal association between uncorrected hearing impairment and cognitive aging. | Université de Genève | A significant study from the University of Geneva uncovers a critical link between hearing loss and loneliness in accelerating cognitive decline among older adults. The findings highlight the importance of addressing both hearing impairments and emotional well-being to slow memory loss and improve quality of life for the elderly. | The Silent Combo That Speeds Up Memory LossWhen hearing fades and loneliness sets in, memory suffers more quickly. But staying connected and using hearing aids could help turn the tide. Credit: Shutterstock -- Isolation, communication difficulties, reduced alertness -- hearing impairment or loss is a real challenge in daily life. Over time, it can also become a risk factor for cognitive decline. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) analysed data from 33,000 older adults across Europe to examine the combined impact of hearing loss and loneliness on memory. They identified three distinct profiles based on the degree of social isolation and perceived loneliness. The findings show that hearing loss accelerates cognitive decline particularly among individuals who feel lonely, regardless of whether they are socially isolated. These results, published in Communications Psychology, support the case for early and preventive hearing care. -- According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 2.5 billion people will experience hearing loss or impairment by 2050. More than 25% of people over the age of 60 experience disabling hearing impairment. In addition to the social challenges it creates, this loss -- or reduction -- is linked to a significantly increased risk of cognitive decline in later life. That risk may be two to three times higher for those affected. -- A joint team from the Lifespan Developmental Psychology Lab and the Cognitive Ageing Lab at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) set out to investigate whether the combination of hearing difficulties and feelings of loneliness -- whether objectively measured or subjectively perceived -- could be associated with accelerated memory decline in older age. ''This is a relatively new approach,'' explains Charikleia Lampraki, postdoctoral researcher in the Lifespan Lab at UNIGE's Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences and first author of the study. ''While some studies have suggested that this might be a promising avenue, very few research teams have actually explored it.'' -- 33,000 people studied -- To conduct their analyses, the researchers drew on data from the large-scale SHARE study (Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe) -- a longitudinal survey launched in 2002 that examines the health and aging of Europeans aged 50 and over. -- "We used data from twelve countries, including Switzerland, representing a sample of 33,000 people," explains Andreas Ihle, assistant professor at the Lifespan Lab and director of the study. Participants are surveyed every two years on various aspects of their daily lives -- such as activities, social connections, and perceptions -- and undergo tests on cognitive functions like episodic memory, using standardized exercises. -- The UNIGE research team identified three distinct profiles related to the issue: -- 1. Individuals who are socially isolated and feel lonely -- 2. Individuals who are not socially isolated but still feel lonely -- | 133 |
| Three-Person Dna Ivf Stops Inherited Disease—Eight Healthy Babies Born In Uk First | Groundbreaking IVF Technique Produces Eight Healthy Babies With Three-DNA Sources | Mitochondrial Donation in a Reproductive Care Pathway for mtDNA Disease. | Newcastle University | Eight healthy babies have been born in the UK using a pioneering IVF technique involving DNA from three individuals to prevent mitochondrial diseases. This groundbreaking method has shown promising early results, with all babies developing normally, offering hope to families at risk of genetic disorders. | Three-Person DNA IVF Stops Inherited DiseaseIn the UK, IVF using DNA from three people has stopped mitochondrial disease before birth—eight babies are living proof. Credit: Shutterstock -- The UK’s pioneering licensed IVF technique to reduce the risk of mitochondrial diseases carried out in Newcastle has seen eight babies born, published research shows. -- All eight babies show no signs of having mitochondrial DNA disease. The babies, four girls and four boys, including one set of identical twins, were born to seven women at high risk of transmitting serious disease caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA. The findings, reported on July 16 by the Newcastle team who pioneered mitochondrial donation using fertilized human eggs, indicate that the new treatment, known as pronuclear transfer, is effective in reducing the risk of otherwise incurable mitochondrial DNA diseases. -- Published in two papers in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the findings describe the reproductive and clinical outcomes of pronuclear transfer treatments performed to date. All babies were healthy at birth, meeting their developmental milestones, and the mother’s disease-causing mitochondrial DNA mutations were either undetectable or present at levels that are very unlikely to cause disease. -- The technique was pioneered in human eggs by a team based at Newcastle University, UK and the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in work funded by Wellcome and NHS England. -- The mother of a baby girl born following mitochondrial donation said: “As parents, all we ever wanted was to give our child a healthy start in life. Mitochondrial donation IVF made that possible. After years of uncertainty this treatment gave us hope—and then it gave us our baby. We look at them now, full of life and possibility, and we’re overwhelmed with gratitude. Science gave us a chance.” -- The mother of a baby boy added: “We are now proud parents to a healthy baby—a true mitochondrial replacement success. This breakthrough has lifted the heavy cloud of fear that once loomed over us. -- “Thanks to this incredible advancement and the support we received, our little family is complete. The emotional burden of mitochondrial disease has been lifted, and in its place is hope, joy, and deep gratitude.” -- The NHS Mitochondrial Reproductive Care Pathway offers mitochondrial donation, through a research study, in addition to other reproductive options for women with mitochondrial disease. -- Professor Sir Doug Turnbull, Newcastle University part of the Newcastle team said: “Mitochondrial disease can have a devastating impact on families. Today’s news offers fresh hope to many more women at risk of passing on this condition who now have the chance to have children growing up without this terrible disease. Within the framework of the NHS in a well-regulated environment, we are able to offer mitochondrial donation as part of a research study to affected women in the UK.“ | 134 |
| Teen Bats Are Spawning New Viruses—Here’s Why Scientists Are Paying Close Attention | Juvenile Bats Are Key To Understanding Coronavirus Evolution—Research Sheds Light | Synchronized seasonal excretion of multiple coronaviruses coincides with high rates of coinfection in immature bats. | University of Sydney | A comprehensive study by the University of Sydney reveals how coronaviruses evolve in juvenile bats, highlighting their role as hotspots for infections. The findings suggest that young bats' susceptibility to multiple viral infections may be crucial to understanding the emergence of new strains, providing insights into future zoonotic disease risks. | How Young Bats Could Spawn the Next VirusYoung bats infected with multiple viruses could be nature’s incubators for future coronavirus variants. Australian researchers tracked infections across thousands of bats, offering clues on how new strains form and spill over. Credit: Shutterstock -- New research by the University of Sydney offers important insights into how and when new coronavirus variants arise in bats. -- Bats are beneficial to our ecosystems and economy but, as habitat destruction and environmental stressors put them in closer proximity to humans, disease risks can emerge. The research, published in Nature Communications on July 17, offers an approach to anticipating the emergence of coronaviruses. It found young bats are infected more frequently and could be a key source of viral spillover into other species. The study also reveals the dynamics of coronaviruses circulating in Australian bats, which pose no known risk to humans. -- Endemic in bat populations, most coronaviruses never infect humans. When they do, as with the SARS, COVID-19 and MERS outbreaks, they typically spill over from bats via a bridging animal host. -- "Coronaviruses tend not to be of major concern to bats," said Dr Alison Peel from the University's School of Veterinary Science, who led the study. "But they can behave differently if they spill over to new species." -- In one of the most comprehensive single studies of its type, the researchers collected more than 2,500 faecal samples, via which bats shed coronaviruses, over three years. Samples were taken from black flying foxes and grey-headed flying foxes at five roost sites across Australia's eastern seaboard. -- Viral testing of the samples showed coronaviruses were most prevalent in young bats between March and July, when they were weaning and approaching maturity. This was consistent across the three-year study. Particularly notable was the high proportion of bats infected with multiple coronaviruses at once. -- "We were surprised by that high rate of co-infection among juveniles and subadults," Dr Peel said. "Co-infection presents the opportunity for a single cell to become infected with multiple viruses, an important natural precursor to the generation of new strains." -- The six coronaviruses detected in the study were nobecoviruses, a subclass which does not jump to humans. Three of these were new. They were useful to analyse because they pose minimal risk to people but are the evolutionary cousins of sarbecoviruses, so-called SARS-like viruses which are more prone to spill across to other species. Understanding the evolution of nobecoviruses offers parallel insights into the evolution of more dangerous coronaviruses. -- "We safely tracked how and when coronaviruses circulated naturally in bat populations. Using genomics to track infections to individual animals," Dr John-Sebastian Eden, a study co-author from the Westmead Insitute for Medical Research and the University's Faculty of Medicine and Health. | 135 |
| Beneath The Scales: The Secret Bone Armor That Helped Lizards Survive Australia | Hidden Bone Armor Found In Goannas Challenges Our Understanding Of Lizard Evolution | Dermal armour in lizards: osteoderms more common than presumed. | Museum Victoria | A study has uncovered unexpected bony structures known as osteoderms in Australia’s monitor lizards, altering perceptions of lizard evolution. These findings suggest that osteoderms may serve functions beyond protection, possibly aiding survival in extreme environments and offering new avenues for research into reptilian adaptability. | Hidden Armor Discovered in Monitor LizardsIn this green tree monitor (Varanus prasinus UF 71411, MorphoSource), radiodensity heatmapping shows bone tissue, including osteoderms, in yellow to red. Credit: Roy Ebel -- Beneath the scales of Australia's iconic monitor lizards (commonly known as goannas), scientists have discovered an unexpected secret: a hidden layer of bony skin structures known as osteoderms. These structures, which have been long overlooked, may hold the key to understanding how these ancient reptiles not only survived but thrived in one of the world's harshest environments. -- The findings, published on July 21 in the prestigious Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, mark the first large-scale global study of osteoderms in lizards and snakes. The international collaboration brought together researchers from Australia, Europe and the United States, who used cutting-edge micro-CT scanning to examine nearly 2,000 reptile specimens from major museum collections including those held at Museums Victoria's Research Institute. -- 'We were astonished to find osteoderms in 29 Australo-Papuan monitor lizard species that had never been documented before,' said Roy Ebel, lead author and researcher at Museums Victoria Research Institute and the Australian National University. 'It's a fivefold increase in known cases among goannas.' -- Osteoderms are most commonly known from crocodiles, armadillos, and even some dinosaurs like Stegosaurus. But their function has remained something of an evolutionary mystery. While they may provide protection, scientists now suspect they may also support heat regulation, mobility and calcium storage during reproduction. -- This new research reveals that osteoderms are far more widespread in lizards than previously thought, occurring in nearly half of all lizard species worldwide - an 85% increase on earlier estimates. -- At the heart of this discovery lies the power of museum collections. Scientific institutions like Museums Victoria Research Institute play a critical role in preserving biodiversity through time, enabling researchers to study species long after they were collected. Many of the specimens used in this study were decades, and in some cases over 120 years old, but advances in imaging technology enabled scientists to uncover new insights without harming the original material. These collections are not just archives, they're active tools for scientific discovery. -- 'What's so exciting about this finding is that it reshapes what we thought we knew about reptile evolution,' said Dr Jane Melville, Museums Victoria Research Institute Senior Curator of Terrestrial Vertebrates. 'It suggests that these skin bones may have evolved in response to environmental pressures as lizards adapted to Australia's challenging landscapes.' -- Until now, the presence of osteoderms in monitor lizards was considered rare and mostly confined to the famed Komodo dragon. But the discovery of their widespread presence across Australo-Papuan goannas opens up new questions about how these lizards adapted, survived and diversified across the continent. -- This landmark study not only tells a new chapter in the story of Australia's goannas, it provides a powerful new dataset for exploring how skin, structure, and survival have intertwined across millions of years of evolution. | 136 |
| This Oat Discovery Could Change Your Breakfast—And The Future Of Plant-Based Food | Discoveries In Oats Could Transform How We Process This Breakfast Staple | Proteomic and lipidomic analyses reveal novel molecular insights into oat (Avena sativa L.) lipid regulation and crosstalk with starch synthesis during grain development. | University of South Australia | Researchers in Australia have identified key biological triggers behind oil production in oats, potentially revolutionizing their processing. This discovery could lead to the development of low-oil oat varieties that are easier to mill and meet the rising demand for plant-based products, enhancing the oat industry. | This Oat Discovery Could Change Your BreakfastA hidden oat enzyme could transform how we grow, mill, and eat this everyday grain. Credit: Shutterstock -- New University of South Australia research is providing evidence of biological triggers of oil production in oats, a discovery that will help processing and potentially drive further demand for Australian-grown oats. -- While Australia is the world's second-largest exporter of oats, high oil content in oat grains creates challenges during milling, reducing processing efficiency and limiting product innovation - particularly in high-demand sectors like oat flour and plant-based proteins. -- Researchers from the University of South Australia, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), and the University of Adelaide are collaborating on research designed to better understand the biological processes responsible for oil synthesis in oat grains. -- In this study, two contemporary varieties of oats were examined using spatial imaging techniques to track oil build-up during grain development. Researchers then applied 'omics' technologies - lipidomics and proteomics - to analyse lipid and protein expression, which provided key insights into the biological mechanisms involved in the actual formation of the grain, including those relating to oil synthesis. -- The UniSA findings have provided further evidence of the mechanisms that underlie the amount of oil in an oat grain. These findings will help to guide future breeding efforts for naturally lower-oil oat varieties, improving milling yields and creating new value-added opportunities across the oat supply chain. -- UniSA PhD candidate, Darren Lau, says that current oil removal methods are inefficient and that low-oil breeding programs will aid industry growth. -- "While oil can be removed from partially milled oat flakes - using supercritical carbon dioxide prior to further milling - this approach is laborious and expensive," he says. -- "Breeding low-oil oat varieties is a cost-effective approach but requires further understanding of oil production in oats. This is where our research is critical. -- "Our analysis has identified several key enzymes that are involved in oil synthesis which could be genetically manipulated to lower oil content of oat grains. | 137 |
| Scientists Just Discovered A Secret Code Hidden In Your DNA | Junk DNA Revealed As Powerful Genetic Switches Influencing Human Development | A phylogenetic approach uncovers cryptic endogenous retrovirus subfamilies in the primate lineage. | Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University | An international study reveals that ancient viral DNA, previously deemed "junk," plays a significant role in regulating gene expression during early human development. These findings highlight the evolutionary significance of these viral sequences, suggesting they may contribute to human uniqueness by influencing how genes are activated or deactivated. | Scientists Discover Secret Code Hidden in DNANew research shows that ancient viral DNA in our genome isn’t junk at all—it helps control how our genes work, especially in the early stages of life. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new international study suggests that ancient viral DNA embedded in our genome, which were long dismissed as genetic "junk," may actually play powerful roles in regulating gene expression. Focusing on a family of sequences called MER11, researchers from Japan, China, Canada, and the US have shown that these elements have evolved to influence how genes turn on and off, particularly in early human development. -- Transposable elements (TEs) are repetitive DNA sequences in the genome that originated from ancient viruses. Over millions of years, they spread throughout the genome via copy-and-paste mechanisms. Today, TEs make up nearly half of the human genome. While they were once thought to serve no useful function, recent research has found that some of them act like "genetic switches," controlling the activity of nearby genes in specific cell types. -- However, because TEs are highly repetitive and often nearly identical in sequence, they can be difficult to study. In particular, younger TE families like MER11 have been poorly categorized in existing genomic databases, limiting our ability to understand their role. -- To overcome this, the researchers developed a new method for classifying TEs. Instead of using standard annotation tools, they grouped MER11 sequences based on their evolutionary relationships and how well they were conserved in the primate genomes. This new approach allowed them to divide MER11A/B/C into four distinct subfamilies, namely, MER11_G1 through G4, ranging from oldest to youngest. -- This new classification revealed previously hidden patterns of gene regulatory potential. The researchers compared the new MER11 subfamilies to various epigenetic markers, which are chemical tags on DNA and associated proteins that influence gene activity. This showed that this new classification aligned more closely with actual regulatory function compared with previous methods. -- To directly test whether MER11 sequences can control gene expression, the team used a technique called lentiMPRA (lentiviral massively parallel reporter assay). This method allows thousands of DNA sequences to be tested at once by inserting them into cells and measuring how much each one boosts gene activity. The researchers applied this method to nearly 7000 MER11 sequences from humans and other primates, and measured their effects in human stem cells and early-stage neural cells. -- The results showed that MER11_G4 (the youngest subfamily) exhibited a strong ability to activate gene expression. It also had a distinct set of regulatory "motifs," which are short stretches of DNA that serve as docking sites for transcription factors, the proteins that control when genes are turned on. These motifs can dramatically influence how genes respond to developmental signals or environmental cues. -- Further analysis revealed that the MER11_G4 sequences in humans, chimpanzees, and macaques had each accumulated slightly different changes over time. In humans and chimpanzees, some sequences gained mutations that could increase their regulatory potential during in human stem cells.Young MER11_G4 binds to a distinct set of transcription factors, indicating that this group gained different regulatory functions through sequence changes and contributes to speciation,leading researcher Dr. Xun Chen explains. -- The study offers a model for understanding how "junk" DNA can evolve into regulatory elements with important biological roles. By tracing the evolution of these sequences and directly testing their function, the researchers have demonstrated how ancient viral DNA has been co-opted into shaping gene activity in primates. | 138 |
| Butchery Clues Reveal Neanderthals May Have Had “Family Recipes” | Neanderthals Showed Unique Butchery Techniques: Cultural Traditions Passed Down | Cut from the same cloth? Comparing Neanderthal processing of faunal resources at Amud and Kebara caves (Israel) through cut-marks analyses. | The Hebrew University of Jerusalem | Archaeological research from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem reveals that Neanderthals in two nearby caves in Israel had distinct food preparation traditions, despite using similar tools. The differences in cut-mark patterns on bones indicate the potential for cultural culinary practices, providing deeper insights into the social dynamics of these ancient communities. | Bone Marks Reveal Prehistoric Culinary DivideNeanderthals may have had their own “family recipes.” Cut-marks on bones suggest that different groups followed distinct food prep traditions, even while using the same tools and hunting the same animals. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem reveals that Neanderthals living in two nearby caves in northern Israel -- butchered their food in noticeably different ways. Despite using the same tools and hunting the same prey, groups in Amud and Kebara caves left behind distinct patterns of cut-marks on animal bones, suggesting that food preparation techniques may have been culturally specific and passed down through generations. These differences cannot be explained by tool type, skill, or available resources, and may reflect practices such as drying or aging meat before butchering. The findings provide rare insight into the social and cultural complexity of Neanderthal communities. -- Neanderthals lived in the nearby caves of Amud and Kebara between 50 and 60,000 years ago, using the same tools and hunting the same prey. But due to the research lead by Anaelle Jallon from the Institute of Archeology (supervisors Rivka Rabinovich and Erella Hovers) with colleagues from the Natural History Museum of London, Lucille Crete and Silvia Bello, studying the cutmarks on the remains of their prey have found that the two groups seem to have butchered their food in visibly different ways, which can't be explained by the skill of the butchers or the resources or tools used at each site. These differences could represent distinct cultural food practices, such as drying meat before butchering it. -- Did Neanderthals have family recipes? A new study suggests that two groups of Neanderthals living in the caves of Amud and Kebara in northern Israel butchered their food in strikingly different ways, despite living close by and using similar tools and resources. Scientists think they might have been passing down different food preparation practices. -- "The subtle differences in cut-mark patterns between Amud and Kebara may reflect local traditions of animal carcass processing," said Anaëlle Jallon, PhD candidate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and lead author of the article in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology. "Even though Neanderthals at these two sites shared similar living conditions and faced comparable challenges, they seem to have developed distinct butchery strategies, possibly passed down through social learning and cultural traditions. -- "These two sites give us a unique opportunity to explore whether Neanderthal butchery techniques were standardized," explained Jallon. "If butchery techniques varied between sites or time periods, this would imply that factors such as cultural traditions, cooking preferences, or social organization influenced even subsistence-related activities such as butchering." -- Written in the bones -- Amud and Kebara are close to each other: only 70 kilometers apart. Neanderthals occupied both caves during the winters between 50 and 60,000 years ago, leaving behind burials, stone tools, hearths, and food remains. Both groups used the same flint tools and relied on the same prey for their diet -- mostly gazelles and fallow deer. But there are some subtle differences between the two. The Neanderthals living at Kebara seem to have hunted more large prey than those at Amud, and they also seem to have carried more large kills home to butcher them in the cave rather than at the site of the kill. -- At Amud, 40% of the animal bones are burned and most are fragmented. This could be caused by deliberate actions like cooking or by later accidental damage. At Kebara, 9% of the bones are burned, but less fragmented, and are thought to have been cooked. The bones at Amud also seem to have undergone less carnivore damage than those found at Kebara. -- To investigate the differences between food preparation at Kebara and at Amud, the scientists selected a sample of cut-marked bones from contemporaneous layers at the two sites. They examined these macroscopically and microscopically, recording the cut-marks' different characteristics. Similar patterns of cut-marks might suggest there were no differences in butchery practices, while different patterns might indicate distinct cultural traditions. | 139 |
| Millipedes Make Ants Dizzy — And Might Soon Treat Human Pain | Millipede Compounds May Inspire Innovative Painkillers And Neurological Treatments | The Discovery of Complex Heterocycles from Millipede Secretions. | Virginia Tech | Researchers at Virginia Tech have uncovered a potential breakthrough in drug development by identifying complex alkaloids in the defensive secretions of millipedes. These compounds, which affect human neuroreceptors associated with pain and cognition, could lead to innovative therapies, though scaling production presents challenges. | Turning Millipedes Into MedicineThe defensive secretions of millipedes have revealed complex alkaloids that target brain receptors, with potential for treating pain and neurological disorders. Credit: Shutterstock -- Millipedes get a bad rap -- their many legs put people off and could classify them as "creepy crawly." But these anthropods' secretions could hold the key to new drug discovery for the treatment of neurological diseases and pain. -- Chemist Emily Mevers and her team recently discovered a new set of complex structures in millipede secretions that can modulate specific neuroreceptors in ant brains. -- The newly discovered structures fall into a class of naturally occurring compounds called alkaloids. The Mevers team named them the andrognathanols and the andrognathines after the producing millipede, Andrognathus corticarius, found on Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus in Stadium Woods. These discoveries were recently published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. -- A new compound discovery -- Mevers specializes in leveraging the chemistry of underexplored ecological niches, in this case the millipede, in the name of drug discovery. -- After collecting millipedes from under leaf litter and fallen branches in Stadium Woods, Mevers and team members used a variety of analytical tools to identify the compounds contained in the millipedes' defensive glands. They also learned that the millipedes release these compounds to ward off predators while also sharing their location with their kin. -- Broader implications -- Despite their pervasiveness, much about millipedes remains mysterious -- including their specific habitats, numbers, diets, behaviors, and chemistry. Mevers, in collaboration with millipede expert Paul Marek in the entomology department, is working to fill in some of these gaps and see if what they uncover could be useful for future medications. -- Previously, Mevers and Marek examined a millipede native to the Pacific Northwest, Ishcnocybe plicata, and discovered that related alkaloids potently and selectively interact with a single neuroreceptor called Sigma-1. The interaction suggested that this family of compounds may have useful pharmacology potential for the treatment of pain and other neurological disorders. | 140 |
| Ivermectin: The Mosquito-Killing Pill That Dropped Malaria By 26% | Ivermectin Mass Administration Significantly Reduces Malaria In Kenyan Children | Ivermectin to Control Malaria — A Cluster-Randomized Trial. | Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) | The BOHEMIA trial in Kenya demonstrated that mass administration of ivermectin can significantly cut malaria infections in children by 26%, proving effective when combined with bed nets. This study highlights ivermectin’s potential as a complementary tool against malaria, which remains a pressing global health issue. | Ivermectin Cuts Malaria by 26% in Major TrialGiving entire communities a monthly dose of ivermectin led to a remarkable drop in malaria cases—and even got rid of some pesky bed bugs along the way. Credit: Shutterstock -- Ivermectin administered to the whole population significantly reduces malaria transmission, offering new hope in the fight against the disease. The BOHEMIA trial, the largest study on ivermectin for malaria to date, showed a 26% reduction in new malaria infection on top of existing bed nets, providing strong evidence of ivermectin's potential as a complementary tool in malaria control. The results of this project, coordinated by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) -an institution supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation- in collaboration with the Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM) and the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, have been published in The New England Journal of Medicine. -- Malaria remains a global health challenge, with 263 million cases and 597,000 deaths reported in 2023. Current vector control methods, such as long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS), have become less effective due to insecticide resistance and behavioral adaptations in mosquitoes to bite outdoors and during dusk or dawn, when people are not protected by these measures. This underscores the urgent need for innovative solutions to combat malaria. -- Ivermectin for malaria: A novel strategy -- Ivermectin, a drug traditionally used to treat neglected tropical diseases like onchocerciasis, which causes river blindness, and lymphatic filariasis, which causes elephantiasis, has been shown to reduce malaria transmission by killing the mosquitoes that feed on treated individuals. Given the rising resistance to conventional insecticides, ivermectin could offer an effective new approach totackle malaria transmission, especially in regions where traditional methods have become less effective. -- The Unitaid-funded BOHEMIA project(Broad One Health Endectocide-based Malaria Intervention in Africa) conducted two Mass Drug Administration (MDA) trials in the high-burden malaria regions: Kwale County (Kenya) and Mopeia district (Mozambique). The trials assessed the safety and efficacy of a single monthly dose of ivermectin (400 mcg/kg) given for three consecutive months at the start of the rainy season in reducing malaria transmission. In Kenya, the intervention targeted children aged 5-15, while in Mozambique it focused on children under five. -- Malaria reduction in Kenya -- In Kwale County, Kenya, children who received ivermectin experienced a 26% reduction in malaria infection incidence compared to those who received albendazole, the control drug used in the study. The trial involved over 20,000 participants and more than 56,000 treatments, demonstrating that ivermectin significantly reduced malaria infection rates -- particularly among children living further from cluster borders or in areas where drug distribution was more efficient. Moreover, the safety profile of ivermectin was favorable, with no severe drug-related adverse events and only mild, transient side effects already seen with ivermectin in campaigns against neglected tropical diseases. -- "We are thrilled with these results," says Carlos Chaccour, co-principal investigator of the BOHEMIA project and ISGlobal researcher at the time of the study. "Ivermectin has shown great promise in reducing malaria transmission and could complement existing control measures. With continued research, ivermectin MDA could become an effective tool for malaria control and even contribute to elimination efforts," Chaccour, who is now a researcher at the Navarra Centre for International Development at the University of Navarra, adds. -- "These results align with the World Health Organization's (WHO) criteria for new vector control tools," states Joseph Mwangangi, from the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme. "The findings suggest that ivermectin MDA could be a valuable complementary strategy for malaria control, particularly in areas where mosquito resistance to insecticides is a growing concern," adds Marta Maia, BOHEMIA's lead entomologist from the University of Oxford. | 141 |
| A Dusty Fossil Drawer Held A 300-Million-Year-Old Evolutionary Game-Changer | Fossil Rediscovery Changes Our Understanding Of Ancient Nonmarine Lobopodians | Palaeocampa anthrax, an armored freshwater lobopodian with chemical defenses from the Carboniferous. | Harvard University, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology | A significant fossil, long thought to be a caterpillar, has been reidentified as the first known nonmarine lobopodian, suggesting these ancient creatures lived in freshwater environments. This discovery reshapes our understanding of early animal evolution, revealing that lobopodians existed beyond the sea. | A Misidentified Fossil Just Rewrote EvolutionNeotype of Palaeocampa anthrax from the Mazon Creek Lagerstätte and rediscovered in the Invertebrate Paleontology collection of the MCZ. The faint red and blue grid lines from a wax pencil can still be seen across the specimen, made by the nineteenth century artist Katherine Pierson who illustrated this specimen for Samuel Scudder in 1884. Credit: Richard J. Knecht -- In a twist worthy of a detective novel, a long-misidentified fossil at Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) has emerged as a key discovery in early animal evolution. Originally described in 1865 as a caterpillar, Palaeocampa anthrax shuffled between classifications -- worm, millipede, and eventually a marine polychaete -- until 130 years later, when researchers realized its true identity: the first-known nonmarine lobopodian and the earliest one ever discovered. -- Lobopodians are extinct, soft-bodied creatures that bridge the evolutionary gap between a primitive worm-like ancestor and modern arthropods like insects and crustaceans. Known mostly from Cambrian marine deposits such as Canada's Burgess Shale, they include iconic fossils like Hallucigenia and Aysheaia pedunculata discovered in 1911, and were thought to be exclusively marine -- until now. -- A new study published in Communications Biology led by Richard Knecht, a former graduate student (PhD '25) in Harvard's Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (OEB), redescribes Palaeocampa anthrax as the first nonmarine and youngest lobopodian discovered; predating the famous Burgess Shale lobopodians by nearly fifty years. -- "Lobopodians were likely a common sight on Paleozoic sea beds," said Knecht, "but apart from microscopic tardigrades and terrestrial velvet worms, we thought they were confined to the ocean." -- Knecht, currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan and an associate of the MCZ, discovered Palaeocampa while examining fossil millipedes in the MCZ collection. He noted legs on every trunk -- ruling out caterpillar or worm -- and recognized it as a lobopodian. -- To confirm this, the team analyzed 43 specimens from two Carboniferous Lagerstätten -- Mazon Creek (USA) and Montceau-les-Mines (France) -- using advanced imaging, including backscatter scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. They revealed exquisite anatomical features -- most notably, nearly 1,000 bristle-like spines covering the body. -- Co-author Nanfang Yu, associate professor of physics at Columbia University, used Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to detect chemical residues at the spine tips -- suggesting the spines secreted toxins to deter predators in its swampy habitat. -- "What amazed me is that fragments of biomacromolecules could be exceptionally preserved or altered to geomacromolecules in fossils," Yu said. " I'm thrilled this technique possessed the sensitivity and specificity to differentiate fossilized remains from the rocky substrate." -- Palaeocampa's closest relative is Hadranax, a Cambrian lobopodian from Greenland, nearly 200 million years older. Both had ten pairs of legs, no claws andwere blind. But while Hadranax was unarmored and navigated the deep sea using elongated frontal appendages, Palaeocampa, at just four centimeters long, bore a dense coat of spines -- arranged above each pair of legs, giving it a fuzzy caterpillar-like appearance -- and inhabited freshwater, possibly amphibious, environments. | 142 |
| Cancer Cells Go Up In Flames—Thanks To This Deep-Sea Sugar | Deep-Sea Sugar Compound Causes Cancer Cells To Self-Destruct In A Fiery Showdown | A Novel Exopolysaccharide, Highly Prevalent in Marine Spongiibacter, Triggers Pyroptosis to Exhibit Potent Anticancer Effects. | Wiley | A newly discovered sugar from deep-sea bacteria can induce cancer cells to self-destruct while stimulating the immune system. Lab tests show this compound halts tumor growth in liver cancer models, paving the way for innovative cancer treatments derived from marine organisms. | Cancer Cells Destroyed by Deep-Sea SugarA sugar made by ocean bacteria has been found to trigger a powerful form of cell death that destroys cancer cells. It worked in both lab experiments and mice, showing promise as a new, natural cancer-fighting treatment. Credit: Shutterstock -- Promoting pyroptosis -- an inflammatory form of programmed cell death -- has become a promising treatment strategy for cancer. In research published in The FASEB Journal, investigators purified a long-chain sugar molecule, or exopolysaccharide, from deep-sea bacteria and demonstrated that it triggers pyroptosis to inhibit tumor growth. -- The compound, called EPS3.9, consists of mannose and glucose and is produced by the Spongiibacter nanhainus CSC3.9 bacterial strain and other members of the genus Spongiibacter. Mechanistic analyses showed that EPS3.9 can directly target 5 membrane phospholipid molecules and exert tumor toxicity by stimulating pyroptosis in human leukemia cells. EPS3.9 also had significant anti-tumor effects in the mice with liver cancer and activated anti-tumor immune responses. -- "Our work not only provides a theoretical basis for developing more carbohydrate-based drugs but also highlights the importance of exploring marine microbial resources," said corresponding author Chaomin Sun, PhD, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. -- What Is Pyroptosis? -- Pyroptosis is a fiery form of programmed cell death that helps the body fight infections and disease. Unlike regular cell death (apoptosis), pyroptosis is dramatic and explosive—cells swell, burst open, and release inflammatory signals that alert the immune system. -- Originally discovered as a defense against bacteria and viruses, pyroptosis has recently become a hot topic in cancer research. That’s because triggering pyroptosis in tumor cells can not only destroy them directly but also rally the immune system to join the attack, essentially turning the tumor into a signal flare for immune response. | 143 |
| The Fungus That Makes Bread Better For You | Special Soil Fungus Supercharges Wheat Nutrition Without Anti-Nutrients For Healthier Grains | Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculation increases the bioavailability of zinc and iron in wheat grain. | Wiley | Researchers have found that pairing bread wheat with specific soil fungi enhances its nutritional value, producing larger grains rich in zinc and phosphorus. This sustainable method could fortify global crops, making them healthier without increasing harmful anti-nutrients, benefiting human diets. | The Fungus That Makes Bread Better for YouBread wheat grown with beneficial fungi produces larger grains loaded with more zinc and phosphorus—and the nutrients are easier for our bodies to absorb. A win for nutrition and sustainability. Credit: Shutterstock -- New research in Plants, People, Planet indicates that bread wheat's micronutrient content can be increased by cultivating it with a specific type of fungus. -- When investigators grew different types of wheat with and without the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis, they observed that crops grown with fungi developed larger grains with greater amounts of phosphorus and zinc. The higher amount of phosphorus in the grain did not result in an increase in phytate (a compound that can hinder digestion of zinc and iron). As a result, bread wheat grown with fungi had higher bioavailability of zinc and iron overall compared with bread wheat grown in the absence of fungi. -- "Beneficial soil fungi could be used as a sustainable option to exploit soil-derived plant nutrients. In this case, we found potential to biofortify wheat with important human micronutrients by inoculating the plants with mycorrhizal fungi," said corresponding author Stephanie J. Watts-Williams, PhD, of the University of Adelaide, in Australia. -- Rhizophagus irregularis is a species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus that forms beneficial relationships with the roots of many types of plants. It helps plants take in more nutrients—especially phosphorus and micronutrients—by extending its thin, root-like structures deep into the soil. -- This fungus is one of the most widely studied and used in agriculture and ecology because of its broad compatibility with crops and its ability to improve plant growth, health, and soil quality. By boosting nutrient uptake naturally, R. irregularis supports more resilient plants and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, making it a valuable tool in sustainable farming and reforestation efforts. | 144 |
| A 500-Million-Year-Old Fossil Just Rewrote The Spider Origin Story | Ancient Fossil Reveals Spiders May Have Evolved From The Ocean, Not The Land | Cambrian origin of the arachnid brain. | University of Arizona | A tiny fossil, Mollisonia symmetrica, has been studied and suggests that arachnids, like spiders, may have originated in the ocean. This discovery challenges previous notions about arachnid evolution, revealing their neural structure closely resembles that of contemporary spiders and scorpions. | Spider Brain Found in 500-Million-Year-Old FossilIllustration of what the Mollisonia animal would have looked like at the time it lived, more than 500 million years ago. Credit: Nick Strausfeld -- A new analysis of an exquisitely preserved fossil that lived half a billion years ago suggests that arachnids - spiders and their close kin - evolved in the ocean, challenging the widely held belief that their diversification happened only after their common ancestor had conquered the land. -- Spiders and scorpions have existed for some 400 million years, with little change. Along with closely related arthropods grouped together as arachnids, they have dominated the Earth as the most successful group of arthropodan predators. Based on their fossil record, arachnids appeared to have lived and diversified exclusively on land. -- In a study led by Nicholas Strausfeld at the University of Arizona and published in Current Biology, researchers from the U.S. and United Kingdom undertook a detailed analysis of the fossilized features of the brain and central nervous system of an extinct animal called Mollisonia symmetrica. Until now, it was thought to represent an ancestral member of a specific group of arthropods known as chelicerates, which lived during the Cambrian (between 540 and 485 million years ago) and included ancestors of today's horseshoe crabs. To their surprise, the researchers found that the neural arrangements in Mollisonia's fossilized brain are not organized like those in horseshoe crabs, as could be expected, but instead are organized the same way as they are in modern spiders and their relatives. -- "It is still vigorously debated where and when arachnids first appeared, and what kind of chelicerates were their ancestors," said Strausfeld, a Regents Professor in the U of A Department of Neuroscience, "and whether these were marine or semi-aquatic like horseshoe crabs." -- Mollisonia outwardly resembles some other early chelicerates from the lower and mid-Cambrian in that its body was composed of two parts: a broad rounded "carapace" in the front and a sturdy segmented trunk ending in a broad, tail-like structure. Some scientists have referred to the organization of a carapace in front, followed by a segmented trunk as similar to the body plan of a scorpion. But nobody had claimed that Mollisonia was anything more exotic than a basal chelicerate, even more primitive than the ancestor of the horseshoe crab, for example. -- What Strausfeld and his colleagues found indicating Mollisonia's status as an arachnid is its fossilized brain and nervous system. As in spiders and other present-day arachnids, the anterior part of Mollisonia's body (called the prosoma) contains a radiating pattern of segmental ganglia that control the movements of five pairs of segmental appendages. In addition to those arachnid-like features, Mollisonia also revealed an unsegmented brain extending short nerves to a pair of pincer-like "claws," reminiscent of the fangs of spiders and other arachnids. -- But the decisive feature demonstrating arachnid identity is the unique organization of the mollisoniid brain, which is the reverse of the front-to-back arrangement found in present-day crustaceans, insects and centipedes, and even horseshoe crabs, such as the genus Limulus. -- "It's as if the Limulus-type brain seen in Cambrian fossils, or the brains of ancestral and present days crustaceans and insects, have been flipped backwards, which is what we see in modern spiders," he said. -- According to co-author Frank Hirth from King's College London, the latter finding may be a crucial evolutionary development, because studies of existing spider brains suggest that this back-to-front arrangement provides shortcuts from neuronal control centers to underlying circuits that coordinate a spider's (or its relative's) amazing repertoire of movements. This arrangement likely confers stealth in hunting, rapidity in pursuit and in the case of spiders, an exquisite dexterity for the spinning of webs to entrap prey. | 145 |
| The Sugar That Sparked Life: Why Ribose Was Rna’s First Choice | Ribose Sugar Chosen As Life's Building Block: A Key To RNA Formation | Selection of Ribofuranose‐Isomer Among Pentoses by Phosphorylation with Diamidophosphate. | Scripps Research Institute | Scientists at Scripps Research have made strides in understanding why ribose is a preferred sugar for life. Their research shows ribose binds more effectively to phosphate than other sugars, hinting at its selection in early RNA formation, essential for life's emergence. | Could This Sugar Explain Where RNA Came From?Ribose outperforms other sugars in forming key RNA structures, offering a chemical clue to how life may have emerged from non-living matter. Credit: Shutterstock -- In living organisms today, complex molecules like RNA and DNA are constructed with the help of enzymes. So how did these molecules form before life (and enzymes) existed? Why did some molecules end up as the building blocks of life and not others? A new study by Scripps Research scientists helps answer these longstanding questions. -- The results, published in the chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie on June 27, 2025, showhow ribose may have become the sugar of choice for RNA development. They found that ribose binds to phosphate -- another molecular component of RNA -- more quickly and effectively than other sugar molecules. This feature could have helped select ribose for inclusion in the molecules of life. -- "This gives credence to the idea that this type of prebiotic chemistry could have produced the building blocks of RNA, which then could have led to entities which exhibit lifelike properties," says corresponding author Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy, professor of chemistry at Scripps Research. -- Nucleotides, the building blocks of RNA and DNA, consist of a five-carbon sugar molecule (ribose or deoxyribose) that is bound to a phosphate group and a nitrogen-based base (the part of the molecule that encodes information, e.g., A, C, G or U). Krishnamurthy's research aims to understand how these complex molecules could have arisen on primordial Earth. Specifically, this study focused on phosphorylation, the step within nucleotide-building where ribose connects to the phosphate group. -- "Phosphorylation is one of the basic chemistries of life; it's essential for structure, function and metabolism," says Krishnamurthy. "We wanted to know, could phosphorylation also play a fundamental role in the primordial process that got all of these things started?" -- From previous work, the team knew that ribose could become phosphorylated when combined with a phosphate-donating molecule called diamidophosphate (DAP). In this study, they wanted to know whether other, similar sugars could also undergo this reaction, or whether there is something special about ribose. -- To test this, the researchers used controlled chemical reactions to investigate how quickly and effectively ribose is phosphorylated by DAP compared to three other sugar molecules with the same chemical makeup but a different shape (arabinose, lyxose and xylose). Then, they used an analytical technique called nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to characterize the molecules produced by each reaction. -- They showed that although DAP was able to phosphorylate all four sugars, it phosphorylated ribose at a much faster rate. Additionally, the reaction with ribose resulted exclusively in ring-shaped structures with five corners (e.g., 5-member rings), whereas the other sugars formed a combination of 5- and 6-member rings. -- "This really showed us that there is a difference between ribose and the three other sugars," says Krishnamurthy. "Ribose not only reacts faster than the other sugars, it's also more selective for the five-member ring form, which happens to be the form that we see in RNA and DNA today." | 146 |
| This Sugar Substitute Does More Than Sweeten — It Kills Cancer Cells | Stevia And Probiotic Fusion Creates Powerful Cancer-Fighting Agent That Spares Healthy Cells | Stevia Leaf Extract Fermented with Plant-Derived Lactobacillus plantarum SN13T Displays Anticancer Activity to Pancreatic Cancer PANC-1 Cell Line. | Hiroshima University | Fermenting stevia with probiotics from banana leaves results in a potent agent that selectively kills pancreatic cancer cells while sparing healthy ones. This innovative approach highlights the potential for natural substances to combat aggressive cancers, addressing the urgent need for effective therapies. | Stevia Leaf Extract Has Anticancer PotentialStevia plus probiotics equals a surprising, targeted cancer-killing effect — safely and naturally. Credit: Shutterstock -- Stevia may provide more benefits than as a zero-calorie sugar substitute. When fermented with bacteria isolated from banana leaves, stevia extract kills off pancreatic cancer cells but doesn't harm healthy kidney cells, according to a research team at Hiroshima University. -- The researchers published their findings in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. -- "Globally, the incidence and mortality rates of pancreatic cancer continue to rise, with a five-year survival rate of less than 10%," said co-author Narandalai Danshiitsoodol, associate professor in Department of Probiotic Science for Preventive Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences. "Pancreatic cancer is highly invasive and prone to metastasis, showing significant resistance to existing treatments, such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. As such, there is an urgent need to identify new and effective anticancer compounds, particularly those derived from medicinal plants." -- Prior studies by other researchers indicated that stevia leaf extract demonstrated potential as an anticancer drug, but isolating and applying the specific bioactive components that protect against cancer cells has remained challenging, Danshiitsoodol said. However, fermenting with bacteria can structurally change the extract and produce bioactive metabolites, which are compounds that can impact living organisms. -- "To enhance the pharmacological efficacy of natural plant extracts, microbial biotransformation has emerged as an effective strategy," said corresponding author Masanori Sugiyama, professor in the Department of Probiotic Science for Preventive Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences. Sugiyama's lab has isolated and evaluated the health benefits of more than 1,300 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains from fruits, vegetables, flowers and medicinal plants. "In this study, we aimed to compare LAB-fermented and non-fermented extracts to identify key compounds that enhance bioactivity, ultimately contributing to the efficacy of herbal medicine in cancer prevention and therapy." -- Specifically, the team fermented stevia leaf extract with plant-derived Lactobacillus plantarum SN13T strain (FSLE) and compared its effects on pancreatic cancer (PANC-1) cells in the lab, alongside non-cancerous human embryonic kidney cells HEK-293, to the effects of non-fermented stevia extract. The cells utilized in these experiments were acquired from established commercial cell lines. -- "Our findings indicate that FSLE demonstrates significantly greater cytotoxicity than the non-fermented extract at equivalent concentrations, suggesting that the fermentation process enhances the bioactivity of the extract," Sugiyama said. "Notably, FSLE exhibited lower toxicity toward the HEK-293 cells, with minimal inhibition observed even at the highest concentration tested." -- Additional analyses identified chlorogenic acid methyl ester (CAME) as the active anti-cancer compound. When fermented, the concentration of chlorogenic acid in the extract dropped six-fold, indicating a microbial transformation, according to Danshiitsoodol. -- "This microbial transformation was likely due to specific enzymes in the bacteria strain used," Danshiitsoodol said. "Our data demonstrate that CAME exhibits stronger toxicity to cells and pro-apoptotic effects -- which encourage cell death -- on PANC-1 cells compared to chlorogenic acid alone." | 147 |
| Scholars Just Solved A 130-Year Literary Mystery—And It All Hinged On One Word | Researchers Unravel 130-Year-Old Mystery Of The Song Of Wade With A Single Word | The Lost Song of Wade: Peterhouse 255 Revisited. | University of Cambridge | Cambridge researchers have reinterpreted the long-lost Song of Wade, revealing it as a chivalric romance rather than a monster-filled myth. This breakthrough shifts our understanding of medieval literature and demonstrates how a correct identification of terms can dramatically alter historical narratives. | Chaucer’s Mystery Solved After 130 YearsJames Wade (left) and Seb Falk (right) with Peterhouse MS 255 open at the sermon, in the University Library in Cambridge. Credit: Courtesy of the Master and Fellows of Peterhouse / University of Cambridge -- A medieval literary puzzle which has stumped scholars including M.R. James for 130 years has finally been solved. Cambridge scholars now believe the Song of Wade, a long lost treasure of English culture, was a chivalric romance not a monster-filled epic. The discovery solves the most famous mystery in Chaucer's writings and provides rare evidence of a medieval preacher referencing pop culture in a sermon. -- The breakthrough, detailed on July 15 in The Review of English Studies, involved working out that the manuscript refers to 'wolves' not 'elves', as scholars previously assumed. -- Dr James Wade and Dr Seb Falk, colleagues at Girton College, Cambridge, argue that the only surviving fragment of the Song of Wade, first discovered by M.R. James in Cambridge in 1896, has been "radically misunderstood" for the last 130 years. -- "Changing elves to wolves makes a massive difference," Seb Falk said. "It shifts this legend away from monsters and giants into the human battles of chivalric rivals." -- James Wade said: "It wasn't clear why Chaucer mentioned Wade in the context of courtly intrigue. Our discovery makes much more sense of this." -- "Here we have a late-12th-century sermon deploying a meme from the hit romantic story of the day," Seb Falk said. "This is very early evidence of a preacher weaving pop culture into a sermon to keep his audience hooked." -- "Many church leaders worried about the themes of chivalric romances - adultery, bloodshed, and other scandalous topics - so it's surprising to see a preacher dropping such "adult content" into a sermon,"said James Wade. -- For the first time, the researchers have identified the great late-medieval writer Alexander Neckam (1157-1217) as the most likely author of the Humiliamini sermon. The 800-year-old document is part of MS 255, a Peterhouse Cambridge collection of medieval sermons. -- Discoveries made 130 years apart | 148 |
| A Tiny Dinosaur Bone Just Rewrote The Origin Of Bird Flight | Tiny Wrist Bone In Dinosaurs Transforms Our Understanding Of Bird Flight Origins | Reorganization of the theropod wrist preceded the origin of avian flight. | Yale University | A tiny wrist bone called the pisiform may have significantly influenced bird flight and evolved earlier than previously thought. Fossils from bird-like dinosaurs reveal a more intricate evolutionary story, helping scientists understand the development of features essential for powered flight. | Dinosaur Bone Rewrites Origin of Bird FlightA life reconstruction of the specimen of Citipati, a dinosaur closely related to birds, analyzed with an x-ray cutaway of the specimen’s wrist. The small and rounded pisiform is highlighted in blue. Credit: Henry S. Sharpe/University of Alberta -- The evolutionary path from dinosaurs to birds included the development of a tiny wrist bone that ultimately proved crucial for stabilizing wings in flight. A new study suggests that the bone appeared in bird ancestors millions of years earlier than first thought. -- Paleontologists at Yale and Stony Brook University led a research team that made the discovery after examining fossils from two species of bird-like dinosaurs -- an unnamed troodontid and a Citipati from the Late Cretaceous period 66 to 100 million years ago -- found in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. The findings were published in the journal Nature. -- "We were fortunate to have two immaculately preserved theropod wrists for this," said Alex Ruebenstahl, a student in Yale's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and member of the lab of Yale paleontologist Bhart-Anjan Bhullar. Both Ruebenstahl and Bhullar, as well as Norell, are co-authors of the new study. -- "Wrist bones are small and even when they are preserved, they are not in the positions they would occupy in life, having shifted during decay and preservation," Ruebenstahl said. "Seeing this little bone in the right position cracked it wide open and helped us interpret the wrists of fossils we had on hand and other fossils described in the past." -- The evolution of theropod dinosaurs into birds included significant anatomical modifications, such as the enlargement of the brain, changes in the pelvis and its surrounding musculature -- and a transformation of the dinosaur forelimbs. -- One of the key changes in the forelimb transformation was the replacement of a particular dinosaur wrist bone -- the ulnare -- with a bone called the pisiform in birds. In the fossil record, pisiform bones appeared in very early theropods, then disappeared, only to return in birds. -- "The pisiform, in living birds, is an unusual wrist bone in that it initially forms within a muscle tendon, as do bones like your kneecap -- but it comes to occupy the position of a 'normal' wrist bone called the ulnare," said Bhullar, associate professor of Earth and planetary sciences in Yale's Faculty of Arts and Sciences. "Because it is so intimately associated with arm musculature, its incorporation into the wrist ties the muscular flight machinery to wrist motion. This integration is particularly important for stabilizing the wing during flight." -- "This discovery pulls back the origin of the integrated pisiform on the bird evolutionary lineage by tens of millions of years," he added. -- Ruebenstahl had been studying the forelimb of the unnamed troodontid specimen -- which was discovered in the Gobi Desert by a team led by Yale alumnus Mark Norell, a paleontologist at the American Museum of Natural History -- simply to gain a better understanding of the overall specimen. He was conducting three-dimensional visualizations of bones, based on scans performed by Bhullar, with a technique called computed tomography. When he got to the specimen's wrists, however, he became confused. | 149 |
| Aluminium-20 Shatters Nuclear Norms With Explosive Triple-Proton Breakup | Aluminium-20 Nucleus Discovered: A New Isotope That Challenges Nuclear Physics Norms | Isospin Symmetry Breaking Disclosed in the Decay of Three-Proton Emitter Al20. | Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters | Researchers have discovered aluminium-20, an exotic atomic nucleus that decays through a unique three-proton emission sequence, offering insights into nuclear stability. This finding, involving international collaboration, expands our understanding of nuclear behavior beyond typical stability limits, adding a new isotope to the nuclear chart. | Aluminium-20 Shatters Nuclear NormsPhysicists discovered aluminium-20, a rare isotope that breaks apart by emitting three protons — revealing new secrets of unstable atomic nuclei. Credit: Shutterstock -- Radioactive decay is a fundamental process in nature by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. Studying nuclear decay modes is crucial for understanding properties of atomic nuclei. In particular, exotic decay modes like proton emission provide essential spectroscopic tools for probing the structure of nuclei far from the valley of stability -- the region containing stable nuclei on the nuclear chart. -- In a study published in Physical Review Letters on July 10, physicists from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and their collaborators have reported the first observation and spectroscopy of aluminium-20, a previously unknown and unstable isotope that decays via the rare process of three-proton emission. -- "Aluminium-20 is the lightest aluminium isotope that has been discovered so far. Located beyond the proton drip line, it has seven fewer neutrons than the stable aluminum isotope," said Associate Prof. Xiaodong Xu from IMP, first author of the study. -- Using an in-flight decay technique at the Fragment Separator of the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, Germany, the researchers measured angular correlations of aluminium-20's decay products and discovered the previously unknown nucleus aluminium-20. -- Through detailed analysis of angular correlations, the researchers found that the aluminium-20 ground state first decays by emitting one proton to the intermediate ground state of magnesium-19, followed by subsequent decay of magnesium-19 ground state via simultaneous two-proton emission. Aluminium-20 is the first observed three-proton emitter where its one-proton decay daughter nucleus is a two-proton radioactive nucleus. -- The researchers also found that the decay energy of the aluminium-20 ground state is significantly smaller than the predictions inferred from the isospin symmetry, indicating a possible isospin symmetry breaking in aluminium-20 and its mirror partner neon-20. -- This finding is supported by state-of-the-art theoretical calculations that predict that the spin-parity of the aluminium-20 ground state differs from the spin-parity of the neon-20 ground state. -- "This study advances our understanding of the proton-emission phenomena, and provides insights into the structure and decay of nuclei beyond the proton drip line," said Xu. -- To date, scientists have discovered over 3,300 nuclides, yet fewer than 300 are stable and exist naturally. The remainder are unstable nuclides that undergo radioactive decay. Common decay modes, such as α decay, β- decay, β+ decay, electron capture, γ radiation, and fission, were discovered by the mid-20th century. | 150 |
| Cracking The Carbene Code: A 100x Faster Path To Life-Saving Drugs | Revolutionary Carbene Chemistry Method Developed: 100x More Efficient For Drug Creation | Harnessing carbene polarity: Unified catalytic access to donor, neutral, and acceptor carbenes. | Ohio State University | A groundbreaking method has been developed to create carbenes, crucial molecules for drug synthesis, using a safer and more efficient approach involving iron and radical chemistry. This revolutionary technique significantly enhances the efficiency of generating these valuable chemical building blocks for modern medicine. | Chemists Crack the Carbene CodeA bold new chemistry breakthrough may revolutionize how life-saving drugs are made—starting with a tiny, triangular molecule. Credit: Shutterstock -- Chemists have developed a novel way to generate a variety of highly useful chemical building blocks by harnessing metal carbenes, suggests new research. -- Typically used in chemical reactions essential for drug synthesis and materials development, carbenes are short-lived, highly reactive carbon atoms. In the lab, this can make carbenes especially tricky to create, as methods to form them are limited and often hazardous. -- Now, for the first time, an approach discovered by researchers at The Ohio State University has made producing these metal carbenes much easier, said David Nagib, co-author of the study, a distinguished professor in arts and sciences and a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at The Ohio State University, -- "Our goal all along was to determine if we could come up with new methods of accessing carbenes that others hadn't found before," he said. "Because if you could harness them in a milder catalytic way, you could reach new reactivity, which is essentially what we did." -- Researchers came upon this carbene-crafting method by using iron as a metal catalyst and then combining it with chlorine-based molecules that easily generate free radicals. Together, these ingredients worked to form the carbene of their choice, including many that had never been made before. Then, to create a chemical reaction, these carbenes quickly attach to another molecule in a strained bond to form a cyclopropane, which is shaped like a triangle. -- These three-sided molecular fragments are vital to the synthesis of medicines and agrichemicals, in part due to their small size and unusual energy. But while there are many ways to synthesize this shape, which is one of the most common found in medicines, this team's work was inspired by looking for the best ways to create them. -- "Our lab is obsessed with trying to get the best methods for making cyclopropanes out there as soon as possible," said Nagib. "We have the eye on the prize of inventing better tools to make better medicines, and along the way, we've solved a huge problem in the carbene world." -- The study was recently published in Science. -- In decoding one of chemistry's greatest challenges, the team also found that their method works well in water, suggesting that metal carbenes might one day even be reliably created inside a living cell to discover new drug targets. According to Nagib, this new approach is about 100 times better than previous chemical tools that his lab has produced over the last decade. | 151 |
| NASA’s Roman Telescope Will Catch 100,000 Explosions — And Rewrite The Universe’s Story | NASA’s Roman Telescope Set To Capture 100,000 Cosmic Explosions And Rewrite Astrophysics | The Hourglass Simulation: A Catalog for the Roman High-latitude Time-domain Core Community Survey. | NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center | NASA's upcoming Roman Space Telescope is poised to conduct an extensive survey, potentially capturing around 100,000 cosmic explosions. This mission aims to deepen our understanding of dark energy and black hole physics, revealing insights about the universe's early history through its observations. | NASA’s Roman Will Catch 100,000 ExplosionsThis artist's concept visualizes a kilonova – an explosion that happens when two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole collide and merge. When these collisions happen, a fraction of the resulting debris is ejected as jets, which move near the speed of light. The remaining debris produces hot, glowing, neutron-rich clouds that forge heavy elements, like gold and platinum. Researchers will mine data from NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will survey the same areas of the sky every few days, to identify kilonovae. Roman’s extensive data will help astronomers better identify how often these events occur, how much energy they give off, and how near or far they are. Credit: NASA, ESA, J. Olmsted (STScI) -- Scientists predict one of the major surveys by NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope may reveal around 100,000 celestial blasts, ranging from exploding stars to feeding black holes. Roman may even find evidence of some of the universe's first stars, which are thought to completely self-destruct without leaving any remnant behind. -- Cosmic explosions offer clues to some of the biggest mysteries of the universe. One is the nature of dark energy, the mysterious pressure thought to be accelerating the universe's expansion. -- "Whether you want to explore dark energy, dying stars, galactic powerhouses, or probably even entirely new things we've never seen before, this survey will be a gold mine," said Benjamin Rose, an assistant professor at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, who led a study about the results. The paper is published in The Astrophysical Journal. -- Called the High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey, this observation program will scan the same large region of the cosmos every five days for two years. Scientists will stitch these observations together to create movies that uncover all sorts of cosmic fireworks. -- Chief among them are exploding stars. The survey is largely geared toward finding a special class of supernova called type Ia. These stellar cataclysms allow scientists to measure cosmic distances and trace the universe's expansion because they peak at about the same intrinsic brightness. Figuring out how fast the universe has ballooned during different cosmic epochs offers clues to dark energy. -- In the new study, scientists simulated Roman's entire High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey. The results suggest Roman could see around 27,000 type Ia supernovae -- about 10 times more than all previous surveys combined. -- Beyond dramatically increasing our total sample of these supernovae, Roman will push the boundaries of how far back in time we can see them. While most of those detected so far occurred within approximately the last 8 billion years, Roman is expected to see vast numbers of them earlier in the universe's history, including more than a thousand that exploded more than 10 billion years ago and potentially dozens from as far back as 11.5 billion years. That means Roman will almost certainly set a new record for the farthest type Ia supernova while profoundly expanding our view of the early universe and filling in a critical gap in our understanding of how the cosmos has evolved over time. -- "Filling these data gaps could also fill in gaps in our understanding of dark energy," Rose said. "Evidence is mounting that dark energy has changed over time, and Roman will help us understand that change by exploring cosmic history in ways other telescopes can't." -- But type Ia supernovae will be hidden among a much bigger sample of exploding stars Roman will see once it begins science operations in 2027. The team estimates Roman will also spot about 60,000 core-collapse supernovae, which occur when a massive star runs out of fuel and collapses under its own weight. | 152 |
| Goodbye Plastic? Scientists Create New Supermaterial That Outperforms Metals And Glass | New Bacterial Cellulose Material Outperforms Metals And Plastics, Offering Eco-Friendly Alternatives | Flow-induced 2D nanomaterials intercalated aligned bacterial cellulose. | Rice University | Researchers have engineered a new material by aligning bacterial cellulose nanofibrils, resulting in strong, multifunctional sheets. This innovative approach allows for the creation of eco-friendly alternatives to plastic, overcoming pollution issues while offering properties suitable for various applications in packaging and energy storage. | New Supermaterial Could Replace PlasticA new study in Nature Communications reports the development of an innovative, scalable approach to engineer bacterial cellulose into high-strength, multifunctional materials. Credit: Jorge Vidal/Rice University -- Scientists at Rice University and University of Houston have developed an innovative, scalable approach to engineer bacterial cellulose into high-strength, multifunctional materials. The study, published in Nature Communications, introduces a dynamic biosynthesis technique that aligns bacterial cellulose fibers in real-time, resulting in robust biopolymer sheets with exceptional mechanical properties. -- Plastic pollution persists because traditional synthetic polymers degrade into microplastics, releasing harmful chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates and carcinogens. Seeking sustainable alternatives, the research team led by Muhammad Maksud Rahman, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Houston and adjunct assistant professor of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice, leveraged bacterial cellulose -- one of Earth's most abundant and pure biopolymers -- as a biodegradable alternative. -- "Our approach involved developing a rotational bioreactor that directs the movement of cellulose-producing bacteria, aligning their motion during growth," said M.A.S.R. Saadi, the study's first author and a doctoral student in material science and nanoengineering at Rice. "This alignment significantly enhances the mechanical properties of microbial cellulose, creating a material as strong as some metals and glasses yet flexible, foldable, transparent and environment friendly." -- Bacterial cellulose fibers usually form randomly, which limits their mechanical strength and functionality. By harnessing controlled fluid dynamics within their novel bioreactor, the researchers achieved in situ alignment of cellulose nanofibrils, creating sheets with tensile strength reaching up to 436 megapascals. -- Moreover, incorporating boron nitride nanosheets during synthesis resulted in a hybrid material with even greater strength -- around 553 megapascals -- and improved thermal properties, demonstrating a heat dissipation rate three times faster than control samples. -- "This dynamic biosynthesis approach enables the creation of stronger materials with greater functionality," Saadi said. "The method allows for the easy integration of various nanoscale additives directly into the bacterial cellulose, making it possible to customize material properties for specific applications." -- Shyam Bhakta, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of BioSciences at Rice, played an important role in advancing the biological aspects of the study. Other Rice collaborators included Pulickel Ajayan, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering; Matthew Bennett, professor of biosciences; and Matteo Pasquali, the A.J. Hartsook Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. -- "The synthesis process is essentially like training a disciplined bacterial cohort," Saadi explained. "Instead of having the bacteria move randomly, we instruct them to move in a specific direction, thus precisely aligning their cellulose production. This disciplined motion and the versatility of the biosynthesis technique allows us to simultaneously engineer both alignment and multifunctionality." -- The scalable, single-step process holds significant promise for numerous industrial applications, including structural materials, thermal management solutions, packaging, textiles, green electronics and energy storage systems. | 153 |
| Ai Turns Immune Cells Into Precision Cancer Killers—In Just Weeks | AI-Designed Proteins Arm Immune Cells To Precisely Target Cancer In Just Weeks | Adapting agriculture to climate catastrophes: the nuclear winter case. | Technical University of Denmark | An AI platform has transformed cancer immunotherapy by enabling rapid design of custom proteins that arm T cells to attack cancer cells. This significant advance reduces development time to just weeks, showcasing a new frontier in personalized medicine and precision cancer treatment. | Cancer-Hunting Cells Designed by AIAI-designed protein "keys" are training immune cells to become cancer assassins—safely and quickly. Credit: Shutterstock -- Precision cancer treatment on a larger scale is moving closer after researchers have developed an AI platform that can tailor protein components and arm the patient's immune cells to fight cancer. The new method, published in the scientific journal Science, demonstrates for the first time, that it is possible to design proteins in the computer for redirecting immune cells to target cancer cells through pMHC molecules. -- This dramatically shortens the process of finding effective molecules for cancer treatment from years to a few weeks. -- "We are essentially creating a new set of eyes for the immune system. Current methods for individual cancer treatment are based on finding so-called T-cell receptors in the immune system of a patient or donor that can be used for treatment. This is a very time-consuming and challenging process. Our platform designs molecular keys to target cancer cells using the AI platform, and it does so at incredible speed, so that a new lead molecule can be ready within 4-6 weeks," says Associate Professor at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and last author of the study Timothy P. Jenkins. -- Targeted missiles against cancer -- The AI platform, developed by a team from DTU and the American Scripps Research Institute, aims to solve a major challenge in cancer immunotherapy by demonstrating how scientists can generate target treatments for tumor cells and avoid damaging healthy tissue. -- Normally, T cells naturally identify cancer cells by recognizing specific protein fragments, known as peptides, presented on the cell surface by molecules called pMHCs.It is a slow and challenging process to utilize this knowledge for therapy, often because the variation in the body's own T-cell receptors makes it challenging to create a personalized treatment. -- Boosting the body's immune system -- In the study, the researchers tested the strength of the AI platform on a well-known cancer target, NY-ESO-1, which is found in a wide range of cancers. The team succeeded in designing a minibinder that bound tightly to the NY-ESO-1 pMHC molecules. When the designed protein was inserted into T cells, it created a unique new cell product named 'IMPAC-T' cells by the researchers, which effectively guided the T cells to kill cancer cells in laboratory experiments. -- "It was incredibly exciting to take these minibinders, which were created entirely on a computer, and see them work so effectively in the laboratory," says postdoc Kristoffer Haurum Johansen, co-author of the study and researcher at DTU. | 154 |
| You’ve Never Seen Atoms Like This Before: A Hidden Motion Revealed | First-Ever Images Of Atomic Vibrations Revealed, Unlocking Secrets Of Two-Dimensional Materials | Atom-by-atom imaging of moiré phasons with electron ptychography. | University of Maryland | A research team at the University of Maryland has visualized atomic thermal vibrations for the first time, revealing new insights into two-dimensional materials. This innovative technique enhances our understanding of phenomena crucial for the advancement of quantum technologies and energy-efficient electronics. | You’ve Never Seen Atoms Like This BeforeScientists have visualized hidden atomic vibrations that influence quantum behavior, confirming long-standing theories and enabling more precise material engineering. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Researchers investigating atomic-scale phenomena impacting next-generation electronic and quantum devices have captured the first microscopy images of atomic thermal vibrations, revealing a new type of motion that could reshape the design of quantum technologies and ultrathin electronics. -- Yichao Zhang, an assistant professor in the University of Maryland Department of Materials Science and Engineering, has developed an electron microscopy technique to directly image "moiré phasons" -- a physical phenomenon that impacts superconductivity and heat conduction in two-dimensional materials for next-generation electronic and quantum devices. A paper about the research, which documents images of the thermal vibration of individual atoms for the first time, published July 24 in the journal Science. (See video link below.) -- Two-dimensional materials, which are sheet-like structures a few nanometers thick, are being explored as new components of next-generation quantum and electronic devices. A feature in twisted two-dimensional materials are "moiré phasons," critical to understanding the materials' thermal conductivity, electronic behavior, and structural order. Previously, moiré phasons were difficult to detect experimentally, preventing further understanding of the materials that could revolutionize quantum technologies and energy-efficient electronics. -- Zhang's research team took on this challenge by using a new technique called "electron ptychography," which achieved the highest resolution documented (better than 15 picometer) and detected blurring of individual atoms caused by thermal vibrations. Her work has revealed that spatially localized moiré phasons dominate thermal vibrations of twisted two-dimensional materials, which fundamentally reshaped how scientists understand its impact. -- The breakthrough study, which confirmed the longstanding theoretical predictions of moiré phasons, also demonstrated that "electron ptychography" can be used to map thermal vibrations with atomic precision for the first time -- which was previously an experimental capability out of reach. -- "This is like decoding a hidden language of atomic motion," said Zhang. "Electron ptychography lets us see these subtle vibrations directly. Now we have a powerful new method to explore previously hidden physics, which will accelerate discoveries in two dimensional quantum materials." -- Zhang's research team will next focus on resolving how thermal vibrations are affected by defects and interfaces in quantum and electronic materials. Controlling the thermal vibration behavior of these materials could enable the design of novel devices with tailored thermal, electronic, and optical properties -- paving the way for advances in quantum computing, energy-efficient electronics, and nanoscale sensors. | 155 |
| Harvard’s Ultra-Thin Chip Could Revolutionize Quantum Computing | Harvard’s Ultra-Thin Chip Simplifies Quantum Computing By Generating Entangled Photons Efficiently | Metasurface quantum graphs for generalized Hong-Ou-Mandel interference. | Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | Harvard researchers have developed an ultra-thin chip that replaces bulky optical components in quantum computing with a metasurface. Utilizing graph theory, this innovation simplifies the design process for generating entangled photons, marking a significant leap towards scalable quantum technology and photonics. | Harvard’s Ultra-Thin Quantum Computing ChipArtistic representation of metasurface quantum graphs. Credit: Joshua Mornhinweg -- Key takeaways -- New research shows that metasurfaces could be used as strong linear quantum optical networks -- This approach could eliminate the need for waveguides and other conventional optical components -- Graph theory is helpful for designing the functionalities of quantum optical networks into a single metasurface -- In the race toward practical quantum computers and networks, photons -- fundamental particles of light -- hold intriguing possibilities as fast carriers of information at room temperature. Photons are typically controlled and coaxed into quantum states via waveguides on extended microchips, or through bulky devices built from lenses, mirrors, and beam splitters. The photons become entangled - enabling them to encode and process quantum information in parallel - through complex networks of these optical components. But such systems are notoriously difficult to scale up due to the large numbers and imperfections of parts required to do any meaningful computation or networking. -- Could all those optical components could be collapsed into a single, flat, ultra-thin array of subwavelength elements that control light in the exact same way, but with far fewer fabricated parts? -- Optics researchers in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) did just that. The research team led by Federico Capasso, the Robert L. Wallace Professor of Applied Physics and Vinton Hayes Senior Research Fellow in Electrical Engineering, created specially designed metasurfaces -- flat devices etched with nanoscale light-manipulating patterns -- to act as ultra-thin upgrades for quantum-optical chips and setups. -- The research was published in Science and funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). -- Capasso and his team showed that a metasurface can create complex, entangled states of photons to carry out quantum operations - like those done with larger optical devices with many different components. | 156 |
| Astronomers Capture Giant Planet Forming 440 Light-Years From Earth | Astronomers Capture Planet Formation In Real Time Within A Protoplanetary Disc | Unveiling a protoplanet candidate embedded in the HD 135344B disk with VLT/ERIS. | ESO | Astronomers have potentially observed a planet forming in real time within the protoplanetary disc surrounding the star HD 135344B. This groundbreaking detection provides direct evidence of planet formation, confirming theoretical predictions about spiral arms sculpted by newborn planets, enhancing our understanding of celestial birth. | Live Planet Formation Seen 440 Light-Years AwayThe image to the left, taken with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), shows a possible planet being born around the young star HD 135344B. This star, located around 440 light-years away, is surrounded by a disc of dust and gas with prominent spiral arms. Theory predicts that planets can sculpt spiral arms like these, and the new planet candidate is located at the base of one of the arms, just as expected. The image was captured with a new VLT instrument: the Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph (ERIS). The central black circle corresponds to a coronagraph –– a device that blocks the light of the star to reveal faint details around it. The white circle indicates the location of the planet. The image to the right is a combination of previous observations taken with the SPHERE instrument also at the VLT (red) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA, orange and blue). These and other previous studies of HD 135344B did not find signatures of a companion, but ERIS may have finally unveiled the culprit responsible for the star’s spiral disc. Credit: ESO/F. Maio et al./T. Stolker et al./ ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/N. van der Marel et al. -- Astronomers may have caught a still-forming planet in action, carving out an intricate pattern in the gas and dust that surrounds its young host star. Using ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), they observed a planetary disc with prominent spiral arms, finding clear signs of a planet nestled in its inner regions. This is the first time astronomers have detected a planet candidate embedded inside a disc spiral. -- "We will never witness the formation of Earth, but here, around a young star 440 light-years away, we may be watching a planet come into existence in real time," says Francesco Maio, a doctoral researcher at the University of Florence, Italy, and lead author of this study, published on July 21 in Astronomy & Astrophysics. -- The potential planet-in-the-making was detected around the star HD 135344B, within a disc of gas and dust around it called a protoplanetary disc. The budding planet is estimated to be twice the size of Jupiter and as far from its host star as Neptune is from the Sun. It has been observed shaping its surroundings within the protoplanetary disc as it grows into a fully formed planet. -- Protoplanetary discs have been observed around other young stars, and they often display intricate patterns, such as rings, gaps or spirals. Astronomers have long predicted that these structures are caused by baby planets, which sweep up material as they orbit around their parent star. But, until now, they had not caught one of these planetary sculptors in the act. -- In the case of HD 135344B's disc, swirling spiral arms had previously been detected by another team of astronomers using SPHERE (Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch), an instrument on ESO's VLT. However, none of the previous observations of this system found proof of a planet forming within the disc. -- Now, with observations from the new VLT's Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph (ERIS) instrument, the researchers say they may have found their prime suspect. The team spotted the planet candidate right at the base of one of the disc's spiral arms, exactly where theory had predicted they might find the planet responsible for carving such a pattern. -- "What makes this detection potentially a turning point is that, unlike many previous observations, we are able to directly detect the signal of the protoplanet, which is still highly embedded in the disc," says Maio, who is based at the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, a center of Italy's National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF). "This gives us a much higher level of confidence in the planet's existence, as we're observing the planet's own light." -- A star's companion is born -- A different team of astronomers have also recently used the ERIS instrument to observe another star, V960 Mon, one that is still in the very early stages of its life. In a study published on 18 July in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the team report that they have found a companion object to this young star. The exact nature of this object remains a mystery. | 157 |
| Optimists Think Alike—And Brain Scans Just Proved It | Optimists Show Aligned Brain Patterns, While Pessimists Display More Diverse Neural Activity | Optimistic people are all alike: Shared neural representations supporting episodic future thinking among optimistic individuals. | Kobe University | A study from Kobe University reveals that the brains of optimists exhibit similar patterns when envisioning future events, whereas pessimists demonstrate greater variability in neural activity. This neurological alignment among optimists may explain their tendency to form stronger social connections and relationships. | Optimists Think AlikeOptimists seem to share a common mental blueprint for the future, which might help them connect more easily with others. Pessimists, in contrast, think about the future in their own uniquely individual ways. Credit: Shutterstock -- When thinking about future events, optimists' brains work similarly, while pessimists' brains show a much larger degree of individuality. The Kobe University finding offers an explanation why optimists are seen as more sociable -- they may share a common vision of the future. -- Optimists tend to be more satisfied with their social relationships and have wider social networks. Kobe University psychologist Kuniaki Yanagisawa says: "But what is the reason for this? Recent studies showed that the brains of people who occupy central social positions react to stimuli in similar ways. So it may be that people who share a similar attitude towards the future, too, truly envision it similarly in their brains and that this makes it easier for them to understand each other's perspectives." -- To test this hypothesis, Yanagisawa assembled an interdisciplinary team from both the fields of social psychology and cognitive neuroscience. "The main reason why this question has remained untouched until now is that it exists in a gap between social psychology and neuroscience. However, the intersection of these two fields enabled us to open this black box." They recruited 87 test subjects who covered the whole spectrum from pessimism to optimism and asked them to imagine various future events. While doing so, their brain activity was recorded with a technique called "functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)," enabling the researchers to see how the test subjects' thinking about the future materializes in their brains as patterns of neural activity. -- In the journal PNAS, the Kobe University team reports that when optimists think about future events, their neural activity patterns are in fact mutually similar. Pessimists' patterns, on the other hand, showed much more diversity. Inspired by the opening line of Leo Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina," the team summarizes its results, saying, "Optimistic individuals are all alike, but each less optimistic individual imagines the future in their own way." Yanagisawa says, "What was most dramatic about this study is that the abstract notion of 'thinking alike' was literally made visible in the form of patterns of brain activity." -- Yanagisawa and his team also found that there is a more pronounced difference in neural patterns when thinking about positive events or negative events in optimists than in pessimists. "This means that more optimistic people perceive a clear distinction between good and bad futures in their brains. In other words, optimism does not involve positive reinterpretation of negative events. Instead, optimistic individuals typically process negative scenarios in a more abstract and psychologically distant manner, thus mitigating the emotional impact of such scenarios," he explains. -- The psychologist sums up the study, saying: "The everyday feeling of 'being on the same wavelength' is not just a metaphor. The brains of optimists may in a very physical sense share a common concept of the future. But this raises new questions. Is this shared mechanism something they are born with or is it woven in later, for example through experience and dialogue?" Yanagisawa's ultimate goal is to gain a deeper understanding of what causes loneliness and what enables people to communicate with each other. He says, "I believe that elucidating the process by which this shared reality emerges is a step towards a society where people can communicate better." -- This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (grants JP26780342, JP19H01747) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (grant JPMJRX21K3). It was conducted in collaboration with researchers from Kyoto University, the Osaka University of Comprehensive Children Education, La Trobe University, and Kindai University. | 158 |
| The Plant Virus That Trains Your Immune System To Kill Cancer | Plant Virus Turns Your Immune System Into A Cancer-Fighting Machine For Clinical Trials | Comparative analyses for plant virus-based cancer immunotherapy drug development. | University of California - San Diego | Researchers have discovered that the cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV), a plant virus, can effectively stimulate the human immune system to combat cancer without harming human cells. This unique ability to trigger robust immune responses positions CPMV as a promising and affordable immunotherapy, rapidly advancing toward clinical trials, marking a significant potential breakthrough in cancer treatment. | Plant Virus Trains Your Body to Kill CancerA cowpea virus awakens the immune system to attack cancer, showing high potential as a natural, low-cost immunotherapy. Credit: Shutterstock -- A virus that typically infects black-eyed peas is showing great promise as a low-cost, potent cancer immunotherapy -- and researchers are uncovering why. -- In a study published in Cell Biomaterials, a team led by chemical and nano engineers at the University of California San Diego took a closer look at how the cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV), unlike other plant viruses, is uniquely effective at activating the body's immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. -- In preclinical studies, CPMV has demonstrated potent anti-tumor effects in multiple mouse models, as well as in canine cancer patients. When injected directly into tumors, CPMV therapy recruits innate immune cells -- such as neutrophils, macrophages and natural killer cells -- into the tumor microenvironment to destroy cancer cells. Meanwhile, it activates B cells and T cells to establish systemic, long-lasting anti-tumor memory. This immune reawakening not only helps clear the targeted tumor but also primes the immune system to hunt down metastatic tumors elsewhere in the body. -- "It is fascinating that CPMV but not other plant viruses stimulates an anti-tumor response," said Nicole Steinmetz, the Leo and Trude Szilard Chancellor's Endowed Chair in the Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and the study's corresponding author. -- "This work gives us insight into how CPMV works so well," said study first author Anthony Omole, a chemical and nano engineering Ph.D. student in Steinmetz's lab. "What we found most exciting is that although human immune cells are not infected by CPMV, they respond to it and are reprogrammed towards an activated state, which ultimately trains them to detect and eradicate cancerous cells." -- A key question in translating CPMV to human cancer patients has been: what makes this plant virus so effective at fighting cancer? -- To investigate, Omole, Steinmetz and colleagues at the National Cancer Institute's Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory performed a side-by-side comparison of CPMV with the cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV), a closely related plant virus that does not exhibit anti-tumor effects when administered intratumorally. Both viruses form similarly sized nanoparticles and are taken up by human immune cells at similar rates. Yet, once inside, the viruses produce different outcomes. -- CPMV, the team found, stimulates type I, II and III interferons -- proteins with well-known anti-cancer properties. "This is particularly interesting because some of the earliest cancer immunotherapy drugs were recombinant interferons," noted Omole. Meanwhile, CCMV stimulates a set of pro-inflammatory interleukins that do not translate to effective tumor clearance. Another difference lies in how these viruses' RNAs are processed within mammalian cells. CPMV RNAs persist longer and get delivered to the endolysosome, where they activate toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7), a critical component in priming antiviral -- and more importantly -- anti-tumor immune responses. CCMV RNAs, on the other hand, fail to reach this activation point. -- CPMV also offers a unique advantage as a cost-effective immunotherapy. Unlike many other therapies that require complex and costly manufacturing, CPMV can be produced using molecular farming. "It can be grown in plants using sunlight, soil and water," Omole said. | 159 |
| Scientists Analyzed 100,000 Exams And Found The Best Time To Take One | Timing Matters: Best Exam Success For Italian Students Is Midday, New Study Reveals | Timing matters! Academic assessment changes throughout the day. | Frontiers | A new study examining over 100,000 oral exams taken by Italian university students reveals that scheduling these assessments around midday significantly improves pass rates. This time-of-day effect, which peaks between 11 AM and 1 PM, suggests that biological rhythms could play a vital role in academic performance, prompting a need for better scheduling in educational and evaluative contexts. | The Best Time to Take Your ExamPass rates in Italian oral exams spike at lunchtime and dip early or late in the day. This suggests that when you're evaluated matters almost as much as how you're prepared. Credit: Shutterstock -- To succeed at university, Italian students need to pass interview-style oral exams. Now scientists have found that the time of the exam could be a critical factor influencing their success… or failure. Even when other factors were excluded, the chances of passing were highest around lunchtime, and lowest at the beginning or end of the day. -- "We show that academic assessment outcomes vary systematically across the day, with a clear peak in passing rates around midday," said Prof Carmelo Mario Vicario, director of the Social-Cognitive Neuroscience Lab at the University of Messina and lead author of the article in Frontiers in Psychology. "Students were more likely to pass in late morning compared to early morning or late afternoon." -- "We believe this pattern could extend to job interviews or any evaluative process scheduled throughout the day," added Vicario. "We would be very interested in investigating whether hiring decisions, too, fluctuate in fairness or outcome depending on time of day." -- Timing is everything -- The researchers were inspired by work which showed that judges were most likely to rule in favor of a defendant after meal breaks or at the beginning of a session. However, this could have been influenced by different types of case being presented at different times. So the researchers looked at oral exams, which are more subjective than legal decisions. If the time of day influences people's judgement, large-scale data on exam outcomes should show evidence of it. -- "Oral exams in Italian universities are scheduled at set times, typically lasting 10 to 30 minutes per student," explained Vicario. "There's no standardized format: professors ask questions based on the course content, and grades are assigned on the spot. These exams can be highly stressful due to their unpredictable nature and the strong weight they carry in academic progression." -- A database from the University of Messina allowed researchers to access the results of exams conducted between October 2018 and February 2020. The researchers collected the time, date, and outcome of 104,552 assessments delivered by 680 examiners for 1,243 courses. They also used the number of credits granted towards a degree per exam to measure the difficulty of individual exams. This allowed them to exclude the difficulty of the exam as a factor and carry out statistical analysis evaluating the likelihood of passing based on the time when the exam began. -- Beating the curve -- The researchers found that only 57% of the exams were passed. The passing rate followed a bell curve with a peak at noon: there was no significant difference in your chance of passing if you sat your exam at 11:00 or 13:00, but your chances of passing were lower if you took the exam at 08:00 or 09:00, or at 15:00 or 16:00. The chance of passing was equivalent in the early morning and in the late afternoon. | 160 |
| Your Brain Sees Faces In Everything—And Science Just Explained Why | Your Brain’s Quirky Talent: Spotting Faces Everywhere, Even In Clouds And Toast | How face-like objects and averted gaze faces orient our attention: The role of global configuration and local features. | University of Surrey | A recent study has uncovered that our brains are wired to recognize faces, even in non-human forms, demonstrating a phenomenon known as face pareidolia. This research indicates that face-like illusions can capture our attention more powerfully than real faces and hints at potential applications in advertising strategies aimed at leveraging this cognitive bias for better engagement. | Why Your Brain Sees Faces in ThingsFace-like illusions draw our attention more powerfully than real gazes, using a different brain mechanism. Credit: Shutterstock -- New research details how our brains are drawn to and spot faces everywhere -- If you have ever spotted faces or human-like expressions in everyday objects, you may have experienced the phenomenon of face pareidolia. Now, a new study by the University of Surrey has looked into how this phenomenon grabs our attention, which could be used by advertisers in promoting future products. -- The study, published in i-Perception, investigated the differences between our attention being directed by averted gazes - when a subject looks away from another subject's eyes or face - and when it's directed by pareidolia - imagined face-like objects. -- The researchers conducted four "gaze cueing task" experiments with a total of 54 participants, to measure how our attention is influenced by the direction of another subject's gaze. They found that participants consistently shifted their attention in response to the appearance of both averted gazes and pareidolia. -- However, the underlying mechanisms through which attention is drawn are quite different. While we are primarily drawn to the eye region of averted gazes, we are drawn to pareidolia's holistic structure of their "faces," and as a result, experienced a stronger response and attention. -- Dr Di Fu, Lecturer in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Surrey, said: -- "Our research shows that both averted gazes from real faces and perceived faces in objects can direct where we look, but they do so through different pathways. We process real faces through focusing on specific features, like the direction of the eyes. However, with face-like objects, we process their overall structure and where their "eye-like features" are positioned, resulting in a stronger attention response." -- The findings of the study may have implications that go beyond a better understanding of how our brain processes information. Dr Fu adds: -- "Our findings may have practical implications too, particularly in areas like product advertising. Advertisers could potentially incorporate face-like arrangements with prominent eye-like elements into their designs, increasing consumer attention and leaving a more memorable impression of their products." | 161 |
| People With Eating Disorders Say Cannabis And Psychedelics Help More Than Antidepressants | Surprising Findings: People With Eating Disorders Prefer Psychedelics Over Traditional Medications | Prescription and Nonprescription Drug Use Among People With Eating Disorders. | University of Sydney | An extensive global survey has found that individuals with eating disorders often perceive cannabis and psychedelics as more effective for symptom relief than traditional medications like antidepressants. The results highlight a significant preference for non-prescribed options, sparking discussions on the need for more research and potential new treatment approaches in managing eating disorders. | Cannabis and Psychedelics Help Eating DisordersPeople with eating disorders report cannabis and psychedelics as surprisingly effective symptom relievers, outshining prescriptions and prompting urgent new trials. Credit: Shutterstock -- A pioneering international survey of people living with eating disorders has found that cannabis and psychedelics, such as 'magic mushrooms' or LSD, were best rated as alleviating symptoms by respondents who self-medicated with the non-prescribed drugs. -- The worst-rated drugs were alcohol, tobacco, nicotine and cocaine. -- Prescribed drugs, such as antidepressants, were generally not well rated for treating eating-disorder symptoms but were positively rated for effects on general mental health. -- The research, led by PhD student Sarah-Catherine Rodan at the University of Sydney's Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, is published on July 22 in JAMA Network Open. -- Ms Rodan said: "Our results provide important insights into the lived experiences of people with eating disorders and their drug use, highlighting promising avenues for future research into treatments. -- "The findings suggest more research, including large clinical trials, should be undertaken around the beneficial effects of cannabis and psychedelics for people with eating disorders." -- The Lambert Initiative researchers will shortly launch a clinical trial of psilocybin in treating anorexia nervosa in collaboration with the Inside Out Institute at the University of Sydney. -- Scope and response of survey -- The study analyzed responses from over 7600 self-allocated participants in 83 countries, making it the most comprehensive survey ever conducted on this topic. | 162 |
| A Simple Twist Fooled AI—And Revealed A Dangerous Flaw In Medical Ethics | AI's Flaws Revealed: Simple Changes Uncover Dangerous Mistakes In Medical Ethics | Pitfalls of large language models in medical ethics reasoning. | The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine | A study reveals that even advanced AI models, such as ChatGPT, struggle with ethical medical decisions, often opting for intuitive but incorrect responses when faced with modified ethical dilemmas. This raises critical concerns about the reliability of AI in healthcare, emphasizing the necessity of human oversight, especially in nuanced ethical contexts where emotional intelligence is crucial. | Why AI Still Gets Basic Medical Ethics WrongA study shows AI can fail at ethical reasoning in medicine, misreading even simple scenarios if they're presented in unfamiliar ways. Credit: Shutterstock -- A study by investigators at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in collaboration with colleagues from Rabin Medical Center in Israel and other collaborators, suggests that even the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models can make surprisingly simple mistakes when faced with complex medical ethics scenarios. -- The findings, which raise important questions about how and when to rely on large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, in health care settings, were reported in the July 22 online issue of NPJ Digital Medicine[10.1038/s41746-025-01792-y]. -- The research team was inspired by Daniel Kahneman's book "Thinking, Fast and Slow," which contrasts fast, intuitive reactions with slower, analytical reasoning. It has been observed that large language models (LLMs) falter when classic lateral-thinking puzzles receive subtle tweaks. Building on this insight, the study tested how well AI systems shift between these two modes when confronted with well-known ethical dilemmas that had been deliberately tweaked. -- "AI can be very powerful and efficient, but our study showed that it may default to the most familiar or intuitive answer, even when that response overlooks critical details," says co-senior author Eyal Klang, MD, Chief of Generative AI in the Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "In everyday situations, that kind of thinking might go unnoticed. But in health care, where decisions often carry serious ethical and clinical implications, missing those nuances can have real consequences for patients." -- To explore this tendency, the research team tested several commercially available LLMs using a combination of creative lateral thinking puzzles and slightly modified well-known medical ethics cases. In one example, they adapted the classic "Surgeon's Dilemma," a widely cited 1970s puzzle that highlights implicit gender bias. In the original version, a boy is injured in a car accident with his father and rushed to the hospital, where the surgeon exclaims, "I can't operate on this boy -- he's my son!" The twist is that the surgeon is his mother, though many people don't consider that possibility due to gender bias. In the researchers' modified version, they explicitly stated that the boy's father was the surgeon, removing the ambiguity. Even so, some AI models still responded that the surgeon must be the boy's mother. The error reveals how LLMs can cling to familiar patterns, even when contradicted by new information. -- In another example to test whether LLMs rely on familiar patterns, the researchers drew from a classic ethical dilemma in which religious parents refuse a life-saving blood transfusion for their child. Even when the researchers altered the scenario to state that the parents had already consented, many models still recommended overriding a refusal that no longer existed. -- "Our findings don't suggest that AI has no place in medical practice, but they do highlight the need for thoughtful human oversight, especially in situations that require ethical sensitivity, nuanced judgment, or emotional intelligence," says co-senior corresponding author Girish N. Nadkarni, MD, MPH, Chair of the Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, Director of the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health, Irene and Dr. Arthur M. Fishberg Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Chief AI Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. "Naturally, these tools can be incredibly helpful, but they're not infallible. Physicians and patients alike should understand that AI is best used as a complement to enhance clinical expertise, not a substitute for it, particularly when navigating complex or high-stakes decisions. Ultimately, the goal is to build more reliable and ethically sound ways to integrate AI into patient care." -- "Simple tweaks to familiar cases exposed blind spots that clinicians can't afford," says lead author Shelly Soffer, MD, a Fellow at the Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center. "It underscores why human oversight must stay central when we deploy AI in patient care." -- Next, the research team plans to expand their work by testing a wider range of clinical examples. They're also developing an "AI assurance lab" to systematically evaluate how well different models handle real-world medical complexity. | 163 |
| Breakthrough: How Radiation Helps The Immune System Kill Cancer | Radiation Therapy Gets A Boost: Awakening The Immune System To Fight Cancer | Combination of pembrolizumab and radiotherapy induces systemic antitumor immune responses in immunologically cold non-small cell lung cancer. | Johns Hopkins Medicine | Innovative research indicates that combining radiation therapy with immunotherapy can effectively activate the immune response against hard-to-treat lung tumors. This dual approach not only enhances the immune system's ability to target resistant tumors but also improves patient survival rates, unveiling a promising strategy for tackling challenging cancer cases. | Resistant Tumors Rewired by RadiationRadiation helps certain lung tumors that ignore immunotherapy suddenly become vulnerable, activating the immune system body-wide and improving survival rates. Credit: Shutterstock -- By sparking the immune system into action, radiation therapy makes certain tumors that resist immunotherapy susceptible to the treatment, leading to positive outcomes for patients, according to new research by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Netherlands Cancer Institute. The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health. -- In the study, published July 22 in Nature Cancer, investigators dove deep into the molecular biology of non-small cell lung cancer to pinpoint what happens on a cellular and molecular level over time when the cancer is treated with either radiation therapy followed by immunotherapy or immunotherapy alone. They found that radiation plus immunotherapy induced a systemic anti-tumor immune response in lung cancers that do not typically respond to immunotherapy. The combination therapy also yielded improved clinical response in patients whose tumors harbor features of immunotherapy resistance. -- Clinically, the results suggest that radiation therapy can help overcome immunotherapy resistance in certain patients. -- "For a fraction of lung cancers where we aren't expecting therapy responses, radiation may be particularly effective to help circumvent primary resistance to immunotherapy; this could potentially be applicable to acquired resistance, too," says senior study author Valsamo "Elsa" Anagnostou, M.D., Ph.D., co-director of the Upper Aerodigestive Malignancies Program, director of the Thoracic Oncology Biorepository, leader of Precision Oncology Analytics, co-leader of the Johns Hopkins Molecular Tumor Board and co-director of the Lung Cancer Precision Medicine Center of Excellence at Johns Hopkins. -- Researchers have long sought to better understand why some tumors grow resistant to immunotherapy -- a treatment strategy that leverages the body's own immune system to fight cancer cells -- and how to intercept that resistance. -- Radiation therapy has been proposed as one possible way to induce a systemic immune response because of a unique phenomenon called the abscopal effect. Radiation at the site of a primary tumor typically causes tumor cells to die and release their contents into the local microenvironment. Sometimes, the immune system discovers those contents, learns the tumor's molecular footprint, then activates immune cells around the body to attack cancer cells at tumor sites that were not the targets of the radiation, including some far away from the primary cancer in the body. -- Because of this effect, radiation therapy could potentially improve how well an immunotherapy works against a cancer, even far from the original radiation site. Yet little has been known about the molecular biology behind the abscopal effect, or how to predict when and in which patients it will occur. -- To study this phenomenon, Anagnostou and colleagues obtained samples from patients with lung cancer at different times throughout their treatment journey and from various locations in the body, not just at the primary tumor site. They collaborated with Willemijn Theelen and Paul Baas at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, who were running a phase II clinical trial on the effect of radiation therapy followed by immunotherapy, specifically the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab. -- With help from Theelen and Baas, Anagnostou's team analyzed 293 blood and tumor samples from 72 patients, obtained at baseline and after three to six weeks of treatment. Patients in the control group received immunotherapy alone, while the experimental group received radiation followed by immunotherapy. | 164 |
| Just Two Workouts A Week Could Cut Heart Death Risk By 33% In Diabetics | Weekend Workouts Still Count: Just Two Sessions Can Cut Heart Death Risk | Association of Weekend Warrior and Other Physical Activity Patterns With Mortality Among Adults With Diabetes. | American College of Physicians | A large-scale study of over 50,000 adults with diabetes reveals that engaging in any level of physical activity, including "weekend warriors," significantly reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risks. The findings highlight that merely meeting the recommended exercise guidelines, regardless of how it's spread throughout the week, can have profound health benefits for individuals with diabetes. | Weekend Workouts Cut Heart Death RiskExercising a few days a week, or even just on weekends, can significantly lower heart and overall death risks in diabetics, a large study finds. Credit: Shutterstock -- A prospective cohort study examined the associations of different physical activity patterns with all-cause, cardiovascular (CV) and cancer mortality among adults with diabetes. The study found that weekend warrior and regular activity patterns meeting current physical activity recommendations were associated with similarly reduced risks for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality compared to physical inactivity, demonstrating the importance of any physical activity for people with diabetes. The results are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. -- Researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Capital Medical University, and colleagues studied data from 51,650 adults with self-reported diabetes who participated in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) between 1997 and 2018. Current guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) distributed across a minimum of three days. Participants were categorized into four activity patterns: inactive (no reported MVPA); insufficiently active (MVPA less than 150 minutes per week); weekend warrior (MVPA 150 or more minutes per week across one to two sessions); and regularly active (MVPA 150 or more minutes per week across at least three sessions). -- The researchers found that insufficiently active, weekend warrior, and regularly active participants had lower risks for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality compared to inactive participants. Weekend warriors and regularly active participants had a 21% and 17% lower all-cause mortality risk and 33% and 19% lower risks of cardiovascular mortality, respectively, compared with inactive participants. There were fewer differences by cancer mortality compared with physical inactivity. | 165 |
| New Genetic Test Predicts Obesity Before You Start Kindergarten | New DNA Test Can Reveal Obesity Risk In Children As Young As Five | Polygenic prediction of body mass index and obesity through the life course and across ancestries. | University of Bristol | A groundbreaking study utilizing genetic data from over five million individuals has produced a polygenic risk score that can predict childhood obesity risks. This innovative tool allows for early identification of at-risk children, paving the way for targeted lifestyle interventions before significant weight issues arise, ultimately aiming to combat the obesity epidemic early on. | The Obesity Forecast Hidden in Your DNAScientists have developed a powerful genetic score that can predict obesity risk from early childhood, potentially allowing for much earlier and more effective interventions. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new genetic analysis using data from over five million people has provided a clearer understanding of the risk of going on to live with obesity. New research led by the Universities of Copenhagen and Bristol shows analyzing genes at a young age may support early strategies to prevent obesity developing later in life. -- The World Obesity Federation expects more than half the global population to become overweight or obese by 2035. However, treatment strategies such as lifestyle change, surgery and medications are not universally available or effective. -- By drawing on genetic data from over five million people, an international team of researchers, have created a measure called a polygenic risk score (PGS) that is reliably associated with adulthood obesity and shows consistent and indicative patterns in early childhood. The findings could help to identify children and adolescents at higher genetic risk of developing obesity in later life, who could benefit from targeted preventative strategies, such as lifestyle interventions, at a younger age. -- "What makes the score so powerful is the consistency of associations between the genetic score and body mass index before the age of five and through to adulthood - timing that starts well before other risk factors start to shape their weight later in childhood. Intervening at this point could theoretically make a huge impact," said Assistant Professor Roelof Smit at the University of Copenhagen and lead author of the research published in the journal Nature Medicine. -- Twice as effective at predicting obesity as the next best method -- The subtle variations in people's genomes can have a real impact on health when acting together. Thousands of genetic variants have been identified that increase the risk of obesity, for example, variants that act in the brain and influence appetite. A PGS is like a calculator that combines the effects of the different risk variants that a person carries and provides an overall score. The PGS was able to explain almost a fifth (17%) of a person's variation in body mass index - much higher than in previous studies. -- To create these PGS, the scientists drew on the genetic data of more than five million people - the largest and most diverse genetic dataset ever - including genetic data from the Genetic Investigation of ANthropometric Traits (GIANT) consortium and consumer DNA testing firm, 23andMe. The researchers then tested whether their new PGS was associated with obesity using datasets of the physical and genetic characteristics of more than 500,000 people, including BMI data tracked over time from the Children of the 90s study. They found that their new PGS was twice as effective as the previous best method at predicting a person's risk of developing obesity. -- Dr Kaitlin Wade, Associate Professor in Epidemiology at the University of Bristol and second author on this paper said: "Obesity is a major public health issue, with many factors contributing to its development, including genetics, environment, lifestyle and behaviour. These factors likely vary across a person's life, and we believe that some of these originate in childhood. -- "We were delighted to contribute data from the Children of the 90s study to this exceptional and insightful research into the genetic architecture of obesity. We hope this work will contribute to detecting individuals at high risk of developing obesity at an earlier age, which could have a vast clinical and public health impact in the future." | 166 |
| One Pregnancy Shot Slashes Baby RSV Hospitalizations By 72% — And Shields For Months | Vaccinating Pregnant Women Against RSV Reduces Newborn Hospitalizations By An Impressive 72% | Bivalent prefusion F vaccination in pregnancy and respiratory syncytial virus hospitalisation in infants in the UK: results of a multicentre, test-negative, case-control study. | University of Edinburgh | A recent UK study demonstrates that vaccinating pregnant women against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) leads to a remarkable 72% decrease in hospitalizations for newborns with severe lung infections. By conveying protective antibodies to their infants, vaccinated mothers play a crucial role in safeguarding their babies during vulnerable early months, significantly reducing healthcare burdens. | Pregnancy Shot Slashes Baby RSV HospitalizationsPregnant women vaccinated against RSV are giving their babies powerful protection, slashing hospital admissions by over 70%. The sooner during pregnancy the jab is given, the stronger the shield. Credit: Shutterstock -- Vaccination of pregnant women has been linked to a drop in newborns being admitted to hospital with a serious lung infection, research suggests. -- Researchers found the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, introduced across the UK in late summer 2024, led to a 72 percent reduction in babies hospitalized with the virus if mothers were vaccinated. -- The findings are the first to show the real-world effectiveness of the vaccine in pregnant women in the UK. -- Uptake of the jab among pregnant women could help to limit the number of sick babies each winter, reducing hospital pressures, experts say. -- RSV is a common virus that causes coughs and colds but can lead to a severe lung infection called bronchiolitis, which can be dangerous in babies, with some requiring admission to intensive care. The virus is the main infectious cause of hospitalization for babies in the UK and globally. -- Receiving the vaccine during pregnancy helps to protect both mother and baby. Antibodies - proteins which help to prevent the virus causing severe infection - produced by the mother in response to the vaccine are passed to the fetus, providing protection from severe RSV for the first six months after birth. -- The research team, led by the Universities of Edinburgh and Leicester, recruited 537 babies across England and Scotland who had been admitted to hospital with severe respiratory disease in the winter of 2024-2025, the first season of vaccine implementation. 391 of the babies tested positive for RSV. -- Mothers of babies who did not have RSV were two times more likely to have received the vaccine before delivery than the mothers of RSV-positive babies - 41 percent compared with 19 percent. -- Receiving the vaccine more than 14 days before delivery offered a higher protective effect, with a 72 percent reduction in hospital admissions compared with 58 percent for infants whose mothers were vaccinated at any time before delivery. | 167 |
| 7000 Steps A Day Cuts Death Risk By 47%—And That Might Be All You Need | Walking 7,000 Steps A Day Might Be The Secret To A Longer Life | Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. | University of Sydney | New research indicates that walking just 7,000 steps daily can reduce the risk of early mortality by nearly 47%, similar to the widely promoted 10,000-step goal. This comprehensive analysis demonstrates that even lower step counts yield substantial health benefits, urging a re-evaluation of physical activity guidelines to encourage a broader range of movement. | 7000 Steps a Day Cuts Death Risk by 47%You don’t need 10,000 steps to reap serious health benefits. Just 7000 a day cuts the risk of early death by nearly 50%, with added perks like better heart and brain health. Credit: Shutterstock -- A major new study led by the University of Sydney suggests that walking 7000 steps a day offers similar health benefits across several outcomes as walking 10,000. -- il 7000 steps, at which point the benefits began to taper off -- A major new study led by the University of Sydney suggests that walking 7000 steps a day offers similar health benefits across several outcomes as walking 10,000. -- Led by Professor Melody Ding from the School of Public Health, the study was published in The Lancet Public Healthand analysed data from 57 studies from 2014 to 2025 that were conducted in more than ten countries including Australia, USA, UK and Japan. -- The largest and most comprehensive review to date, the researchers examined the impact that different daily step counts have on the chance of dying from cardiovascular disease and cancer, and developing diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, dementia and depression. Professor Melody Ding says the findings offer a more achievable benchmark for people who struggle to meet traditional exercise guidelines. -- "Aiming for 7000 steps is a realistic goal based on our findings, which assessed health outcomes in a range of areas that hadn't been looked at before," said Professor Ding. -- "However, for those who cannot yet achieve 7000 steps a day, even small increases in step counts, such as increasing from 2000 to 4000 steps a day, are associated with significant health gain. -- "We know daily step count is linked to living longer, but we now also have evidence that walking at least 7000 steps a day can significantly improve eight major health outcomes -- including reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia and depressive symptoms." -- Health benefits at different step counts | 168 |
| This Dna Test Can Predict If A 5-Year-Old Will Be Obese As An Adult | Predicting Obesity Early: New Genetic Test Can Identify Risks In Young Children | Polygenic prediction of body mass index and obesity through the life course and across ancestries. | University of Copenhagen - The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences | An innovative genetic test developed from over five million data points can predict obesity risk in children before age five. This groundbreaking tool enables early intervention strategies aimed at preventing obesity, demonstrating its potential to improve long-term health outcomes by identifying high-risk individuals at a young age. | Obesity Risk Revealed in Childhood DNAA new genetic score predicts obesity risk before age five, enabling earlier, targeted prevention. Credit: Shutterstock -- What if we could prevent people from developing obesity? The World Obesity Federation expects more than half the global population to develop overweight or obesity by 2035. However, treatment strategies such as lifestyle change, surgery and medications are not universally available or effective. -- By drawing on genetic data from over five million people, an international team of researchers has created a genetic test called a polygenic risk score (PGS) that predicts adulthood obesity already in early childhood. This finding could help to identify children and adolescents at higher genetic risk of developing obesity, who could benefit from targeted preventative strategies, such as lifestyle interventions, at a younger age. -- "What makes the score so powerful is its ability to predict, before the age of five, whether a child is likely to develop obesity in adulthood, well before other risk factors start to shape their weight later in childhood. Intervening at this point can have a huge impact," says Assistant Professor Roelof Smit from the NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR) at the University of Copenhagen and lead author of the research published in Nature Medicine. -- The study arises from the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits (GIANT) Consortium, an international collaboration of human genetics researchers dedicated to studying the genetic architecture of anthropometric traits such as human height and body mass index. The research involved a collaboration with the consumer genetics and research company 23andMe, inc., and the contributions of more than 600 scientists from 500 institutions, globally. -- Twice as effective at predicting obesity as the next best test -- The subtle variations in our genomes can greatly impact our health. Thousands of genetic variants have been identified that increase our risk of obesity, for example, variants that act in the brain and influence our appetite. A PGS is like a calculator that combines the effects of the different risk variants that a person carries and provides an overall score. -- To create their PGS, the scientists drew on the genetic data of more than five million people - the largest and most diverse genetic dataset ever. They then tested their new PGS for obesity on datasets of the physical and genetic characteristics of more than 500,000 people. They found that their new PGS was twice as effective as the previous best test at predicting a person's risk of developing obesity. -- "This new polygenic score is a dramatic improvement in predictive power and a leap forward in the genetic prediction of obesity risk, which brings us much closer to clinically useful genetic testing," says Professor Ruth Loos from CBMR at the University of Copenhagen. -- Genetics is not destiny | 169 |
| Found In The Trash: A Super Opioid 1000x Stronger Than Morphine | Warning: Super Opioid Nitazene Is Emerging In Australia’s Street Drug Supply | Searching for a Needle in a Haystack: Chemical Analysis Reveals Nitazenes Found in Drug Paraphernalia Residues. | University of South Australia | Researchers are raising alarms about nitazene, a powerful synthetic opioid infiltrating Adelaide’s street drug supply, potentially leading to a wave of overdoses. This potent substance, often mixed with heroin or fentanyl, poses significant risks as users remain unaware of its presence, prompting urgent public health considerations. | A Super Opioid 1000x Stronger Than MorphineA hidden killer 1000 times stronger than morphine is quietly infiltrating Australia's drug supply. Credit: Shutterstock -- A synthetic opioid 1000 times more potent than morphine is infiltrating the street drug trade in Adelaide, Australia, sparking fears of a wave of overdoses that could be lethal. -- In the first study of its kind in South Australia, University of South Australia researchers have detected traces of nitazene in samples of discarded injecting equipment, plastic bags, vials and filters from public disposal bins at local needle and syringe program sites. -- Their findings were published on July 31 in the Drug & Alcohol Review. -- Using highly sensitive chemical analysis, researchers identified nitazenes in 5% of 300 samples, mainly in combination with heroin and mostly found in syringes. -- Nitazenes led to 32 overdose deaths in Australia between 2020 and 2024, with 84% of patients unaware the synthetic opioid was present in the drug they consumed. It is increasingly hidden in illicit drugs such as fentanyl and heroin, posing extreme overdose risks, often with fatal consequences. -- "Nitazenes are among the most potent synthetic opioids in circulation today, some stronger than fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin," according to lead researcher UniSA Associate Professor Cobus Gerber. -- "These substances can be lethal in tiny quantities and are often mixed with other drugs, making them incredibly difficult to detect and monitor through traditional means," he says. -- Several different nitazenes were identified, some of them combined with the non-opioid veterinary sedative xylazine, which is not approved for human use. -- "This is particularly alarming," says Assoc Prof Gerber, "as xylazine has been linked to severe adverse effects, including necrotic skin lesions, prolonged sedation and depression. | 170 |
| 4,000-Year-Old Teeth Reveal The Earliest Human High — Hidden In Plaque | Ancient Betel Nut Chewing: New Insights From 4,000-Year-Old Dental Plaque In Thailand | Earliest direct evidence of bronze age betel nut use: biomolecular analysis of dental calculus from Nong Ratchawat, Thailand. | Frontiers | A recent archaeological breakthrough has identified evidence of betel nut chewing in 4,000-year-old dental plaque from Thailand, shedding light on ancient cultural practices. This discovery reveals the long-standing role of psychoactive substances in human rituals, providing insight into behaviors that existed long before written history. | Ancient Plaque Reveals 4,000-Year-Old HighResearchers uncovered 4,000-year-old chemical traces of betel nut chewing in ancient Thai dental plaque — the earliest biomolecular evidence of its kind. Credit: Shutterstock -- In south-east Asia, betel nut chewing has been practiced since antiquity. The plants contain compounds that enhance the consumer's alertness, energy, euphoria, and relaxation. Although the practice is becoming less common in modern times, it has been deeply embedded in social and cultural traditions for thousands of years. Chewing betel nuts typically results in dark, reddish-brown to black stained teeth. -- Yet, teeth without staining may not mean that people didn't chew betel nuts. Now, using a new method, an international team of researchers examined ancient dental plaque from Bronze Age Thailand and found evidence of betel nut chewing. -- "We identified plant derivatives in dental calculus from a 4,000-year-old burial at Nong Ratchawat, Thailand," said first author of the Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology study Dr Piyawit Moonkham, an anthropological archaeologist at Chiang Mai University in Thailand. "This is the earliest direct biomolecular evidence of betel nut use in south-east Asia." -- "We demonstrate that dental calculus can preserve chemical signatures of psychoactive plant use for millennia, even when conventional archaeological evidence is completely absent," added Dr Shannon Tushingham, the senior author, who is the associate curator of anthropology at the California Academy of Sciences. "In essence, we've developed a way to make the invisible visible -- revealing behaviors and practices that have been lost to time for 4,000 years." -- Hidden in plaque -- At Nong Ratchawat, an archaeological site in central Thailand that dates back to the Bronze Age, 156 human burials have been unearthed since 2003. For the present study, the team collected 36 dental calculus samples from six individuals. -- Back in the lab, they removed tiny amounts of plaque from the samples and the chemical residues found therein underwent analysis. The team also used betel liquid samples they produced themselves to ensure psychoactive compounds could be reliably detected through their analysis and to understand the complex biochemical interactions between ingredients. "We used dried betel nut, pink limestone paste, Piper betel leaves, and sometimes Senegalia catechu bark and tobacco. We ground the ingredients with human saliva to replicate authentic chewing conditions," Moonkham said. "Sourcing materials and experimentally 'chewing' betel nuts to create authentic quid samples was both a fun and interesting process." -- The results showed that three of the archaeological samples - all stemming from a molar of the same individual, Burial 11 - contained traces of arecoline and arecaidine. These organic compounds, found in betel nuts but also plants like coffee, tea, and tobacco, have pronounced physiological effects on humans. This suggests that betel nuts were chewed as early as 4,000 years ago in Thailand. -- 'Archaeologically invisible' proof | 171 |
| Can AI Predict Cancer? New Model Uses Genomics To Simulate Tumors | AI And Genomics Join Forces To Predict Cancer Cell Behavior With New Software | Human interpretable grammar encodes multicellular systems biology models to democratize virtual cell laboratories. | University of Maryland School of Medicine | Scientists at the University of Maryland have created innovative software that merges genomics with mathematical modeling to forecast cancer cell behavior. This groundbreaking approach enables researchers to simulate cellular interactions over time, potentially revolutionizing personalized treatment strategies and offering insights into cancer progression and immune response. | Can AI Predict Cancer?Forecasting cancer like weather—scientists unlock a new way to predict disease using virtual cell simulations. -- In the same vein as weather forecast models that predict developing storms, researchers now have developed a method to predict the cell activity in tissues over time. The new software combines genomics technologies with computational modeling to predict cell changes in behavior, such as communication between cells that could cause cancer cells to flourish. -- Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's (UMSOM) Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS) co-led the study that published online on July 25 in the journal Cell. It is the result of a multi-year, multi-lab project at the interface of software development with important collaborations between bench and clinical team science researchers. This research eventually could lead to computer programs that could help determine the best treatment for cancer patients by essentially creating a "digital twin" of the patient. -- "Although standard biomedical research has made immeasurable strides in characterizing cellular ecosystems with genomics technologies, the result is still a single snapshot in time -- rather than showing how diseases, like cancer, can arise from communication between the cells," said Jeanette Johnson, PhD, a Postdoc Fellow at the Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS) at UMSOM and co-first author of this study. "Cancer is controlled or enabled by the immune system, which is highly individualized; this complexity makes it difficult to make predictions from human cancer data to a specific patient." -- What makes this research unique is the use of a plain-language "hypothesis grammar" that uses common language as a bridge between biological systems and computational models and simulates how cells act in tissue. -- Paul Macklin, PhD, Professor of Intelligence Systems Engineering at Indiana University led a team of researchers who developed the grammar to describe cell behavior. This grammar allows scientists to use simple English language sentences to build digital representations of multicellular biological systems and enabled the team to develop computational models for diseases as complex as cancer. -- "As much as this new 'grammar' enables communication between biology and code, it also enables communication between scientists from different disciplines to leverage this modeling paradigm in their research," said Daniel Bergman, PhD, a scientist at IGS and Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology at UMSOM and co-leading author with Dr. Johnson. -- Dr. Bergman and his colleagues at IGS then combined this grammar with genomic data from real patient samples to study breast and pancreatic cancer, with technologies such as spatial transcriptomics. -- In breast cancer, the IGS team modeled an effect where the immune system cannot curtail tumor cell growth and instead promotes invasion and cancer spread. They adapted this computational modeling framework to simulate a real-world immunotherapy clinical trial of pancreatic cancer. -- Using genomics data from untreated tissue samples of pancreatic cancer, the model predicted that each virtual "patient" had a different response to the immunotherapy treatment -- showcasing the importance of cellular ecosystems for precision oncology. For example, pancreatic cancer is a difficult cancer to treat, in part, because it is often surrounded by a dense structure of non-cancerous cells called fibroblasts. The team used new spatial genomics technology to further demonstrate the ways fibroblasts communicate with tumor cells. The program allowed the scientists to follow the growth and progression of pancreatic tumors to invasion from real patient tissue. | 172 |
| COVID Vaccines Saved 2. 5M Lives Globally—A Death Averted Per 5,400 Shots | COVID Vaccines Saved 2.5 Million Lives And 14.8 Million Years Of Life Globally | Global Estimates of Lives and Life-Years Saved by COVID-19 Vaccination During 2020-2024. | Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore | A global study led by researchers from Università Cattolica and Stanford University reveals that COVID-19 vaccines saved 2.5 million lives and prevented 14.8 million years of life lost. The research highlights the significant impact of vaccination, particularly among elderly populations, emphasizing the critical role of vaccines in mitigating pandemic-related mortality. | 2.5 Million Lives Saved by COVID VaccinesA major global analysis shows COVID-19 vaccines were a game-changer, sparing millions of lives, mostly among seniors, with the biggest impact seen during the Omicron wave. Credit: Shutterstock -- Thanks to vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2 in the period 2020-2024 2.533 million deaths were prevented at global level, one death was avoided for every 5,400 doses of vaccine administered. The 82% of the lives saved by vaccines involved people vaccinated before encountering the virus, 57% during the Omicron period, and 90% involved people aged 60 years and older. In all, vaccines have saved 14.8 million years of life (one year of life saved for 900 doses of vaccine administered). -- These are some of the data released in an unprecedented study published in the journal Jama Health Forum and coordinated by Prof. Stefania Boccia, Stefania Boccia, Professor of General and Applied Hygiene at Università Cattolica, with contributions from Dr. Angelo Maria Pezzullo, Researcher in General and Applied Hygiene, and Dr. Antonio Cristiano, a medical resident in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine. The two researchers spent a period at Stanford University, collaborating directly with the group of Professor John P.A. Ioannidis, director of the Meta-Research Innovation Center (METRICS), in the context of the project “European network staff eXchange for integrAting precision health in the health Care sysTems- ExACT” funded by the European Research Excellence Programme RISE project-Marie Slodowska Curie and coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia. -- Professor Boccia and Dr. Pezzullo explain: “Before ours, several studies tried to estimate lives saved by vaccines with different models and in different periods or parts of the world, but this one is the most comprehensive because it is based on worldwide data, it also covers the Omicron period, it also calculates the number of years of life that was saved, and it is based on fewer assumptions about the pandemic trend.” -- The Study -- The experts studied worldwide population data, applying a series of statistical methods to figure out who among the people who became ill with COVID did either before or after getting vaccinated, before or after Omicron period, and how many of them died (and at what age). "We compared this data with the estimated data modeled in the absence of COVID vaccination and were then able to calculate the numbers of people who were saved by COVID vaccines and the years of life gained as a result of them," Dr Pezzullo explains. -- It also turned out that most of the saved years of life (76%) involved people over 60 years of age, but residents in long-term care facilities contributed only with 2% of the total number. Children and adolescents (0.01% of lives saved and 0.1% of life years saved) and young adults aged 20-29 (0.07% of lives saved and 0.3% of life years saved) contributed very little to the total benefit. -- Professor Boccia concludes: "These estimates are substantially more conservative than previous calculations that focused mainly on the first year of vaccination, but clearly demonstrate an important overall benefit from COVID-19 vaccination over the period 2020-2024. Most of the benefits, in terms of lives and life-years saved, have been secured for a portion of the global population who is typically more fragile, the elderly." | 173 |
| Scientists Discover The Receptor That Helps Your Brain Clean Itself—And Fight Alzheimer’s | Breakthrough Discovery: Brain's Microglia Cells Can Digest Alzheimer's-Causing Amyloid Plaques | G-protein-coupled receptor ADGRG1 drives a protective microglial state in Alzheimer's disease through MYC activation. | University of California - San Francisco | Researchers at UCSF have identified a brain receptor that enables microglia to effectively clear amyloid beta plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease. This finding suggests that enhancing the function of this receptor could offer new therapeutic avenues to protect against Alzheimer's and improve brain health in affected individuals. | Receptor That Helps Your Brain Clean ItselfA key brain receptor helps prevent Alzheimer’s by enabling immune cells to destroy toxic protein plaques. Credit: Shutterstock -- UCSF scientists have discovered how microglia engulf and break down amyloid beta, a protein that builds up in Alzheimer's, with devastating consequences for the brain. -- In Alzheimer's disease, proteins like amyloid beta form clumps, known as plaques, that damage the brain. -- But in some people, immune cells called microglia break down these proteins before they can cause harm. This leads to fewer and smaller clumps -- and much milder symptoms. -- Researchers at UC San Francisco identified a molecular receptor that enables microglia to gobble up and digest amyloid beta plaques. -- Without the receptor, ADGRG1, the microglia barely nibbled on the toxic protein. Using a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, the researchers observed how the loss of ADGRG1 led to the rapid buildup of amyloid plaques, neurodegeneration, and problems with learning and memory. -- "We think this receptor helps microglia do their job of keeping the brain healthy over many years," said Xianhua Piao, MD, PhD, a physician-scientist in the UCSF Department of Pediatrics. -- Indeed, when the researchers reanalyzed a prior study of gene expression in the human brain, they found that individuals who died of mild Alzheimer's had microglia with abundant ADGRG1, and mild cognitive impairment -- implying that the microglia ate well and kept the disease in check. But in those who died of severe Alzheimer's, the microglia had very little ADGRG1, and the plaques proliferated. -- ADGRG1 is one of hundreds of G protein-coupled receptors, which are routinely targeted in drug development. This bodes well for a rapid translation of the discovery into new therapies. -- "Some people are lucky to have responsible microglia," Piao said. "But this discovery creates an opportunity to develop drugs to make microglia effective against amyloid-beta in everyone." | 174 |
| Even Without Catching COVID, The Pandemic May Have Quietly Aged Your Brain | Pandemic’s Hidden Impact: Even Uninfected Individuals Show Signs Of Accelerated Brain Aging | Accelerated brain ageing during the COVID-19 pandemic. | University of Nottingham | A large UK study indicates that the stress and disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated mental aging, even among those who never contracted the virus. The findings highlight the broader cognitive impacts of societal upheaval, suggesting that such environmental stressors can leave lasting effects on brain health. | Covid Stress Aged Brains, Even Without InfectionBrain scans reveal the pandemic impacted mental aging in healthy people, with signs of stress-related changes even without Covid infection. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study, led by experts at the University of Nottingham, has found that the Covid-19 pandemic may have accelerated people's brain health, even if they were never infected with the virus. -- What does it mean to grow older, not just in years, but in terms of brain health? Can stress, isolation, and global disruption leave their mark on people's minds? -- The findings of this new study, which are published in Nature Communications, showed that people who lived through the Covid-19 pandemic showed signs of faster brain aging over time than those scanned entirely before it. The changes were most noticeable in older individuals, in men, and in people from more disadvantaged backgrounds. -- Only participants who were infected by Covid-19 between their scans showed a drop in certain cognitive abilities, such as mental flexibility and processing speed. This may suggest that the pandemic's brain aging effect, on its own (without infection) may not cause symptoms. Also, the authors highlight that the observed brain aging may be reversible. -- The study was led by a team of experts from the University's School of Medicine and was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre and the Medical Research Council (MRC) DEMISTIFI program. -- Dr Ali-Reza Mohammadi-Nejad led the study, he said: "What surprised me most was that even people who hadn't had Covid showed significant increases in brain aging rates. It really shows how much the experience of the pandemic itself, everything from isolation to uncertainty, may have affected our brain health." -- The research team looked at longitudinal brain scans from nearly 1,000 healthy adults, taken as part of the UK Biobank study. Some participants had scans before and after the pandemic; others, only before. Using advanced imaging and machine learning, the researchers estimated each person's "brain age" -- how old their brain appeared to be compared to their actual age. -- The brain age model was developed using brain scans from over 15,000 healthy individuals, without comorbidities, allowing the researchers to build an accurate model for estimating brain age. -- "This study reminds us that brain health is shaped not only by illness, but by our everyday environment," said Dorothee Auer, Professor of Neuroimaging and senior author on the study. "The pandemic put a strain on people's lives, especially those already facing disadvantage. We can't yet test whether the changes we saw will reverse, but it's certainly possible, and that's an encouraging thought." | 175 |
| A Deadly Virus No One Talks About — And The HIV Drugs That Might Stop It | HIV Antivirals Show Promise Against HTLV-1, A Deadly Virus Lacking A Cure | Combination antiretroviral therapy and MCL-1 inhibition mitigate HTLV-1 infection in vivo. | Walter and Eliza Hall Institute | A decade-long study reveals that HIV antivirals may effectively suppress the HTLV-1 virus in mice, opening doors to potential treatments for this deadly virus, which currently has no cure. This significant research breakthrough provides hope for developing preventive and curative therapies, particularly for populations disproportionately affected by HTLV-1. | Stopping a Deadly Virus with HIV MedsScientists have found that HIV drugs can stop the spread of HTLV-1 in mice and may even help cure it. The findings could rapidly move to human trials, finally offering hope against a disease long ignored. Credit: Shutterstock -- Around 10 million people globally live with the life-threatening virus HTLV-1. Yet it remains a poorly understood disease that currently has no preventative treatments and no cure. -- But a landmark study co-led by Australian researchers could change this, after finding existing HIV drugs can suppress transmission of the HTLV-1 virus in mice. -- The study, published in Cell, could lead to the first treatments to prevent the spread of this virus that is endemic among many First Nations communities around the world, including in Central Australia. -- The research by WEHI and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute) also identifies a new drug target that could lead to the elimination of HTLV-1 positive cells from those with an established infection, and prevent disease progression. -- At a glance -- New research co-led by WEHI and the Doherty Institute could lead to the first preventative treatments for HTLV-1, one of the most complex and neglected viruses in the world. -- The study found two specific HIV antivirals already on the market can suppress transmission of HTLV-1 in humanized mice and prevent disease, identifying the first prophylactic treatment against HTLV-1. -- Secondly, when the HIV antivirals were used in combination with a compound that induces cell death, infected cells were killed - flagging a potential future curative strategy for the disease. -- The unprecedented findings could enable these drugs to enter clinical trials preventing establishment of pathogenic levels of HTLV-1. | 176 |
| Is The Air You Breathe Silently Fueling Dementia? A 29-Million-Person Study Says Yes | Is Air Pollution Secretly Threatening Your Brain Health And Increasing Dementia Risk | Long-term air pollution exposure and incident dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. | University of Cambridge | Recent research involving nearly 30 million individuals reveals that air pollution is not only detrimental to respiratory health but also significantly increases the risk of dementia, with pollutants like PM2.5 being particularly harmful. The study underscores the urgent need to address air quality, as the number of dementia cases is projected to rise dramatically in the coming decades, particularly in regions less affected by pollution reduction efforts. | Air Pollution Raises Dementia RiskTiny air pollutants like PM2.5 and soot may stealthily boost your chances of dementia, according to new research spanning 29 million people. Credit: Shutterstock -- An analysis of studies incorporating data from almost 30 million people has highlighted the role that air pollution - including that coming from car exhaust emissions - plays in increased risk of dementia. -- Dementias such as Alzheimer's disease are estimated to affect more than 57.4 million people worldwide, a number that is expected to almost triple to 152.8 million cases by 2050. The impacts on the individuals, families and caregivers and society at large are immense. -- While there are some indications that the prevalence of dementia is decreasing in Europe and North America, suggesting that it may be possible to reduce the risk of the disease at a population level, elsewhere the picture is less promising. -- Air pollution has recently been identified as a risk factor for dementia, with several studies pointing the finger at a number of pollutants. However, the strength of evidence and ability to determine a causal effect has been varied. -- In a paper published on July 24 in The Lancet Planetary Health, a team led by researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing scientific literature to examine this link further. This approach allowed them to bring together studies that on their own may not provide sufficient evidence, and which sometimes disagree with each other, to provide more robust overarching conclusions. -- In total, the researchers included 51 studies, including data from more than 29 million participants, mostly from high-income countries. Of these, 34 papers were included in the meta-analysis: 15 originated in North America, 10 in Europe, seven in Asia, and two in Australia. -- The researchers found a positive and statistically-significant association between three types of air pollutant and dementia. These were: -- Particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less (PM2.5), a pollutant made up of tiny particles small enough that they can be inhaled deep into the lungs. These particles come from several sources, including vehicle emissions, power plants, industrial processes, wood burning stoves and fireplaces, and construction dust. They also form in the atmosphere because of complex chemical reactions involving other pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. The particles can stay in the air for a long time and travel a long way from where they were produced. -- Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), one of the key pollutants that arise from burning fossil fuels. It is found in vehicle exhaust, especially diesel exhaust, and industrial emissions, as well as those from gas stoves and heaters. Exposure to high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide can irritate the respiratory system, worsening and inducing conditions like asthma and reducing lung function. | 177 |
| Did Humans Learn To Walk In Trees? | Did Early Humans Learn To Walk By Climbing Trees Like Modern Chimpanzees | Foraging strategy and tree structure as drivers of arboreality and suspensory behaviour in savannah chimpanzees. | Frontiers | A study focused on savannah-dwelling chimpanzees suggests that their tree-climbing habits may provide insights into the evolution of bipedalism in early hominins. These chimpanzees actively climb trees for food even in open habitats, indicating that the shift to walking on two legs may have been influenced by the need for safe movement in trees, rather than solely for ground travel. | Did Humans Learn to Walk in Trees?Chimpanzees in open habitats still rely heavily on trees for food, indicating that early human ancestors may have evolved bipedalism not just on the ground, but while navigating the treetops. Credit: Shutterstock -- It's hard to tell when -- and why -- our ancestors got down from trees and started walking on two legs. Many early hominins capable of bipedal walking were also well-adapted for climbing, and we lack fossil evidence from a key period when climate change turned forests into open, dry woodland called savannah-mosaic, which might have pushed hominins onto the ground. Now a study on modern chimpanzees could help fill in the gaps. Scientists observing chimpanzees in the Issa Valley, Tanzania have shown that despite living in a savannah-mosaic, they frequently climb trees for valuable food -- potentially explaining why early hominins kept their arboreal adaptations. -- "For decades it was assumed that bipedalism arose because we came down from the trees and needed to walk across an open savannah," said Dr Rhianna Drummond-Clarke of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, lead author of the article in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. "Here we show that safely and effectively navigating the canopy can remain very important for a large, semi-arboreal ape, even in open habitat. Adaptations to arboreal, rather than terrestrial, living may have been key in shaping the early evolution of the human lineage." -- Habitats and hunger -- Issa Valley is divided between a small amount of thick forest surrounding riverbanks and open woodland. The chimpanzees forage more in the woodland during the dry season, when it offers more food. Their habitat and diet are comparable to those of some early hominins, which means their behavior might offer insights into those extinct hominins' lives. -- "Our previous research found that, compared to chimpanzees living in forests, Issa Valley chimpanzees spent just as much time moving in the trees," said Drummond-Clarke. "We wanted to test if something about how they foraged could explain their unexpectedly high arboreality. Savannah-mosaics are characterized by more sparsely distributed trees, so we hypothesized that adapting behavior to forage efficiently in a tree would be especially beneficial when the next tree is further away." -- Researchers monitored the adults of the Issa community during the dry season, watching how they foraged in trees and what they ate there. The size, height, and shape of the trees were recorded, as well as the number and size of branches. -- Issa chimpanzees mostly ate fruit, followed by leaves and flowers -- foods found at the ends of branches, so the chimpanzees needed to be capable climbers to reach them safely. They spent longer foraging in trees that were larger and offered more food. The longest foraging sessions, and the most specialized behaviors to navigate thinner terminal branches, were seen in trees with large open crowns offering lots of food: perhaps abundant food justified the extra time and effort. A similar trade-off between the nutritional benefits of specific foods and the effort of acquiring them could also explain why chimpanzees spent longer in trees while eating nutritionally-rich, hard-to-access seeds. -- Fast food -- Because they are relatively large, chimpanzees move within trees not by climbing on thin branches but by hanging under them, or standing upright and holding on to nearby branches with their hands. Although these 'safe' behaviors are traditionally associated with foraging in dense forest, these findings show they're also important for chimpanzees foraging in a savannah-mosaic. | 178 |
| Sunny Side Up For Eggs And Cholesterol | Eggs Are Back: New Research Clears Cholesterol Myths And Supports Heart Health | Impact of dietary cholesterol from eggs and saturated fat on LDL cholesterol levels: a randomized cross-over study. | University of South Australia | New findings from the University of South Australia challenge long-standing beliefs about dietary cholesterol, revealing that eggs, despite their cholesterol content, don’t raise bad LDL cholesterol levels. Instead, saturated fats in foods like bacon are to blame, suggesting that consuming eggs as part of a low-saturated fat diet could actually lower the risk of heart disease, presenting a healthier breakfast option for many. | Eggs Cleared in Cholesterol StudyA world-first study has cracked the egg myth wide open: cholesterol in eggs doesn’t raise bad cholesterol. It’s saturated fat that does. So go ahead—have your eggs, just skip the bacon. Credit: Shutterstock -- From poached to panfried, when it comes to eggs, it's all sunny side up, as new research from the University of South Australia confirms that this breakfast favourite won't crack your cholesterol. -- Long blamed for high cholesterol, eggs have been beaten up for their assumed role in cardiovascular disease (CVD). Now, UniSA researchers have shown definitively that it's not dietary cholesterol in eggs but the saturated fat in our diets that's the real heart health concern. -- In a world-first study, researchers examined the independent effects of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat on LDL cholesterol (the 'bad' kind), finding that eating two eggs a day - as part of a high cholesterol but low saturated fat diet - can actually reduce LDL levels and lower the risk of heart disease. -- CVD is the leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for nearly 18 million deaths each year. In Australia, one person dies from CVD every 12 minutes, accounting for one in four of deaths nationwide. -- Lead researcher, UniSA's Professor Jon Buckley, says it's time to rethink the reputation of eggs. -- "Eggs have long been unfairly cracked by outdated dietary advice," Prof Buckley says. -- "They're unique - high in cholesterol, yes, but low in saturated fat. Yet it's their cholesterol level that has often caused people to question their place in a healthy diet. -- "In this study, we separated the effects of cholesterol and saturated fat, finding that high dietary cholesterol from eggs, when eaten as part of a low saturated fat diet, does not raise bad cholesterol levels. -- "Instead, it was the saturated fat that was the real driver of cholesterol elevation. | 179 |
| 400-Million-Year-Old Fish Exposes Big Mistake In How We Understood Evolution | Ancient Coelacanths Redefine Our Understanding Of Evolution And Vertebrate Anatomy | Coelacanths illuminate deep-time evolution of cranial musculature in jawed vertebrates. | Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo | A detailed reexamination of coelacanth skull musculature has corrected previous misconceptions about these ancient fish, revealing that many identified structures are misclassified ligaments rather than muscles. This finding reshapes the narrative of vertebrate evolution and suggests that foundational anatomy may differ significantly from long-held assumptions, impacting our understanding of how vertebrates, including humans, evolved. | 400-Million-Year-Old Fish Exposes Big MistakeThis ancient fish just corrected a 70-year mistake in the story of how animals — and humans — evolved to breathe and eat. Credit: Shutterstock -- The coelacanth is known as a "living fossil" because its anatomy has changed little in the last 65 million years. Despite being one of the most studied fish in history, it continues to reveal new information that could transform our understanding of vertebrate evolution. This is revealed in a study published in the journal Science Advances by researchers from the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil and the Smithsonian Institution in the United States. -- Upon re-examining the cranial musculature of the African coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae), the authors discovered that only 13% of the previously identified evolutionary muscle novelties for the largest vertebrate lineages were accurate. The study also identified nine new evolutionary transformations related to innovations in feeding and respiration in these groups. -- "Ultimately, it's even more similar to cartilaginous fish [sharks, rays, and chimaeras] and tetrapods [birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles] than previously thought. And even more distinct from ray-finned fish, which make up about half of living vertebrates," says Aléssio Datovo, a professor at the Museum of Zoology (MZ) at USP supported by FAPESP, who led the study. -- Among the evolutionary novelties erroneously identified as present in coelacanths are muscles responsible for actively expanding the buccopharyngeal cavity, which extends from the mouth to the pharynx. This set of muscles is directly related to food capture and respiration. However, the study showed that these supposed muscles in coelacanths were actually ligaments, which are structures incapable of contraction. -- Ray-finned fish (actinopterygii) and lobe-finned fish (sarcopterygii) diverged from a common ancestor approximately 420 million years ago. The sarcopterygii include fish such as coelacanths and lungfish, as well as all other tetrapods, because they evolved from an aquatic ancestor. These include mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. -- In ray-finned fish, such as aquarium carp, it is easy to see how the mouth moves to suck in food. This ability gave actinopterygii a significant evolutionary advantage; today, they comprise about half of all living vertebrates. -- This is a fundamental difference from other fish, such as coelacanths and sharks, which primarily feed by biting their prey. -- "In previous studies, it was assumed that this set of muscles that would give greater suction capacity was also present in coelacanths and, therefore, would have evolved in the common ancestor of bony vertebrates, which we now show isn't true. This only appeared at least 30 million years later, in the common ancestor of living ray-finned fish," points out Datovo. -- Behind the scenes | 180 |
| Frozen For 12,000 Years, This Alpine Ice Core Captures The Rise Of Civilization | 12,000-Year-Old Alpine Ice Core Reveals Humanity's Environmental History And Climate Changes | Alpine ice core record of large changes in dust, sea-salt, and biogenic aerosol over Europe during deglaciation. | Desert Research Institute | Scientists have uncovered the oldest known ice in Western Europe, dating back over 12,000 years, from a glacier in the French Alps. This ice core provides a comprehensive record of environmental changes and human activity, capturing vital data that can enhance our understanding of both historical and future climate shifts, making it a crucial resource for studying climate impacts. | Alps Glacier Hides Secrets from the Last Ice AgeThe 1999 expedition team collecting the ice core from Dome du Goûter on the shoulder of Mont Blanc. Credit: LGGE/OSUG, Bruno Jourdain -- Glaciers hold layers of history preserved in ice, offering unique insights into Earth's past that can also help us interpret the future. Trapped amidst the frozen water are microscopic deposits of dust, pollen, and even pollutants that scientists can use to examine environmental changes through time. DRI's Ice Core Lab has used this technique to highlight atmospheric lead pollution and economic turbulence in Ancient Rome. Now, their latest study found that a glacier in the French Alps dates back to the last Ice Age - the oldest known glacier ice in the region. Serving as a record that spans through the development of agriculture in Western Europe and the advent of industrialization, the glacier holds insights into an era of rapid change. -- The new study, published in the June issue of PNAS Nexus, examines a 40-meter long ice core from Mont Blanc's Dôme du Goûter. Using radiocarbon dating techniques, the research team found that the glacier provides an intact record of aerosols and climate dating back at least 12,000 years. Aerosols are small droplets and particles in the air such as desert dust, sea salts, sulfur from volcanic eruptions, soot from forest fires, as well as pollutants and other emissions from human activities. Glacier ice offers the most detailed record of past atmospheric aerosols, and this is the first ice core record from the European region that extends back to the last climatic transition. Aerosols play an important role in regional climate through their interactions with clouds and solar radiation, and the insights offered by the ice record can help inform accurate climate modeling for both the past and future. -- "For the first time, we have a fairly complete Alpine record of atmospheric and precipitation chemistry going all the way back to the Mesolithic Period," said Joe McConnell, Director of DRI's Ice Core lab who co-authored the study. "And that's a big deal, because you have two major climate states - glacial and interglacial - and to get a record of atmospheric precipitation chemistry across that huge climate change tells you the most extreme natural aerosol concentrations that you'd expect. On top of that, you have humans going from hunter-gatherers with a very low population through the development of agriculture, domestication of animals, mining, etc, and then a vast population increase and the clearing of land. All of that is happening around this ice core site. It spans the full range of natural and anthropogenic change, and it's right in the center of Europe - where much of Western civilization evolved." -- The glacier's location in the Alps is important because it serves as a more intact record of Europe's local climate than those found in distant Arctic ice. Many aerosols play important roles in driving Earth's climate, so scientists would like to know how sources and concentrations in the air have varied in the past. -- "Ice cores collected from glaciers and ice sheets can provide such information, but since these droplets and particles stay in the air only for a few days to maybe a week, records developed from glaciers close to the sources often are the most informative," said lead author, Michel Legrand. -- The ice core analyzed in this study was first collected in 1999 by some of the study's French authors. It was stored in a freezer in France for more than 20 years before McConnell and his team brought it to DRI's Ice Core Lab in Reno, Nevada, where specialized equipment and methods known as continuous flow analysis allowed it to be melted down and the chemistry measured, layer by icy layer. -- "Determining what year or period of time a layer in the ice represents can be challenging, so here we used a unique combination of radiometric methods to establish the chronology in the ice," said coauthor Werner Aeschbach. -- "We were relieved to find that even under the unusually warm climate of the 20th century, the cold temperatures at over 14,000 feet near Mont Blanc's peak had preserved the glacier so that the ice record hadn't yet been impacted by melting," said co-author Nathan Chellman. -- The historic age of the ice at the base of the core, around 40 meters deep into the glacier, surprised the researchers. Another core collected from a glacier located less than 100 meters away at Col du Dome was found to contain ice only about a century old, despite being much deeper. The scientists attribute this to the strong wind patterns found on Mont Blanc. | 181 |
| Clockwork From Scratch: How Scientists Made Timekeeping Cells | Scientists Create Artificial Cells That Keep Perfect Time Like Natural Biological Clocks | Reconstitution of circadian clock in synthetic cells reveals principles of timekeeping. | University of California - Merced | Researchers at UC Merced have successfully engineered artificial cells capable of mimicking the circadian rhythms found in living organisms. By reconstructing biological clock mechanisms within these synthetic cells, the team demonstrated that even simplified systems could exhibit regular daily patterns, enriching our understanding of biological timekeeping and potential applications in biotechnology. | How Scientists Made Timekeeping CellsA graphic depicts a clock and dots connected by a wavy line, indicating how cells tell time. Credit: UC Merced -- A team of UC Merced researchers has shown that tiny artificial cells can accurately keep time, mimicking the daily rhythms found in living organisms. Their findings shed light on how biological clocks stay on schedule despite the inherent molecular noise inside cells. -- The study, recently published in Nature Communications, was led by bioengineering Professor Anand Bala Subramaniam and chemistry and biochemistry Professor Andy LiWang. The first author, Alexander Zhang Tu Li, earned his Ph.D. in Subramaniam's lab. -- Biological clocks -- also known as circadian rhythms -- govern 24-hour cycles that regulate sleep, metabolism and other vital processes. To explore the mechanisms behind the circadian rhythms of cyanobacteria, the researchers reconstructed the clockwork in simplified, cell-like structures called vesicles. These vesicles were loaded with core clock proteins, one of which was tagged with a fluorescent marker. -- The artificial cells glowed in a regular 24-hour rhythm for at least four days. However, when the number of clock proteins was reduced or the vesicles were made smaller, the rhythmic glow stopped. The loss of rhythm followed a reproducible pattern. -- To explain these findings, the team built a computational model. The model revealed that clocks become more robust with higher concentrations of clock proteins, allowing thousands of vesicles to keep time reliably -- even when protein amounts vary slightly between vesicles. -- The model also suggested another component of the natural circadian system -- responsible for turning genes on and off -- does not play a major role in maintaining individual clocks but is essential for synchronizing clock timing across a population. -- The researchers also noted that some clock proteins tend to stick to the walls of the vesicles, meaning a high total protein count is necessary to maintain proper function. -- "This study shows that we can dissect and understand the core principles of biological timekeeping using simplified, synthetic systems," Subramaniam said. -- The work led by Subramaniam and LiWang advances the methodology for studying biological clocks, said Mingxu Fang, a microbiology professor at Ohio State University and an expert in circadian clocks. | 182 |
| Digital Twins Are Reinventing Clean Energy — But There’s A Catch | AI-Powered Digital Twins Could Revolutionize The Clean Energy Transition But Face Challenges | Harnessing the future: Exploring digital twin applications and implications in renewable energy. | University of Sharjah | AI-powered digital twins are being explored as transformative tools to enhance the clean energy transition by simulating and optimizing various energy systems. While this technology shows promise for improving efficiency and sustainability, it also faces significant challenges, including environmental variability and data limitations, which researchers are striving to address in order to realize its full potential. | Digital Twins Are Reinventing Clean EnergyDigital twin of an oil rig. Credit: CC BY-SA 4.0 -- As the world grapples with the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change, researchers at the University of Sharjah are turning to a cutting-edge technology that could reshape the future of energy: AI-powered digital twins. -- According to the researchers, these digital replicas of the physical world have the potential to transform the generation, management, and optimization of energy across diverse clean energy platforms, accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels, which environmental scientists associate with global warming. -- Bright HR -- Say Hello to Effortless Time Tracking with Blip -- Sponsored By Bright HR -- Digital twins' ability to replicate and interact with complex systems has made them a cornerstone of innovation across industries, driving improvements in efficiency, cost reduction, and the development of novel solutions. -- However, the scientists caution that current digital twin models still face notable limitations that restrict their full potential in harnessing energy from sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and biomass. -- "Digital twins are highly effective in optimizing renewable energy systems," the researchers write in the journal Energy Nexus. "Yet, each energy source presents unique challenges -- ranging from data variability and environmental conditions to system complexity -- that can limit the performance of digital twin technologies, despite their considerable promise in improving energy generation and management." -- In their study, the authors conducted an extensive review of existing literature on the application of digital twins in renewable energy systems. They examined various contexts, functions, lifecycles, and architectural frameworks to understand how digital twins are currently being utilized and where gaps remain. | 183 |
| Did Drunk Apes Help Us Evolve? New Clues Reveal Why We Digest Alcohol So Well | Researchers Coin “Scrumping” To Explain How Apes Enjoy Fermented Fruit And Alcohol | Fermented fruits: scrumping, sharing, and the origin of feasting. | Dartmouth College | A recent Dartmouth-led study has introduced the term "scrumping" to describe apes' behavior of consuming overripe, fermented fruit. This newly classified behavior may shed light on the evolutionary origins of humans' alcohol tolerance, suggesting that this dietary habit in apes could have significant implications for understanding human adaptations and social behaviors regarding alcohol. | Did Drunk Apes Help Us Evolve?The newly named ape behavior "scrumping" could explain humans' exceptional ability to metabolize alcohol — long before we ever brewed it. Credit: Shutterstock -- If scientists are to better understand whether the genes that let us safely welcome the weekend with a cold beer or enjoy a bottle of wine with dinner began with apes eating fermented fruit, then the habit needs a name, according to a new study. -- "Scrumping" is the name coined in a paper led by researchers at Dartmouth and the University of St Andrews in Scotland for the fondness apes have for eating ripe fruit from the forest floor. These primates' palate for picked-up produce has taken on new importance in recent years, the researchers report in the journal BioScience. -- But scientists cannot fully understand the significance of this behavior -- particularly for human evolution -- because "we never bothered to differentiate fruits in trees from fruits on the ground," says Nathaniel Dominy, the Charles Hansen Professor of Anthropology at Dartmouth and a corresponding author of the paper, which includes co-author Luke Fannin, a postdoctoral researcher at Dartmouth. -- In other words, scrumping by no name at all just looks like eating fruit, Dominy says. The researchers write that geneticists reported in a 2015 study that eating fermented fruit may have triggered a single amino acid change in the last common ancestor of humans and African apes that boosted their ability to metabolize alcohol by 40 times. -- "It's a fascinating idea, but nobody studying these ape species, or Asian apes, had the data to test it. It just wasn't on our radar," Dominy says. "It's not that primatologists have never seen scrumping -- they observe it pretty regularly. But the absence of a word for it has disguised its importance. We're hoping to fill an important void in scientific discourse." -- Scrumping, the researchers write, describes the act of gathering -- or sometimes stealing -- windfallen apples and other fruits. The word is the English form of the medieval German word "schrimpen," a noun meaning "shriveled" or "shrunken" used to describe overripe or fermented fruit. In England today, scrumpy refers to a cloudy apple cider with an alcohol by volume content that ranges from 6 to 9%. -- The researchers set out to better determine how common their new behavior classification is among great apes. They examined dietary reports of orangutans, chimpanzees, and mountain and western gorillas observed in the wild. -- Feeding events were cross-referenced with how high off the ground the animal was when it ate, as well as the height at which the fruit grows. If an ape at ground level was recorded eating a fruit known to grow in the middle or upper levels of the forest canopy, it was counted as scrumping. -- The researchers found that African apes "scrump" on a regular basis, but orangutans do not. These results corroborate the 2015 gene-sequencing study, which found the primary enzyme for metabolizing ethanol is relatively inefficient in orangutans and other non-human primates. | 184 |
| How AI Is Supercharging Plant Immunity To Fight Deadly Bacteria | AI Enhances Plant Immunity, Revolutionizing Crop Defense Against Harmful Bacteria | Unlocking expanded flagellin perception through rational receptor engineering. | University of California - Davis | By utilizing artificial intelligence, scientists have enhanced plant immune systems to better combat bacterial threats, paving the way for more resilient agricultural crops. This innovative approach focuses on reengineering plant receptors to recognize a broader range of bacteria, offering new avenues for protecting vital crops against diseases that increasingly challenge agricultural sustainability. | AI Helps Plants Outsmart BacteriaAI is giving plants a powerful immune boost, helping them fight back against bacterial threats that evolve too quickly for traditional defenses. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists at the University of California, Davis, used artificial intelligence to help plants recognize a wider range of bacterial threats -- which may lead to new ways to protect crops like tomatoes and potatoes from devastating diseases. The study was published in Nature Plants. -- Plants, like animals, have immune systems. Part of their defense toolkit includes immune receptors, which give them the ability to detect bacteria and defend against it. One of those receptors, called FLS2, helps plants recognize flagellin -- a protein in the tiny tails bacteria use to swim. But bacteria are sneaky and constantly evolving to avoid detection. -- "Bacteria are in an arms race with their plant hosts, and they can change the underlying amino acids in flagellin to evade detection," said lead author Gitta Coaker, professor in the Department of Plant Pathology. -- To help plants keep up, Coaker's team turned to using natural variation coupled with artificial intelligence -- specifically AlphaFold, a tool developed to predict the 3D shape of proteins and reengineered FLS2, essentially upgrading its immune system to catch more intruders. -- The team focused on receptors already known to recognize more bacteria, even if they weren't found in useful crop species. By comparing them with more narrowly focused receptors, the researchers were able to identify which amino acids to change. -- "We were able to resurrect a defeated receptor, one where the pathogen has won, and enable the plant to have a chance to resist infection in a much more targeted and precise way," Coaker said. -- Why it matters -- Coaker said this opens the door to developing broad-spectrum disease resistance in crops using predictive design. -- One of the researchers' targets is a major crop threat: Ralstonia solanacearum, the cause of bacterial wilt. Some strains of the soil-borne pathogen can infect more than 200 plant species, including staple crops like tomato and potato. | 185 |
| Decades Of Chemistry Rewritten: A Textbook Reaction Just Flipped | Chemists Discover A New Pathway In Oxidative Addition, Rewriting Decades Of Chemistry | Net Oxidative Addition of H2 to {MII}2+ (M = Pd, Pt) by Heterolysis and Protic Rebound. | Penn State | Penn State researchers have proposed a new mechanism for oxidative addition, a foundational chemical reaction, where organic compounds donate electrons to transition metals rather than the other way around. This breakthrough challenges long-standing assumptions and opens new pathways for designing reactions in industrial chemistry and pollution control, potentially transforming our understanding of chemical processes. | Decades of Chemistry RewrittenChemists at Penn State found that a key reaction called oxidative addition might happen in reverse, with organic molecules donating electrons to metals instead of the other way around. Credit: Shutterstock -- Speeding up chemical reactions is key to improving industrial processes or mitigating unwanted or harmful waste. Realizing these improvements requires that chemists design around documented reaction pathways. Now, a team of Penn State researchers has found that a fundamental reaction called oxidative addition can follow a different path to achieve the same ends, raising the question of whether this new order of events has been occurring all along and potentially opening up new space for chemical design. -- A paper describing the research appeared June 23, 2025 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. -- The reactions of organic compounds -- those containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and a few other elements -- are limited by the bonding patterns and electron arrangements specific to organic elements. More electron arrangements are available in transition metals, another type of element that includes, for example, platinum and palladium. When transition metals interact with organic compounds, this added layer of complexity can modify the electron structure of organic compounds leading to a wider diversity of potential reactions, including breaking chemical bonds and catalyzing reactions not possible among purely organic compounds. Understanding the diversity of ways these chemical reactions can occur could help chemists design ways to exploit transition metals to increase the efficiency of industrial processes or find new solutions that could, for example, help reduce environmental pollutants, according to the researchers. -- "Transition metals have properties that allow them to 'break the rules' of organic chemistry," said Jonathan Kuo, assistant professor of chemistry in the Eberly College of Science at Penn State and the leader of the research team. "As an example, even though biological systems are largely considered to be organic, much of the chemistry in cells occurs at active sites, where metallic co-factors actually drive the reactivity. Transition metals are also used to catalyze industrial-scale chemical reactions. General understanding as to how these reactions work is a way to approach the efficiency of nature or even invent reactions that don't have a known analogy in nature." -- Chemical reactions occur because the atoms that compose molecules "want" to be in a state that is more stable. This stabilization is accomplished mainly by rearranging electrons amongst orbitals -- the cloudlike regions around atomic nuclei where electrons are likely to be located. A hydrogen atom, for example, has only one electron that lives in a "1s" orbital. However, two hydrogen atoms can bond to make dihydrogen (H2), where the two 1s orbitals mix to make two hybrid orbitals. The more stable of the two hybrid orbitals hosts the two electrons, resulting in a net energy savings and more stability. Larger, more complex elements can have multiple s-orbitals with different energy levels as well as p-, d- and f-orbitals, which have varied shapes and capacity, leading to more diversity in electronic structure and more possible types of chemical reactions. -- "In nature, a hydrogen atom can only support its electron using its only orbital resource, the 1s orbital," Kuo said. "But two hydrogen atoms can get together and say, 'we have two electrons and two orbital resources, what's the most efficient way to share the burden amongst our resources. Most organic elements have only s- and p-orbitals, but the transition metals add d-orbitals to the mix." -- In most descriptions of oxidative addition, transition metals are said to donate their electrons to organic substrates during the binding process. The close proximity of the organic molecule to the transition metal allows the two sets of orbitals to mix, driving many types of reactions. Because of this, there has been much effort to develop transition metal compounds that are electron dense, which would potentially make them more powerful activators. -- "It has, however, been noted that some oxidative additions are a little different," Kuo said. "A subgroup are actually accelerated by transition metal compounds that are electron deficient. We were able to identify a plausible explanation, where instead of the transition metal donating elections, the first step in the reaction involved electrons moving from an organic molecule to the transition metal. This type of electron flow, known as heterolysis, is well-known, but had not previously been observed to result in a net oxidative addition." -- The research team used compounds containing the transition metals platinum and palladium -- which were not electron dense -- and exposed them to hydrogen gas. They then used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to monitor changes to the transition metal complex. In this way, they could observe an intermediate step that indicates hydrogen had donated its electrons to the metal complex, prior to approaching a final resultant state that was indistinguishable from oxidative addition. | 186 |
| Quantum Tunneling Mystery Solved After 100 Years—And It Involves A Surprise Collision | Quantum Tunneling Mystery Resolved: Electrons Slam Into Nuclei During Tunneling | Unveiling Under-the-Barrier Electron Dynamics in Strong Field Tunneling. | Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) | For the first time, scientists have observed electrons tunneling through atomic barriers in a surprising manner, colliding with atomic nuclei during the process. This groundbreaking discovery redefines previous understandings of quantum tunneling and could significantly impact future technologies, altering our comprehension of quantum behavior in atomic and subatomic processes. | Quantum Tunneling Mystery Solved After 100 YearsElectrons don’t just tunnel—they loop back and crash into atomic nuclei in the middle of the process. This unprecedented insight changes what we thought we knew about quantum behavior and could supercharge future tech. Credit: Shutterstock -- Recently, Professor Dong Eon Kim from POSTECH's Department of Physics and Max Planck Korea-POSTECH Initiative and his research team have succeeded in unraveling for the first time the mystery of the 'electron tunneling' process, a core concept in quantum mechanics, and confirmed it through experiments. This study was published in the international journal Physical Review Letters and is attracting attention as a key to unlocking the long-standing mystery of 'electron tunneling,' which has remained unsolved for over 100 years. -- While the idea of teleporting through walls may sound like something out of a movie, such phenomena actually occur in the atomic world. This phenomenon, called 'quantum tunneling,' involves electrons passing through energy barriers (walls) that they seemingly cannot surmount with their energy, as if digging a tunnel through them. -- This phenomenon is the principle by which semiconductors, i. e., core components of smartphones and computers, operate, and is also essential for nuclear fusion, the process that produces light and energy in the sun. However, until now, while some understanding existed about what happens before and after an electron passes through a tunnel, the exact behavior of the electron as it traverses the barrier remained unclear. We know the entrance and exit of the tunnel, but what happens inside has remained a mystery. -- Professor Kim Dong Eon's team, along with Professor C. H. Keitel's team at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany, conducted an experiment using intense laser pulses to induce electron tunneling in atoms. The results revealed a surprising phenomenon: electrons do not simply pass through the barrier but collide again with the atomic nucleus inside the tunnel. The research team named this process 'under-the-barrier recollision' (UBR). Until now, it was believed that electrons could only interact with the nucleus after exiting the tunnel, but this study confirmed for the first time that such interaction can occur inside the tunnel. -- Even more intriguingly, during this process, electrons gain energy inside the barrier and collide again with the nucleus, thereby strengthening what is known as 'Freeman resonance.' This ionization was significantly greater than that observed in previously known ionization processes and was hardly affected by changes in laser intensity. This is a completely new discovery that could not be predicted by existing theories. -- This research is significant as it is the first in the world to elucidate the dynamics of electrons during tunneling. It is expected to provide an important scientific foundation for more precise control of electron behavior and increased efficiency in advanced technologies such as semiconductors, quantum computers, and ultrafast lasers that rely on tunneling. -- Professor Kim Dong Eon stated, "Through this study, we were able to find clues about how electrons behave when they pass through the atomic wall," and added, "Now, we can finally understand tunneling more deeply and control it as we wish." -- Meanwhile, this research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea and the Capacity Development Project of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology. | 187 |
| Ghost Particles May Secretly Decide The Fate Of Collapsing Stars | Ghostly Neutrinos May Determine The Fate Of Collapsing Stars In Cosmic Evolution | Nonconservation of Lepton Numbers in the Neutrino Sector Could Change the Prospects for Core Collapse Supernova Explosions. | University of California - San Diego | New research indicates that neutrinos may play a crucial role in the collapse of massive stars, potentially affecting whether they become neutron stars or black holes. This revelation, based on theoretical calculations, suggests that the phenomenon of neutrino interactions in collapsing stars could reshape our understanding of cosmic evolution and stellar dynamics. | Do Neutrinos Control Star Collapse?Collapsing stars might reveal hidden forces among neutrinos, possibly turning neutron stars into black holes—and we’re about to find out if that’s true. Credit: Shutterstock -- Neutrinos are cosmic tricksters, paradoxically hardly there but lethal to stars significantly more massive than the sun. These elementary particles come in three known "flavors": electron, muon and tau. Whatever the flavor, neutrinos are notoriously slippery, and much about their properties remains mysterious. It is almost impossible to collide neutrinos with each other in the lab, so it is not known if neutrinos interact with each other according to the standard model of particle physics, or if there are much-speculated "secret" interactions only among neutrinos. -- Now a team of researchers from the Network for Neutrinos, Nuclear Astrophysics, and Symmetries (N3AS), including several from UC San Diego, have shown, through theoretical calculations, how collapsing massive stars can act as a "neutrino collider." Neutrinos steal thermal energy from these stars, forcing them to contract and causing their electrons to move near light speed. This drives the stars to instability and collapse -- Eventually the collapsing star's density becomes so high that the neutrinos are trapped and collide with each other. With purely standard model interactions, the neutrinos will be mostly electron flavor, the matter will be relatively "cold," and the collapse will likely leave a neutron star remnant. However, secret interactions that change neutrino flavor radically alter this scenario, producing neutrinos of all flavors and leading to a mostly neutron "hot" core that may lead to a black hole remnant. -- Fermi National Accelerator Lab's upcoming Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) might be able to test these ideas, as might future observations of the neutrinos or gravitational waves from collapsing stars. -- The study, published June 18, 2025 in Physical Review Letters, was led by UC San Diego researchers Anna M. Suliga, Julien Froustey, Lukáš Gráf, Kyle Kehrer and George Fuller, as well as collaborators from other institutions. Their research was funded, in part, by the National Science Foundation (PHY-2209578 and PHY-2020275), the Department of Energy (DE-AC02-07CHI11359), and the Heising-Simons Foundation (2017-228). | 188 |
| Rutgers Physicists Just Discovered A Strange New State Of Matter | Rutgers Physicists Discover A Strange New State Of Matter With Exciting Applications | Electronic anisotropy and rotational symmetry breaking at a Weyl semimetal/spin ice interface. | Rutgers University | Scientists have identified a new state of matter called "quantum liquid crystal" at the interface of two exotic materials, which exhibits unique quantum behaviors. This groundbreaking discovery holds potential for advanced technological applications, particularly in developing ultra-sensitive quantum sensors and exploring novel quantum phenomena in extreme conditions. | Physicists Discover Strange New State of MatterBy combining two unique materials—Weyl semimetals and spin ice—scientists have discovered a new quantum state with bizarre electron behaviors and symmetry-breaking properties, hinting at future quantum tech breakthroughs. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists have discovered a new way that matter can exist - one that is different from the usual states of solid, liquid, gas or plasma - at the interface of two exotic, materials made into a sandwich. -- The new quantum state, called quantum liquid crystal, appears to follow its own rules and offers characteristics that could pave the way for advanced technological applications, the scientists said. -- Reporting in the journal Science Advances, a Rutgers-led team of researchers described an experiment that focused on the interaction between a conducting material called the Weyl semimetal and an insulating magnetic material known as spin ice when both are subjected to an extremely high magnetic field. Both materials individually are known for their unique and complex properties. -- "Although each material has been extensively studied, their interaction at this boundary has remained entirely unexplored," said Tsung-Chi Wu, who earned his doctoral degree in June from the Rutgers graduate program in physics and astronomy and is the first author of the study. "We observed new quantum phases that emerge only when these two materials interact. This creates a new quantum topological state of matter at high magnetic fields, which was previously unknown." -- The team discovered that at the interface of these two materials, the electronic properties of the Weyl semimetal are influenced by the magnetic properties of the spin ice. This interaction leads to a very rare phenomenon called "electronic anisotropy" where the material conducts electricity differently in different directions. Within a circle of 360 degrees, the conductivity is lowest at six specific directions, they found. Surprisingly, when the magnetic field is increased, the electrons suddenly start flowing in two opposite directions. -- This discovery is consistent with a characteristic seen in the quantum phenomenon known as rotational symmetry breaking and indicates the occurrence of a new quantum phase at high magnetic fields. -- The findings are significant because they reveal new ways in which the properties of materials can be controlled and manipulated, Wu said. By understanding how electrons move in these special materials, scientists could potentially design new generations of ultra-sensitive quantum sensors of magnetic fields that work best in extreme conditions - such as in space or inside powerful machines. -- -- Scientists have found that new states of matter appear under extreme conditions, including very low temperatures, high pressures or high magnetic fields, and behave in strange and fascinating ways. Experiments such as the Rutgers-led one may lead to new, fundamental understanding of matter beyond the naturally occurring four states of matter, according to Wu. | 189 |
| Black Holes Don’t Just Swallow Light, They Sing. And We Just Learned The Tune | Black Holes Sing: Scientists Unveil The Intricate Ringing Patterns Of Black Holes | Path to an exact WKB analysis of black hole quasinormal modes. | Kyoto University | Researchers have developed a new mathematical method to analyze the vibrations of black holes, revealing intricate patterns previously overlooked. This advancement enhances our understanding of gravitational waves generated by black holes, paving the way for more accurate measurements and insights into the fundamental physics of these mysterious cosmic entities. | Black Holes Don’t Just Swallow Light, They SingA new method exposes the hidden spirals in black hole vibrations, reshaping how we hear and understand their cosmic signals. Credit: Shutterstock -- Black holes embody the ultimate abyss. They are the most powerful sources of gravity in the universe, capable of dramatically distorting space and time around them. When disturbed, they begin to "ring" in a distinctive pattern known as quasinormal modes: ripples in space-time that produce detectable gravitational waves. -- In events like black hole mergers, these waves can be strong enough to detect from Earth, offering a unique opportunity to measure a black hole's mass and shape. However, precise calculation of these vibrations through theoretical methods has proven a major challenge, particularly for vibrations that are rapidly weakening. -- This inspired a team of researchers at Kyoto University to try a new method of calculating the vibrations of black holes. The scientists applied a mathematical technique called the exact Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin, orexact WKB analysisto carefully trace the behavior of waves from a black hole out into distant space. While this method has long been studied in mathematics, its application to physics -- especially to black holes -- is still a newly developing area. -- "The foundations of the exact WKB methodwere largely developed by Japanese mathematicians. As a researcher from Japan, I have always found this field intellectually and culturally familiar," says corresponding author Taiga Miyachi. -- This method allowed the research team to follow wave patterns in great detail, even in regions that are difficult to analyze with other existing methods. Their approach involved examining space near the black hole by extending it into the complex number domain, revealing a rich structure of the black hole's geometry. -- This included a mathematical phenomenon called Stokes curves, which designate where the nature of a wave suddenly changes. While previous studies have often overlooked the infinitely spiraling Stokes curves and paths that branch off from black holes, the research team incorporated these complex features into their analysis. -- The findings revealed that the team had succeeded in developing a method that systematically and precisely captures the frequency structure of rapidly weakening vibrations. This demonstrates the power of the exact WKB method as a practical tool for bridging theoretical predictions with observational data. -- "We were surprised at how complex and beautiful the underlying structure of these vibrations turned out to be. We found spiraling patterns in our mathematical analysis that had been missed before, and these turned out to be key in understanding the full picture of quasinormal modes," says Miyachi. -- This study makes it possible to analyze the "ringing sounds" of black holes across a wide range of theoretical models. Ultimately, this may help improve the precision of future gravitational wave observations and lead to a deeper, more reliable understanding of the true nature of our Universe and its geometry. | 190 |
| After 50 Years, Scientists Finally Catch Elusive Neutrinos Near A Reactor | Rare Neutrino Interactions Detected By A Tiny Detector, Paving The Way For Advances | Direct observation of coherent elastic antineutrino–nucleus scattering. | Max-Planck-Institut fur Kernphysik | A compact 3 kg detector has successfully measured rare interactions of neutrinos at a Swiss reactor, marking a significant advancement in neutrino science. This novel achievement could lead to the development of portable neutrino detectors with wide-ranging applications, providing deeper insights into fundamental physical processes and potentially opening new avenues in neutrino research. | Scientists Finally Catch Elusive NeutrinosThe position and size of the CONUS+ detector within the reactor in Leibstadt, Switzerland. Credit: MPIK -- Neutrinos are extremely elusive elementary particles. Day and night, 60 billion of them stream from the Sun through every square centimeter of the Earth every second, which is transparent to them. After the first theoretical prediction of their existence, decades passed before they were actually detected. These experiments are usually extremely large to account for the very weak interaction of neutrinos with matter. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK) in Heidelberg have now succeeded in detecting antineutrinos from the reactor of a nuclear power plant using the CONUS+ experiment, with a detector mass of just 3 kg. -- Originally based at the Brokdorf nuclear power plant, the CONUS experiment was relocated to the Leibstadt nuclear power plant (KKL) in Switzerland in the summer of 2023. Improvements to the 1 kg germanium semiconductor detectors, as well as the excellent measurement conditions at KKL, made it possible for the first time to measure what is known as Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CEvNS). In this process, neutrinos do not scatter off the individual components of the atomic nuclei in the detector, but rather coherently with the entire nucleus. This significantly increases the probability of a very small but observable nuclear recoil. This recoil caused by neutrino scattering is comparable to a ping-pong ball bouncing off a car, with the detection being the changing motion of the car. In the case of CONUS+, the scattering partners are the atomic nuclei of the germanium. Observing this effect requires low-energy neutrinos, such as those produced in large numbers in nuclear reactors. -- The effect was predicted as early as 1974, but was first confirmed in 2017 by the COHERENT experiment at a particle accelerator. The CONUS+ experiment has now successfully observed the effect at full coherence and lower energies in a reactor for the first time, as described in a recent Nature research article. The compact CONUS+ setup is located 20.7 m from the reactor core (see image above). At this position, more than 10 trillion neutrinos flow through every square centimeter of surface every second. After approximately 119 days of measurement between autumn 2023 and summer 2024, the researchers were able to extract an excess of 395±106 neutrino signals from the CONUS+ data, after subtracting all background and interfering signals. This value is in very good agreement with theoretical calculations, within the measurement uncertainty. "We have thus successfully confirmed the sensitivity of the CONUS+ experiment and its ability to detect antineutrino scattering from atomic nuclei," explains Dr. Christian Buck, one of the authors of the study. He also emphasizes the potential development of small, mobile neutrino detectors to monitor reactor heat output or isotope concentration as possible future applications of the CEvNS technique presented here. -- The CEvNS measurement provides unique insights into fundamental physical processes within the Standard Model of particle physics, the current theory describing the structure of our universe. Compared to other experiments, the measurements with CONUS+ allow for a reduced dependence on nuclear physics aspects, thereby improving the sensitivity to new physics beyond the Standard Model. For this reason, CONUS+ was already equipped with improved and larger detectors in autumn 2024. With the resulting measurement accuracy, even better results are expected. "The techniques and methods used in CONUS+ have excellent potential for fundamental new discoveries," emphasizes Prof. Lindner, initiator of the project and also an author of the study. "The groundbreaking CONUS+ results could therefore mark the starting point for a new field in neutrino research." | 191 |
| Forget The Big Bang: Gravitational Waves May Have Really Created The Universe | New Theory Proposes Gravitational Waves Created The Universe Without Speculative Elements | Inflation without an inflaton. | University of Barcelona | A revolutionary new theory regarding the origins of the Universe posits that gravitational waves, rather than the widely accepted inflationary model, played a pivotal role in the formation of galaxies and cosmic structure. This innovative perspective eliminates the need for speculative elements and aligns with current observations of dark energy, offering a fresh approach to understanding the cosmos. | Did Gravitational Waves Create the Universe?A fresh theory on the Universe's origins suggests gravitational waves, not inflation, could explain cosmic structure, paving the way for verifiable predictions. Credit: Shutterstock -- A team of scientists led by expert Raúl Jiménez, ICREA researcher at the University of Barcelona's Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB), in collaboration with the University of Padua (Italy), has presented a revolutionary theory about the origins of the Universe. The study, published in the journal Physical Review Research, introduces a radical change in the understanding of the first moments after the Big Bang, without relying on the speculative assumptions that physicists have traditionally assumed. -- Unraveling the mystery of the origins of the Universe -- For decades, cosmologists have worked under the inflationary paradigm, a model that suggests that the Universe expanded extremely rapidly, in a fraction of a second, thus paving the way for everything we observe today. But this model includes too many adjustable parameters -- the free parameters -- which can be modified. Scientifically, this poses a problem, as it makes it difficult to know whether a model is truly predicting or simply adapting to the data. In a significant breakthrough, the team has proposed a model in which the early Universe does not require any of these arbitrary parameters. Instead, it begins with a well-established cosmic state called De Sitter space, which is consistent with current observations of dark energy. -- Gravitational waves: the key to understanding cosmic structure -- The new model does not rely on hypothetical fields or particles such as inflation. It suggests that natural quantum fluctuations in space-time, gravitational waves, were sufficient to seed the small density differences that eventually gave rise to galaxies, stars, and planets. These ripples evolve non-linearly, interacting and generating complexity over time, allowing for verifiable predictions with real data. -- "For decades, we have tried to understand the early moments of the Universe using models based on elements we have never observed," says Raúl Jiménez. "What makes this proposal exciting is its simplicity and verifiability. We are not adding speculative elements, but rather demonstrating that gravity and quantum mechanics may be sufficient to explain how the structure of the cosmos came into being." -- Understanding the origin of the Universe is not just a philosophical question, but helps us answer fundamental questions about who we are and where we come from. This new proposal offers a minimalist but powerful, elegant and potentially refutable vision. This is science at its best: clear predictions that future observations -- such as measurements of gravitational waves and cosmic structure -- can confirm or reject. -- These new results suggest that we may not need speculative elements to explain the cosmos, but only a deep understanding of gravity and quantum physics. If the model is confirmed, it could mark a new chapter in the way we think about the birth of the Universe. | 192 |
| This Brain Circuit May Explain Fluctuating Sensations—And Autism | Unlocking The Brain: New Mechanism Modulates Sensory Signals In Fascinating Ways | Thalamocortical feedback selectively controls pyramidal neuron excitability. | Université de Genève | Researchers from the University of Geneva have identified a new brain mechanism that alters how we perceive sensory signals, particularly highlighting the role of the thalamus and a hidden receptor in the cortex. This discovery reveals that our sensory experiences can change based on biological factors rather than just mood or attention, potentially explaining variations in perception and opening new avenues for understanding certain mental disorders. | How the Brain Rewrites Sensation in Real TimeCortical neuron expressing green fluorescent protein, imaged in the living mouse brain using two-photon microscopy. Credit: © Ronan Chéreau -- The cerebral cortex processes sensory information via a complex network of neural connections. How are these signals modulated to refine perception? A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has identified a mechanism by which certain thalamic projections target neurons and modify their excitability. This work, published in Nature Communications, reveals a previously unknown form of communication between two regions of the brain, the thalamus and the somatosensory cortex. It could explain why the same sensory stimulus does not always elicit the same sensation and open up new avenues for understanding certain mental disorders. -- The same sensory stimulus can be perceived clearly at times, and remain vague at others. This phenomenon can be explained by the way the brain integrates stimuli. For example, touching an object outside our field of vision may be enough to identify it...or not. These perceptual variations remain poorly understood, but may depend on factors such as attention or the disruptive presence of other stimuli. What is certain, according to neuroscientists, is that when we touch something, sensory signals from receptors in the skin are interpreted by a specialised region called the somatosensory cortex. -- On their way to it, the signals pass through a complex network of neurons, including a crucial structure in the brain called the thalamus, which serves as a relay station. However, the process is not one-way. A significant portion of the thalamus also receives feedback from the cortex, forming a loop of reciprocal communication. But the exact role and functioning of this feedback loop are still unclear. Could it play an active role in how we perceive sensory information? -- A new modulatory pathway -- To explore this question, neuroscientists at UNIGE studied a region at the top of pyramidal neurons of the somatosensory cortex, rich in dendrites - extensions that receive electrical signals from other neurons. ''Pyramidal neurons have rather strange shapes. They are asymmetrical, both in shape and function. What happens at the top of the neuron is different from what happens at the bottom,'' explains Anthony Holtmaat, full professor at the Department of Basic Neurosciences (NEUFO) and the Synapsy Centre for Neuroscience Research for Mental Health at UNIGE's Faculty of Medicine, and director of the study. -- His team focused on a pathway in which the top of pyramidal neurons in mice receives projections from a specific part of the thalamus. By stimulating the animal's whiskers - the equivalent of touch in humans - a precise dialogue between these projections and the dendrites of pyramidal neurons was revealed. ''What is remarkable, unlike the regular thalamic projections known to activate pyramidal neurons, is that the part of the thalamus providing feedback modulates their activity, in particular by making them more sensitive to stimuli,'' says Ronan Chéreau, senior researcher at NEUFO and co-author of the study. -- An unexpected receptor -- Using cutting-edge techniques - imaging, optogenetics, pharmacology and, above all, electrophysiology - the research team was able to record the electrical activity of tiny structures such as dendrites. These approaches helped clarify how this modulation works at the synaptic level. Normally, the neurotransmitter glutamate acts as an activation signal. It helps neurons transmit sensory information by triggering an electrical response in the next neuron. -- In this newly discovered mechanism, glutamate released from thalamic projections binds to an alternative receptor located in a specific region of the cortical pyramidal neuron. Rather than directly exciting the neuron, this interaction alters its state of responsiveness, effectively priming it for future sensory input. The neuron then becomes more easily activated, as if it were being conditioned to better respond to a future sensory stimulus. | 193 |
| Walk Faster, Live Longer: How Just 15 Minutes A Day Can Boost Lifespan | Walk Your Way To Health: Just 15 Minutes Could Save Your Life | Daily Walking and Mortality in Racially and Socioeconomically Diverse U.S. Adults | Elsevier | A significant study involving nearly 80,000 low-income and predominantly Black Americans reveals that brisk walking for just 15 minutes each day can reduce mortality risk by about 20%. This research emphasizes the importance of walking pace, particularly in underserved communities, and reinforces the health benefits of fast walking as an accessible and effective method for improving overall health and longevity. | Walk Faster, Live LongerA brisk 15-minute walk each day cuts mortality risk by 20%, especially in low-income Black communities, making fast walking a simple yet life-extending habit. Credit: Shutterstock -- Regular walking is widely recognized for its significant benefits to overall health and well-being. Previous research has primarily focused on middle-to-high-income White populations. Now, a novel analysis using data from the Southern Community Cohort Study, involving 79,856 predominantly low-income and Black individuals across 12 southeastern US states, confirms the benefits of regular walking, especially at a faster pace, within a crucial, underrepresented group. The new study appearing in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, underscores the importance of promoting walking, particularly at a brisk pace, as an effective form of physical activity for improving health. -- Lead investigator Wei Zheng, MD, PhD, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, says, "While the health benefits of daily walking are well-established, limited research has investigated effects of factors such as walking pace on mortality, particularly in low-income and Black/African-American populations. Our research has shown that fast walking as little as 15 minutes a day was associated with a nearly 20% reduction in total mortality, while a smaller reduction in mortality was found in association with more than three hours of daily slow walking. This benefit remained strong even after accounting for other lifestyle factors and was consistent across various sensitivity analyses." -- Participants reported the average amount of time per day (minutes) they typically spend "walking slowly (such as moving around, walking at work, walking the dog, or engaging in light exercise)" and "walking fast (such as climbing stairs, brisk walking, or exercising)." Information regarding vital status and cause of death was obtained by linking the cohort to the National Death Index. -- The protective effect of fast walking extended to all causes of death but was most pronounced for cardiovascular diseases. Importantly, the benefits of fast walking were independent of overall leisure-time physical activity levels (LTPA). Even for those who are already engaged in slow walking or some LTPA, adding more fast walking further reduced mortality. -- According to the study the benefits of fast walking related to cardiovascular health are: -- Boosts heart efficiency: As an aerobic exercise, fast walking improves cardiac output, increases oxygen delivery, and enhances the efficiency of the heart's pumping action, leading to better overall cardiovascular health. -- Manages cardiovascular risk factors: Regular fast walking helps control body weight and composition, reducing obesity and related risks like hypertension and dyslipidemia. -- Highly accessible: Fast walking is a convenient, low-impact activity suitable for individuals of all ages and fitness levels. -- Low-income populations often face economic constraints and are more likely to reside in impoverished, highly polluted communities with limited access to safe walking spaces. Additionally, these populations tend to have a higher prevalence of lifestyle behaviors that may increase disease risk and mortality, such as lower quality diet, cigarette smoking, and heavy alcohol consumption. At the same time, there are other challenges for individuals with low income such as lack of access to health insurance or healthcare that may also increase mortality. These factors collectively contribute to an increased mortality among low-income individuals and may potentially elucidate the racial disparities observed in longevity. By demonstrating the benefits of fast walking in this study, this research provides direct evidence to inform targeted interventions and policies to improve health equity. | 194 |
| This Gut Hormone Could Explain 40% Of IBS-D Cases—And Lead To A Cure | A Hidden Gut Hormone: The Cause Behind Chronic Diarrhea Revealed | Insulin-like peptide 5 is released in response to bile acid in the rectum and is associated with diarrhoea severity in patients with bile acid diarrhoea. | University of Cambridge | Researchers at the University of Cambridge have identified a gut hormone, INSL5, that may be responsible for chronic diarrhea in individuals with bile acid malabsorption, often misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome. This finding could lead to the development of a blood test and new treatments, including existing medications that block the hormone’s effects, offering hope for patients suffering from unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms. | The Gut Hormone Behind Unexplained DiarrheaScientists have found that a gut hormone called INSL5 may be the hidden cause behind up to 40% of diarrhea-predominant IBS cases—unlocking a new path for diagnosis and treatment. Credit: Shutterstock -- High levels of a hormone found in cells in the gut could underlie many cases of chronic diarrhea and help explain up to 40% of cases of patients with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea, according to a new study led by scientists at the University of Cambridge. -- The research, published in the journal Gut, could help in the development of a blood test and points towards a potential new treatment. -- When we eat, the liver releases bile acid to break down fats so that they can be absorbed into the body. Bile acid is released into the top end of the small intestine and then absorbed back into the body at the lower end. -- However, around one person in every 100 is affected by a condition known as bile acid diarrhea (also known as bile acid malabsorption), whereby the bile acid is not properly re-absorbed and makes its way into the large intestine (colon). It can trigger urgent and watery diarrhea, and patients can risk episodes of incontinence. -- Bile acid diarrhea can be difficult to diagnose as there are currently no routine clinical blood tests. Many individuals are given a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), an umbrella term for a range of conditions. As many as one in 20 people is thought to have IBS, of which an estimated one in three patients with diarrhea as their main symptom have undiagnosed bile acid diarrhea. -- Studies in mice have previously suggested that the gut hormone known as Insulin-Like Peptide 5 (INSL5) - present in cells at the far end of the colon and rectum - may play a role in chronic diarrhea. INSL5 is released by these cells when irritated by bile acid. -- Researchers at the Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, have been exploring whether this hormone might also underlie chronic diarrhea in humans. This has been possible thanks to a new antibody test developed by pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, with whom the team is collaborating, which allows them to measure tiny amounts of INSL5. -- A study at the University of Adelaide looking at ways to trigger release of the gut hormone GLP-1 - the hormone upon which weight-loss drugs are based - previously found that giving a bile acid enema to healthy volunteers triggered release of GLP-1, but had the unintended consequence of causing diarrhea. When the Cambridge team analyzed samples from this study, they found that the bile acid enema caused levels of INSL5 to shoot up temporarily - and the higher the INSL5 levels, the faster the volunteers needed to use the toilet. This confirmed that INSL5 is likely to play a role in chronic cases of diarrhea. -- When the team analyzed samples obtained from Professor Julian Walters at Imperial College London, which include samples from patients with bile acid diarrhea, they found that while levels of INSL5 were almost undetectable in healthy volunteers, they were much higher in patients with bile acid diarrhea. In addition, the higher the INSL5 level, the more watery their stool samples. | 195 |
| Your Sleep Schedule Could Be Making You Sick, Says Massive New Study | Revolutionizing Sleep: Why Consistency, Not Just Duration, Matters For Your Health | Phenome-wide Analysis of Diseases in Relation to Objectively Measured Sleep Traits and Comparison with Subjective Sleep Traits in 88,461 Adults. | Health Data Science | A groundbreaking international study has linked poor sleep patterns—particularly irregular sleep schedules—to significant health risks across over 90 diseases, including liver cirrhosis. Contrary to past beliefs, sleeping more than nine hours isn't harmful; instead, researchers argue that sleep regularity is critical for health, underscoring the need to redefine what constitutes “good sleep” to include consistency in sleep habits. | Your Sleep Schedule Could Be Making You SickPoor sleep regularity—not just duration—is linked to disease risk in over 90 conditions, including liver and circulatory disorders, according to new objective data. Credit: Shutterstock -- A groundbreaking international study, recently published in Health Data Science, analyzed objective sleep data from 88,461 adults in the UK Biobank and found significant associations between sleep traits and 172 diseases. The research, led by teams from Peking University and Army Medical University, highlights sleep regularity -- such as bedtime consistency and circadian rhythm stability -- as an underrecognized but critical factor in disease risk. -- Using actigraphy data over an average of 6.8 years, researchers identified that 92 diseases had over 20% of their risk attributable to poor sleep behavior. Notably, irregular bedtime (after 00:30) was linked to a 2.57-fold higher risk of liver cirrhosis, while low interdaily stability increased the risk of gangrene by 2.61 times. -- Importantly, the study challenges previous claims that "long sleep" (≥9 hours) is harmful. While subjective reports have linked long sleep to stroke and heart disease, objective data revealed this association in only one disease. Misclassification may be to blame: 21.67% of "long sleepers" actually slept less than 6 hours, suggesting that time spent in bed is often confused with actual sleep time. -- "Our findings underscore the overlooked importance of sleep regularity," said Prof. Shengfeng Wang, senior author of the study. "It's time we broaden our definition of good sleep beyond just duration." -- The team confirmed several associations in U.S. populations and identified inflammatory pathways as a possible biological link. Future research will explore causality and assess the impact of sleep interventions on chronic disease outcomes. | 196 |
| Columbia Scientists Turn Yogurt Into A Healing Gel That Mimics Human Tissue | Healing Innovation: Scientists Transform Yogurt Into Tissue-Mimicking Hydrogel | Extracellular vesicles as dynamic crosslinkers for bioactive injectable hydrogels. | Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science | Columbia Engineering scientists have developed an innovative injectable hydrogel made from extracellular vesicles from yogurt that could transform regenerative medicine. This biocompatible material mimics natural tissue and enhances healing, serving as both a healing agent and structural component without the need for additional chemicals, potentially paving the way for new therapeutic applications in tissue engineering. | Scientists Turn Yogurt Into a Healing GelA yogurt-based hydrogel that heals and mimics living tissue could soon transform regenerative medicine, thanks to EVs doing double duty as building blocks and healing agents. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers from Columbia Engineering have established a framework for the design of bioactive injectable hydrogels formulated with extracellular vesicles (EVs) for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. -- Published on July 25 in Matter, Santiago Correa, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia Engineering, and his collaborators describe an injectable hydrogel platform that uses EVs from milk to address longstanding barriers in the development of biomaterials for regenerative medicine. EVs are particles naturally secreted by cells and carry hundreds of biological signals, like proteins and genetic material, enabling sophisticated cellular communication that synthetic materials cannot easily replicate. -- In this study, Correa and colleagues designed a hydrogel system where EVs play a dual role: they act as bioactive cargo but also serve as essential structural building blocks, by crosslinking biocompatible polymers to form an injectable material. Using an unconventional approach that leveraged milk EVs from yogurt, the team was able to overcome yield constraints that hinder the development of EV-based biomaterials. The yogurt EVs enabled the hydrogel to both mimic the mechanics of living tissue and actively engage surrounding cells, promoting healing and tissue regeneration without the need for additional chemical additives. -- "This project started as a basic question about how to build EV-based hydrogels. Yogurt EVs gave us a practical tool for that, but they turned out to be more than a model," said Correa who led the study with Artemis Margaronis, an NSF graduate research fellow in the Correa lab. "We found that they have inherent regenerative potential, which opens the door to new, accessible therapeutic materials." -- Correa directs the Nanoscale Immunoengineering Lab at Columbia University, where his research focuses on drug delivery and immunoengineering. He is also a member of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center and collaborated on this project with Kam Leong, a fellow Columbia Engineering faculty member. The study was further strengthened through international collaboration with researchers from the University of Padova, including Elisa Cimetta (Department of Industrial Engineering) and graduate student Caterina Piunti. By combining Padova team's expertise in agricultural EV sourcing with the Correa lab's experience in nanomaterials and polymer-based hydrogels, the team demonstrated the power of cross-disciplinary, global partnerships in advancing biomaterials innovation. -- By using yogurt-derived EVs, the team defined a design space for generating hydrogels that incorporate EVs as both structural and biological elements. They further validated the approach using EVs derived from mammalian cells and bacteria, demonstrating that the platform is modular and compatible with diverse vesicle sources. This could open the door to advanced applications in wound healing and regenerative medicine, where current treatments often fall short in promoting long-term tissue repair. By integrating EVs directly into the hydrogel structure, the material enables sustained delivery of their bioactive signals. Because the hydrogel is injectable, it can also be delivered locally to damaged tissue. -- Early experiments show that yogurt EV hydrogels are biocompatible and drive potent angiogenic activity within one week in immunocompetent mice, demonstrating that agricultural EVs not only enable fundamental biomaterials research but also hold therapeutic potential as a next-generation biotechnology. In mice, the material showed no signs of adverse reaction and instead promoted the formation of new blood vessels, a key step in effective tissue regeneration. Correa's team also observed that the hydrogel creates a unique immune environment enriched in anti-inflammatory cell types, which may contribute to the observed tissue repair processes. The team is now exploring how this immune response could help guide tissue regeneration. -- "Being able to design a material that closely mimics the body's natural environment while also speed up the healing process opens a new world of possibilities for regenerative medicine," said Margaronis. "Moments like these remind me why the research field in biomedical engineering is always on the cusp of something exciting." | 197 |
| Think It’s Just Aging? Why Dementia Is Missed For 3.5 Years On Average | Raising Awareness On Dementia: Why Early Diagnosis Is Crucial For Patients | Time to Diagnosis in Dementia: A Systematic Review With Meta‐Analysis. | University College London | A global review of over 30,000 dementia cases reveals that diagnosis often occurs long after the onset of symptoms, with delays averaging 3.5 years and even longer for younger patients. Factors such as age, dementia type, and systemic healthcare issues contribute to these delays, prompting researchers to call for improved public awareness, clinician training, and strategies to streamline referrals. | Why It Takes 3.5 Years to Diagnose DementiaDementia is often diagnosed too late—especially in younger patients—due to stigma, system failures, and lack of early recognition. Credit: Shutterstock -- People with dementia are diagnosed an average of 3.5 years after symptoms are first noticed, or even longer (4.1 years) for those with early-onset dementia, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. -- The study, published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, is the first systematic review and meta-analysis of global evidence examining time to diagnosis in dementia. -- The researchers reviewed data from 13 previously published studies which took place in Europe, US, Australia and China, reporting data on 30,257 participants. -- The research team was investigating the average interval between symptom onset (rated by patients or family carers using interviews or medical records) to the final diagnosis of dementia. -- Lead author Dr Vasiliki Orgeta (UCL Division of Psychiatry) said: "Timely diagnosis of dementia remains a major global challenge, shaped by a complex set of factors, and specific healthcare strategies are urgently needed to improve it. Other studies estimate that only 50-65% of cases are ever diagnosed in high-income countries, with many countries having even lower diagnostic rates. -- "Timely diagnosis can improve access to treatments and for some people prolong the time living with mild dementia before symptoms worsen." -- In a pooled meta-analysis of 10 of the included studies, the researchers found that it typically takes 3.5 years from the first alert of symptoms to a patient receiving a diagnosis of dementia, or 4.1 years for those with early-onset dementia, with some groups more likely to experience longer delays. -- They found that younger age at onset and having frontotemporal dementia were both linked to longer time to diagnosis. While data on racial disparities was limited, one of the studies reviewed found that black patients tended to experience a longer delay before diagnosis. -- Dr Orgeta said: "Our work highlights the need for a clear conceptual framework on time to diagnosis in dementia, developed in collaboration with people with dementia, their carers, and supporters." | 198 |
| Fatigue, Anxiety, Pain? They Might Be MS In Disguise | Early Signs Of MS: Healthcare Visits May Indicate Condition Before Symptoms Appear | Health Care Use Before Multiple Sclerosis Symptom Onset. | University of British Columbia | New research from the University of British Columbia indicates that early signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) may emerge up to 15 years before noticeable symptoms appear. By analyzing healthcare usage patterns, scientists found a steady increase in visits related to vague symptoms, suggesting a need for earlier identification and intervention in MS, which could lead to better patient outcomes. | MS May Begin 15 Years Before DiagnosisStrange fatigue and anxiety years before diagnosis? They might be MS whispering from the shadows, long before it shouts. Credit: Shutterstock -- The earliest warning signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) may emerge more than a decade before the first classical neurological symptoms occur, according to new research from the University of British Columbia. -- Published on August 1 in JAMA Network Open, the study analyzed the health records of more than 12,000 people in British Columbia and found that those with MS began using healthcare services at elevated rates 15 years before their first MS symptoms appear. -- The findings challenge long-held assumptions about when the disease truly begins, offering the most comprehensive picture to date of how patients engage with a range of healthcare providers in the years leading up to a diagnosis as they search for answers to ill-defined medical challenges. -- "MS can be difficult to recognize as many of the earliest signs -- like fatigue, headache, pain and mental health concerns -- can be quite general and easily mistaken for other conditions," said senior author Dr. Helen Tremlett, professor of neurology at UBC's faculty of medicine and investigator at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health. "Our findings dramatically shift the timeline for when these early warning signs are thought to begin, potentially opening the door to opportunities for earlier detection and intervention." -- The study used linked clinical and administrative provincial health data to track physician visits in the 25 years leading up to the onset of a patient's MS symptoms, as determined by a neurologist through detailed medical history and clinical assessments. -- It is the first study to examine healthcare usage this far back in a patient's clinical history. Most previous studies only examined trends in the five to 10 years leading up to a patient's first demyelinating event (such as vision problems) using administrative data. This is a much later benchmark compared to the neurologist-determined date of symptom onset. -- The findings revealed that, when compared to the general population, people with MS had a steady build-up of healthcare engagement over 15 years with different types of doctor visits increasing at distinct points in time: -- 15 years before symptom onset: Visits to general practice physicians increased, as did visits to any physician for symptoms like fatigue, pain, dizziness and mental health conditions including anxiety and depression. -- 12 years before: Visits to a psychiatrist increased. | 199 |
| Max-Dose Statins Save Lives—Here’s Why Doctors Are Starting Strong | Heart Health Essentials: Max-Dose Statins Combined With Lifestyle Changes Can Save Lives | Low density lipoprotein (LDL) and beyond in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease. | Florida Atlantic University | Top cardiologists are advocating for the early initiation of high-dose statins in treating heart disease, emphasizing the significant benefits of lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. They stress the importance of combining this pharmacological approach with lifestyle changes to effectively reduce cardiovascular risk, particularly among individuals with metabolic syndrome who are often underdiagnosed. | Doctors Urge: Start High-Dose Statins EarlyTop cardiologists say: hit LDL hard with potent statins from the start—then layer in other treatments if needed. Credit: Shutterstock -- There is broad consensus that the overall body of evidence shows lowering LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol provides both statistically significant and clinically meaningful benefits in treating and preventing cardiovascular disease. Often referred to as the "bad" cholesterol, elevated levels of LDL can clog arteries and significantly increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. -- In an invited editorial published in the current issue of Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine, researchers from Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine urge practicing cardiologists to achieve lower LDL cholesterol levels beginning with the highest doses of the most potent statins, namely rosuvastatin and atorvastatin. The authors emphasize that high-potency statins should be the primary pharmacologic in the treatment of cardiovascular disease as adjuncts to therapeutic lifestyle changes. -- The researchers emphasize that therapeutic lifestyle changes will be effective in the absence and presence of adjunctive therapies in treating and preventing cardiovascular diseases. Lifestyle changes of proven benefit include avoidance or cessation of cigarette smoking, achieving and maintaining healthy body weight and blood pressure, regular physical activity, and restricting alcohol consumption. -- Despite the proven effectiveness of therapeutic lifestyle changes, approximately 40% of adults in the United States have metabolic syndrome, a constellation of risk factors including obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. These individuals have a cardiovascular risk equivalent to those with prior heart attacks or strokes, yet many are underdiagnosed and undertreated. -- The authors also underscore that only about 21% of Americans meet the minimum daily requirement for physical activity, and that meaningful increases in physical activity are possible at any age, including among older adults. -- Based on the robust totality of randomized trial data and their meta-analyses, the authors conclude that statins - particularly rosuvastatin and atorvastatin - have the strongest and most consistent body of evidence supporting their prescription in treatment and prevention in both men and women including older adults. -- Because most patients tend to stay on their initially prescribed statin dose, the authors recommend that cardiologists consider starting therapy with the highest dose of these agents and titrating down if necessary. They also highlight that the benefits of statins and aspirin are at least additive and potentially synergistic. Most secondary prevention patients should be prescribed aspirin. In primary prevention, however, individual clinical judgments are necessary, and aspirin should be considered after statins - and if the residual risk of occlusion exceeds that of major bleeding, predominantly gastrointestinal. -- "Practicing cardiologists may wish to consider that all adjunctive drug therapies to therapeutic lifestyle changes should be added only after achieving maximal doses of statins. Further, statins have the largest and most persuasive body of evidence of any pharmacological adjunctive therapy in treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease," said Charles H. Hennekens, M.D, FACC, senior and corresponding author and the first Sir Richard Doll Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine, and interim chair, Department of Population Health, Schmidt College of Medicine. -- The researchers offer cautious views of adjunctive therapies such as ezetimibe and evolocumab, which tend to be used more widely than optimal. For example, in the IMPROVE-IT trial, the addition of ezetimibe to simvastatin showed only a minor benefit, while the FOURIER trial demonstrated evolocumab's efficacy in secondary prevention only in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia already on maximal statin doses. While FOURIER was a completed trial of secondary prevention, ILLUMINATE is an ongoing trial in high-risk primary prevention patients with familial hypercholesterolemia. | 200 |
| The 0.05% RNA Process That Makes Cancer Self-Destruct | Cancer Breakthrough: Targeting Minor Splicing Could Revolutionize Treatment Approaches | Inhibition of the minor spliceosome restricts the growth of a broad spectrum of cancers. | Walter and Eliza Hall Institute | Australian scientists have discovered that targeting a cellular process called minor splicing may provide a new strategy to combat aggressive cancers, particularly those with KRAS mutations. By disrupting this process, researchers can trigger DNA damage in cancer cells while sparing healthy tissues, indicating potential for the development of less toxic cancer therapies. | RNA Process Makes Cancer Self-DestructAustralian scientists discovered that disrupting a tiny genetic process called minor splicing can cripple aggressive cancers, especially those with KRAS mutations. The method harms cancer cells while sparing healthy ones — offering hope for better, safer treatments. Credit: Shutterstock -- Australian researchers have discovered a promising new strategy to suppress the growth of aggressive and hard-to-treat cancers by targeting a specialized molecular process known as 'minor splicing'. -- Published in EMBO Reports, the study shows that blocking minor splicing can markedly slow tumor growth in liver, lung and stomach cancers, while leaving healthy cells largely unharmed. -- The research in animal models and human cells, from Australian medical research institute WEHI, demonstrates the potential of this strategy to target cancers driven by mutations in common cancer-causing genes. -- At a glance -- New research shows that targeting minor splicing significantly reduces tumor growth in liver, lung and gastric cancers. -- The strategy is particularly effective for cancers driven by KRAS mutations, which are among the most common genetic changes found in cancer. -- The study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of minor splicing inhibition across diverse cancer models. -- Why minor splicing matters -- Splicing is how cells turn long strands of RNA into shorter pieces called messenger RNA, which provide the template for the production of proteins. | 201 |
| Your Sleep Schedule Could Be Making You Sick, Says Massive New Study | Your Sleep Could Be Making You Sick: New Research Challenges Common Misconceptions | Phenome-wide Analysis of Diseases in Relation to Objectively Measured Sleep Traits and Comparison with Subjective Sleep Traits in 88,461 Adults. | Health Data Science | Groundbreaking research has shown that cosmic rays could be a source of energy for life beneath the surface of Mars and icy moons like Enceladus. By interacting with water or ice, these rays release electrons that could sustain microbial life, suggesting that life might exist in environments previously deemed inhospitable due to the lack of sunlight or heat. | Your Sleep Schedule Could Be Making You SickPoor sleep regularity—not just duration—is linked to disease risk in over 90 conditions, including liver and circulatory disorders, according to new objective data. Credit: Shutterstock -- A groundbreaking international study, recently published in Health Data Science, analyzed objective sleep data from 88,461 adults in the UK Biobank and found significant associations between sleep traits and 172 diseases. The research, led by teams from Peking University and Army Medical University, highlights sleep regularity -- such as bedtime consistency and circadian rhythm stability -- as an underrecognized but critical factor in disease risk. -- Using actigraphy data over an average of 6.8 years, researchers identified that 92 diseases had over 20% of their risk attributable to poor sleep behavior. Notably, irregular bedtime (after 00:30) was linked to a 2.57-fold higher risk of liver cirrhosis, while low interdaily stability increased the risk of gangrene by 2.61 times. -- Importantly, the study challenges previous claims that "long sleep" (≥9 hours) is harmful. While subjective reports have linked long sleep to stroke and heart disease, objective data revealed this association in only one disease. Misclassification may be to blame: 21.67% of "long sleepers" actually slept less than 6 hours, suggesting that time spent in bed is often confused with actual sleep time. -- "Our findings underscore the overlooked importance of sleep regularity," said Prof. Shengfeng Wang, senior author of the study. "It's time we broaden our definition of good sleep beyond just duration." -- The team confirmed several associations in U.S. populations and identified inflammatory pathways as a possible biological link. Future research will explore causality and assess the impact of sleep interventions on chronic disease outcomes. | 202 |
| Scientists Found The Gene That Makes Aussie Skinks Immune To Deadly Snake Venom | Genetic Marvel: Aussie Skinks Develop Immunity To Venomous Snake Bites | Make Acetylcholine Great Again! Australian Skinks Evolved Multiple Neurotoxin-Proof Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Defiance of Snake Venom. | University of Queensland | Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a new bioplastic inspired by the structure of leaves. This innovative material enhances strength and biodegradability, degrading at room temperature while outperforming traditional plastics, and has the potential to change the landscape of sustainable packaging. | How Aussie Skinks Outsmart Deadly Snake VenomAustralia’s Major Skink (Bellatorias frerei) has evolved the same venom resistance mutation as the honey badger (Mellivora capensis), which is found across Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Credit: Scott Eipper -- A University of Queensland-led study has found Australian skinks have evolved molecular armor to stop snake venom from shutting down their muscles. -- Professor Bryan Fry from UQ's School of the Environment said revealing exactly how skinks dodge death could inform biomedical approaches to treating snakebite in people. -- "What we saw in skinks was evolution at its most ingenious," Professor Fry said. -- "Australian skinks have evolved tiny changes in a critical muscle receptor, called the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. -- "This receptor is normally the target of neurotoxins which bind to it and block nerve-muscle communication causing rapid paralysis and death. -- "But in a stunning example of a natural counterpunch, we found that on 25 occasions skinks independently developed mutations at that binding site to block venom from attaching. -- "It's a testament to the massive evolutionary pressure than venomous snakes exerted after their arrival and spread across the Australian continent, when they would have feasted on the defenseless lizards of the day. -- "Incredibly, the same mutations evolved in other animals like mongooses which feed on cobras. -- "We confirmed with our functional testing that Australia's Major Skink (Bellatorias frerei) has evolved exactly the same resistance mutation that gives the honey badger it's famous resistance to cobra venom. | 203 |
| Nature’s Anti-Aging Hack? Jewel Wasp Larvae Slow Their Biological Clock | Nature’s Secret: Jewel Wasp Larvae Slow Aging Process With Developmental Pause | Larval diapause slows adult epigenetic aging in an insect model, Nasonia vitripennis. | University of Leicester | A recent study has revealed that Australian skinks possess a unique genetic adaptation that allows them to resist venomous snake bites by altering a key muscle receptor. This evolutionary advantage mirrors adaptations seen in other species, indicating new avenues for developing antivenoms and therapies for humans. | Jewel Wasps Reveal Natural Way to Slow AgingBy pausing their development, jewel wasps extend their lives and slow their biological aging, revealing clues that could one day help us delay aging in humans. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists have discovered that jewel wasps can slow down their biological rate of aging. -- A study of jewel wasps, known for their distinctive metallic colors, has shown that they can undergo a kind of natural 'time-out' as larvae before emerging into adulthood with this surprising advantage. -- The groundbreaking study by scientists at the University of Leicester, has now been published in the journal, PNAS. It reveals that this pause in development within the wasp dramatically extends lifespan and decelerates the ticking of the so-called "epigenetic clock" that marks molecular aging. -- Aging isn't just about counting birthdays, it's also a biological process that leaves molecular fingerprints on our DNA. One of the most accurate markers of this process is the epigenetic clock, which tracks chemical changes in DNA, known as methylation, that accumulate with age. But what happens if we alter the course of development itself? -- To find out, a team at the University of Leicester including first author PhD student Erin Foley, Dr Christian Thomas, Professor Charalambos Kyriacou, and Professor Eamonn Mallon, from the department of Genetics, Genomics and Cancer Sciences, turned to Nasonia Vitripennis, also known as the jewel wasp. -- This tiny insect is becoming a powerful model for aging research because, unlike many other invertebrates, it has a functioning DNA methylation system, just like humans, and a short lifespan that makes it ideal to study. -- The researchers exposed jewel wasp mothers to cold and darkness, triggering a hibernation-like state in their babies called diapause. This natural "pause button" extended the offsprings' adult lifespan by over a third. Even more remarkably, the wasps that had gone through diapause aged 29% more slowly at the molecular level than their counterparts. Their epigenetic clocks ticked more leisurely, offering the first direct evidence that the pace of biological aging can be developmentally tuned in an invertebrate. -- "It's like the wasps who took a break early in life came back with extra time in the bank," said Evolutionary Biology Professor Eamonn Mallon, senior author on the study. -- "It shows that aging isn't set in stone, it can be slowed by the environment, even before adulthood begins." | 204 |
| Alzheimer’s Risk May Start At The Brain’s Border, Not Inside It | New Discoveries In Neurology: Genetic Risks Linked To Brain’s Blood Vessels And Cells | Human brain vascular multi-omics elucidates disease-risk associations. | Gladstone Institutes | Research from Gladstone Institutes has revealed that genetic risk factors for neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s primarily act in the brain's blood vessels and immune cells rather than neurons. This discovery opens new avenues for targeted therapies aimed at protecting the brain's vascular defense system against diseases. | Alzheimer’s Risk May Start at the Brain’s BorderGenetic risks for Alzheimer’s and stroke act in the brain’s border cells, not neurons, and one target may already be drug-ready. Credit: Shutterstock -- The brain's health depends on more than just its neurons. A complex network of blood vessels and immune cells acts as the brain's dedicated guardians -- controlling what enters, cleaning up waste, and protecting it from threats by forming the blood-brain barrier. -- A new study from Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco (UCSF) reveals that many genetic risk factors for neurological diseases like Alzheimer's and stroke exert their effects within these very guardian cells. -- "When studying diseases affecting the brain, most research has focused on its resident neurons," says Gladstone Investigator Andrew C. Yang, PhD, senior author of the new study. "I hope our findings lead to more interest in the cells forming the brain's borders, which might actually take center stage in diseases like Alzheimer's." -- The findings, published in Neuron, address a long-standing question about where genetic risk begins and suggest that vulnerabilities in the brain's defense system may be a key trigger for disease. -- Mapping the Brain's Guardians -- For years, large-scale genetic studies have linked dozens of DNA variants to a higher risk of neurological diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, or multiple sclerosis. -- Yet, a major mystery has persisted: over 90% of these variants lie not in the genes themselves, but in the surrounding DNA that does not contain the code for making proteins, once dismissed as "junk DNA." These regions act as complex dimmer switches, turning genes on or off. -- Until now, scientists haven't had a full map of which switches control which genes or in which specific brain cells they operate, hindering the path from genetic discovery to new treatments. -- A New Technology Finds Answers | 205 |
| Researchers Discover Key Social Factors That Triple Long COVID Risk | Long COVID Risk: How Social Hardships Increase Vulnerability To Lasting Effects | Social Determinants of Health and Risk for Long COVID in the U.S. RECOVER-Adult Cohort. | Brigham and Women's Hospital | Recent findings indicate that individuals facing financial and social hardships are up to three times more likely to develop long COVID. This study highlights the impact of social determinants on health outcomes and emphasizes the importance of addressing these issues within healthcare systems to mitigate long-term effects of COVID-19. | Key Social Factors Triple Long COVID RiskA large-scale study found that financial hardship and other social struggles significantly increase the risk of long COVID, highlighting how deeply social conditions can shape long-term health outcomes. Credit: Shutterstock -- Mass General Brigham investigators led a nationwide study that found that financial hardship, food insecurity, lack of healthcare access, and other social risk factors are linked to higher risks of long COVID. -- Long COVID includes a wide range of symptoms that present or persist three or more months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although in recent years researchers have gained greater insight into the prevalence, symptoms and effects of long COVID through the longitudinal Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative, social risk factors for developing long COVID remain incompletely understood. In a new analysis of the RECOVER-Adult cohort, Mass General Brigham researchers found a two- to three-times higher risk of long COVID in those with social risk factors, including financial hardship, food insecurity, experiences of medical discrimination, and skipped medical care due to cost. Findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. -- "During the pandemic, we saw the overwhelming role that social risk factors played in determining who was infected with COVID-19 and what the severity and mortality from disease was," said lead author Candace Feldman, MD, MPH, ScD, of the Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. "We wanted to understand whether those risk factors also play a significant role in the longer-term, chronic symptoms that can affect people months and even years after SARS-CoV-2 infection." -- In this study, the researchers analyzed 3,700 participants from the RECOVER-Adult cohort, who had a SARS-CoV-2 infection during the Omicron variant outbreak, completed a baseline survey about social and economic factors at the time of infection, and completed a six-month follow-up survey assessing long COVID symptoms. The RECOVER-Adult participants were from 33 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and joined the study between October 2021 and November 2023. -- In the baseline survey, the researchers assessed four major individual-level social risk factors: economic instability, education and language access barriers, health care access and quality challenges, and lack of social and community support using a series of questions and previously validated surveys. They also used ZIP code data to study area-level measures of risk, like household crowding. -- After adjusting for variables including hospitalization for SARS-CoV-2 infection (as a marker of disease severity), vaccination history, pregnancy status, age, sex, race and ethnicity, the researchers found significant associations between nearly all the individual-level social risk factors studied and increased risk of developing long COVID. Furthermore, a greater number of social risk factors conferred a higher risk of long COVID. Living in areas with more household crowding was also associated with a greater risk of long COVID. -- There was a significantly higher burden of social risk factors among racially or ethnically minoritized groups. However, the researchers found that social risk factors appeared to affect white, Black and Hispanic people's risks of long COVID similarly. -- Going forward, RECOVER Initiative researchers hope to determine whether these findings extend to children with long COVID and whether certain long COVID symptoms may be linked to specific social risk factors. They also hope to study symptoms of COVID-19 lasting a year or longer to better understand how social factors might contribute to these symptoms' persistence. -- "While rates of COVID-19 have decreased, long COVID is a chronic disease that many people still suffer from," said senior author Elizabeth Karlson, MD, MS, of the Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity at BWH. "As with other chronic diseases, many different parts of people's social environment influence long COVID risk. Future interventions must address these factors to effectively reduce adverse outcomes among people with high burden of social risk factors." | 206 |
| Lupus Often Fades With Age. Scientists Finally Know Why | Lupus Mystery Unraveled: Why Symptoms Can Fade With Age | Epigenetic attenuation of interferon signaling is associated with aging-related improvements in systemic lupus erythematosus. | University of California - San Francisco | UCSF research has found that the symptoms of lupus may diminish as patients age, revealing that the aging process can naturally reduce inflammation associated with the disease. This unexpected finding suggests a potential for developing age-targeted therapies that could benefit not only lupus patients but also those with other inflammatory conditions. | Why Lupus Gets Better With AgeAging may naturally suppress lupus-related inflammation, offering surprising relief later in life. Credit: Shutterstock -- Lupus is a "classic" autoimmune disease. -- It causes the immune system's first-line viral defenses -- known as interferons -- to attack the body. Nearly every organ is at risk, leading to conditions like kidney and heart disease. -- But unlike many other autoimmune or chronic illnesses, lupus can improve as patients reach their 60s and 70s. -- "I see my younger lupus patients in their 20s, 30s, and 40s every few months, monitoring them closely for signs of severe disease, but many of my older patients just once a year to touch base," said Sarah Patterson, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology at UCSF. "If patients make it through those risky decades, they sometimes see a dramatic improvement." -- Now, Patterson and colleagues have published a study in Science Translational Medicine that reveals how this works. -- By analyzing blood samples from patients across the age spectrum, the team discovered that aging turns down the activity of certain immune genes in people with lupus, leading to fewer interferons and other inflammatory proteins in the body. -- The study found that in healthy adults, inflammation-related genes and proteins rose slowly over the years, a process that has been dubbed "inflammaging." In patients with lupus, however, the expression of these genes and proteins were abnormally high in mid-life but decreased as the decades went by. -- "Inflammaging seemed to be reversed in the lupus patients," said Chaz Langelier, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine at UCSF and senior author of the paper. "But it wasn't fully reversed. The lupus patients still had a greater level of inflammatory signaling compared to healthy adults in older age." -- That reversal reflected what Patterson has seen in her patients -- a return to something approaching healthy older age. | 207 |
| This Vaccine Uses Dental Floss Instead Of Needles | Flossing For Immunity: A New Method That Could Replace Vaccination Needles | Floss-based vaccination targets the gingival sulcus for mucosal and systemic immunization. | North Carolina State University | Researchers have discovered a novel method of vaccine delivery using dental floss to target mucosal tissues in the mouth, leading to an effective immune response. This innovative approach could enhance the efficacy of vaccines by stimulating antibody production at the entry points for many pathogens, potentially improving prevention strategies for respiratory infections. | Vaccines via Floss? It WorksResearchers have demonstrated a novel vaccine delivery method in an animal model, using dental floss to introduce vaccine via the tissue between the teeth and gums. The testing found that the new technique stimulates the production of antibodies in mucosal surfaces, such as the lining of the nose and lungs. Credit: Jie Sun, NC State University -- Researchers have demonstrated a novel vaccine delivery method in an animal model, using dental floss to introduce vaccine via the tissue between the teeth and gums. The testing found that the new technique stimulates the production of antibodies in mucosal surfaces, such as the lining of the nose and lungs. -- "Mucosal surfaces are important, because they are a source of entry for pathogens, such as influenza and COVID," says Harvinder Singh Gill, corresponding author of a paper on the work. "However, if a vaccine is given by injection, antibodies are primarily produced in the bloodstream throughout the body, and relatively few antibodies are produced on mucosal surfaces. -- "But we know that when a vaccine is given via the mucosal surface, antibodies are stimulated not only in the bloodstream, but also on mucosal surfaces," says Gill, who is the Ronald B. and Cynthia J. McNeill Term Professor in Nanomedicine at North Carolina State University. "This improves the body's ability to prevent infection, because there is an additional line of antibody defense before a pathogen enters the body." -- This is where the junctional epithelium comes in. The term epithelium applies to the tissue that lines the surface of your body parts, such as the lining of your lungs, stomach and intestines. Most epithelial tissues include robust barriers that are designed to keep bad things - from viruses to dirt - from entering your blood stream. But the junctional epithelium is different. -- The junctional epithelium is a thin layer of tissue located in the deepest part of the pocket between the tooth and the gum, and it lacks the barrier features found in other epithelial tissues. The lack of a barrier allows the junctional epithelium to release immune cells to fight bacteria - you find these immune cells in your saliva, as well as between your teeth and gums. -- "Because the junctional epithelium is more permeable than other epithelial tissues - and is a mucosal layer - it presents a unique opportunity for introducing vaccines to the body in a way that will stimulate enhanced antibody production across the body's mucosal layers," says Gill. -- To determine the viability of delivering vaccines via the junctional epithelium, the researchers applied vaccine to unwaxed dental floss and then flossed the teeth of lab mice. Specifically, the researchers compared antibody production in mice that received a peptide flu vaccine via flossing the junctional epithelium; via the nasal epithelium; or via placing vaccine on the mucosal tissue under the tongue. -- "We found that applying vaccine via the junctional epithelium produces far superior antibody response on mucosal surfaces than the current gold standard for vaccinating via the oral cavity, which involves placing vaccine under the tongue," says Rohan Ingrole, first author of the paper, who was a Ph.D. student under Gill at Texas Tech University. "The flossing technique also provides comparable protection against flu virus as compared to the vaccine being given via the nasal epithelium." -- "This is extremely promising, because most vaccine formulations cannot be given via the nasal epithelium - the barrier features in that mucosal surface prevent efficient uptake of the vaccine," Gill says. "Intranasal delivery also has the potential to cause the vaccine to reach the brain, which can pose safety concerns. However, vaccination via the junctional epithelium offers no such risk. For this experiment, we chose one of the few vaccine formulations that actually works for nasal delivery because we wanted to see how junctional epithelium delivery compared to the best-case scenario for nasal delivery." | 208 |
| This New Drug Could Help PTSD Patients Finally Let Go Of Trauma | Hope For PTSD: A New Drug Offers Potential To Help Patients Overcome Trauma | Astrocytic gamma-aminobutyric acid dysregulation as a therapeutic target for posttraumatic stress disorder. | Institute for Basic Science | New research indicates that excessive GABA from astrocytes may impair fear extinction in individuals with PTSD. A promising drug, KDS2010, has shown efficacy in reversing this effect in animal models and is currently in human trials, offering hope for more effective treatments for PTSD. | New Drug Offers Hope for PTSD ReliefPTSD may stem from a chemical overreaction by brain support cells. A promising drug targeting this pathway restores fear extinction in animal models, and it’s already shown to be safe in humans. Credit: Shutterstock -- Did you know that patients with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often struggle to forget traumatic memories, even long after the danger has passed? This failure to extinguish fear memories has long puzzled scientists and posed a major hurdle for treatment, especially since current medications targeting serotonin receptors offer limited relief for only a subset of patients. -- In a new discovery, scientists at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) and Ewha Womans University have uncovered a new brain mechanism driving PTSD — and a promising drug that may counteract its effects. -- Led by Dr. C. Justin LEE at the IBS Center for Cognition and Sociality and Professor LYOO In Kyoon at Ewha Womans University, the team has shown that excessive GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) produced by astrocytes, which are star-shaped support cells in the brain, impairs the brain’s ability to extinguish fear memories. This deficit is a core feature of PTSD and helps explain why traumatic memories can persist long after the threat has passed. -- Crucially, the researchers found that a brain-permeable drug called KDS2010, which selectively blocks the monoamine oxidase B enzyme responsible for this abnormal GABA production, can reverse PTSD-like symptoms in mice. The drug has already passed Phase 1 safety trials in humans, making it a strong candidate for future PTSD treatments. -- PTSD remains difficult to treat, with current medications targeting serotonin pathways providing limited relief for many patients. The new study focused on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a region of the brain critical for regulating fear, and found that PTSD patients had unusually high levels of GABA and reduced cerebral blood flow in this area. These findings emerged from brain imaging studies of more than 380 participants. Importantly, GABA levels decreased in patients who showed clinical improvement, pointing to the chemical’s central role in recovery. -- To uncover the origin of this excess GABA, the researchers examined postmortem human brain tissue and used PTSD-like mouse models. They discovered that astrocytes, not neurons, were producing abnormal amounts of GABA via the enzyme monoamine oxidase B (MAOB). This astrocyte-derived GABA impaired neural activity, blocking the brain’s ability to forget traumatic memories. -- When the researchers administered KDS2010, a highly selective, reversible MAOB inhibitor developed at IBS, the mice showed normalized brain activity and were able to extinguish fear responses. The drug reduced GABA levels, restored blood flow in the mPFC, and re-enabled memory extinction mechanisms. The study thus confirms astrocytic MAOB as a central driver of PTSD symptoms, and MAOB inhibition as a viable therapeutic path. -- A major challenge of the study was linking clinical findings in humans with cellular mechanisms in the lab. The researchers addressed this by applying a “reverse translational” strategy: they began with clinical brain scans and moved backward to identify the cellular source of dysfunction, then confirmed the mechanism and tested drug effects in animal models. This approach led to a new understanding of how glial cells — long thought to be passive — actively shape psychiatric symptoms. -- “This study is the first to identify astrocyte-derived GABA as a key pathological driver of fear extinction deficit in PTSD,” said Dr. WON Woojin, a postdoctoral researcher and co-first author of the study. “Our findings not only uncover a novel astrocyte-based mechanism underlying PTSD, but also provide preclinical evidence for a new therapeutic approach using an MAOB inhibitor.” | 209 |
| 700,000 Years Ahead Of Their Teeth: The Carbs That Made Us Human | Human Evolution Insight: Early Hominins Craved Carbs Long Before Suitable Teeth Developed | Behavior drives morphological change during human evolution. | Dartmouth College | A study reveals that early hominins developed a taste for high-carbohydrate plants before evolving the necessary dental adaptations to consume them. This behavioral drive, documented through fossil evidence, indicates that early humans were able to adapt to their environment and exploit new food sources even before their physical evolution caught up. | The Diet That Made Us HumanThe researchers report that hominin teeth, especially molars, became smaller and longer over millennia to accommodate a growing diet of tough grass-like plants known as graminoids and their underground storage organs. They found that the turn toward grasses began about 3.8 million years ago with the distant human relative Australopithecus afarensis (left). About 2.3 million years ago, the early human Homo rudolfensis (center) gained regular access to carbohydrate-rich underground plant organs such as tubers, bulbs, and corms. But this dietary shift toward outpaced tooth evolution until about 2 million years ago when species such as Homo ergaster (right) exhibited a spurt of change in tooth size and shape better suited to eating and breaking down cooked plant tissues to derive their nutrients. Credit: L to R: Public domain; Don Hitchcock; Fernando Losada Rodríguez (rotated) -- As early humans spread from lush African forests into grasslands, their need for ready sources of energy led them to develop a taste for grassy plants, especially grains and the starchy plant tissue hidden underground. -- But a new Dartmouth-led study shows that hominins began feasting on these carbohydrate-rich foods before they had the ideal teeth to do so. The study provides the first evidence from the human fossil record of behavioral drive, wherein behaviors beneficial for survival emerge before the physical adaptations that make it easier, the researchers report in Science. -- The study authors analyzed fossilized hominin teeth for carbon and oxygen isotopes left behind from eating plants known as graminoids, which includes grasses and sedges. They found that ancient humans gravitated toward consuming these plants far earlier than their teeth evolved to chew them efficiently. It was not until 700,000 years later that evolution finally caught up in the form of longer molars like those that let modern humans easily chew tough plant fibers. -- The findings suggest that the success of early humans stemmed from their ability to adapt to new environments despite their physical limitations, says Luke Fannin, a postdoctoral researcher at Dartmouth and lead author of the study. -- "We can definitively say that hominins were quite flexible when it came to behavior and this was their advantage," Fannin says. "As anthropologists, we talk about behavioral and morphological change as evolving in lockstep. But we found that behavior could be a force of evolution in its own right, with major repercussions for the morphological and dietary trajectory of hominins." -- Nathaniel Dominy, the Charles Hansen Professor of Anthropology at Dartmouth and senior author of the study, says isotope analysis overcomes the enduring challenge of identifying the factors that caused the emergence of new behaviors -- behavior doesn't fossilize. -- "Anthropologists often assume behaviors on the basis of morphological traits, but these traits can take a long time -- a half-million years or more--to appear in the fossil record," Dominy says. -- "But these chemical signatures are an unmistakable remnant of grass-eating that is independent of morphology," he says. "They show a significant lag between this novel feeding behavior and the need for longer molar teeth to meet the physical challenge of chewing and digesting tough plant tissues." -- The team analyzed the teeth of various hominin species, beginning with the distant human relative Australopithecus afarensis, to track how the consumption of different parts of graminoids progressed over millennia. For comparison, they also analyzed the fossilized teeth of two extinct primate species that lived around the same time -- giant terrestrial baboon-like monkeys called theropiths and small leaf-eating monkeys called colobines. | 210 |
| Scientists Just Solved The 9-Million-Year Mystery Of Where Potatoes Came From | Potato Origins Uncovered: A 9-Million-Year-Old Hybridization Mystery Solved | Ancient hybridization underlies tuberization and radiation of the potato lineage. | Cell Press | Scientists have traced the origins of the modern potato to an ancient hybridization event between tomato-like plants and potato relatives in South America about 9 million years ago. This discovery sheds light on how such interbreeding can lead to the development of new species with advantageous traits, specifically the tuber adaptation for survival. | The Ancient Hybrid That Created PotatoesPotatoes owe their existence to a surprising ancient hybrid between tomato and potato-like plants. Credit: Shutterstock -- An international research team has uncovered that natural interbreeding in the wild between tomato plants and potato-like species from South America about 9 million years ago gave rise to the modern-day potato. -- In a study publishing in the Cell Press journal Cell, researchers suggest this ancient evolutionary event triggered the formation of the tuber, the enlarged underground structure that stores nutrients found in plants like potatoes, yams, and taros. -- "Our findings show how a hybridization event between species can spark the evolution of new traits, allowing even more species to emerge," says corresponding author Sanwen Huang of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China. "We've finally solved the mystery of where potatoes came from." -- As one of the world's most important crops, the potato's origin had long puzzled scientists. In appearance, modern potato plants are almost identical to three potato-like species from Chile called Etuberosum. But these plants do not carry tubers. Based on phylogenetic analysis, potato plants are more closely related to tomatoes. -- To solve this contradiction, the research team analyzed 450 genomes from cultivated potatoes and 56 of the wild potato species. -- "Wild potatoes are very difficult to sample, so this dataset represents the most comprehensive collection of wild potato genomic data ever analyzed," says the paper's first author Zhiyang Zhang of the Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. -- They found that every potato species contained a stable, balanced mix of genetic material from both Etuberosum and tomato plants, suggesting that potatoes originated from an ancient hybridization between the two. -- While Etuberosum and tomatoes are distinct species, they shared a common ancestor about 14 million years ago. Even after diverging for about 5 million years, they were able to interbreed and gave rise to the earliest potato plants with tubers around 9 million years ago. -- The team also traced the origins of the potato's key tuber-forming genes, which are a combination of genetic material from each parent. They found the SP6A gene, which acts like a master switch that tells the plant when to start making tubers, came from the tomato side of the family. Another important gene called IT1, which helps control growth of the underground stems that form tubers, came from the Etuberosum side. Without either piece, the hybrid offspring would be incapable of producing tubers. | 211 |
| Underground Life On Mars? Cosmic Rays Could Make It Possible | Could Life Exist Underground? Cosmic Rays Might Hold The Key On Mars | Estimating the potential of ionizing radiation-induced radiolysis for microbial metabolism on terrestrial planets and satellites with rarefied atmospheres. | New York University | New research suggests that cosmic rays may provide necessary energy for life to exist underground on Mars and icy moons, contradicting previous beliefs that life requires sunlight. The study highlights how radiolysis, the interaction of cosmic rays with water or ice, can create conditions favorable for microbial life in these extreme environments. | Underground Life on Mars?High-energy space particles may fuel life in cold, dark places by releasing energy underground, pointing to the possibility of life on Mars or moons like Enceladus. Credit: Dimitra Atri, EMM/EXI/NYUAD/CASS -- A new study from NYU Abu Dhabi has found that high-energy particles from space, known as cosmic rays, could create the energy needed to support life underground on planets and moons in our solar system. -- The research shows that cosmic rays may not only be harmless in certain environments but could actually help microscopic life survive. These findings challenge the traditional view that life can only exist near sunlight or volcanic heat. Published in the International Journal of Astrobiology, the study is led by the Principal Investigator of the Space Exploration Laboratory at NYUAD's Center for Astrophysics and Space Science (CASS), Dimitra Atri. -- The team focused on what happens when cosmic rays hit water or ice underground. The impact breaks water molecules apart and releases tiny particles called electrons. Some bacteria on Earth can use these electrons for energy, similar to how plants use sunlight. This process is called radiolysis, and it can power life even in dark, cold environments with no sunlight. -- Using computer simulations, the researchers studied how much energy this process could produce on Mars and on the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. These moons, which are covered in thick layers of ice, are believed to have water hidden below their surfaces. The study found that Saturn's icy moon Enceladus had the most potential to support life in this way, followed by Mars, and then Jupiter's moon Europa. -- "This discovery changes the way we think about where life might exist," said Atri. "Instead of looking only for warm planets with sunlight, we can now consider places that are cold and dark, as long as they have some water beneath the surface and are exposed to cosmic rays. Life might be able to survive in more places than we ever imagined." -- The study introduces a new idea called the Radiolytic Habitable Zone. Unlike the traditional "Goldilocks Zone" -- the area around a star where a planet could have liquid water on its surface -- this new zone focuses on places where water exists underground and can be energized by cosmic radiation. Since cosmic rays are found throughout space, this could mean there are many more places in the universe where life could exist. -- The findings provide new guidance for future space missions. Instead of only looking for signs of life on the surface, scientists might also explore underground environments on Mars and the icy moons, using tools that can detect chemical energy created by cosmic radiation. -- This research opens up exciting new possibilities in the search for life beyond Earth and suggests that even the darkest, coldest places in the solar system could have the right conditions for life to survive. | 212 |
| Scientists Unveil Bioplastic That Degrades At Room Temperature, And Outperforms Petroplastics | Eco-Friendly Innovation: New Bioplastic Degrades At Room Temperature, Outperforming Traditional Plastics | Biomimetic layered, ecological, advanced, multi-functional film for sustainable packaging. | Washington University in St. Louis | Washington University scientists have developed a revolutionary new bioplastic inspired by the structure of leaves, enhancing strength and biodegradability. This innovative material represents a significant step forward in addressing plastic pollution, as it decomposes at room temperature and offers versatile applications in sustainable packaging. | New Bioplastic Degrades at Room TemperatureA new leaf-inspired bioplastic solves major problems with current bioplastics—making them stronger, more functional, and able to biodegrade at room temperature. Credit: Shutterstock -- Society has long struggled with petroleum-derived plastic pollution, and awareness of microplastics' detrimental effects on food and water supplies adds further pressure. -- In response, researchers have been developing biodegradable versions of traditional plastics, or "bioplastics." However, current bioplastics face challenges as well: Current versions are not as strong as petrochemical-based plastics and they only degrade through a high-temperature composting system. -- Enter researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, who have solved both problems with inspiration from the humble leaf. Long before plastic, humans wrapped their food in leaves, which easily biodegrade due to an underlying structure of cellulose-rich cell walls. WashU's chemical engineers decided to introduce cellulose nanofibers to the design of bioplastics. -- "We created this multilayer structure where cellulose is in the middle and the bioplastics are on two sides," said Joshua Yuan, the Lucy and Stanley Lopata Professor and chair of energy, environmental and chemical engineering at the McKelvey School of Engineering. Yuan is also director for the National Science Foundation-funded Carbon Utilization Redesign for Biomanufacturing (CURB) Engineering Research Center. "In this way, we created a material that is very strong and that offers multifunctionality," he added. -- The technology emerged from working with two of the highest production bioplastics today. In a study published in Green Chemistry earlier this year, Yuan and colleagues used a variation of their leaf-inspired cellulose nanofiber structure to improve the strength and biodegradability of polyhydroxybutrate (PHB), a starch-derived plastic; they further refined their technique for polylactic acid (PLA), as detailed in a new paper just published in Nature Communications. -- The plastic packaging market is a $23.5 billion industry dominated by polyethylene and polypropylene, polymers made from petroleum that break down into harmful microplastics. The researchers' optimized bioplastic, called Layered, Ecological, Advanced and multi-Functional Film (LEAFF), turned PLA into a packaging material that is biodegradable at room temperature. Additionally, the structure allows for other critical properties, such as low air or water permeability, helping keep food stable, and a surface that is printable. This improves bioplastics' affordability since it saves manufacturers from printing separate labels for packaging. -- "On top of all of this, the LEAFF's underlying cellulose structure gives it a higher tensile strength than even petrochemical plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene," explained Puneet Dhatt, a PhD student in Yuan's lab and first author on the article. -- The innovation was in adding that cellulosic structure that WashU's engineers replicated, cellulose fibrils embedded within the bioplastics. -- "This unique biomimicking design allows us to address the limitations of bioplastic usage and overcome that technical barrier and allow for broader bioplastic utilization," Yuan said. | 213 |
| Crushing Vs. Slashing: New Skull Scans Reveal How Giant Dinosaurs Killed | Dinosaur Diversity: Revealing Different Hunting Strategies Among Giant Carnivores | Carnivorous dinosaur lineages adopt different skull performances at gigantic size. | Cell Press | A recent analysis of carnivorous dinosaur skulls reveals diverse feeding strategies among giant species, showing that while T. rex was built for brutal biting, others like spinosaurs and allosaurs specialized in slashing flesh. This evolutionary diversity allowed these predators to coexist with minimal competition, revealing the complexity of prehistoric ecological dynamics. | Skull Scans Reveal How Giant Dinosaurs KilledNot all giant dinosaurs bit with brute force — some preferred finesse. While T. rex had a skull built for powerful, crushing bites, other predators like Giganotosaurus evolved weaker but more specialized skulls for slicing through prey. Evolution carved out different roles for these carnivores, allowing them to coexist with minimal competition. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new analysis of the bite strength of 18 species of carnivorous dinosaurs shows that while the Tyrannasaurus rex skull was optimized for quick, strong bites like a crocodile, other giant, predatory dinosaurs that walked on two legs -- including spinosaurs and allosaurs -- had much weaker bites and instead specialized in slashing and ripping flesh. Reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on August 4, these findings demonstrate that meat-eating dinosaurs followed different evolutionary paths in terms of skull design and feeding style despite their similarly gigantic sizes. -- "Carnivorous dinosaurs took very different paths as they evolved into giants in terms of feeding biomechanics and possible behaviors," said Andrew Rowe of the University of Bristol, UK. -- "Tyrannosaurs evolved skulls built for strength and crushing bites, while other lineages had comparatively weaker but more specialized skulls, suggesting a diversity of feeding strategies even at massive sizes. In other words, there wasn't one 'best' skull design for being a predatory giant; several designs functioned perfectly well." -- Rowe has always been fascinated by big carnivorous dinosaurs, and he considers them interesting subjects for exploring basic questions in organismal biology. In this study, he and co-author Emily Rayfield wanted to know how bipedalism -- or walking on two legs -- influenced skull biomechanics and feeding techniques. -- It was previously known that despite reaching similar sizes, predatory dinosaurs evolved in very different parts of the world at different times and had very different skull shapes. For Rowe and Rayfield, those facts raised questions about whether their skulls were functionally similar under the surface or if there were notable differences in their predatory lifestyles. As there are no massive, bipedal carnivores alive today -- ever since the end-Cretaceous mass extinction event -- the authors note that studying these animals offers intriguing insights into a way of life which has since disappeared. -- To examine the relationship between body size and skull biomechanics, the authors used 3D technologies including CT scans and surface scans analyze the skull mechanics, quantify the feeding performance, and measure the bite strength across 18 species of therapod, a group of carnivorous dinosaurs ranging from small to giant. While they expected some differences between species, they were surprised when their analyses showed clear biomechanical divergence. -- "Tyrannosaurids like T. rex had skulls that were optimized for high bite forces at the cost of higher skull stress," Rowe says. "But in some other giants, like Giganotosaurus, we calculated stress patterns suggesting a relatively lighter bite. It drove home how evolution can produce multiple 'solutions' to life as a large, carnivorous biped." -- Skull stress didn't show a pattern of increase with size. Some smaller therapods experienced greater stress than some larger species due to increased muscle volume and bite forces. The findings show that being a predatory biped didn't always equate to being a bone-crushing giant. Unlike T. rex, some dinosaurs, including the spinosaurs and allosaurs, became giants while maintaining weaker bites more suited for slashing at prey and stripping flesh. -- "I tend to compare Allosaurus to a modern Komodo dragon in terms of feeding style," Rowe says. "Large tyrannosaur skulls were instead optimized like modern crocodiles with high bite forces that crushed prey. This biomechanical diversity suggests that dinosaur ecosystems supported a wider range of giant carnivore ecologies than we often assume, with less competition and more specialization." | 214 |
| Scientists Just Cracked The Code To Editing Entire Chromosomes Flawlessly | Revolutionary Gene Editing: New Tools Allow Precise Modifications Without Leaving Traces | Iterative recombinase technologies for efficient and precise genome engineering across kilobase to megabase scales. | Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters | Researchers in China have developed advanced genome editing technologies capable of precise modifications to large DNA segments without leaving traces. This innovation addresses limitations of previous methods, allowing for significant genetic changes in plants and animals and demonstrating the potential for practical applications in agriculture, such as creating herbicide-resistant rice. | Editing Entire Chromosomes FlawlesslyIterative Recombinase Technologies Mediated Precision Chromosome Engineering. Credit: IGDB -- A team of Chinese researchers led by Prof. GAO Caixia from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed two new genome editing technologies, known collectively as Programmable Chromosome Engineering (PCE) systems. -- The study, published online in Cell on August 4, achieves multiple types of precise DNA manipulations ranging from kilobase to megabase scale in higher organisms, especially plants. -- Extensive research has demonstrated the immense potential of the site-specific recombinase Cre-Lox system for precise chromosomal manipulation. However, its broader application has been hindered by three critical limitations: -- 1. Reversible recombination reactions -- stemming from the inherent symmetry of Lox sites -- can negate desired edits. -- 2. The tetrameric nature of Cre recombinase complicates engineering efforts, hindering activity optimization. -- 3. Residual Lox sites after recombination may compromise editing precision. -- The research team addressed each of these challenges and developed novel methods to advance the state of this technology. First, they built a high-throughput platform for rapid recombination site modification and proposed an asymmetric Lox site design. This led to the development of novel Lox variants that reduce reversible recombination activity by over 10-fold (approaching the background level of negative controls) while retaining high-efficiency forward recombination. -- They then leveraged their recently developed AiCE (AI-informed Constraints for protein Engineering), model -- a protein-directed evolution system integrating general inverse folding models with structural and evolutionary constraints -- to develop AiCErec, a recombinase engineering method. This approach enabled precise optimization of Cre's multimerization interface, yielding an engineered variant with a recombination efficiency 3.5 times that of wild-type Cre. -- Lastly, they designed and refined a scarless editing strategy for recombinases. By harnessing the high editing efficiency of prime editors, they developed Re-pegRNA, a method that uses specifically designed pegRNAs to perform re-prime editing on residual Lox sites, precisely replacing them with the original genomic sequence, thereby ensuring seamless genome modifications. | 215 |
| Woodpeckers Thrive Where Missiles Fly. How A Bombing Range Became A Wildlife Refuge | Conservation Success Story: How A Bombing Range Became A Wildlife Sanctuary | Translocations contribute to population rescue in an imperiled woodpecker. | Michigan State University | A surprising conservation success story comes from a U.S. Air Force bombing range in Florida, which has become a sanctuary for endangered species like the red-cockaded woodpecker. Researchers from Michigan State University have documented how innovative strategies and long-term commitment can lead to thriving wildlife populations, offering a model for future conservation efforts. | Woodpeckers Thrive Where Missiles FlyAlex Lewanski releases a banded red-cockaded woodpecker. Bird banding allows researchers to track and monitor individuals, helping create a detailed population record over years or decades. Credit: Greg Thompson -- Florida's Avon Park bombing range is teeming with life. Over 40 at-risk species occupy this 106,000-acre expanse used by the U.S. Air Force for training exercises. -- Conservation biologists from Michigan State University are using the range to test something other than weapons: innovative strategies to save threatened species. -- Using decades' worth of monitoring data, researchers are looking back through time to understand the outcome of interventions designed to rescue a population of imperiled red-cockaded woodpeckers. -- What they've found is a promising story of success. -- Their results, published in a special edition of (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), demonstrate the potential for translocations -- the practice of moving individuals from donor populations to isolated, at-risk ones -- to reverse long-term population decline in endangered species. It's the latest study from MSU's Fitzpatrick Lab to analyze how translocation efforts can help restore connectivity between isolated populations and bring dwindling species back from the brink. -- These findings emphasize how effective the careful introduction of new individuals can be in the short-term and in the years and decades ahead -- presenting a potential boon for threatened and endangered species. -- When used in concert with land protection and management strategies such as controlled burns, interventions at the individual level can help dwindling communities recover. -- Red-cockaded woodpeckers, once abundant from the American South to the Eastern seaboard, have disappeared alongside their pine savannah habitat, now confined to small, disconnected pockets covering only three percent of their historic range. -- The overdevelopment of these ecosystems has placed hundreds of species -- including the red-cockaded woodpecker -- at risk of disappearing entirely. | 216 |
| New “Evolution Engine” Creates Super-Proteins 100,000x Faster | Accelerating Discovery: New Platform Speeds Up Protein Evolution For Better Therapies | An orthogonal T7 replisome for continuous hypermutation and accelerated evolution in E. coli. | Scripps Research Institute | Scripps Research has developed a groundbreaking platform called T7-ORACLE that enhances the speed and scalability of protein evolution. This innovative tool enables scientists to design and optimize proteins at an accelerated pace, allowing for significant advancements in therapeutic development across various diseases, including cancer. By employing engineered bacteria and a modified viral system, researchers can produce new protein variations within days, potentially transforming the landscape of medicine and diagnostics. | The 100,000x “Evolution Engine”Scientists have built a rapid-evolution “engine” that can create new and improved proteins in just days, with huge potential for medicine. Credit: Shutterstock -- In medicine and biotechnology, the ability to evolve proteins with new or improved functions is crucial, but current methods are often slow and laborious. Now, Scripps Research scientists have developed a synthetic biology platform that accelerates evolution itself -- enabling researchers to evolve proteins with useful, new properties thousands of times faster than nature. The system, named T7-ORACLE, was described in Science on August 7, 2025, and represents a breakthrough in how researchers can engineer therapeutic proteins for cancer, neurodegeneration and essentially any other disease area. -- "This is like giving evolution a fast-forward button," says co-senior author Pete Schultz, the President and CEO of Scripps Research, where he also holds the L.S. "Sam" Skaggs Presidential Chair. "You can now evolve proteins continuously and precisely inside cells without damaging the cell's genome or requiring labor-intensive steps." -- Directed evolution is a laboratory process that involves introducing mutations and selecting variants with improved function over multiple cycles. It's used to tailor proteins with desired properties, such as highly selective, high-affinity antibodies, enzymes with new specificities or catalytic properties, or to investigate the emergence of resistance mutations in drug targets. However, traditional methods often require repeated rounds of DNA manipulation and testing with each round taking a week or more. Systems for continuous evolution -- where proteins evolve inside living cells without manual intervention -- aim to streamline this process by enabling simultaneous mutation and selection with each round of cell division (roughly 20 minutes for bacteria). But existing approaches have been limited by technical complexity or modest mutation rates. -- T7-ORACLE circumvents these bottlenecks by engineering E. coli bacteria -- a standard model organism in molecular biology -- to host a second, artificial DNA replication system derived from bacteriophage T7, a virus that infects bacteria and has been widely studied for its simple, efficient replication system. T7-ORACLE enables continuous hypermutation and accelerated evolution of biomacromolecules, and is designed to be broadly applicable to many protein targets and biological challenges. Conceptually, T7-ORACLE builds on and extends efforts on existing orthogonal replication systems -- meaning they operate separately from the cell's own machinery -- such as OrthoRep in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast) and EcORep in E. coli. In comparison to these systems, T7-ORACLE benefits from the combination of high mutagenesis, fast growth, high transformation efficiency, and the ease with which both the E. coli host and the circular replicon plasmid can be integrated into standard molecular biology workflows. -- The T-7 ORACLE orthogonal system targets only plasmid DNA (small, circular pieces of genetic material), leaving the cell's host genome untouched. By engineering T7 DNA polymerase (a viral enzyme that replicates DNA) to be error-prone, the researchers introduced mutations into target genes at a rate 100,000 times higher than normal without damaging the host cells. -- "This system represents a major advance in continuous evolution," says co-senior author Christian Diercks, an assistant professor of chemistry at Scripps Research. "Instead of one round of evolution per week, you get a round each time the cell divides -- so it really accelerates the process." -- To demonstrate the power of T7-ORACLE, the research team inserted a common antibiotic resistance gene, TEM-1 β-lactamase, into the system and exposed the E. coli cells to escalating doses of various antibiotics. In less than a week, the system evolved versions of the enzyme that could resist antibiotic levels up to 5,000 times higher than the original. This proof-of-concept demonstrated not only T7-ORACLE's speed and precision, but also its real-world relevance by replicating how resistance develops in response to antibiotics. -- "The surprising part was how closely the mutations we saw matched real-world resistance mutations found in clinical settings," notes Diercks. "In some cases, we saw new combinations that worked even better than those you would see in a clinic." -- But Diercks emphasizes that the study isn't focused on antibiotic resistance per se. | 217 |
| Can Humans Regrow Eyes? These Snails Already Do | Can Snails Teach Us How To Regrow Human Eyes With Their Amazing Abilities | A genetically tractable non-vertebrate system to study complete camera-type eye regeneration. | University of California - Davis | Researchers have uncovered that apple snails possess the remarkable ability to fully regenerate their eyes, raising intriguing questions about their genetic similarities to humans. Led by UC Davis biologist Alice Accorsi, the study mapped the regeneration process and identified key genes, such as pax6, essential for eye development. This research not only enhances our understanding of eye regeneration but may also pave the way for innovative treatments for vision restoration in humans. | Snail Eyes Regrow. Could Ours?The golden apple snail has camera-type eyes that are fundamentally similar to the human eye. Unlike humans, the snail can regenerate a missing or damaged eye. UC Davis biologist Alice Accorsi is studying how the snails accomplish this feat. This knowledge could help us understand eye damage in humans and even lead to new ways to heal or regenerate human eyes. Credit: Alice Accorsi, UC Davis -- Human eyes are complex and irreparable, yet they are structurally like those of the freshwater apple snail, which can completely regenerate its eyes. Alice Accorsi, assistant professor of molecular and cellular biology at the University of California, Davis, studies how these snails regrow their eyes -- with the goal of eventually helping to restore vision in people with eye injuries. -- In a new study published August 6 in Nature Communications, Accorsi shows that apple snail and human eyes share many anatomical and genetic features. -- "Apple snails are an extraordinary organism," said Accorsi. "They provide a unique opportunity to study regeneration of complex sensory organs. Before this, we were missing a system for studying full eye regeneration." -- Her team also developed methods for editing the apple snail's genome, which will allow them to explore the genetic and molecular mechanisms behind eye regeneration. -- A not-so-snail's paced snail -- The golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) is a freshwater snail speciesfrom South America. It's now invasive in many places throughout the rest of the world, but Accorsi said the same traits that make apple snails so invasive also make them a good animal to work with in the lab. -- "Apple snails are resilient, their generation time is very short, and they have a lot of babies," she said. -- In addition to being easy to grow in the lab, apple snails have "camera-type" eyes -- the same type as humans. -- Snails have been known for their regenerative abilities for centuries -- in 1766, a researcher noted that decapitated garden snails can regrow their entire heads. However, Accorsi is the first to leverage this feature in regenerative research. | 218 |
| Scientists Create Mysterious Molecule That Could Spark Life In Space | Scientists Create Life’s Building Blocks With Elusive New Molecule From The Cosmos | Methanetetrol and the final frontier in ortho acids. | University of Mississippi | Scientists have successfully synthesized methanetetrol, a highly unstable compound thought to be vital for the chemical origins of life. This breakthrough, achieved under simulated space conditions, presents methanetetrol as a "prebiotic concentrate," potentially igniting complex chemical reactions necessary for life. This research, led by an international team of astrochemists, marks a significant advancement in our understanding of prebiotic chemistry and the conditions conducive to life beyond Earth. | Scientists Create Molecule That Could Spark LifeMethanetetrol, a wildly unstable yet potentially life-seeding molecule, has finally been created in the lab under simulated space conditions, opening a new chapter in our understanding of prebiotic chemistry. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Researchers have for the first time isolated a compound that could open new doors in understanding the chemistry that supports life in space. -- Ryan Fortenberry, an astrochemist at the University of Mississippi, Ralf Kaiser, professor of chemistry at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, and Alexander M. Mebel, computational chemist at Florida International University, are part of an international team that synthesized methanetetrol for the first time. They published their research on the elusive compound in the journal Nature Communications. -- "This is essentially a prebiotic concentrate -- a seed of life molecule," Fortenberry said. "It's something that can lead to more complex chemistry if given the opportunity. Think of it like an acorn that will grow into a tree in the Grove. -- "The acorn alone cannot make a tree; it requires sunlight and water and lots of other things. But it can be what starts the process." -- Methanetetrol is an ortho acid - an elusive class of compounds that are particularly difficult to isolate and study but are thought to play a key role in early life chemistry. -- To mimic how methanetetrol might form in space, the researchers froze water and carbon dioxide ices to near absolute zero and exposed them to cosmic ray-like radiation. This process allowed them to release the molecule into gas form and identify it using powerful ultraviolet light. -- "The detection of the only alcohol with four hydroxyl groups at the same carbon atom pushes the experimental and detection capabilities to the 'final frontier,' the next level beyond what could be accomplished before due to the lack of experimental and computational approaches," said Kaiser, whose lab has been trying to isolate methanetetrol for more than five years. -- Since methanetetrol has so many oxygen bonds - and because oxygen does not like to bond close to other oxygens - the compound is very unstable, meaning it is likely to break down if it is not kept in the right conditions. -- "You have this compact, carbon-oxygen molecule that just really wants to go 'boom,'" Fortenberry said. "And when it does, when you give it any kind of energy, you'll have water, hydrogen peroxide and a number of other potential compounds that are important for life. | 219 |
| Scientists Just Recreated The Universe’s First Molecule And Solved A 13-Billion-Year-Old Puzzle | Scientists Recreate Universe’s First Molecule, Unveiling Secrets Of Star Birth And Evolution | Experimental confirmation of barrierless reactions between HeH+ and deuterium atoms suggests a lower abundance of the first molecules at very high redshifts. | Max-Planck-Institut fur Kernphysik | In an exciting discovery, researchers have recreated the universe's first molecule, helium hydride, revealing its critical role in the formation of stars. By mimicking ancient cosmic conditions, scientists demonstrated that this molecule significantly contributed to cooling the early universe, facilitating the birth of stars. This groundbreaking research reshapes our understanding of cosmic evolution and the fundamental processes that led to the illumination of the universe. | The Universe’s First Molecule RecreatedReaction scheme and energetic level of the investigated reaction of the helium hydride ion with deuterium. It is a swift and barrierless reaction, contrary to earlier theories. Background: The planetary nebula NGC 7027, with molecular hydrogen visible in red. Credit: Schematic: MPIK; Background Image: W. B. Latter (SIRTF Science Center/Caltech) and NASA -- Immediately after the Big Bang, which occurred around 13.8 billion years ago, the universe was dominated by unimaginably high temperatures and densities. However, after just a few seconds, it had cooled down enough for the first elements to form, primarily hydrogen and helium. These were still completely ionized at this point, as it took almost 380,000 years for the temperature in the universe to drop enough for neutral atoms to form through recombination with free electrons. This paved the way for the first chemical reactions. -- The oldest molecule in existence is the helium hydride ion (HeH+), formed from a neutral helium atom and an ionized hydrogen nucleus. This marks the beginning of a chain reaction that leads to the formation of molecular hydrogen (H2), which is by far the most common molecule in the universe. -- Recombination was followed by the 'dark age' of cosmology: although the universe was now transparent due to the binding of free electrons, there were still no light-emitting objects, such as stars. Several hundred million years passed before the first stars formed. -- During this early phase of the universe, however, simple molecules such as HeH⁺ and H2 were essential to the formation of the first stars. In order for the contracting gas cloud of a protostar to collapse to the point where nuclear fusion can begin, heat must be dissipated. This occurs through collisions that excite atoms and molecules, which then emit this energy in the form of photons. Below approximately 10,000 degrees Celsius, however, this process becomes ineffective for the dominant hydrogen atoms. Further cooling can only take place via molecules that can emit additional energy through rotation and vibration. Due to its pronounced dipole moment, the HeH⁺ ion is particularly effective at these low temperatures and has long been considered a potentially important candidate for cooling in the formation of the first stars. Consequently, the concentration of helium hydride ions in the universe may significantly impact the effectiveness of early star formation. -- During this period, collisions with free hydrogen atoms were a major degradation pathway for HeH⁺, forming a neutral helium atom and an H2⁺ ion. These subsequently reacted with another H atom to form a neutral H2 molecule and a proton, leading to the formation of molecular hydrogen. -- Researchers at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik (MPIK) in Heidelberg have now successfully recreated this reaction under conditions similar to those in the early universe for the first time. They investigated the reaction of HeH⁺ with deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen containing an additional neutron in the atomic nucleus alongside a proton. When HeH⁺ reacts with deuterium, an HD⁺ ion is formed instead of H2⁺, alongside the neutral helium atom. -- The experiment was carried out at the Cryogenic Storage Ring (CSR) at the MPIK in Heidelberg — a globally unique instrument for investigating molecular and atomic reactions under space-like conditions. For this purpose, HeH⁺ ions were stored in the 35-metre-diameter ion storage ring for up to 60 seconds at a few kelvins (-267 °C), and were superimposed with a beam of neutral deuterium atoms. By adjusting the relative speeds of the two particle beams, the scientists were able to study how the collision rate varies with collision energy, which is directly related to temperature. -- They found that, contrary to earlier predictions, the rate at which this reaction proceeds does not slow down with decreasing temperature, but remains almost constant. “Previous theories predicted a significant decrease in the reaction probability at low temperatures, but we were unable to verify this in either the experiment or new theoretical calculations by our colleagues,” explains Dr Holger Kreckel from the MPIK. ‘The reactions of HeH⁺ with neutral hydrogen and deuterium therefore appear to have been far more important for chemistry in the early universe than previously assumed,’ he continues. This observation is consistent with the findings of a group of theoretical physicists led by Yohann Scribano, who identified an error in the calculation of the potential surface used in all previous calculations for this reaction. The new calculations using the improved potential surface now align closely with the CSR experiment. -- Since the concentrations of molecules such as HeH⁺ and molecular hydrogen (H2 or HD) played an important role in the formation of the first stars, this result brings us closer to solving the mystery of their formation. | 220 |
| Underground Life On Mars? Cosmic Rays Could Make It Possible | Cosmic Rays May Enable Underground Life On Mars And Icy Moons Without Sunlight | Ancient hybridization underlies tuberization and radiation of the potato lineage. | New York University | A new study suggests that cosmic rays from deep space may serve as a vital energy source for potential life beneath Mars and icy moons like Europa and Enceladus. Researchers found that when these rays interact with subterranean water or ice, they release energy-carrying electrons, potentially fueling microbial life. This challenges previous assumptions that life requires sunlight, indicating that it may thrive in dark, cold environments throughout the solar system. | Underground Life on Mars?High-energy space particles may fuel life in cold, dark places by releasing energy underground, pointing to the possibility of life on Mars or moons like Enceladus. Credit: Dimitra Atri, EMM/EXI/NYUAD/CASS -- A new study from NYU Abu Dhabi has found that high-energy particles from space, known as cosmic rays, could create the energy needed to support life underground on planets and moons in our solar system. -- The research shows that cosmic rays may not only be harmless in certain environments but could actually help microscopic life survive. These findings challenge the traditional view that life can only exist near sunlight or volcanic heat. Published in the International Journal of Astrobiology, the study is led by the Principal Investigator of the Space Exploration Laboratory at NYUAD's Center for Astrophysics and Space Science (CASS), Dimitra Atri. -- The team focused on what happens when cosmic rays hit water or ice underground. The impact breaks water molecules apart and releases tiny particles called electrons. Some bacteria on Earth can use these electrons for energy, similar to how plants use sunlight. This process is called radiolysis, and it can power life even in dark, cold environments with no sunlight. -- Using computer simulations, the researchers studied how much energy this process could produce on Mars and on the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. These moons, which are covered in thick layers of ice, are believed to have water hidden below their surfaces. The study found that Saturn's icy moon Enceladus had the most potential to support life in this way, followed by Mars, and then Jupiter's moon Europa. -- "This discovery changes the way we think about where life might exist," said Atri. "Instead of looking only for warm planets with sunlight, we can now consider places that are cold and dark, as long as they have some water beneath the surface and are exposed to cosmic rays. Life might be able to survive in more places than we ever imagined." -- The study introduces a new idea called the Radiolytic Habitable Zone. Unlike the traditional "Goldilocks Zone" -- the area around a star where a planet could have liquid water on its surface -- this new zone focuses on places where water exists underground and can be energized by cosmic radiation. Since cosmic rays are found throughout space, this could mean there are many more places in the universe where life could exist. -- The findings provide new guidance for future space missions. Instead of only looking for signs of life on the surface, scientists might also explore underground environments on Mars and the icy moons, using tools that can detect chemical energy created by cosmic radiation. -- This research opens up exciting new possibilities in the search for life beyond Earth and suggests that even the darkest, coldest places in the solar system could have the right conditions for life to survive. | 221 |
| Scientists Finally Solve The Mystery Of What Triggers Lightning | Researchers Finally Reveal How Lightning Forms Inside Thunderclouds With Groundbreaking Discoveries | Photoelectric Effect in Air Explains Lightning Initiation and Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flashes. | Penn State | A Penn State team has solved the long-standing mystery of how lightning initiates within thunderclouds, revealing the chain reaction that triggers this dramatic phenomenon. Their research identifies how strong electric fields accelerate electrons, producing X-rays and a cascade of additional electrons, ultimately resulting in lightning. This groundbreaking understanding connects various atmospheric physics concepts and offers insight into the complex processes at work within our storms. | What Triggers Lightning?In this artist's impression, a high-altitude NASA spy plane carries instrumentation to record purple-colored terrestrial gamma-ray flashes in thunderclouds. Credit: NASA/ALOFT team -- Though scientists have long understood how lightning strikes, the precise atmospheric events that trigger it within thunderclouds remained a perplexing mystery. The mystery may be solved, thanks to a team of researchers led by Victor Pasko, professor of electrical engineering in the Penn State School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, that has revealed the powerful chain reaction that triggers lightning. -- In the study published on July 28 in the Journal of Geophysical Research, the authors described how they determined strong electric fields in thunderclouds accelerate electrons that crash into molecules like nitrogen and oxygen, producing X-rays and initiating a deluge of additional electrons and high-energy photons -- the perfect storm from which lightning bolts are born. -- "Our findings provide the first precise, quantitative explanation for how lightning initiates in nature," Pasko said. "It connects the dots between X-rays, electric fields and the physics of electron avalanches." -- The team used mathematical modeling to confirm and explain field observations of photoelectric phenomena in Earth's atmosphere -- when relativistic energy electrons, which are seeded by cosmic rays entering the atmosphere from outer space, multiply in thunderstorm electric fields and emit brief high-energy photon bursts. This phenomenon, known as a terrestrial gamma-ray flash, comprises the invisible, naturally occurring bursts of X-rays and accompanying radio emissions. -- "By simulating conditions with our model that replicated the conditions observed in the field, we offered a complete explanation for the X-rays and radio emissions that are present within thunderclouds," Pasko said. "We demonstrated how electrons, accelerated by strong electric fields in thunderclouds, produce X-rays as they collide with air molecules like nitrogen and oxygen, and create an avalanche of electrons that produce high-energy photons that initiate lightning." -- Zaid Pervez, a doctoral student in electrical engineering, used the model to match field observations -- collected by other research groups using ground-based sensors, satellites and high-altitude spy planes -- to the conditions in the simulated thunderclouds. -- "We explained how photoelectric events occur, what conditions need to be in thunderclouds to initiate the cascade of electrons, and what is causing the wide variety of radio signals that we observe in clouds all prior to a lightning strike," Pervez said. "To confirm our explanation on lightning initiation, I compared our results to previous modeling, observation studies and my own work on a type of lightning called compact intercloud discharges, which usually occur in small, localized regions in thunderclouds." -- Published by Pasko and his collaborators in 2023, the model, Photoelectric Feedback Discharge, simulates physical conditions in which a lightning bolt is likely to originate. The equations used to create the model are available in the paper for other researchers to use in their own work. -- In addition to uncovering lightning initiation, the researchers explained why terrestrial gamma-ray flashes are often produced without flashes of light and radio bursts, which are familiar signatures of lightning during stormy weather. | 222 |
| Einstein Was Wrong: MIT Just Settled A 100-Year Quantum Debate | MIT Physicists Confirm Light’s Dual Nature, Reshaping Our Understanding Of Quantum Mechanics | Coherent and Incoherent Light Scattering by Single-Atom Wave Packets. | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MIT physicists have shed light on the elusive wave-particle duality of light through a recreation of the famous double-slit experiment. Their findings demonstrate that light exhibits both wave and particle properties, but these characteristics cannot be observed simultaneously. This research not only confirms quantum mechanics predictions but also challenges earlier theories by showcasing the complexity of light's behavior at the atomic level. | MIT Just Settled a 100-Year Quantum DebateSchematic of the MIT experiment: Two single atoms floating in a vacuum chamber are illuminated by a laser beam and act as the two slits. The interference of the scattered light is recorded with a highly sensitive camera depicted as a screen. Incoherent light appears as background and implies that the photon has acted as a particle passing only through one slit. Credit: Courtesy of the researchers -- MIT physicists have performed an idealized version of one of the most famous experiments in quantum physics. Their findings demonstrate, with atomic-level precision, the dual yet evasive nature of light. They also happen to confirm that Albert Einstein was wrong about this particular quantum scenario. -- The experiment in question is the double-slit experiment, which was first performed in 1801 by the British scholar Thomas Young to show how light behaves as a wave. Today, with the formulation of quantum mechanics, the double-slit experiment is now known for its surprisingly simple demonstration of a head-scratching reality: that light exists as both a particle and a wave. Stranger still, this duality cannot be simultaneously observed. Seeing light in the form of particles instantly obscures its wave-like nature, and vice versa. -- The original experiment involved shining a beam of light through two parallel slits in a screen and observing the pattern that formed on a second, faraway screen. One might expect to see two overlapping spots of light, which would imply that light exists as particles, a.k.a. photons, like paintballs that follow a direct path. But instead, the light produces alternating bright and dark stripes on the screen, in an interference pattern similar to what happens when two ripples in a pond meet. This suggests light behaves as a wave. Even weirder, when one tries to measure which slit the light is traveling through, the light suddenly behaves as particles and the interference pattern disappears. -- The double-slit experiment is taught today in most high school physics classes as a simple way to illustrate the fundamental principle of quantum mechanics: that all physical objects, including light, are simultaneously particles and waves. -- Nearly a century ago, the experiment was at the center of a friendly debate between physicists Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr. In 1927, Einstein argued that a photon particle should pass through just one of the two slits and in the process generate a slight force on that slit, like a bird rustling a leaf as it flies by. He proposed that one could detect such a force while also observing an interference pattern, thereby catching light's particle and wave nature at the same time. In response, Bohr applied the quantum mechanical uncertainty principle and showed that the detection of the photon's path would wash out the interference pattern. -- Scientists have since carried out multiple versions of the double-slit experiment, and they have all, to various degrees, confirmed the validity of the quantum theory formulated by Bohr. Now, MIT physicists have performed the most "idealized" version of the double-slit experiment to date. Their version strips down the experiment to its quantum essentials. They used individual atoms as slits, and used weak beams of light so that each atom scattered at most one photon. By preparing the atoms in different quantum states, they were able to modify what information the atoms obtained about the path of the photons. The researchers thus confirmed the predictions of quantum theory: The more information was obtained about the path (i.e. the particle nature) of light, the lower the visibility of the interference pattern was. -- They demonstrated what Einstein got wrong. Whenever an atom is "rustled" by a passing photon, the wave interference is diminished. -- "Einstein and Bohr would have never thought that this is possible, to perform such an experiment with single atoms and single photons," says Wolfgang Ketterle, the John D. MacArthur Professor of Physics and leader of the MIT team. "What we have done is an idealized Gedanken experiment." -- Their results appear in the journal Physical Review Letters. Ketterle's MIT co-authors include first author Vitaly Fedoseev, Hanzhen Lin, Yu-Kun Lu, Yoo Kyung Lee, and Jiahao Lyu, who all are affiliated with MIT's Department of Physics, the Research Laboratory of Electronics, and the MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms. | 223 |
| Astronomers Detect Life’s Building Blocks Around A Young Star | Astronomers Discover Complex Organic Molecules In Space, Hinting At Life's Widespread Potential | A Deep Search for Ethylene Glycol and Glycolonitrile in the V883 Ori Protoplanetary Disk. | Max Planck Institute for Astronomy | Astronomers using ALMA have made a significant discovery of complex organic molecules in the protoplanetary disc of a young star, V883 Orionis. These molecules, potential precursors to life's building blocks, suggest that the chemistry conducive to life is more prevalent in the universe than previously believed. This finding offers valuable insights into the origins of life and the processes leading to the formation of planets. | Astronomers Detect Life’s Building BlocksThis artist’s impression shows the planet-forming disc around the star V883 Orionis. In the outermost part of the disc, volatile gases are frozen out as ice, which contains complex organic molecules. An outburst of energy from the star heats the inner disc to a temperature that evaporates the ice and releases the complex molecules, enabling astronomers to detect it. The inset image shows the chemical structure of complex organic molecules detected and presumed in the protoplanetary disc (from left to right): propionitrile (ethyl cyanide), glycolonitrile, alanine, glycine, ethylene glycol, and acetonitrile (methyl cyanide). Credit: ESO/L. Calçada/T. Müller (MPIA/HdA) -- Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a team of astronomers led by Abubakar Fadul from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) has discovered complex organic molecules - including the first tentative detection of ethylene glycol and glycolonitrile - in the protoplanetary disc of the outbursting protostar V883 Orionis. These compounds are considered precursors to the building blocks of life. Comparing different cosmic environments reveals that the abundance and complexity of such molecules increase from star-forming regions to fully evolved planetary systems. This suggests that the seeds of life are assembled in space and are widespread. The findings were published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters today. -- Astronomers have discovered complex organic molecules (COMs) in various locations associated with planet and star formation before. COMs are molecules with more than five atoms, at least one of which is carbon. Many of them are considered building blocks of life, such as amino acids and nucleic acids or their precursors. The discovery of 17 COMs in the protoplanetary disc of V883 Orionis, including ethylene glycol and glycolonitrile, provides a long-sought puzzle piece in the evolution of such molecules between the stages preceding and following the formation of stars and their planet-forming discs. Glycolonitrile is a precursor of the amino acids glycine and alanine, as well as the nucleobase adenine. -- The assembly of prebiotic molecules begins in interstellar space -- "Our finding points to a straight line of chemical enrichment and increasing complexity between interstellar clouds and fully evolved planetary systems," said Abubakar Fadul, MPIA -- The transition from a cold protostar to a young star surrounded by a disc of dust and gas is accompanied by a violent phase of shocked gas, intense radiation and rapid gas ejection. -- Such energetic processes might destroy most of the complex chemistry assembled during the previous stages. Therefore, scientists had laid out a so-called 'reset' scenario, in which most of the chemical compounds required to evolve into life would have to be reproduced in circumstellar discs while forming comets, asteroids, and planets. -- "Now it appears the opposite is true," MPIA scientist and co-author Kamber Schwarz points out. "Our results suggest that protoplanetary discs inherit complex molecules from earlier stages, and the formation of complex molecules can continue during the protoplanetary disc stage." Indeed, the period between the energetic protostellar phase and the establishment of a protoplanetary disk would, on its own, be too short for COMs to form in detectable amounts. -- As a result, the conditions that predefine biological processes may be widespread rather than being restricted to individual planetary systems. -- Astronomers have found the simplest organic molecules, such as methanol, in dense regions of dust and gas that predate the formation of stars. Under favourable conditions, they may even contain complex compounds comprising ethylene glycol, one of the species now discovered in V883 Orionis. "We recently found ethylene glycol could form by UV irradiation of ethanolamine, a molecule that was recently discovered in space," adds Tushar Suhasaria, a co-author and the head of MPIA's Origins of Life Lab. "This finding supports the idea that ethylene glycol could form in those environments but also in later stages of molecular evolution, where UV irradiation is dominant." | 224 |
| AI Cracks A Meteorite’s Secret: A Material That Defies Heat | AI Unveils Meteorite's Bizarre Mineral That Defies Conventional Heat Flow Principles | Temperature-invariant crystal–glass heat conduction: From meteorites to refractories. | Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science | Researchers have uncovered a rare mineral from a 1724 meteorite that exhibits unusual thermal properties, behaving like both a crystal and a glass. This discovery, aided by AI and quantum physics, reveals its ability to maintain constant thermal conductivity, which could have profound implications for materials science and heat management in technology. Understanding this mineral may pave the way for innovations in various industrial applications. | AI Unlocks Meteorite’s Thermal SuperpowerScientists confirmed a space mineral with "hybrid" thermal properties that doesn't follow typical heat-flow rules. The find could transform materials science and help cut carbon emissions in steel production. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Crystals and glasses have opposite heat-conduction properties, which play a pivotal role in a variety of technologies. These range from the miniaturization and efficiency of electronic devices to waste-heat recovery systems, as well as the lifespan of thermal shields for aerospace applications. -- The problem of optimizing the performance and durability of materials used in these different applications essentially boils down to fundamentally understanding how their chemical composition and atomic structure (e.g., crystalline, glassy, nanostructured) determine their capability to conduct heat. Michele Simoncelli, assistant professor of applied physics and applied mathematics at Columbia Engineering, tackles this problem from first principles -- i.e., in Aristotle's words, in terms of "the first basis from which a thing is known" -- starting from the fundamental equations of quantum mechanics and leveraging machine-learning techniques to solve them with quantitative accuracy. -- In research published on July 11 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Simoncelli and his collaborators Nicola Marzari from the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne and Francesco Mauri from Sapienza University of Rome predicted the existence of a material with hybrid crystal-glass thermal properties, and a team of experimentalists led by Etienne Balan, Daniele Fournier, and Massimiliano Marangolo from the Sorbonne University in Paris confirmed it with measurements. -- The first of its kind, this material was discovered in meteorites and has also been identified on Mars. The fundamental physics driving this behavior could advance our understanding and design of materials that manage heat under extreme temperature differences -- and, more broadly, provide insight into the thermal history of planets. -- A unified theory of thermal transport in atomically ordered crystals and disordered glasses -- Thermal conduction depends on whether a material is crystalline, with an ordered lattice of atoms, or glassy, with a disordered, amorphous structure, which influences how heat flows at the quantum level-broadly speaking, thermal conduction in crystals typically decreases with increasing temperature, while in glasses it increases upon heating. -- In 2019, Simoncelli, Nicola Marzari, and Francesco Mauri derived a single equation that captures the opposite thermal-conductivity trends observed in crystals and glasses -- and, most importantly, also describes the intermediate behavior of defective or partially disordered materials, such as those used in thermoelectrics for waste-heat recovery, perovskite solar cells, and thermal barrier coatings for heat shields. -- Using this equation, they investigated the relationship between atomic structure and thermal conductivity in materials made from silicon dioxide, one of the main components of sand. They predicted that a particular "tridymite" form of silicon dioxide, described in the 1960s as typical of meteorites, would exhibit the hallmarks of a hybrid crystal-glass material with a thermal conductivity that remains unchanged with temperature. This unusual thermal-transport behavior bears analogies with the invar effect in thermal expansion, for which the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded in 1920. -- That led the team to the experimental groups of Etienne Balan, Daniele Fournier, and Massimiliano Marangolo in France, who obtained special permission from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris to perform experiments on a sample of silica tridymite carved from a meteorite that landed in Steinbach, Germany, in 1724. Their experiments confirmed their predictions: meteoric tridymite has an atomic structure that falls between an orderly crystal and disordered glass, and its thermal conductivity remains essentially constant over the experimentally accessible temperature range of 80 K to 380 K. | 225 |
| Quantum Tunneling Mystery Solved After 100 Years—And It Involves A Surprise Collision | Quantum Tunneling Mystery Solved: Electrons Surprise Scientists By Colliding Mid-Jump | Unveiling Under-the-Barrier Electron Dynamics in Strong Field Tunneling. | Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) | For the first time, scientists have observed electrons performing an unexpected quantum tunneling phenomenon, where they double back and collide with atomic nuclei mid-tunnel. This discovery redefines our understanding of quantum tunneling, a crucial process underlying many physical phenomena, and could enhance future technological advancements. Led by POSTECH and Max Planck physicists, this research opens new avenues for exploring quantum behavior. | Quantum Tunneling Mystery Solved After 100 YearsElectrons don’t just tunnel—they loop back and crash into atomic nuclei in the middle of the process. This unprecedented insight changes what we thought we knew about quantum behavior and could supercharge future tech. Credit: Shutterstock -- Recently, Professor Dong Eon Kim from POSTECH's Department of Physics and Max Planck Korea-POSTECH Initiative and his research team have succeeded in unraveling for the first time the mystery of the 'electron tunneling' process, a core concept in quantum mechanics, and confirmed it through experiments. This study was published in the international journal Physical Review Letters and is attracting attention as a key to unlocking the long-standing mystery of 'electron tunneling,' which has remained unsolved for over 100 years. -- While the idea of teleporting through walls may sound like something out of a movie, such phenomena actually occur in the atomic world. This phenomenon, called 'quantum tunneling,' involves electrons passing through energy barriers (walls) that they seemingly cannot surmount with their energy, as if digging a tunnel through them. -- This phenomenon is the principle by which semiconductors, i. e., core components of smartphones and computers, operate, and is also essential for nuclear fusion, the process that produces light and energy in the sun. However, until now, while some understanding existed about what happens before and after an electron passes through a tunnel, the exact behavior of the electron as it traverses the barrier remained unclear. We know the entrance and exit of the tunnel, but what happens inside has remained a mystery. -- Professor Kim Dong Eon's team, along with Professor C. H. Keitel's team at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany, conducted an experiment using intense laser pulses to induce electron tunneling in atoms. The results revealed a surprising phenomenon: electrons do not simply pass through the barrier but collide again with the atomic nucleus inside the tunnel. The research team named this process 'under-the-barrier recollision' (UBR). Until now, it was believed that electrons could only interact with the nucleus after exiting the tunnel, but this study confirmed for the first time that such interaction can occur inside the tunnel. -- Even more intriguingly, during this process, electrons gain energy inside the barrier and collide again with the nucleus, thereby strengthening what is known as 'Freeman resonance.' This ionization was significantly greater than that observed in previously known ionization processes and was hardly affected by changes in laser intensity. This is a completely new discovery that could not be predicted by existing theories. -- This research is significant as it is the first in the world to elucidate the dynamics of electrons during tunneling. It is expected to provide an important scientific foundation for more precise control of electron behavior and increased efficiency in advanced technologies such as semiconductors, quantum computers, and ultrafast lasers that rely on tunneling. -- Professor Kim Dong Eon stated, "Through this study, we were able to find clues about how electrons behave when they pass through the atomic wall," and added, "Now, we can finally understand tunneling more deeply and control it as we wish." -- Meanwhile, this research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea and the Capacity Development Project of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology. | 226 |
| Ultra-Hot Jupiter In Death Spiral May Reveal How Rocky Worlds Are Born | Extreme Planet On A Death Spiral Offers Insights Into Planetary System Evolution | Orbital Decay of the Ultra-hot Jupiter TOI-2109b: Tidal Constraints and Transit-timing Analysis. | Macquarie University | Astronomers from Macquarie University have tracked the orbital decay of the ultra-hot Jupiter exoplanet TOI-2109b, confirming its rapid approach toward its star. This discovery provides direct evidence of the planet's impending disintegration, offering insights into the dynamics of extreme planetary environments and the evolution of planetary systems. The study highlights the unusual characteristics of this gas giant, which completes an orbit in just 16 hours. | Ultra-Hot Jupiter in Death SpiralCosmic catastrophe: One of three scenarios for TOI-2109b involves the planet accelerating its death spiral until consumed by its star, similar to this illustrated planetary destruction. Credit: Illustration: NASA/CXC/M. Weiss; X-ray spectrum: NASA/CXC/MIT/H. M.Günther -- Macquarie University astronomers have tracked an extreme planet's orbital decay, confirming it is spiralling towards its star in a cosmic death dance that could end in three possible ways. -- The ultra-hot Jupiter exoplanet TOI-2109b, located 870 light-years from Earth, completes an orbit around its star in just 16 hours - making it the closest hot Jupiter ever discovered. -- With a mass nearly five times that of Jupiter and almost twice Jupiter's size, TOI-2109b orbits even closer to its star than Mercury does to our Sun. -- "Just to put it into context - Mercury's mass is almost 6,000 times smaller than Jupiter, but it still takes 88 days to orbit our Sun. For a huge gas giant such as TOI-2109b to fully orbit in 16 hours - it tells us that this is a planet located super-close to its star," says Dr Jaime A. Alvarado-Montes, a Macquarie Research Fellow who led the international study published on July 15 in The Astrophysical Journal. -- By analysing transit timing data from multiple ground-based telescopes, NASA's TESS mission and the European Space Agency's CHEOPS satellite spanning 2010 to 2024, the team detected subtle changes in the planet's orbit. -- Both theoretical models and observations independently calculated that the planet's orbital period would decrease by at least 10 seconds over the next three years - confirming the planet may be spiralling towards its star. -- The researchers identified three possible fates for TOI-2109b: it could be torn apart by tidal forces, plunge directly into its star, or have its gaseous envelope stripped away by intense radiation, leaving only a rocky core. -- "This planet and its interesting situation could help us figure out some mysterious astronomical phenomena that so far we really don't have much evidence to explain," Dr Alvarado-Montes says. "It could tell us the story of many other solar systems." -- The findings suggest some rocky planets in other solar systems might be the stripped cores of former gas giants - a possibility that could reshape our understanding of planetary evolution. | 227 |
| Mysterious Object Found Dancing With Neptune | Mysterious Object Discovered Dancing With Neptune: A Cosmic Rhythm Never Before Seen | LiDO: Discovery of a 10:1 Resonator with a Novel Libration State. | Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian | Astronomers have discovered the rare object 2020 VN40, which orbits the sun once for every ten orbits of Neptune. This intriguing trans-Neptunian object, found by a team from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, challenges existing theories about the dynamics of distant celestial bodies and delivers new insights into the gravitational influences of giant planets like Neptune on the movements of other cosmic objects. | Mysterious Object Found Dancing With NeptuneA team of astronomers led by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian has discovered a rare object far beyond Neptune, from a class known as trans-Neptunian objects, that is moving in rhythm with the giant planet. This image shows the orbits of all of the objects discovered in the Outer Solar System Origins Survey. The orbit of 2020 VN40 is the thickest one, tilted up and to the left from the orbits of most of the objects. The orbits of the giant planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are the white circles. Credit: Rosemary Pike, CfA -- A team of astronomers led by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian has discovered a rare object far beyond Neptune, from a class known as trans-Neptunian objects, that is moving in rhythm with the giant planet. This object, called 2020 VN40, is the first confirmed body that orbits the sun once for every ten orbits Neptune completes. -- This discovery helps scientists understand how objects in the outer solar system behave and how they got there. It supports the idea that many distant objects are temporarily "caught" in Neptune's gravity as they drift through space. -- "This is a big step in understanding the outer solar system," said Rosemary Pike, lead researcher from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. "It shows that even very distant regions influenced by Neptune can contain objects, and it gives us new clues about how the solar system evolved." -- The finding was published this month in The Planetary Science Journal, a publication of the American Astronomical Society. -- The discovery was made by the Large inclination Distant Objects (LiDO) survey, which searched for unusual objects in the outer solar system. This survey used the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope for the main survey operations, and Gemini Observatory and Magellan Baade for additional observations. -- The survey was designed to search for bodies with orbits that extend far above and below the plane of the Earth's orbit around the sun, part of the outer solar system that hasn't been well-studied. -- "It has been fascinating to learn how many small bodies in the solar system exist on these very large, very tilted orbits," said Dr. Samantha Lawler (University of Regina), a core member of the LiDO team. The object's average distance is about 140 times farther from the sun than Earth and follows a very tilted path around the solar system. -- What makes 2020 VN40 even more interesting is how it moves compared to Neptune. Most objects with a simple ratio of the duration of their orbit compared to the duration of Neptune's orbit always come closest to the sun when Neptune is far away. In contrast, 2020 VN40 comes closest to the sun when Neptune is very close by, if you look at their positions from above the solar system. The tilt of 2020 VN40's orbit means that the objects are not actually close, because 2020 VN40 is actually far below the solar system- they only appear close when flattened onto a map. All other known resonant trans-Neptunian objects orbit such that they avoid this alignment at their closest approach to the sun, even in the flattened view. -- "This new motion is like finding a hidden rhythm in a song we thought we knew," said Ruth Murray-Clay (University of California Santa Cruz), co-author of the study. "It could change how we think about the way distant objects move." | 228 |
| Astronomers Just Witnessed Planets Being Born Around A Baby Star 1300 Light-Years Away | Astronomers Witness The Birth Of Planets Around A Young Star 1300 Light-Years Away | Refractory solid condensation detected in an embedded protoplanetary disk. | European Southern Observatory (ESO) | For the first time, astronomers have observed the initial stages of planet formation around a star outside our Solar System. Using cutting-edge telescopes, researchers detected hot minerals solidifying in the protoplanetary disc of the young star HOPS-315, marking the beginning of planet formation. This groundbreaking finding parallels the formation of our own Solar System and provides a unique opportunity to witness cosmological processes as they unfold. | First-Ever Glimpse of a Solar System Being BornThis is HOPS-315, a baby star where astronomers have observed evidence for the earliest stages of planet formation. The image was taken with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which ESO is a partner. Together with data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), these observations show that hot minerals are beginning to solidify. In orange, we see the distribution of carbon monoxide, blowing away from the star in a butterfly-shaped wind. In blue, we see a narrow jet of silicon monoxide, also beaming away from the star. These gaseous winds and jets are common around baby stars like HOPS-315. Credit: ALMA(ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/M. McClure et al. -- International researchers have, for the first time, pinpointed the moment when planets began to form around a star beyond the Sun. Using the ALMA telescope, in which the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is a partner, and the James Webb Space Telescope, they have observed the creation of the first specks of planet-forming material -- hot minerals just beginning to solidify. This finding marks the first time a planetary system has been identified at such an early stage in its formation and opens a window to the past of our own Solar System. -- "For the first time, we have identified the earliest moment when planet formation is initiated around a star other than our Sun," says Melissa McClure, a professor at Leiden University in the Netherlands and lead author of the new study, published on July 16 in Nature. -- Co-author Merel van 't Hoff, a professor at Purdue University, USA, compares their findings to "a picture of the baby Solar System," saying that "we're seeing a system that looks like what our Solar System looked like when it was just beginning to form." -- This newborn planetary system is emerging around HOPS-315, a 'proto' or baby star that sits some 1300 light-years away from us and is an analogue of the nascent Sun. Around such baby stars, astronomers often see discs of gas and dust known as 'protoplanetary discs', which are the birthplaces of new planets. While astronomers have previously seen young discs that contain newborn, massive, Jupiter-like planets, McClure says, "we've always known that the first solid parts of planets, or 'planetesimals', must form further back in time, at earlier stages." -- In our Solar System, the very first solid material to condense near Earth's present location around the Sun is found trapped within ancient meteorites. Astronomers age-date these primordial rocks to determine when the clock started on our Solar System's formation. Such meteorites are packed full of crystalline minerals that contain silicon monoxide (SiO) and can condense at the extremely high temperatures present in young planetary discs. Over time, these newly condensed solids bind together, sowing the seeds for planet formation as they gain both size and mass. The first kilometer-sized planetesimals in the Solar System, which grew to become planets such as Earth or Jupiter's core, formed just after the condensation of these crystalline minerals. -- With their new discovery, astronomers have found evidence of these hot minerals beginning to condense in the disc around HOPS-315. Their results show that SiO is present around the baby star in its gaseous state, as well as within these crystalline minerals, suggesting it is only just beginning to solidify. "This process has never been seen before in a protoplanetary disc -- or anywhere outside our Solar System," says co-author Edwin Bergin, a professor at the University of Michigan, USA. -- These minerals were first identified using the James Webb Space Telescope, a joint project of the US, European and Canadian space agencies. To find out where exactly the signals were coming from, the team observed the system with ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, which is operated by ESO together with international partners in Chile's Atacama Desert. -- With these data, the team determined that the chemical signals were coming from a small region of the disc around the star equivalent to the orbit of the asteroid belt around the Sun. "We're really seeing these minerals at the same location in this extrasolar system as where we see them in asteroids in the Solar System," says co-author Logan Francis, a postdoctoral researcher at Leiden University. -- Because of this, the disc of HOPS-315 provides a wonderful analogue for studying our own cosmic history. As van 't Hoff says, "this system is one of the best that we know to actually probe some of the processes that happened in our Solar System." It also provides astronomers with a new opportunity to study early planet formation, by standing in as a substitute for newborn solar systems across the galaxy. | 229 |
| Hubble Just Exposed A Rare And Violent Star Collision | Hubble Reveals Rare White Dwarf Formed From Two Stars Colliding In Space | A hot white dwarf merger remnant revealed by an ultraviolet detection of carbon. | University of Warwick | Astronomers have utilized Hubble's ultraviolet observations to uncover a massive white dwarf that likely originated from a stellar merger. This discovery, revealing carbon traces in its atmosphere, provides critical insights into the rare phenomena of stellar collisions and challenges our understanding of how such dense stars are formed, particularly those exceeding typical solar mass. This research contributes to the broader understanding of stellar evolution. | Hubble Just Exposed a Violent Star CollisionIllustration depicting the hot stellar merger that formed the ultra-massive white dwarf -WD 0525+526. Credit: Dr. Snehalata Sahu/University of Warwick -- University of Warwick astronomers have uncovered compelling evidence that a nearby white dwarf is in fact the remnant of two stars merging -- a rare stellar discovery revealed through Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet observations of carbon in the star's hot atmosphere. -- White dwarfs are the dense cores left behind when stars exhaust their fuel and collapse. They are Earth-sized stellar embers weighing typically half as much as the Sun, made up of carbon-oxygen cores with surface layers of helium and hydrogen. While white dwarfs are common in the universe, those with exceptionally high mass (weighing more than the Sun) are rare and enigmatic. -- In a paper published on August 6 in Nature Astronomy, Warwick astronomers report on their investigations of a known high-mass white dwarf 130 light-years away, called WD 0525+526. With a mass 20% larger than our Sun, WD 0525+526 is considered "ultra-massive," and how this star came to be is not fully understood. -- Such a white dwarf could form from the collapse of a massive star. However, ultraviolet data from the Hubble Space Telescope revealed WD 0525+526 to have small amounts of carbon rising from its core into its hydrogen-rich atmosphere -- suggesting this white dwarf did not originate from a single massive star. -- "In optical light (the kind of light we see with our eyes), WD 0525+526 looks like a heavy but otherwise ordinary white dwarf," said first author Dr Snehalata Sahu, Research Fellow at the University of Warwick. "However, through ultraviolet observations obtained with Hubble, we were able to detect faint carbon signatures that were not visible to optical telescopes. -- "Finding small amounts of carbon in the atmosphere is a telltale sign that this massive white dwarf is likely to be a be the remnant of a merger between two stars colliding. It also tells us there may be many more merger remnants like this masquerading as common pure-hydrogen atmosphere white dwarfs. Only ultraviolet observations would be able to reveal them to us." -- Normally, hydrogen and helium form a thick barrier-like envelope around a white dwarf core, keeping elements like carbon hidden. In a merger of two stars, the hydrogen and helium layers can burn off almost completely as the stars combine. The resulting single star has a very thin envelope that no longer prevents carbon from reaching the surface -- this is exactly what is found on WD 0525+526. -- Antoine Bédard, Warwick Prize Fellow in the Astronomy and Astrophysics group at Warwick and co-first author said, "We measured the hydrogen and helium layers to be ten-billion times thinner than in typical white dwarfs. We think these layers were stripped away in the merger, and this is what now allows carbon to appear on the surface. -- "But this remnant is also unusual: it has about 100,000 times less carbon on its surface compared to other merger remnants. The low carbon level, together with the star's high temperature (nearly four times hotter than the Sun), tells us WD 0525+526 is much earlier in its post-merger evolution than those previously found. This discovery helps us build a better understand the fate of binary star systems, which is critical for related phenomena like supernova explosions." | 230 |
| ‘Bridge’ Of Stray Stars Reveals Two Massive Galaxies Tearing Each Other Apart | Astronomers Uncover Star Bridge Linking Galaxies, A Visual Of Cosmic Collision | The Intracluster Light of Abell 3667: Unveiling an Optical Bridge in LSST Precursor Data. | Brown University | In a groundbreaking discovery, astronomers have identified a million-light-year-long bridge of stars connecting two massive galaxies within the Abell 3667 cluster, offering the first optical evidence of a rare galactic merger. This observation not only highlights the ongoing cosmic interactions between galaxies but also enhances our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. The findings shed light on the dynamics of colliding galaxy clusters. | Two Massive Galaxies Tearing Each Other ApartAbell 3667 — an actively merging galaxy cluster — is featured in this image assembled from over 28 hours of observations with the 570-megapixel Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera, mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. This collage shows some of the interesting features of Abell 3667. (See details in footnotes.) Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA, Acknowledgment: PI: Anthony Englert (Brown University), Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani & D. de Martin (NSF NOIRLab) -- Using one of the most detailed sets of observations ever of a galaxy cluster 700 million light-years from Earth, astronomers have captured the faint glow of stray stars in the process of being ripped from their home galaxy and absorbed into another. The 'bridge' of diffuse light -- spanning roughly a million light years between two galaxies in the cluster Abell 3667 -- is the first direct evidence that the two brightest galaxies in the cluster are actively merging. -- The findings also imply, the researchers say, that Abell 3667 formed from two smaller clusters, which had themselves merged around a billion years ago. -- "This is the first time a feature of this scale and size has been found in a local galaxy cluster," said Anthony Englert, a Ph.D. candidate at Brown University and lead author of a study describing the findings. "We knew that it was possible for a bridge like this to form between two galaxies, but it hadn't been documented anywhere before now. It was a huge surprise that we were able to image such a faint feature." -- The new images of Abell 3667 were made using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) mounted on the Víctor M. Blanco Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. Englert and two colleagues -- Ian Dell'Antonio, a professor of physics at Brown, and Mireia Montes, a research fellow at the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona, Spain -- stitched together a record-breaking 28 hours of observations taken over a span of years by DECam. The findings are published in The Astrophysical Journal. -- "Because Blanco has been imaging with DECam for the past decade, there is a ton of archival data available," Englert said. "It was just a happy coincidence that so many people had imaged Abell 3667 over the years, and we were able to stack all of those observations together." -- That extensive observation time is what made it possible to image the dim light of stray stars within the cluster. This type of diffuse light, known as intracluster light or ICL, offers a treasure trove of information about the history of Abell 3667 and the gravitational dance of the galaxies within it. -- The ICL imaged by Englert and his colleagues revealed a special type of galactic merger happening in Abell 3667. Normally, Englert says, mergers that involve the largest galaxy in a cluster, called the brightest cluster galaxy or BCG, occur gradually as it steals stars from many smaller galaxies that surround it. But this new research shows something different happening in this case. Abell 3667 is actually made of two galaxy clusters, each with its own BCG, that are now merging together. The ICL bridge discovered by the researchers suggests that the larger BCG is stealing stars from the smaller one -- an event known as a rapid or aggressive merger. As the two BCGs merge, so too do the smaller galaxies that surround them, making Abell 3667 the product of two merging clusters. Data from X-ray and radio frequency observations had suggested a rapid merger in Abell 3667, but this is the first optical evidence to back it up. -- The appearance of intracluster light in these new images offers a tantalizing preview of what's to come when the Vera C. Rubin Observatory becomes fully operational later this year or early next. Using a telescope twice the size of Blanco and the largest camera ever built, the Rubin telescope will perform a 10-year scan deep into the entire southern sky, a project called the Legacy Survey of Space and Time. -- "Rubin is going to be able to image ICL in much the same way as we did here, but it's going to do it for every single local galaxy cluster in the southern sky," Englert said. "What we did is just a small sliver of what Rubin is going to be able to do. It's really going to blow the study of the ICL wide open." | 231 |
| Baby Star Fires A Jet, Then Gets Blasted By The Fallout | Young Star Triggers Explosive Feedback Loop, Reshaping Our Understanding Of Stellar Formation | Discovery of Jet–Bubble–Disk Interaction: Jet Feedback on a Protoplanetary Disk Via an Expanding Bubble in WSB 52. | National Institutes of Natural Sciences | Astronomers have discovered a feedback loop around a young star, where a high-speed jet ignited an explosion that is now impacting the star system that birthed it. This unprecedented observation, made using ALMA data, suggests that young stars may endure harsher environments than previously thought, reshaping our understanding of star and planet formation processes. The findings reveal dramatic interactions in stellar nurseries. | Baby Star Hit by Its Own ExplosionArtist’s impression of a protoplanetary disk distorted by a shock front created by an expanding bubble. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), M. Aizawa et al -- Astronomers have observed an explosion in space that is pushing back against and influencing the baby star which triggered the explosion in the first place. If explosions like this one are common around young stars, then the young stars and their planets are exposed to a harsher environment than previously thought. -- Stars and their associated planetary systems are formed from the gravitational collapse of molecular clouds in space. As a cloud collapses, it retains its angular momentum, causing it to evolve into a spinning structure known as a protoplanetary disk. Stars and planets form within a protoplanetary disk, but not all of the material is incorporated into the new stars and planets. Some of the material is ejected through powerful jets aligned with the rotation axis of the disk. These jets help remove excess angular momentum and matter from the protoplanetary disk. -- A team of Japanese astronomers was reanalyzing archival data for protoplanetary disks from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), when they unexpectedly discovered an explosively expanding bubble structure near one of the disks. That disk, known as WSB 52, is located 441.3 light-years away in the direction of the constellation Ophiuchus. Further detailed analysis revealed that a shock front created by the expanding bubble was colliding with the disk and distorting it. Similar expanding bubble structures have been detected around other young stars, but none of them have shown signs of collision between the bubble and the disk. This phenomenon was also not predicted theoretically. -- The team found that the center of the bubble aligned with the disk’s rotation axis. The chances of a bubble aligning with the axis of the disk by random chance are effectively zero, indicating that this alignment is not random. This led the research team to conclude that a jet aligned with the axis of the disk triggered the expansion of the bubble. According to their explanation, a high-speed jet emitted from WSB 52 hundreds of years ago collided with cold gas near the disk, causing the gas to compress. The increased pressure from the compression caused the gas to explode, which resulted in the formation of the expanding bubble. -- Masataka Aizawa at Ibaraki University, who led this research, explains, “In science fiction, there are scenes where a beam is fired at something to destroy it, causing an explosion with debris flying back at the shooter. Similar things occur in real astronomical phenomena, but with greater intensity. Through this discovery, I once again realized that nature is far more complex than humans think. In future research, I hope to further explore the effects of the explosions on the formation of stars and planetary systems.” | 232 |
| NASA And Japan’s XRISM Just Found Sulfur Hiding Between The Stars | NASA And Japan’s XRISM Discover Sulfur Hiding In The Cosmic Void | XRISM insights for interstellar sulfur. | NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center | An international team of scientists has made a significant advancement in astrophysics by measuring elemental sulfur in the interstellar medium using data from the XRISM spacecraft. This groundbreaking research represents the first direct identification of sulfur's gas and solid phases, enhancing our understanding of its distribution in the cosmos. The findings may also provide insights into the elemental makeup crucial for life and biological processes. | XRISM Found Sulfur Hiding Between the StarsThis composite shows a section of the interstellar medium scientists X-rayed for sulfur using the Japan-led XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission). X-ray binary GX 340+0 is the blue dot in the center. The composite contains a blend of imagery in X-rays (represented in deep blue), infrared, and light. Credit: DSS/DECaPS/eRosita/NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center -- An international team of scientists have provided an unprecedented tally of elemental sulfur spread between the stars using data from the Japan-led XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) spacecraft. -- Astronomers used X-rays from two binary star systems to detect sulfur in the interstellar medium, the gas and dust found in the space between stars. It's the first direct measurement of both sulfur's gas and solid phases, a unique capability of X-ray spectroscopy, XRISM's (pronounced "crism") primary method of studying the cosmos. -- "Sulfur is important for how cells function in our bodies here on Earth, but we still have a lot of questions about where it's found out in the universe," said Lía Corrales, an assistant professor of astronomy at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. "Sulfur can easily change from a gas to a solid and back again. The XRISM spacecraft provides the resolution and sensitivity we need to find it in both forms and learn more about where it might be hiding." -- A paper about these results, led by Corrales, published June 27 in the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. -- Using ultraviolet light, researchers have found gaseous sulfur in the space between stars. In denser parts of the interstellar medium, such as the molecular clouds where stars and planets are born, this form of sulfur quickly disappears. -- Scientists assume the sulfur condenses into a solid, either by combining with ice or mixing with other elements. -- When a doctor performs an X-ray here on Earth, they place the patient between an X-ray source and a detector. Bone and tissue absorb different amounts of the light as it travels through the patient's body, creating contrast in the detector. -- To study sulfur, Corrales and her team did something similar. -- They picked a portion of the interstellar medium with the right density -- not so thin that all the X-rays would pass through unchanged, but also not so dense that they would all be absorbed. | 233 |
| Star Survives Black Hole And Comes Back For More | Star Survives Encounter With Black Hole, Challenging Existing Theories About Stellar Fates | The Double Tidal Disruption Event AT 2022dbl Implies that at Least Some “Standard” Optical Tidal Disruption Events Are Partial Disruptions. | Tel-Aviv University | A new discovery has revealed a star that survived a close encounter with a supermassive black hole, challenging established notions about tidal disruption events. This unprecedented observation suggests that such encounters may lead to complex, ongoing interactions rather than isolated events, providing valuable insights into the behaviors of stars in the vicinity of black holes. The findings may reshape our understanding of cosmic phenomena. | Star Survives Black Hole and Comes Back for MoreA star being torn apart by a black hole. Credit: Ignacio de la Calle - Quasar Science Resources for ESA -- Lightning might not strike twice, but black holes apparently do. An international group of researchers led by Tel Aviv University astronomers observed a flare caused when a star falls onto a black hole and is destroyed. Surprisingly, this flare occurred about two years after a nearly identical flare named AT 2022dbl, from the exact same location. This is the first confirmed case of a star that survived an encounter with a supermassive black hole and came back for more. This discovery upends conventional wisdom about such tidal disruption events and suggests that these spectacular flares may be just the opening act in a longer, more complex story. -- The study was led by Dr. Lydia Makrygianni (a former postdoc at Tel Aviv University and currently a researcher at Lancaster University in the UK) under the supervision of Prof. Iair Arcavi, a member of the Astrophysics Department at Tel Aviv University, and Director of the Wise Observatory in Mizpe Ramon. Prof. Ehud Nakar, Chair of the Astrophysics Department, and students Sara Faris and Yael Dgany from Arcavi's research group also took part in the research, alongside many international collaborators. The results are published in a July issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters. -- The researchers explain that at the center of every large galaxy lies a black hole that is millions to billions of times the mass of the sun. Such a supermassive black hole exists also in our own Milky Way Galaxy, its discovery was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in physics. But beyond knowing they're there, it's not well understood how such monsters form, nor how they affect their host galaxies. One of the main challenges in understanding these black holes is that they are, well, black. A black hole is a region of space where gravity is so strong that not even light can escape. The supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way was discovered thanks to the movement of stars in its vicinity. But in other, more distant, galaxies, such movement cannot be discerned. -- Luckily, or unluckily, depending on your point of view, once every 10,000 to 100,000 years, a star will wander too close to the supermassive black hole in the center of its galaxy, resulting in it getting ripped to shreds. Half of the star will be "swallowed" by the black hole, and half thrown outward. When material falls onto a black hole, it does so in a circular fashion, much like water going down the bathtub drain. Around black holes, however, the velocity of the rotating material approaches the speed of light, the material is heated and radiates brilliantly. Such an unlucky star thus "illuminates" the black hole for a few weeks to months, providing astronomers with a brief opportunity to study its properties. -- Strangely, though, these flares have not been behaving as expected. Their brilliance and temperature were much lower than predicted. After about a decade of trying to understand why, AT 2022dbl may have provided the answer. The repetition of the first flare in an almost identical manner two years later implies that at least the first flare was the result of the partial disruption of the star, with much of it surviving and coming back for a (nearly identical) additional passage. These flares are thus more of a "snack" by the supermassive black hole than a "meal." -- "The question now is whether we'll see a third flare after two more years, in early 2026" says Prof. Arcavi. "If we see a third flare," continues Arcavi, "it means that the second one was also the partial disruption of the star. So maybe all such flares, which we have been trying to understand for a decade now as full stellar disruptions, are not what we thought." If a third flare does not occur, then the second flare could have been the full disruption of the star. The implication is that partial and full disruptions look almost identical, a prediction made before this discovery by the research group of Prof. Tsvi Piran at the Hebrew University. "Either way," adds Arcavi, "we'll have to re-write our interpretation of these flares and what they can teach us about the monsters lying in the centers of galaxies." | 234 |
| Life Without Sunlight? Earthquake Fractures Fuel Deep Underground Microbes | Earthquake Fractures Provide Energy For Deep Earth Microbes, Hinting At Life Beyond | Crustal faulting drives biological redox cycling in the deep subsurface. | Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters | Chinese scientists have identified a powerful energy source for deep Earth microbes, generated by hydrogen and oxidants produced during earthquake-related rock fracturing. This revelation challenges long-held beliefs about the dependence of life on sunlight, suggesting that microbial life could thrive in extreme environments. The study provides critical insights into the energy dynamics of subsurface ecosystems and hints at the potential for life beyond Earth. | Earthquakes Feed Hidden Life Deep UndergroundEarthquake-driven rock fractures produce hydrogen and oxidants that fuel deep subsurface life, possibly hinting at life beyond Earth. Credit: Shutterstock -- Chinese researchers have recently challenged the long-held belief that "all life depends on sunlight." In a study published in Science Advances, the researchers identified how microbes in deep subsurface areas can derive energy from chemical reactions driven by crustal faulting, offering critical insights into life deep below Earth's surface. -- The research was led by Prof. Hongping he, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and Prof. Jianxi Zhu, both from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry of CAS. -- Long regarded as inhospitable to life due to the absence of sunlight and organic matter, the deep subsurface has in recent years been found to host a large-scale, highly active biosphere teeming with diverse microorganisms. These microbes derive energy from abiotic redox reactions during water–rock interactions. Hydrogen (H2) serves as their main energy source and oxidants are also essential for metabolic activities, but their origins were not previously well understood. -- To tackle this mystery, the research team simulated crustal faulting activities and discovered that free radicals produced during rock fracturing can decompose water, generating both hydrogen and oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). These substances create a distinct redox gradient within fracture systems, which can further react with iron (Fe) in groundwater and rocks—oxidizing ferrous iron (Fe²⁺) to ferric iron (Fe³⁺) or reducing ferric iron (Fe³⁺) to ferrous iron (Fe²⁺), depending on local redox conditions. -- In microbe-rich fractures, hydrogen production driven by earthquake-related faulting was found to be up to 100,000 times greater than that from other known pathways, such as serpentinization and radiolysis. The team demonstrated that this process effectively drives iron's redox cycle, which in turn influences the geochemical processes of elements like carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur—sustaining microbial metabolism in the deep biosphere. -- This study sheds new light on the energy sources and ecological diversity of the deep-subsurface biosphere. Profs. He and Zhu also noted that fracture systems on other Earth-like planets could potentially provide habitable conditions for extraterrestrial life, offering a new avenue for the search for life beyond Earth. -- The study was financially supported by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and the Strategic Priority Research Program of CAS, among other sources. | 235 |
| Why Broken Crystals Are Stronger | Researchers Reveal How Crystal Defects Enhance Strength And Behavior For Material Innovation | Revisiting Volterra defects: geometrical relation between edge dislocations and wedge disclinations. | The University of Osaka | Researchers from The University of Osaka have developed new mathematical models to understand the mechanics of crystal defects, which can significantly impact material strength and behavior. By employing differential geometry, they reveal how various defects interact, offering opportunities to engineer tougher materials through intentional exploitation of these imperfections, potentially transforming materials science and engineering practices. | Why Broken Crystals Are StrongerA dipole moment of positive and negative wedge disclinations—the “the other side of the coin” of a single edge dislocation indicated by the replacement of affine connections. The inverted “T” marks the edge dislocation, whereas the triangles represent the wedge disclinations. The curved lines depict the deformation field characterizing the metric generated by the wedge disclinations. Credit: Shunsuke Kobayashi, Katsumi Takemasa and Ryuichi Tarumi -- Crystals are known far and wide for their beauty and elegance. But even though they may appear perfect on the outside, their microstructure can be quite complicated, making them difficult to model mathematically. -- But there are people rising to the challenge. In an article published this month in Royal Society Open Science, researchers from The University of Osaka used differential geometry to provide a robust, rigorous, and unified description for the mechanics of crystals and their defects. -- In an ideal crystal, each atom is arranged in a perfectly periodic pattern. However, most crystals, upon closer examination, are not perfect. They contain small defects in their structure -- a missing atom here, an extra bond there. These defects have important mechanical consequences -- they could be the starting point of a fracture, for example, or they could even be used to strengthen materials. Understanding defects and their phenomena is thus very important to researchers. -- "Defects come in many forms," explains lead author of the study Shunsuke Kobayashi. "For example, there are so-called dislocations associated with the breaking of translational symmetry and disclinations associated with the breaking of rotational symmetry. Capturing all of these kinds of defects in a single mathematical theory is not straightforward." -- Indeed, previous models have failed to reconcile the differences between dislocations and disclinations, suggesting that modifications to the theory are needed. New mathematical tools using the language of differential geometry proved to be exactly what the team needed to address these issues. -- "Differential geometry provides a very elegant framework for describing these rich phenomena," says Ryuichi Tarumi, senior author. "Simple mathematical operations can be used to capture these effects, allowing us to focus on the similarities between seemingly disparate defects." -- Using the formalism of Riemann-Cartan manifolds, the research team was able to elegantly encapsulate the topological properties of defects and rigorously prove the relationship between dislocations and disclinations; previously, only empirical observations existed, and their rigorous mathematical forms were a mystery. In addition, they were able to derive analytical expressions for the stress fields caused by these defects. -- The team hopes that their geometric approach to describing the mechanics of crystals will eventually inspire scientists and engineers to design materials with specific properties by taking advantage of defects, such as the strengthening of materials that is seen with disclinations. In the meantime, these results are yet another example of how beauty in mathematics can help us understand beauty in nature. | 236 |
| Chirality Shock: Geneva Chemists Forge Millennia-Stable ‘Mirror-Proof’ Drugs | Stable Molecular Assemblies Developed, Paving The Way For Advanced Drug Designs And Materials | All-Heteroatom-Substituted Carbon Spiro Stereocenters: Synthesis, Resolution, Enantiomeric Stability, and Absolute Configuration. | Université de Genève | Chemists from the University of Geneva and the University of Pisa have created remarkably stable chiral molecules, paving the way for innovative drug designs. By replacing traditional carbon bonds with oxygen and nitrogen, they developed a new type of stereogenic center that maintains its handedness for extended periods. This breakthrough not only enhances the safety of pharmaceuticals but also opens new avenues for geometrically controlled materials. | Mirror Molecules, Frozen ForeverMirror molecules synthesized in this study, featuring an asymmetric carbon (grey) fully substituted by oxygen atoms (red), Hydrogen atoms are in white. Credit: © Pierrick Berruyer -- Can you imagine a life-saving molecule whose "twin" is a deadly poison? As surprising as it may seem, this chemical reality is known as "chirality." Like a right hand and a left hand, two molecules can have the same composition, but a different shape and arrangement in space. And this difference can change everything. Understanding and controlling this phenomenon is crucial to drug design. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with the University of Pisa, has developed a new family of remarkably stable chiral molecules. This work opens up new prospects for the design of geometry-controlled drugs. It is published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. -- A molecule, or any object, is said to be chiral if it cannot be superimposed on its mirror image by any combination of rotations, translations and geometric changes. This is similar to our two hands, which appear identical but cannot be superimposed, whether viewed from the back or the palm. This universal molecular asymmetry requires chemists to design chiral molecules capable of interacting precisely with living systems. -- Within a molecule, chirality often arises from the presence of one or more asymmetry centers, known as stereogenic centers. These are often made up of a central carbon atom, itself linked to four different groups or chains of atoms, usually carbon as well. The group led by Jérôme Lacour, Full Professor in the Department of Organic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UNIGE Faculty of Science, has created a new type of stereogenic center. This time, the central carbon atom is not surrounded by carbon chains, but only by oxygen and nitrogen atoms. A first in the field of chemistry. -- ''Molecules with this new type of stereogenic center had never before been isolated in a stable form. Their synthesis and characterization mark a major conceptual and experimental breakthrough,'' explains Jérôme Lacour. -- Outstanding stability -- The stability of chiral molecules is a particularly important parameter. Mirror molecule pairs are structurally very close, and in many cases spontaneous switching from one to the other is possible, for example under the effect of temperature. As if a left hand were suddenly transformed into a right hand. In this way, we could switch from a drug to an inactive or even toxic molecule! The new molecular structures developed by the UNIGE team feature exceptional chiral stability, meaning that the switch from one molecule to its mirror sister is particularly unlikely. -- Olivier Viudes, PhD student and first author of the study explains: "Using dynamic chromatography techniques and quantum chemistry calculations, we have shown that, for the first molecule developed, it would take 84,000 years at room temperature for half a sample to transform into its mirror molecule." For a drug, such stability guarantees safe storage, without the need for specific conditions. For the second molecule, this time has been estimated at 227 days at 25°C. -- The new stereogenic centers developed by the Geneva team should enable the design of stable, controlled, three-dimensional chiral molecules. These structures open up new possibilities for drug design and the creation of new materials. ''These novel stereogenic centers offer a new way of organizing molecular space. They open up a whole new degree of freedom and imagination in chemical synthesis,'' concludes Gennaro Pescitelli, professor at the University of Pisa and co-principal investigator of the article. | 237 |
| Breakthrough “Smart” Gel Restores Blood Flow And Heals Diabetic Wounds In Days | New Gel-Based Treatment Revolutionizes Healing For Diabetic Wounds With Faster Recovery Times | Engineered sEVs encapsulated in GelMA facilitated diabetic wound healing by promoting angiogenesis via targeting thrombospondin-1. | Burns & Trauma | Scientists have developed a groundbreaking gel-based treatment for diabetic wounds that combines healing vesicles with a specialized hydrogel, promoting enhanced blood flow and accelerating the healing process significantly. Early tests show this innovative approach can heal wounds much faster than traditional methods, offering new hope for millions afflicted by diabetes-related slow-healing wounds. This advancement could transform the care received by patients with chronic diabetic wounds in the future. | “Smart” Gel Heals Diabetic Wounds in DaysScientists have developed a special gel that jumpstarts blood vessel growth, helping stubborn diabetic wounds heal in days instead of months. Credit: Shutterstock -- Chronic diabetic wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers, are a significant burden for patients, as impaired blood vessel growth hinders the healing process. A recent breakthrough offers hope by combining small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) loaded with miR-221-3p and a GelMA hydrogel to target thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), a protein that suppresses angiogenesis. This new bioactive wound dressing not only accelerates healing but also promotes blood vessel formation, offering a promising new approach to treating one of the most challenging complications of diabetes. -- Diabetic wounds, particularly foot ulcers, are notorious for their slow and often incomplete healing due to reduced blood flow and endothelial cell dysfunction. One of the major contributors to this issue is thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), which inhibits the growth of new blood vessels, a process crucial for tissue repair. Despite various existing treatments, the challenge of addressing this barrier to healing remains unmet. With the global rise in diabetes cases, new treatments targeting the underlying causes of delayed wound healing have become a critical area of research. In light of these ongoing challenges, this study explores a new approach to stimulate angiogenesis and speed up the healing process. -- In a new study published in Burns & Trauma, a team of researchers from leading Chinese institutions has unveiled a novel therapeutic solution for diabetic wound healing. The study introduces an innovative wound dressing that combines miR-221OE-sEVs -- engineered extracellular vesicles that target and reduce TSP-1 levels -- with a GelMA hydrogel to create a sustained-release system. This cutting-edge approach has shown to significantly enhance wound healing and blood vessel formation in diabetic mice, offering hope for more effective treatments in the future. -- In their study, the researchers discovered that high glucose conditions commonly found in diabetic wounds lead to increased levels of TSP-1 in endothelial cells, impairing their ability to proliferate and migrate -- key processes for angiogenesis. By utilizing miR-221-3p, a microRNA that targets and downregulates TSP-1 expression, they restored endothelial cell function. The engineered miR-221OE-sEVs were encapsulated within a GelMA hydrogel, ensuring a controlled release at the wound site, mimicking the extracellular matrix. In animal trials, this composite dressing dramatically accelerated wound healing, with a notable increase in vascularization and a 90% wound closure rate within just 12 days, compared to slower healing in control groups. -- Dr. Chuan'an Shen, a key researcher in the study, shared his excitement about the potential impact of this innovation: "Our results demonstrate the power of combining advanced tissue engineering with molecular biology. By targeting TSP-1 with miR-221OE-sEVs encapsulated in GelMA, we've not only improved endothelial cell function but also ensured a sustained and localized therapeutic effect. This breakthrough could revolutionize how we approach diabetic wound care, with the potential to improve patients' quality of life significantly." -- The success of this engineered hydrogel in diabetic wound healing opens up several exciting possibilities. Beyond diabetic foot ulcers, the technology could be adapted for use in treating other chronic wounds, such as those caused by vascular diseases, or even in regenerating tissues like bone and cartilage. As further research and clinical trials progress, the promise of combining miRNA-based therapies with biocompatible hydrogels could become a cornerstone in regenerative medicine, offering patients more efficient and lasting wound healing solutions. -- The study was supported by Beijing Natural Science Foundation (7244411) and Independent Innovation Science Fund of The Fourth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital (2024-4ZX-MS-06, 2024-4ZX-MS-07, 2024-4ZX-MS-09). | 238 |
| Brain Fog, Falls, And Fatigue? This App Helps Seniors Cut Risky Meds | Innovative App Helps Doctors Reduce Overprescribing Risks Among Seniors For Better Health | Electronic Decision Support for Deprescribing in Older Adults Living in Long-Term Care. | McGill University | Researchers at McGill University have introduced MedSafer, a digital tool designed to help clinicians tackle the issue of overprescribing medications in elderly patients. This software identifies unnecessary medications, leading to a significant reduction in inappropriate prescriptions, which in turn enhances patient outcomes. By facilitating safer deprescribing practices, MedSafer aims to redefine standard care and mitigate the risks associated with polypharmacy among seniors, ultimately improving their quality of life. | Too Many Meds? This App Can HelpA digital tool reveals when meds hurt more than help, restoring health through smarter deprescribing. Credit: Shutterstock -- McGill University researchers have developed and are licensing a digital tool to help safely reduce patients' use of medications that may be unnecessary or even harmful to them. -- When clinicians review a patient's file, MedSafer flags potentially inappropriate medications. In a new clinical trial, the software helped deprescribe such medications in 36 percent of long-term care residents, nearly triple as many as when reviews were done without the tool. -- "Sometimes we blame aging for memory loss or mobility issues when the real culprit is the medications," said lead author Dr. Emily McDonald, Associate Professor in McGill's Department of Medicine, Scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (The Institute) and attending physician at the McGill University Health Centre. "I've seen patients go from barely responsive to having conversations again after stopping a sedating medication." -- Nearly two thirds of Canadian seniors take five or more medications a day, and the number is significantly higher in long-term care, she added. -- How the tool fits into routine care -- Medications are typically reviewed every three months in long-term care homes, but the scholars say there's no standard approach to deprescribing. -- MedSafer works as a checklist for clinicians. It scans a resident's medication list alongside their health conditions, flags drugs that may no longer be appropriate and provides guidance on how to stop some medications or for safer alternatives. -- The software was co-developed by McDonald and Dr. Todd Lee, Associate Professor in McGill's Department of Medicine and Scientist at The Institute . The trial involved 725 residents in five long-term care homes in New Brunswick who were taking an average of 10 medications each. -- The problem with 'prescribing cascades' | 239 |
| This Diet Helped People Lose Twice As Much Weight, Without Eating Less | Minimally Processed Foods Lead To Double The Weight Loss Compared To Ultra-Processed | Ultraprocessed or minimally processed diets following healthy dietary guidelines on weight and cardiometabolic health: a randomized, crossover trial. | University College London | A long-term study has revealed that individuals consuming minimally processed foods lost double the weight compared to those on ultra-processed diets, despite both having similar nutritional content. This groundbreaking research emphasizes that food processing has a considerable impact on weight management and health outcomes, suggesting that choosing minimally processed options could play an essential role in sustainable health and long-term weight loss strategies. | This Diet Helped People Lose Twice as Much WeightMore weight loss, less craving: minimally processed meals outperform ultra-processed ones, even with the same calories. Credit: Shutterstock -- When given nutritionally matched diets, participants lost twice as much weight eating minimally processed foods compared to ultra-processed foods, suggesting that cutting down on processing could help to sustain a healthy weight long term, finds a new clinical trial led by researchers at UCL and UCLH. -- The study, published in Nature Medicine, is the first interventional study comparing ultra-processed food (UPF) and minimally processed food (MPF) diets in 'real world' conditions, as well as being the longest experimental study of a UPF diet to date1. -- The trial split 55 adults into two groups. One group started with an eight-week diet of MPF, such as overnight oats or homemade spaghetti Bolognese. After a four-week 'washout' period during which participants went back to their normal diet, they switched to a diet of UPF, such as breakfast oat bars or a lasagna ready meal. The other group completed the diets in the opposite order. In total, 50 participants completed at least one diet. -- The provided diets were nutritionally matched in accordance with the Eatwell Guide, the UK's official government advice on how to eat a healthy, balanced diet. This included levels of fat, saturated fat, protein, carbohydrate, salt and fiber, as well as providing recommended intakes of fruits and vegetables. Participants had plenty of food (i.e. more calories than they needed) delivered to their home and were told to eat as much or as little as they wanted, as they would normally. They were not told to limit their intake. -- After eight weeks on each diet, both groups lost weight, likely as a result of the improved nutritional profile of what they were eating compared to their normal diet. However, this effect was higher (2.06% reduction) on the MPF diet compared to the UPF diet (1.05% reduction)2. -- These changes corresponded to an estimated calorie deficit of 290 kilocalories (kcal) per day on the MPF diet, compared to 120 kcal per day on the UPF diet. To put this in context, the Eatwell Guide recommends a daily energy intake of 2,000 kcal for women and 2,500 kcal for men. -- The greater weight loss experienced on the MPF diet came from reductions in fat mass and total body water, with no change in muscle or fat-free mass, indicating a healthier body composition overall. -- The findings suggest that, when observing recommended dietary guidelines, choosing minimally processed foods may be more effective for losing weight. -- Dr Samuel Dicken, first author of the study from the UCL Centre for Obesity Research and UCL Department of Behavioural Science & Health, said: "Previous research has linked ultra-processed foods with poor health outcomes. But not all ultra-processed foods are inherently unhealthy based on their nutritional profile. The main aim of this trial was to fill crucial gaps in our knowledge about the role of food processing in the context of existing dietary guidance, and how it affects health outcomes such as weight, blood pressure and body composition, as well as experiential factors like food cravings. | 240 |
| Hidden Gene In Leukemia Virus Could Revolutionize HIV Treatment | New Viral Silencer Discovery Offers Hope For Advancements In HIV Treatment Strategies | Intragenic viral silencer element regulates HTLV-1 latency via RUNX complex recruitment. | Kumamoto University | Japanese scientists have discovered a "viral silencer" within the HTLV-1 virus that allows it to evade the immune system, remaining undetected in the body for extended periods. This discovery has potential applications not only for treating HTLV-1 but also for developing revolutionary HIV therapies, as introducing this silencer to HIV may reduce its activity, paving the way for innovative treatment strategies targeting various retroviruses. | Hidden Off Switch Found in Deadly VirusResearchers found a “mute button” in HTLV-1 that could help suppress other viruses like HIV, offering a surprising path to new therapies. Credit: Shutterstock -- A research team from Kumamoto University has made a groundbreaking discovery that reveals how the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) silently persists in the body, potentially laying the foundation for new therapeutic approaches. Their findings, published on May 13, 2025, in Nature Microbiology, identify a previously unknown genetic "silencer" element that keeps the virus in a dormant, undetectable state. -- HTLV-1 is a cancer-causing retrovirus known to lead to adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), an aggressive and often fatal disease. Although most infected individuals remain asymptomatic for life, a fraction eventually develops leukemia or other inflammatory conditions. The virus achieves long-term persistence by entering a "latent" state, during which its genetic material hides inside the host's genome with minimal activity -- evading immune detection. -- In this study, the research team, led by Professor Yorifumi Satou from the Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus, Kumamoto University, identified a specific region within the HTLV-1 genome that functions as a viral silencer. This sequence recruits host transcription factors, particularly the RUNX1 complex, which suppresses the virus's gene expression. When this silencer region was removed or mutated, the virus became more active, leading to greater immune recognition and clearance in lab models. -- Remarkably, when the HTLV-1 silencer was artificially inserted into HIV-1 -- the virus that causes AIDS -- the HIV virus adopted a more latent-like state, with reduced replication and cell killing. This suggests that the silencer mechanism could potentially be harnessed to design better therapies for HIV as well. -- "This is the first time we've uncovered a built-in mechanism that allows a human leukemia virus to regulate its own invisibility," said Professor Satou. "It's a clever evolutionary tactic, and now that we understand it, we might be able to turn the tables in treatment." -- The findings offer hope not only for understanding and treating HTLV-1, especially in endemic regions like southwestern Japan, but also for broader retroviral infections. | 241 |
| Found In The Trash: A Super Opioid 1000x Stronger Than Morphine | Deadly New Opioid Nitazene Surfaces In Australia’s Drug Scene, Experts Warn Of Dangers | Searching for a Needle in a Haystack: Chemical Analysis Reveals Nitazenes Found in Drug Paraphernalia Residues. | University of South Australia | A concerning new synthetic opioid known as nitazene is infiltrating the street drug trade in Adelaide, Australia, with researchers warning of its extreme potency compared to morphine. This hidden danger, often mixed with heroin or fentanyl, has already led to numerous fatalities, prompting urgent calls for awareness and action to curb the rising tide of deadly drug combinations in the region. | A Super Opioid 1000x Stronger Than MorphineA hidden killer 1000 times stronger than morphine is quietly infiltrating Australia's drug supply. Credit: Shutterstock -- A synthetic opioid 1000 times more potent than morphine is infiltrating the street drug trade in Adelaide, Australia, sparking fears of a wave of overdoses that could be lethal. -- In the first study of its kind in South Australia, University of South Australia researchers have detected traces of nitazene in samples of discarded injecting equipment, plastic bags, vials and filters from public disposal bins at local needle and syringe program sites. -- Their findings were published on July 31 in the Drug & Alcohol Review. -- Using highly sensitive chemical analysis, researchers identified nitazenes in 5% of 300 samples, mainly in combination with heroin and mostly found in syringes. -- Nitazenes led to 32 overdose deaths in Australia between 2020 and 2024, with 84% of patients unaware the synthetic opioid was present in the drug they consumed. It is increasingly hidden in illicit drugs such as fentanyl and heroin, posing extreme overdose risks, often with fatal consequences. -- "Nitazenes are among the most potent synthetic opioids in circulation today, some stronger than fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin," according to lead researcher UniSA Associate Professor Cobus Gerber. -- "These substances can be lethal in tiny quantities and are often mixed with other drugs, making them incredibly difficult to detect and monitor through traditional means," he says. -- Several different nitazenes were identified, some of them combined with the non-opioid veterinary sedative xylazine, which is not approved for human use. -- "This is particularly alarming," says Assoc Prof Gerber, "as xylazine has been linked to severe adverse effects, including necrotic skin lesions, prolonged sedation and depression. | 242 |
| Unwanted Pregnancies Surge With Alcohol, But Not With Cannabis, Study Finds | Heavy Drinking In Women Linked To Higher Unwanted Pregnancy Rates, Cannabis Shows No Risk | Alcohol and drug use and attainment of pregnancy preferences in the southwestern United States: A longitudinal cohort study. | Society for the Study of Addiction | New research indicates that women who heavily consume alcohol while wishing to avoid pregnancy face a 50% higher risk of unintended conception compared to those who drink minimally. This alarming trend contrasts with cannabis use, which did not show the same associated risks, highlighting the need for greater awareness of alcohol's impact on reproductive health, particularly among women seeking to prevent pregnancy. | Alcohol Ups Pregnancy Risk. Cannabis Doesn’t.Despite a strong desire to avoid pregnancy, heavy-drinking women were far more likely to conceive unintentionally—unlike cannabis users. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study has found that, among women with a high desire to avoid becoming pregnant, those who drank heavily had a 50% higher risk of becoming pregnant than those who drank moderately or not at all. In contrast, participants who used cannabis were no more likely to have an undesired pregnancy than participants who did not use cannabis. -- From a larger sample of over 2,000 non-pregnant women aged 15-34, researchers identified a subgroup of 936 who didn't want to get pregnant. Within that subgroup, 429 reported heavy drinking (as measured using a standard alcohol screening questionnaire) and 362 reported using cannabis (including 157 who reported daily or almost daily use). -- Those who drank heavily and those who used cannabis frequently had a higher overall desire to avoid pregnancy, compared with participants who drank moderately or not at all and participants who did not use cannabis. -- Over the course of one year, 71 of the 936 women who most wanted to avoid pregnancy became pregnant. More than half of those undesired pregnancies (38) occurred among those who drank heavily, more than the combined number for those who drank moderately or not at all. In other words, heavy drinking was associated with a higher risk of undesired pregnancy compared with lower levels of drinking. -- In contrast, less than half of the 71 undesired pregnancies (28) occurred among people who used cannabis, meaning that those who used cannabis did not show an elevated risk of undesired pregnancy compared with people who did not use cannabis. -- Lead author Dr Sarah Raifman, of the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, comments: "This study made two important findings. First, non-pregnant women who drink heavily appear, on average, to have a higher desire to avoid pregnancy than those who drink moderately or not at all. Second, drinking heavily as opposed to moderately or not at all appears to put those who most want to avoid pregnancy at higher risk of becoming pregnant within one year. Finding out why those pregnancies happen is the next step in our research." -- "In the meantime, given the potentially life-altering effects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (which occur when a fetus is exposed to alcohol through the mother's drinking) and the fact that the risk of FASD increases with the amount and duration of the mother's drinking, it's important for doctors and clinicians to support women who drink heavily to stop drinking as soon as they suspect an unintentional pregnancy." -- This study was funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01-HD108643) and by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (F31AA028988). | 243 |
| 4,000-Year-Old Teeth Reveal The Earliest Human High — Hidden In Plaque | Ancient Plaque Analysis Reveals Betel Nut Chewing In Southeast Asia’s Prehistoric Rituals | Earliest direct evidence of bronze age betel nut use: biomolecular analysis of dental calculus from Nong Ratchawat, Thailand. | Frontiers | A groundbreaking study has utilized ancient dental plaque to uncover the earliest evidence of betel nut chewing in Southeast Asia, dating back 4,000 years. By revealing invisible traces of this psychoactive plant, researchers have gained insights into ancient rituals and behaviors, indicating that betel nut consumption was likely integral to daily life long before recorded history. | Ancient Plaque Reveals 4,000-Year-Old HighResearchers uncovered 4,000-year-old chemical traces of betel nut chewing in ancient Thai dental plaque — the earliest biomolecular evidence of its kind. Credit: Shutterstock -- In south-east Asia, betel nut chewing has been practiced since antiquity. The plants contain compounds that enhance the consumer's alertness, energy, euphoria, and relaxation. Although the practice is becoming less common in modern times, it has been deeply embedded in social and cultural traditions for thousands of years. Chewing betel nuts typically results in dark, reddish-brown to black stained teeth. -- Yet, teeth without staining may not mean that people didn't chew betel nuts. Now, using a new method, an international team of researchers examined ancient dental plaque from Bronze Age Thailand and found evidence of betel nut chewing. -- "We identified plant derivatives in dental calculus from a 4,000-year-old burial at Nong Ratchawat, Thailand," said first author of the Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology study Dr Piyawit Moonkham, an anthropological archaeologist at Chiang Mai University in Thailand. "This is the earliest direct biomolecular evidence of betel nut use in south-east Asia." -- "We demonstrate that dental calculus can preserve chemical signatures of psychoactive plant use for millennia, even when conventional archaeological evidence is completely absent," added Dr Shannon Tushingham, the senior author, who is the associate curator of anthropology at the California Academy of Sciences. "In essence, we've developed a way to make the invisible visible -- revealing behaviors and practices that have been lost to time for 4,000 years." -- Hidden in plaque -- At Nong Ratchawat, an archaeological site in central Thailand that dates back to the Bronze Age, 156 human burials have been unearthed since 2003. For the present study, the team collected 36 dental calculus samples from six individuals. -- Back in the lab, they removed tiny amounts of plaque from the samples and the chemical residues found therein underwent analysis. The team also used betel liquid samples they produced themselves to ensure psychoactive compounds could be reliably detected through their analysis and to understand the complex biochemical interactions between ingredients. "We used dried betel nut, pink limestone paste, Piper betel leaves, and sometimes Senegalia catechu bark and tobacco. We ground the ingredients with human saliva to replicate authentic chewing conditions," Moonkham said. "Sourcing materials and experimentally 'chewing' betel nuts to create authentic quid samples was both a fun and interesting process." -- The results showed that three of the archaeological samples - all stemming from a molar of the same individual, Burial 11 - contained traces of arecoline and arecaidine. These organic compounds, found in betel nuts but also plants like coffee, tea, and tobacco, have pronounced physiological effects on humans. This suggests that betel nuts were chewed as early as 4,000 years ago in Thailand. -- 'Archaeologically invisible' proof | 244 |
| The Pandemic’s Secret Aftershock: Inside The Gut-Brain Breakdown | Long COVID Patients Experience Increased Gut-Brain Disorders And Mental Health Challenges | The Prevalence and Burden of Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI) before versus after the COVID-19 Pandemic. | American Gastroenterological Association | A recent global study has found a significant surge in gut-brain interaction disorders, particularly in individuals suffering from long COVID. The research highlights an alarming increase in conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia, exacerbated by the pandemic, and emphasizes the urgent need for further investigation into the connections between COVID-19, gut health, and mental well-being. | COVID Linked to Surge in Gut-Brain DisordersIBS and related gut-brain disorders have jumped dramatically since the pandemic, especially among long COVID sufferers, hinting at deeper links between infection, the brain, and the gut. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new international study confirmed a significant post-pandemic rise in disorders of gut-brain interaction, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia, according to the paper published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. -- Building on prior research, investigators used Rome Foundation diagnostic tools to analyze nationally representative samples from both 2017 and 2023 -- offering the first direct, population-level comparison of disorders of gut-brain interaction prevalence before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. -- Key findings: -- Overall disorders of gut-brain interaction rose from 38.3% to 42.6%. -- IBS jumped 28%, from 4.7% to 6%. -- Functional dyspepsia rose by nearly 44%, from 8.3% to 11.9%. -- Individuals with long COVID were significantly more likely to have a disorder of gut-brain interaction and reported worse anxiety, depression, and quality of life. -- This is the first population-level study to directly compare rates of disorders affecting gut-brain interaction before and after the pandemic, using a consistent methodology. It adds weight to growing calls for updated care models and more research into the gut-brain axis in the post-COVID era. -- Irritable bowel syndrome | 245 |
| Perfectly Timed Cancer Combo Wipes Out Tumors By Supercharging The Immune System | Timing Radiation And Immunotherapy Unlocks New Potential In Treating Head And Neck Cancer | The tumor-sentinel lymph node immuno-migratome reveals CCR7⁺ dendritic cells drive response to sequenced immunoradiotherapy. | University of California - San Diego | Researchers have discovered that synchronizing radiation and immunotherapy treatments can effectively eliminate head and neck tumors in mice. By strategically timing these therapies to protect immune system hubs, this innovative approach represents a promising advancement in cancer treatment, with clinical trials underway to explore its effectiveness in humans battling aggressive head and neck cancers. | Perfectly Timed Cancer Combo Wipes Out TumorsTimed treatment wiped out tumors in mice, showing promise for hard-to-treat head and neck cancers. Credit: Shutterstock -- Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are a group of cancers that affect cells in and around our mouth and nose. With 890,000 new cases and 450,000 deaths annually, HNSCC accounts for roughly 4.5% of cancer diagnoses and deaths worldwide. Treatment options for HNSCC are very limited, so nearly half of affected patients with HNSCC die from the disease. Current therapies consist of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which can be effective but often have limited success and significant side effects. -- To meet this unmet medical need, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine are exploring new approaches to improve the effectiveness of treatments for HNSCC. In a new study of oral cancer, a type of HNSCC, they demonstrate how precisely timing two different treatments can potentially improve treatment outcomes by protecting tumor-draining lymph nodes, which are located close to tumors and have an important role in mediating the immune system's response to the tumor. -- The researchers found: -- In mice with oral cancer, delivering radiation therapy that preserves tumor-draining lymph nodes then later delivering immunotherapy resulted in a complete and durable tumor response, meaning the tumors became undetectable. This happened in 15/20 mice treated with this approach. -- The two treatments synergized to enhance migration of a specific type of immune cell, called activated CCR7+ dendritic cells, from tumors into lymph nodes. These cells helped trigger a stronger immune response to the tumor. This occurred in all treated mice. -- The study's results could have significant implications for the treatment of HNSCC, as well as other cancers that are resistant or unresponsive to current standard treatment approaches. The research also provides valuable biological insight into the role of tumor-draining lymph nodes in cancer biology, which could have further implications for developing new therapies. While it will take further research to fully explore the potential of this timed treatment approach, the findings demonstrate the importance of optimizing the sequence and timing of therapies to maximize their benefit to the patient. The researchers are now conducting clinical trials in collaboration with investigators at Providence Earl Chiles Cancer Center to leverage these strategies to improve outcomes in head and neck cancer patients. -- The study, published in Nature Communications, was led by Robert Saddawi-Konefka, M.D., Ph.D.,PGY-8, resident physician and Joseph Califano, M.D., professor and interim chair in the Department of Otolaryngology and Iris and Matthew Strauss Chancellor's Endowed Chair in Head and Neck Surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Califano is also director of the Hanna and Mark Gleiberman Head and Neck Cancer Center at Moore's Cancer Center. The study was supported, in part by a National Cancer Institute funded R01 grant led by. Califano and Andrew Sharabi, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor and Jacobs Chancellor's Endowed Chair in the Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine, as well as a member of the Head and Neck Cancer Center at Moores Cancer Center. The authors declare no competing interests. | 246 |
| Pain Relief Without Pills? VR Nature Scenes Trigger The Brain’s Healing Switch | Virtual Reality Nature Experiences Show Promise For Pain Relief Without Medication Assistance | Immersion in nature through virtual reality attenuates the development and spread of mechanical secondary hyperalgesia: a role for insulo-thalamic effective connectivity. | University of Exeter | A study has demonstrated that immersive virtual reality experiences showcasing nature can significantly alleviate long-term pain, activating the brain's natural pain modulation pathways. Participants who felt a heightened sense of presence in these virtual environments experienced considerable pain relief, suggesting that virtual nature immersion could be a groundbreaking tool in pain management, especially for those unable to access outdoor settings. | Virtual Waterfalls, Real Pain ReliefVirtual reality nature experiences trigger the brain's natural painkillers, offering real relief for chronic-like pain. Credit: Shutterstock -- Immersing in virtual reality (VR) nature scenes helped relieve symptoms that are often seen in people living with long-term pain, with those who felt more present experiencing the strongest effects. -- A new study led by the University of Exeter, published in the journal Pain, tested the impact of immersive 360-degree nature films delivered using VR compared with 2D video images in reducing experience of pain, finding VR almost twice as effective. -- Long-term (chronic) pain typically lasts more than three months and is particularly difficult to treat. The researchers simulated this type of pain in healthy participants, finding that nature VR had an effect similar to that of painkillers, which endured for at least five minutes after the VR experience had ended. -- Dr Sam Hughes, Senior Lecturer in Pain Neuroscience at the University of Exeter, led the study. He said: "We've seen a growing body of evidence show that exposure to nature can help reduce short term, everyday pain, but there has been less research into how this might work for people living with chronic or longer-term pain. Also, not everyone is able to get out for walks in nature, particularly those living with long term health conditions like chronic pain. Our study is the first to look at the effect of prolonged exposure to a virtual reality nature scene on symptoms seen during long term pain sensitivity. Our results suggest that immersive nature experiences can reduce the development of this pain sensitivity through an enhanced sense of presence and through harnessing the brains in-built pain suppression systems'' -- The study, which was funded by the Academy of Medical Sciences, involved 29 healthy participants who were shown two types of nature scene after having pain delivered on the forearm using electric shocks. On the first visit, they measured the changes in pain that occur over a 50-minute period following the electric shocks and showed how the healthy participants developed sensitivity to sharp pricking stimuli in the absence of any nature scenes. The results showed that the participants developed a type of sensitivity that closely resembles that seen in people living with nerve pain -- which occurs due to changes in how pain signals are processed in the brain and spinal cord. -- On the second visit, they immersed the same participants in a 45-minute virtual reality 360-degree experience of the waterfalls of Oregon to see how this could change how the development of pain sensitivity. The scene was specially chosen to maximize therapeutic effects. -- In the second visit, they explored the same scene, but on a 2D screen. -- They completed questionnaires on their experience of pain after watching the scenes in each case, and also on how present they felt in each experience, and to what extent they felt the nature scenes to be restorative[LV1] . -- On a separate visit, participants underwent MRI brain scans at the University of Exeter's Mireille Gillings Neuroimaging Centre. Researchers administered a cold gel to illicit a type of ongoing pain and then scanned participants to study how their brains respond. | 247 |
| Why Cold Feels Good: Scientists Uncover The Chill Pathway | Scientists Find Neural Circuit That Explains How Skin Senses Cool Temperatures | A dedicated skin-to-brain circuit for cool sensation in mice. | University of Michigan | Researchers at the University of Michigan have mapped a neural circuit responsible for how our skin senses cool temperatures, highlighting a unique pathway that amplifies cool sensations before they reach the brain. This discovery not only advances our understanding of sensory biology but may also have implications for medical practices and improving quality of life for individuals with temperature sensitivity issues. | The Surprising Science Behind Feeling CoolYour skin has a secret pathway just for cool sensations—amplified in the spine before reaching the brain. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers at the University of Michigan have illuminated a complete sensory pathway showing how the skin communicates the temperature of its surroundings to the brain. -- This discovery, believed to be the first of its kind, reveals that cool temperatures get their own pathway, indicating that evolution has created different circuits for hot and cold temperatures. This creates an elegant solution for ensuring precise thermal perception and appropriate behavioral responses to environmental changes, said Bo Duan, senior author of the new study. -- "The skin is the body's largest organ. It helps us detect our environment and separate, distinguish different stimuli," said Duan, a U-M associate professor of molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. "There are still many interesting questions about how it does this, but we now have one pathway for how it senses cool temperatures. This is the first neural circuit for temperature sensation in which the full pathway from the skin to the brain has been clearly identified." -- This work deepens our understanding of fundamental biology and brings us closer to an explanation for how we evolved to inhabit safe temperatures and avoid dangerous extremes, Duan said. But it also has medical implications that can be explored to help improve the quality of life for people in the future. -- For example, more than 70% of people who have undergone chemotherapy experience pain caused by cool temperatures, Duan said. The new study found that the neural circuit responsible for sensing innocuous cool does not mediate this type of cold pain. But, in understanding how the cool-sensing circuitry works when it's functioning properly under normal conditions, researchers now have a better chance of discovering what goes wrong in disease or injury. It could also help develop targeted therapies that restore healthy sensation without impairing normal temperature perception. -- This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and performed in collaboration with Shawn Xu and his research team in the U-M Life Sciences Institute. -- A cool amplifier discovery -- In their study, published in the journal Nature Communications, Duan and his team used sophisticated imaging techniques and electrophysiology to observe how mice transmitted the sensation of cool temperatures from their skin to the brain. -- It's an approach the team has applied to other sensations in the past. Headed by postdoctoral research fellow Hankyu Lee and doctoral students Chia Chun Hor and Lorraine Horwitz, the team turned its focus to temperature in this work. | 248 |
| Can AI Predict Cancer? New Model Uses Genomics To Simulate Tumors | New AI-Driven Model Predicts Cancer Cell Behavior Using Genomics And Mathematical Simulations | Human interpretable grammar encodes multicellular systems biology models to democratize virtual cell laboratories. | University of Maryland School of Medicine | A team at the University of Maryland School of Medicine has created a novel software tool that integrates genomics and mathematical modeling to predict cancer cell behavior over time. This innovative approach enables researchers to simulate cellular communication and evolution, potentially leading to personalized cancer treatments tailored to individual patient needs, like creating a “digital twin” for effective care. | Can AI Predict Cancer?Forecasting cancer like weather—scientists unlock a new way to predict disease using virtual cell simulations. -- In the same vein as weather forecast models that predict developing storms, researchers now have developed a method to predict the cell activity in tissues over time. The new software combines genomics technologies with computational modeling to predict cell changes in behavior, such as communication between cells that could cause cancer cells to flourish. -- Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's (UMSOM) Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS) co-led the study that published online on July 25 in the journal Cell. It is the result of a multi-year, multi-lab project at the interface of software development with important collaborations between bench and clinical team science researchers. This research eventually could lead to computer programs that could help determine the best treatment for cancer patients by essentially creating a "digital twin" of the patient. -- "Although standard biomedical research has made immeasurable strides in characterizing cellular ecosystems with genomics technologies, the result is still a single snapshot in time -- rather than showing how diseases, like cancer, can arise from communication between the cells," said Jeanette Johnson, PhD, a Postdoc Fellow at the Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS) at UMSOM and co-first author of this study. "Cancer is controlled or enabled by the immune system, which is highly individualized; this complexity makes it difficult to make predictions from human cancer data to a specific patient." -- What makes this research unique is the use of a plain-language "hypothesis grammar" that uses common language as a bridge between biological systems and computational models and simulates how cells act in tissue. -- Paul Macklin, PhD, Professor of Intelligence Systems Engineering at Indiana University led a team of researchers who developed the grammar to describe cell behavior. This grammar allows scientists to use simple English language sentences to build digital representations of multicellular biological systems and enabled the team to develop computational models for diseases as complex as cancer. -- "As much as this new 'grammar' enables communication between biology and code, it also enables communication between scientists from different disciplines to leverage this modeling paradigm in their research," said Daniel Bergman, PhD, a scientist at IGS and Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology at UMSOM and co-leading author with Dr. Johnson. -- Dr. Bergman and his colleagues at IGS then combined this grammar with genomic data from real patient samples to study breast and pancreatic cancer, with technologies such as spatial transcriptomics. -- In breast cancer, the IGS team modeled an effect where the immune system cannot curtail tumor cell growth and instead promotes invasion and cancer spread. They adapted this computational modeling framework to simulate a real-world immunotherapy clinical trial of pancreatic cancer. -- Using genomics data from untreated tissue samples of pancreatic cancer, the model predicted that each virtual "patient" had a different response to the immunotherapy treatment -- showcasing the importance of cellular ecosystems for precision oncology. For example, pancreatic cancer is a difficult cancer to treat, in part, because it is often surrounded by a dense structure of non-cancerous cells called fibroblasts. The team used new spatial genomics technology to further demonstrate the ways fibroblasts communicate with tumor cells. The program allowed the scientists to follow the growth and progression of pancreatic tumors to invasion from real patient tissue. | 249 |
| COVID Vaccines Saved 2. 5M Lives Globally—A Death Averted Per 5,400 Shots | COVID Vaccines Saved Millions Of Lives And Years Of Life Worldwide, Study Reveals | Global Estimates of Lives and Life-Years Saved by COVID-19 Vaccination During 2020-2024. | Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore | A groundbreaking study led by researchers from Stanford University and the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore has revealed that COVID-19 vaccines have prevented millions of deaths and saved approximately 14.8 million years of life globally. The analysis indicates that most lives were saved before individuals encountered the virus, emphasizing the crucial role of vaccinations in protecting vulnerable populations, particularly seniors, during the pandemic. | 2.5 Million Lives Saved by COVID VaccinesA major global analysis shows COVID-19 vaccines were a game-changer, sparing millions of lives, mostly among seniors, with the biggest impact seen during the Omicron wave. Credit: Shutterstock -- Thanks to vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2 in the period 2020-2024 2.533 million deaths were prevented at global level, one death was avoided for every 5,400 doses of vaccine administered. The 82% of the lives saved by vaccines involved people vaccinated before encountering the virus, 57% during the Omicron period, and 90% involved people aged 60 years and older. In all, vaccines have saved 14.8 million years of life (one year of life saved for 900 doses of vaccine administered). -- These are some of the data released in an unprecedented study published in the journal Jama Health Forum and coordinated by Prof. Stefania Boccia, Stefania Boccia, Professor of General and Applied Hygiene at Università Cattolica, with contributions from Dr. Angelo Maria Pezzullo, Researcher in General and Applied Hygiene, and Dr. Antonio Cristiano, a medical resident in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine. The two researchers spent a period at Stanford University, collaborating directly with the group of Professor John P.A. Ioannidis, director of the Meta-Research Innovation Center (METRICS), in the context of the project “European network staff eXchange for integrAting precision health in the health Care sysTems- ExACT” funded by the European Research Excellence Programme RISE project-Marie Slodowska Curie and coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia. -- Professor Boccia and Dr. Pezzullo explain: “Before ours, several studies tried to estimate lives saved by vaccines with different models and in different periods or parts of the world, but this one is the most comprehensive because it is based on worldwide data, it also covers the Omicron period, it also calculates the number of years of life that was saved, and it is based on fewer assumptions about the pandemic trend.” -- The Study -- The experts studied worldwide population data, applying a series of statistical methods to figure out who among the people who became ill with COVID did either before or after getting vaccinated, before or after Omicron period, and how many of them died (and at what age). "We compared this data with the estimated data modeled in the absence of COVID vaccination and were then able to calculate the numbers of people who were saved by COVID vaccines and the years of life gained as a result of them," Dr Pezzullo explains. -- It also turned out that most of the saved years of life (76%) involved people over 60 years of age, but residents in long-term care facilities contributed only with 2% of the total number. Children and adolescents (0.01% of lives saved and 0.1% of life years saved) and young adults aged 20-29 (0.07% of lives saved and 0.3% of life years saved) contributed very little to the total benefit. -- Professor Boccia concludes: "These estimates are substantially more conservative than previous calculations that focused mainly on the first year of vaccination, but clearly demonstrate an important overall benefit from COVID-19 vaccination over the period 2020-2024. Most of the benefits, in terms of lives and life-years saved, have been secured for a portion of the global population who is typically more fragile, the elderly." | 250 |
| Scientists Discover The Receptor That Helps Your Brain Clean Itself—And Fight Alzheimer’s | Key Receptor Discovery Could Enhance Brain's Ability To Combat Alzheimer’s Disease | G-protein-coupled receptor ADGRG1 drives a protective microglial state in Alzheimer's disease through MYC activation. | University of California - San Francisco | Scientists at UCSF have identified a key receptor in microglial cells that allows them to digest toxic amyloid beta plaques linked to Alzheimer's disease. This discovery underscores the importance of microglia in maintaining brain health by preventing plaque accumulation, and suggests that enhancing this receptor could lead to new therapeutic strategies aimed at protecting against Alzheimer's and improving cognitive function. | Receptor That Helps Your Brain Clean ItselfA key brain receptor helps prevent Alzheimer’s by enabling immune cells to destroy toxic protein plaques. Credit: Shutterstock -- UCSF scientists have discovered how microglia engulf and break down amyloid beta, a protein that builds up in Alzheimer's, with devastating consequences for the brain. -- In Alzheimer's disease, proteins like amyloid beta form clumps, known as plaques, that damage the brain. -- But in some people, immune cells called microglia break down these proteins before they can cause harm. This leads to fewer and smaller clumps -- and much milder symptoms. -- Researchers at UC San Francisco identified a molecular receptor that enables microglia to gobble up and digest amyloid beta plaques. -- Without the receptor, ADGRG1, the microglia barely nibbled on the toxic protein. Using a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, the researchers observed how the loss of ADGRG1 led to the rapid buildup of amyloid plaques, neurodegeneration, and problems with learning and memory. -- "We think this receptor helps microglia do their job of keeping the brain healthy over many years," said Xianhua Piao, MD, PhD, a physician-scientist in the UCSF Department of Pediatrics. -- Indeed, when the researchers reanalyzed a prior study of gene expression in the human brain, they found that individuals who died of mild Alzheimer's had microglia with abundant ADGRG1, and mild cognitive impairment -- implying that the microglia ate well and kept the disease in check. But in those who died of severe Alzheimer's, the microglia had very little ADGRG1, and the plaques proliferated. -- ADGRG1 is one of hundreds of G protein-coupled receptors, which are routinely targeted in drug development. This bodes well for a rapid translation of the discovery into new therapies. -- "Some people are lucky to have responsible microglia," Piao said. "But this discovery creates an opportunity to develop drugs to make microglia effective against amyloid-beta in everyone." | 251 |
| Scientists Just Invented A Safer Non-Stick Coating—And It’s Inspired By Arrows | Innovative Non-Stick Coating Developed With Minimal PFAS Through Nanoscale Fletching Technology | Nanoscale fletching of liquid-like polydimethylsiloxane with single perfluorocarbons enables sustainable oil-repellency. | University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering | Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a new non-stick material that significantly reduces the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as "forever chemicals." By employing a technique called nanoscale fletching, the innovative coating effectively repels water and oil, potentially offering a safer alternative for cookware and textiles while minimizing environmental and health risks associated with traditional PFAS-based products. | Safer Non-Stick Coating Could Replace TeflonResearchers engineered a PFAS-lite coating that’s just as effective as Teflon, using a feather-inspired design at the molecular level. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new material developed by researchers from University of Toronto Engineering could offer a safer alternative to the non-stick chemicals commonly used in cookware and other applications. -- The new substance repels both water and grease about as well as standard non-stick coatings -- but it contains much lower amounts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a family of chemicals that have raised environmental and health concerns. -- "The research community has been trying to develop safer alternatives to PFAS for a long time," says Professor Kevin Golovin, who heads the Durable Repellent Engineered Advanced Materials (DREAM) Laboratory at U of T Engineering. -- "The challenge is that while it's easy to create a substance that will repel water, it's hard to make one that will also repel oil and grease to the same degree. Scientists had hit an upper limit to the performance of these alternative materials." -- Since its invention in the late 1930s, Teflon -- also known as polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE -- has become famous for its ability to repel water, oil and grease alike. Teflon is part of a larger family of substances known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). -- PFAS molecules are made of chains of carbon atoms, each of which is bonded to several fluorine atoms. The inertness of carbon-fluorine bonds is responsible for the non-stick properties of PFAS. -- However, this chemical inertness also causes PFAS to resist the normal processes that would break down other organic molecules over time. For this reason, they are sometimes called 'forever chemicals.' -- In addition to their persistence, PFAS are known to accumulate in biological tissues, and their concentrations can become amplified as they travel up the food chain. -- Various studies have linked exposure to high levels of PFAS to certain types of cancer, birth defects and other health problems, with the longer chain PFAS generally considered more harmful than the shorter ones. | 252 |
| This Common Fruit Has Over 1,600 Compounds That Boost Brain, Heart, And Gut Health | Fresh Grapes Packed With Over 1,600 Compounds Benefit Heart, Brain, Skin, And Gut | Perspective: Are Grapes Worthy of the Moniker Superfood? Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry | California Table Grape Commission | A recent article highlights the extensive health benefits of fresh grapes, which contain over 1,600 beneficial compounds. These fruits are being proposed for official recognition as a superfood due to their positive effects on heart, brain, skin, and gut health, as well as their ability to influence gene expression, revealing their multifaceted role in promoting overall well-being. | Grapes Have Over 1,600 Health-Boosting CompoundsPacked with polyphenols and backed by science, grapes are being redefined as a true superfood with body-wide, even genetic, health benefits. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new article appearing in the current issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry explores the concept of "superfoods" and makes a case that fresh grapes have earned what should be a prominent position in the superfood family. The author, leading resveratrol and cancer researcher John M. Pezzuto, Ph.D., D.Sc., Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Western New England University, brings forth an array of evidence to support his perspective on this issue. -- As noted in the article, the term "superfood" is a common word without an official definition or established criteria. Mainstream superfoods are typically part of the Mediterranean Diet and generally rich in natural plant compounds that are beneficial to a person's health. Pezzuto addresses the broader topic of superfoods in detail, then makes the scientific case for grapes, noting that fresh grapes are underplayed in this arena and often not included with mention of other similar foods, such as berries. -- Grapes are a natural source of over 1,600 compounds, including antioxidants and other polyphenols such as flavonoids, anthocyanidins, catechins, phenolic acids, resveratrol, and more. Polyphenols are credited with the health benefits of grapes, via antioxidant activity and influencing cellular processes. It is the whole grape and the unique matrix of these compounds within it that creates the biological effects, not a single component. -- Over sixty peer-reviewed studies have been published in the scientific literature on grapes and health. The role of grapes on cardiovascular health is well established, including promoting relaxation of blood vessels and healthy circulation, as well as modulating cholesterol levels. Clinical trials also show that grapes support brain health (help maintain healthy brain metabolism and beneficial impacts on cognition), skin health (enhanced resistance to UV radiation and DNA damage in skin cells), gut health (modulating the gut microbiome and increasing diversity in the gut), and eye health (retinal impact via increase in macular pigment optical density). Finally, in the realm of nutrigenomics - the study of foods on gene expression in the body - grape consumption has been shown to positively alter gene expression in relevant body systems. Pezzuto suggests that it is these activities at the genetic level that are likely the driving force behind the health benefits of grapes. -- "Dr. Pezzuto shows that based on the science, grapes are indeed a superfood, and should be recognized as such," said Ian LeMay, president of the California Table Grape Commission, "and we are hopeful that using this nomenclature in association with grapes becomes common practice. Luckily, whether consumed for health or sheer enjoyment as a healthy snack, eating California grapes is a win for consumers." | 253 |
| Starving Tumors Makes Cancer Treatment Work Better | Blocking Nutrient Scavenging In Pancreatic Tumors Enhances Effectiveness Of Cancer Treatments | Macropinocytosis maintains CAF subtype identity under metabolic stress in pancreatic cancer. | Sanford Burnham Prebys | A study reveals that blocking pancreatic tumor cells' nutrient scavenging process can alter the tumor environment, making it more susceptible to immunotherapy and chemotherapy. By targeting macropinocytosis in mice, researchers demonstrated that this approach effectively softens the tumor's density, facilitating better drug delivery and improved treatment outcomes for aggressive pancreatic cancer. | Starving Tumors Makes Treatment Work BetterScientists found that stopping tumors from stealing nutrients can change their environment, making them easier for the immune system and treatments to reach. In mice, this strategy improved the success of both chemo and immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer. Credit: Shutterstock -- Cancer cells and tumors do not exist in a vacuum. Far from the isolation and self-sufficiency of the fictional Wakanda, tumors develop in and alter the nearby milieu of immune cells, connective tissue, blood vessels and a sea of proteins and carbohydrates that provide structure and other supportive functions. -- Cancer cells interact with this neighborhood -- which scientists term the tumor microenvironment -- in many ways, including obtaining extra resources needed to fuel their unchecked growth. Like a fishing trawler deploying its net, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells reform their cell surfaces to grab additional nutrients from the jelly-like substance between cells called the extracellular matrix. -- This cellular scavenging process -- known as macropinocytosis -- affects the area surrounding the tumor, making the connective tissue stiffer and preventing immune cells from reaching the tumor. -- Scientists at the NCI-Designated Cancer Center at Sanford Burnham Prebys published findings July 24, 2025, in Cancer Cell demonstrating that blocking macropinocytosis reshapes the tumor microenvironment to be less fibrous and to allow more access to immune cells. These changes made immunotherapy and chemotherapy more effective in treating PDAC tumors in mice. -- The researchers started by observing cells in the tumor microenvironment called fibroblasts that typically form connective tissue and produce many components of the extracellular matrix that are captured during macropinocytosis. In the presence of a tumor, some nearby fibroblasts are coerced to become cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) that help tumors grow. -- "These CAFs are among the cells surrounding the tumor, and they will support tumor growth by providing metabolites and growth signals, as well as helping in other ways," said Yijuan Zhang, PhD, a staff scientist at Sanford Burnham Prebys and lead author of the study. -- The scientists found that blocking macropinocytosis exacerbated the metabolic stress experienced by CAFs that are deprived of glutamine, one of the 20 amino acids used to build proteins throughout the body. Because PDAC relies upon glutamine much more than other cancers, CAFs in the pancreatic cancer tumor microenvironment are routinely starved of glutamine. After preventing pancreatic CAFs from using the same scrounging strategy as PDAC tumors, the scientists observed a change to a different subtype of CAF marked by the expression of genes that promote inflammation. -- "Most pancreatic CAFs are myofibroblasts that promote stiffness and density in the tumor microenvironment and make it more difficult for immune cells and drugs to reach the tumor," said Cosimo Commisso, PhD, senior author and interim director and deputy director of the institute's cancer center. "Our experiments led to a subtype reprogramming with fewer myofibroblasts and more inflammatory CAFs, and we wondered how this change would affect the overall tumor microenvironment." -- The research team found that significant changes in the tumor neighborhood resulted from preventing macropinocytosis in CAFs. | 254 |
| Global Study Reveals The Surprising Habit Behind Tough Decisions | Global Study Finds Common Decision-Making Trends Across Cultures That Enhance Teamwork | Decision-making preferences for intuition, deliberation, friends or crowds in independent and interdependent societies. | University of Waterloo | An international study involving over 3,500 participants from 12 countries reveals that people tend to rely on their judgment for complex decisions, regardless of cultural background. This research challenges the idea that self-reliance is solely a Western trait, highlighting the universality of private reflection in decision-making, thereby aiding in understanding team dynamics and cross-cultural relations. | The Surprising Global Decision HabitFrom city dwellers to Amazon tribes, people worldwide tend to “go it alone” in decision-making, with culture influencing how strongly they trust their inner voice. Credit: Shutterstock -- An international study surveying people in a dozen countries found that when it comes to making complex decisions, people all over the world tend to reflect on their own, rather than seek advice. -- Researchers from the University of Waterloo led the new study that surveyed more than 3,500 people from megacities to small Indigenous communities in the Amazon rainforest to learn how they make decisions. This work is the broadest test of decision-style preferences across cultures to date. -- The researchers say that by understanding that even in interdependent societies most people prefer to go with the decision made by themselves, irrespective of what others say, can help clarify cross-cultural misunderstandings and realize that we all appear to be juggling similar internal debates. -- "Realizing that most of us instinctively 'go it alone' helps explain why we often ignore good counsel, be it for health tips or financial planning, despite mounting evidence that such counsel may help us make wiser decisions," said Dr. Igor Grossmann, professor in the Department of Psychology at Waterloo and first author on the paper. "This knowledge can help us design teamwork better by working with this self-reliant tendency and letting employees reason privately before sharing advice that they might reject." -- The study upends the belief that westerners work things out themselves while the rest of the world leans on others. In fact, intuition and self-reflection beat out advice from friends or crowdsourcing in all countries studied. The amount of that preference varied, depending on the level at which a culture values independence or interdependence. -- "Our take-home message is that we all look inward first, yet the wisest moves may happen when solo reflections are shared with others," Grossmann said. "What culture does is controls the volume knob, dialing up that inner voice in highly independent societies and softening it somewhat in more interdependent ones." -- Nearly 40 authors contributed to this work as part of the Geography of Philosophy Project, which is led by Dr. Edouard Machery, from the University of Pittsburgh. -- The study, Decision-making preferences for intuition, deliberation, friends or crowds in independent and interdependent societies, appears in Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences. | 255 |
| The Surprising Brain Chemistry Behind Instant Friendships | Lack Of Oxytocin Signals Delays Bonding And Impacts Long-Term Friendships | Oxytocin receptors mediate social selectivity in prairie vole peer relationships. | University of California - Berkeley | UC Berkeley researchers found that oxytocin is crucial for forming friendships but less so for romantic bonds. In prairie voles, a lack of oxytocin receptors delays social bonding and partner selectivity. This study sheds light on the neurological basis of friendships and could inform understanding of social behavior in humans, particularly in conditions like autism. | The Brain Chemistry Behind Instant FriendshipsOxytocin speeds up friendship formation and partner preference, as shown in prairie vole studies. Without it, bonds take longer, and social selectivity drops. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new UC Berkeley study shows that the so-called love hormone, oxytocin, is also critical for the formation of friendships. -- Oxytocin is released in the brain during sex, childbirth, breastfeeding and social interactions and contributes to feelings of attachment, closeness and trust. Never mind that it's also associated with aggression; the hormone is commonly referred to as the "cuddle" or "happy" hormone, and people are encouraged to boost their oxytocin levels for better well-being by touching friends and loved ones, listening to music and exercising. -- But recent studies involving the prairie vole have called this love association into question. They've shown that oxytocin, which in the brain acts as a neuromodulator, is not essential for long-term mate bonding, or "social monogamy," or for parenting behavior, though without it, voles take longer to form such bonds. -- Scientists focus on prairie voles because, like humans, they form stable and selective relationships. While most studies focus on mate bonds, the Beery lab at UC Berkeley is particularly interested in selective peer relationships, analogous to human friendships. Such studies could shed light on human psychiatric conditions, such as autism and schizophrenia, that interfere with a person's ability to form or maintain social bonds. -- "Prairie voles are special because they allow us to get at the neurobiology of friendship and how it's similar to and different from other types of relationships," said Annaliese Beery, a UC Berkeley associate professor of integrative biology and neuroscience and senior author of the study. -- Beery and integrative biology graduate student Alexis Black, one of two first authors of the study, found that prairie voles that lack oxytocin receptors take longer than normal voles to form peer relationships. Prairie voles that are close friends typically huddle side by side, groom and even sit on one another. -- "Oxytocin seems to be particularly important in the early formation phase of relationships and especially in the selectivity of those relationships: 'I prefer you to this stranger,' for example," Beery said. "The animals that didn't have intact oxytocin signaling took longer to form relationships. And then when we challenged those relationships by making new groups, they lost track of their original partners right away." -- The voles, genetically modified in the UC San Francisco laboratory of collaborator and co-author Dr. Devanand Manoli, also lacked the social rewards that normally come from selective attachments -- they didn't work very hard to snuggle up with their friends and were less avoidant of and less aggressive towards strangers. -- "In other words, oxytocin is playing a crucial role not so much in how social they are, but more in who they are social with, their selectivity," she said. | 256 |
| Johns Hopkins Scientists Grow A Mini Human Brain That Lights Up And Connects Like The Real Thing | Groundbreaking Mini Brain Organoid Offers New Insights Into Neurological Disorders | Multi‐Region Brain Organoids Integrating Cerebral, Mid‐Hindbrain, and Endothelial Systems. | Johns Hopkins University | Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have developed a groundbreaking multi-region brain organoid that mimics a human brain's structure and function. This innovative model allows for the study of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, providing opportunities to test treatments in ways that traditional animal models cannot, potentially revolutionizing neuroscience research. | Lab-Grown Brain Lights Up With Neural ActivityJohns Hopkins researchers used light sheet microscopy to confirm cerebral organoids, endothelial organoids, and mid/hindbrain organoids fused into one Multi-Region Brain Organoid. Credit: Kathuria Lab, Johns Hopkins University -- Johns Hopkins University researchers have grown a novel whole-brain organoid, complete with neural tissues and rudimentary blood vessels -- an advance that could usher in a new era of research into neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism. -- "We've made the next generation of brain organoids," said lead author Annie Kathuria, an assistant professor in JHU's Department of Biomedical Engineering who studies brain development and neuropsychiatric disorders. "Most brain organoids that you see in papers are one brain region, like the cortex or the hindbrain or midbrain. We've grown a rudimentary whole-brain organoid; we call it the multi-region brain organoid (MRBO)." -- The research, published in Advanced Science, marks one of the first times scientists have been able to generate an organoid with tissues from each region of the brain connected and acting in concert. Having a human cell-based model of the brain will open possibilities for studying schizophrenia, autism, and other neurological diseases that affect the whole brain -- work that typically is conducted in animal models. -- To generate a whole-brain organoid, Kathuria and members of her team first grew neural cells from the separate regions of the brain and rudimentary forms of blood vessels in separate lab dishes. The researchers then stuck the individual parts together with sticky proteins that act as a biological superglue and allowed the tissues to form connections. As the tissues began to grow together, they started producing electrical activity and responding as a network. -- The multi-region mini brain organoid retained a broad range of types of neuronal cells, with characteristics resembling a brain in a 40-day-old human fetus. Some 80% of the range of types of cells normally seen at the early stages of human brain development was equally expressed in the laboratory-crafted miniaturized brains. Much smaller compared to a real brain -- weighing in at 6 million to 7 million neurons compared with tens of billions in adult brains -- these organoids provide a unique platform on which to study whole-brain development. -- The researchers also saw the creation of an early blood-brain barrier formation, a layer of cells that surround the brain and control which molecules can pass through. -- "We need to study models with human cells if you want to understand neurodevelopmental disorders or neuropsychiatric disorders, but I can't ask a person to let me take a peek at their brain just to study autism," Kathuria said. "Whole-brain organoids let us watch disorders develop in real time, see if treatments work, and even tailor therapies to individual patients." -- Using whole-brain organoids to test experimental drugs may also help improve the rate of clinical trial success, researchers said. Roughly 85% to 90% of drugs fail during Phase 1 clinical trials. For neuropsychiatric drugs, the fail rate is closer to 96%. This is because scientists predominantly study animal models during the early stages of drug development. Whole-brain organoids more closely resemble the natural development of a human brain and likely will make better test subjects. -- "Diseases such as schizophrenia, autism, and Alzheimer's affect the whole brain, not just one part of the brain. If you can understand what goes wrong early in development, we may be able to find new targets for drug screening," Kathuria said. "We can test new drugs or treatments on the organoids and determine whether they're actually having an impact on the organoids." | 257 |
| The Plant Virus That Trains Your Immune System To Kill Cancer | Plant Virus Triggers Immune Response Against Cancer: A Game-Changer In Clinical Trials | Comparative analyses for plant virus-based cancer immunotherapy drug development. | University of California - San Diego | The cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) shows promise as a low-cost immunotherapy for cancer by activating the immune system without infecting human cells. Research indicates that CPMV stimulates strong immune responses, leading to effective tumor destruction. This discovery could pave the way for clinical trials and new cancer treatment strategies. | Plant Virus Trains Your Body to Kill CancerA cowpea virus awakens the immune system to attack cancer, showing high potential as a natural, low-cost immunotherapy. Credit: Shutterstock -- A virus that typically infects black-eyed peas is showing great promise as a low-cost, potent cancer immunotherapy -- and researchers are uncovering why. -- In a study published in Cell Biomaterials, a team led by chemical and nano engineers at the University of California San Diego took a closer look at how the cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV), unlike other plant viruses, is uniquely effective at activating the body's immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. -- In preclinical studies, CPMV has demonstrated potent anti-tumor effects in multiple mouse models, as well as in canine cancer patients. When injected directly into tumors, CPMV therapy recruits innate immune cells -- such as neutrophils, macrophages and natural killer cells -- into the tumor microenvironment to destroy cancer cells. Meanwhile, it activates B cells and T cells to establish systemic, long-lasting anti-tumor memory. This immune reawakening not only helps clear the targeted tumor but also primes the immune system to hunt down metastatic tumors elsewhere in the body. -- "It is fascinating that CPMV but not other plant viruses stimulates an anti-tumor response," said Nicole Steinmetz, the Leo and Trude Szilard Chancellor's Endowed Chair in the Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and the study's corresponding author. -- "This work gives us insight into how CPMV works so well," said study first author Anthony Omole, a chemical and nano engineering Ph.D. student in Steinmetz's lab. "What we found most exciting is that although human immune cells are not infected by CPMV, they respond to it and are reprogrammed towards an activated state, which ultimately trains them to detect and eradicate cancerous cells." -- A key question in translating CPMV to human cancer patients has been: what makes this plant virus so effective at fighting cancer? -- To investigate, Omole, Steinmetz and colleagues at the National Cancer Institute's Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory performed a side-by-side comparison of CPMV with the cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV), a closely related plant virus that does not exhibit anti-tumor effects when administered intratumorally. Both viruses form similarly sized nanoparticles and are taken up by human immune cells at similar rates. Yet, once inside, the viruses produce different outcomes. -- CPMV, the team found, stimulates type I, II and III interferons -- proteins with well-known anti-cancer properties. "This is particularly interesting because some of the earliest cancer immunotherapy drugs were recombinant interferons," noted Omole. Meanwhile, CCMV stimulates a set of pro-inflammatory interleukins that do not translate to effective tumor clearance. Another difference lies in how these viruses' RNAs are processed within mammalian cells. CPMV RNAs persist longer and get delivered to the endolysosome, where they activate toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7), a critical component in priming antiviral -- and more importantly -- anti-tumor immune responses. CCMV RNAs, on the other hand, fail to reach this activation point. -- CPMV also offers a unique advantage as a cost-effective immunotherapy. Unlike many other therapies that require complex and costly manufacturing, CPMV can be produced using molecular farming. "It can be grown in plants using sunlight, soil and water," Omole said. | 258 |
| Scientists Analyzed 100,000 Exams And Found The Best Time To Take One | Best Time For Exams? Studies Show Midday Boosts Student Success Rates | Timing matters! Academic assessment changes throughout the day. | Frontiers | A study of over 100,000 oral exams in Italy found that students perform better when assessed around midday. The research suggests biological rhythms and decision fatigue impact performance, indicating that strategic scheduling could enhance fairness and effectiveness in academic evaluations and beyond, such as during job interviews. | The Best Time to Take Your ExamPass rates in Italian oral exams spike at lunchtime and dip early or late in the day. This suggests that when you're evaluated matters almost as much as how you're prepared. Credit: Shutterstock -- To succeed at university, Italian students need to pass interview-style oral exams. Now scientists have found that the time of the exam could be a critical factor influencing their success… or failure. Even when other factors were excluded, the chances of passing were highest around lunchtime, and lowest at the beginning or end of the day. -- "We show that academic assessment outcomes vary systematically across the day, with a clear peak in passing rates around midday," said Prof Carmelo Mario Vicario, director of the Social-Cognitive Neuroscience Lab at the University of Messina and lead author of the article in Frontiers in Psychology. "Students were more likely to pass in late morning compared to early morning or late afternoon." -- "We believe this pattern could extend to job interviews or any evaluative process scheduled throughout the day," added Vicario. "We would be very interested in investigating whether hiring decisions, too, fluctuate in fairness or outcome depending on time of day." -- Timing is everything -- The researchers were inspired by work which showed that judges were most likely to rule in favor of a defendant after meal breaks or at the beginning of a session. However, this could have been influenced by different types of case being presented at different times. So the researchers looked at oral exams, which are more subjective than legal decisions. If the time of day influences people's judgement, large-scale data on exam outcomes should show evidence of it. -- "Oral exams in Italian universities are scheduled at set times, typically lasting 10 to 30 minutes per student," explained Vicario. "There's no standardized format: professors ask questions based on the course content, and grades are assigned on the spot. These exams can be highly stressful due to their unpredictable nature and the strong weight they carry in academic progression." -- A database from the University of Messina allowed researchers to access the results of exams conducted between October 2018 and February 2020. The researchers collected the time, date, and outcome of 104,552 assessments delivered by 680 examiners for 1,243 courses. They also used the number of credits granted towards a degree per exam to measure the difficulty of individual exams. This allowed them to exclude the difficulty of the exam as a factor and carry out statistical analysis evaluating the likelihood of passing based on the time when the exam began. -- Beating the curve -- The researchers found that only 57% of the exams were passed. The passing rate followed a bell curve with a peak at noon: there was no significant difference in your chance of passing if you sat your exam at 11:00 or 13:00, but your chances of passing were lower if you took the exam at 08:00 or 09:00, or at 15:00 or 16:00. The chance of passing was equivalent in the early morning and in the late afternoon. | 259 |
| Your Brain Sees Faces In Everything—And Science Just Explained Why | Your Brain Is Wired To See Faces In Everyday Objects—Here’s Why | How face-like objects and averted gaze faces orient our attention: The role of global configuration and local features. | University of Surrey | New research from the University of Surrey investigates how our brains are wired to recognize faces, even in object-like illusions. The findings reveal that pareidolia generates a stronger attentional response than real faces, suggesting implications for marketing and advertising strategies by leveraging this innate human tendency to perceive faces. | Why Your Brain Sees Faces in ThingsFace-like illusions draw our attention more powerfully than real gazes, using a different brain mechanism. Credit: Shutterstock -- New research details how our brains are drawn to and spot faces everywhere -- If you have ever spotted faces or human-like expressions in everyday objects, you may have experienced the phenomenon of face pareidolia. Now, a new study by the University of Surrey has looked into how this phenomenon grabs our attention, which could be used by advertisers in promoting future products. -- The study, published in i-Perception, investigated the differences between our attention being directed by averted gazes - when a subject looks away from another subject's eyes or face - and when it's directed by pareidolia - imagined face-like objects. -- The researchers conducted four "gaze cueing task" experiments with a total of 54 participants, to measure how our attention is influenced by the direction of another subject's gaze. They found that participants consistently shifted their attention in response to the appearance of both averted gazes and pareidolia. -- However, the underlying mechanisms through which attention is drawn are quite different. While we are primarily drawn to the eye region of averted gazes, we are drawn to pareidolia's holistic structure of their "faces," and as a result, experienced a stronger response and attention. -- Dr Di Fu, Lecturer in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Surrey, said: -- "Our research shows that both averted gazes from real faces and perceived faces in objects can direct where we look, but they do so through different pathways. We process real faces through focusing on specific features, like the direction of the eyes. However, with face-like objects, we process their overall structure and where their "eye-like features" are positioned, resulting in a stronger attention response." -- The findings of the study may have implications that go beyond a better understanding of how our brain processes information. Dr Fu adds: -- "Our findings may have practical implications too, particularly in areas like product advertising. Advertisers could potentially incorporate face-like arrangements with prominent eye-like elements into their designs, increasing consumer attention and leaving a more memorable impression of their products." | 260 |
| Scientists Uncover Hidden Gut ‘Sense’ That Talks To Your Brain | Discovery Reveals Gut Microbes Communicate Directly With The Brain About Appetite | A gut sense for a microbial pattern regulates feeding. | Duke University | A discovery at Duke University School of Medicine reveals a rapid-response system where gut cells communicate with the brain to regulate appetite. Named the “neurobiotic sense,” this mechanism, involving microbial proteins, offers insights into how gut health impacts behavior and mood, potentially informing future treatments for obesity and mental health. | Newly Discovered ‘Sixth Sense’Tiny gut cells called neuropods detect a bacterial protein and alert the brain when we’ve eaten enough. This real-time gut-brain signal may help regulate appetite and mood, and could explain how diets and gut microbes influence behavior. Credit: Shutterstock -- In a breakthrough that reimagines the way the gut and brain communicate, researchers have uncovered what they call a “neurobiotic sense,” a newly identified system that lets the brain respond in real time to signals from microbes living in our gut. -- The new research, led by Duke University School of Medicine neuroscientists Diego Bohórquez, PhD, and M. Maya Kaelberer, PhD, and published in Nature, centers on neuropods, tiny sensor cells lining the colon’s epithelium. These cells detect a common microbial protein and send rapid messages to the brain that help curb appetite. -- But this is just the beginning. The team believes this neurobiotic sense may be a broader platform for understanding how gut detects microbes, influencing everything from eating habits to mood — and even how the brain might shape the microbiome in return. -- “We were curious whether the body could sense microbial patterns in real time and not just as an immune or inflammatory response, but as a neural response that guides behavior in real time,” said Bohórquez, a professor of medicine and neurobiology at Duke University School of Medicine and senior author of the study. -- The key player is flagellin, an ancient protein found in bacterial flagella, a tail-like structure that bacteria use to swim. When we eat, some gut bacteria release flagellin. Neuropods detect it, with help from a receptor called TLR5, and fire off a message through the vagus nerve – a major communication line of communication between the gut and the brain. -- The team, supported by the National Institutes of Health, proposed a bold idea: that bacterial flagellin in the colon could trigger neuropods to send an appetite-suppressing signal to the brain — a direct microbial influence on behavior. -- The researchers tested this by fasting mice overnight, then giving them a small dose of flagellin directly to the colon. Those mice ate less. -- When researchers tried the same experiment in mice missing the TLR5 receptor, nothing changed. The mice kept eating and gained weight, a clue that the pathway helps regulate appetite. The findings suggest that flagellin sends a “we’ve had enough” signal through TLR5, allowing the gut to tell the brain it’s time to stop eating. Without that receptor, the message doesn’t get through. -- The discovery was guided by lead study authors Winston Liu, MD, PhD, Emily Alway, both graduate students of the Medical Scientist Training Program, and postdoctoral fellow Naama Reicher, Ph.D. Their experiments reveal that disrupting the pathway altered eating habits in mice pointed to a deeper link between gut microbes and behavior. | 261 |
| 7000 Steps A Day Cuts Death Risk By 47%—And That Might Be All You Need | Walking Just 7000 Steps Daily Can Significantly Lower Early Death Risks | Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. | University of Sydney | A significant global study indicates that walking 7,000 steps daily can reduce the risk of early death by up to 47%, similar to the often-cited 10,000-step goal. The findings advocate for a redefined understanding of physical activity, highlighting measurable health benefits from lower step counts, promoting achievable fitness goals. | 7000 Steps a Day Cuts Death Risk by 47%You don’t need 10,000 steps to reap serious health benefits. Just 7000 a day cuts the risk of early death by nearly 50%, with added perks like better heart and brain health. Credit: Shutterstock -- A major new study led by the University of Sydney suggests that walking 7000 steps a day offers similar health benefits across several outcomes as walking 10,000. -- il 7000 steps, at which point the benefits began to taper off -- A major new study led by the University of Sydney suggests that walking 7000 steps a day offers similar health benefits across several outcomes as walking 10,000. -- Led by Professor Melody Ding from the School of Public Health, the study was published in The Lancet Public Healthand analysed data from 57 studies from 2014 to 2025 that were conducted in more than ten countries including Australia, USA, UK and Japan. -- The largest and most comprehensive review to date, the researchers examined the impact that different daily step counts have on the chance of dying from cardiovascular disease and cancer, and developing diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, dementia and depression. Professor Melody Ding says the findings offer a more achievable benchmark for people who struggle to meet traditional exercise guidelines. -- "Aiming for 7000 steps is a realistic goal based on our findings, which assessed health outcomes in a range of areas that hadn't been looked at before," said Professor Ding. -- "However, for those who cannot yet achieve 7000 steps a day, even small increases in step counts, such as increasing from 2000 to 4000 steps a day, are associated with significant health gain. -- "We know daily step count is linked to living longer, but we now also have evidence that walking at least 7000 steps a day can significantly improve eight major health outcomes -- including reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia and depressive symptoms." -- Health benefits at different step counts | 262 |
| People With Eating Disorders Say Cannabis And Psychedelics Help More Than Antidepressants | Surprising Self-Medication Trends: Cannabis And Psychedelics Rated Higher For Treating Eating Disorders | Prescription and Nonprescription Drug Use Among People With Eating Disorders. | University of Sydney | An extensive global survey reveals that individuals with eating disorders find cannabis and psychedelics more effective than traditional medications for symptom relief. While antidepressants were positively rated for overall mental health, they were less effective for eating disorder symptoms, prompting calls for further research into alternative treatments. | Cannabis and Psychedelics Help Eating DisordersPeople with eating disorders report cannabis and psychedelics as surprisingly effective symptom relievers, outshining prescriptions and prompting urgent new trials. Credit: Shutterstock -- A pioneering international survey of people living with eating disorders has found that cannabis and psychedelics, such as 'magic mushrooms' or LSD, were best rated as alleviating symptoms by respondents who self-medicated with the non-prescribed drugs. -- The worst-rated drugs were alcohol, tobacco, nicotine and cocaine. -- Prescribed drugs, such as antidepressants, were generally not well rated for treating eating-disorder symptoms but were positively rated for effects on general mental health. -- The research, led by PhD student Sarah-Catherine Rodan at the University of Sydney's Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, is published on July 22 in JAMA Network Open. -- Ms Rodan said: "Our results provide important insights into the lived experiences of people with eating disorders and their drug use, highlighting promising avenues for future research into treatments. -- "The findings suggest more research, including large clinical trials, should be undertaken around the beneficial effects of cannabis and psychedelics for people with eating disorders." -- The Lambert Initiative researchers will shortly launch a clinical trial of psilocybin in treating anorexia nervosa in collaboration with the Inside Out Institute at the University of Sydney. -- Scope and response of survey -- The study analyzed responses from over 7600 self-allocated participants in 83 countries, making it the most comprehensive survey ever conducted on this topic. | 263 |
| Even Without Catching Covid, The Pandemic May Have Quietly Aged Your Brain | Pandemic Stress Affected Brain Ages, Even In Those Who Didn’t Catch Covid | Accelerated brain ageing during the COVID-19 pandemic. | University of Nottingham | A large UK study suggests that the Covid-19 pandemic may have accelerated brain aging in individuals, even those uninfected. Stress and isolation during lockdowns impacted cognitive functions, particularly in older adults, indicating that major life disruptions can significantly reshape mental health and cognitive abilities over time. | Covid Stress Aged Brains, Even Without InfectionBrain scans reveal the pandemic impacted mental aging in healthy people, with signs of stress-related changes even without Covid infection. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study, led by experts at the University of Nottingham, has found that the Covid-19 pandemic may have accelerated people's brain health, even if they were never infected with the virus. -- What does it mean to grow older, not just in years, but in terms of brain health? Can stress, isolation, and global disruption leave their mark on people's minds? -- The findings of this new study, which are published in Nature Communications, showed that people who lived through the Covid-19 pandemic showed signs of faster brain aging over time than those scanned entirely before it. The changes were most noticeable in older individuals, in men, and in people from more disadvantaged backgrounds. -- Only participants who were infected by Covid-19 between their scans showed a drop in certain cognitive abilities, such as mental flexibility and processing speed. This may suggest that the pandemic's brain aging effect, on its own (without infection) may not cause symptoms. Also, the authors highlight that the observed brain aging may be reversible. -- The study was led by a team of experts from the University's School of Medicine and was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre and the Medical Research Council (MRC) DEMISTIFI program. -- Dr Ali-Reza Mohammadi-Nejad led the study, he said: "What surprised me most was that even people who hadn't had Covid showed significant increases in brain aging rates. It really shows how much the experience of the pandemic itself, everything from isolation to uncertainty, may have affected our brain health." -- The research team looked at longitudinal brain scans from nearly 1,000 healthy adults, taken as part of the UK Biobank study. Some participants had scans before and after the pandemic; others, only before. Using advanced imaging and machine learning, the researchers estimated each person's "brain age" -- how old their brain appeared to be compared to their actual age. -- The brain age model was developed using brain scans from over 15,000 healthy individuals, without comorbidities, allowing the researchers to build an accurate model for estimating brain age. -- "This study reminds us that brain health is shaped not only by illness, but by our everyday environment," said Dorothee Auer, Professor of Neuroimaging and senior author on the study. "The pandemic put a strain on people's lives, especially those already facing disadvantage. We can't yet test whether the changes we saw will reverse, but it's certainly possible, and that's an encouraging thought." | 264 |
| Breakthrough: How Radiation Helps The Immune System Kill Cancer | Radiation Therapy Combined With Immunotherapy Transforms Cancer Treatment Approaches | Combination of pembrolizumab and radiotherapy induces systemic antitumor immune responses in immunologically cold non-small cell lung cancer. | Johns Hopkins Medicine | Researchers have discovered that combining radiation therapy with immunotherapy can activate the immune system against stubborn lung tumors. This innovative approach transforms “cold” tumors, enhancing treatment efficacy and offering new hope for patients with lung cancer that previously resisted immunotherapy. | Resistant Tumors Rewired by RadiationRadiation helps certain lung tumors that ignore immunotherapy suddenly become vulnerable, activating the immune system body-wide and improving survival rates. Credit: Shutterstock -- By sparking the immune system into action, radiation therapy makes certain tumors that resist immunotherapy susceptible to the treatment, leading to positive outcomes for patients, according to new research by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Netherlands Cancer Institute. The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health. -- In the study, published July 22 in Nature Cancer, investigators dove deep into the molecular biology of non-small cell lung cancer to pinpoint what happens on a cellular and molecular level over time when the cancer is treated with either radiation therapy followed by immunotherapy or immunotherapy alone. They found that radiation plus immunotherapy induced a systemic anti-tumor immune response in lung cancers that do not typically respond to immunotherapy. The combination therapy also yielded improved clinical response in patients whose tumors harbor features of immunotherapy resistance. -- Clinically, the results suggest that radiation therapy can help overcome immunotherapy resistance in certain patients. -- "For a fraction of lung cancers where we aren't expecting therapy responses, radiation may be particularly effective to help circumvent primary resistance to immunotherapy; this could potentially be applicable to acquired resistance, too," says senior study author Valsamo "Elsa" Anagnostou, M.D., Ph.D., co-director of the Upper Aerodigestive Malignancies Program, director of the Thoracic Oncology Biorepository, leader of Precision Oncology Analytics, co-leader of the Johns Hopkins Molecular Tumor Board and co-director of the Lung Cancer Precision Medicine Center of Excellence at Johns Hopkins. -- Researchers have long sought to better understand why some tumors grow resistant to immunotherapy -- a treatment strategy that leverages the body's own immune system to fight cancer cells -- and how to intercept that resistance. -- Radiation therapy has been proposed as one possible way to induce a systemic immune response because of a unique phenomenon called the abscopal effect. Radiation at the site of a primary tumor typically causes tumor cells to die and release their contents into the local microenvironment. Sometimes, the immune system discovers those contents, learns the tumor's molecular footprint, then activates immune cells around the body to attack cancer cells at tumor sites that were not the targets of the radiation, including some far away from the primary cancer in the body. -- Because of this effect, radiation therapy could potentially improve how well an immunotherapy works against a cancer, even far from the original radiation site. Yet little has been known about the molecular biology behind the abscopal effect, or how to predict when and in which patients it will occur. -- To study this phenomenon, Anagnostou and colleagues obtained samples from patients with lung cancer at different times throughout their treatment journey and from various locations in the body, not just at the primary tumor site. They collaborated with Willemijn Theelen and Paul Baas at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, who were running a phase II clinical trial on the effect of radiation therapy followed by immunotherapy, specifically the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab. -- With help from Theelen and Baas, Anagnostou's team analyzed 293 blood and tumor samples from 72 patients, obtained at baseline and after three to six weeks of treatment. Patients in the control group received immunotherapy alone, while the experimental group received radiation followed by immunotherapy. | 265 |
| Reversing Alzheimer's Damage: Two Cancer Drugs Demonstrate Surprising Power | Cancer Drugs Show Potential To Reverse Alzheimer’s Damage In Groundbreaking Research | Cell-type-directed network-correcting combination therapy for Alzheimer’s disease. | University of California - San Francisco | A study identifies two FDA-approved cancer drugs that may reverse Alzheimer’s disease effects in the brain. By analyzing gene expression changes in neurons, researchers found these drugs could combat Alzheimer’s damage, signaling potential new treatment avenues following years of limited progress in finding effective therapies. | Alzheimer's Reversal: Cancer Drugs to the Rescue?Two cancer drugs are showing real promise in reversing Alzheimer's damage, offering new hope for treatment after years of setbacks. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists at UC San Francisco and Gladstone Institutes have identified cancer drugs that promise to reverse the changes that occur in the brain during Alzheimer's, potentially slowing or even reversing its symptoms. -- The study first analyzed how Alzheimer's disease altered gene expression in single cells in the human brain. Then, researchers looked for existing drugs that were already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and cause the opposite changes to gene expression. -- They were looking specifically for drugs that would reverse the gene expression changes in neurons and in other types of brain cells called glia, all of which are damaged or altered in Alzheimer's disease. -- Next, the researchers analyzed millions of electronic medical records to show that patients who took some of these drugs as part of their treatment for other conditions were less likely to get Alzheimer's disease. -- When they tested a combination of the two top drugs -- both of which are cancer medications -- in a mouse model of Alzheimer's, it reduced brain degeneration in the mice, and even restored their ability to remember. -- "Alzheimer's disease comes with complex changes to the brain, which has made it tough to study and treat, but our computational tools opened up the possibility of tackling the complexity directly," said Marina Sirota, PhD, the interim director of the UCSF Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, professor of pediatrics, and co-senior author of the paper. "We're excited that our computational approach led us to a potential combination therapy for Alzheimer's based on existing FDA-approved medications." -- The findings appeared in Cell on July 21. The research was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. -- Big data from patients and cells points to a new Alzheimer's therapy -- Alzheimer's disease affects 7 million people in the U.S. and causes a relentless decline in cognition, learning, and memory. Yet decades of research have only produced two FDA-approved drugs, neither of which can meaningfully slow this decline. | 266 |
| Just Two Workouts A Week Could Cut Heart Death Risk By 33% In Diabetics | Weekend Workouts Can Greatly Reduce Heart Disease Risk For Diabetics | Association of Weekend Warrior and Other Physical Activity Patterns With Mortality Among Adults With Diabetes. | American College of Physicians | A large study has found that physical activity can significantly lower all-cause mortality risk in individuals with diabetes, regardless of whether they are "weekend warriors" or regularly active. The findings emphasize that any amount of physical activity is beneficial, supporting heart health and reducing overall mortality rates. | Weekend Workouts Cut Heart Death RiskExercising a few days a week, or even just on weekends, can significantly lower heart and overall death risks in diabetics, a large study finds. Credit: Shutterstock -- A prospective cohort study examined the associations of different physical activity patterns with all-cause, cardiovascular (CV) and cancer mortality among adults with diabetes. The study found that weekend warrior and regular activity patterns meeting current physical activity recommendations were associated with similarly reduced risks for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality compared to physical inactivity, demonstrating the importance of any physical activity for people with diabetes. The results are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. -- Researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Capital Medical University, and colleagues studied data from 51,650 adults with self-reported diabetes who participated in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) between 1997 and 2018. Current guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) distributed across a minimum of three days. Participants were categorized into four activity patterns: inactive (no reported MVPA); insufficiently active (MVPA less than 150 minutes per week); weekend warrior (MVPA 150 or more minutes per week across one to two sessions); and regularly active (MVPA 150 or more minutes per week across at least three sessions). -- The researchers found that insufficiently active, weekend warrior, and regularly active participants had lower risks for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality compared to inactive participants. Weekend warriors and regularly active participants had a 21% and 17% lower all-cause mortality risk and 33% and 19% lower risks of cardiovascular mortality, respectively, compared with inactive participants. There were fewer differences by cancer mortality compared with physical inactivity. | 267 |
| A Deadly Virus No One Talks About — And The Hiv Drugs That Might Stop It | HIV Antivirals Show Promise In Curing The Deadly HTLV-1 Virus | Combination antiretroviral therapy and MCL-1 inhibition mitigate HTLV-1 infection in vivo. | Walter and Eliza Hall Institute | A decade-long research initiative discovered that HIV antivirals can suppress the HTLV-1 virus in mice, presenting potential for preventative and curative treatments. This finding offers hope for a disease that affects millions globally, particularly among marginalized communities, and could lead to human trials soon. | Stopping a Deadly Virus with HIV MedsScientists have found that HIV drugs can stop the spread of HTLV-1 in mice and may even help cure it. The findings could rapidly move to human trials, finally offering hope against a disease long ignored. Credit: Shutterstock -- Around 10 million people globally live with the life-threatening virus HTLV-1. Yet it remains a poorly understood disease that currently has no preventative treatments and no cure. -- But a landmark study co-led by Australian researchers could change this, after finding existing HIV drugs can suppress transmission of the HTLV-1 virus in mice. -- The study, published in Cell, could lead to the first treatments to prevent the spread of this virus that is endemic among many First Nations communities around the world, including in Central Australia. -- The research by WEHI and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute) also identifies a new drug target that could lead to the elimination of HTLV-1 positive cells from those with an established infection, and prevent disease progression. -- At a glance -- New research co-led by WEHI and the Doherty Institute could lead to the first preventative treatments for HTLV-1, one of the most complex and neglected viruses in the world. -- The study found two specific HIV antivirals already on the market can suppress transmission of HTLV-1 in humanized mice and prevent disease, identifying the first prophylactic treatment against HTLV-1. -- Secondly, when the HIV antivirals were used in combination with a compound that induces cell death, infected cells were killed - flagging a potential future curative strategy for the disease. -- The unprecedented findings could enable these drugs to enter clinical trials preventing establishment of pathogenic levels of HTLV-1. | 268 |
| Optimists Think Alike—And Brain Scans Just Proved It | Optimists Exhibit Aligned Brain Activity, Supporting Their Social Connectivity | Optimistic people are all alike: Shared neural representations supporting episodic future thinking among optimistic individuals. | Kobe University | A recent study shows that optimists exhibit similar brain activity patterns when envisioning the future, suggesting a shared cognitive framework that enhances social connectivity. In contrast, pessimists demonstrate more varied neural responses, possibly explaining their individualistic approach to social interactions and future outlook. | Optimists Think AlikeOptimists seem to share a common mental blueprint for the future, which might help them connect more easily with others. Pessimists, in contrast, think about the future in their own uniquely individual ways. Credit: Shutterstock -- When thinking about future events, optimists' brains work similarly, while pessimists' brains show a much larger degree of individuality. The Kobe University finding offers an explanation why optimists are seen as more sociable -- they may share a common vision of the future. -- Optimists tend to be more satisfied with their social relationships and have wider social networks. Kobe University psychologist Kuniaki Yanagisawa says: "But what is the reason for this? Recent studies showed that the brains of people who occupy central social positions react to stimuli in similar ways. So it may be that people who share a similar attitude towards the future, too, truly envision it similarly in their brains and that this makes it easier for them to understand each other's perspectives." -- To test this hypothesis, Yanagisawa assembled an interdisciplinary team from both the fields of social psychology and cognitive neuroscience. "The main reason why this question has remained untouched until now is that it exists in a gap between social psychology and neuroscience. However, the intersection of these two fields enabled us to open this black box." They recruited 87 test subjects who covered the whole spectrum from pessimism to optimism and asked them to imagine various future events. While doing so, their brain activity was recorded with a technique called "functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)," enabling the researchers to see how the test subjects' thinking about the future materializes in their brains as patterns of neural activity. -- In the journal PNAS, the Kobe University team reports that when optimists think about future events, their neural activity patterns are in fact mutually similar. Pessimists' patterns, on the other hand, showed much more diversity. Inspired by the opening line of Leo Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina," the team summarizes its results, saying, "Optimistic individuals are all alike, but each less optimistic individual imagines the future in their own way." Yanagisawa says, "What was most dramatic about this study is that the abstract notion of 'thinking alike' was literally made visible in the form of patterns of brain activity." -- Yanagisawa and his team also found that there is a more pronounced difference in neural patterns when thinking about positive events or negative events in optimists than in pessimists. "This means that more optimistic people perceive a clear distinction between good and bad futures in their brains. In other words, optimism does not involve positive reinterpretation of negative events. Instead, optimistic individuals typically process negative scenarios in a more abstract and psychologically distant manner, thus mitigating the emotional impact of such scenarios," he explains. -- The psychologist sums up the study, saying: "The everyday feeling of 'being on the same wavelength' is not just a metaphor. The brains of optimists may in a very physical sense share a common concept of the future. But this raises new questions. Is this shared mechanism something they are born with or is it woven in later, for example through experience and dialogue?" Yanagisawa's ultimate goal is to gain a deeper understanding of what causes loneliness and what enables people to communicate with each other. He says, "I believe that elucidating the process by which this shared reality emerges is a step towards a society where people can communicate better." -- This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (grants JP26780342, JP19H01747) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (grant JPMJRX21K3). It was conducted in collaboration with researchers from Kyoto University, the Osaka University of Comprehensive Children Education, La Trobe University, and Kindai University. | 269 |
| This Dna Test Can Predict If A 5-Year-Old Will Be Obese As An Adult | New Genetic Test Can Predict Severe Obesity Risk In Young Children | Polygenic prediction of body mass index and obesity through the life course and across ancestries. | University of Copenhagen - The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences | A new genetic test has been developed to identify childhood obesity risk before age five, drawing from data of over five million people. This polygenic risk score could help implement early interventions, providing insights into preventative strategies that target at-risk youth before other factors take effect. | Obesity Risk Revealed in Childhood DNAA new genetic score predicts obesity risk before age five, enabling earlier, targeted prevention. Credit: Shutterstock -- What if we could prevent people from developing obesity? The World Obesity Federation expects more than half the global population to develop overweight or obesity by 2035. However, treatment strategies such as lifestyle change, surgery and medications are not universally available or effective. -- By drawing on genetic data from over five million people, an international team of researchers has created a genetic test called a polygenic risk score (PGS) that predicts adulthood obesity already in early childhood. This finding could help to identify children and adolescents at higher genetic risk of developing obesity, who could benefit from targeted preventative strategies, such as lifestyle interventions, at a younger age. -- "What makes the score so powerful is its ability to predict, before the age of five, whether a child is likely to develop obesity in adulthood, well before other risk factors start to shape their weight later in childhood. Intervening at this point can have a huge impact," says Assistant Professor Roelof Smit from the NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR) at the University of Copenhagen and lead author of the research published in Nature Medicine. -- The study arises from the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits (GIANT) Consortium, an international collaboration of human genetics researchers dedicated to studying the genetic architecture of anthropometric traits such as human height and body mass index. The research involved a collaboration with the consumer genetics and research company 23andMe, inc., and the contributions of more than 600 scientists from 500 institutions, globally. -- Twice as effective at predicting obesity as the next best test -- The subtle variations in our genomes can greatly impact our health. Thousands of genetic variants have been identified that increase our risk of obesity, for example, variants that act in the brain and influence our appetite. A PGS is like a calculator that combines the effects of the different risk variants that a person carries and provides an overall score. -- To create their PGS, the scientists drew on the genetic data of more than five million people - the largest and most diverse genetic dataset ever. They then tested their new PGS for obesity on datasets of the physical and genetic characteristics of more than 500,000 people. They found that their new PGS was twice as effective as the previous best test at predicting a person's risk of developing obesity. -- "This new polygenic score is a dramatic improvement in predictive power and a leap forward in the genetic prediction of obesity risk, which brings us much closer to clinically useful genetic testing," says Professor Ruth Loos from CBMR at the University of Copenhagen. -- Genetics is not destiny | 270 |
| New Genetic Test Predicts Obesity Before You Start Kindergarten | Genetic Score Uncovers Childhood Obesity Risks Before Kindergarten | Polygenic prediction of body mass index and obesity through the life course and across ancestries. | University of Bristol | A groundbreaking study has produced a polygenic risk score capable of predicting obesity risk from early childhood. Analyzing genetic data from over five million individuals, this research facilitates targeted early intervention for children at high risk of obesity, promoting healthier lifestyle choices before weight issues arise. | The Obesity Forecast Hidden in Your DNAScientists have developed a powerful genetic score that can predict obesity risk from early childhood, potentially allowing for much earlier and more effective interventions. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new genetic analysis using data from over five million people has provided a clearer understanding of the risk of going on to live with obesity. New research led by the Universities of Copenhagen and Bristol shows analyzing genes at a young age may support early strategies to prevent obesity developing later in life. -- The World Obesity Federation expects more than half the global population to become overweight or obese by 2035. However, treatment strategies such as lifestyle change, surgery and medications are not universally available or effective. -- By drawing on genetic data from over five million people, an international team of researchers, have created a measure called a polygenic risk score (PGS) that is reliably associated with adulthood obesity and shows consistent and indicative patterns in early childhood. The findings could help to identify children and adolescents at higher genetic risk of developing obesity in later life, who could benefit from targeted preventative strategies, such as lifestyle interventions, at a younger age. -- "What makes the score so powerful is the consistency of associations between the genetic score and body mass index before the age of five and through to adulthood - timing that starts well before other risk factors start to shape their weight later in childhood. Intervening at this point could theoretically make a huge impact," said Assistant Professor Roelof Smit at the University of Copenhagen and lead author of the research published in the journal Nature Medicine. -- Twice as effective at predicting obesity as the next best method -- The subtle variations in people's genomes can have a real impact on health when acting together. Thousands of genetic variants have been identified that increase the risk of obesity, for example, variants that act in the brain and influence appetite. A PGS is like a calculator that combines the effects of the different risk variants that a person carries and provides an overall score. The PGS was able to explain almost a fifth (17%) of a person's variation in body mass index - much higher than in previous studies. -- To create these PGS, the scientists drew on the genetic data of more than five million people - the largest and most diverse genetic dataset ever - including genetic data from the Genetic Investigation of ANthropometric Traits (GIANT) consortium and consumer DNA testing firm, 23andMe. The researchers then tested whether their new PGS was associated with obesity using datasets of the physical and genetic characteristics of more than 500,000 people, including BMI data tracked over time from the Children of the 90s study. They found that their new PGS was twice as effective as the previous best method at predicting a person's risk of developing obesity. -- Dr Kaitlin Wade, Associate Professor in Epidemiology at the University of Bristol and second author on this paper said: "Obesity is a major public health issue, with many factors contributing to its development, including genetics, environment, lifestyle and behaviour. These factors likely vary across a person's life, and we believe that some of these originate in childhood. -- "We were delighted to contribute data from the Children of the 90s study to this exceptional and insightful research into the genetic architecture of obesity. We hope this work will contribute to detecting individuals at high risk of developing obesity at an earlier age, which could have a vast clinical and public health impact in the future." | 271 |
| This Sugar Substitute Does More Than Sweeten — It Kills Cancer Cells | Fermented Stevia Transforms Into Powerful Cancer-Fighting Agent With Probiotic | Stevia Leaf Extract Fermented with Plant-Derived Lactobacillus plantarum SN13T Displays Anticancer Activity to Pancreatic Cancer PANC-1 Cell Line. | Hiroshima University | Research shows that fermenting stevia with probiotic bacteria derived from banana leaves transforms it into a potent cancer-fighting agent, selectively killing pancreatic cancer cells. The unique metabolite produced in this process demonstrates potential for developing targeted cancer therapies that minimize harm to healthy cells. | Stevia Leaf Extract Has Anticancer PotentialStevia plus probiotics equals a surprising, targeted cancer-killing effect — safely and naturally. Credit: Shutterstock -- Stevia may provide more benefits than as a zero-calorie sugar substitute. When fermented with bacteria isolated from banana leaves, stevia extract kills off pancreatic cancer cells but doesn't harm healthy kidney cells, according to a research team at Hiroshima University. -- The researchers published their findings in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. -- "Globally, the incidence and mortality rates of pancreatic cancer continue to rise, with a five-year survival rate of less than 10%," said co-author Narandalai Danshiitsoodol, associate professor in Department of Probiotic Science for Preventive Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences. "Pancreatic cancer is highly invasive and prone to metastasis, showing significant resistance to existing treatments, such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. As such, there is an urgent need to identify new and effective anticancer compounds, particularly those derived from medicinal plants." -- Prior studies by other researchers indicated that stevia leaf extract demonstrated potential as an anticancer drug, but isolating and applying the specific bioactive components that protect against cancer cells has remained challenging, Danshiitsoodol said. However, fermenting with bacteria can structurally change the extract and produce bioactive metabolites, which are compounds that can impact living organisms. -- "To enhance the pharmacological efficacy of natural plant extracts, microbial biotransformation has emerged as an effective strategy," said corresponding author Masanori Sugiyama, professor in the Department of Probiotic Science for Preventive Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences. Sugiyama's lab has isolated and evaluated the health benefits of more than 1,300 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains from fruits, vegetables, flowers and medicinal plants. "In this study, we aimed to compare LAB-fermented and non-fermented extracts to identify key compounds that enhance bioactivity, ultimately contributing to the efficacy of herbal medicine in cancer prevention and therapy." -- Specifically, the team fermented stevia leaf extract with plant-derived Lactobacillus plantarum SN13T strain (FSLE) and compared its effects on pancreatic cancer (PANC-1) cells in the lab, alongside non-cancerous human embryonic kidney cells HEK-293, to the effects of non-fermented stevia extract. The cells utilized in these experiments were acquired from established commercial cell lines. -- "Our findings indicate that FSLE demonstrates significantly greater cytotoxicity than the non-fermented extract at equivalent concentrations, suggesting that the fermentation process enhances the bioactivity of the extract," Sugiyama said. "Notably, FSLE exhibited lower toxicity toward the HEK-293 cells, with minimal inhibition observed even at the highest concentration tested." -- Additional analyses identified chlorogenic acid methyl ester (CAME) as the active anti-cancer compound. When fermented, the concentration of chlorogenic acid in the extract dropped six-fold, indicating a microbial transformation, according to Danshiitsoodol. -- "This microbial transformation was likely due to specific enzymes in the bacteria strain used," Danshiitsoodol said. "Our data demonstrate that CAME exhibits stronger toxicity to cells and pro-apoptotic effects -- which encourage cell death -- on PANC-1 cells compared to chlorogenic acid alone." | 272 |
| Scientists Just Discovered A Secret Code Hidden In Your Dna | Researchers Discover Ancient Viral DNA Plays Key Role In Gene Regulation | A phylogenetic approach uncovers cryptic endogenous retrovirus subfamilies in the primate lineage. | Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University | Recent research indicates that ancient viral DNA, previously considered "junk," actively influences gene regulation during early human development. This groundbreaking study highlights the role of transposable elements in our genome, revealing their significance in gene expression and potentially informing our understanding of human evolution. | Scientists Discover Secret Code Hidden in DNANew research shows that ancient viral DNA in our genome isn’t junk at all—it helps control how our genes work, especially in the early stages of life. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new international study suggests that ancient viral DNA embedded in our genome, which were long dismissed as genetic "junk," may actually play powerful roles in regulating gene expression. Focusing on a family of sequences called MER11, researchers from Japan, China, Canada, and the US have shown that these elements have evolved to influence how genes turn on and off, particularly in early human development. -- Transposable elements (TEs) are repetitive DNA sequences in the genome that originated from ancient viruses. Over millions of years, they spread throughout the genome via copy-and-paste mechanisms. Today, TEs make up nearly half of the human genome. While they were once thought to serve no useful function, recent research has found that some of them act like "genetic switches," controlling the activity of nearby genes in specific cell types. -- However, because TEs are highly repetitive and often nearly identical in sequence, they can be difficult to study. In particular, younger TE families like MER11 have been poorly categorized in existing genomic databases, limiting our ability to understand their role. -- To overcome this, the researchers developed a new method for classifying TEs. Instead of using standard annotation tools, they grouped MER11 sequences based on their evolutionary relationships and how well they were conserved in the primate genomes. This new approach allowed them to divide MER11A/B/C into four distinct subfamilies, namely, MER11_G1 through G4, ranging from oldest to youngest. -- This new classification revealed previously hidden patterns of gene regulatory potential. The researchers compared the new MER11 subfamilies to various epigenetic markers, which are chemical tags on DNA and associated proteins that influence gene activity. This showed that this new classification aligned more closely with actual regulatory function compared with previous methods. -- To directly test whether MER11 sequences can control gene expression, the team used a technique called lentiMPRA (lentiviral massively parallel reporter assay). This method allows thousands of DNA sequences to be tested at once by inserting them into cells and measuring how much each one boosts gene activity. The researchers applied this method to nearly 7000 MER11 sequences from humans and other primates, and measured their effects in human stem cells and early-stage neural cells. -- The results showed that MER11_G4 (the youngest subfamily) exhibited a strong ability to activate gene expression. It also had a distinct set of regulatory "motifs," which are short stretches of DNA that serve as docking sites for transcription factors, the proteins that control when genes are turned on. These motifs can dramatically influence how genes respond to developmental signals or environmental cues. -- Further analysis revealed that the MER11_G4 sequences in humans, chimpanzees, and macaques had each accumulated slightly different changes over time. In humans and chimpanzees, some sequences gained mutations that could increase their regulatory potential during in human stem cells.Young MER11_G4 binds to a distinct set of transcription factors, indicating that this group gained different regulatory functions through sequence changes and contributes to speciation,leading researcher Dr. Xun Chen explains. -- The study offers a model for understanding how "junk" DNA can evolve into regulatory elements with important biological roles. By tracing the evolution of these sequences and directly testing their function, the researchers have demonstrated how ancient viral DNA has been co-opted into shaping gene activity in primates. | 273 |
| A Tiny Chemistry Hack Just Made Mrna Vaccines Safer, Stronger, And Smarter | Olive Oil Enhances mRNA Vaccines By Reducing Side Effects And Boosting Efficacy | Mannich reaction-based combinatorial libraries identify antioxidant ionizable lipids for mRNA delivery with reduced immunogenicity. | University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science | Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have enhanced mRNA vaccine efficacy by modifying lipid carriers to include anti-inflammatory components derived from olive oil. This innovative approach reduces side effects and improves therapeutic potential, potentially transforming the future development of vaccines and other mRNA-based therapies. | A New Recipe for Safer, Stronger mRNA VaccinesA forgotten chemical recipe just made mRNA vaccines safer, stronger, and surprisingly versatile. Credit: Shutterstock -- As millions of people know firsthand, the most common side effect of mRNA vaccines like the COVID-19 shot is inflammation: soreness, redness and a day or two of malaise. But what if mRNA vaccines could be redesigned to sidestep that response altogether? -- In a new paper in Nature Biomedical Engineering, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania show that tweaking the structure of the ionizable lipid, a key component of the lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) that deliver mRNA, not only reduces inflammation but also boosts vaccine effectiveness for preventing or treating a range of diseases, from COVID-19 to cancer. -- The key change? Adding phenol groups, chemical compounds with anti-inflammatory properties famously found in foods like olive oil. "By essentially changing the recipe for these lipids, we were able to make them work better with fewer side effects," says Michael J. Mitchell, Associate Professor in Bioengineering (BE) and the paper's senior author. "It's a win-win." -- Revising the Recipe -- Until now, the ionizable lipids in LNPs -- one of four types of lipids in LNPs, and arguably the most important -- have largely been synthesized using chemical reactions that combine two components into a new molecule, much like two halves of a sandwich coming together. -- "Because these processes have been so successful, there hasn't been much effort to look for alternatives," says Ninqiang Gong, a former postdoctoral fellow in the Mitchell Lab and co-first author of the paper. -- Looking back at the history of chemistry, the team found an alternative approach: the Mannich reaction, named after the German chemist who discovered it more than a century ago. -- Rather than two components, the Mannich reaction combines three precursors, allowing for a greater variety of molecular outcomes. "We were able to create hundreds of new lipids," says Gong. -- Exploring that "library" of lipids led the team to discover that adding a phenol group -- a combination of hydrogen and oxygen connected to a ring of carbon molecules -- substantially reduced inflammation. | 274 |
| Scientists May Have Found The Tiny DNA Switch That Made Us Human | Discovering HAR123: The DNA Switch That Enhances Our Unique Brain Development | An ancient enhancer rapidly evolving in the human lineage promotes neural development and cognitive flexibility. | University of California - San Diego | Researchers at UC San Diego have identified a crucial DNA section called HAR123 that may explain the unique attributes of the human brain. Unlike a typical gene, HAR123 acts as a regulatory "volume control" for brain development, influencing how brain cells form. This unique function, which differs from that of chimpanzees, could shed light on human cognitive abilities and conditions like autism. | The Genetic Switch That Made Us HumanA newly identified genetic enhancer, HAR123, appears to shape the human brain’s structure and flexibility, distinguishing us from our primate relatives and potentially offering clues to conditions like autism. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Research from scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have shed new light on an age-old question: what makes the human brain unique? -- The team's discovery comes from their investigation of human-accelerated regions (HARs) -- sections of the human genome that have accumulated an unusually high level of mutations as humans have evolved. There is a lot of scientific interest in HARs, as they are hypothesized to play an essential role in conferring human-specific traits, and also have links to neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism. -- One reason why scientists think that HARs confer human-specific traits is because they have undergone rapid changes in their genetic sequences since we split from our closest living relative -- the chimpanzee -- approximately 5 million years ago. -- Now, UC San Diego researchers have identified one particular HAR -- called HAR123 -- that appears to be instrumental in shaping the human brain. -- The researchers found: -- HAR123 itself is not a gene, but is instead a type of molecular "volume control" known as a transcriptional enhancer. Transcriptional enhancers control which genes are activated, how much they are activated, and at what times they are activated during an organism's development. -- Through its role as a transcriptional enhancer, HAR123 promotes the development of neural progenitor cells, the cells that give rise to the two main types of brain cells -- neurons and glial cells. -- HAR123 also influences the ratio of neurons and glial cells that form from neural progenitor cells. -- Ultimately, HAR123 promotes a particularly advanced human trait called cognitive flexibility, or the ability to unlearn and replace previous knowledge. | 275 |
| What Really Happens To Your Body When You Stop Weight Loss Drugs Like Ozempic | Weight Loss Medications: What Happens When You Stop Taking Them? | Trajectory of the body weight after drug discontinuation in the treatment of anti-obesity medications. | BMC (BioMed Central) | A comprehensive analysis involving 11 global studies reveals that stopping prescription weight loss drugs often results in rapid weight regain. While medications like semaglutide have proven effective during treatment, their effects seem to diminish quickly after cessation. The findings indicate that understanding individual responses and lifestyle changes is essential to managing weight loss sustainably after discontinuing these medications. | What Happens When You Quit Weight Loss DrugsResearch shows many patients regain weight within weeks of stopping popular weight loss medications, with the amount depending on the drug, lifestyle, and treatment duration. Credit: Shutterstock -- Patients prescribed drugs to help them lose weight may experience a rebound in weight gain after halting their prescription, finds a meta-analysis published in BMC Medicine. The study, which analyses data for patients receiving weight loss drugs across 11 randomised trials, suggests that while the amount of weight regain varies depending on the specific drug, there is a broad trend in associated weight regain after the course of medication concluded. -- Six anti-obesity medications (AOMs) have been approved by the US FDA for use in assisting with weight loss, including orlistat, phentermine-topiramate, and semaglutide. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) -- a therapeutic developed to assist with diabetes -- has also increasingly been prescribed to help patients lose weight. However, recent studies have suggested that patients prescribed AOMs may regain weight in the months after stopping taking these medications. -- Xiaoling Cai, Linong Ji, and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of 11 studies from around the world investigating weight change in patients after they stopped taking AOMs. Overall, the authors analysed data from 1,574 participants in treatment groups and 893 in control groups. Weight change was measured by changes in body weight and BMI after stopping medication. Of the 11 studies included in the meta-analysis: six focused on GLP-1 receptor agonists (RAs); one focused on GLP-1 and GLP dual Ras; one study focused on orlistat; two studies on phentermine-topiramate; and one study on naltexone-bupriopion. -- The authors controlled for different contributing factors, including medication type, the presence of diabetes, and the presence or absence of lifestyle changes like diet or exercise. Their analysis found that AOMs were associated with significant weight loss while being used, followed by weight regain starting eight weeks after AOM discontinuation, with weight regain then continuing for an average of 20 weeks before plateauing. Weight regain varied with follow-up, with study participants experiencing significant periods of weight regain at eight, 12, and 20 weeks after AOM discontinuation. The amount of weight regained depended on several factors, including the type of medication taken by participants and the consistency of their lifestyle change. For example, participants who completed a 36-week treatment of tirzepatide, a commercially available GLP-1 RA, regained almost half the weight previously lost after switching to a placebo. -- The authors note the meta-analysis did not include studies of lifestyle interventions and bariatric surgery, reducing the degree to which different weight loss approaches could be compared within the context of the study. They also note that weight regain has been reported with other weight loss methods, such as gastric bypass and vertical banded gastroplasty. | 276 |
| The Parasite That Turns Off Your Body’s Pain Alarm And Sneaks In | Sneaky Parasite Can Enter Your Skin Without Pain, Potential For New Pain Treatments | TRPV1 neurons promote cutaneous immunity against Schistosoma mansoni. | American Association of Immunologists Inc | Researchers have uncovered how the Schistosoma mansoni parasite can evade the body's detection mechanisms by blocking pain and itch signals. This stealth tactic allows the worm to infiltrate the skin undetected, and understanding this process could lead to innovative pain management solutions and new preventative measures against infections caused by this parasitic worm. | Parasite Turns Off Your Body’s Pain AlarmA parasitic worm can slip into the body by shutting down pain and itch signals, avoiding detection. This discovery may lead to new painkillers and ways to prevent infection. Credit: Shutterstock -- New research, published in The Journal of Immunology, discovered that a parasitic worm suppresses neurons in the skin to evade detection. The researchers suggest that the worm likely evolved this mechanism to enhance its own survival, and that the discovery of the molecules responsible for the suppression could aid in the development of new painkillers. -- Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection caused by helminths, a type of worm. Infection occurs during contact with infested water through activities like swimming, washing clothes, and fishing, when larvae penetrate the skin. Surprisingly, the worm often evades detection by the immune system, unlike other bacteria or parasites that typically cause pain, itching, or rashes. -- In this new study, researchers from Tulane School of Medicine aimed to find out why the parasitic worm Schistosoma mansoni doesn't cause pain or itching when it penetrates the skin. Their findings show that S. mansoni causes a reduction in the activity of TRPV1+, a protein that sends signals the brain interprets as heat, pain, or itching. As part of pain-sensing in sensory neurons, TRPV1+ regulates immune responses in many scenarios such as infection, allergy, cancer, autoimmunity, and even hair growth. -- The researchers found that S. mansoni produces molecules that suppress TRPV1+ to block signals from being sent to the brain, allowing S. mansoni to infect the skin largely undetected. It is likely S. mansoni evolved the molecules that block TRPV1+ to enhance its survival. -- "If we identify and isolate the molecules used by helminths to block TRPV1+ activation, it may present a novel alternative to current opioid-based treatments for reducing pain," said Dr. De'Broski R. Herbert, Professor of Immunology at Tulane School of Medicine, who led the study. "The molecules that block TRPV1+ could also be developed into therapeutics that reduce disease severity for individuals suffering from painful inflammatory conditions." -- The study also found that TRPV1+ is necessary for initiating host protection against S. mansoni. TRPV1+ activation leads to the rapid mobilization of immune cells, including gd T cells, monocytes, and neutrophils, that induce inflammation. This inflammation plays a crucial role in host resistance to the larval entry into the skin. These findings highlight the importance of neurons that sense pain and itching in successful immune responses -- "Identifying the molecules in S. mansoni that block TRPV1+ could inform preventive treatments for schistosomiasis. We envision a topical agent which activates TRPV1+ to prevent infection from contaminated water for individuals at risk of acquiring S. mansoni," said Dr. Herbert. -- In this study, mice were infected with S. mansoi and evaluated for their sensitivity to pain as well as the role of TRPV1+ in preventing infection. Researchers next plan to identify the nature of the secreted or surface-associated helminth molecules that are responsible for blocking TRPV1+ activity and specific gd T cell subsets that are responsible for immune responses. The researchers also seek to further understand the neurons that helminths have evolved to suppress. | 277 |
| Did Drunk Apes Help Us Evolve? New Clues Reveal Why We Digest Alcohol So Well | New Term “Scrumping” Helps Explain Apes’ Alcohol Tolerance And Human Evolution Insights | Fermented fruits: scrumping, sharing, and the origin of feasting. | Dartmouth College | A new term coined by Dartmouth researchers, “scrumping,” describes the behavior of apes consuming ripe, fermented fruit, offering insights into human alcohol tolerance evolution. This behavior may have played a significant role in our ancestors' dietary adaptations and social practices, prompting further examination of how early ape habits might have influenced human evolution regarding alcohol metabolism. | Did Drunk Apes Help Us Evolve?The newly named ape behavior "scrumping" could explain humans' exceptional ability to metabolize alcohol — long before we ever brewed it. Credit: Shutterstock -- If scientists are to better understand whether the genes that let us safely welcome the weekend with a cold beer or enjoy a bottle of wine with dinner began with apes eating fermented fruit, then the habit needs a name, according to a new study. -- "Scrumping" is the name coined in a paper led by researchers at Dartmouth and the University of St Andrews in Scotland for the fondness apes have for eating ripe fruit from the forest floor. These primates' palate for picked-up produce has taken on new importance in recent years, the researchers report in the journal BioScience. -- But scientists cannot fully understand the significance of this behavior -- particularly for human evolution -- because "we never bothered to differentiate fruits in trees from fruits on the ground," says Nathaniel Dominy, the Charles Hansen Professor of Anthropology at Dartmouth and a corresponding author of the paper, which includes co-author Luke Fannin, a postdoctoral researcher at Dartmouth. -- In other words, scrumping by no name at all just looks like eating fruit, Dominy says. The researchers write that geneticists reported in a 2015 study that eating fermented fruit may have triggered a single amino acid change in the last common ancestor of humans and African apes that boosted their ability to metabolize alcohol by 40 times. -- "It's a fascinating idea, but nobody studying these ape species, or Asian apes, had the data to test it. It just wasn't on our radar," Dominy says. "It's not that primatologists have never seen scrumping -- they observe it pretty regularly. But the absence of a word for it has disguised its importance. We're hoping to fill an important void in scientific discourse." -- Scrumping, the researchers write, describes the act of gathering -- or sometimes stealing -- windfallen apples and other fruits. The word is the English form of the medieval German word "schrimpen," a noun meaning "shriveled" or "shrunken" used to describe overripe or fermented fruit. In England today, scrumpy refers to a cloudy apple cider with an alcohol by volume content that ranges from 6 to 9%. -- The researchers set out to better determine how common their new behavior classification is among great apes. They examined dietary reports of orangutans, chimpanzees, and mountain and western gorillas observed in the wild. -- Feeding events were cross-referenced with how high off the ground the animal was when it ate, as well as the height at which the fruit grows. If an ape at ground level was recorded eating a fruit known to grow in the middle or upper levels of the forest canopy, it was counted as scrumping. -- The researchers found that African apes "scrump" on a regular basis, but orangutans do not. These results corroborate the 2015 gene-sequencing study, which found the primary enzyme for metabolizing ethanol is relatively inefficient in orangutans and other non-human primates. | 278 |
| Did Humans Learn To Walk In Trees? | Savannah Chimpanzees May Hold Clues To How Early Humans Evolved Bipedalism | Foraging strategy and tree structure as drivers of arboreality and suspensory behaviour in savannah chimpanzees. | Frontiers | A study on chimpanzees in savannah habitats suggests that the need to navigate tree branches safely influenced early hominins' bipedalism. By highlighting the importance of trees for food, the research indicates that adaptations for both arboreal and terrestrial mobility may have shaped the evolution of walking upright in our ancestors, providing a new perspective on human evolution. | Did Humans Learn to Walk in Trees?Chimpanzees in open habitats still rely heavily on trees for food, indicating that early human ancestors may have evolved bipedalism not just on the ground, but while navigating the treetops. Credit: Shutterstock -- It's hard to tell when -- and why -- our ancestors got down from trees and started walking on two legs. Many early hominins capable of bipedal walking were also well-adapted for climbing, and we lack fossil evidence from a key period when climate change turned forests into open, dry woodland called savannah-mosaic, which might have pushed hominins onto the ground. Now a study on modern chimpanzees could help fill in the gaps. Scientists observing chimpanzees in the Issa Valley, Tanzania have shown that despite living in a savannah-mosaic, they frequently climb trees for valuable food -- potentially explaining why early hominins kept their arboreal adaptations. -- "For decades it was assumed that bipedalism arose because we came down from the trees and needed to walk across an open savannah," said Dr Rhianna Drummond-Clarke of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, lead author of the article in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. "Here we show that safely and effectively navigating the canopy can remain very important for a large, semi-arboreal ape, even in open habitat. Adaptations to arboreal, rather than terrestrial, living may have been key in shaping the early evolution of the human lineage." -- Habitats and hunger -- Issa Valley is divided between a small amount of thick forest surrounding riverbanks and open woodland. The chimpanzees forage more in the woodland during the dry season, when it offers more food. Their habitat and diet are comparable to those of some early hominins, which means their behavior might offer insights into those extinct hominins' lives. -- "Our previous research found that, compared to chimpanzees living in forests, Issa Valley chimpanzees spent just as much time moving in the trees," said Drummond-Clarke. "We wanted to test if something about how they foraged could explain their unexpectedly high arboreality. Savannah-mosaics are characterized by more sparsely distributed trees, so we hypothesized that adapting behavior to forage efficiently in a tree would be especially beneficial when the next tree is further away." -- Researchers monitored the adults of the Issa community during the dry season, watching how they foraged in trees and what they ate there. The size, height, and shape of the trees were recorded, as well as the number and size of branches. -- Issa chimpanzees mostly ate fruit, followed by leaves and flowers -- foods found at the ends of branches, so the chimpanzees needed to be capable climbers to reach them safely. They spent longer foraging in trees that were larger and offered more food. The longest foraging sessions, and the most specialized behaviors to navigate thinner terminal branches, were seen in trees with large open crowns offering lots of food: perhaps abundant food justified the extra time and effort. A similar trade-off between the nutritional benefits of specific foods and the effort of acquiring them could also explain why chimpanzees spent longer in trees while eating nutritionally-rich, hard-to-access seeds. -- Fast food -- Because they are relatively large, chimpanzees move within trees not by climbing on thin branches but by hanging under them, or standing upright and holding on to nearby branches with their hands. Although these 'safe' behaviors are traditionally associated with foraging in dense forest, these findings show they're also important for chimpanzees foraging in a savannah-mosaic. | 279 |
| How AI Is Supercharging Plant Immunity To Fight Deadly Bacteria | AI Enhances Plants’ Immune Systems To Better Defend Against Harmful Pathogens | Unlocking expanded flagellin perception through rational receptor engineering. | University of California - Davis | Researchers at UC Davis have leveraged artificial intelligence to enhance plant immune systems, enabling crops like tomatoes and potatoes to better fend off bacterial threats. By reengineering plant receptors to recognize a broader range of pathogens, this innovative approach aims to bolster agricultural resilience, ensuring crops can withstand evolving bacterial challenges in the future. | AI Helps Plants Outsmart BacteriaAI is giving plants a powerful immune boost, helping them fight back against bacterial threats that evolve too quickly for traditional defenses. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists at the University of California, Davis, used artificial intelligence to help plants recognize a wider range of bacterial threats -- which may lead to new ways to protect crops like tomatoes and potatoes from devastating diseases. The study was published in Nature Plants. -- Plants, like animals, have immune systems. Part of their defense toolkit includes immune receptors, which give them the ability to detect bacteria and defend against it. One of those receptors, called FLS2, helps plants recognize flagellin -- a protein in the tiny tails bacteria use to swim. But bacteria are sneaky and constantly evolving to avoid detection. -- "Bacteria are in an arms race with their plant hosts, and they can change the underlying amino acids in flagellin to evade detection," said lead author Gitta Coaker, professor in the Department of Plant Pathology. -- To help plants keep up, Coaker's team turned to using natural variation coupled with artificial intelligence -- specifically AlphaFold, a tool developed to predict the 3D shape of proteins and reengineered FLS2, essentially upgrading its immune system to catch more intruders. -- The team focused on receptors already known to recognize more bacteria, even if they weren't found in useful crop species. By comparing them with more narrowly focused receptors, the researchers were able to identify which amino acids to change. -- "We were able to resurrect a defeated receptor, one where the pathogen has won, and enable the plant to have a chance to resist infection in a much more targeted and precise way," Coaker said. -- Why it matters -- Coaker said this opens the door to developing broad-spectrum disease resistance in crops using predictive design. -- One of the researchers' targets is a major crop threat: Ralstonia solanacearum, the cause of bacterial wilt. Some strains of the soil-borne pathogen can infect more than 200 plant species, including staple crops like tomato and potato. | 280 |
| 400-Million-Year-Old Fish Exposes Big Mistake In How We Understood Evolution | Coelacanth Study Reveals Misidentified Muscles, Challenging Our Understanding Of Vertebrate Evolution | Coelacanths illuminate deep-time evolution of cranial musculature in jawed vertebrates. | Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo | Researchers at the University of São Paulo and the Smithsonian Institution reexamined the musculature of coelacanths, ancient fish often deemed "living fossils." Their findings revealed that many previously identified muscle structures were misidentified ligaments, prompting a reevaluation of assumptions about vertebrate evolution. This significant discovery corrects longstanding anatomical errors and provides new insights into the evolutionary history of vertebrates, including humans. | 400-Million-Year-Old Fish Exposes Big MistakeThis ancient fish just corrected a 70-year mistake in the story of how animals — and humans — evolved to breathe and eat. Credit: Shutterstock -- The coelacanth is known as a "living fossil" because its anatomy has changed little in the last 65 million years. Despite being one of the most studied fish in history, it continues to reveal new information that could transform our understanding of vertebrate evolution. This is revealed in a study published in the journal Science Advances by researchers from the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil and the Smithsonian Institution in the United States. -- Upon re-examining the cranial musculature of the African coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae), the authors discovered that only 13% of the previously identified evolutionary muscle novelties for the largest vertebrate lineages were accurate. The study also identified nine new evolutionary transformations related to innovations in feeding and respiration in these groups. -- "Ultimately, it's even more similar to cartilaginous fish [sharks, rays, and chimaeras] and tetrapods [birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles] than previously thought. And even more distinct from ray-finned fish, which make up about half of living vertebrates," says Aléssio Datovo, a professor at the Museum of Zoology (MZ) at USP supported by FAPESP, who led the study. -- Among the evolutionary novelties erroneously identified as present in coelacanths are muscles responsible for actively expanding the buccopharyngeal cavity, which extends from the mouth to the pharynx. This set of muscles is directly related to food capture and respiration. However, the study showed that these supposed muscles in coelacanths were actually ligaments, which are structures incapable of contraction. -- Ray-finned fish (actinopterygii) and lobe-finned fish (sarcopterygii) diverged from a common ancestor approximately 420 million years ago. The sarcopterygii include fish such as coelacanths and lungfish, as well as all other tetrapods, because they evolved from an aquatic ancestor. These include mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. -- In ray-finned fish, such as aquarium carp, it is easy to see how the mouth moves to suck in food. This ability gave actinopterygii a significant evolutionary advantage; today, they comprise about half of all living vertebrates. -- This is a fundamental difference from other fish, such as coelacanths and sharks, which primarily feed by biting their prey. -- "In previous studies, it was assumed that this set of muscles that would give greater suction capacity was also present in coelacanths and, therefore, would have evolved in the common ancestor of bony vertebrates, which we now show isn't true. This only appeared at least 30 million years later, in the common ancestor of living ray-finned fish," points out Datovo. -- Behind the scenes | 281 |
| Clockwork From Scratch: How Scientists Made Timekeeping Cells | Scientists Create Artificial Cells That Mimic 24-Hour Biological Clocks For Timekeeping | Reconstitution of circadian clock in synthetic cells reveals principles of timekeeping. | University of California - Merced | A team at UC Merced has successfully engineered artificial cells that can keep accurate time, mimicking the circadian rhythms found in living organisms. By creating simplified synthetic structures loaded with essential proteins, these cells exhibited a daily rhythm for an extended period. These findings could enhance our understanding of biological clocks and their resilience against molecular noise, paving the way for further research in synthetic biology. | How Scientists Made Timekeeping CellsA graphic depicts a clock and dots connected by a wavy line, indicating how cells tell time. Credit: UC Merced -- A team of UC Merced researchers has shown that tiny artificial cells can accurately keep time, mimicking the daily rhythms found in living organisms. Their findings shed light on how biological clocks stay on schedule despite the inherent molecular noise inside cells. -- The study, recently published in Nature Communications, was led by bioengineering Professor Anand Bala Subramaniam and chemistry and biochemistry Professor Andy LiWang. The first author, Alexander Zhang Tu Li, earned his Ph.D. in Subramaniam's lab. -- Biological clocks -- also known as circadian rhythms -- govern 24-hour cycles that regulate sleep, metabolism and other vital processes. To explore the mechanisms behind the circadian rhythms of cyanobacteria, the researchers reconstructed the clockwork in simplified, cell-like structures called vesicles. These vesicles were loaded with core clock proteins, one of which was tagged with a fluorescent marker. -- The artificial cells glowed in a regular 24-hour rhythm for at least four days. However, when the number of clock proteins was reduced or the vesicles were made smaller, the rhythmic glow stopped. The loss of rhythm followed a reproducible pattern. -- To explain these findings, the team built a computational model. The model revealed that clocks become more robust with higher concentrations of clock proteins, allowing thousands of vesicles to keep time reliably -- even when protein amounts vary slightly between vesicles. -- The model also suggested another component of the natural circadian system -- responsible for turning genes on and off -- does not play a major role in maintaining individual clocks but is essential for synchronizing clock timing across a population. -- The researchers also noted that some clock proteins tend to stick to the walls of the vesicles, meaning a high total protein count is necessary to maintain proper function. -- "This study shows that we can dissect and understand the core principles of biological timekeeping using simplified, synthetic systems," Subramaniam said. -- The work led by Subramaniam and LiWang advances the methodology for studying biological clocks, said Mingxu Fang, a microbiology professor at Ohio State University and an expert in circadian clocks. | 282 |
| Digital Twins Are Reinventing Clean Energy — But There’s A Catch | AI-Powered Digital Twins Could Revolutionize Clean Energy Systems But Face Significant Challenges | Harnessing the future: Exploring digital twin applications and implications in renewable energy. | University of Sharjah | Researchers at the University of Sharjah are investigating AI-powered digital twins to enhance the clean energy transition. These digital models can simulate and optimize various energy systems, including solar and wind, potentially improving efficiency and sustainability. However, challenges like environmental variability and data scarcity need to be addressed before these models can reach their full potential in transforming energy management. | Digital Twins Are Reinventing Clean EnergyDigital twin of an oil rig. Credit: CC BY-SA 4.0 -- As the world grapples with the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change, researchers at the University of Sharjah are turning to a cutting-edge technology that could reshape the future of energy: AI-powered digital twins. -- According to the researchers, these digital replicas of the physical world have the potential to transform the generation, management, and optimization of energy across diverse clean energy platforms, accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels, which environmental scientists associate with global warming. -- Digital twins' ability to replicate and interact with complex systems has made them a cornerstone of innovation across industries, driving improvements in efficiency, cost reduction, and the development of novel solutions. -- However, the scientists caution that current digital twin models still face notable limitations that restrict their full potential in harnessing energy from sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and biomass. -- "Digital twins are highly effective in optimizing renewable energy systems," the researchers write in the journal Energy Nexus. "Yet, each energy source presents unique challenges -- ranging from data variability and environmental conditions to system complexity -- that can limit the performance of digital twin technologies, despite their considerable promise in improving energy generation and management." -- In their study, the authors conducted an extensive review of existing literature on the application of digital twins in renewable energy systems. They examined various contexts, functions, lifecycles, and architectural frameworks to understand how digital twins are currently being utilized and where gaps remain. -- To extract meaningful insights, the researchers employed advanced text mining techniques, leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. This scientifically rigorous approach enabled them to analyze large volumes of raw data and uncover structured patterns, concepts, and emerging trends. -- From this in-depth analysis, the authors drew several key conclusions. They identified research gaps, proposed new directions, and outlined the challenges that must be addressed to fully harness the potential of digital twin technology in the renewable energy sector. -- Following a detailed discussion on the integration of digital twins across various renewable energy applications, the authors summarized their most significant findings across five major energy sources: wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and biomass. Each source presents unique opportunities and challenges, and the study offers a comprehensive overview of how digital twins can be tailored to optimize performance in each domain. | 283 |
| Is The Air You Breathe Silently Fueling Dementia? A 29-Million-Person Study Says Yes | Air Pollution Linked To Increased Dementia Risk, Affecting Millions Globally Through Pollutants | Long-term air pollution exposure and incident dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. | University of Cambridge | A comprehensive review involving nearly 30 million individuals indicates that air pollution significantly raises dementia risk, particularly from pollutants like PM2.5. While some regions have seen a decline in dementia prevalence, the overall picture remains concerning, especially in areas with high pollution levels. This study underscores the urgent need to address air quality to mitigate its long-term impacts on cognitive health. | Air Pollution Raises Dementia RiskTiny air pollutants like PM2.5 and soot may stealthily boost your chances of dementia, according to new research spanning 29 million people. Credit: Shutterstock -- An analysis of studies incorporating data from almost 30 million people has highlighted the role that air pollution - including that coming from car exhaust emissions - plays in increased risk of dementia. -- Dementias such as Alzheimer's disease are estimated to affect more than 57.4 million people worldwide, a number that is expected to almost triple to 152.8 million cases by 2050. The impacts on the individuals, families and caregivers and society at large are immense. -- While there are some indications that the prevalence of dementia is decreasing in Europe and North America, suggesting that it may be possible to reduce the risk of the disease at a population level, elsewhere the picture is less promising. -- Air pollution has recently been identified as a risk factor for dementia, with several studies pointing the finger at a number of pollutants. However, the strength of evidence and ability to determine a causal effect has been varied. -- In a paper published on July 24 in The Lancet Planetary Health, a team led by researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing scientific literature to examine this link further. This approach allowed them to bring together studies that on their own may not provide sufficient evidence, and which sometimes disagree with each other, to provide more robust overarching conclusions. -- In total, the researchers included 51 studies, including data from more than 29 million participants, mostly from high-income countries. Of these, 34 papers were included in the meta-analysis: 15 originated in North America, 10 in Europe, seven in Asia, and two in Australia. -- The researchers found a positive and statistically-significant association between three types of air pollutant and dementia. These were: -- Particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less (PM2.5), a pollutant made up of tiny particles small enough that they can be inhaled deep into the lungs. These particles come from several sources, including vehicle emissions, power plants, industrial processes, wood burning stoves and fireplaces, and construction dust. They also form in the atmosphere because of complex chemical reactions involving other pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. The particles can stay in the air for a long time and travel a long way from where they were produced. -- Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), one of the key pollutants that arise from burning fossil fuels. It is found in vehicle exhaust, especially diesel exhaust, and industrial emissions, as well as those from gas stoves and heaters. Exposure to high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide can irritate the respiratory system, worsening and inducing conditions like asthma and reducing lung function. | 284 |
| Millipedes Make Ants Dizzy — And Might Soon Treat Human Pain | Millipedes Might Be Nature’s Key To Future Pain Relief And Neurological Treatments | The Discovery of Complex Heterocycles from Millipede Secretions. | Virginia Tech | Virginia Tech researchers have discovered unique alkaloid compounds in millipede secretions that could lead to innovative painkillers and neurological drugs. These compounds interact with neuroreceptors in humans, suggesting potential therapeutic applications. While challenges remain in producing these compounds at scale, this discovery opens new avenues for drug development and neurological treatment strategies. | Turning Millipedes Into MedicineThe defensive secretions of millipedes have revealed complex alkaloids that target brain receptors, with potential for treating pain and neurological disorders. Credit: Shutterstock -- Millipedes get a bad rap -- their many legs put people off and could classify them as "creepy crawly." But these anthropods' secretions could hold the key to new drug discovery for the treatment of neurological diseases and pain. -- Chemist Emily Mevers and her team recently discovered a new set of complex structures in millipede secretions that can modulate specific neuroreceptors in ant brains. -- The newly discovered structures fall into a class of naturally occurring compounds called alkaloids. The Mevers team named them the andrognathanols and the andrognathines after the producing millipede, Andrognathus corticarius, found on Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus in Stadium Woods. These discoveries were recently published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. -- A new compound discovery -- Mevers specializes in leveraging the chemistry of underexplored ecological niches, in this case the millipede, in the name of drug discovery. -- After collecting millipedes from under leaf litter and fallen branches in Stadium Woods, Mevers and team members used a variety of analytical tools to identify the compounds contained in the millipedes' defensive glands. They also learned that the millipedes release these compounds to ward off predators while also sharing their location with their kin. -- Broader implications -- Despite their pervasiveness, much about millipedes remains mysterious -- including their specific habitats, numbers, diets, behaviors, and chemistry. Mevers, in collaboration with millipede expert Paul Marek in the entomology department, is working to fill in some of these gaps and see if what they uncover could be useful for future medications. -- Previously, Mevers and Marek examined a millipede native to the Pacific Northwest, Ishcnocybe plicata, and discovered that related alkaloids potently and selectively interact with a single neuroreceptor called Sigma-1. The interaction suggested that this family of compounds may have useful pharmacology potential for the treatment of pain and other neurological disorders. | 285 |
| Stunning “Wonder Reptile” Discovery Rewrites The Origins Of Feathers | Feather-Like Structures Discovered On Triassic Reptile Change Our Understanding Of Evolution | Triassic diapsid shows early diversification of skin appendages in reptiles. | Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart | An international team has identified a new Triassic reptile, Mirasaura grauvogeli, with feather-like skin structures predating modern feathers. This significant discovery reshapes our understanding of reptile evolution and suggests that complex skin appendages may have evolved much earlier than previously thought. It provides valuable insights into the evolutionary pathways of reptiles and their adaptations. | “Wonder Reptile” Rewrites Feather OriginsReconstruction and illustration of Mirasaura in its natural forested environment, hunting insects. Credit: Gabriel Ugueto -- Body coverings such as hair and feathers have played a central role in evolution. They enabled warm-bloodedness by insulating the body, and were used for courtship, display, deterrence of enemies and, in the case of feathers, flight. Their structure is characterised by longer and more complex skin outgrowths that differ significantly from the simple and flat scales of reptiles. Complex skin outgrowths have previously only been observed in mammals in the form of hair and in birds and their closest fossil relatives, dinosaurs and pterosaurs, in the form of feathers. An international team led by palaeontologists Dr Stephan Spiekman and Prof Dr Rainer Schoch from the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Germany, describes a previously unknown tree-dwelling reptile from the early Middle Triassic in a recent study published in the prestigious journal Nature. The 247-million-year-old reptile 'Mirasaura grauvogeli', whose name means 'Grauvogel's Wonder Reptile', had a dorsal crest with previously unknown, structurally complex appendages growing from its skin with some similarities to feathers. The crest was probably used for display to other members of the same species. The find shows that complex skin structures are not only found in birds and their closest relatives but may predate modern reptiles. This important discovery forces us to reconsider our understanding of reptile evolution. -- Unique skin structures in early reptiles -- The crest of the rather small Mirasaura consists of individual, densely overlapping appendages that each possess a feather-like contour with a narrow central ridge. While real feathers consist of many delicate branched structures called barbs, there is no evidence of such branching in the appendages of Mirasaura. Because of this, the team believes that the structure of the complex, unique skin appendages of Mirasaura evolved largely independently of those of birds. -- 'The fact that we have discovered such complex skin appendages in such an ancient group of reptiles sheds a new light on their evolution. Mirasaura is even older than the dinosaurs and not closely related to them. Developmental biology studies show that the genetic basis for the growth of complex skin appendages such as feathers probably originated in the Carboniferous period more than 300 million years ago. Mirasaura provides the first direct evidence that such structures actually did form early on in reptile evolution, in groups not closely related to birds and extinct dinosaurs,' says Dr Stephan Spiekman, lead author of the paper and scientist at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart. -- Dinosaurs and the origin of feathers -- The study marks a turning point in a nearly 30-year trend in palaeontological research that began with the discovery of feathered dinosaurs in China in the late 1990s. Before this time, it was thought that reptiles, including dinosaurs that gave rise to birds, were covered with scales and that only true birds had feathers. As a result, dinosaurs were often depicted as sluggish, scaly animals. This image changed when research started to show that many dinosaurs were much more bird-like than previously thought. The discovery of feathered, non-avian dinosaurs in China caused a wave of new studies that began to blur the lines between scaly, 'cold-blooded' reptiles on the one hand and feathered, 'warm-blooded' birds on the other. Now, it is clear that the story is even more complex. -- 'Mirasaura grauvogeli shows us how surprising evolution can be and what potential it holds. It repeatedly produces similar structures that are completely independent of each other but also structures that are so different that they can be distinguished. Mirasaura developed an alternative to feathers very early in Earth's history, long before the dinosaurs, which we did not expect and which will stimulate discussion and research,' says Prof. Dr. Rainer Schoch, reptile expert and head of the Palaeontology Department at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart. -- Bizarre tree-climbers with bird-like skulls and claws -- The latest technologies have been used to study Mirasaura, including synchrotron imaging carried out at the European Synchrotron (ESRF) to reconstruct the skull. This revealed a bird-like shape with a narrow, mostly toothless snout, large forward-facing eye sockets and a large, domed skull. The snout was probably used to extract insects from narrow tree holes. The drepanosauromorphs, to which Mirasaura belongs, are known to palaeontologists as extremely bizarre creatures of the Triassic period. They had grasping forelimbs, sometimes with a huge claw resembling that of a Velociraptor. They had long, barrel-shaped bodies, a long, prehensile tail, and hands that allowed them to grab onto branches like monkeys. Some species even had a hook-shaped claw at the tip of their tail for hanging from branches. | 286 |
| Ivermectin: The Mosquito-Killing Pill That Dropped Malaria By 26% | Ivermectin Administration Cuts Malaria Infections Among Children By A Remarkable 26% | Ivermectin to Control Malaria — A Cluster-Randomized Trial. | Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) | The BOHEMIA trial in Kenya demonstrated a 26% reduction in malaria infections among children when ivermectin was administered alongside bed nets. This groundbreaking study suggests that mass ivermectin distribution can significantly complement existing malaria control methods, offering a promising strategy to combat the disease in regions facing insecticide resistance and other challenges. | Ivermectin Cuts Malaria by 26% in Major TrialGiving entire communities a monthly dose of ivermectin led to a remarkable drop in malaria cases—and even got rid of some pesky bed bugs along the way. Credit: Shutterstock -- Ivermectin administered to the whole population significantly reduces malaria transmission, offering new hope in the fight against the disease. The BOHEMIA trial, the largest study on ivermectin for malaria to date, showed a 26% reduction in new malaria infection on top of existing bed nets, providing strong evidence of ivermectin's potential as a complementary tool in malaria control. The results of this project, coordinated by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) -an institution supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation- in collaboration with the Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM) and the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, have been published in The New England Journal of Medicine. -- Malaria remains a global health challenge, with 263 million cases and 597,000 deaths reported in 2023. Current vector control methods, such as long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS), have become less effective due to insecticide resistance and behavioral adaptations in mosquitoes to bite outdoors and during dusk or dawn, when people are not protected by these measures. This underscores the urgent need for innovative solutions to combat malaria. -- Ivermectin for malaria: A novel strategy -- Ivermectin, a drug traditionally used to treat neglected tropical diseases like onchocerciasis, which causes river blindness, and lymphatic filariasis, which causes elephantiasis, has been shown to reduce malaria transmission by killing the mosquitoes that feed on treated individuals. Given the rising resistance to conventional insecticides, ivermectin could offer an effective new approach totackle malaria transmission, especially in regions where traditional methods have become less effective. -- The Unitaid-funded BOHEMIA project(Broad One Health Endectocide-based Malaria Intervention in Africa) conducted two Mass Drug Administration (MDA) trials in the high-burden malaria regions: Kwale County (Kenya) and Mopeia district (Mozambique). The trials assessed the safety and efficacy of a single monthly dose of ivermectin (400 mcg/kg) given for three consecutive months at the start of the rainy season in reducing malaria transmission. In Kenya, the intervention targeted children aged 5-15, while in Mozambique it focused on children under five. -- Malaria reduction in Kenya -- In Kwale County, Kenya, children who received ivermectin experienced a 26% reduction in malaria infection incidence compared to those who received albendazole, the control drug used in the study. The trial involved over 20,000 participants and more than 56,000 treatments, demonstrating that ivermectin significantly reduced malaria infection rates -- particularly among children living further from cluster borders or in areas where drug distribution was more efficient. Moreover, the safety profile of ivermectin was favorable, with no severe drug-related adverse events and only mild, transient side effects already seen with ivermectin in campaigns against neglected tropical diseases. -- "We are thrilled with these results," says Carlos Chaccour, co-principal investigator of the BOHEMIA project and ISGlobal researcher at the time of the study. "Ivermectin has shown great promise in reducing malaria transmission and could complement existing control measures. With continued research, ivermectin MDA could become an effective tool for malaria control and even contribute to elimination efforts," Chaccour, who is now a researcher at the Navarra Centre for International Development at the University of Navarra, adds. -- "These results align with the World Health Organization's (WHO) criteria for new vector control tools," states Joseph Mwangangi, from the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme. "The findings suggest that ivermectin MDA could be a valuable complementary strategy for malaria control, particularly in areas where mosquito resistance to insecticides is a growing concern," adds Marta Maia, BOHEMIA's lead entomologist from the University of Oxford. | 287 |
| How Cats With Dementia Could Help Crack The Alzheimer’s Puzzle | Cats Develop Dementia Similar To Alzheimer’s: Research Could Benefit Both Species | Amyloid‐Beta Pathology Increases Synaptic Engulfment by Glia in Feline Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome: A Naturally Occurring Model of Alzheimer's Disease. | University of Edinburgh | A study reveals that cats can develop dementia resembling Alzheimer’s disease in humans, characterized by amyloid-beta accumulation and synaptic loss. Understanding these parallels can help researchers study dementia and develop treatments beneficial for both cats and humans, while also aiding owners in recognizing symptoms. | Cats with Dementia Could Help Crack Alzheimer’sCats with dementia show the same toxic brain protein and synapse loss seen in Alzheimer’s, making them promising models for studying the disease and testing treatments for both cats and humans. Credit: Shutterstock -- Cats with dementia have brain changes similar to those of people with Alzheimer's disease, offering a valuable model for studying the condition in humans, a study says. -- Scientists discovered a build-up of the toxic protein amyloid-beta in the brains of cats with the condition - one of the defining features of Alzheimer's disease. -- The findings offer a clearer picture of how amyloid-beta may lead to age-related brain dysfunction and memory loss in cats, experts say. -- Many older cats develop dementia, leading to behavioral changes such as increased vocalization - or meowing - confusion and disrupted sleep - symptoms similar to those seen in people with Alzheimer's disease. -- Scientists at the University of Edinburgh examined the brains of 25 cats of different ages after they had passed away, including those with signs of dementia. -- Powerful microscopy images revealed a build-up of amyloid-beta within the synapses - connections between brain cells - of older cats and cats with dementia. -- Synapses allow the flow of messages between brain cells and are vital to healthy brain function. Their loss strongly predicts reduced memory and thinking abilities in humans with Alzheimer's disease. -- The research team also found evidence that astrocytes and microglia - types of support cells in the brain - engulfed or 'ate' the affected synapses. This process, called synaptic pruning, is important during brain development but can contribute to synapse loss in dementia. -- Experts say the findings will not only help to understand and manage dementia in cats but, given their similarities, could also contribute to the development of future treatments for people with Alzheimer's disease. | 288 |
| Tiny Ancient Whale With A Killer Bite Found In Australia | Ancient Fossil Discovery Sheds Light On Early Dolphin-Sized Predators In Australia | An immature toothed mysticete from the Oligocene of Australia and insights into mammalodontid (Cetacea: Mysticeti) morphology, systematics, and ontogeny. | Museum Victoria | An extraordinary fossil discovery has unveiled Janjucetus dullardi, an ancient predator that predates modern baleen whales. This dolphin-sized creature, with its unique adaptations and sharp teeth, offers significant insight into whale evolution, expanding our understanding of the lineage that led to today’s massive filter-feeding whales. | The Tiny Whale That Hunted Like a SharkJanjucetus dullardi calf and mother. Credit: Ruairidh Duncan, Museums Victoria, edited -- With large eyes, razor sharp teeth and a compact body built for hunting, Janjucetus dullardi is nothing like the gentle giants we know today, but this newly discovered ancient whale is one of their earliest cousins. -- Scientists at Museums Victoria's Research Institute have described a new species of ancient whale from a 26-million-year-old fossil found near Jan Juc, on Wadawurrung Country, along Victoria's Surf Coast. -- The discovery offers remarkable insight into the early evolution of baleen whales - the filter-feeding giants that now cruise our oceans. -- Janjucetus dullardi was no ocean giant - it was a fast, sharp-toothed predator about the size of a dolphin. With a short snout, large forward-facing eyes and slicing teeth, it would have been a compact, yet fearsome sight in the warm, shallow seas of ancient Victoria. -- The fossil, a partial skull with ear bones and teeth, was discovered in June 2019 by local resident Ross Dullard while walking along the beach. Recognising its scientific significance, Dullard generously donated it to Museums Victoria, where researchers carefully prepared and studied the fossil. In recognition of his contribution, the new species has been named in his honour. -- 'This kind of public discovery and its reporting to the museum is vital,' said Dr Erich Fitzgerald, senior curator of vertebrate palaeontology at Museums Victoria Research Institute and senior author of the study. 'Ross' discovery has unlocked an entire chapter of whale evolution we've never seen before. It's a reminder that world-changing fossils can be found in your own backyard.' -- The research, published on August 12 in the prestigious Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, identifies Janjucetus dullardi as a juvenile 'baby whale', just over two metres long. Despite its small size, it belonged to a group known as mammalodontids, early whales that lived only during the Oligocene Epoch, around 30 to 23 million years ago. -- 'It's essentially a little whale with big eyes and a mouth full of sharp, slicing teeth,' said Ruairidh Duncan, PhD student at the Museums Victoria Research Institute and Monash University, and lead author of the study. 'Imagine the shark-like version of a baleen whale - small and deceptively cute, but definitely not harmless.' -- This is the third known mammalodontid species from Victoria, and only the fourth found worldwide. It's also the first to preserve both the teeth and inner ear structures in such detail, which are key features for understanding how early whales fed, heard, moved and behaved in the water. | 289 |
| Scientists Turn Grapevine Waste Into Clear, Strong Films That Vanish In Days | Turning Grapevine Canes Into Eco-Friendly Plastic That Decomposes Quickly | Valorization of grapevine agricultural waste into transparent and high-strength biodegradable films for sustainable packaging. | South Dakota State University | Researchers at South Dakota State University have converted grapevine canes into a plastic-like material that is stronger and fully biodegradable within 17 days. This innovative approach addresses plastic waste concerns by creating sustainable, compostable alternatives, representing a significant advancement in eco-friendly packaging solutions derived from agricultural byproducts. | Stronger Than Plastic, Gone in 17 DaysBy extracting cellulose from grapevine canes, researchers have produced eco-friendly films that are stronger than plastic bags and fully biodegrade in 17 days. Credit: Shutterstock -- The need for biodegradable packaging material has never been higher. -- Currently, most packaging is "single use" and is made with plastic materials, derived from nonrenewable sources like crude oil that take hundreds of years to decompose in the environment. On top of this, only 9% of plastic is recycled. This has resulted in the formation of floating piles of plastic garbage in the ocean, called the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch." -- But maybe even more concerning is the discovery of micro- and nano-plastics in the environment. Research has found that plastic breaks down into tiny particles, which are being ingested or inhaled by both humans and animals, and are found literally everywhere, including in the human body -- according to recent research studies. Worse, little is known about the long-term health effects of microplastics. -- Srinivas Janaswamy is an associate professor in South Dakota State University's Department of Dairy and Food Science. His research has focused on developing value-added products through biowaste and agricultural byproducts. One of the overarching goals of Janaswamy's research is to tackle the plastic waste crisis. -- Perhaps the biggest contributor to plastic waste, at least in the United States, is plastic bags, the kind found at most retail stores. These bags, while sometimes recycled, are often only used once and can be found littered throughout the environment. -- To address this problem, Janaswamy is working toward developing a plastic-like bag that will decompose in the environment. -- "That is my dream," Janaswamy said. -- The key ingredient to Janaswamy's work? Cellulose. This biopolymer is the most abundant organic substance on Earth and is found, primarily, in the cell walls of plants. Cellulose, thanks to strong hydrogen bonds and a chain of glucose molecules, gives plants structural strength and rigidity along with other biopolymers such as mannan, xylose, hemicellulose and lignin. -- Humans have long used cellulose to create products. Cotton, the material used to make a majority of the world's clothing, is primarily composed of cellulose. Wood is rich in cellulose as well. | 290 |
| The Oceans Are Overheating—And Scientists Say A Climate Tipping Point May Be Here | Ocean Heatwaves Are Here—Are We Facing A Climate Tipping Point? | Record-breaking 2023 marine heatwaves. | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | In 2023, the oceans experienced unprecedented marine heatwaves, lasting over 500 days and affecting vast areas globally. This drastic increase in ocean temperatures has triggered mass coral bleaching, threatened fisheries, and foreshadowed transformative climate changes. A new study links these marine heatwaves to broader climate shifts, indicating a potential tipping point in the Earth's climate system, as nearly 96% of the ocean faced these intense conditions. | The Oceans Are OverheatingMarine heatwaves surged to record-breaking levels in 2023, disrupting ecosystems and fisheries across 96% of the ocean. Scientists warn this may mark the beginning of a fundamental climate shift. Credit: Shutterstock -- The global marine heatwaves (MHWs) of 2023 were unprecedented in their intensity, persistence, and scale, according to a new study. The findings provide insights into the region-specific drivers of these events, linking them to broader changes in the planet's climate system. They may also portend an emerging climate tipping point. Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are intense and prolonged episodes of unusually warm ocean temperatures. -- These events pose severe threats to marine ecosystems, often resulting in widespread coral bleaching and mass mortality events. They also carry serious economic consequences by disrupting fisheries and aquaculture. It's widely understood that human-driven climate change is driving a rapid increase in the frequency and intensity of MHWs. -- In 2023, regions across the globe, including the North Atlantic, Tropical Pacific, South Pacific, and North Pacific, experienced extreme MHWs. However, the causes underlying the onset, persistence, and intensification of widespread MHWs remain poorly understood. -- To better understand the MHWs of 2023, Tianyun Dong and colleagues conducted a global analysis using combined satellite observations and ocean reanalysis data, including those from the ECCO2 (Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean-Phase II) high-resolution project. -- According to the findings, MHWs of 2023 set new records for intensity, duration, and geographic extent, lasting four times the historical average and covering 96% of the global ocean surface. Regionally, the most intense warming occurred in the North Atlantic, Tropical Eastern Pacific, North Pacific, and Southwest Pacific, collectively accounting for 90% of the oceanic heating anomalies. -- The researchers show that the North Atlantic MHW, which began as early as mid-2022, persisted for 525 days, while the Southwest Pacific event broke prior records with its vast spatial extent and prolonged duration. What's more, in the Tropical Eastern Pacific, temperature anomalies peaked at 1.63 degrees Celsius during the onset of El Niño. -- Using a mixed-layer heat budget analysis, the scientists discovered diverse regional drivers contributing to the formation and persistence of these events, including increased solar radiation due to reduced cloud cover, weakened winds, and ocean current anomalies. According to the researchers, the 2023 MHWs may mark a fundamental shift in ocean-atmosphere dynamics, potentially serving as an early warning of an approaching tipping point in Earth's climate system. | 291 |
| A Dusty Fossil Drawer Held A 300-Million-Year-Old Evolutionary Game-Changer | A 300-Million-Year-Old Fossil Changes Our Understanding Of Ancient Life | Palaeocampa anthrax, an armored freshwater lobopodian with chemical defenses from the Carboniferous. | Harvard University, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology | A fossil previously misidentified as a caterpillar has been reclassified as the first-known nonmarine lobopodian, Palaeocampa anthrax, which predates recognized Cambrian species. This significant finding, rediscovered in Harvard’s museum, challenges existing views of lobopodians, showing they thrived in freshwater environments, not just oceans. This breakthrough sheds light on the early evolution of soft-bodied ancestors of arthropods, ultimately reshaping our understanding of ancient life. | A Misidentified Fossil Just Rewrote EvolutionNeotype of Palaeocampa anthrax from the Mazon Creek Lagerstätte and rediscovered in the Invertebrate Paleontology collection of the MCZ. The faint red and blue grid lines from a wax pencil can still be seen across the specimen, made by the nineteenth century artist Katherine Pierson who illustrated this specimen for Samuel Scudder in 1884. Credit: Richard J. Knecht -- In a twist worthy of a detective novel, a long-misidentified fossil at Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) has emerged as a key discovery in early animal evolution. Originally described in 1865 as a caterpillar, Palaeocampa anthrax shuffled between classifications -- worm, millipede, and eventually a marine polychaete -- until 130 years later, when researchers realized its true identity: the first-known nonmarine lobopodian and the earliest one ever discovered. -- Lobopodians are extinct, soft-bodied creatures that bridge the evolutionary gap between a primitive worm-like ancestor and modern arthropods like insects and crustaceans. Known mostly from Cambrian marine deposits such as Canada's Burgess Shale, they include iconic fossils like Hallucigenia and Aysheaia pedunculata discovered in 1911, and were thought to be exclusively marine -- until now. -- A new study published in Communications Biology led by Richard Knecht, a former graduate student (PhD '25) in Harvard's Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (OEB), redescribes Palaeocampa anthrax as the first nonmarine and youngest lobopodian discovered; predating the famous Burgess Shale lobopodians by nearly fifty years. -- "Lobopodians were likely a common sight on Paleozoic sea beds," said Knecht, "but apart from microscopic tardigrades and terrestrial velvet worms, we thought they were confined to the ocean." -- Knecht, currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan and an associate of the MCZ, discovered Palaeocampa while examining fossil millipedes in the MCZ collection. He noted legs on every trunk -- ruling out caterpillar or worm -- and recognized it as a lobopodian. -- To confirm this, the team analyzed 43 specimens from two Carboniferous Lagerstätten -- Mazon Creek (USA) and Montceau-les-Mines (France) -- using advanced imaging, including backscatter scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. They revealed exquisite anatomical features -- most notably, nearly 1,000 bristle-like spines covering the body. -- Co-author Nanfang Yu, associate professor of physics at Columbia University, used Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to detect chemical residues at the spine tips -- suggesting the spines secreted toxins to deter predators in its swampy habitat. -- "What amazed me is that fragments of biomacromolecules could be exceptionally preserved or altered to geomacromolecules in fossils," Yu said. " I'm thrilled this technique possessed the sensitivity and specificity to differentiate fossilized remains from the rocky substrate." -- Palaeocampa's closest relative is Hadranax, a Cambrian lobopodian from Greenland, nearly 200 million years older. Both had ten pairs of legs, no claws andwere blind. But while Hadranax was unarmored and navigated the deep sea using elongated frontal appendages, Palaeocampa, at just four centimeters long, bore a dense coat of spines -- arranged above each pair of legs, giving it a fuzzy caterpillar-like appearance -- and inhabited freshwater, possibly amphibious, environments. | 292 |
| Cancer Cells Go Up In Flames—Thanks To This Deep-Sea Sugar | Deep-Sea Sugar Causes Cancer Cells To Self-Destruct In Lab Tests | A Novel Exopolysaccharide, Highly Prevalent in Marine Spongiibacter, Triggers Pyroptosis to Exhibit Potent Anticancer Effects. | Wiley | A sugar compound from deep-sea bacteria has shown remarkable potential in cancer treatment by inducing a unique form of cell death in cancer cells. Lab tests revealed that this compound not only inhibited tumor growth in mice with liver cancer but also activated the immune system against the disease. This discovery opens avenues for novel, sugar-based cancer therapies derived from marine microorganisms, demonstrating a promising natural approach to combating cancer. | Cancer Cells Destroyed by Deep-Sea SugarA sugar made by ocean bacteria has been found to trigger a powerful form of cell death that destroys cancer cells. It worked in both lab experiments and mice, showing promise as a new, natural cancer-fighting treatment. Credit: Shutterstock -- Promoting pyroptosis -- an inflammatory form of programmed cell death -- has become a promising treatment strategy for cancer. In research published in The FASEB Journal, investigators purified a long-chain sugar molecule, or exopolysaccharide, from deep-sea bacteria and demonstrated that it triggers pyroptosis to inhibit tumor growth. -- The compound, called EPS3.9, consists of mannose and glucose and is produced by the Spongiibacter nanhainus CSC3.9 bacterial strain and other members of the genus Spongiibacter. Mechanistic analyses showed that EPS3.9 can directly target 5 membrane phospholipid molecules and exert tumor toxicity by stimulating pyroptosis in human leukemia cells. EPS3.9 also had significant anti-tumor effects in the mice with liver cancer and activated anti-tumor immune responses. -- "Our work not only provides a theoretical basis for developing more carbohydrate-based drugs but also highlights the importance of exploring marine microbial resources," said corresponding author Chaomin Sun, PhD, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. -- What Is Pyroptosis? -- Pyroptosis is a fiery form of programmed cell death that helps the body fight infections and disease. Unlike regular cell death (apoptosis), pyroptosis is dramatic and explosive—cells swell, burst open, and release inflammatory signals that alert the immune system. -- Originally discovered as a defense against bacteria and viruses, pyroptosis has recently become a hot topic in cancer research. That’s because triggering pyroptosis in tumor cells can not only destroy them directly but also rally the immune system to join the attack, essentially turning the tumor into a signal flare for immune response. | 293 |
| The Fungus That Makes Bread Better For You | Soil Fungus Boosts Wheat’s Nutritional Value Without The Downside | Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculation increases the bioavailability of zinc and iron in wheat grain. | Wiley | A symbiotic relationship between bread wheat and a specific soil fungus has been found to enhance the grain's nutritional profile significantly. This partnership results in bigger grains rich in essential nutrients, such as zinc and phosphorus, while maintaining digestibility. The study suggests that utilizing beneficial fungi could be a sustainable strategy for fortifying crops, thereby improving human nutrition without the adverse effects of anti-nutrients. | The Fungus That Makes Bread Better for YouBread wheat grown with beneficial fungi produces larger grains loaded with more zinc and phosphorus—and the nutrients are easier for our bodies to absorb. A win for nutrition and sustainability. Credit: Shutterstock -- New research in Plants, People, Planet indicates that bread wheat's micronutrient content can be increased by cultivating it with a specific type of fungus. -- When investigators grew different types of wheat with and without the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis, they observed that crops grown with fungi developed larger grains with greater amounts of phosphorus and zinc. The higher amount of phosphorus in the grain did not result in an increase in phytate (a compound that can hinder digestion of zinc and iron). As a result, bread wheat grown with fungi had higher bioavailability of zinc and iron overall compared with bread wheat grown in the absence of fungi. -- "Beneficial soil fungi could be used as a sustainable option to exploit soil-derived plant nutrients. In this case, we found potential to biofortify wheat with important human micronutrients by inoculating the plants with mycorrhizal fungi," said corresponding author Stephanie J. Watts-Williams, PhD, of the University of Adelaide, in Australia. -- Rhizophagus irregularis is a species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus that forms beneficial relationships with the roots of many types of plants. It helps plants take in more nutrients—especially phosphorus and micronutrients—by extending its thin, root-like structures deep into the soil. -- This fungus is one of the most widely studied and used in agriculture and ecology because of its broad compatibility with crops and its ability to improve plant growth, health, and soil quality. By boosting nutrient uptake naturally, R. irregularis supports more resilient plants and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, making it a valuable tool in sustainable farming and reforestation efforts. | 294 |
| This Plastic Disappears In The Deep Sea—And Microbes Make It Happen | Eco-Friendly Plastic Disappears In The Ocean—Microbes Make It Happen | Unveiling deep-sea biodegradation of microbially produced lactate-based polyester (LAHB) via plastisphere metagenomics and metatranscriptomics. | Shinshu University | A revolutionary eco-friendly plastic named LAHB has demonstrated remarkable biodegradation in deep-sea conditions, losing over 80% of its mass within 13 months. This contrasts sharply with conventional plastics, which persist in marine environments for decades. The study highlights how specialized deep-sea microbes break down LAHB, suggesting a promising solution for reducing plastic waste in oceans and addressing the pressing issue of environmental pollution. | This Plastic Disappears in the Deep SeaResearchers submerged LAHB films at a depth of 855 m near Hatsushima Island to test real-world deep-sea biodegradation. After 13 months, the LAHB plastic lost over 80% of its mass, showing its potential as a safer alternative to conventional plastics that persist in marine ecosystems. Credit: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) -- Researchers have demonstrated a new eco-friendly plastic that decomposes in deep ocean conditions. In a deep-sea experiment, the microbially synthesized poly(d-lactate-co-3-hydroxybutyrate) (LAHB) biodegraded, while conventional plastics such as a representative bio-based polylactide (PLA) persisted. Submerged 855 meters (~2,800 feet) underwater, LAHB films lost over 80% of their mass after 13 months as microbial biofilms actively broke down the material. This real-world test establishes LAHB as a safer biodegradable plastic, supporting global efforts to reduce marine plastic waste. -- Despite the growing popularity of bio-based plastics, plastic pollution remains one of the world's most pressing environmental issues. According to the OECD's Global Plastics Outlook (2022), about 353 million metric tons of plastic waste were produced globally in 2019, with nearly 1.7 million metric tons flowing directly into aquatic ecosystems. Much of this waste becomes trapped in large rotating ocean currents, known as gyres, forming the infamous "garbage patches" found in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. -- To tackle this, researchers have been searching for plastics that can be degraded more reliably in deep-sea environments. One promising candidate is poly(d-lactate-co-3-hydroxybutyrate) or LAHB, a lactate-based polyester biosynthesized using engineered Escherichia coli. So far, LAHB has shown strong potential as a biodegradable polymer that breaks down in river water and shallow seawater. -- Now, in a study made available online on July 1, 2025, and published in Volume 240 of the journal Polymer Degradation and Stability on October 1, 2025, researchers from Japan have shown for the first time that LAHB can also get biodegraded under deep-sea conditions, where low temperatures, high pressure, and too limited nutrients make breakdown of plastic extremely difficult. The study was led by Professor Seiichi Taguchi at the Institute for Aqua Regeneration, Shinshu University, Japan, together with Dr. Shun'ichi Ishii from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Japan and Professor Ken-ichi Kasuya from Gunma University Center for Food Science and Wellness, Japan. -- "Our study demonstrates for the first time that LAHB, a microbial lactate-based polyester, undergoes active biodegradation and complete mineralization even on the deep-sea floor, where conventional PLA remains completely non-degradable," explains Prof. Taguchi. -- The research team submerged two types of LAHB films -- one containing about 6% lactic acid (P6LAHB) and another with 13% lactic acid (P13LAHB) -- alongside a conventional PLA film for comparison. The samples were submerged at a depth of 855 meters near Hatsushima Island, where deep-sea conditions, cold temperatures (3.6 °C), high salinity, and low dissolved oxygen levels make it hard for microbes to degrade plastic. -- After 7 and 13 months of immersion, the LAHB films revealed clear signs of biodegradation under deep-sea conditions. The P13LAHB film lost 30.9% of its weight after 7 months and over 82% after 13 months. The P6LAHB film showed similar trends. By contrast, the PLA film showed no measurable weight loss or visible degradation during the same period, underscoring its resistance to microbial degradation. The surfaces of the LAHB films had developed cracks and were covered by biofilms made up of oval- and rod-shaped microbes, indicating that deep-sea microorganisms were colonizing and decomposing the LAHB plastic. The PLA film, however, remained completely free of biofilm. -- To understand how the plastic decomposes, the researchers analyzed the plastisphere, the microbial community that formed on the plastic's surface. They found that different microbial groups played distinct roles. Dominant Gammaproteobacterial genera, including Colwellia, Pseudoteredinibacter, Agarilytica, and UBA7957, produced specialized enzymes known as extracellular poly[3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB)] depolymerases. These enzymes break down long polymer chains into smaller fragments like dimers and trimers. Certain species, such as UBA7959, also produce oligomer hydrolases (like PhaZ2) that further cleave these fragments, splitting 3HB-3HB or 3HB-LA dimers into their monomers. -- Once the polymers are broken down into these simpler building blocks, other microbes, including various Alpha-proteobacteria and Desulfobacterota, continue the process by consuming the monomers like 3HB and lactate. Working together, these microbial communities ultimately convert the plastic into carbon dioxide, water, and other harmless compounds that ideally return to the marine ecosystem. | 295 |
| A 500-Million-Year-Old Fossil Just Rewrote The Spider Origin Story | Ancient Fossil Suggests Spiders Evolved In The Ocean, Not On Land | Cambrian origin of the arachnid brain. | University of Arizona | Newly analyzed fossilized brain structures from Mollisonia symmetrica—a marine arthropod from half a billion years ago—indicate that arachnids may have originated in the ocean. This research challenges the existing belief that spiders evolved solely on land, revealing neural similarities with modern arachnids. The findings suggest that ancient environmental conditions may have played a significant role in the evolutionary journey of these predators. | Spider Brain Found in 500-Million-Year-Old FossilIllustration of what the Mollisonia animal would have looked like at the time it lived, more than 500 million years ago. Credit: Nick Strausfeld -- A new analysis of an exquisitely preserved fossil that lived half a billion years ago suggests that arachnids - spiders and their close kin - evolved in the ocean, challenging the widely held belief that their diversification happened only after their common ancestor had conquered the land. -- Spiders and scorpions have existed for some 400 million years, with little change. Along with closely related arthropods grouped together as arachnids, they have dominated the Earth as the most successful group of arthropodan predators. Based on their fossil record, arachnids appeared to have lived and diversified exclusively on land. -- In a study led by Nicholas Strausfeld at the University of Arizona and published in Current Biology, researchers from the U.S. and United Kingdom undertook a detailed analysis of the fossilized features of the brain and central nervous system of an extinct animal called Mollisonia symmetrica. Until now, it was thought to represent an ancestral member of a specific group of arthropods known as chelicerates, which lived during the Cambrian (between 540 and 485 million years ago) and included ancestors of today's horseshoe crabs. To their surprise, the researchers found that the neural arrangements in Mollisonia's fossilized brain are not organized like those in horseshoe crabs, as could be expected, but instead are organized the same way as they are in modern spiders and their relatives. -- "It is still vigorously debated where and when arachnids first appeared, and what kind of chelicerates were their ancestors," said Strausfeld, a Regents Professor in the U of A Department of Neuroscience, "and whether these were marine or semi-aquatic like horseshoe crabs." -- Mollisonia outwardly resembles some other early chelicerates from the lower and mid-Cambrian in that its body was composed of two parts: a broad rounded "carapace" in the front and a sturdy segmented trunk ending in a broad, tail-like structure. Some scientists have referred to the organization of a carapace in front, followed by a segmented trunk as similar to the body plan of a scorpion. But nobody had claimed that Mollisonia was anything more exotic than a basal chelicerate, even more primitive than the ancestor of the horseshoe crab, for example. -- What Strausfeld and his colleagues found indicating Mollisonia's status as an arachnid is its fossilized brain and nervous system. As in spiders and other present-day arachnids, the anterior part of Mollisonia's body (called the prosoma) contains a radiating pattern of segmental ganglia that control the movements of five pairs of segmental appendages. In addition to those arachnid-like features, Mollisonia also revealed an unsegmented brain extending short nerves to a pair of pincer-like "claws," reminiscent of the fangs of spiders and other arachnids. -- But the decisive feature demonstrating arachnid identity is the unique organization of the mollisoniid brain, which is the reverse of the front-to-back arrangement found in present-day crustaceans, insects and centipedes, and even horseshoe crabs, such as the genus Limulus. -- "It's as if the Limulus-type brain seen in Cambrian fossils, or the brains of ancestral and present days crustaceans and insects, have been flipped backwards, which is what we see in modern spiders," he said. -- According to co-author Frank Hirth from King's College London, the latter finding may be a crucial evolutionary development, because studies of existing spider brains suggest that this back-to-front arrangement provides shortcuts from neuronal control centers to underlying circuits that coordinate a spider's (or its relative's) amazing repertoire of movements. This arrangement likely confers stealth in hunting, rapidity in pursuit and in the case of spiders, an exquisite dexterity for the spinning of webs to entrap prey. | 296 |
| Concrete That Lasts Centuries And Captures Carbon? AI Just Made It Possible | AI Technology Makes Revolutionary Advances In Materials Research And Design | Allegro-FM: Toward an Equivariant Foundation Model for Exascale Molecular Dynamics Simulations. | University of Southern California | Researchers at USC have developed a groundbreaking AI model, Allegro-FM, enabling simulations of materials at unprecedented scales. This advancement could lead to the creation of innovative materials like self-healing, carbon-neutral concrete that withstands extreme conditions. The technology promises to revolutionize urban planning by reducing emissions and extending the lifespan of structures, all while mimicking the durability of ancient Roman concrete. | 4 Billion Atoms, One AI: A Concrete BreakthroughUsing supercomputing and AI, researchers can now simulate over 4 billion atoms to create cleaner, tougher building materials. Credit: Shutterstock -- Imagine the concrete in our homes and bridges not only withstanding the ravages of time and natural disasters like the intense heat of wildfires, but actively self-healing or capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. -- Now, researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering have developed a revolutionary AI model that can simulate the behavior of billions of atoms simultaneously, opening new possibilities for materials design and discovery at unprecedented scales. -- The current state of the world's climate is a dire one. Brutal droughts, evaporating glaciers, and more disastrous hurricanes, rainstorms and wildfires devastate us each year. A major contributor to global warming is the constant emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. -- Aiichiro Nakano, a USC Viterbi professor of computer science, physics and astronomy, and quantitative and computational biology, was contemplating these issues after the January wildfires in Los Angeles. So, he reached out to longtime partner Ken-Ichi Nomura, a USC Viterbi professor of chemical engineering and materials science practice, with whom he's collaborated for over 20 years. -- Discussing these issues together helped spark their new project: Allegro-FM, an artificial intelligence-driven simulation model. Allegro-FM has made a startling theoretical discovery: it is possible to recapture carbon dioxide emitted in the process of making concrete and place it back into the concrete that it helped produce. -- "You can just put the CO2 inside the concrete, and then that makes a carbon-neutral concrete," Nakano said. -- Nakano and Nomura, along with Priya Vashishta, a USC Viterbi professor of chemical engineering and materials science, and Rajiv Kalia, a USC professor of physics and astronomy, have been doing research on what they call "CO2 sequestration," or the process of recapturing carbon dioxide and storing it, a challenging process. -- By simulating billions of atoms simultaneously, Allegro-FM can test different concrete chemistries virtually before expensive real-world experiments. This could accelerate the development of concrete that acts as a carbon sink rather than just a carbon source -- concrete production currently accounts for about 8% of global CO2 emissions. -- The breakthrough lies in the model's scalability. While existing molecular simulation methods are limited to systems with thousands or millions of atoms, Allegro-FM demonstrated 97.5% efficiency when simulating over four billion atoms on the Aurora supercomputer at Argonne National Laboratory. | 297 |
| Snowless Winter? Arctic Field Team Finds Flowers And Meltwater Instead | Arctic Winter Turns Into Rain And Greenery—A Startling Shift | Svalbard winter warming is reaching melting point. | Queen Mary University of London | A significant shift in the Arctic winter has been documented, with scientists observing rain instead of snow during fieldwork in Svalbard. This alarming trend indicates not only rising temperatures but a fundamental seasonal change that threatens ecosystems and climate research. The findings underscore the severity of climate change impacts in the Arctic, raising concerns about the reliability of frozen winters in this rapidly warming region. | Scientists Stunned as Arctic Winter Turns to RainWinter in the Arctic is unraveling. Svalbard’s rain-soaked tundra and vanishing snowpack are upending both climate science and survival in one of the world’s fastest-warming regions. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new commentary published in Nature Communications by Dr James Bradley, Reader in Environmental Science at Queen Mary University of London, and his team reveals a dramatic and concerning shift in the Arctic winter. During a fieldwork campaign in Svalbard in February 2025, researchers encountered exceptionally high temperatures, widespread snowmelt, and blooming vegetation. -- Svalbard, warming at six to seven times the global average rate, is at the forefront of the climate crisis, with winter temperatures rising at nearly double the annual average. The commentary highlights that winter warming in the Arctic is no longer an exception but a recurring feature of a profoundly altered climate system, challenging the long-held assumption of a reliably frozen Arctic winter. -- "Standing in pools of water at the snout of the glacier, or on bare, green tundra, was shocking and surreal," Dr Bradley describes his experience. "The thick snowpack covering the landscape vanished within days. The gear I packed felt like a relic from another climate." -- The team, accustomed to preparing for extreme cold with thermal layers, thick gloves, and insulated down, found themselves working bare-handed in the rain on the glacier. -- Laura Molares Moncayo, a PhD student at Queen Mary and the Natural History Museum and a co-author on the study, added: "The goal of our fieldwork campaign was to study freshly fallen snow. But over a two-week period, we were only able to collect fresh snow once, as most of the precipitation fell as rain. This lack of snowfall in the middle of winter undermines our ability to establish a representative baseline for frozen-season processes. The unexpected melt not only disrupted our sampling plan, but also made us question how safe or feasible winter fieldwork really is under such rapidly changing conditions." -- This firsthand experience corroborates long-standing projections about Arctic amplification, but it also underscores the alarming speed at which these changes are taking hold. The crossing of the 0°C melting threshold has a transformative impact on the physical environment, the dynamics of local ecosystems, and the very methodology of conducting scientific research in the Arctic during winter. -- The implications of these rapid winter changes for the Arctic ecosystem are far-reaching. Winter warming events can disrupt everything from microbial carbon cycling to the survival of Arctic wildlife. These events may also create a feedback loop, accelerating permafrost thaw, microbial carbon degradation, and the release of greenhouse gases across the Arctic. The observed meltwater pooling above frozen ground, forming vast temporary lakes and reducing snow cover to zero in large areas, further exposes the bare ground surface and leads to widespread blooms of biological activity. -- The commentary calls for urgent action and highlights critical policy implications. "Climate policy must catch up to the reality that the Arctic is changing much faster than expected, and winter is at the heart of that shift," states Dr Bradley. -- The commentary urgently calls for increased investment in wintertime Arctic monitoring, highlighting a significant lack of data and understanding regarding Arctic systems during this fastest-changing season. More observations and experimentation are crucial, not only to establish baselines but also to project future impacts. Furthermore, the authors stress that policymaking must shift from reactive to anticipatory strategies, recognising winter as a critical season of risk. The challenges already faced by well-equipped scientific bases due to mid-winter warming underscore the immense pressure this might place on remote Indigenous Arctic communities, their infrastructure, transport, and emergency responses. | 298 |
| Watch The Earth Split In Real Time: Stunning Footage Reveals A 2.5-Meter Fault Slip In Seconds | Stunning Footage Reveals Unique Movement In Myanmar Earthquake Fault | Curved Fault Slip Captured by CCTV Video During the 2025 Mw 7.7 Myanmar Earthquake. | Kyoto University | A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, capturing unprecedented CCTV footage of its fault movement. Researchers utilized this rare visual data to analyze the rapid and curved fault rupture, marking a significant advancement in earthquake science. This real-time observation enhances our understanding of seismic behavior and could transform how scientists study and predict future earthquakes. | Watch the Earth Split in Real TimeA deadly earthquake struck Myanmar in 2025, but a nearby CCTV camera turned it into a scientific goldmine. The footage allowed researchers to witness the fault rupture in real time—something never seen before. Credit: Shutterstock -- During the midday Friday prayer hours on March 28, 2025, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck central Myanmar along the Sagaing Fault. With an epicenter close to Mandalay, the country's second-largest city, it was the most powerful earthquake to strike Myanmar in more than a century and the second deadliest in its modern history. -- The cause was a strike-slip fault, in which two masses of earth "slip" past each other horizontally along a vertical fault plane. To an observer, it would look like the ground were split in two along a defined line, with both sides being wrenched past each other in opposite directions. -- Previous seismological studies have inferred pulse-like rupture behavior and curved slip paths from the analysis of seismic data. However, because the recording instruments were at a considerable distance from the fault itself, these findings were indirect. -- This time, however, a CCTV camera caught this slip in action, presenting a unique opportunity for a team researchers at Kyoto University to study the fault motion in real time. (See video link at bottom of article.) -- The team applied a technique known as pixel cross-correlation to the CCTV footage to analyze the fault's movement frame-by-frame. Their analysis reveals that the fault slipped sideways 2.5 meters in just 1.3 seconds, with a maximum speed of 3.2 meters per second. The total sideways movement recorded during this earthquake is typical of strike-slip ruptures, but the short duration of the fault slip is a major discovery. -- "The brief duration of motion confirms a pulse-like rupture, characterized by a concentrated burst of slip propagating along the fault, much like a ripple traveling down a rug when flicked from one end," says corresponding author Jesse Kearse. -- The team's analysis also proves that the slip path was subtly curved, a finding which aligns with previous geological observations from faults around the world. This may suggest that such slips are typically curved, as opposed to being completely linear. -- The study demonstrates that video-based monitoring of faults is a powerful tool for seismology, enabling unprecedented insights into earthquake behavior. Capturing this level of detail is fundamental to improving our understanding of earthquake processes and enhancing our ability to anticipate the ground shaking expected in future large events. -- "We did not anticipate that this video record would provide such a rich variety of detailed observations. Such kinematic data is critical for advancing our understanding of earthquake source physics," says Kearse. | 299 |
| The Sugar That Sparked Life: Why Ribose Was RNA’s First Choice | Why Ribose Became The Sugar Essential For Life's RNA Structure | Selection of Ribofuranose‐Isomer Among Pentoses by Phosphorylation with Diamidophosphate. | Scripps Research Institute | Scientists at Scripps Research have unraveled the reasons behind ribose being a key molecule in life’s origins. Their experiments demonstrate that ribose binds more effectively to phosphate than other sugars, facilitating RNA formation. This research offers insights into prebiotic chemistry, suggesting how nature could have selected specific molecules for life, reshaping our understanding of how complex life originated on Earth. | Could This Sugar Explain Where RNA Came From?Ribose outperforms other sugars in forming key RNA structures, offering a chemical clue to how life may have emerged from non-living matter. Credit: Shutterstock -- In living organisms today, complex molecules like RNA and DNA are constructed with the help of enzymes. So how did these molecules form before life (and enzymes) existed? Why did some molecules end up as the building blocks of life and not others? A new study by Scripps Research scientists helps answer these longstanding questions. -- The results, published in the chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie on June 27, 2025, showhow ribose may have become the sugar of choice for RNA development. They found that ribose binds to phosphate -- another molecular component of RNA -- more quickly and effectively than other sugar molecules. This feature could have helped select ribose for inclusion in the molecules of life. -- "This gives credence to the idea that this type of prebiotic chemistry could have produced the building blocks of RNA, which then could have led to entities which exhibit lifelike properties," says corresponding author Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy, professor of chemistry at Scripps Research. -- Nucleotides, the building blocks of RNA and DNA, consist of a five-carbon sugar molecule (ribose or deoxyribose) that is bound to a phosphate group and a nitrogen-based base (the part of the molecule that encodes information, e.g., A, C, G or U). Krishnamurthy's research aims to understand how these complex molecules could have arisen on primordial Earth. Specifically, this study focused on phosphorylation, the step within nucleotide-building where ribose connects to the phosphate group. -- "Phosphorylation is one of the basic chemistries of life; it's essential for structure, function and metabolism," says Krishnamurthy. "We wanted to know, could phosphorylation also play a fundamental role in the primordial process that got all of these things started?" -- From previous work, the team knew that ribose could become phosphorylated when combined with a phosphate-donating molecule called diamidophosphate (DAP). In this study, they wanted to know whether other, similar sugars could also undergo this reaction, or whether there is something special about ribose. -- To test this, the researchers used controlled chemical reactions to investigate how quickly and effectively ribose is phosphorylated by DAP compared to three other sugar molecules with the same chemical makeup but a different shape (arabinose, lyxose and xylose). Then, they used an analytical technique called nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to characterize the molecules produced by each reaction. -- They showed that although DAP was able to phosphorylate all four sugars, it phosphorylated ribose at a much faster rate. Additionally, the reaction with ribose resulted exclusively in ring-shaped structures with five corners (e.g., 5-member rings), whereas the other sugars formed a combination of 5- and 6-member rings. -- "This really showed us that there is a difference between ribose and the three other sugars," says Krishnamurthy. "Ribose not only reacts faster than the other sugars, it's also more selective for the five-member ring form, which happens to be the form that we see in RNA and DNA today." | 300 |
| Teen Bats Are Spawning New Viruses—Here’s Why Scientists Are Paying Close Attention | Young Bats Are Key To Understanding Coronavirus Evolution And Risks | Synchronized seasonal excretion of multiple coronaviruses coincides with high rates of coinfection in immature bats. | University of Sydney | A new study from the University of Sydney reveals that young bats are crucial hotspots for coronavirus infections, potentially driving viral evolution. By analyzing thousands of samples, researchers found that juvenile bats often host multiple coronaviruses, providing a valuable model for forecasting how dangerous variants might emerge. These findings highlight the risks posed by habitat encroachment as bats come closer to human populations. | How Young Bats Could Spawn the Next VirusYoung bats infected with multiple viruses could be nature’s incubators for future coronavirus variants. Australian researchers tracked infections across thousands of bats, offering clues on how new strains form and spill over. Credit: Shutterstock -- New research by the University of Sydney offers important insights into how and when new coronavirus variants arise in bats. -- Bats are beneficial to our ecosystems and economy but, as habitat destruction and environmental stressors put them in closer proximity to humans, disease risks can emerge. The research, published in Nature Communications on July 17, offers an approach to anticipating the emergence of coronaviruses. It found young bats are infected more frequently and could be a key source of viral spillover into other species. The study also reveals the dynamics of coronaviruses circulating in Australian bats, which pose no known risk to humans. -- Endemic in bat populations, most coronaviruses never infect humans. When they do, as with the SARS, COVID-19 and MERS outbreaks, they typically spill over from bats via a bridging animal host. -- "Coronaviruses tend not to be of major concern to bats," said Dr Alison Peel from the University's School of Veterinary Science, who led the study. "But they can behave differently if they spill over to new species." -- In one of the most comprehensive single studies of its type, the researchers collected more than 2,500 faecal samples, via which bats shed coronaviruses, over three years. Samples were taken from black flying foxes and grey-headed flying foxes at five roost sites across Australia's eastern seaboard. -- Viral testing of the samples showed coronaviruses were most prevalent in young bats between March and July, when they were weaning and approaching maturity. This was consistent across the three-year study. Particularly notable was the high proportion of bats infected with multiple coronaviruses at once. -- "We were surprised by that high rate of co-infection among juveniles and subadults," Dr Peel said. "Co-infection presents the opportunity for a single cell to become infected with multiple viruses, an important natural precursor to the generation of new strains." -- The six coronaviruses detected in the study were nobecoviruses, a subclass which does not jump to humans. Three of these were new. They were useful to analyse because they pose minimal risk to people but are the evolutionary cousins of sarbecoviruses, so-called SARS-like viruses which are more prone to spill across to other species. Understanding the evolution of nobecoviruses offers parallel insights into the evolution of more dangerous coronaviruses. -- "We safely tracked how and when coronaviruses circulated naturally in bat populations. Using genomics to track infections to individual animals," Dr John-Sebastian Eden, a study co-author from the Westmead Insitute for Medical Research and the University's Faculty of Medicine and Health. | 301 |
| Beneath The Scales: The Secret Bone Armor That Helped Lizards Survive Australia | Goannas Have Hidden Bone Armor That Changes Our View Of Evolution | Dermal armour in lizards: osteoderms more common than presumed. | Museum Victoria | Researchers have discovered bony structures called osteoderms hidden beneath the scales of Australian monitor lizards, fundamentally changing our understanding of lizard evolution. By employing advanced scanning techniques on museum specimens, scientists found these features are more widespread than previously thought, suggesting they play a role in survival beyond mere protection. This revelation opens new discussions on lizard adaptation and the evolutionary significance of museum collections. | Hidden Armor Discovered in Monitor LizardsIn this green tree monitor (Varanus prasinus UF 71411, MorphoSource), radiodensity heatmapping shows bone tissue, including osteoderms, in yellow to red. Credit: Roy Ebel -- Beneath the scales of Australia's iconic monitor lizards (commonly known as goannas), scientists have discovered an unexpected secret: a hidden layer of bony skin structures known as osteoderms. These structures, which have been long overlooked, may hold the key to understanding how these ancient reptiles not only survived but thrived in one of the world's harshest environments. -- The findings, published on July 21 in the prestigious Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, mark the first large-scale global study of osteoderms in lizards and snakes. The international collaboration brought together researchers from Australia, Europe and the United States, who used cutting-edge micro-CT scanning to examine nearly 2,000 reptile specimens from major museum collections including those held at Museums Victoria's Research Institute. -- 'We were astonished to find osteoderms in 29 Australo-Papuan monitor lizard species that had never been documented before,' said Roy Ebel, lead author and researcher at Museums Victoria Research Institute and the Australian National University. 'It's a fivefold increase in known cases among goannas.' -- Osteoderms are most commonly known from crocodiles, armadillos, and even some dinosaurs like Stegosaurus. But their function has remained something of an evolutionary mystery. While they may provide protection, scientists now suspect they may also support heat regulation, mobility and calcium storage during reproduction. -- This new research reveals that osteoderms are far more widespread in lizards than previously thought, occurring in nearly half of all lizard species worldwide - an 85% increase on earlier estimates. -- At the heart of this discovery lies the power of museum collections. Scientific institutions like Museums Victoria Research Institute play a critical role in preserving biodiversity through time, enabling researchers to study species long after they were collected. Many of the specimens used in this study were decades, and in some cases over 120 years old, but advances in imaging technology enabled scientists to uncover new insights without harming the original material. These collections are not just archives, they're active tools for scientific discovery. -- 'What's so exciting about this finding is that it reshapes what we thought we knew about reptile evolution,' said Dr Jane Melville, Museums Victoria Research Institute Senior Curator of Terrestrial Vertebrates. 'It suggests that these skin bones may have evolved in response to environmental pressures as lizards adapted to Australia's challenging landscapes.' -- Until now, the presence of osteoderms in monitor lizards was considered rare and mostly confined to the famed Komodo dragon. But the discovery of their widespread presence across Australo-Papuan goannas opens up new questions about how these lizards adapted, survived and diversified across the continent. -- This landmark study not only tells a new chapter in the story of Australia's goannas, it provides a powerful new dataset for exploring how skin, structure, and survival have intertwined across millions of years of evolution. | 302 |
| This Oat Discovery Could Change Your Breakfast—And The Future Of Plant-Based Food | New Oat Discovery Could Transform Processing For Healthier Breakfast Options | Proteomic and lipidomic analyses reveal novel molecular insights into oat (Avena sativa L.) lipid regulation and crosstalk with starch synthesis during grain development. | University of South Australia | Australian scientists have identified key biological triggers for oil production in oats, which could transform the processing and marketing of this grain. By pinpointing specific enzymes involved in oil synthesis, researchers aim to develop low-oil oat varieties that facilitate milling and cater to the growing demand for plant-based products. This breakthrough promises to enhance the efficiency and versatility of oats in the food industry. | This Oat Discovery Could Change Your BreakfastA hidden oat enzyme could transform how we grow, mill, and eat this everyday grain. Credit: Shutterstock -- New University of South Australia research is providing evidence of biological triggers of oil production in oats, a discovery that will help processing and potentially drive further demand for Australian-grown oats. -- While Australia is the world's second-largest exporter of oats, high oil content in oat grains creates challenges during milling, reducing processing efficiency and limiting product innovation - particularly in high-demand sectors like oat flour and plant-based proteins. -- Researchers from the University of South Australia, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), and the University of Adelaide are collaborating on research designed to better understand the biological processes responsible for oil synthesis in oat grains. -- In this study, two contemporary varieties of oats were examined using spatial imaging techniques to track oil build-up during grain development. Researchers then applied 'omics' technologies - lipidomics and proteomics - to analyse lipid and protein expression, which provided key insights into the biological mechanisms involved in the actual formation of the grain, including those relating to oil synthesis. -- The UniSA findings have provided further evidence of the mechanisms that underlie the amount of oil in an oat grain. These findings will help to guide future breeding efforts for naturally lower-oil oat varieties, improving milling yields and creating new value-added opportunities across the oat supply chain. -- UniSA PhD candidate, Darren Lau, says that current oil removal methods are inefficient and that low-oil breeding programs will aid industry growth. -- "While oil can be removed from partially milled oat flakes - using supercritical carbon dioxide prior to further milling - this approach is laborious and expensive," he says. -- "Breeding low-oil oat varieties is a cost-effective approach but requires further understanding of oil production in oats. This is where our research is critical. -- "Our analysis has identified several key enzymes that are involved in oil synthesis which could be genetically manipulated to lower oil content of oat grains. | 303 |
| The Earth Didn’t Just Crack, It Curved. "It Sent Chills Down My Spine!" | Earthquake Footage Reveals Unprecedented Curved Movements In Fault Lines | Curved Fault Slip Captured by CCTV Video During the 2025 Mw 7.7 Myanmar Earthquake. | Seismological Society of America | The recent earthquake in Myanmar provided scientists with unprecedented footage revealing curved fault slip, confirming a long-held geological theory. The analysis of this CCTV video showcased the first direct evidence of how faults can bend during seismic events, enhancing our understanding of fault mechanics. This discovery could lead to improved predictive models for earthquakes, representing a significant leap forward in geological research. | The Earth Didn’t Just Crack, It Curved.Scientists analyzing Myanmar earthquake footage discovered the first-ever visual proof of curved fault slip, confirming a long-standing geological theory. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Dramatic CCTV video of fault slip during a recent large earthquake in Myanmar thrilled both scientists and casual observers when it was posted to YouTube. But it was on his fifth or sixth viewing, said geophysicist Jesse Kearse, that he spotted something even more exciting. -- When Kearse and his colleague Yoshihiro Kaneko at Kyoto University analyzed the video more carefully, they concluded that it had captured the first direct visual evidence of curved fault slip. -- Earthquake geologists often observe curved slickenlines, the scrape marks created by blocks of rock moving past each other during faulting. But until now there has been no visual proof of the curved slip that might create these slickenlines. -- The video confirmation of curved fault slip can help researchers create better dynamic models of how faults rupture, Kearse and Kaneko conclude in their paper published in The Seismic Record. (See video below.) -- The video comes from a CCTV security camera recording along the trace of Myanmar's Sagaing Fault, which ruptured 28 March in a magnitude 7.7 earthquake. The camera was placed about 20 meters to the east of the fault and was 120 kilometers away from the earthquake's hypocenter. -- The resulting video is astonishing. A fault in motion as never seen before -- shaking followed by a visible northward slide of the land on the western side of the fault. -- "I saw this on YouTube an hour or two after it was uploaded, and it sent chills down my spine straight away," Kearse recalled. "It shows something that I think every earthquake scientist has been desperate to see, and it was just right there, so very exciting." -- Watching it over and over again, he noticed something else. -- "Instead of things moving straight across the video screen, they moved along a curved path that has a convexity downwards, which instantly started bells ringing in my head," Kearse said, "because some of my previous research has been specifically on curvature of fault slip, but from the geological record." | 304 |
| The Surprising Ant Strategy That Could Transform Robotics | Weaver Ants Show Us The Power Of Teamwork—Lessons For Robotics Design | Superefficient teamwork in weaver ants. | Macquarie University | Weaver ants demonstrate an impressive teamwork strategy that allows them to strengthen their pulling power as their group size increases, defying common human team dynamics. By employing a unique pulling and anchoring technique, these ants not only build nests but also outperform human collaborative efforts, potentially inspiring innovations in robotic teamwork and cooperative designs. | Ant Strategy Could Transform RoboticsWeaver ants increase their effort as their team size grows, using a clever pull-and-anchor method that makes them super-efficient builders and potential models for better robot teamwork. Credit: Shutterstock -- Weaver ants have solved a problem that has plagued human teams for centuries: individuals contribute less to tasks when more people join in. New research published in Current Biology on August 12 shows individual weaver ants instead get stronger as their group grows. -- "Each individual ant almost doubled their pulling force as team size increased - they actually get better at working together as the group gets bigger," says lead author Madelyne Stewardson from Macquarie University. -- The longstanding problem in human teams was first published by French engineer Max Ringelmann in 1913 who measured students pulling on ropes and found that while total force increased as more people joined in, each individual's contribution actually decreased. -- The study shows weaver ants form super-efficient teams in which individuals actually increase their contributions as teams grow bigger, defying the declining performance affecting human teams. -- These tiny, tree-dwelling ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) found in tropical Africa, Asia and Australia, are known for their nest-building behaviors, forming living chains to roll leaves and glue them with silk from their larvae. -- Stewardson and behavioral ecologist Dr Chris Reid from Macquarie's School of Natural Sciences worked with an international team to measure the force different sized ant teams could apply while building nests. -- The researchers set up experiments enticing weaver ant colonies to form pulling chains to move an artificial leaf connected to a force meter. -- "The ants split their work into two jobs: some actively pull while others act like anchors to store that pulling force," says Stewardson. -- How the ant team makes it work | 305 |
| Strange Spotted Rock On Mars Could Reveal Signs Of Ancient Life | Martian Rock Patterns May Hold Secrets About Ancient Life On Mars | Application of optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy (O-PTIR) for future returned Mars samples. | American Institute of Physics | Scientists are studying a peculiar red rock from Mars, nicknamed Sapphire Canyon, which features leopard-like spots that may indicate organic origins. Ground-based research using an advanced laser technique called O-PTIR on a similar Earth rock has shown promise in analyzing Martian samples, paving the way for future examinations of Mars materials when they return to Earth. | Strange Spotted Rock on Mars. Ancient Life?The original, untreated sample Heinz picked up on his Sedona hike, with spots similar to spots on the Mars Sapphire Canyon rock. Credit: Nicholas Heinz -- In 2024, NASA's Mars rover Perseverance collected an unusual rock sample. The rock, named Sapphire Canyon, features white, leopardlike spots with black borders within a red mudstone and might hold clues about sources of organic molecules within Mars. -- Here on Earth, in Review of Scientific Instruments, by AIP Publishing, researchers from Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology used a technique called optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy (O-PTIR) to study a visually similar rock. They wanted to determine if O-PTIR can be applied to the Sapphire Canyon sample when it is eventually brought here for study. -- O-PTIR uses two lasers to study a material: The first heats up the material and causes small thermal vibrations on its surface proportional to the laser's wavelength, and the second measures the extent of these changes. Together, this creates the material's unique chemical fingerprint. -- The researchers tested O-PTIR on a basalt rock with dark inclusions of similar size to the Sapphire Canyon sample's -- which, in contrast to Perseverance's sophisticated sample selection process, author Nicholas Heinz found purely by coincidence. -- "I was hiking in Arizona, in Sedona, when I saw this rock that just didn't look like it belonged," he said. "I put it in my backpack and brought it back to look at." -- They aimed to see if O-PTIR could differentiate between the rock's primary material and its dark inclusions and found it was extremely effective because of the enhanced spatial resolution of O-PTIR. Moreover, O-PTIR is a rapid technique. Each spectrum can be collected in minutes, allowing scientists to go in with a more sensitive technique to study potential areas of interest identified in more detail, such as regions containing organics. -- "I hope this capability will be considered for any future material returned from Mars, an asteroid, or any other planetary surface," said Heinz. -- The team's O-PTIR capabilities are the only of their kind available at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and have already been used by other NASA missions -- in 2024, they helped confirm the cleanliness of Europa Clipper, a mission to study one of Jupiter's moons, prior to its launch. Heinz said that now that they've shown its additional benefits in applications related to Mars samples, and geology more widely, they are working with NASA's Mars science team to test the algal microfossils typically used as Mars analogs for the rovers. | 306 |
| Great White Sharks Have A DNA Mystery Science Still Can’t Explain | Great White Sharks Have An Unexplained DNA Mystery—What's The Story? | A genomic test of sex-biased dispersal in white sharks. | Florida Museum of Natural History | A new study unveils unexpected genetic complexities in great white sharks, revealing discrepancies between nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. Contrary to previous assumptions of migration patterns explaining these differences, the findings suggest that a single Indo-Pacific population existed at the last ice age, prompting a reevaluation of these sharks' evolutionary history and dispersal mechanisms. | Great White Sharks DNA MysteryA global study of great white shark DNA overturns the long-held migration theory, exposing a genetic riddle that neither breeding habits nor known evolutionary forces can explain. Credit: Shutterstock -- Key points -- White sharks exhibit stark differences between the DNA in their nuclei and the DNA in their mitochondria. Until now, scientists have pointed to the migration patterns of great whites to explain these differences. -- Scientists tested this theory in a new study by analyzing genetic differences between global white shark populations. In doing so, they discovered that great whites were restricted to a single population in the Indo-Pacific Ocean at the end of the last ice age 10,000 years ago and have since expanded to their current global distribution. -- The results also invalidate the migration theory, but an alternative explanation remains elusive. -- White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) almost went bottom-up during the last ice age, when sea levels were much lower than they are today and sharks had to get by with less space. The most recent cold snap ended about 10,000 years ago, and the planet has been gradually warming ever since. As temperatures increased, glaciers melted, and sea levels rose, which was good news for great whites. -- Results of a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences show that white sharks had been reduced to a single, well-mixed population somewhere in the southern Indo-Pacific Ocean. White sharks began genetically diverging about 7,000 years ago, suggesting that they had broken up into two or more isolated populations by this time. -- This is new information but not particularly surprising. There are never many white sharks around even at the best of times, as befits their status at the top of the tapered food chain, where a lack of elbow room limits their numbers. Today, there are three genetically distinct white shark populations: one in the southern hemisphere around Australia and South Africa, one in the northern Atlantic and another in the northern Pacific. Though widespread, the number of white sharks still remains low. -- "There are probably about 20,000 individuals globally," said study co-author Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the Florida Museum of Natural History. "There are more fruit flies in any given city than there are great white sharks in the entire world." -- Organisms with small populations can be pushed dangerously close to the edge of extinction when times are tough. Mile-high glaciers extended from the poles and locked away so much water that by 25,000 years ago, sea levels had plunged by about 40 meters (131 feet), eliminating habitat and restricting great whites to an oceanic corral. | 307 |
| Deep-Sea Fish Just Changed What We Know About Earth’s Carbon Cycle | Mesopelagic Fish Play A Key Role In The Ocean Carbon Cycle—Here’s How | Osmoregulation by the gastro-intestinal tract of marine fish at depth – implications for the global carbon cycle. | University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science | Recent research highlights the significant role of mesopelagic fish—often overlooked in marine studies—in the global carbon cycle. These deep-sea fish, such as the blackbelly rosefish, excrete carbonate minerals similarly to their shallow-water counterparts. This discovery sheds light on their contribution to ocean chemistry, emphasizing the need for a better understanding of deep-sea ecosystems’ impacts on climate dynamics. | Deep-Sea Fish Change Carbon ScienceResearchers proved deep-sea fish excrete carbonates like shallow ones, validating their key role in Earth’s carbon cycle. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study offers the first direct evidence that deep-dwelling mesopelagic fish, which account for up to 94 percent of global fish biomass, excrete carbonate minerals at rates comparable to shallow-water species. The findings validate previous global models suggesting that marine fish are major contributors to biogenic carbonate production in the ocean. -- Scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science studied the blackbelly rosefish (Helicolenus dactylopterus), a deep-sea species living at depths of 350-430 meters (1,148-1,410 feet), to determine whether it forms and excretes intestinal carbonate -- known as ichthyocarbonate. This physiological process, common among marine fish, helps maintain internal salt and water balance in saline environments and plays a critical role in marine carbon cycling. -- "Mesopelagic fish live in deep, cold, high-pressure environments, and until now, it was unclear if they produced carbonate like shallow water fish do -- or at what rate," Martin Grosell, the lead author of the study and chair of the Department of Marine Biology and Ecology at the Rosenstiel School, said. "This study is the first to confirm that they do and that the mechanisms and characteristics of ichthyocarbonate formation are remarkably consistent across depths." -- The blackbelly rosefish was an ideal model. Unlike many mesopelagic species, it lacks a swim bladder and can survive both capture and lab acclimation. Researchers maintained specimens at 6 degrees Celsius, replicating their natural habitat, and found they excreted approximately 5 milligrams of ichthyocarbonate per kilogram per hour, aligning with predictions from thermal and metabolic scaling models. -- "This research fills a major gap in our understanding of ocean chemistry and carbon cycling," Amanda Oehlert, co-author and assistant professor in the Department of Marine Geosciences, said. "With mesopelagic fish playing such a significant role, their contribution to carbonate flux -- and how it might change with warming oceans -- deserves greater attention." -- Key findings include: -- Deep-sea blackbelly rosefish produce carbonate at rates and compositions comparable to shallower fish, confirming that depth and pressure do not inhibit ichthyocarbonate formation. -- These results strengthen global estimates of fish-derived carbonate production, confirming that mesopelagic fish are substantial contributors to the ocean's carbonate budget. -- Ichthyocarbonate composition is similar regardless of the depth at which it forms, which influences how and where it is stored or dissolved in the ocean. | 308 |
| Satellites Just Revealed A Hidden Global Water Crisis—And It’s Worse Than Melting Ice | Earth’s Drying Continents: The Hidden Water Crisis Affecting Our Future | Unprecedented continental drying, shrinking freshwater availability, and increasing land contributions to sea level rise. | Arizona State University | New findings indicate that Earth's continents are experiencing unprecedented freshwater loss due to climate change and groundwater overuse, leading to severe implications for water security. Analysis of satellite data over two decades reveals four mega-drying regions in the northern hemisphere, with groundwater depletion now contributing more to sea level rise than melting ice sheets, posing a critical challenge for billions. | Satellites Reveal a Hidden Global Water CrisisEarth’s continents have experienced unprecedented freshwater loss since 2002, driven by climate change, unsustainable groundwater use and extreme droughts. A new Arizona State University-led study highlights the emergence of four continental-scale “mega-drying” regions, all located in the northern hemisphere, with staggering implications for freshwater availability. Credit: Sophia Franz -- New findings from studying over two decades of satellite observations reveal that the Earth's continents have experienced unprecedented freshwater loss since 2002, driven by climate change, unsustainable groundwater use and extreme droughts. The study, led by Arizona State University and published on July 25 in Science Advances, highlights the emergence of four continental-scale "mega-drying" regions, all located in the northern hemisphere, and warns of severe consequences for water security, agriculture, sea level rise and global stability. -- The research team reports that drying areas on land are expanding at a rate roughly twice the size of California every year. And, the rate at which dry areas are getting drier now outpaces the rate at which wet areas are getting wetter, reversing long-standing hydrological patterns. -- The negative implications of this for available freshwater are staggering. 75% of the world's population lives in 101 countries that have been losing freshwater for the past 22 years. According to the United Nations, the world's population is expected to continue to grow for the next 50 to 60 years -- at the same time the availability of freshwater is dramatically shrinking. -- The researchers identified the type of water loss on land, and for the first time, found that 68% came from groundwater alone -- contributing more to sea level rise than the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets combined. -- "These findings send perhaps the most alarming message yet about the impact of climate change on our water resources," said Jay Famiglietti, the study's principal investigator and a Global Futures Professor with the ASU School of Sustainability. "Continents are drying, freshwater availability is shrinking, and sea level rise is accelerating. The consequences of continued groundwater overuse could undermine food and water security for billions of people around the world. This is an 'all-hands-on-deck' moment -- we need immediate action on global water security." -- The researchers evaluated more than two decades of data from the US-German Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE-Follow On (GRACE-FO) missions, looking at how and why terrestrial water storage has changed since 2002. Terrestrial water storage includes all of Earth's surface and vegetation water, soil moisture, ice, snow, and groundwater stored on land. -- "It is striking how much non-renewable water we are losing," said Hrishikesh A. Chandanpurkar, lead author of the study and a research scientist for ASU. "Glaciers and deep groundwater are sort of ancient trust funds. Instead of using them only in times of need such as a prolonged drought, we are taking them for granted. Also, we are not trying to replenish the groundwater systems during wet years and thus edging towards an imminent freshwater bankruptcy." -- Tipping point and worsening continental drying -- The study identified what seems to be a tipping point around 2014-15 during a time considered "mega El-Niño" years. Climate extremes began accelerating and in response, groundwater use increased and continental drying exceeded the rates of glacier and ice sheet melting. | 309 |
| Bizarre Ancient Creatures Unearthed In The Grand Canyon | Ancient Fossils Found In Grand Canyon Reveal Surprising Complexity Of Early Life | Evolutionary escalation in an exceptionally preserved Cambrian biota from the Grand Canyon (Arizona, USA). | University of Cambridge | A remarkable fossil discovery in the Grand Canyon has unveiled well-preserved soft-bodied Cambrian creatures, enriching our understanding of early life on Earth. Researchers found diverse species, including molluscs and crustaceans, preserved in a nutrient-rich environment. This find not only highlights the complexity of Cambrian ecosystems but also parallels ancient biological innovation with modern economic risk-taking behaviors. | Ancient Creatures Unearthed in the Grand CanyonA new species of priapulids, also known as penis or cactus worms, which were widespread during the Cambrian but are nearly extinct today. The Grand Canyon priapulid had hundreds of complex branching teeth, which helped it sweep food particles into its extensible mouth. Due to the size of the fossil and its exotic rows of teeth, the researchers named this new animal Kraytdraco spectatus, after the krayt dragon, a fictional creature from the Star Wars universe. Credit: Rhydian Evans -- A treasure trove of exceptionally preserved early animals from more than half a billion years ago has been discovered in the Grand Canyon, one of the natural world's most iconic sites. -- The rich fossil discovery - the first such find in the Grand Canyon - includes tiny rock-scraping molluscs, filter-feeding crustaceans, spiky-toothed worms, and even fragments of the food they likely ate. -- By dissolving the rocks these animals were fossilized in and examining them under high-powered microscopes, researchers led by the University of Cambridge were able to get a highly detailed picture of a unique period in the evolution of life on Earth. -- The fossilized animals date from between 507 and 502 million years ago, during a period of rapid evolutionary development known as the Cambrian explosion, when most major animal groups first appear in the fossil record. -- In some areas during this period, nutrient-rich waters powered an evolutionary arms race, with animals evolving a wide variety of exotic adaptations for food, movement or reproduction. -- Most animal fossils from the Cambrian are of hard-shelled creatures, but in a handful of locations around the world, such as Canada's Burgess Shale formation and China's Maotianshan Shales, conditions are such that softer body parts could be preserved before they decayed. -- So far, however, fossils of non-skeletonized Cambrian animals had been known mostly from oxygen and resource-poor environments, unlikely to kickstart the most complex innovations that shaped early animal evolution. -- Now, the Grand Canyon has revealed the first soft-bodied, or non-mineralized, Cambrian fossils from an evolutionary 'Goldilocks zone' that would have provided rich resources for the evolution of early animals to accelerate. The results are reported in the journal Science Advances. -- "These rare fossils give us a fuller picture of what life was like during the Cambrian period," said first author Giovanni Mussini, a PhD student in Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences. "By combining these fossils with traces of their burrowing, walking, and feeding - which are found all over the Grand Canyon - we're able to piece together at an entire ancient ecosystem." | 310 |
| Scientists Freeze Quantum Motion Without Cooling | Scientists Achieve Quantum Motion Manipulation Without Cooling — A Major Breakthrough | High-purity quantum optomechanics at room temperature. | Vienna University of Technology | ETH Zurich researchers have achieved a breakthrough by levitating a cluster of nano glass spheres at room temperature, isolating quantum zero-point motion. This advancement could lead to the development of future quantum sensors for various applications. By exploring quantum properties without the need for costly cooling methods, this research paves the way for practical quantum technology. | Scientists Freeze Quantum Motion Without CoolingLaser hits glass particles. Credit: Lorenzo Dania (ETHZ) -- What are the limits of quantum physics? This is a question that has been researched around the world for decades. If we want to make the properties of the quantum world technically usable, we need to understand whether objects that are significantly larger than atoms and molecules can also exhibit quantum phenomena. -- For example, small glass spheres with a diameter of one hundred nanometers can be examined - still over a thousand times smaller than a grain of sand, but huge by quantum standards. For years, attempts have been made to show the extent to which such spheres still exhibit quantum properties. A research group at ETH Zurich, with theoretical support from TU Wien (Vienna), has now achieved a breakthrough: they were able to show that the rotational vibrations of such particles behave in accordance with quantum physics, not only when they are cooled to near absolute zero using complex cooling methods, but even at room temperature. -- Vibration quanta: only certain wobbles are allowed -- "A microscopic particle will always wobble a little," says Carlos Gonzalez-Ballestero from the Institute of Theoretical Physics at TU Wien. "This oscillation depends on the temperature and on how the particle is influenced by its environment." -- In everyday life, we assume that any kind of oscillation is possible. The pendulum of a clock, for example, can be swung to any angle, and it can be set into oscillation a little more strongly or a little more weakly - just as you like. In the quantum world, however, things are different: if you look at oscillations with very low energy, you find that there are very specific "oscillation quanta." -- There is a minimum vibration, known as the "ground state," a slightly higher vibration that carries a little more energy (the "first excited state"), and so on. There is no state in between, but the particle can exist in a quantum physical combination of different vibration states - this is one of the central concepts of quantum physics. -- "It is very difficult to put a nanoparticle into a state where its quantum properties become apparent," says Carlos Gonzalez-Ballestero. "You have to let the particle float in order to isolate it from any interference as much as possible. And normally you also have to ensure extremely low temperatures, close to absolute zero, which is minus 273.15 degrees Celsius." -- The rotation freezes, the particle remains hot -- ETH Zurich and TU Wien have now developed a technique that allows a very specific aspect of the nanoparticle to be brought into a quantum physical state, even though the particle itself is in a hot, disordered state. | 311 |
| This Tiny Spacecraft Could Race To A Black Hole And Rewrite Physics | Tiny Spacecraft Could Reach A Black Hole And Challenge Our Understanding Of Physics | An interstellar mission to test astrophysical black holes. | Cell Press | A revolutionary plan proposes launching a paperclip-sized spacecraft powered by Earth-based lasers to explore a nearby black hole. Led by astrophysicist Cosimo Bambi, this ambitious mission aims to test the limits of general relativity and gather data that could alter our understanding of black holes. While current technology is not yet capable, future advancements may make this journey feasible within decades. | Racing to the Edge of a Black HoleCredit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- It sounds like science fiction: a spacecraft, no heavier than a paperclip, propelled by a laser beam and hurtling through space at the speed of light toward a black hole, on a mission to probe the very fabric of space and time and test the laws of physics. But to astrophysicist and black hole expert Cosimo Bambi, the idea is not so far-fetched. -- Reporting in the Cell Press journal iScience, Bambi outlines the blueprint for turning this interstellar voyage to a black hole into a reality. If successful, this century-long mission could return data from nearby black holes that completely alter our understanding of general relativity and the rules of physics. -- "We don't have the technology now," says author Cosimo Bambi of Fudan University in China. "But in 20 or 30 years, we might." -- The mission hinges on two key challenges -- finding a black hole close enough to target and developing probes capable of withstanding the journey. -- Previous knowledge on how stars evolve suggests that there could be a black hole lurking just 20 to 25 light-years from Earth, but finding it won't be easy, says Bambi. Because black holes don't emit or reflect light, they are virtually invisible to telescopes. Instead, scientists detect and study them based on how they influence nearby stars or distort light. -- "There have been new techniques to discover black holes," says Bambi. "I think it's reasonable to expect we could find a nearby one within the next decade." -- Once the target is identified, the next hurdle is getting there. Traditional spacecrafts, powered by chemical fuel, are too clunky and slow to make the journey. Bambi points to nanocrafts -- gram-scale probes consisting of a microchip and light sail -- as a possible solution. Earth-based lasers would blast the sail with photons, accelerating the craft to a third of the speed of light. -- At that pace, the craft could reach a black hole 20 to 25 light-years away in about 70 years. The data it gathers would take another two decades to get back to Earth, making the total mission duration around 80 to 100 years. -- Once the craft is near the black hole, researchers could run experiments to answer some of the most pressing questions in physics. Does a black hole truly have an event horizon, the boundary beyond which not even light can escape its gravitational pull? Do the rules of physics change near a black hole? Does Einstein's theory of general relativity hold under the universe's most extreme conditions? | 312 |
| Giant Einstein Ring Reveals One Of The Universe’s Biggest Black Holes | Astronomers Discover An Enormous Black Hole Hidden In The Cosmic Horseshoe Galaxy | Unveiling a 36 Billion Solar Mass Black Hole at the Centre of the Cosmic Horseshoe Gravitational Lens. | Royal Astronomical Society | Astronomers have discovered a potentially record-breaking black hole at the center of the Cosmic Horseshoe galaxy, weighing 36 billion times that of the Sun. This ultramassive black hole challenges existing theories about the limits of black hole size and distorts light around it, providing invaluable insights into cosmic structures and the nature of massive galaxies. | Monster Black Hole Found in Distant GalaxyThe Cosmic Horseshoe gravitational lens. The newly discovered ultramassive blackhole lies at the centre of the orange galaxy. Far behind it is a blue galaxy that is being warped into the horseshoe shaped ring by distortions in spacetime created by the immense mass of the foreground orange galaxy. Credit: NASA/ESA -- Astronomers have discovered potentially the most massive black hole ever detected. -- The cosmic behemoth is close to the theoretical upper limit of what is possible in the universe and is 10,000 times heavier than the black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy. -- It exists in one of the most massive galaxies ever observed - the Cosmic Horseshoe - which is so big it distorts spacetime and warps the passing light of a background galaxy into a giant horseshoe-shaped Einstein ring. -- Such is the enormousness of the ultramassive black hole's size, it equates to 36 billion solar masses, according to a new paper published on August 7 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. -- It is thought that every galaxy in the universe has a supermassive black hole at its center and that bigger galaxies host bigger ones, known as ultramassive black holes. -- "This is amongst the top 10 most massive black holes ever discovered, and quite possibly the most massive," said researcher Professor Thomas Collett, of the University of Portsmouth. -- "Most of the other black hole mass measurements are indirect and have quite large uncertainties, so we really don't know for sure which is biggest. However, we've got much more certainty about the mass of this black hole thanks to our new method." -- Researchers detected the Cosmic Horseshoe black hole using a combination of gravitational lensing and stellar kinematics (the study of the motion of stars within galaxies and the speed and way they move around black holes). -- The latter is seen as the gold standard for measuring black hole masses, but doesn't really work outside of the very nearby universe because galaxies appear too small on the sky to resolve the region where a supermassive or ultramassive black hole lies. | 313 |
| Rutgers Physicists Just Discovered A Strange New State Of Matter | Rutgers Physicists Unveil A New Quantum Liquid Crystal With Exciting Applications Ahead | Electronic anisotropy and rotational symmetry breaking at a Weyl semimetal/spin ice interface. | Rutgers University | Researchers have unveiled a new state of matter called "quantum liquid crystal," which arises from the interaction between Weyl semimetals and spin ice under a strong magnetic field. This discovery reveals unusual electron behaviors and symmetry-breaking properties that could lead to advanced quantum devices and innovative applications in various fields, including material science and electronics. | Physicists Discover Strange New State of MatterBy combining two unique materials—Weyl semimetals and spin ice—scientists have discovered a new quantum state with bizarre electron behaviors and symmetry-breaking properties, hinting at future quantum tech breakthroughs. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists have discovered a new way that matter can exist - one that is different from the usual states of solid, liquid, gas or plasma - at the interface of two exotic, materials made into a sandwich. -- The new quantum state, called quantum liquid crystal, appears to follow its own rules and offers characteristics that could pave the way for advanced technological applications, the scientists said. -- Reporting in the journal Science Advances, a Rutgers-led team of researchers described an experiment that focused on the interaction between a conducting material called the Weyl semimetal and an insulating magnetic material known as spin ice when both are subjected to an extremely high magnetic field. Both materials individually are known for their unique and complex properties. -- "Although each material has been extensively studied, their interaction at this boundary has remained entirely unexplored," said Tsung-Chi Wu, who earned his doctoral degree in June from the Rutgers graduate program in physics and astronomy and is the first author of the study. "We observed new quantum phases that emerge only when these two materials interact. This creates a new quantum topological state of matter at high magnetic fields, which was previously unknown." -- The team discovered that at the interface of these two materials, the electronic properties of the Weyl semimetal are influenced by the magnetic properties of the spin ice. This interaction leads to a very rare phenomenon called "electronic anisotropy" where the material conducts electricity differently in different directions. Within a circle of 360 degrees, the conductivity is lowest at six specific directions, they found. Surprisingly, when the magnetic field is increased, the electrons suddenly start flowing in two opposite directions. -- This discovery is consistent with a characteristic seen in the quantum phenomenon known as rotational symmetry breaking and indicates the occurrence of a new quantum phase at high magnetic fields. -- The findings are significant because they reveal new ways in which the properties of materials can be controlled and manipulated, Wu said. By understanding how electrons move in these special materials, scientists could potentially design new generations of ultra-sensitive quantum sensors of magnetic fields that work best in extreme conditions - such as in space or inside powerful machines. -- Weyl semimetals are materials that allow electricity to flow in unusual ways with very high speed and zero energy loss because of special relativistic quasi-particles called Weyl fermions. Spin ice, on the other hand, are magnetic materials where the magnetic moments (tiny magnetic fields within the material) are arranged in a way that resembles the positions of hydrogen atoms in ice. When these two materials are combined, they create a heterostructure, composed of atomic layers of dissimilar materials. -- Scientists have found that new states of matter appear under extreme conditions, including very low temperatures, high pressures or high magnetic fields, and behave in strange and fascinating ways. Experiments such as the Rutgers-led one may lead to new, fundamental understanding of matter beyond the naturally occurring four states of matter, according to Wu. | 314 |
| From Lead To Gold In A Flash At The Large Hadron Collider | Scientists Turn Lead Into Gold For A Brief Moment At The Large Hadron Collider | Proton emission in ultraperipheral Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV. | University of Kansas | Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider have briefly transformed lead into gold using ultra-peripheral collisions, achieving a feat reminiscent of ancient alchemy. This groundbreaking discovery not only highlights rare photon interactions but also offers insights that could enhance the design of future particle accelerators, underscoring the potential for innovative breakthroughs in particle physics. | From Lead to Gold in a FlashPhysicists at the LHC used near-miss collisions to briefly turn lead into gold, revealing rare photon-photon interactions that could shape future collider designs. Credit: Shutterstock -- Nuclear physicists working at the Large Hadron Collider recently made headlines by achieving the centuries-old dream of alchemists (and nightmare of precious-metals investors): They transformed lead into gold. -- At least for a fraction of a second. The scientists reported their results in Physical Reviews. -- The accomplishment at the Large Hadron Collider, the 17-mile particle accelerator buried under the French-Swiss border, happened within a sophisticated and sensitive detector called ALICE, a scientific instrument roughly the size of a McMansion. -- It was scientists from the University of Kansas, working on the ALICE experiment, who developed the technique that tracked "ultra-peripheral" collisions between protons and ions that made gold in the LHC. -- "Usually in collider experiments, we make the particles crash into each other to produce lots of debris," said Daniel Tapia Takaki, professor of physics and leader of KU's group at ALICE. "But in ultra-peripheral collisions, we're interested in what happens when the particles don't hit each other. These are near misses. The ions pass close enough to interact -- but without touching. There's no physical overlap." -- The ions racing around the LHC tunnel are heavy nuclei with many protons, each generating powerful electric fields. When accelerated, these charged ions emit photons -- they shine light. -- "When you accelerate an electric charge to near light speeds, it starts shining," Tapia Takaki said. "One ion can shine light that essentially takes a picture of the other. When that light is energetic enough, it can probe deep inside the other nucleus, like a high-energy flashbulb." -- The KU researcher said during these UPC "flashes" surprising interactions can occur, including the rate event that sparked worldwide attention. -- "Sometimes, the photons from both ions interact with each other -- what we call photon-photon collisions," he said. "These events are incredibly clean, with almost nothing else produced. They contrast with typical collisions where we see sprays of particles flying everywhere." | 315 |
| Black Holes Don’t Just Swallow Light, They Sing. And We Just Learned The Tune | Black Holes Sing — Discover Their Ringing Patterns And Unlock Gravitational Wave Insights | Path to an exact WKB analysis of black hole quasinormal modes. | Kyoto University | A new mathematical approach has enabled scientists to explore the intricate "ringing" of black holes, offering fresh insights into gravitational wave measurements. This method allows for a more precise understanding of the vibrations produced by black holes, which could significantly enhance observational techniques and deepen our understanding of these enigmatic cosmic entities. | Black Holes Don’t Just Swallow Light, They SingA new method exposes the hidden spirals in black hole vibrations, reshaping how we hear and understand their cosmic signals. Credit: Shutterstock -- Black holes embody the ultimate abyss. They are the most powerful sources of gravity in the universe, capable of dramatically distorting space and time around them. When disturbed, they begin to "ring" in a distinctive pattern known as quasinormal modes: ripples in space-time that produce detectable gravitational waves. -- In events like black hole mergers, these waves can be strong enough to detect from Earth, offering a unique opportunity to measure a black hole's mass and shape. However, precise calculation of these vibrations through theoretical methods has proven a major challenge, particularly for vibrations that are rapidly weakening. -- This inspired a team of researchers at Kyoto University to try a new method of calculating the vibrations of black holes. The scientists applied a mathematical technique called the exact Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin, orexact WKB analysisto carefully trace the behavior of waves from a black hole out into distant space. While this method has long been studied in mathematics, its application to physics -- especially to black holes -- is still a newly developing area. -- "The foundations of the exact WKB methodwere largely developed by Japanese mathematicians. As a researcher from Japan, I have always found this field intellectually and culturally familiar," says corresponding author Taiga Miyachi. -- This method allowed the research team to follow wave patterns in great detail, even in regions that are difficult to analyze with other existing methods. Their approach involved examining space near the black hole by extending it into the complex number domain, revealing a rich structure of the black hole's geometry. -- This included a mathematical phenomenon called Stokes curves, which designate where the nature of a wave suddenly changes. While previous studies have often overlooked the infinitely spiraling Stokes curves and paths that branch off from black holes, the research team incorporated these complex features into their analysis. -- The findings revealed that the team had succeeded in developing a method that systematically and precisely captures the frequency structure of rapidly weakening vibrations. This demonstrates the power of the exact WKB method as a practical tool for bridging theoretical predictions with observational data. -- "We were surprised at how complex and beautiful the underlying structure of these vibrations turned out to be. We found spiraling patterns in our mathematical analysis that had been missed before, and these turned out to be key in understanding the full picture of quasinormal modes," says Miyachi. -- This study makes it possible to analyze the "ringing sounds" of black holes across a wide range of theoretical models. Ultimately, this may help improve the precision of future gravitational wave observations and lead to a deeper, more reliable understanding of the true nature of our Universe and its geometry. | 316 |
| After 50 Years, Scientists Finally Catch Elusive Neutrinos Near A Reactor | Neutrinos Captured Near A Reactor: A Major Leap In Particle Physics Achieved | Direct observation of coherent elastic antineutrino–nucleus scattering. | Max-Planck-Institut fur Kernphysik | A compact, 3 kg detector has made significant strides in neutrino science by successfully detecting Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CEvNS) interactions at a Swiss nuclear reactor. This breakthrough opens new avenues for compact neutrino detectors and enhances our understanding of fundamental physics. The study's findings could also pave the way for future applications in monitoring reactor activity and advancing neutrino research. | Scientists Finally Catch Elusive NeutrinosThe position and size of the CONUS+ detector within the reactor in Leibstadt, Switzerland. Credit: MPIK -- Neutrinos are extremely elusive elementary particles. Day and night, 60 billion of them stream from the Sun through every square centimeter of the Earth every second, which is transparent to them. After the first theoretical prediction of their existence, decades passed before they were actually detected. These experiments are usually extremely large to account for the very weak interaction of neutrinos with matter. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK) in Heidelberg have now succeeded in detecting antineutrinos from the reactor of a nuclear power plant using the CONUS+ experiment, with a detector mass of just 3 kg. -- Originally based at the Brokdorf nuclear power plant, the CONUS experiment was relocated to the Leibstadt nuclear power plant (KKL) in Switzerland in the summer of 2023. Improvements to the 1 kg germanium semiconductor detectors, as well as the excellent measurement conditions at KKL, made it possible for the first time to measure what is known as Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CEvNS). In this process, neutrinos do not scatter off the individual components of the atomic nuclei in the detector, but rather coherently with the entire nucleus. This significantly increases the probability of a very small but observable nuclear recoil. This recoil caused by neutrino scattering is comparable to a ping-pong ball bouncing off a car, with the detection being the changing motion of the car. In the case of CONUS+, the scattering partners are the atomic nuclei of the germanium. Observing this effect requires low-energy neutrinos, such as those produced in large numbers in nuclear reactors. -- The effect was predicted as early as 1974, but was first confirmed in 2017 by the COHERENT experiment at a particle accelerator. The CONUS+ experiment has now successfully observed the effect at full coherence and lower energies in a reactor for the first time, as described in a recent Nature research article. The compact CONUS+ setup is located 20.7 m from the reactor core (see image above). At this position, more than 10 trillion neutrinos flow through every square centimeter of surface every second. After approximately 119 days of measurement between autumn 2023 and summer 2024, the researchers were able to extract an excess of 395±106 neutrino signals from the CONUS+ data, after subtracting all background and interfering signals. This value is in very good agreement with theoretical calculations, within the measurement uncertainty. "We have thus successfully confirmed the sensitivity of the CONUS+ experiment and its ability to detect antineutrino scattering from atomic nuclei," explains Dr. Christian Buck, one of the authors of the study. He also emphasizes the potential development of small, mobile neutrino detectors to monitor reactor heat output or isotope concentration as possible future applications of the CEvNS technique presented here. -- The CEvNS measurement provides unique insights into fundamental physical processes within the Standard Model of particle physics, the current theory describing the structure of our universe. Compared to other experiments, the measurements with CONUS+ allow for a reduced dependence on nuclear physics aspects, thereby improving the sensitivity to new physics beyond the Standard Model. For this reason, CONUS+ was already equipped with improved and larger detectors in autumn 2024. With the resulting measurement accuracy, even better results are expected. "The techniques and methods used in CONUS+ have excellent potential for fundamental new discoveries," emphasizes Prof. Lindner, initiator of the project and also an author of the study. "The groundbreaking CONUS+ results could therefore mark the starting point for a new field in neutrino research." | 317 |
| Decades Of Chemistry Rewritten: A Textbook Reaction Just Flipped | Fundamental Chemical Reaction Reversed: Penn State Researchers Uncover Surprising New Pathways | Net Oxidative Addition of H2 to {MII}2+ (M = Pd, Pt) by Heterolysis and Protic Rebound. | Penn State | Researchers at Penn State have revealed a novel pathway for the oxidative addition reaction, traditionally understood to involve electron donation from transition metals to organic compounds. Their findings indicate that electrons can also move from organic molecules to metals, challenging existing paradigms in transition metal chemistry and potentially expanding opportunities for industrial applications and pollution control. | Decades of Chemistry RewrittenChemists at Penn State found that a key reaction called oxidative addition might happen in reverse, with organic molecules donating electrons to metals instead of the other way around. Credit: Shutterstock -- Speeding up chemical reactions is key to improving industrial processes or mitigating unwanted or harmful waste. Realizing these improvements requires that chemists design around documented reaction pathways. Now, a team of Penn State researchers has found that a fundamental reaction called oxidative addition can follow a different path to achieve the same ends, raising the question of whether this new order of events has been occurring all along and potentially opening up new space for chemical design. -- A paper describing the research appeared June 23, 2025 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. -- The reactions of organic compounds -- those containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and a few other elements -- are limited by the bonding patterns and electron arrangements specific to organic elements. More electron arrangements are available in transition metals, another type of element that includes, for example, platinum and palladium. When transition metals interact with organic compounds, this added layer of complexity can modify the electron structure of organic compounds leading to a wider diversity of potential reactions, including breaking chemical bonds and catalyzing reactions not possible among purely organic compounds. Understanding the diversity of ways these chemical reactions can occur could help chemists design ways to exploit transition metals to increase the efficiency of industrial processes or find new solutions that could, for example, help reduce environmental pollutants, according to the researchers. -- "Transition metals have properties that allow them to 'break the rules' of organic chemistry," said Jonathan Kuo, assistant professor of chemistry in the Eberly College of Science at Penn State and the leader of the research team. "As an example, even though biological systems are largely considered to be organic, much of the chemistry in cells occurs at active sites, where metallic co-factors actually drive the reactivity. Transition metals are also used to catalyze industrial-scale chemical reactions. General understanding as to how these reactions work is a way to approach the efficiency of nature or even invent reactions that don't have a known analogy in nature." -- Chemical reactions occur because the atoms that compose molecules "want" to be in a state that is more stable. This stabilization is accomplished mainly by rearranging electrons amongst orbitals -- the cloudlike regions around atomic nuclei where electrons are likely to be located. A hydrogen atom, for example, has only one electron that lives in a "1s" orbital. However, two hydrogen atoms can bond to make dihydrogen (H2), where the two 1s orbitals mix to make two hybrid orbitals. The more stable of the two hybrid orbitals hosts the two electrons, resulting in a net energy savings and more stability. Larger, more complex elements can have multiple s-orbitals with different energy levels as well as p-, d- and f-orbitals, which have varied shapes and capacity, leading to more diversity in electronic structure and more possible types of chemical reactions. -- "In nature, a hydrogen atom can only support its electron using its only orbital resource, the 1s orbital," Kuo said. "But two hydrogen atoms can get together and say, 'we have two electrons and two orbital resources, what's the most efficient way to share the burden amongst our resources. Most organic elements have only s- and p-orbitals, but the transition metals add d-orbitals to the mix." -- In most descriptions of oxidative addition, transition metals are said to donate their electrons to organic substrates during the binding process. The close proximity of the organic molecule to the transition metal allows the two sets of orbitals to mix, driving many types of reactions. Because of this, there has been much effort to develop transition metal compounds that are electron dense, which would potentially make them more powerful activators. -- "It has, however, been noted that some oxidative additions are a little different," Kuo said. "A subgroup are actually accelerated by transition metal compounds that are electron deficient. We were able to identify a plausible explanation, where instead of the transition metal donating elections, the first step in the reaction involved electrons moving from an organic molecule to the transition metal. This type of electron flow, known as heterolysis, is well-known, but had not previously been observed to result in a net oxidative addition." -- The research team used compounds containing the transition metals platinum and palladium -- which were not electron dense -- and exposed them to hydrogen gas. They then used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to monitor changes to the transition metal complex. In this way, they could observe an intermediate step that indicates hydrogen had donated its electrons to the metal complex, prior to approaching a final resultant state that was indistinguishable from oxidative addition. | 318 |
| AI Turns Immune Cells Into Precision Cancer Killers—In Just Weeks | AI Revolutionizes Cancer Treatment By Designing Precision Proteins In Just Weeks | Adapting agriculture to climate catastrophes: the nuclear winter case. | Technical University of Denmark | A new AI system has been developed to design custom proteins that can enhance the immune system’s ability to target cancer cells, significantly reducing the time required for development. This innovative approach, which utilizes virtual safety screenings to minimize side effects, represents a leap forward in personalized cancer immunotherapy, potentially transforming treatment options for patients. | Cancer-Hunting Cells Designed by AIAI-designed protein "keys" are training immune cells to become cancer assassins—safely and quickly. Credit: Shutterstock -- Precision cancer treatment on a larger scale is moving closer after researchers have developed an AI platform that can tailor protein components and arm the patient's immune cells to fight cancer. The new method, published in the scientific journal Science, demonstrates for the first time, that it is possible to design proteins in the computer for redirecting immune cells to target cancer cells through pMHC molecules. -- This dramatically shortens the process of finding effective molecules for cancer treatment from years to a few weeks. -- "We are essentially creating a new set of eyes for the immune system. Current methods for individual cancer treatment are based on finding so-called T-cell receptors in the immune system of a patient or donor that can be used for treatment. This is a very time-consuming and challenging process. Our platform designs molecular keys to target cancer cells using the AI platform, and it does so at incredible speed, so that a new lead molecule can be ready within 4-6 weeks," says Associate Professor at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and last author of the study Timothy P. Jenkins. -- Targeted missiles against cancer -- The AI platform, developed by a team from DTU and the American Scripps Research Institute, aims to solve a major challenge in cancer immunotherapy by demonstrating how scientists can generate target treatments for tumor cells and avoid damaging healthy tissue. -- Normally, T cells naturally identify cancer cells by recognizing specific protein fragments, known as peptides, presented on the cell surface by molecules called pMHCs.It is a slow and challenging process to utilize this knowledge for therapy, often because the variation in the body's own T-cell receptors makes it challenging to create a personalized treatment. -- Boosting the body's immune system -- In the study, the researchers tested the strength of the AI platform on a well-known cancer target, NY-ESO-1, which is found in a wide range of cancers. The team succeeded in designing a minibinder that bound tightly to the NY-ESO-1 pMHC molecules. When the designed protein was inserted into T cells, it created a unique new cell product named 'IMPAC-T' cells by the researchers, which effectively guided the T cells to kill cancer cells in laboratory experiments. -- "It was incredibly exciting to take these minibinders, which were created entirely on a computer, and see them work so effectively in the laboratory," says postdoc Kristoffer Haurum Johansen, co-author of the study and researcher at DTU. | 319 |
| You’ve Never Seen Atoms Like This Before: A Hidden Motion Revealed | First Images Of Atomic Vibrations Captured, Unlocking New Realms In Material Science | Atom-by-atom imaging of moiré phasons with electron ptychography. | University of Maryland | At the University of Maryland, researchers have captured the first-ever images of atomic thermal vibrations, confirming long-theorized phenomena that influence the properties of two-dimensional materials. This groundbreaking technique reveals insights into moiré phasons, which could significantly impact the development of quantum computing and advanced electronic devices, reshaping our understanding of material behavior at the atomic level. | You’ve Never Seen Atoms Like This BeforeScientists have visualized hidden atomic vibrations that influence quantum behavior, confirming long-standing theories and enabling more precise material engineering. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Researchers investigating atomic-scale phenomena impacting next-generation electronic and quantum devices have captured the first microscopy images of atomic thermal vibrations, revealing a new type of motion that could reshape the design of quantum technologies and ultrathin electronics. -- Yichao Zhang, an assistant professor in the University of Maryland Department of Materials Science and Engineering, has developed an electron microscopy technique to directly image "moiré phasons" -- a physical phenomenon that impacts superconductivity and heat conduction in two-dimensional materials for next-generation electronic and quantum devices. A paper about the research, which documents images of the thermal vibration of individual atoms for the first time, published July 24 in the journal Science. (See video link below.) -- Two-dimensional materials, which are sheet-like structures a few nanometers thick, are being explored as new components of next-generation quantum and electronic devices. A feature in twisted two-dimensional materials are "moiré phasons," critical to understanding the materials' thermal conductivity, electronic behavior, and structural order. Previously, moiré phasons were difficult to detect experimentally, preventing further understanding of the materials that could revolutionize quantum technologies and energy-efficient electronics. -- Zhang's research team took on this challenge by using a new technique called "electron ptychography," which achieved the highest resolution documented (better than 15 picometer) and detected blurring of individual atoms caused by thermal vibrations. Her work has revealed that spatially localized moiré phasons dominate thermal vibrations of twisted two-dimensional materials, which fundamentally reshaped how scientists understand its impact. -- The breakthrough study, which confirmed the longstanding theoretical predictions of moiré phasons, also demonstrated that "electron ptychography" can be used to map thermal vibrations with atomic precision for the first time -- which was previously an experimental capability out of reach. -- "This is like decoding a hidden language of atomic motion," said Zhang. "Electron ptychography lets us see these subtle vibrations directly. Now we have a powerful new method to explore previously hidden physics, which will accelerate discoveries in two dimensional quantum materials." -- Zhang's research team will next focus on resolving how thermal vibrations are affected by defects and interfaces in quantum and electronic materials. Controlling the thermal vibration behavior of these materials could enable the design of novel devices with tailored thermal, electronic, and optical properties -- paving the way for advances in quantum computing, energy-efficient electronics, and nanoscale sensors. | 320 |
| Harvard’s Ultra-Thin Chip Could Revolutionize Quantum Computing | Harvard’s Ultra-Thin Chip Redefines Optical Components For Quantum Computing Innovation | Metasurface quantum graphs for generalized Hong-Ou-Mandel interference. | Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | Researchers at Harvard have created an ultra-thin metasurface capable of generating entangled photons and performing quantum operations, significantly simplifying the components needed for quantum computing. By leveraging graph theory in the design process, this innovation could lead to more scalable and efficient quantum networks, advancing the field of room-temperature quantum technology. | Harvard’s Ultra-Thin Quantum Computing ChipArtistic representation of metasurface quantum graphs. Credit: Joshua Mornhinweg -- Key takeaways -- New research shows that metasurfaces could be used as strong linear quantum optical networks -- This approach could eliminate the need for waveguides and other conventional optical components -- Graph theory is helpful for designing the functionalities of quantum optical networks into a single metasurface -- In the race toward practical quantum computers and networks, photons -- fundamental particles of light -- hold intriguing possibilities as fast carriers of information at room temperature. Photons are typically controlled and coaxed into quantum states via waveguides on extended microchips, or through bulky devices built from lenses, mirrors, and beam splitters. The photons become entangled - enabling them to encode and process quantum information in parallel - through complex networks of these optical components. But such systems are notoriously difficult to scale up due to the large numbers and imperfections of parts required to do any meaningful computation or networking. -- Could all those optical components could be collapsed into a single, flat, ultra-thin array of subwavelength elements that control light in the exact same way, but with far fewer fabricated parts? -- Optics researchers in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) did just that. The research team led by Federico Capasso, the Robert L. Wallace Professor of Applied Physics and Vinton Hayes Senior Research Fellow in Electrical Engineering, created specially designed metasurfaces -- flat devices etched with nanoscale light-manipulating patterns -- to act as ultra-thin upgrades for quantum-optical chips and setups. -- The research was published in Science and funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). -- Capasso and his team showed that a metasurface can create complex, entangled states of photons to carry out quantum operations - like those done with larger optical devices with many different components. | 321 |
| A Simple Twist Fooled AI—And Revealed A Dangerous Flaw In Medical Ethics | AI’s Basic Errors In Medical Ethics Highlight The Need For Human Guidance | Pitfalls of large language models in medical ethics reasoning. | The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine | A study reveals that even advanced AI models, like ChatGPT, can make fundamental errors in ethical medical decision-making, particularly when scenarios are presented in unconventional ways. These findings underscore the importance of human oversight in healthcare applications, highlighting the need for caution when relying on AI in complex ethical situations that require nuanced understanding. | Why AI Still Gets Basic Medical Ethics WrongA study shows AI can fail at ethical reasoning in medicine, misreading even simple scenarios if they're presented in unfamiliar ways. Credit: Shutterstock -- A study by investigators at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in collaboration with colleagues from Rabin Medical Center in Israel and other collaborators, suggests that even the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models can make surprisingly simple mistakes when faced with complex medical ethics scenarios. -- The findings, which raise important questions about how and when to rely on large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, in health care settings, were reported in the July 22 online issue of NPJ Digital Medicine[10.1038/s41746-025-01792-y]. -- The research team was inspired by Daniel Kahneman's book "Thinking, Fast and Slow," which contrasts fast, intuitive reactions with slower, analytical reasoning. It has been observed that large language models (LLMs) falter when classic lateral-thinking puzzles receive subtle tweaks. Building on this insight, the study tested how well AI systems shift between these two modes when confronted with well-known ethical dilemmas that had been deliberately tweaked. -- "AI can be very powerful and efficient, but our study showed that it may default to the most familiar or intuitive answer, even when that response overlooks critical details," says co-senior author Eyal Klang, MD, Chief of Generative AI in the Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "In everyday situations, that kind of thinking might go unnoticed. But in health care, where decisions often carry serious ethical and clinical implications, missing those nuances can have real consequences for patients." -- To explore this tendency, the research team tested several commercially available LLMs using a combination of creative lateral thinking puzzles and slightly modified well-known medical ethics cases. In one example, they adapted the classic "Surgeon's Dilemma," a widely cited 1970s puzzle that highlights implicit gender bias. In the original version, a boy is injured in a car accident with his father and rushed to the hospital, where the surgeon exclaims, "I can't operate on this boy -- he's my son!" The twist is that the surgeon is his mother, though many people don't consider that possibility due to gender bias. In the researchers' modified version, they explicitly stated that the boy's father was the surgeon, removing the ambiguity. Even so, some AI models still responded that the surgeon must be the boy's mother. The error reveals how LLMs can cling to familiar patterns, even when contradicted by new information. -- In another example to test whether LLMs rely on familiar patterns, the researchers drew from a classic ethical dilemma in which religious parents refuse a life-saving blood transfusion for their child. Even when the researchers altered the scenario to state that the parents had already consented, many models still recommended overriding a refusal that no longer existed. -- "Our findings don't suggest that AI has no place in medical practice, but they do highlight the need for thoughtful human oversight, especially in situations that require ethical sensitivity, nuanced judgment, or emotional intelligence," says co-senior corresponding author Girish N. Nadkarni, MD, MPH, Chair of the Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, Director of the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health, Irene and Dr. Arthur M. Fishberg Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Chief AI Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. "Naturally, these tools can be incredibly helpful, but they're not infallible. Physicians and patients alike should understand that AI is best used as a complement to enhance clinical expertise, not a substitute for it, particularly when navigating complex or high-stakes decisions. Ultimately, the goal is to build more reliable and ethically sound ways to integrate AI into patient care." -- "Simple tweaks to familiar cases exposed blind spots that clinicians can't afford," says lead author Shelly Soffer, MD, a Fellow at the Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center. "It underscores why human oversight must stay central when we deploy AI in patient care." -- Next, the research team plans to expand their work by testing a wider range of clinical examples. They're also developing an "AI assurance lab" to systematically evaluate how well different models handle real-world medical complexity. | 322 |
| Cracking The Carbene Code: A 100x Faster Path To Life-Saving Drugs | New Carbene Chemistry Method Is 100 Times Faster And Safer For Drug Development | Harnessing carbene polarity: Unified catalytic access to donor, neutral, and acceptor carbenes. | Ohio State University | Scientists at The Ohio State University have discovered a more efficient method for generating carbenes, essential molecular building blocks for drug synthesis. This new process, utilizing a combination of iron and radical chemistry, enhances the production of carbenes, making it safer and faster, potentially revolutionizing the synthesis of life-saving drugs and materials. | Chemists Crack the Carbene CodeA bold new chemistry breakthrough may revolutionize how life-saving drugs are made—starting with a tiny, triangular molecule. Credit: Shutterstock -- Chemists have developed a novel way to generate a variety of highly useful chemical building blocks by harnessing metal carbenes, suggests new research. -- Typically used in chemical reactions essential for drug synthesis and materials development, carbenes are short-lived, highly reactive carbon atoms. In the lab, this can make carbenes especially tricky to create, as methods to form them are limited and often hazardous. -- Now, for the first time, an approach discovered by researchers at The Ohio State University has made producing these metal carbenes much easier, said David Nagib, co-author of the study, a distinguished professor in arts and sciences and a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at The Ohio State University, -- "Our goal all along was to determine if we could come up with new methods of accessing carbenes that others hadn't found before," he said. "Because if you could harness them in a milder catalytic way, you could reach new reactivity, which is essentially what we did." -- Researchers came upon this carbene-crafting method by using iron as a metal catalyst and then combining it with chlorine-based molecules that easily generate free radicals. Together, these ingredients worked to form the carbene of their choice, including many that had never been made before. Then, to create a chemical reaction, these carbenes quickly attach to another molecule in a strained bond to form a cyclopropane, which is shaped like a triangle. -- These three-sided molecular fragments are vital to the synthesis of medicines and agrichemicals, in part due to their small size and unusual energy. But while there are many ways to synthesize this shape, which is one of the most common found in medicines, this team's work was inspired by looking for the best ways to create them. -- "Our lab is obsessed with trying to get the best methods for making cyclopropanes out there as soon as possible," said Nagib. "We have the eye on the prize of inventing better tools to make better medicines, and along the way, we've solved a huge problem in the carbene world." -- The study was recently published in Science. -- In decoding one of chemistry's greatest challenges, the team also found that their method works well in water, suggesting that metal carbenes might one day even be reliably created inside a living cell to discover new drug targets. According to Nagib, this new approach is about 100 times better than previous chemical tools that his lab has produced over the last decade. | 323 |
| This Tiny Metal Switches Magnetism Without Magnets — And Could Power The Future Of Electronics | Nickel-Tungsten Alloy Breakthrough Could Transform Energy Efficiency In Future Electronics | Large Spin‐Orbit Torque with Multi‐Directional Spin Components in Ni4W. | University of Minnesota | Researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have demonstrated a novel approach to controlling magnetization in electronic devices using a nickel-tungsten alloy, Ni₄W. This low-cost material enables energy-efficient "field-free" switching, paving the way for faster and more effective computer memory and logic technologies, which could significantly reduce energy consumption in modern electronics. | Revolutionary Alloy Could Cut Tech Energy UseThis low-symmetry material produces powerful spin-orbit torque (SOT)—a key mechanism for manipulating magnetism in next-generation memory and logic technologies. Credit: The Nano Magnetism and Quantum Spintronics Lab/University of Minnesota Twin Cities, edited -- Research from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities gives new insight into a material that could make computer memory faster and more energy-efficient. -- The study was recently published in Advanced Materials, a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The researchers also have a patent on the technology. -- As technology continues to grow, so does the demand for emerging memory technology. Researchers are looking for alternatives and complements to existing memory solutions that can perform at high levels with low energy consumption to increase the functionality of everyday technology. -- In this new research, the team demonstrated a more efficient way to control magnetization in tiny electronic devices using a material called Ni₄W-a combination of nickel and tungsten. The team found that this low-symmetry material produces powerful spin-orbit torque (SOT) -- a key mechanism for manipulating magnetism in next-generation memory and logic technologies. -- "Ni₄W reduces power usage for writing data, potentially cutting energy use in electronics significantly," said Jian-Ping Wang, a senior author on the paper and a Distinguished McKnight Professor and Robert F. Hartmann Chair in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. -- This technology could help reduce the electricity consumption of devices like smartphones and data centers making future electronics both smarter and more sustainable. -- "Unlike conventional materials, Ni₄W can generate spin currents in multiple directions, enabling 'field-free' switching of magnetic states without the need for external magnetic fields. We observed high SOT efficiency with multi-direction in Ni₄W both on its own and when layered with tungsten, pointing to its strong potential for use in low-power, high-speed spintronic devices." said Yifei Yang, a fifth-year Ph.D. student in Wang's group and a co-first author on the paper. -- Ni₄W is made from common metals and can be manufactured using standard industrial processes. The low-cost material makes it very attractive to industry partners and soon could be implemented into technology we use everyday like smart watches, phones, and more. -- "We are very excited to see that our calculations confirmed the choice of the material and the SOT experimental observation," said Seungjun Lee, a postdoctoral fellow in ECE and the co-first author on the paper. | 324 |
| Forget The Big Bang: Gravitational Waves May Have Really Created The Universe | New Theory Suggests Gravitational Waves, Not Speculative Elements, Explain The Universe’s Origins | Inflation without an inflaton. | University of Barcelona | A groundbreaking new theory proposes that gravitational waves, rather than inflation, played a crucial role in the Universe's early formation. This model eliminates the need for speculative elements, suggesting that gravitational waves seeded the creation of galaxies and cosmic structure. Published research presents a fresh perspective on the origins of the Universe, providing a foundation for verifiable predictions in cosmology. | Did Gravitational Waves Create the Universe?A fresh theory on the Universe's origins suggests gravitational waves, not inflation, could explain cosmic structure, paving the way for verifiable predictions. Credit: Shutterstock -- A team of scientists led by expert Raúl Jiménez, ICREA researcher at the University of Barcelona's Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB), in collaboration with the University of Padua (Italy), has presented a revolutionary theory about the origins of the Universe. The study, published in the journal Physical Review Research, introduces a radical change in the understanding of the first moments after the Big Bang, without relying on the speculative assumptions that physicists have traditionally assumed. -- Unraveling the mystery of the origins of the Universe -- For decades, cosmologists have worked under the inflationary paradigm, a model that suggests that the Universe expanded extremely rapidly, in a fraction of a second, thus paving the way for everything we observe today. But this model includes too many adjustable parameters -- the free parameters -- which can be modified. Scientifically, this poses a problem, as it makes it difficult to know whether a model is truly predicting or simply adapting to the data. In a significant breakthrough, the team has proposed a model in which the early Universe does not require any of these arbitrary parameters. Instead, it begins with a well-established cosmic state called De Sitter space, which is consistent with current observations of dark energy. -- Gravitational waves: the key to understanding cosmic structure -- The new model does not rely on hypothetical fields or particles such as inflation. It suggests that natural quantum fluctuations in space-time, gravitational waves, were sufficient to seed the small density differences that eventually gave rise to galaxies, stars, and planets. These ripples evolve non-linearly, interacting and generating complexity over time, allowing for verifiable predictions with real data. -- "For decades, we have tried to understand the early moments of the Universe using models based on elements we have never observed," says Raúl Jiménez. "What makes this proposal exciting is its simplicity and verifiability. We are not adding speculative elements, but rather demonstrating that gravity and quantum mechanics may be sufficient to explain how the structure of the cosmos came into being." -- Understanding the origin of the Universe is not just a philosophical question, but helps us answer fundamental questions about who we are and where we come from. This new proposal offers a minimalist but powerful, elegant and potentially refutable vision. This is science at its best: clear predictions that future observations -- such as measurements of gravitational waves and cosmic structure -- can confirm or reject. -- These new results suggest that we may not need speculative elements to explain the cosmos, but only a deep understanding of gravity and quantum physics. If the model is confirmed, it could mark a new chapter in the way we think about the birth of the Universe. | 325 |
| Scientists Capture The Secret Quantum Dance Of Atoms For The First Time | Physicists Observe Atoms Dancing In A Quantum State For The First Time | Imaging collective quantum fluctuations of the structure of a complex molecule. | Goethe University Frankfurt | Physicists have captured the intricate zero-point motion of a molecule's atoms, revealing synchronized vibrations even at absolute zero. This groundbreaking achievement at Goethe University Frankfurt offers a first glimpse into the organized dance of atoms, enhancing our understanding of quantum mechanics. The findings could have implications for various fields, including materials science and quantum technology, unveiling the complex behavior of matter at the atomic level. | Scientists Capture the Secret Dance of AtomsUltrashort, high-intensity X-ray laser pulses trigger controlled explosions of molecules – making it possible to capture high-resolution images of molecular structures. Credit: Till Jahnke / Goethe University Frankfurt -- Most of us find it difficult to grasp the quantum world: According to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, it's like observing a dance without being able to see simultaneously exactly where someone is dancing and how fast they're moving - you always must choose to focus on one. And yet, this quantum dance is far from chaotic; the dancers follow a strict choreography. In molecules, this strange behavior has another consequence: Even if a molecule should be completely frozen at absolute zero, it never truly comes to rest. The atoms it is made of perform a constant, never-ending quiet dance driven by so-called zero-point energy. -- First direct measurement of correlated zero-point motion -- For a long time, these patterned zero-point movements were considered impossible to measure directly. However, scientists at Goethe University Frankfurt and partner institutions have now succeeded in doing precisely that at the world's largest X-ray laser, the European XFEL in Hamburg, Germany. They captured the "dance of the atoms" by shining a "spotlight" on individual molecules and taking snapshots of their atoms - revealing each atom's precise choreography. -- Professor Till Jahnke from the Institute for Nuclear Physics at Goethe University Frankfurt and the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg explains: "The exciting thing about our work is that we were able to see that the atoms don't just vibrate individually, but that they vibrate in a coupled manner, following fixed patterns. We directly measured this behavior for the first time in individual medium-sized molecules that were also in their lowest energy state. This zero-point motion is a purely quantum mechanical phenomenon that cannot be explained classically." Instead of choreography, physicists speak of vibrational modes. While the motion patterns of molecules with two or three atoms are fairly easy to follow, it quickly becomes complex with medium-sized molecules - like the studied iodopyridine, which consists of eleven atoms. Iodopyridine features a whole repertoire of 27 different vibrational modes - from ballet to tango to folk dance. -- "This experiment has a long history," says Jahnke. "We originally collected the data in 2019 during a measurement campaign led by Rebecca Boll at the European XFEL, which had an entirely different goal. It wasn't until two years later that we realized we were actually seeing signs of zero-point motion. The breakthrough came through collaboration with our colleagues from theoretical physics from the Center for Free-Electron Laser Science in Hamburg. Benoît Richard and Ludger Inhester, in particular, came up with new analysis methods that elevated our data interpretation to an entirely new level. Looking back, many puzzle pieces had to come together perfectly." -- Explosion reveals molecular structure -- But how can you capture an image of dancing particles? Using a technique called Coulomb Explosion Imaging, molecules are triggered to undergo a controlled explosion by ultrashort, high-intensity X-ray laser pulses, allowing high-resolution images of their structure to be generated. The X-ray pulse knocks many electrons out of the molecule, causing the atoms - now positively charged - to repel each other and fly apart in a fraction of a trillionth of a second. The fragments are recorded by a special apparatus that measures their time and position of impact, enabling the reconstruction of the molecule's original structure. This COLTRIMS reaction microscope has been developed over the past decades by Goethe University's Atomic Physics group. A version tailored specifically to the European XFEL was built by Dr. Gregor Kastirke during his PhD work. Seeing the device in action is something special, Kastirke says: "Witnessing such groundbreaking results makes me feel a little proud. After all, they only come about through years of preparation and close teamwork." -- New insights into the quantum world -- The results provide entirely new insights into quantum phenomena. For the first time, researchers can directly observe the complex patterns of zero-point motion in more complex molecules. These findings demonstrate the potential of the Frankfurt-developed COLTRIMS reaction microscope. "We're constantly improving our method and are already planning the next experiments," says Jahnke. "Our goal is to go beyond the dance of atoms and observe in addition the dance of electrons - a choreography that is significantly faster and also influenced by atomic motion. With our apparatus, we can gradually create real short films of molecular processes - something that was once unimaginable." | 326 |
| Voyager Missed It, But Now We Know Uranus Has A Fiery Secret | Uranus Emits More Heat Than Expected—What It Means For Its History | Internal Heat Flux and Energy Imbalance of Uranus. | University of Houston | Researchers have resolved the longstanding mystery of Uranus's unexpectedly low temperatures, revealing that the planet emits more heat than it receives from the Sun. This discovery suggests that Uranus retains internal warmth from its formation, providing new insights into the planet's history and evolution. The findings could influence future NASA missions and enhance our understanding of planetary dynamics and climate processes. | Uranus Has a Fiery SecretScientists have confirmed Uranus gives off more heat than it absorbs, unlocking secrets about its formation and boosting momentum for a NASA mission to study the planet up close. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study led by University of Houston researchers, in collaboration with planetary scientists worldwide, suggests Uranus does have its own internal heat -- an advance that not only informs NASA's future missions but also deepens scientists' understanding of planetary systems, including processes that influence Earth's climate and atmospheric evolution. -- The discovery resolves a long-standing scientific mystery about the giant planet, because observational analyses from Voyager 2 in 1986 didn't suggest the presence of significant internal heat -- contradicting scientists' understanding of how giant planets form and evolve. -- However, using decades of spacecraft observations and computer models, a team of scientists found Uranus releases more heat than it receives from sunlight, said Xinyue Wang, the first author on the paper and a former doctoral student of UH's Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences within the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. -- "This means it's still slowly losing leftover heat from its early history, a key piece of the puzzle that helps us understand its origins and how it has changed over time," she explained. -- The paper published July 14 in Geophysical Research Letters, a top journal publication by the American Geophysical Union. The discovery is consistent with an independent study conducted by a research group led by Professor Patrick Irwin at the University of Oxford. -- However, Uranus's internal heat is weaker than its other giant counterparts in the solar system, emitting about 12.5% more heat than it absorbs via sunlight. This is lower compared to fluxes of upwards of 100% measured for Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune, said Xun Jiang, co-author and professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. -- "From a scientific perspective, this study helps us better understand Uranus and other giant planets. For future space exploration, I think it strengthens the case for a mission to Uranus." -- Xinyue Wang, UH's Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences -- It's uncertain why this happened, but researchers said Uranus may have a different interior structure or evolutionary history compared to the other giant planets. | 327 |
| What If Dark Matter Came From A Mirror Universe? | Theories Suggest Dark Matter May Come From A Hidden Mirror Universe | Dark baryon black holes. | University of California, Santa Cruz | A physicist from UC Santa Cruz has proposed two innovative theories that could explain the origin of dark matter. One theory involves a hidden ‘mirror’ universe creating black hole-like objects, while the other suggests dark matter results from quantum radiation during the universe's rapid expansion post-Big Bang. Both concepts present testable frameworks grounded in known physics, contributing to the ongoing quest to unravel dark matter's mysteries. | What If Dark Matter Came from a Mirror Universe?An artistic illustration of the mechanism proposed by Professor Stefano Profumo where quantum effects near the rapidly expanding cosmic horizon after the Big Bang gravitationally generate dark matter particles. Credit: Stefano Profumo -- Key Takeaways -- One theory proposes a hidden physical realm with its own versions of particles and forces that gave birth to tiny, stable black hole-like objects that would account for all the dark matter observed today. -- The other theory explores whether dark matter could be a product of the universe's own expansion, created by quantum radiation near the cosmic horizon during a brief but intense post-inflation phase. -- Both theories offer testable, self-contained frameworks based on known physics, continuing UC Santa Cruz's legacy of linking particle theory with cosmic-scale phenomena to tackle one of the biggest mysteries in science. -- Two recent studies by Professor Stefano Profumo at the University of California, Santa Cruz, propose theories that attempt to answer one of the most fundamental open questions in modern physics: What is the particle nature of dark matter? -- Science has produced overwhelming evidence that the mysterious substance that accounts for 80% of all matter in the universe exists. Dark matter's presence explains what binds galaxies together and makes them rotate. Findings such as the large-scale structure of the universe and measurements of the cosmic microwave background also prove that something as-yet undetermined permeates all that darkness. -- What remains unknown are the origins of dark matter, and hence, what are its particle properties. Those weighty questions primarily fall to theoretical physicists like Profumo. And in two recent papers, he approaches those questions from different directions, but both centered on the idea that dark matter might have emerged naturally from conditions in the very early universe -- rather than dark matter being an exotic new particle that interacts with ordinary matter in some detectable way. -- Shadowy origins -- The most recent study, published on July 8, explores whether dark matter could have formed in a hidden sector -- a kind of "mirror world" with its own versions of particles and forces. While completely invisible to humans, this shadow sector would obey many of the same physical laws as the known universe. | 328 |
| Tiny Chip Could Unlock Gamma Ray Lasers, Cure Cancer, And Explore The Multiverse | Tiny Quantum Device Could Revolutionize Cancer Treatment And Explore The Multiverse | Advanced Quantum Technologies | University of Colorado Denver | A compact quantum device has been developed that could redefine our understanding of both the multiverse and cancer treatment. This thumb-sized chip has the potential to generate extreme electromagnetic fields, enabling safe gamma ray lasers aimed at cancer cells. By bridging profound scientific inquiries with medical advancements, this innovative technology could lead to significant breakthroughs in both fields, offering a glimpse into a revolutionary future. | Tiny Chip Could Unlock the MultiverseA thumb-sized chip may soon replace massive particle colliders, unlocking the ability to test multiverse theories and create gamma ray lasers for revolutionary medical treatments. Credit: Shutterstock -- A University of Colorado Denver engineer is on the cusp of giving scientists a new tool that can help them turn sci-fi into reality. -- Imagine a safe gamma ray laser that could eradicate cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue. Or a tool that could help determine if Stephen Hawking's multiverse theory is real by revealing the fabric underlying the universe. -- Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering Aakash Sahai, PhD, has developed a quantum breakthrough that could help those sci-fi ideas develop and has sent a ripple of excitement through the quantum community because of its potential to revolutionize our understanding of physics, chemistry, and medicine. Advanced Quantum Technologies, one of the most impactful journals in the fields of quantum science, materials, and technologies, recognized Sahai's work and featured his study on the cover of its June issue. -- "It is very exciting because this technology will open up whole new fields of study and have a direct impact on the world," Sahai said. "In the past, we've had technological breakthroughs that propelled us forward such as the sub-atomic structure leading to lasers, computer chips, and LEDs. This innovation, which is also based on material science, is along the same lines." -- How It Works -- Sahai has found a way to create extreme electromagnetic fields never before possible in a laboratory. These electromagnetic fields -- created when electrons in materials vibrate and bounce at incredibly high speeds -- power everything from computer chips to super particle colliders that search for evidence of dark matter. Until now, creating fields strong enough for advanced experiments has required huge, expensive facilities. For example, scientists chasing evidence of dark matter use machines like the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, in Switzerland. To accommodate the radiofrequency cavities and superconducting magnets needed for accelerating high energy beams, the collider is 16.7 miles long. Running experiments at that scale demands huge resources, is incredibly expensive, and can be highly volatile. -- Sahai developed a silicon-based, chip-like material that can withstand high-energy particle beams, manage the energy flow, and allow scientists to access electromagnetic fields created by the oscillations, or vibrations, of the quantum electron gas -- all in a space about the size of your thumb. The rapid movement creates the electromagnetic fields. With Sahai's technique, the material manages the heat flow generated by the oscillation and keeps the sample intact and stable. This gives scientists a way to see activity like never before and opens the possibility of shrinking miles-long colliders into a chip. -- "Manipulating such high energy flow while preserving the underlying structure of the material is the breakthrough," said Kalyan Tirumalasetty, a graduate student in Sahai's lab working on the project. "This breakthrough in technology can make a real change in the world. It is about understanding how nature works and using that knowledge to make a positive impact on the world." -- The technology and method were designed at CU Denver and tested at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, a world-class facility operated by Stanford University and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. | 329 |
| Betelgeuse’s Hidden Companion Star Found After Centuries Of Searching | Betelgeuse’s Companion Star Finally Confirmed After Centuries Of Observation | The Probable Direct-imaging Detection of the Stellar Companion to Betelgeuse. The Astrophysical Journal Letters | Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) | Astronomers have used the Gemini North telescope to confirm the existence of a companion star orbiting Betelgeuse, resolving a centuries-old mystery. This discovery, made possible with advanced imaging techniques, reveals a young star located within the supergiant's outer atmosphere. The findings help explain Betelgeuse's brightness variability and deepen our understanding of stellar systems, as well as the processes governing stellar evolution. | Betelgeuse’s Hidden Companion Found at LastScientists have used cutting-edge imaging to spot Betelgeuse’s hidden companion star for the first time, revealing a hot, young star orbiting dangerously close inside the giant’s outer atmosphere. Credit: Shutterstock -- Betelgeuse is one of the brightest stars in the night sky, and the closest red supergiant to Earth. It has an enormous volume, spanning a radius around 700 times that of the Sun. Despite only being ten million years old, which is considered young by astronomy standards, it's late in its life. Located in the shoulder of the constellation Orion, people have observed Betelgeuse with the naked eye for millennia, noticing that the star changes in brightness over time. Astronomers established that Betelgeuse has a main period of variability of around 400 days and a more extended secondary period of around six years. -- In 2019 and 2020, there was a steep decrease in Betelgeuse's brightness -- an event referred to as the 'Great Dimming.' The event led some to believe that a supernova death was quickly approaching, but scientists were able to determine the dimming was actually caused by a large cloud of dust ejected from Betelgeuse. -- The Great Dimming mystery was solved, but the event sparked a renewed interest in studying Betelgeuse, which brought about new analyses of archival data on the star. One analysis led scientists to propose that the cause of Betelgeuse's six-year variability is the presence of a companion star [1]. But when the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory searched for this companion, no detections were made. -- -- The companion star has now been detected for the first time by a team of astrophysicists led by Steve Howell, a senior research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center. They observed Betelgeuse using a speckle imager called 'Alopeke. 'Alopeke, which means 'fox' in Hawaiian, is funded by the NASA-NSF Exoplanet Observational Research Program (NN-EXPLORE) and is mounted on the Gemini North telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab. -- Speckle imaging is an astronomical imaging technique that uses very short exposure times to freeze out the distortions in images caused by Earth's atmosphere. This technique enables high resolution, which, when combined with the light collecting power of Gemini North's 8.1-meter mirror, allowed for Betelgeuse's faint companion to be directly detected. -- Analysis of the companion star's light allowed Howell and his team to determine the companion star's characteristics. They found that it is six magnitudes fainter than Betelgeuse in the optical wavelength range, it has an estimated mass of around 1.5 times that of the Sun, and it appears to be an A- or B-type pre-main-sequence star -- a hot, young, blue-white star that has not yet initiated hydrogen burning in its core. -- The companion is at a relatively close distance away from the surface of Betelgeuse -- about four times the distance between the Earth and the Sun. This discovery is the first time a close-in stellar companion has been detected orbiting a supergiant star. Even more impressive -- the companion orbits well within Betelgeuse's outer extended atmosphere, proving the incredible resolving abilities of 'Alopeke. -- "Gemini North's ability to obtain high angular resolutions and sharp contrasts allowed the companion of Betelgeuse to be directly detected," says Howell. Furthermore, he explains that 'Alopeke did what no other telescope has done before: "Papers that predicted Betelgeuse's companion believed that no one would likely ever be able to image it." | 330 |
| Aluminium-20 Shatters Nuclear Norms With Explosive Triple-Proton Breakup | Newly Discovered Aluminium-20 Breaks Nuclear Standards With Unique Decay | Isospin Symmetry Breaking Disclosed in the Decay of Three-Proton Emitter Al20. | Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters | Physicists have uncovered aluminium-20, a rare isotope that decays through an unusual three-proton emission sequence. This discovery offers insights into nuclear behavior beyond known stability limits, enhancing our understanding of atomic structure and decay modes. The research, involving collaboration between Chinese and German scientists, adds a new isotope to the nuclear chart and hints at intriguing quantum properties within matter, expanding our knowledge of nuclear physics. | Aluminium-20 Shatters Nuclear NormsPhysicists discovered aluminium-20, a rare isotope that breaks apart by emitting three protons — revealing new secrets of unstable atomic nuclei. Credit: Shutterstock -- Radioactive decay is a fundamental process in nature by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. Studying nuclear decay modes is crucial for understanding properties of atomic nuclei. In particular, exotic decay modes like proton emission provide essential spectroscopic tools for probing the structure of nuclei far from the valley of stability -- the region containing stable nuclei on the nuclear chart. -- In a study published in Physical Review Letters on July 10, physicists from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and their collaborators have reported the first observation and spectroscopy of aluminium-20, a previously unknown and unstable isotope that decays via the rare process of three-proton emission. -- "Aluminium-20 is the lightest aluminium isotope that has been discovered so far. Located beyond the proton drip line, it has seven fewer neutrons than the stable aluminum isotope," said Associate Prof. Xiaodong Xu from IMP, first author of the study. -- Using an in-flight decay technique at the Fragment Separator of the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, Germany, the researchers measured angular correlations of aluminium-20's decay products and discovered the previously unknown nucleus aluminium-20. -- Through detailed analysis of angular correlations, the researchers found that the aluminium-20 ground state first decays by emitting one proton to the intermediate ground state of magnesium-19, followed by subsequent decay of magnesium-19 ground state via simultaneous two-proton emission. Aluminium-20 is the first observed three-proton emitter where its one-proton decay daughter nucleus is a two-proton radioactive nucleus. -- The researchers also found that the decay energy of the aluminium-20 ground state is significantly smaller than the predictions inferred from the isospin symmetry, indicating a possible isospin symmetry breaking in aluminium-20 and its mirror partner neon-20. -- This finding is supported by state-of-the-art theoretical calculations that predict that the spin-parity of the aluminium-20 ground state differs from the spin-parity of the neon-20 ground state. -- "This study advances our understanding of the proton-emission phenomena, and provides insights into the structure and decay of nuclei beyond the proton drip line," said Xu. -- To date, scientists have discovered over 3,300 nuclides, yet fewer than 300 are stable and exist naturally. The remainder are unstable nuclides that undergo radioactive decay. Common decay modes, such as α decay, β- decay, β+ decay, electron capture, γ radiation, and fission, were discovered by the mid-20th century. | 331 |
| Twice A Day, Mars May Briefly Host Water That Could Support Life | Mars May Briefly Host Water That Could Hint At Past Life | Perchlorate brine formation from frost at the Viking 2 landing site. | University of Arkansas | Research indicates that Mars may briefly host salty brines, which could provide hints about past habitable conditions. Once deemed too cold for liquid water, Mars may allow for brine formation under specific seasonal conditions. This discovery challenges previous assumptions about the planet’s dryness and offers valuable insights for future missions seeking signs of past life and potential habitability on Mars. | Mars May Briefly Host Salty Water Twice a DayVincent Chevrier’s 20-year study suggests Mars can briefly form salty brines from melting frost, with conditions aligning twice daily for a month each Martian year. (Perspective view of the Mars north polar ice cap and its distinctive dark troughs forming a spiral-like pattern.) Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin; NASA MGS MOLA Science Team -- Due to extreme temperatures and the dryness of Mars, it's thought to be impossible for liquid water to form on the planet's surface, a critical precondition for habitability. The only hope of finding liquid water appears to be in the form of brines, which are liquids with high concentrations of salts that can freeze at much lower temperatures. But the question of whether brines can even form on Mars has yet to be answered. -- Vincent Chevrier, an associate research professor at the University of Arkansas' Center for Space and Planetary Sciences, has been studying that question for 20 years and now thinks he knows the answer: 'yes they can.' -- His case for the existence of liquid brines on Mars was recently published in Nature Communications Earth and Environment. -- Chevrier used meteorological data taken from the Viking 2 landing site on Mars combined with computer modeling to determine that brines can develop for a brief period of time during late winter and early spring from melting frost. This challenges the assumption that Mars is entirely devoid of liquid water on the surface and suggests that similar processes may occur in other frost-bearing regions, particularly in the mid-to-high latitudes. -- Data from Viking 2, which landed on Mars in 1976, was used because, Chevrier said, "It was the only mission that clearly observed, identified and characterized frost on Mars." Melting frost presents the best chance to find liquid brines on Mars, but there's a catch: frost on Mars tends to sublimate quickly, which means it transitions from a solid to a gas without spending time in a liquid state due to Mars' unique atmospheric conditions. -- But by sifting through the Viking 2 data, combined with data from the Mars Climate Database, Chevrier was able to determine that there was a brief window in late winter and early spring when the conditions were right for the formation of brines. Specifically, there is a period of one Martian month (roughly equivalent to two Earth months) where the conditions were ideal at two points during the day: roughly in the early morning and late afternoon. -- There is an abundance of salts on Mars, and Chevrier has long speculated that perchlorates would be the most promising salts for brine formation since they have extremely low eutectic temperatures (which is the melting point of a salt-water mixture). Calcium perchlorate brine solidifies at minus 75 degrees Celsius, while Mars has an average surface temperature of minus 50C at the equator, suggesting there could be a zone where calcium perchlorate brine could stay liquid. -- Modeling based off known data confirmed that twice a day for a month in late winter and early spring there is a perfect window in which calcium perchlorate brines can form because the temperature hovers right around the sweet spot of minus 75 °C. At other times of day it is either too hot or too cold. -- While Chevrier's findings are not slam-dunk proof of brines, they make a strong case for their existence in small amounts on a recurring basis. Even if there were direct evidence of a calcium perchlorate brine detected by a past or future lander, it would not be in large amounts. Calcium perchlorate is only about 1% of the Martian regolith, and the frost that does form on Mars is extremely thin -- far less than a millimeter thick. So it is unlikely to generate much water, certainly not enough to support human life. | 332 |
| NASA’s Roman Telescope Will Catch 100,000 Explosions — And Rewrite The Universe’s Story | NASA’s Roman Telescope Aims To Capture 100,000 Cosmic Explosions | The Hourglass Simulation: A Catalog for the Roman High-latitude Time-domain Core Community Survey. | NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center | NASA's upcoming Roman Space Telescope is set to conduct a groundbreaking survey, potentially capturing 100,000 cosmic explosions over two years. This ambitious study aims to explore a wide range of celestial phenomena, including supernovae and black hole activity, and will enhance our understanding of dark energy and the universe's expansion. The telescope’s ability to revisit the same sky region every five days promises to yield significant astronomical discoveries. | NASA’s Roman Will Catch 100,000 ExplosionsThis artist's concept visualizes a kilonova – an explosion that happens when two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole collide and merge. When these collisions happen, a fraction of the resulting debris is ejected as jets, which move near the speed of light. The remaining debris produces hot, glowing, neutron-rich clouds that forge heavy elements, like gold and platinum. Researchers will mine data from NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will survey the same areas of the sky every few days, to identify kilonovae. Roman’s extensive data will help astronomers better identify how often these events occur, how much energy they give off, and how near or far they are. Credit: NASA, ESA, J. Olmsted (STScI) -- Scientists predict one of the major surveys by NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope may reveal around 100,000 celestial blasts, ranging from exploding stars to feeding black holes. Roman may even find evidence of some of the universe's first stars, which are thought to completely self-destruct without leaving any remnant behind. -- Cosmic explosions offer clues to some of the biggest mysteries of the universe. One is the nature of dark energy, the mysterious pressure thought to be accelerating the universe's expansion. -- "Whether you want to explore dark energy, dying stars, galactic powerhouses, or probably even entirely new things we've never seen before, this survey will be a gold mine," said Benjamin Rose, an assistant professor at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, who led a study about the results. The paper is published in The Astrophysical Journal. -- Called the High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey, this observation program will scan the same large region of the cosmos every five days for two years. Scientists will stitch these observations together to create movies that uncover all sorts of cosmic fireworks. -- Chief among them are exploding stars. The survey is largely geared toward finding a special class of supernova called type Ia. These stellar cataclysms allow scientists to measure cosmic distances and trace the universe's expansion because they peak at about the same intrinsic brightness. Figuring out how fast the universe has ballooned during different cosmic epochs offers clues to dark energy. -- In the new study, scientists simulated Roman's entire High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey. The results suggest Roman could see around 27,000 type Ia supernovae -- about 10 times more than all previous surveys combined. -- Beyond dramatically increasing our total sample of these supernovae, Roman will push the boundaries of how far back in time we can see them. While most of those detected so far occurred within approximately the last 8 billion years, Roman is expected to see vast numbers of them earlier in the universe's history, including more than a thousand that exploded more than 10 billion years ago and potentially dozens from as far back as 11.5 billion years. That means Roman will almost certainly set a new record for the farthest type Ia supernova while profoundly expanding our view of the early universe and filling in a critical gap in our understanding of how the cosmos has evolved over time. -- "Filling these data gaps could also fill in gaps in our understanding of dark energy," Rose said. "Evidence is mounting that dark energy has changed over time, and Roman will help us understand that change by exploring cosmic history in ways other telescopes can't." -- But type Ia supernovae will be hidden among a much bigger sample of exploding stars Roman will see once it begins science operations in 2027. The team estimates Roman will also spot about 60,000 core-collapse supernovae, which occur when a massive star runs out of fuel and collapses under its own weight. | 333 |
| The Nuclear Clock That Could Finally Unmask Dark Matter | The Nuclear Clock That Could Reveal The Secrets Of Dark Matter | Searching for Dark Matter with the Th229 Nuclear Lineshape from Laser Spectroscopy. | Weizmann Institute of Science | Researchers are exploring the unique properties of thorium-229 to develop an ultra-sensitive nuclear clock that could detect dark matter. Recent advances suggest the possibility of observing minute shifts in resonance frequency, allowing scientists to probe dark matter's elusive presence. This approach represents a novel strategy in the ongoing search for dark matter, utilizing the precision of a nuclear clock to unveil hidden aspects of the universe. | The Nuclear Clock That Could Unmask Dark MatterThorium-229 may hold the key to a nuclear clock so sensitive it could expose dark matter’s hidden presence in the universe. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- For nearly a century, scientists around the world have been searching for dark matter - an invisible substance believed to make up about 80 percent of the universe's mass and needed to explain a variety of physical phenomena. Numerous methods have been used in attempts to detect dark matter, from trying to produce it in particle accelerators to searching for cosmic radiation that it might emit in space. Yet even today, very little is known about this matter's fundamental properties. Although it operates in the background, dark matter is believed to influence visible matter, but in ways so subtle that they currently cannot be directly measured. -- Scientists believe that if a nuclear clock is developed - one that uses the atomic nucleus to measure time with extreme precision - even the tiniest irregularities in its ticking could reveal dark matter's influence. Last year, physicists in Germany and Colorado made a breakthrough toward building such a clock, using the radioactive element thorium-229. When researchers in Prof. Gilad Perez's theoretical physics group at the Weizmann Institute of Science learned of this achievement, they recognized a new opportunity to advance the search for dark matter, even before a fully functional nuclear clock becomes a reality. In collaboration with the German team, they recently published a study in Physical Review X proposing a novel method for detecting dark matter's influence on properties of the thorium-229 nucleus. -- Much as pushing a child on a swing requires the right timing to maintain a smooth, consistent motion, an atomic nucleus also has an optimal oscillation frequency, known in physics as its resonance frequency. Radiation at precisely this frequency can cause the nucleus to "swing" like a pendulum between two quantum states: a ground state and a high-energy state. In most materials, this resonance frequency is high, requiring strong radiation to excite the nucleus. But in 1976, scientists discovered that thorium-229, a byproduct of the US nuclear program, was a rare exception. Its natural resonance frequency is low enough to be manipulated by standard laser technology using the relatively weak ultraviolet radiation. This made thorium-229 a promising candidate for the development of a nuclear clock, in which time is measured by the nucleus "swinging" between quantum states like a pendulum in a traditional clock. -- "A nuclear clock would be the ultimate detector - capable of sensing forces 10 trillion times weaker than gravity, with 100,000 times the resolution of today's dark matter searches" -- However, progress on the nuclear clock stalled at the very first stage, when scientists tried to measure the resonance frequency of thorium-229 with the utmost precision. To determine a nucleus's resonance frequency, physicists shine a laser on it at varying frequencies and observe how much energy it absorbs or emits while transitioning between quantum states. From these results, they construct an absorption spectrum, and the frequency that causes peak absorption is taken as the nucleus's resonance frequency. -- For nearly five decades, scientists were unable to measure thorium-229's resonance frequency with enough precision to build a nuclear clock, but last year brought two major advances. First, a group at the National Metrology Institute of Germany (PTB) published relatively accurate measurements. A few months later, a team from the University of Colorado released results that were several million times more precise. -- "We still need even greater precision to develop a nuclear clock," says Perez, "but we've already identified an opportunity to study dark matter." He explains: "In a universe made up only of visible matter, the physical conditions and the absorption spectrum of any material would remain constant. But because dark matter surrounds us, its wave-like nature can subtly change the mass of atomic nuclei and cause temporary shifts in their absorption spectrum. We hypothesized that the ability to detect minute deviations in the absorption spectrum of thorium-229 with great precision could reveal dark matter's influence and help us study its properties." -- Theoretical calculations made by the team - led by Dr. Wolfram Ratzinger from Perez's group and other postdoctoral fellows - showed that the new measurements could detect dark matter's influence even if it were 100 million times weaker than gravity, a force that is itself weak and rarely crosses our minds in daily life. "This is a region where no one has yet looked for dark matter," says Ratzinger. "Our calculations show that it's not enough to search for shifts in the resonance frequency alone. We need to identify changes across the entire absorption spectrum to detect dark matter's effect. Although we haven't found those changes yet, we've laid the groundwork to understand them when they do appear. Once we detect a deviation, we'll be able to use its intensity and the frequency at which it appears to calculate the mass of the dark matter particle responsible. Later in the study, we also calculated how different dark matter models would affect thorium-229's absorption spectrum. We hope this will ultimately help determine which models are accurate and what dark matter is actually made of." -- Meanwhile, laboratories around the world are continuing to refine the measurement of thorium-229's resonance frequency, a process expected to take years. If a nuclear clock is eventually developed, it could revolutionize many fields, including Earth and space navigation, communications, power grid management and scientific research. Today's most accurate timekeeping devices are atomic clocks, which rely on the oscillation of electrons between two quantum states. These are highly precise, but they have one significant drawback: They are vulnerable to electrical interference from the environment, which can affect their consistency. Nuclei of atoms, by contrast, are far less sensitive to such disturbances. | 334 |
| Scientists Discover Salt That Makes Batteries Last 10x Longer | New Salt Discovery Could Extend Aqueous Battery Life By Over Ten Times | Correlation of metal anode reversibility with solvation chemistry and interfacial electron transfer in aqueous electrolytes. | King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST) | A team at KAUST has made significant strides in enhancing the lifespan of aqueous batteries by addressing the issue of free water, which triggers unwanted chemical reactions. By incorporating affordable sulfate salts like zinc sulfate, they have successfully stabilized the water structure, leading to a tenfold increase in battery lifespan. This discovery could pave the way for more efficient and safer energy storage solutions. | Salt That Makes Batteries Last 10x LongerA new study shows how sulfate and other salt ions reduce free water to improve the lifespan and performance of aqueous batteries. Credit: Heno Hwang -- Scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST; Saudi Arabia) have uncovered a critical molecular cause keeping aqueous rechargeable batteries from becoming a safer, economical option for sustainable energy storage. Their findings, published in Science Advances, reveal how water compromises battery life and performance and how the addition of affordable salts - such as zinc sulfate - mitigates this issue, even increasing the battery lifespan by more than ten times. -- One of the key determinants to the lifespan of a battery - aqueous or otherwise - is the anode. Chemical reactions at the anode generate and store the battery's energy. However, parasitic chemical reactions degrade the anode, compromising the battery lifespan. -- The new study shows how free water contributes to these parasitic reactions and how zinc sulfate reduces the amount of free water in the battery. -- "Our findings highlight the importance of water structure in battery chemistry, a key parameter that has been previously overlooked," said KAUST Professor and Chair of the KAUST Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies (CREST) Husam Alshareef, the principal investigator leading the study. -- Free water describes water molecules that are not strongly bonded with other molecules. This state allows free water to engage with more molecules than otherwise, triggering unwanted reactions that consume energy and compromise the anode. -- Sulfate was found to stabilize the bonds of free water, acting as what the KAUST team describes as a "water glue," to change dynamics of the water molecules that reduces the number of parasitic reactions. -- While the bulk of experiments by the KAUST researchers were done on batteries using zinc sulfate, early investigation has shown that sulfate has the same effect on other metal anodes, suggesting the inclusion of sulfate salts into the battery design could be a universal solution for lengthening the lifespan of all aqueous batteries. -- "Sulfate salts are cheap, widely available and chemically stable, making our solution scientifically and economically viable," said KAUST Research Scientist Yunpei Zhu, who conducted the bulk of the experiments. -- Aqueous batteries are gaining significant global attention as a sustainable solution for large-scale energy storage and are projected to exceed a market size of $10 billion by 2030. Unlike lithium batteries, which are often used in electric vehicles, aqueous batteries offer a safer and more sustainable option for integrating renewable energy sources like solar power into electrical grids. | 335 |
| Google's Deepfake Hunter Sees What You Can’t—Even In Videos Without Faces | UC Riverside And Google Team Up To Combat The Threat Of Deepfakes | Towards a Universal Synthetic Video Detector: From Face or Background Manipulations to Fully AI-Generated Content. | University of California - Riverside | In response to the growing threat of deepfake videos, researchers at UC Riverside and Google have developed a powerful AI tool called UNITE. This innovative system detects video tampering even when facial alterations are absent by analyzing backgrounds and motions. As manipulated content becomes more sophisticated, UNITE could serve as a vital resource for maintaining authenticity in media and online platforms. | Google's Deepfake Hunter Is HereUNITE is a groundbreaking AI tool that spots even the most convincing fake videos—not just altered faces, but entire fabricated scenes. Credit: Shutterstock -- In an era where manipulated videos can spread disinformation, bully people, and incite harm, UC Riverside researchers have created a powerful new system to expose these fakes. -- Amit Roy-Chowdhury, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, and doctoral candidate Rohit Kundu, both from UCR's Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering, teamed up with Google scientists to develop an artificial intelligence model that detects video tampering -- even when manipulations go far beyond face swaps and altered speech. (Roy-Chowdhury is also the co-director of the UC Riverside Artificial Intelligence Research and Education (RAISE) Institute, a new interdisciplinary research center at UCR.) -- Their new system, called the Universal Network for Identifying Tampered and synthEtic videos (UNITE), detects forgeries by examining not just faces but full video frames, including backgrounds and motion patterns. This analysis makes it one of the first tools capable of identifying synthetic or doctored videos that do not rely on facial content. -- "Deepfakes have evolved," Kundu said. "They're not just about face swaps anymore. People are now creating entirely fake videos -- from faces to backgrounds -- using powerful generative models. Our system is built to catch all of that." -- UNITE's development comes as text-to-video and image-to-video generation have become widely available online. These AI platforms enable virtually anyone to fabricate highly convincing videos, posing serious risks to individuals, institutions, and democracy itself. -- "It's scary how accessible these tools have become," Kundu said. "Anyone with moderate skills can bypass safety filters and generate realistic videos of public figures saying things they never said." -- Kundu explained that earlier deepfake detectors focused almost entirely on face cues. -- "If there's no face in the frame, many detectors simply don't work," he said. "But disinformation can come in many forms. Altering a scene's background can distort the truth just as easily." -- To address this, UNITE uses a transformer-based deep learning model to analyze video clips. It detects subtle spatial and temporal inconsistencies -- cues often missed by previous systems. The model draws on a foundational AI framework known as SigLIP, which extracts features not bound to a specific person or object. A novel training method, dubbed "attention-diversity loss," prompts the system to monitor multiple visual regions in each frame, preventing it from focusing solely on faces. | 336 |
| Trojan Horse Bacteria Sneak Cancer-Killing Viruses Into Tumors | Bacteria Deliver Cancer-Killing Viruses Directly To Tumors While Evading The Immune System | Engineered bacteria launch and control an oncolytic virus. | Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science | Researchers at Columbia Engineering have pioneered a bioengineered platform that allows a virus capable of killing cancer cells to stealthily infiltrate tumors using bacteria, effectively bypassing the immune system. This innovative approach enables targeted therapy while incorporating safety features to prevent the virus from proliferating outside the tumor, representing a significant advancement in cancer treatment by demonstrating engineered cooperation between bacteria and cancer-targeting viruses. | Sneaking Cancer-Killing Viruses into TumorsResearchers have combined bacteria and viruses into a cooperative cancer-fighting team that can slip past immune defenses, target tumors, and destroy cancer cells safely. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers at Columbia Engineering have built a cancer therapy that makes bacteria and viruses work as a team. In a study published recently in Nature Biomedical Engineering, the Synthetic Biological Systems Lab shows how their system hides a virus inside a tumor-seeking bacterium, smuggles it past the immune system, and unleashes it inside cancerous tumors. -- The new platform combines the bacteria's tendency to find and attack tumors with the virus's natural preference for infecting and killing cancerous cells. Tal Danino, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia Engineering, led the team's effort to create the system, which is called CAPPSID (short for Coordinated Activity of Prokaryote and Picornavirus for Safe Intracellular Delivery). Charles M. Rice, an expert in virology at The Rockefeller University, collaborated with the Columbia team. -- "We aimed to enhance bacterial cancer therapy by enabling the bacteria to deliver and activate a therapeutic virus directly inside tumor cells, while engineering safeguards to limit viral spread outside the tumor," says co-lead author Jonathan Pabón, an MD/PhD candidate at Columbia. -- The researchers believe that this technology -- validated in mice -- represents the first example of directly engineered cooperation between bacteria and cancer-targeting viruses. -- The approach combines the bacteria's instinct for homing in on tumors with a virus's knack for infecting and killing cancer cells. "By bridging bacterial engineering with synthetic virology, our goal is to open a path toward multi-organism therapies that can accomplish far more than any single microbe could achieve alone," says Zakary S. Singer, a co-lead author and former postdoctoral researcher in Tal Danino's lab. -- "This is probably our most technically advanced and novel platform to date," says Danino, who is also affiliated with the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Columbia's Data Science Institute. -- Sneaking past the immune system -- One of the biggest hurdles in oncolytic virus therapy is the body's own defense system. If a patient has antibodies against the virus -- from a prior infection or vaccination -- those antibodies can neutralize it before it reaches a tumor. The Columbia team sidestepped that problem by tucking the virus inside tumor-seeking bacteria. -- "The bacteria act as an invisibility cloak, hiding the virus from circulating antibodies, and ferrying the virus to where it is needed," Singer says. | 337 |
| Scientists Uncover The Lost Shelduck That Chose Walking Over Flight | Lost Shelduck Shows Evolutionary Adaptations To A Predator-Free Environment Before Its Extinction | Ancient DNA and morphometrics reveal a new species of extinct insular shelduck from Rēkohu Chatham Islands. | University of Otago | A recent study led by the University of Otago has revealed the extinct Rēkohu shelduck from New Zealand’s Chatham Islands, which evolved shorter wings and stronger legs in response to a predator-free environment. This adaptation occurred over 390,000 years and indicates significant evolutionary changes influenced by its surroundings, emphasizing how environmental factors can shape species' physical traits and behaviors over time. | Lost Shelduck Chose Walking Over FlightArtistic reconstruction of a female Rēkohu shelduck (Tadorna rekohu) showing the darker plumage common in birds isolated on islands. Credit: Sasha Votyakova, © Te Papa CC BY 4.0, edited -- The discovery of yet another unique animal species from Rēkohu Chatham Islands illustrates how the physical qualities of an animal are influenced by its surroundings. -- New research led by the University of Otago - Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka describes a new, extinct shelduck whose ancestors arrived on the islands 390,000 years ago. -- While this may seem like a short period of time, co-lead author Associate Professor Nic Rawlence, Director of the Otago Palaeogenetics Laboratory, says it is long enough to impact the species. -- "In that time the Rēkohu shelduck evolved shorter, more robust wings and longer leg bones indicating it was going down the pathway towards flightlessness," he says. -- These changes were due to a range of factors, such as an abundance of food, lack of ground-dwelling predators, and windy conditions, so flying was not the preferred option. -- Co-lead author Dr Pascale Lubbe, also of the Otago Palaeogenetics Laboratory, says in a case of "use it or lose it, the wings start to reduce." -- "Flight is energetically expensive, so if you don't have to fly, why bother," she says. -- "The longer leg bones are more robust to support more muscle and create increased force for take-off - necessary when you have smaller wings." -- Researchers used ancient DNA and analysed the shape of the bones to determine the Rēkohu shelduck is most closely related to the pūtangitangi paradise shelduck from Aotearoa New Zealand. | 338 |
| Scientists Just Found The Brain’s Secret GPS System | Scientists Identify Brain Regions That Function As Our Internal Navigation System | A neural compass in the human brain during naturalistic virtual navigation. | Society for Neuroscience | Researchers have utilized neuroimaging and virtual reality technology to pinpoint two brain regions that function as a "neural compass," crucial for maintaining orientation during navigation in virtual cities. This discovery may lead to advancements in diagnosing and monitoring neurological disorders associated with disorientation. By tracking directional cues effectively, these brain regions provide new insights into how individuals navigate, especially those with impaired vision or neurodegenerative diseases. | The Brain’s Hidden GPS SystemThe brain has built-in compass regions that help us stay oriented, even in changing environments—insights that could aid in understanding and detecting neurological disease. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Zhengang Lu and Russell Epstein, from the University of Pennsylvania, led a study to explore how people maintain their sense of direction while navigating naturalistic, virtual reality cities. -- As reported in their new JNeurosci paper, the researchers collected neuroimaging data while 15 participants performed a taxi driving task in a virtual reality city. Two brain regions represented forward-facing direction as people moved around. This neural signal was consistent across variations of the city with different visual features. The signal was also consistent across different phases of the task (i.e., picking up a passenger versus driving a passenger to their drop-off location) and various locations in the city. Additional analyses suggested that these brain regions represent a broad range of facing directions by keeping track of direction relative to the north-south axis of the environment. -- According to the researchers, these findings suggest that these brain regions may serve as a neural compass. Says Epstein, "Losing your sense of direction is something that can happen in neurodegenerative diseases, so continuing to explore the function of these two brain regions may help with early detection or monitoring progression of these diseases. We're also interested in understanding how people navigate using both visual and internal cues -- this would relate to the challenges faced by people with impaired vision." | 339 |
| The Hidden Mental Health Danger In Today’s High-THC Cannabis | High-THC Cannabis Linked To Increased Risk Of Psychosis In Young Users | Cannabis and psychosis. | Canadian Medical Association Journal | A significant increase in THC levels in cannabis over the past two decades has heightened the risk of cannabis-induced psychosis, particularly among younger users. Research demonstrates a strong correlation between high-potency cannabis and an increased likelihood of developing schizophrenia, emphasizing the need for early intervention and treatment. Experts advocate for greater awareness and preventive measures as cannabis use continues to rise, especially among vulnerable populations. | 5 Things to Know About Cannabis and PsychosisStronger cannabis is driving higher psychosis risks, especially in young, frequent users, making quitting and treatment more important than ever. Credit: Shutterstock -- “Cannabis from the 2000s is not the same as in 2025,” said coauthor Dr. Nicholas Fabiano, MD, resident and researcher with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario. “THC content has increased by 5 times. This is likely a significant driver in the increasing link between cannabis use and schizophrenia.” -- the last 20 years in Canada from about 4% to 20% in most legal dried cannabis. -- High-potency and regular cannabis use is linked to increased risk of psychosis — The risk of psychosis is increased in people using high-potency THC (more than 10% THC), people using it frequently, and those who are younger and male. A history of mental disorders (depression, anxiety, etc.) also appears to increase the risk. -- Cannabis-induced psychosis and cannabis use disorder increase the risk of schizophrenia — A recent study of 9.8 million people in Ontario found a 14.3-fold higher risk of developing a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder in people visiting the emergency department for cannabis use and a 241.6-fold higher risk from visits for cannabis-induced psychosis. -- Treatment requires stopping cannabis and taking medication — Continued use of cannabis after a first episode of cannabis-induced psychosis is linked to greater risk of returning symptoms. Antipsychotic medication can help people with severe and prolonged symptoms. -- Behavioral options may help with cannabis cessation — Motivational interviewing or cognitive behavioral therapy by a physician or psychologist can help build skills to resist cravings and follow treatment recommendations. -- “Cannabis from the 2000s is not the same as in 2025,” said coauthor Dr. Nicholas Fabiano, MD, resident and researcher with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario. “THC content has increased by 5 times. This is likely a significant driver in the increasing link between cannabis use and schizophrenia.” | 340 |
| Scientists Detect Virus Traces In Blood That May Unlock Long COVID’s Mystery | COVID-19 Virus Fragments Found In Blood May Explain Long COVID Symptoms | Possible long COVID biomarker: identification of SARC-CoV-2 related protein(s) in Serum Extracellular Vesicles. | The Translational Genomics Research Institute | New research has identified protein fragments from the COVID-19 virus in the blood of long COVID patients, suggesting that the virus may linger in tissues long after initial infection. This finding offers a potential biomarker for long COVID, although the fragments' subtle and inconsistent signals raise questions about their origin. Confirmation from further studies could provide critical insights into diagnosing and understanding the condition's persistence. | Traces of COVID Found Months After InfectionA study has uncovered COVID-19 protein fragments in long COVID patients’ blood, offering a potential biomarker and clues to lingering infection. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers from the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of City of Hope, and the Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center have identified a potential biomarker for long COVID. -- If the findings of their study are confirmed by other research centers, the biomarker could be the first specific and quantifiable indicator for confirming long COVID. Currently, clinicians confer a diagnosis of long COVID based upon a collection of symptoms that patients develop after SARS-CoV-2 infection. -- "If a patient arrives in clinic and they relate the persistence of typical signs and symptoms of long COVID, 12 weeks or more after COVID -19 infection, I give them a presumptive diagnosis, but I don't have any blood tests or biomarkers to confirm this diagnosis," said William Stringer, M.D., a Lundquist Institute investigator and senior author on the study. -- The study results, reported in the journal Infection, detail the detection of SARS-CoV-2 protein fragments within extracellular vesicles (EVs) -- tiny, naturally occurring packages that help cells share proteins, metabolites, and other materials. The researchers collected and analyzed blood samples from 14 patients over 12 weeks of aerobic exercise training (56 samples in all) in a clinical trial led by Stringer in long COVID. -- The researchers found 65 distinct protein fragments from SARS-CoV-2 inside the EVs. These fragments come from the virus's Pp1ab protein, an RNA Replicase enzyme which is key to how the virus copies itself and makes other viral particles. This protein is found uniquely in SARS-CoV-2, and not in uninfected human cells, noted Asghar Abbasi, Ph.D., a Lundquist Institute investigator and first author of the study. -- Significantly, the researchers found that these viral peptides were demonstrated in each subject, but not each blood draw, in the EVs of Long COVID patients and were not detected in a separate control group of pre-pandemic EV samples. -- These findings add to growing evidence that suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may persist in certain body tissues long after the initial infection. Some groups hypothesize these lingering viral reservoirs could play a role in Long COVID. How the virus reaches tissues without its usual entry points -- such as the brain -- remains an open question, and may be related to EV particles. -- "We thought that maybe if the virus is circulating or moving in the body, we should try to see if EVs are carrying those viral fragments," Abbasi explained. -- This idea became part of an ongoing clinical trial led by Drs. Abbasi and Stringer, which was already studying EVs to see if they are linked to changes in immune function related to exercise and post-exertional malaise, a common symptom in these patients. | 341 |
| Scientists Reversed Memory Loss By Powering The Brain’s Tiny Engines | Research Links Mitochondrial Faults To Memory Loss In Neurodegenerative Diseases | Potentiation of mitochondrial function by mitoDREADD-Gs reverses pharmacological and neurodegenerative cognitive impairment in mice. | INSERM (Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale) | A groundbreaking study has established a causal relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction and memory loss in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's. By enhancing mitochondrial activity in mouse models, researchers observed restored memory performance, suggesting that targeting mitochondria could lead to novel treatment strategies. This research opens new avenues for addressing cognitive decline, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms driving brain cell degeneration. | Scientists Reversed Memory LossA groundbreaking study links impaired mitochondria to dementia symptoms and shows that boosting mitochondrial activity can restore memory in animals. Credit: Shutterstock -- Mitochondria, the tiny organelles without which our bodies would be deprived of energy, are gradually revealing their mysteries. In a new study published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers from Inserm and the University of Bordeaux at the NeuroCentre Magendie, in collaboration with researchers from the Université de Moncton in Canada, have for the first time succeeded in establishing a causal link between mitochondrial dysfunction and the cognitive symptoms associated with neurodegenerative diseases. -- Thanks to the creation of a specific and unprecedented tool, they succeeded in increasing mitochondrial activity in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases, where they observed an improvement in memory deficit symptoms. While these are only initial results, they open the door to considering mitochondria as a new therapeutic target. -- The mitochondrion is a small intracellular organelle that provides the energy needed by the cell to function properly. The brain is one of the most energy-demanding organs, and neurons rely on the energy produced by mitochondria to communicate with one another. Indeed, when mitochondrial activity is impaired, neurons do not have the energy required to function correctly. -- Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by a progressive impairment of neuronal functions leading to the death of brain cells. In Alzheimer's disease, for example, it has been observed that neuronal degeneration, which precedes cell death, is accompanied by impaired mitochondrial activity. However, due to the lack of suitable tools, it has been difficult in the past to determine whether mitochondrial alterations play a causal role in these conditions or are simply a consequence of the pathophysiological process. -- In this new study, researchers from Inserm and the Université de Bordeaux, in collaboration with researchers from the Université de Moncton in Canada, developed for the first time a tool that allows to temporarily stimulate mitochondrial activity. They hypothesized that if this stimulation led to an improvement of symptoms in animals, this would mean that the impairment of mitochondrial activity precedes the loss of neurons in the context of a neurodegenerative disease. -- In previous studies, the research teams already described the specific role of G proteins[1] in the modulation of mitochondrial activity in the brain. In the present paper, the researchers succeeded in generating an artificial receptor, called mitoDreadd-Gs, able to activate G proteins directly in the mitochondria, thereby stimulating mitochondrial activity. The stimulation of mitoDreadd-Gs in the brain led to the normalisation of both mitochondrial activity and memory performance of dementia mouse models. -- "This work is the first to establish a cause-and-effect link between mitochondrial dysfunction and symptoms related to neurodegenerative diseases, suggesting that impaired mitochondrial activity could be at the origin of the onset of neuronal degeneration," explains Giovanni Marsicano, Inserm research director and co-senior author of the study. -- "These results will need to be extended, but they allow us to better understand the important role of mitochondria in the proper functioning of our brain. Ultimately, the tool we developed could help us identify the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for dementia and facilitate the development of effective therapeutic targets," explains Étienne Hébert Chatelain, professor at the Université de Moncton and co-senior author of the study. -- "Our work now consists of trying to measure the effects of continuous stimulation of mitochondrial activity to see whether it impacts the symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases and, ultimately, delays neuronal loss or even prevents it if mitochondrial activity is restored," added Luigi Bellocchio, Inserm researcher and co-senior author of the study. | 342 |
| How Much Damage Are Ultraprocessed Foods Really Doing To Your Health? | Ultraprocessed Foods Linked To Serious Health Risks And Calls For Health Reforms | Ultraprocessed Foods and Their Association With Cardiometabolic Health: Evidence, Gaps, and Opportunities: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association. | American Heart Association | The American Heart Association's new Science Advisory highlights the health risks associated with ultraprocessed foods (UPFs), which are linked to chronic diseases like obesity and heart disease. As UPFs become more prevalent, particularly among low-income groups, experts call for improved research, policy changes, and clearer dietary guidelines. Addressing the challenges posed by UPFs is essential to protect public health and promote healthier eating habits. | The Hidden Dangers of Ultraprocessed FoodsRising consumption of ultraprocessed foods is fueling health problems like heart disease and obesity. The key challenge is identifying which foods are harmful and finding ways to help people shift toward healthier diets. Credit: Shutterstock -- Science Advisory Highlights: -- Most ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) are characterized by poor nutritional quality, contributing to excessive calories, and are typically high in saturated fats, added sugars and sodium (salt), the combination of which is often abbreviated as HFSS, which contribute to adverse cardiometabolic health outcomes, including heart attack, stroke, obesity, inflammation, Type 2 diabetes and vascular complications. -- Observational studies have found links between eating higher amounts of UPFs and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, chronic illness and mortality. -- Emerging evidence also suggests certain additives and industrial processing techniques may have negative health effects. -- However, not all UPFs are junk foods or have poor nutritional quality; some UPFs have better nutritional value and can be part of an overall healthy dietary pattern. -- Experts recommend multilevel strategies, including more research to uncover how UPFs specifically impact the body, refining dietary guidance to discourage excessive consumption of nutrient-poor UPFs, clarifying the impact of the limited number of UPFs with more favorable nutrition profiles, more research on the health impacts of food additives and evidence-based policies to evaluate and regulate food additives. -- Ultraprocessed foods or UPFs are a growing concern due to their widespread consumption and impact on potential health risks. Most UPFs, particularly those commonly seen in U.S. dietary patterns, are high in saturated fat, added sugars and sodium (salt), the combination of which is often abbreviated as HFSS, and contribute to excess calories. These include sugar-sweetened drinks, ultraprocessed meats, refined grains, candy and commercial baked goods, among others. A limited number of ultraprocessed foods, such as certain commercial whole grains, low-fat-low-sugar dairy, and some plant-based items, have positive nutritional value and, therefore, can be part of an overall healthy dietary pattern. This overlap is confusing for health care professionals and the public. -- A new Science Advisory from the American Heart Association, "Ultraprocessed Foods and Their Association with Cardiometabolic Health: Evidence, Gaps and Opportunities," summarizes current knowledge about UPFs and their impact on cardiometabolic health, and outlines opportunities for research, policy and regulatory reform to improve dietary intake and overall health. The manuscript published on August 8 in Circulation, the flagship journal of the American Heart Association. -- "The relationship between UPFs and health is complex and multifaceted," said Maya K. Vadiveloo, Ph.D., R.D., FAHA, volunteer chair of the writing group for this Science Advisory. "We know that eating foods with too much saturated fat, added sugars and salt is unhealthy. What we don't know is if certain ingredients or processing techniques make a food unhealthy above and beyond their poor nutritional composition. And if certain additives and processing steps used to make healthier food like commercial whole grain breads have any health impact." | 343 |
| Scientists Just Found A Tiny Molecule That Could Change How We Lose Weight | Tiny Microproteins Discovered That Could Revolutionize Obesity Treatments | CRISPR–Cas9 screening reveals microproteins regulating adipocyte proliferation and lipid metabolism. | Salk Institute | Researchers at the Salk Institute have discovered microproteins that regulate fat storage, revealing new potential drug targets for obesity treatment. Utilizing CRISPR technology, the team identified a specific microprotein known as Adipocyte-smORF-1183, which could lead to more effective therapies. This innovative approach addresses the rising global obesity crisis and aims to improve metabolic health through better-targeted interventions. | Tiny Molecule Could Change How We Lose WeightCRISPR reveals a microprotein that may revolutionize obesity treatment. Credit: Shutterstock -- The obesity rate has more than doubled in the last 30 years, affecting more than one billion people worldwide. This prevalent condition is also linked to other metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and cancers. Current treatment options include lifestyle interventions, bariatric surgery, and GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy, but many patients struggle to access or complete these treatments or to maintain their weight loss afterwards. -- Salk Institute scientists are looking for a new treatment strategy in microproteins, an understudied class of molecules found throughout the body that play roles in both health and disease. In a new study, the researchers screened thousands of fat cell genes using CRISPR gene editing to find dozens of genes that likely code for microproteins -- one of which they confirmed -- that regulate either fat cell proliferation or lipid accumulation. -- The findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on August 7, 2025, identify new microproteins that could potentially serve as drug targets to treat obesity and other metabolic disorders. The study also showcases the value of CRISPR screening in future microprotein discovery. -- "CRISPR screening is extremely effective at finding important factors in obesity and metabolism that could become therapeutic targets," says senior author Alan Saghatelian, a professor and holder of the Dr. Frederik Paulsen Chair at Salk. "These new screening technologies are allowing us to reveal a whole new level of biological regulation driven by microproteins. The more we screen, the more disease-associated microproteins we find, and the more potential targets we have for future drug development." -- Current obesity and metabolic disorder therapeutics -- When our energy consumption exceeds our energy expenditure, fat cells can grow in both size and number. Fat cells store the excess energy in the form of fatty molecules called lipids. But while some excess storage is manageable, too much can cause fat deposits to accumulate around the body -- leading to whole-body inflammation and organ dysfunction. -- Many factors regulate this complex energy storage system. The problem is, how do we find them all, and how do we filter for factors that may make good therapeutic candidates? -- This has been a longstanding question for Salk scientists. In fact, Salk Professor Ronald Evans has been working on it for decades. Evans is an expert on PPAR gamma, a key regulator of fat cell development and a potent target for treating diabetes. Several drugs have been developed to target PPAR gamma to treat obesity, but they resulted in side effects like weight gain and bone loss. An ideal PPAR gamma-based obesity therapeutic has yet to hit the market. -- When PPAR gamma drugs fell short, GLP-1 drugs entered the scene. GLP-1 is a peptide small enough to be considered a microprotein, and it serves as a blood sugar and appetite regulator. But, like PPAR gamma, GLP-1 drugs have their own shortcomings, such as muscle loss and nausea. Nonetheless, the popularity of GLP-1 drugs demonstrates a promising future for microprotein drugs in the obesity therapeutic space. | 344 |
| Trapped in guilt and shame? Science explains why you can’t let go | Overcoming Guilt: How Forgiveness Can Restore Control And Heal Past Wounds | What makes self-forgiveness so difficult (for some)? Understanding the lived experience of those stuck in self-condemnation. | Flinders University | A study from Flinders University sheds light on the complexities of self-forgiveness, revealing that true healing requires addressing underlying moral injuries and regaining a sense of control. Participants who struggled with guilt and shame often found self-forgiveness elusive, even years after the event. The research highlights the importance of reflection and support in the journey toward emotional healing. | Why Forgiving Yourself Is Harder Than It SoundsSelf-forgiveness takes time, reflection, and support, especially for those burdened by moral injury and deep-seated shame. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study from Flinders University has revealed why forgiving ourselves can be so difficult for some - even when we know it might benefit our mental health. -- The research, published in the journal Self and Identity, looked at the real-life experiences of people who feel stuck in guilt and shame after making a mistake or going through a difficult situation. -- The study explored why some people struggle to forgive themselves, comparing personal stories from 80 individuals who either did forgive themselves eventually with those who felt they never could. -- The study found that people who struggled to forgive themselves often felt that the event was still fresh in their minds, even if it had happened years ago. -- They described replaying the moment over and over, feeling stuck in the past, and struggling with intense emotions including guilt, regret, shame and self-blame. -- Professor in Psychology and lead author, Professor Lydia Woodyatt, says the findings show that self-forgiveness is far more complex than simply "letting go." -- "Self-forgiveness isn't about just moving on or forgetting what happened," says Professor Woodyatt, from the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work. -- "People who forgave themselves still thought of the events from time to time, and still sometimes felt shame or guilt, especially if they were in a situation that reminded them of the event. The difference was, the emotions were much less intense and frequent, and the event no longer controlled their life." -- The group also made a conscious effort to focus on the future, accept their limitations (especially of knowledge, judgment, or control at the time), and reconnect with their values moving forward. | 345 |
| What Scientists Discovered About French Fries And Diabetes | Research Shows French Fries Raise Diabetes Risk, While Boiled Potatoes Do Not | Total and specific potato intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three US cohort studies and a substitution meta-analysis of prospective cohorts. | BMJ Group | Research indicates that consuming French fries may significantly increase the risk of type 2 diabetes compared to other potato preparations like boiled or baked varieties. A study found that eating three servings of fries weekly could elevate diabetes risk by 20%. This highlights the importance of preparation methods in assessing the health implications of potato consumption and encourages healthier dietary choices. | French Fries May Spike Your Diabetes RiskA massive US study reveals French fries are linked to a sharply higher risk of type 2 diabetes, but boiled, baked, or mashed potatoes aren’t. Whole grains make a healthier swap, while white rice may raise risk. Credit: Shutterstock -- Eating three servings of French fries a week is associated with a 20% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but eating similar amounts of potatoes cooked in other ways -- boiled, baked or mashed -- does not substantially increase the risk, finds a study published by The BMJ on August 6. -- What's more, replacing any form of potatoes with whole grains was associated with a lower type 2 diabetes risk, but swapping them for white rice was linked to an increased risk, the results show. -- Potatoes contain several nutrients including fiber, vitamin C, and magnesium, but they also have a high starch content and therefore a high glycemic index, so have been linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. -- But neither the preparation method for potatoes nor specific foods that potatoes would replace have been considered, both of which are key to evaluating the overall health impact of potatoes. -- To address this, researchers investigated the association between intake of potatoes prepared by different methods (boiled, baked, or mashed versus French fries) and risk of type 2 diabetes. They also looked at the impact on health of replacing potatoes with other major carbohydrates, such as whole grains and rice. -- Their findings are based on more than 205,000 health professionals from three large US studies carried out between 1984 and 2021. Participants were free of diabetes, heart disease or cancer and completed detailed food questionnaires every four years. -- During almost 40 years of follow up, 22,299 people were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. -- After adjusting for lifestyle and dietary factors related to diabetes risk, the researchers found that for every three weekly servings of total potato, the rate of type 2 diabetes increased by 5% and for every three weekly servings of French fries, the rate increased by 20%. However, similar intake of baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes was not associated with a significantly increased risk. -- Replacing three weekly servings of total potato with whole grains lowered the type 2 diabetes rate by 8%. Substituting baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes with whole grains lowered the rate by 4%, and replacing French fries lowered the rate by 19%. | 346 |
| Scientists Uncover Hidden Brain Shortcut To Weight Loss Without The Nausea | New Brain Discovery Aims For Weight Loss Without Nausea From Medications | Hindbrain octadecaneuropeptide gliotransmission as a therapeutic target for energy balance control without nausea or emesis. | Syracuse University | Scientists have developed a novel obesity treatment that targets brain support cells instead of neurons, potentially leading to weight loss without the common side effects associated with current GLP-1 drugs. This approach, focusing on appetite-suppressing molecules produced by support cells, shows promise in animal tests, paving the way for future human trials to address obesity and improve glucose control. | Shortcut to Weight Loss Without the NauseaA new obesity treatment targets brain support cells instead of neurons, delivering weight loss and better glucose control without nausea. Human trials could begin within a few years. -- Weight loss and diabetes drugs on the market often do not achieve long-term weight loss for patients. GLP-1 drugs target brain neurons that control appetite but frequently cause side effects. Nausea and vomiting force 70% of patients to stop treatment within a year. Syracuse University chemistry professor Robert Doyle is leading a multidisciplinary team that has identified a different brain target for treating obesity and diabetes, potentially offering weight loss without gastrointestinal distress. -- Neurons are the most well-known and obvious target in research and drug development for brain conditions. GLP-1 drugs, for example, target brain neurons in the hindbrain involved in appetite control. But researchers are looking beyond neurons to study "support" cells such as glia and astrocytes that could aid appetite reduction. -- A collaborative research effort has revealed that support cells play a role in reducing feelings of hunger, although this process has not been studied in-depth. -- "We wanted to know whether support cells might produce new peptides or new signaling molecules that might be critical in body weight reduction," says Doyle, a medicinal chemist and the Jack and Laura H. Milton Professor of Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University. Doyle is also a professor of pharmacology and medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University. -- How it works -- Think of each brain neuron as a light bulb and support cells as the components that allow the light bulb to brighten, including the wiring, switch and filament. -- "All of those supporting parts beyond the light bulb play a role in making the light shine," says Doyle. -- The research team discovered that some support cells in the hindbrain naturally produce a molecule named octadecaneuropeptide (ODN), which suppresses appetite. In lab tests, injecting ODN directly into rats' brains made them lose weight and improved how they processed glucose. -- However, injecting directly into the brain isn't a practical treatment for people, so researchers created a new version of the molecule named tridecaneuropeptide (TDN). This molecule version could be given to human patients through regular injections akin to today's Ozempic or Zepbound. When tested in obese mice and musk shrews, TDN helped the animals lose weight and respond better to insulin without causing nausea or vomiting. | 347 |
| Losing Weight But Gaining Weakness? What Ozempic Might Be Doing To Your Muscles | Ozempic May Cause Muscle Weakness Among Weight Loss Benefits—A Concern For Seniors | Unexpected effects of semaglutide on skeletal muscle mass and force-generating capacity in mice. | University of Utah Health | New research suggests that Ozempic, a popular diabetes and weight-loss drug, may compromise muscle strength despite not significantly reducing muscle size. This raises concerns for older adults, already susceptible to muscle loss. Researchers urge further human clinical trials to fully understand Ozempic's effects on muscle health and ensure safe, effective weight management solutions. | How Ozempic Affects Muscle Size and StrengthResearch suggests that Ozempic may weaken muscles even when they don't shrink. The findings highlight a need for more studies, especially for older adults at risk of mobility loss. -- As use of the popular anti-diabetic and weight-loss drug Ozempic skyrockets, so have concerns about the medication's side effects. One such side effect is loss of "lean mass" -- body weight that isn't fat -- raising concerns that Ozempic could be reducing muscle mass and strength. -- New research in mice suggests that muscle mass changes less than expected, but muscles may still get weaker, pointing out an urgent need for clinical studies to pin down the full effects of the popular medications. -- "If we want to really help the individuals who may be losing muscle mass, then we need to know that they're actually losing muscle mass," says Katsu Funai, PhD, associate professor of nutrition and integrative physiology in the University of Utah College of Health and the senior author on the study. "We have data in mice that suggest that things are not as straightforward as they might seem." -- The results are published in Cell Metabolism. -- A weighty concern -- Researchers found that Ozempic-induced weight loss did decrease lean mass by about 10%. Most of this lost weight wasn't from skeletal muscles but instead from other tissues like the liver, which shrunk by nearly half. The researchers emphasize that more research is needed to determine whether similar changes to organ size occur in humans -- and whether those changes come with any risks. -- "Loss of mass in metabolically active organs, such as the liver, is expected as part of healthy weight loss," says Ran Hee Choi, PhD, research instructor in nutrition and integrative physiology at U of U Health and co-first author on the study. In both mice and humans, weight gain and loss can affect the size of organs like the liver without affecting their function. "It's unlikely that the observed lean mass loss represents a serious adverse effect," says Takuya Karasawa, PhD, postdoctoral researcher in the U of U Molecular Medicine Program and co-first author on the study. -- Some skeletal muscles did shrink as the mice lost weight -- on average, by about 6%, not enough to explain the overall loss in lean mass. Other muscles stayed the same size. -- Some of this loss in muscle mass is a return to baseline, the researchers say. Gains in fat also tend to lead to gains in skeletal muscle, since the body must do more work to move around. So loss of fat can lead to loss of muscle without affecting overall quality of life. | 348 |
| Scientists Discover Brain Layers That Get Stronger With Age | Remarkable Brain Adaptability Continues Well Into Old Age With Neuroplasticity Insights | Layer-specific changes in sensory cortex across the lifespan in mice and humans. | DZNE - German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases | Recent research highlights the brain's remarkable ability to adapt and change even in older age, specifically within the touch-processing region of the cerebral cortex. High-resolution scans indicate that while some cortical layers thin, others may thicken, suggesting a resilient adaptability that helps maintain certain skills and functions as we age. | Brain Layers That Get Stronger With AgeHigh-resolution scans show that some brain layers in the touch-processing region resist aging, or even grow thicker, highlighting the brain’s adaptability and offering hope for preserving abilities into later life. Credit: Shutterstock -- The human brain ages less than thought and in layers - at least in the area of the cerebral cortex responsible for the sense of touch. Researchers at DZNE, the University of Magdeburg, and the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research at the University of Tübingen come to this conclusion based on brain scans of young and older adults in addition to studies in mice. Their findings, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, also provide new insights into how the ability to process sensory information changes with age. -- The human cerebral cortex is only a few millimeters thick and arranged in numerous folds. This tissue usually becomes thinner with age. "This is a hallmark of aging. It is attributed, among other things, to the loss of neurons. As a result, some abilities deteriorate. In any case, it is generally assumed that less brain volume means reduced function," explains Prof. Esther Kühn, a neuroscientist at DZNE and the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research. "However, little is known about how exactly the cortex actually ages. This is remarkable, given that many of our daily activities depend on a functioning cortex. That's why we examined the situation with high-resolution brain scans." -- A processor for tactile input -- Together with colleagues from Tübingen and Magdeburg, Esther Kühn focused on a part of the cerebral cortex where signals from the tactile sense are processed. This "primary somatosensory cortex" is located on the left and right side of the top of the head and extends along a strip about a finger's width wide towards each ear. "This brain area is relevant for the perception of one's own body and for interacting with the environment," explains the neuroscientist. "When I pick up a key, grasp a door handle or even walk, I constantly need haptic feedback to control my movements. The corresponding stimuli converge in this area and are also processed here." -- An unexpected finding -- Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the researchers were able to map this area of the cerebral cortex with unprecedented accuracy. To do this, they employed a particularly sensitive scanner with a magnetic field strength of seven Tesla, enabling them to image minute brain structures about the size of a grain of sand. A total of around 60 women and men between the ages of 21 and 80 were examined. "Until now, it had not been considered that the primary somatosensory cortex consists of a stack of several extremely thin layers of tissue, each with its own architecture and function. We have now found that these layers age differently. Although the cerebral cortex becomes thinner overall, some of its layers remain stable or, surprisingly, are even thicker with age. Presumably because they are particularly solicited and thus retain their functionality. We therefore see evidence for neuroplasticity, that is, adaptability, even in senior people." -- Stacked architecture -- The layered structure of the primary somatosensory cortex also occurs in similar form in other areas of the human brain - and even in other organisms. "From an evolutionary perspective, processing sensory information in this way has apparently proven beneficial," says Kühn. In the current study, not only the middle layer of the cortex but also the areas above were found to be remarkably resistant to the aging process. The different layers were distinguished based on their content of myelin, a substance essential for the transmission of nerve signals. "The middle layer is effectively the gateway for haptic stimuli. In the layers above, further processing occurs," says Kühn. "For example, in the case of sensory stimuli from the hand, the upper layers are particularly involved in the interaction between neighboring fingers. This is important when grasping objects. We therefore also did tests on the tactile sensitivity and motor ability of the hand with our study participants. Furthermore, we performed so-called functional MRI scans to capture the function of the middle layer of the cortex, where the signals are received." -- Modulated stimuli | 349 |
| Mysterious “Little Red Dots” Could Reveal How The First Black Holes Formed | Rare Dark Matter Halos May Explain Unusual Compact Galaxies Detected By James Webb Telescope | Cosmic Outliers: Low-spin Halos Explain the Abundance, Compactness, and Redshift Evolution of the Little Red Dots. | Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian | Recent findings suggest that the compact, bright galaxies dubbed “little red dots,” observed by the James Webb Space Telescope, may have formed within rare dark matter halos that rotate slowly. This study proposes that such halos could create conditions conducive to the formation of these peculiar galaxies, offering insights into the early universe's origins and the development of black holes and galaxies. | “Little Red Dots” Could Be Black Hole CradlesTiny red galaxies from the cosmic dawn may have formed inside rare low-spin dark matter halos, creating extreme environments where stars or black holes could grow rapidly. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Astronomers at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian have proposed a new explanation for some of the universe's most puzzling early galaxies, nicknamed "little red dots." -- In the study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Authors Fabio Pacucci and Abraham (Avi) Loeb suggest that these galaxies are the result of very slowly spinning dark matter halos, an extremely rare cosmic structure. -- These faint, compact objects, discovered in deep space images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), have challenged scientists' understanding of how galaxies and black holes formed in the early universe. -- Their paper, "Cosmic Outliers: Low-Spin Halos Explain the Abundance, Compactness, and Redshift Evolution of the Little Red Dots," offers a physical explanation for the dots' distinctive properties. -- "Little red dots are very compact and red distant galaxies that were completely undetected before the James Webb Space Telescope," said Pacucci. "They are arguably the most surprising discovery by JWST to date. Our work shows that these could naturally form in dark matter halos with very low spin." -- A Puzzle in the Early Universe -- These galaxies are primarily visible when the Universe was just one billion years old, but likely formed much earlier, Pacucci said, during a time known as the cosmic dawn. Despite being about one-tenth the size of typical galaxies, astronomical observations show them to appear unusually bright. Astronomers believe their striking red color suggests they are shrouded in dust or filled with older stars. -- For years, astronomers have debated whether the light we observe from these objects is generated by stars or central supermassive black holes. -- "It's a fundamental mystery," said Pacucci. "If they contain black holes, those black holes are enormous for such small galaxies. But if they only contain stars, the galaxies are too compact to contain all of them, reaching central stellar densities that are unthinkable." | 350 |
| Blood Pressure Cuff Errors May Be Missing 30% Of Hypertension Cases | Cambridge Scientists Reveal Why Blood Pressure Monitors Miss High Readings By 30% | Underestimation of systolic pressure in cuff-based blood pressure measurement. | University of Cambridge | Researchers at the University of Cambridge have identified a flaw in cuff-based blood pressure monitors that leads to inaccuracies, often missing up to 30% of hypertension cases. By replicating real artery behavior, they discovered that low pressure under the cuff affects readings. Simple adjustments, such as raising the arm before testing, could enhance accuracy and improve patient outcomes without needing costly new devices. | Hidden Flaw in Blood Pressure Cuffs FoundScientists found a hidden cause of blood pressure errors and a simple way to correct them. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers have found why common cuff-based blood pressure readings are inaccurate and how they might be improved, which could improve health outcomes for patients. -- High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the top risk factor for premature death, associated with heart disease, strokes and heart attacks. However, inaccuracies in the most common form of blood pressure measurement mean that as many as 30% of cases of high blood pressure could be missed. -- The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, built an experimental model that explained the physics behind these inaccuracies and provided a better understanding of the mechanics of cuff-based blood pressure readings. -- The researchers say that some straightforward changes, which don't necessarily involve replacing standard cuff-based measurement, could lead to more accurate blood pressure readings and better results for patients. Their results are reported in the journal PNAS Nexus. -- Anyone who has ever had their blood pressure taken will be familiar with the cuff-based method. This type of measurement, also known as the auscultatory method, relies on inflating a cuff around the upper arm to the point where it cuts off blood flow to the lower arm, and then a clinician listens for tapping sounds in the arm through a stethoscope while the cuff is slowly deflated. -- Blood pressure is inferred from readings taken from a pressure gauge attached to the deflating cuff. Blood pressure is given as two separate numbers: a maximum (systolic) and a minimum (diastolic) pressure. A blood pressure reading of 120/80 is considered 'ideal'. -- "The auscultatory method is the gold standard, but it overestimates diastolic pressure, while systolic pressure is underestimated," said co-author Kate Bassil from Cambridge's Department of Engineering. "We have a good understanding of why diastolic pressure is overestimated, but why systolic pressure is underestimated has been a bit of a mystery." -- "Pretty much every clinician knows blood pressure readings are sometimes wrong, but no one could explain why they are being underestimated -- there's a real gap in understanding," said co-author Professor Anurag Agarwal, also from Cambridge's Department of Engineering. -- Previous non-clinical studies into measurement inaccuracy used rubber tubes that did not fully replicate how arteries collapse under cuff pressure, which masked the underestimation effect. | 351 |
| The 30-Minute Workout That Could Slash Cancer Cell Growth By 30% | Vigorous Workouts Can Stimulate Anti-Cancer Proteins And Combat Recurrence Effectively | A single bout of resistance or high-intensity interval training increases anti-cancer myokines and suppresses cancer cell growth in vitro in survivors of breast cancer. | Edith Cowan University | New research indicates that intense exercise can stimulate the production of anti-cancer proteins, aiding both cancer prevention and recovery. A study involving breast cancer survivors revealed that a single workout significantly increases myokine levels, which can reduce cancer cell proliferation. The findings support integrating exercise into cancer treatment protocols and underscore the importance of regular physical activity for managing inflammation and cancer recurrence risks. | One Workout Could Help Stop Cancer GrowthIntense exercise sparks anti-cancer proteins and long-term body composition benefits that quick weight loss can’t match. Credit: Shutterstock -- A single bout of either resistance or high intensity interval training could help in the cancer battle, new research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has found. -- ECU PhD student Mr Francesco Bettariga found that a single bout of exercise increased the levels of myokines, a protein produced by muscles which have anti-cancer effects, and which could reduce the proliferation of cancer growth by 20 to 30 per cent. -- "Exercise has emerged as a therapeutic intervention in the management of cancer, and a large body of evidence exists that show the safety and effectiveness of exercise as medicine, either during or post cancer treatment," Mr Bettariga said. -- His research with survivors of breast cancer measured myokine levels before, immediately after and 30 minutes post a single bout of either resistance of high intensity interval training and found that both sets of exercise had a resultant increase in myokine levels. -- While higher levels of myokines were expected in a healthy population, post a vigorous workout, Mr Bettariga investigated whether breast cancer survivors would see the same results, given the impact that cancer treatments and cancer itself often has on the body. -- "The results from the study show that both types of exercise really work to produce these anti-cancer myokines in breast cancer survivors. The results from this study are excellent motivators to add exercise as standard care in the treatment of cancer," Mr Bettariga said. -- He added that the long-term implications of elevated myokine levels should be further investigated, particularly in relation to cancer recurrence. -- Further research by Mr Bettariga investigated how changes in body composition, following consistent exercise, could impact inflammation, which plays a key role in breast cancer recurrence and mortality by promoting tumour progression. -- Persistent inflammation not only promotes tumour progression by influencing cell proliferation, survival, invasiveness, and metastasis, but also inhibits immune function. Given that the cancer itself and the side-effects of treatments can elevate levels of inflammatory biomarkers, survivors of breast cancer are at increased risk of cancer progression, recurrence and mortality. | 352 |
| One Gene Completely Changed How These Flies Fall In Love | One Genetic Switch Transforms Courtship Behavior In Fruit Flies, Sparking Evolutionary Change | Cross-species implementation of an innate courtship behavior by manipulation of the sex-determinant gene. | Nagoya University | Japanese scientists have successfully transferred a unique gift-giving courtship behavior from one species of fruit fly to another by manipulating a single gene. This groundbreaking discovery shows how slight genetic changes can rewire neural pathways, enabling new behaviors and potentially offering insights into evolutionary processes. The study highlights the intricate relationship between genetics, brain function, and mating strategies in these organisms. | One Gene Changed How Flies Fall in LoveDrosophila subobscura males regurgitate food and offer it as a gift to females during courtship. Credit: Tanaka et al., 2025 -- Researchers in Japan have genetically transferred a unique courtship behavior from one fruit fly species to another. By turning on a single gene in insulin-producing neurons, the team successfully made a species of fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) perform a gift-giving ritual it had never done before. The study, published in the journal Science, represents the first example of manipulating a single gene to create new neural connections and transfer behavior between species. -- In nature, most male fruit flies court mates by rapidly vibrating their wings to create sound patterns or "courtship songs." However, Drosophila subobscura has evolved a very different strategy: males regurgitate food and offer it as a gift to females during courtship. This behavior does not exist in closely related species such as D. melanogaster. -- These two fruit fly species diverged about 30-35 million years ago. Both have a gene called "fruitless" or "fru" that controls courtship behavior in males, but they use different strategies -- one species sings and the other gives gifts. The researchers found the reason for this difference: in gift-giving flies (D. subobscura) insulin-producing neurons are connected to the courtship control center in the brain, while in singing flies (D. melanogaster) these cells remain disconnected. -- "When we activated the fru gene in insulin-producing neurons of singing flies to produce FruM proteins, the cells grew long neural projections and connected to the courtship center in the brain, creating new brain circuits that produce gift-giving behavior in D. melanogaster for the first time," Dr. Ryoya Tanaka, co-lead author and lecturer at Nagoya University's Graduate School of Science, explained. -- The researchers inserted DNA into D. subobscura embryos to create flies with heat-activated proteins in specific brain cells. They used heat to activate groups of these cells and compared the brains of flies that did and did not regurgitate food. They identified 16-18 insulin-producing neurons that make the male-specific protein FruM, clustered in a part of the brain called the pars intercerebralis. -- "Our findings indicate that the evolution of novel behaviors does not necessarily require the emergence of new neurons; instead, small-scale genetic rewiring in a few preexisting neurons can lead to behavioral diversification and, ultimately, contribute to species differentiation," Dr. Yusuke Hara, co-lead author from the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), noted. -- "We've shown how we can trace complex behaviors like nuptial gift-giving back to their genetic roots to understand how evolution creates entirely new strategies that help species survive and reproduce," senior author Dr. Daisuke Yamamoto from NICT said. -- The study, "Cross-species implementation of an innate courtship behavior by manipulation of the sex-determinant gene" was published in the journal Science, on August 14, 2025, at DOI: 10.1126/science.adp5831. It represents the result of collaborative efforts led by Drs. Yusuke Hara and Daisuke Yamamoto at the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), in partnership with researchers at Nagoya University. -- Funding: | 353 |
| Myanmar’s Massive Quake Hints At Bigger Earthquakes To Come | Myanmar Earthquake Raises Concerns About Potentially Larger Quakes From Hidden Fault Behaviors | The 2025 M w 7.7 Mandalay, Myanmar, earthquake reveals a complex earthquake cycle with clustering and variable segmentation on the Sagaing Fault. | California Institute of Technology | The 2025 earthquake in Myanmar has provided new insights into the behavior of strike-slip faults, revealing they may generate larger and more unpredictable quakes than previously understood. Researchers at Caltech utilized satellite data to analyze the Sagaing Fault's rupture, improving models of potential earthquake behavior for similar faults, such as the San Andreas, and highlighting the need for updated seismic risk assessments. | Myanmar Quake Hints at Bigger Disasters AheadSatellite studies of Myanmar’s massive 2025 quake suggest faults like the San Andreas may produce far bigger and more unpredictable earthquakes than once believed. Credit: Shutterstock -- On March 28, 2025, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the Southeast Asia country of Myanmar along the Sagaing Fault, killing thousands and causing widespread damage. A new study from Caltech uses satellite imaging of the Sagaing Fault's motion to improve models of how such faults may behave in the future. The study indicates that strike-slip faults, like the Sagaing and the San Andreas, may be capable of earthquakes that are significantly different from past known earthquakes and potentially much larger. -- The research was conducted primarily in the laboratory of Jean-Philippe Avouac, the Earle C. Anthony Professor of Geology and Mechanical and Civil Engineering and director of the Center for Geomechanics and the Mitigation of Geohazards. Postdoctoral scholar Solène Antoine is the study's first author. The study is described in a paper appearing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on August 11. -- The Sagaing fault runs in a relatively straight north-to-south line throughout Myanmar. As its two sides slowly move against one another in opposite directions, stress accumulates along the fault. When the stress buildup reaches a breaking point, the fault slips rapidly, causing an earthquake. The Sagaing and San Andreas faults are very similar -- both relatively straight strike-slip faults running hundreds of kilometers -- and the 2025 Myanmar earthquake, therefore, sheds light on possible future earthquakes on the San Andreas fault. -- "This earthquake turned out to be an ideal case to apply image correlation methods [techniques to compare images before and after a geological event] that were developed by our research group," Antoine says. "They allow us to measure ground displacements at the fault, where the alternative method, radar interferometry, is blind due to phenomenon like decorrelation [a process to decouple signals] and limited sensitivity to north-south displacements." -- Based on studies of historic earthquakes along the Sagaing fault, researchers anticipated that a large earthquake would occur on a 300-kilometer section where no large earthquakes had occurred since 1839. This theory is known as the seismic gap hypothesis: Stuck sections of a fault where there has not been movement are expected to slip to "catch up." While this section did indeed rupture during the 2025 quake, the fault actually slipped along a total of more than 500 kilometers, indicating that the fault did indeed make up the deficit of slip and more. -- In the new study, the team used correlation of satellite optical and radar imagery of the fault -- a technique originally developed in the Avouac laboratory and now widely used in seismology -- and its surroundings to determine that the 500-kilometer section shifted a net of 3 meters after the quake, that is, the eastern side moved south by 3 meters relative to the western side. -- Current models used for seismic hazard assessment are mostly based on earthquake statistics and are time independent, meaning they can only give probabilities of an earthquake during a chosen timespan. For example, these models might estimate, for any given 30-year period and particular area, the probability that an earthquake would exceed a chosen magnitude. However, in order to make truly informed estimates of potential seismic hazards for specific time periods -- say, the next 30 years -- it is crucial for models to take into account how recently a fault has slipped, where the slip occurred, and by how much. -- "The study shows that future earthquakes might not simply repeat past known earthquakes," Avouac says. "Successive ruptures of a given fault, even as simple as the Sagaing or the San Andreas faults, can be very different and can release even more than the deficit of slip since the last event. In addition, historical records are generally far too short for statistical models to represent the full range of possible earthquakes and eventual patterns in earthquake recurrence. Physics-based models provide an alternative approach with the advantage that they could, in principle, be tuned to observations and used for time-dependent forecast." -- The paper is titled "The 2025 Mw7.7 Mandalay, Myanmar, earthquake reveals complex earthquake cycle with clustering and variable segmentation on Sagaing fault." In addition to Antoine and Avouac, Caltech co-authors are graduate student Rajani Shrestha, postdoctoral scholar Chris Milliner, and senior research scientist Kyungjae Im. Additional co-authors are Chris Rollins (PhD '18) of GNS Science Te Pu Ao in New Zealand, Kang Wang of EarthScope Consortium Inc., and Kejie Chen of Southern University of Science and Technology in China. Funding was provided by the Center for Geomechanics and Mitigation of Geohazards, the Statewide California Earthquake Center, the National Science Foundation, and the US Geological Survey. | 354 |
| The Hidden Climate Battle Between Forests And The Ocean | Land Plants Thrive Amid Climate Change, Boosting Photosynthesis And Climate Stabilization Efforts | Contrasting biological production trends over land and ocean. | Duke University | Between 2003 and 2021, Earth's ecosystems experienced a significant rise in photosynthesis driven by healthy land plants thriving in warmer, wetter conditions. However, marine algae faced declines due to nutrient-poor waters. A study published in Nature Climate Change discusses the implications of these changes for ecosystem health and climate stabilization, emphasizing the role of photosynthetic organisms in supporting life on Earth and aiding in carbon capture. | Photosynthesis Shift UnderwayThis image illustrates the annual trend in global net primary production (NPP) — or net carbon gain by photosynthetic organisms on Earth — from 2003 to 2021. Credit: Yulong Zhang, et al, 2025 -- Terrestrial plants drove an increase in global photosynthesis between 2003 and 2021, a trend partially offset by a weak decline in photosynthesis -- the process of using sunlight to make food -- among marine algae, according to a new study published in Nature Climate Change on August 1. The findings could inform planetary health assessments, enhance ecosystem management, and guide climate change projections and mitigation strategies. -- Photosynthetic organisms -- also known as primary producers -- form the base of the food chain, making most life on Earth possible. Using energy from the sun, primary producers fix, or convert, carbon from the air into organic, or carbon-based, matter. But primary producers also release carbon through a process called autotrophic respiration, which is somewhat akin to breathing. The rate of carbon gain after accounting for loss through respiration is called net primary production. -- "Net primary production measures the amount of energy photosynthetic organisms capture and make available to support nearly all other life in an ecosystem," said first author Yulong Zhang, a research scientist in the lab of Wenhong Li at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. "As the foundation of food webs, net primary production determines ecosystem health, provides food and fibers for humans, mitigates anthropogenic carbon emissions and helps to stabilize Earth's climate." -- Previous research on net primary production has typically focused on either land or ocean ecosystems, leaving gaps in our understanding of net primary production across Earth and the potential implications for climate mitigation. -- For this study, the team explored annual trends and variability in global net primary production, with a focus on the interplay between land and ocean ecosystems. -- "If you're looking at planetary health, you want to look at both terrestrial and marine domains for an integrated view of net primary production. The pioneering studies that first combined terrestrial and marine primary production have not been substantially updated in over two decades," said co-author Nicolas Cassar, Lee Hill Snowdon Bass Chair at the Nicholas School who jointly oversaw the research with Zhang. -- Satellite Insights -- Observations from satellites offer continuous perspective on photosynthesis by plants and marine algae called phytoplankton. Specifically, specialized satellite instruments measure surface greenness, which represents the abundance of a green pigment called chlorophyll produced by photosynthetic life. Computer models then estimate net primary production by combining greenness data with other environmental data, such as temperature, light and nutrient variability. -- The authors of the new study used six different satellite-based datasets on net primary production -- three for land and three for oceans -- for the years from 2003 to 2021. Using statistical methods, they analyzed annual changes in net primary production for land and, separately, for the ocean. | 355 |
| The Race To Save Our Oceans Could Sink Us Without Rules | Ocean Climate Solutions Need Governance To Avoid Unintended Consequences From Rapid Interventions | Governing novel climate interventions in rapidly changing oceans. | University of Melbourne | As climate interventions in the oceans accelerate, researchers warn of the potential risks associated with hastily implemented solutions without proper governance. A study highlights the urgency of developing ocean-based strategies to combat climate change while emphasizing that ethical oversight is essential to prevent unintended negative consequences, as marine ecosystems face immediate threats from rising sea levels and biodiversity loss. | The Race to Save Our Oceans Could Sink UsOceans are becoming a climate battleground, with fast-moving interventions like coral engineering and carbon capture. But without strong oversight and ethical guardrails, these efforts could backfire, researchers warn. Credit: Shutterstock -- Climate interventions are accelerating in our oceans - but without responsible governance, they could do more harm than good, according to new research. -- Coral bleaching, rising sea levels, and biodiversity loss are no longer distant threats - they are unfolding now, with profound consequences for marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. -- In response, scientists, governments, and industries are racing to develop and deploy a suite of interventions to help the ocean respond to climate change. -- The new study, published on July 31 in Science, reviewed the array of novel interventions that are being used in urgent response to the scale and intensity of the climate crisis and the dramatic changes in our oceans. -- These include efforts to make the ocean less acidic to absorb more carbon dioxide, breeding climate-resilient corals that can survive warmer waters, farming seaweed to capture carbon, and restoring mangroves to protect coastlines and naturally store carbon. -- Lead author, University of Melbourne Professor Tiffany Morrison said while these interventions offer hope, they also carry significant risks. -- "Without robust governance, we risk repeating past mistakes - implementing solutions that are ineffective, inequitable, or even harmful," Professor Morrison said. -- "The pace of innovation is outstripping our ability to regulate, monitor, and evaluate these interventions responsibly. -- "Private and nonprofit funding is accelerating the ambition. In 2020 alone, philanthropists had allocated $160 million to oceanic climate action, with another US$250 million announced at COP28 in 2023 for a new global Ocean Resilience and Climate Alliance." | 356 |
| 515-Mile Lightning Flash Caught From Space | Record-Breaking 515-Mile Lightning Bolt Caught On Satellite, Revolutionizing Our Weather Understanding | A New WMO-Certified Single Megaflash Lightning Record Distance: 829 km (515 mi) occurring on 22 October 2017. | Arizona State University | A record-breaking 515-mile lightning bolt captured by space-based instruments has reshaped scientists' understanding of extreme weather phenomena. Researchers, including Randy Cerveny, are studying these colossal "megaflash" lightning events, which can emerge from sprawling thunderstorms and pose significant dangers. The unprecedented horizontal reach of this lightning flash emphasizes the need for further investigation into the mechanics of these rare and powerful atmospheric occurrences. | 515-Mile Lightning Flash Caught From SpaceA record-breaking lightning bolt stretched over 500 miles—made visible thanks to space-based lightning mappers. These rare megaflashes are enormous, powerful, and still not fully understood. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- It was a single lightning flash that streaked across the Great Plains for 515 miles, from eastern Texas nearly all the way to Kansas City, setting a new world record. -- "We call it megaflash lightning and we're just now figuring out the mechanics of how and why it occurs," said Randy Cerveny, an Arizona State University President's Professor in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning. -- Cerveny and colleagues used space-based instruments to measure the megaflash, which took place during a major thunderstorm in October 2017. Its astonishing horizontal reach surpasses by 38 miles the previous record of 477 miles recorded during an April 2020 storm in the southern U.S. The new record-setter went unnoticed until a re-examination of satellite observations from the 2017 storm. -- "It is likely that even greater extremes still exist, and that we will be able to observe them as additional high-quality lightning measurements accumulate over time," said Cerveny, who serves as rapporteur of weather and climate extremes for the World Meteorological Organization, the weather agency of the United Nations. -- For years, lightning detection and measurement relied on ground-based networks of antennas that detect the radio signals emitted by lightning and then estimate location and travel speed based on the time it takes signals to reach other antenna stations in the network. -- Satellite-borne lightning detectors in orbit since 2017 have made it possible to continuously detect lightning and measure it accurately at continental-scale distances. -- "Our weather satellites carry very exacting lightning detection equipment that we can use document to the millisecond when a lightning flash starts and how far it travels," Cerveny said. -- Parked in geostationary orbit, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency's GOES-16 satellite detects around one million lightning flashes per day. It is the first of four NOAA satellites equipped with geostationary lightning mappers, joined by similar satellites launched by Europe and China. -- "Adding continuous measurements from geostationary orbit was a major advance," said Michael Peterson at the Georgia Tech Research Institute. "We are now at a point where most of the global megaflash hotspots are covered by a geostationary satellite, and data processing techniques have improved to properly represent flashes in the vast quantity of observational data at all scales." Peterson is first author of a report in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society documenting the new lightning record. | 357 |
| Ancient Bird Droppings Reveal A Hidden Extinction Crisis | Ancient Kakapo Droppings Highlight Hidden Extinction Crisis And Loss Of Ecosystem Diversity | Long-term parasite decline associated with near extinction and conservation of the critically endangered kākāpō parrot. | University of Adelaide | A recent study analyzing ancient kākāpō droppings has revealed a startling decline in more than 80% of parasites once cohabiting with these birds. This finding suggests a significant ecological loss that occurred well before conservation efforts began, highlighting the often-overlooked role of parasites in ecosystems and the implications of their disappearance for ecological balance and the health of wildlife populations. | Ancient Bird Droppings Reveal Extinction CrisisResearchers have discovered that more than 80% of parasites detected in kākāpō poo prior to the 1990s are no longer present in contemporary populations. Credit: Chris Birmingham -- Researchers from the University of Adelaide, New Zealand's Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research and University of Auckland have discovered that more than 80 per cent of parasites detected in kākāpō poo prior to the 1990s are no longer present in contemporary populations. -- The project used ancient DNA and microscopic techniques to sample faeces dating back more than 1500 years, with nine of 16 original parasite taxa disappearing prior to the 1990s, when the endangered parrot came under full-population management, and an additional four recorded as lost in the period since. -- "Despite their sometimes negative portrayal, parasites are increasingly appreciated for their ecological importance," says the University of Adelaide's Dr Jamie Wood, who contributed to the study published in Current Biology. -- "Parasites are among the planet's most ubiquitous, successful, and species-rich groups of organisms, and nearly all free-living species harbor some parasites. They may help with immune system development and compete to exclude foreign parasites that may be more harmful to their hosts." -- "However, the dependence of parasites on living hosts may make them susceptible to extinction, especially as many parasites live with just one host species." -- An extinction of a parasite that occurs in tandem with its host is known as a secondary extinction or a coextinction, and it often happens at a faster rate than for the host animal. -- "Predictive models indicate that parasites may go extinct before their hosts during the coextinction process as opportunities to transmit between host individuals diminish," says Dr Wood. -- "As a result, faunal declines may have a lasting impact on parasite communities, even if host populations eventually recover. -- "Dependent species, like parasites, are rarely preserved or documented prior to their extinction, and so until now we have had few data to indicate the actual scale of the coextinction process. | 358 |
| Your Nature Photo Might Be A Scientific Breakthrough In Disguise | Your Wildlife Photos May Contribute To Significant Scientific Discoveries And Biodiversity Tracking | iNaturalist accelerates biodiversity research. | University of Florida | The crowdsourced data from iNaturalist is proving invaluable for scientific research, helping to rediscover lost species and track biodiversity globally. A study shows the remarkable growth of the platform's academic applications, illustrating how everyday wildlife photography contributes to conservation efforts and enhances researchers' understanding of ecological dynamics, emphasizing the importance of citizen science in modern environmental studies. | How a Photo Can Help Save a SpeciesBurrowing owls in nature. Credit: Brittany Mason -- A frog croaks from a walking trail. A hiker snaps a photo and uploads it to iNaturalist. That single act -- one person, one amphibian and one click -- feeds into a growing global dataset that scientists now use to map shifting species ranges, detect invasive threats and even discover new species. -- An international study led by researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) shows how iNaturalist, the global technology platform through which everyday people share wildlife photos via a website and an app, is doing far more than connecting users with nature. It's rapidly becoming a cornerstone of scientific research. -- "The scientific use of iNaturalist has grown tenfold in five years, closely tracking the platform's data growth," said Brittany Mason, lead author and data management analyst at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (FLREC). "This suggests that increasing observations, especially in less-documented geographic areas and lesser-studied species groups, can further expand its research applications." -- "Until now, the scientific value of iNaturalist has been recognized in isolated case studies, like how a user rediscovered a century-lost Vietnamese snail, how the data are used to provide high-resolution maps of plants or how iNaturalist is becoming critical for early detection of invasive species," said Corey Callaghan, senior author of the study, and an assistant professor of global ecology at FLREC. -- Those examples remained somewhat isolated until now. -- "This study is the first to systematically assess the full scope of how iNaturalist data are being used in research," said Mason. -- To do this, the research team assessed how technology is being used and which geographic areas and scientific questions the data are being used for. The findings -- emphasize how platforms like iNaturalist allow anybody armed with a smart phone to gather data and help scientists. -- "Millions of people are now directly shaping how we understand and conserve biodiversity," said Callaghan. The study reveals several trends in shaping and enhancing the future of biodiversity science. | 359 |
| Scientists Unlock The Gene That Lets Bearded Dragons Switch Sex | Scientists Uncover Genetic Secrets Behind Bearded Dragons’ Unique Sex-Switching Abilities | A near telomere-to-telomere phased genome assembly and annotation for the Australian central bearded dragon Pogona vitticeps. | GigaScience | Two independent research teams have unveiled near-complete reference genomes of the central bearded dragon, revealing a master sex gene that allows this reptile to change sex based on both genetics and environmental temperature. These findings enhance our understanding of sex determination, providing insights into the genetic and ecological factors influencing this unique reproductive strategy. | The Gene That Lets Bearded Dragons Switch SexScientists may have finally found the bearded dragon’s master sex gene, revealed through cutting-edge genome sequencing. Credit: Shutterstock -- August 19 marks the publication by two different studies presenting the near-complete reference genomes of the central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps), a widely distributed species of dragon lizard common in central eastern Australia and popular as pets in Europe, Asia, and North America. This species has an unusual trait for an animal species: whether this lizard grows up to be a male or a female depends not only on genetics but also on the temperature of its nest. This has long made it a useful model to study the biological basis of sex determination, and the advent of huge technological improvements in genomics has finally found a region of the genome and a potential master sex determination gene likely central to male sexual differentiation. The independent verification of this by two different groups using two different approaches making this a much stronger finding. -- Bearded dragons have an unusual sex determination system which is influenced by both genetics and environmental factors, specifically temperature. Unlike most animals where sex is solely determined by chromosomes, bearded dragons can have their sex reversed from male to female by high incubation temperatures. Meaning a lizard with male chromosomes can develop into a reproductively functional female if the egg is incubated at a warm enough temperature. -- Like birds and many reptiles, this species has a ZZ/ZW sex chromosome system where females have a pair of dissimilar ZW chromosomes, and males have two similar ZZ chromosomes. Sex determination in this species is complicated further, as ZZ genotypic males can change to phenotypic females at high incubation temperatures without the help of W chromosome or W-linked genes. New ultra-long nanopore sequencing technology now allows us to generate telomere-to-telomere (T2T) assemblies of the sex chromosomes and identify the non-recombining regions to help narrow the field of candidate sex determining genes in species with chromosomal sex determination. The ability of this technology to better separate out the maternal and paternal halves of the genome now allows much easier comparisons of the Z and W sequences to gauge potential loss or difference in function of key sex gene candidates. -- The first paper from researchers from BGI, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Zhejiang University, uses DNBSEQ short-reads combined with long-reads from the new CycloneSEQ nanopore sequencer, this being the first animal genome published using this technology. Generation of the second genome was led by researchers from the University of Canberra with funding from Bioplatforms Australia, the Australian Research Council and PacBio Singapore, and with contributions to analyses from researchers of the Australian National University, Garvan Institute for Medical Research, University of New South Wales and CSIRO alongside Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) in Spain. This assembly uses PacBio HiFi, ONT ultralong reads and Hi-C sequencing. Having reference genomes published using these two different technologies allows a like-for-like comparison between the ONT and CycloneSEQ technologies for the first time. Both technologies also complement each other by investigating the sex determination question using different approaches. The first genome sequenced a ZZ male central bearded dragon to characterize the whole Z sex chromosome for the first time while the second assembled the genome of a female ZW individual. The new nanopore sequencer also enabled the recovery of around 124 million base pairs of previously undescribed and missing sequences (nearly 7% of the genome), which included numerous genes and regulatory elements to better elucidate the complicated sex determination system. -- Both projects assembled 1.75 Gbp genome assemblies of exceptionally high quality to assemble all but one of the telomeres, and only a few gaps remained mostly located in the microchromosomes. Using this data showed the Z and W specific sex chromosomes were assembled into single scaffolds, and a "pseudo-autosomal region" (PAR) where the sex chromosomes pair and recombine was also detected on chromosome 16. The sequencing of the male dragon by the BGI team looked for genes specific to Z but not the W chromosomes, and Amh and Amhr2 (the Anti-Müllerian hormone gene and its receptor) plus Bmpr1a were determined as strong candidates for the sex determining genes in this species. The sequencing of the female dragon by the Australian-led team pinpointed to the same candidate Sex Determination Region (SDR) of their dragon genome, and also highlighted Amh and Amhr2 as the likely candidate genes. Studying the expression in different developmental stages found Amh had significant male-biased expression patterns making it the most likely candidate as the master sex-determining gene. The differential expression of another sex-related gene Nr5a1 in the PAR suggests that the story may be more complicated, as Nr5a1 encodes a transcription factor with binding sites on the Amh promoter region. Unlike many fish that enlist Amh-like genes in sex determination, the autosomal copies of Amh and its receptor gene Amhr2 remain intact and functional. It could be that sex is determined by some form of caucus among genes on the sex chromosomes of the bearded dragon moderated by their residual autosomal copies. -- The main highlight of these assemblies is therefore the discovery of genetic elements central to male sexual differentiation in vertebrates, on the sex chromosomes. The genes Amh and that coding its receptor AMHR2 have been copied to the Z chromosome in the non-recombining region, and so are obvious candidates for the master sex determining gene working via a dosage-based mechanism in this species, a discovery that has eluded discovery for so many years. No master sex determining gene akin to Sry in mammals or Dmrt1 in birds has to date been discovered in any reptile species. This new work provides a clear candidate in Amh, which is present in double dose in the ZZ male and single dose in the ZW female. -- Arthur Georges from University of Canberra and senior author on the second paper says on the utility of this work: "We anticipate accelerated research in other areas arising from these newly available assemblies, such as cranial development, brain development, behavioral studies, gene-gene and gene-environment interactions in comparative studies of vertebrate sex determination and in many other areas looking for a well-supported squamate model against which to compare with their model species be it mouse, human or bird." -- "I never cease to be amazed by the rapidity of progress of Chinese science. In relatively few years, BGI and its companion enterprises have developed sequencing technologies that deliver outcomes as good, and throughput and cost effectiveness that is better, than competing technologies on the market. These genome assemblies are testimony to that level of achievement." -- Qiye Li from BGI and senior author on the first paper Lead author of the Chinese project explains their rationale for using this approach: "We decided to start working on the bearded dragon genome last year as the first animal genome for this new sequencer because it was the Year of the Dragon in China. Benefiting from the unbiased long-reads provided by the CycloneSEQ sequencer, we readily obtained a highly contiguous genome assembly and resolved highly repetitive and high-GC regions that were traditionally challenging for assembly. The two reference genomes, derived from opposite sex and generated by different technologies, are indeed complementary to each other. I am excited that both genomes pinpoint the key role of AMH signaling in sex determination in this species. But how did the sex chromosomes arise? We anticipate that additional high-quality genomes from related species will further elucidate the evolutionary origin of the ZW system and complete the story." | 360 |
| Tiny Microbes May Secretly Rewire The Brain Before Birth | Microbes From Womb May Shape Brain Development And Influence Social Behavior | The microbiota shapes the development of the mouse hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. | Michigan State University | Research from Michigan State University reveals that microbes play a crucial role in shaping brain development, beginning in the womb. These findings suggest that modern birth practices may inadvertently disrupt the microbiome, impacting brain growth and potentially influencing stress and social behavior. Understanding this relationship could have significant implications for infant health and development. | Tiny Microbes Shape Brain DevelopmentMicrobes may secretly help build the brain, starting in the womb and continuing at birth. Credit: Shutterstock -- Why this matters: -- Microbes, or microorganisms, are all around us and play an important role in bodily functions. MSU researchers found that microbes can also impact brain development. -- This work is significant because modern obstetric practices like peripartum antibiotic use and Cesarean delivery disturb the microbiome of mothers and newborns. -- New research from Michigan State University finds that microbes play an important role in shaping early brain development, specifically in a key brain region that controls stress, social behavior, and vital body functions. -- The study, published in Hormones and Behavior, used a mouse model to highlight how natural microbial exposure not only impacts brain structure immediately after birth but may even begin influencing development while still in the womb. A mouse model was chosen because mice share significant biological and behavioral similarities with humans and there are no other alternatives to study the role of microbes on brain development. -- This work is of significance because modern obstetric practices, like peripartum antibiotic use and Cesarean delivery, disrupt maternal microbes. In the United States alone, 40% of women receive antibiotics around childbirth and one-third of all births occur via Cesarean section. -- "At birth, a newborn body is colonized by microbes as it travels through the birth canal. Birth also coincides with important developmental events that shape the brain. We wanted to further explore how the arrival of these microbes may affect brain development," said Alexandra Castillo Ruiz, lead author of the study and assistant professor in the MSU Department of Psychology. -- The research team focused on a brain region called the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), which plays a central role in regulating stress, blood pressure, water balance, and even social behavior. Their previous work had shown that mice raised without microbes, or germ-free mice, had more dying neurons in the PVN during early development. The new study set out to determine whether this increased cell death translated to changes in neuron number in the long run, and if any effects could be caused by the arrival of microbes at birth or if they began in the womb via signals from maternal microbes. -- To find out, the researchers used a cross-fostering approach. Germ-free newborn mice were placed with mothers that had microbes and compared them to control groups. When the brains of these mice were examined just three days after birth, results were striking: All mice gestated by germ-free mothers had fewer neurons in the PVN, regardless of whether they received microbes after birth. They also found that germ-free adult mice had fewer neurons in the PVN. | 361 |
| These Butterflies Look The Same, But DNA Uncovered Six Hidden Species | Glasswing Butterflies Conceal Unique Species Behind Similar Appearance And Genetic Diversity | Genomics of Neotropical biodiversity indicators: Two butterfly radiations with rampant chromosomal rearrangements and hybridization. | Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute | A comprehensive genetic mapping of glasswing butterflies has uncovered six new species and revealed the evolutionary mechanisms behind their rapid diversification. Despite resembling one another, these butterflies use unique pheromones to attract mates, illustrating how genetic variation contributes to survival. The study enhances our understanding of evolutionary processes and species interactions in biodiversity. | Butterfly DNA Reveals Hidden SpeciesButterflies that look alike but smell different are evolving fast, and genetics just revealed why. Credit: Shutterstock -- Some butterflies can smell others of the same species, allowing them to identify each other in areas where multiple species all look the same, new research finds. -- A large international team has genetically mapped glasswing butterflies found across Central and South America, rewriting the evolutionary tree and highlighting six new species. -- The team includes experts at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam in Ecuador, Universidade Estadual de Campinas in Brazil, the University of Cambridge, and others. -- The research, published on July 28 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), starts to uncover new insights about these butterflies as well as factors involved in the rapid diversification of species and why some species are more capable of this. The findings help experts to understand more about how has life evolved until now and possibly suggest how it might change in the future. -- For example, researchers found that in glasswing butterflies, even the most closely related species produce different pheromones, indicating that they can smell others of the same species. Given that all of these butterflies look the same to teach birds that they are all toxic, this allows the butterflies to find a compatible mate. -- By untangling the taxonomy of these butterflies, the team provides answers to questions that have remained unknown for at least 150 years. The researchers also present ten freely available reference genomes that can help to monitor and maintain insect populations in some of the most biodiverse areas of the world. -- Butterflies are used in conservation as an indicator species, meaning they are used to track and monitor the levels of biodiversity and other insects in an area. -- Glasswing (Ithomiine) butterflies are found across Central and South America and make up a substantial part of the butterfly species found there, making them good indicators of biodiversity in incredibly biodiverse areas, like the Amazon rainforest. -- However, there are over 400 species of glasswing butterfly, and all species in an area look incredibly similar to discourage birds from eating them, with coloring that implies they are toxic. | 362 |
| Scientists Finally Crack The Secret To Perfect Chocolate Flavor | Scientists Reveal Key Factors Behind Creating Perfectly Flavorful Chocolate Through Cacao Fermentation | A defined microbial community reproduces attributes of fine flavour chocolate fermentation. | University of Nottingham | Scientists have unraveled the intricate microbial and environmental factors that drive cacao fermentation, a crucial process that influences chocolate flavor. By recreating controlled fermentation environments, they aim to offer chocolate makers a reliable method to produce consistently high-quality chocolate by understanding how temperature, pH, and microbial communities interact during this key stage. | The Secret to Perfect Chocolate FlavorResearchers have unlocked how microbes, pH, and temperature drive cacao fermentation, creating a lab-based method for reliably producing fine-flavor chocolate. Credit: Mimi Chu Leung -- Researchers have identified key factors that influence the flavor of chocolate during the cocoa bean fermentation process, a discovery that could offer chocolate producers a powerful tool to craft consistently high-quality, flavor-rich chocolate. -- Scientists from the University of Nottingham's School of Biosciences examined how cacao bean temperature, pH, and microbial communities interact during fermentation and how these factors shape chocolate flavor. The team identified key microbial species and metabolic traits associated with fine-flavor chocolate and found that both abiotic factors (such as temperature and pH) and biotic factors (the microbial communities) are strong,consistent indicators of flavor development. The study was published on August 18 in Nature Microbiology. -- The quality and flavor of chocolate begin with the cacao bean, which is profoundly influenced by both pre- and post-harvest factors. Among these, fermentation is the first, and one of the most critical steps after harvest. It lays the foundation for aroma development, flavor complexity, and the reduction of bitterness in the final chocolate product. -- Dr David Gopaulchan, the first author of the paper, from the School of Biosciences explains: "Fermentation is a natural, microbe-driven process that typically takes place directly on cocoa farms, where harvested beans are piled in boxes, heaps, or baskets. In these settings, naturally occurring bacteria and fungi from the surrounding environment break down the beans, producing key chemical compounds that underpin chocolate's final taste and aroma. However, this spontaneous fermentation is largely uncontrolled. Farmers have little influence over which microbes dominate or how the fermentation process unfolds. As a result, fermentation, and thus the flavor and quality of the beans, varies widely between harvests, farms, regions, and countries." -- The researchers wanted to find out whether this unstable, natural process could be replicated and controlled in the lab. Working with Colombian farmers during the fermentation process they identified the factors that influence flavor. They were then able to use this knowledge to create a lab fermentation process and developed a defined microbial community, a curated mix of bacteria and fungi, capable of replicating the key chemical and sensory outcomes of traditional fermentations. This synthetic community successfully mimicked the dynamics of on-farm fermentations and produced chocolate with the same fine-flavor characteristics. -- Dr David Gopaulchan adds: "The discoveries we have made are really important for helping chocolate producers to be able to consistently maximize their cocoa crops as we have shown they can rely on measurable markers such as specific pH, temperature, and microbial dynamics, to reliably predict and achieve consistent flavor outcomes. This research signals a shift from spontaneous, uncontrolled fermentations to a standardized, science-driven process. Just as starter cultures revolutionized beer and cheese production, cocoa fermentation is poised for its own transformation, powered by microbes, guided by data, and tailored for flavor excellence. By effectively domesticating the fermentation process, this work lays the foundation for a new era in chocolate production, where defined starter cultures can standardize fermentation, unlock novel flavor possibilities, and elevate chocolate quality on a global scale." | 363 |
| This Prehistoric Predator Survived Global Warming By Eating Bones | Ancient Teeth Show How Animals Adapted To Climate Change Millions Of Years Ago | Dietary change across the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum in the mesonychid Dissacus praenuntius. | Rutgers University | Fossil analysis of an ancient predator reveals how it adapted during a significant warming event 56 million years ago. The study shows that Dissacus praenuntius adapted its diet and body size, providing insights into how climate change affects animal behavior and survival, drawing parallels to current global warming challenges faced by today’s wildlife. | Predator Survived Global Warming by Eating BonesFossil studies of the extinct predator Dissacus praenuntius offer clues as to how ancient animals responded to environmental changes. The ancient omnivore was about the size of a jackal or a coyote. Credit: ДиБгд, CC BY 4.0 -- About 56 million years ago, when Earth experienced a dramatic rise in global temperatures, one meat-eating mammal responded in a surprising way: It started eating more bones. -- That's the conclusion reached by a Rutgers-led team of researchers, whose recent study of fossil teeth from the extinct predator Dissacus praenuntius reveals how animals adapted to a period of extreme climate change known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). The findings, published in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, could help scientists predict how today's wildlife might respond to modern global warming. -- "What happened during the PETM very much mirrors what's happening today and what will happen in the future," said Andrew Schwartz, a doctoral student in the Department of Anthropology at the School of Arts and Sciences, who led the research. "We're seeing the same patterns. Carbon dioxide levels are rising, temperatures are higher and ecosystems are being disrupted." -- Associate Professor Robert Scott of the Department of Anthropology is a co-author of the study. -- Schwartz, Scott and another colleague used a technique called dental microwear texture analysis to study the tiny pits and scratches left on fossilized teeth. These marks reveal what kinds of food the animal was chewing in the weeks before it died. -- The ancient omnivore was about the size of a jackal or a coyote and likely consumed a mix of meat and other food sources like fruits and insects. "They looked superficially like wolves with oversized heads," Schwartz said, describing them as "super weird mammals." "Their teeth were kind of like hyenas. But they had little tiny hooves on each of their toes." -- Before this period of rising temperatures, Dissacus had a diet similar to modern cheetahs, eating mostly tough flesh. But during and after this ancient period, its teeth showed signs of crunching harder materials, such as bones. -- "We found that their dental microwear looked more like that of lions and hyenas," Schwartz said. "That suggests they were eating more brittle food, which were probably bones, because their usual prey was smaller or less available." -- This dietary shift happened alongside a modest reduction in body size, likely because of food scarcity. While earlier hypotheses blamed shrinking animals on hotter temperatures alone, this latest research suggests that limited food played a bigger role, Schwartz said. | 364 |
| DNA From The Deep Reveals A Hidden Ocean “Superhighway” | Groundbreaking Study Unveils Global Connections Among Deep-Sea Marine Life | Spatiotemporal faunal connectivity across global sea floors. | Museum Victoria | A groundbreaking study has revealed that deep-sea marine life is far more interconnected than previously assumed. By analyzing DNA from ancient brittle stars, researchers discovered a vast evolutionary network that spans the globe, highlighting the migration and distribution of these creatures over millions of years, enriching our understanding of deep-sea ecosystems. | DNA Unveils the Deep’s Secret SuperhighwayBrittle stars. Credit: Photographer: Nish Nizar. Source: Museums Victoria -- A world-first study led by Museums Victoria Research Institute has revealed that beneath the cold, dark, pressurized world of the deep sea, marine life is far more globally connected than previously imagined. -- Published on July 23 in Nature, this landmark study maps the global distribution and evolutionary relationships of brittle stars (Ophiuroidea), the ancient, spiny animals found from shallow coastal waters to the deepest abyssal plains, and from the equator to the poles. -- By analyzing the DNA of thousands of specimens collected on hundreds of research voyages and preserved in natural history museums around the world, scientists have uncovered how these deep-sea invertebrates have quietly migrated across entire oceans over millions of years, linking ecosystems from Iceland to Tasmania. -- This unprecedented dataset offers powerful new insights into how marine life has evolved and dispersed across the oceans over the past 100 million years. -- "You might think of the deep sea as remote and isolated, but for many animals on the seafloor, it's actually a connected superhighway," said Dr Tim O'Hara, Senior Curator of Marine Invertebrates at Museums Victoria Research Institute and lead author of the study. -- "Over long timescales, deep-sea species have expanded their ranges by thousands of kilometers. This connectivity is a global phenomenon that's gone unnoticed, until now." -- This is the most comprehensive study of its kind, using DNA from 2,699 brittle star specimens housed in 48 natural history museums across the globe. These animals which have lived on Earth for over 480 million years are found on all ocean floors, including at depths of more than 3,500 meters. -- Unlike marine life in shallow waters, which is restricted by temperature boundaries, deep-sea environments are more stable and allow species to disperse over vast distances. Many brittle stars produce yolk-rich larvae that can drift on deep ocean currents for extended periods, giving them the ability to colonize far-flung regions. -- "These animals don't have fins or wings, but they've still managed to span entire oceans," said Dr O'Hara. "The secret lies in their biology - their larvae can survive for a long time in cold water, hitching a ride on slow-moving deep-sea currents." | 365 |
| A 500-Million-Year-Old Fossil Just Rewrote The Spider Origin Story | Fossil Findings Suggest Spiders Evolved In Oceans, Not On Land As Previously Believed | Cambrian origin of the arachnid brain. | University of Arizona | A newly analyzed fossil has challenged the long-held belief that arachnids evolved only on land. The study suggests that spiders may have first emerged in marine environments, using detailed analysis of the fossilized brain of Mollisonia symmetrica to uncover similarities with modern arachnids, hinting at a significant evolutionary development linked to their predatory abilities. | Spider Brain Found in 500-Million-Year-Old FossilIllustration of what the Mollisonia animal would have looked like at the time it lived, more than 500 million years ago. Credit: Nick Strausfeld -- A new analysis of an exquisitely preserved fossil that lived half a billion years ago suggests that arachnids - spiders and their close kin - evolved in the ocean, challenging the widely held belief that their diversification happened only after their common ancestor had conquered the land. -- Spiders and scorpions have existed for some 400 million years, with little change. Along with closely related arthropods grouped together as arachnids, they have dominated the Earth as the most successful group of arthropodan predators. Based on their fossil record, arachnids appeared to have lived and diversified exclusively on land. -- In a study led by Nicholas Strausfeld at the University of Arizona and published in Current Biology, researchers from the U.S. and United Kingdom undertook a detailed analysis of the fossilized features of the brain and central nervous system of an extinct animal called Mollisonia symmetrica. Until now, it was thought to represent an ancestral member of a specific group of arthropods known as chelicerates, which lived during the Cambrian (between 540 and 485 million years ago) and included ancestors of today's horseshoe crabs. To their surprise, the researchers found that the neural arrangements in Mollisonia's fossilized brain are not organized like those in horseshoe crabs, as could be expected, but instead are organized the same way as they are in modern spiders and their relatives. -- "It is still vigorously debated where and when arachnids first appeared, and what kind of chelicerates were their ancestors," said Strausfeld, a Regents Professor in the U of A Department of Neuroscience, "and whether these were marine or semi-aquatic like horseshoe crabs." -- Mollisonia outwardly resembles some other early chelicerates from the lower and mid-Cambrian in that its body was composed of two parts: a broad rounded "carapace" in the front and a sturdy segmented trunk ending in a broad, tail-like structure. Some scientists have referred to the organization of a carapace in front, followed by a segmented trunk as similar to the body plan of a scorpion. But nobody had claimed that Mollisonia was anything more exotic than a basal chelicerate, even more primitive than the ancestor of the horseshoe crab, for example. -- What Strausfeld and his colleagues found indicating Mollisonia's status as an arachnid is its fossilized brain and nervous system. As in spiders and other present-day arachnids, the anterior part of Mollisonia's body (called the prosoma) contains a radiating pattern of segmental ganglia that control the movements of five pairs of segmental appendages. In addition to those arachnid-like features, Mollisonia also revealed an unsegmented brain extending short nerves to a pair of pincer-like "claws," reminiscent of the fangs of spiders and other arachnids. -- But the decisive feature demonstrating arachnid identity is the unique organization of the mollisoniid brain, which is the reverse of the front-to-back arrangement found in present-day crustaceans, insects and centipedes, and even horseshoe crabs, such as the genus Limulus. -- "It's as if the Limulus-type brain seen in Cambrian fossils, or the brains of ancestral and present days crustaceans and insects, have been flipped backwards, which is what we see in modern spiders," he said. -- According to co-author Frank Hirth from King's College London, the latter finding may be a crucial evolutionary development, because studies of existing spider brains suggest that this back-to-front arrangement provides shortcuts from neuronal control centers to underlying circuits that coordinate a spider's (or its relative's) amazing repertoire of movements. This arrangement likely confers stealth in hunting, rapidity in pursuit and in the case of spiders, an exquisite dexterity for the spinning of webs to entrap prey. | 366 |
| Scientists Found The Missing Nutrients Bees Need — Colonies Grew 15-Fold | Breakthrough Supplement Provides Honeybees Key Nutrients To Boost Reproduction By 15 Times | Engineered yeast provides rare but essential pollen sterols for honeybees. | University of Oxford | A groundbreaking food supplement engineered from yeast that mimics the nutrient profile of natural pollen has shown promise in enhancing honeybee reproduction. This innovative approach addresses the critical nutrient deficiencies caused by environmental changes, significantly boosting reproduction rates by providing a balanced diet. The research, conducted by the University of Oxford, could offer a sustainable solution to the alarming decline in honeybee populations. | The New Superfood That Could Save PollinatorsWorker bees feeding in the lab, Oxford Bee Lab. Credit: Caroline Wood -- A new study led by the University of Oxford in collaboration with Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, University of Greenwich, and the Technical University of Denmark could provide a cost-effective and sustainable solution to help tackle the devastating decline in honeybees. An engineered food supplement, designed to provide essential compounds found in plant pollen, was found to significantly enhance colony reproduction. The results were published on August 20 in the journal Nature. -- The challenge: addressing a critical nutrient deficiency -- Climate change and agricultural intensification have increasingly deprived honeybees of the floral diversity they need to thrive. Pollen, the major component of their diet, contains specific lipids called sterols necessary for their development. Increasingly, beekeepers are feeding artificial pollen substitutes to their bees due to insufficient natural pollen. However, these commercial supplements -- made of protein flour, sugars, and oils -- lack the right sterol compounds, making them nutritionally incomplete. -- In the new study, the research team succeeded in engineering the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica to produce a precise mixture of six key sterols that bees need. This was then incorporated into diets fed to bee colonies during three-month feeding trials. These took place in enclosed glasshouses to ensure the bees only fed on the treatment diets. -- Key findings: -- By the end of the study period, colonies fed with the sterol-enriched yeast had reared up to 15 times more larvae to the viable pupal stage, compared with colonies fed control diets. -- Colonies fed with the enriched diet were more likely to continue rearing brood up to the end of the three-month period, whereas colonies on sterol-deficient diets ceased brood production after 90 days. -- Notably, the sterol profile of larvae in colonies fed the engineered yeast matched that found in naturally foraged colonies, suggesting that bees selectively transfer only the most biologically important sterols to their young. -- Senior author Professor Geraldine Wright (Department of Biology, University of Oxford), said: "Our study demonstrates how we can harness synthetic biology to solve real-world ecological challenges. Most of the pollen sterols used by bees are not available naturally in quantities that could be harvested on a commercial scale, making it otherwise impossible to create a nutritionally complete feed that is a substitute for pollen." | 367 |
| Hidden Venom Divide In Australia’s Deadliest Snake Raises Urgent Treatment Questions | Australia’s Eastern Brown Snake Venom Shows Disturbing Split In Clotting Behavior | X Marks the Clot: Evolutionary and Clinical Implications of Divergences in Procoagulant Australian Elapid Snake Venoms. | University of Queensland | A study on Australia's Eastern Brown Snake venom has revealed significant differences between northern and southern populations, affecting blood clotting responses. In the south, bites result in strong clots, while northern bites cause fragile clots that collapse quickly. This discovery raises concerns about the effectiveness of existing antivenoms and highlights the need for regional adaptations to improve treatment outcomes for snakebite victims. | Venom Divide in Australia’s Deadliest SnakeEastern Brown Snake venom isn’t uniform. Southern snakes produce strong clots, northern ones fragile webs, raising serious questions about whether existing antivenoms are truly effective. Credit: Shutterstock -- A University of Queensland study suggests the antivenom given to people bitten by Eastern Brown Snakes may not be as effective as it could be, prompting a review of hospital cases. -- Professor Bryan Fry from UQ's School of the Environment led a team which assessed the blood-clotting toxins in venoms from every Australian brown snake species. -- "We discovered not all brown-snake venoms are the same - meaning that lifesaving antivenom may need an urgent upgrade," Professor Fry said. -- "Some venoms formed a rock-solid clot in blood, while others spun up a rapid but flimsy web of clots that shredded almost instantly. -- "Both venoms can kill but they do it in completely different ways." -- The team used a process called thromboelastography, which assesses blood coagulation, and showed Eastern Brown Snakes (Pseudonaja textilis) from southern Australia have a 'taipan-like' venom that builds a strong, stable blood clot. -- Venom from northern populations of Eastern Brown Snake, as well as all other brown snake species, triggered fragile blood clots, but lightning fast. -- "Our data shows the effect on blood of an Eastern Brown Snake bite in northern areas and a bite in southern Australia are chalk and cheese," Professor Fry said. -- "Currently Australia's brown-snake antivenom is produced using a pool of venom of unstated geographic origin. | 368 |
| 140,000-Year-Old Skeleton Shows Earliest Interbreeding Between Humans And Neanderthals | Ancient Skeleton Reveals Earliest Evidence Of Interbreeding Between Neanderthals And Modern Humans | A new analysis of the neurocranium and mandible of the Skhūl I child: Taxonomic conclusions and cultural implications. | Tel-Aviv University | Researchers have discovered a fossilized child from Israel's Skhul Cave that exhibits features of both Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, dating back 140,000 years. This finding suggests early interbreeding between the two species, significantly predating European encounters. The study provides vital evidence of the biological and social connections between these groups, reshaping our understanding of human evolution and genetic exchange. | World’s Oldest Human Hybrid Found in IsraelThe skull of Skhul I child showing cranial curvature typical of Homo sapiens. Credit: Tel Aviv University -- Research team: "This discovery reveals the world's earliest known human fossil showing morphological traits of both of these human groups, which until recently were considered two separate human species. The current study shows that the five-year-old child's skeleton is the result of continuous genetic infiltration from the local -- and older -- Neanderthal population into the Homo sapiens population." -- An international study led by researchers from Tel Aviv University and the French National Centre for Scientific Research provides the first scientific evidence that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens had biological and social relations, and even interbred for the first time, in the Land of Israel. The research team found a combination of Neanderthal and Homo sapiens traits in the skeleton of a five-year-old child discovered about 90 years ago in the Skhul Cave on Mount Carmel. The fossil, estimated to be about 140,000 years old, is the earliest human fossil in the world to display morphological features of both of these human groups, which until recently were considered two separate species. The study was led by Prof. Israel Hershkovitz of the Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at Tel Aviv University and Anne Dambricourt-Malassé of the French National Centre for Scientific Research. The findings of this historic discovery were published in the journal l'Anthropologie. -- "Genetic studies over the past decade have shown that these two groups exchanged genes," explains Prof. Hershkovitz. "Even today, 40,000 years after the last Neanderthals disappeared, part of our genome -- 2 to 6 percent -- is of Neanderthal origin. But these gene exchanges took place much later, between 60,000 to 40,000 years ago. Here, we are dealing with a human fossil that is 140,000 years old. In our study, we show that the child's skull, which in its overall shape resembles that of Homo sapiens -- especially in the curvature of the skull vault -- has an intracranial blood supply system, a lower jaw, and an inner ear structure typical of Neanderthals." -- For years, Neanderthals were thought to be a group that evolved in Europe, migrating to the Land of Israel only about 70,000 years ago, following the advance of European glaciers. In a groundbreaking 2021 study published in the prestigious journal Science, Prof. Hershkovitz and his colleagues showed that early Neanderthals lived in the Land of Israel as early as 400,000 years ago. This human type, which Prof. Hershkovitz called "Nesher Ramla Homo" (after the archaeological site near the Nesher Ramla factory where it was found), encountered Homo sapiens groups that began leaving Africa about 200,000 years ago -- and, according to the current study's findings, interbred with them. The child from the Skhul Cave is the earliest fossil evidence in the world of the social and biological ties forged between these two populations over thousands of years. The local Neanderthals eventually disappeared when they were absorbed into the Homo sapiens population, much like the later European Neanderthals. -- The researchers reached these conclusions after conducting a series of advanced tests on the fossil. First, they scanned the skull and jaw using micro-CT technology at the Shmunis Family Anthropology Institute at Tel Aviv University, creating an accurate three-dimensional model from the scans. This enabled them to perform a complex morphological analysis of the anatomical structures (including non-visible structures such as the inner ear) and compare them to various hominid populations. To study the structure of the blood vessels surrounding the brain, they also created an accurate 3D reconstruction of the inside of the skull. -- "The fossil we studied is the earliest known physical evidence of mating between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens," says Prof. Hershkovitz. "In 1998, a skeleton of a child was discovered in Portugal that showed traits of both of these human groups. But that skeleton, nicknamed the 'Lapedo Valley Child,' dates back to 28,000 years ago -- more than 100,000 years after the Skhul child. Traditionally, anthropologists have attributed the fossils discovered in the Skhul Cave, along with fossils from the Qafzeh Cave near Nazareth, to an early group of Homo sapiens. The current study reveals that at least some of the fossils from the Skhul Cave are the result of continuous genetic infiltration from the local -- and older -- Neanderthal population into the Homo sapiens population." | 369 |
| Ancient Fossil Discovery In Ethiopia Rewrites Human Origins | Ancient Ethiopian Fossils Redefine Human Evolution And Challenge Linear Evolutionary Models | New discoveries of Australopithecus and Homo from Ledi-Geraru, Ethiopia. | Arizona State University | New fossil discoveries in Ethiopia indicate that early members of the Homo genus coexisted with a newly identified Australopithecus species nearly three million years ago. This research challenges the traditional linear model of human evolution, suggesting instead a complex web of ancient relatives. The findings emphasize the diversity of hominin species during this period, reshaping our understanding of human origins. | Fossil Discovery Rewrites Human OriginsNewly discovered teeth in Ethiopia show that early humans and a mysterious Australopithecus species lived together nearly three million years ago, complicating the timeline of our origins. Credit: Shutterstock -- A team of international scientists has discovered new fossils at a field site in Africa that indicate Australopithecus, and the oldest specimens of Homo, coexisted at the same place in Africa at the same time -- between 2.6 and 2.8 million years ago. The paleoanthropologists discovered a new species of Australopithecus that has never been found anywhere. -- The Ledi-Geraru Research Project is led by scientists at Arizona State University and the site has revealed the oldest member of the genus Homo and the earliest Oldowan stone tools on the planet. -- The research team concluded that the Ledi-Geraru Australopithecus teeth are a new species, rather than belonging to Australopithecus afarensis (the famous 'Lucy'), confirming that there is still no evidence of Lucy's kind younger than 2.95 million years ago. -- "This new research shows that the image many of us have in our minds of an ape to a Neanderthal to a modern human is not correct -- evolution doesn't work like that," said ASU paleoecologist Kaye Reed. "Here we have two hominin species that are together. And human evolution is not linear, it's a bushy tree, there are life forms that go extinct." -- Reed is a Research Scientist at the Institute of Human Origins and President's Professor Emerita at the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at ASU. She has been co-director of the Ledi-Geraru Research Project since 2002. -- Ledi-Geraru -- What fossils did they find to help them tell this story? Teeth, 13 of them to be exact. -- This field site has been famous before. In 2013 a team led by Reed discovered the jaw of the earliest Homo specimen ever found at 2.8 million years old. This new paper details new teeth found at the site that belong to both the genus Homo and a new species of the genus Australopithecus. -- "The new finds of Homo teeth from 2.6 - 2.8 million year old sediments -- reported in this paper -- confirms the antiquity of our lineage," said Brian Villmoare, lead author and ASU alumnus. | 370 |
| Scientists Reveal Alaska Could Get Up To Two Minutes’ Warning Before The Next Big Quake | Alaska Could Receive Up To Two Minutes’ Warning Before Major Earthquakes Occur | Earthquake Early Warning Scenarios for Alaska. | Seismological Society of America | A new study suggests that Alaska could develop an earthquake early warning system capable of providing up to 120 seconds of advance notice for significant seismic events. Researchers emphasize the importance of enhancing seismic station density despite challenges from Alaska's rugged terrain and harsh weather. The potential benefits of timely notifications could significantly improve public safety during earthquakes. | Alaska’s Race to Outrun the Next Big QuakeAlaska’s future earthquake warning system could give residents crucial seconds to act, though rugged terrain and extreme weather pose serious challenges. -- For a wide variety of earthquake scenarios in Alaska, an earthquake early warning (EEW) system could provide at least 10 seconds of warning time for hazardous shaking, according to a new report. -- Increasing the density and improving the spacing of seismic stations around the state could add 5 to 15 seconds to these estimated warning times, write Alexander Fozkos and Michael West at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Alaska experiences tens of thousands of earthquakes each year, and has been the site some of the world's largest and most destructive seismic events. -- The study's findings published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America could help lay the groundwork for the expansion of the U.S. ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system, which now covers California, Oregon and Washington State. -- "There were a lot of studies before EEW was widely available on the West Coast, where people were looking at different scenarios," said Fozkos. "So we wanted a similar kind of science up here with numbers that are Alaska specific." -- For earthquakes along well-known faults in southcentral and southeast coastal Alaska, Fozkos and West estimated potential warning times of 10 to 120 seconds for magnitude 8.3 scenarios. -- For magnitude 7.3 earthquake scenarios in crustal faults in interior and southcentral Alaska, the researchers estimated potential warning times ranging from 0 to 44 seconds. -- And for a set of magnitude 7.8 earthquake scenarios along the dip of the subducting slab beneath Alaska, estimated warning times ranged from 0 to 73 seconds. -- "I was expecting decent warning times along the coast and for most of the subduction zone events," said Fozkos, because there is dense seismic station coverage in these areas. "I was not expecting decent warning times for the shallow crustal events, so that was the biggest surprise to me." -- The scenarios used in the study vary in earthquake magnitude, depth, location and fault style -- all of which impacted warning times. The researchers' models estimated how many seconds after an earthquake's origin the quake could be detected, how many seconds after origin time an alert could be available, and minimum and maximum warning times at a location. | 371 |
| 332 Colossal Canyons Just Revealed Beneath Antarctica’s Ice | New Mapping Reveals 332 Colossal Submarine Canyons Beneath Antarctica's Ice | The geomorphometry of Antarctic submarine canyons. | University of Barcelona | High-resolution mapping has revealed 332 colossal submarine canyons beneath Antarctic seas, some reaching depths exceeding 4,000 meters. These canyons play a crucial role in nutrient transport and ocean dynamics, influencing global climate patterns. Differences between East and West Antarctica’s canyon systems provide insights into the continent’s ancient ice history, highlighting vulnerabilities to climate change. | 332 Colossal Canyons Beneath AntarcticaA groundbreaking seafloor map reveals 332 Antarctic canyons—giant, glacially carved corridors shaping climate, ocean currents, and ice shelf survival. Credit: Shutterstock -- Submarine canyons are among the most spectacular and fascinating geological formations to be found on our ocean floors, but at an international level scientists have yet to uncover many of their secrets, especially of those located in remote regions of the Earth like the North and South Poles. Now, an article published in the journal Marine Geology has brought together the most detailed catalogue to date of Antarctic submarine canyons, identifying a total of 332 canyon networks that in some cases reach depths of over 4,000 meters. -- The catalogue, which identifies five times as many canyons as previous studies had, was produced by the researchers David Amblàs, of the Consolidated Research Group on Marine Geosciences at the Faculty of Earth Sciences of the University of Barcelona, and Riccardo Arosio, of the Marine Geosciences Research Group at University College Cork. Their article shows that Antarctic submarine canyons may have a more significant impact than previously thought on ocean circulation, ice-shelf thinning and global climate change, especially in vulnerable areas such as the Amundsen Sea and parts of East Antarctica. -- Submarine canyons: the differences between East and West Antarctica -- The submarine canyons that form valleys carved into the seafloor play a decisive role in ocean dynamics: they transport sediments and nutrients from the coast to deeper areas, they connect shallow and deep waters and they create habitats rich in biodiversity. Scientists have identified some 10,000 submarine canyons worldwide, but because only 27% of the Earth's seafloor has been mapped in high resolution the real total is likely to be higher. And despite their ecological, oceanographic, and geological value, submarine canyons remain underexplored, especially in polar regions. -- "Like those in the Arctic, Antarctic submarine canyons resemble canyons in other parts of the world," explains David Amblàs. "But they tend to be larger and deeper because of the prolonged action of polar ice and the immense volumes of sediment transported by glaciers to the continental shelf." Moreover, the Antarctic canyons are mainly formed by turbidity currents, which carry suspended sediments downslope at high speed, eroding the valleys they flow through. In Antarctica, the steep slopes of the submarine terrain combined with the abundance of glacial sediments amplifies the effects of these currents and contributes to the formation of large canyons. -- The new study by Amblàs and Arosio is based on Version 2 of the International Bathymetric Chart of the Southern Ocean (IBCSO v2), the most complete and detailed map of the seafloor in this region. It uses new high-resolution bathymetric data and a semi-automated method for identifying and analysing canyons that was developed by the authors. In total, it describes 15 morphometric parameters that reveal striking differences between canyons in East and West Antarctica. -- "Some of the submarine canyons we analyzed reach depths of over 4,000 meters," explained David Amblàs. "The most spectacular of these are in East Antarctica, which is characterized by complex, branching canyon systems. The systems often begin with multiple canyon heads near the edge of the continental shelf and converge into a single main channel that descends into the deep ocean, crossing the sharp, steep gradients of the continental slope." -- Riccardo Arosio noted that "It was particularly interesting to see the differences between canyons in the two major Antarctic regions, as this hadn't been described before. East Antarctic canyons are more complex and branched, often forming extensive canyon-channel systems with typical U-shaped cross sections. This suggests prolonged development under sustained glacial activity and a greater influence of both erosional and depositional sedimentary processes. In contrast, West Antarctic canyons are shorter and steeper, characterized by V-shaped cross sections." -- According to David Amblàs, this morphological difference supports the idea that the East Antarctica Ice Sheet originated earlier and has experienced a more prolonged development. "This had been suggested by sedimentary record studies," Amblàs said, "but it hadn't yet been described in large-scale seafloor geomorphology." | 372 |
| Scientists Finally Tame The Impossible 48-Atom Carbon Ring | Scientists Successfully Synthesize Unique Stable 48-Carbon Ring For Room Temperature Study | Solution-phase stabilization of a cyclocarbon by catenane formation. | University of Oxford | In a groundbreaking study, researchers have synthesized a stable cyclo[48]carbon, a unique 48-carbon ring that can now be characterized at room temperature—a remarkable feat in carbon chemistry. Led by Oxford University, this work marks a significant advance in the study of molecular carbon allotropes, paving the way for new insights into their properties and potential applications in various fields. | Scientists Tame the Impossible Carbon RingLeft: Chemical structure of the cyclo[48]carbon [4]catenane. Right: Space-filling representation. Credit: Harry Anderson -- In a new study led by Oxford University's Department of Chemistry, chemists have demonstrated the synthesis of a cyclocarbon that is stable enough for spectroscopic characterisation in solution at room temperature. -- nough to be studied in liquid solution form at room temperature. -- The study - only the second example of a new type of molecular carbon allotrope that can be studied under normal laboratory conditions - was published on August 14 in Science. -- In a new study led by Oxford University's Department of Chemistry, chemists have demonstrated the synthesis of a cyclocarbon that is stable enough for spectroscopic characterisation in solution at room temperature. -- The synthesis of a new type of molecular carbon allotrope that can be studied under normal laboratory conditions is a rare achievement. The only previous example was the synthesis of fullerenes by Krätschmer et al. in 1990 (Nature 1990). -- In the new study, the molecule cyclo[48]carbon was synthesised as a [4]catenane, i.e. with the C48 ring threaded through three other macrocycles. These threaded macrocycles increase the stability of C48 by preventing access to the protected cyclocarbon. -- Previously, molecular rings consisting purely of carbon atoms have only been studied in the gas phase or at very low temperatures (4 to 10 K). Now, the team have synthesised a cyclocarbon that is stable in solution at 20°C (half-life 92 hours). This has been achieved by using threaded macrocycles, choosing a large cyclocarbon with a low level of strain, and developing mild reaction conditions for the unmasking step in the reaction (where a precursor molecule is transformed into the final product). -- The cyclocarbon catenane was characterised by mass spectrometry, NMR, UV-visible and Raman spectroscopy. The observation of a single intense 13C NMR resonance for all 48 sp1 carbon atoms indicates that all of the carbons are in equivalent environments, which provides strong evidence for the cyclocarbon catenane structure. -- Lead author Dr Yueze Gao (Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford) said: "Achieving stable cyclocarbons in a vial at ambient conditions is a fundamental step. This will make it easier to study their reactivity and properties under normal laboratory conditions." | 373 |
| Room-Temperature Quantum Breakthrough Freezes Motion Without Cooling | Room-Temperature Quantum Breakthrough Observes Quantum Fluctuations Without Need For Extreme Cooling | High-purity quantum optomechanics at room temperature. | ETH Zurich | Scientists at ETH Zurich have achieved a remarkable feat by levitating a tower of three nano glass spheres using optical tweezers while nearly eliminating classical motion. This experiment allows researchers to observe quantum zero-point fluctuations at room temperature, a significant achievement that could enhance the development of advanced quantum sensors without the costly requirements of extreme cooling. | Scientists Freeze Motion Without CoolingETH Zurich researchers captured a nano-object (centre of the image) using a laser trap. The laser light, which is focused with a lens, is shown in red. Credit: Lorenzo Dania / ETH Zurich -- Three nano glass spheres cling to one another. They form a tower-like cluster, similar to when you pile three scoops of ice cream on top of one another - only much smaller. The diameter of the nano cluster is ten times smaller than that of a human hair. With the help of an optical device and laser beams, researchers at ETH Zurich have succeeded in keeping such objects almost completely motionless in levitation. This is significant when it comes to the future development of quantum sensors, which, together with quantum computers, constitute the most promising applications of quantum research. -- As part of their levitation experiment, the researchers, led by adjunct professor of photonics Martin Frimmer, were able to eliminate the gravitational force acting on the glass spheres. However, the elongated nano object still trembled, similar to how the needle on a compass moves when settling into position. In the case of the nano cluster, the trembling motion was very fast but weak: the object made around one million deflections per second, each measuring only a few thousandths of a degree. This tiny rotational oscillation is a fundamental quantum motion exhibited by all objects and which physicists call zero-point fluctuation. "According to the principles of quantum mechanics, no object can ever remain perfectly still," explains Lorenzo Dania, a postdoc in Frimmer's group and first author of the study. "The larger an object is, the smaller these zero-point fluctuations are and the more difficult it is to observe them." -- Multiple records -- To date, no one has been successful in detecting these tiny movements for an object of this size as precisely as the ETH researchers have now done. They achieved this because they were able to largely eliminate all motions that originate from the field of classical physics and obscure the observation of quantum movements. The ETH researchers attribute 92 percent of the cluster's movements in their experiment to quantum physics and 8 percent to classical physics; they therefore refer to a high level of quantum purity. "Beforehand, we didn't expect to achieve such a high level of quantum purity," explains Dania. -- And the records do not stop there: the researchers accomplished all of this at room temperature. Quantum researchers usually have to cool their objects to a temperature close to absolute zero (-273 degrees Celsius) using special equipment. This was not required here. Frimmer draws an analogy: "It's like we've built a new vehicle that transports more cargo than traditional lorries and at the same time consumes less fuel." -- Tiny and enormous at the same time -- While many researchers investigate quantum effects in individual or small groups of atoms, Frimmer and his group are among those working with relatively large objects. Their nanosphere cluster may be tiny in everyday terms, but it consists of several hundred million atoms, making it enormous from a quantum physicist's perspective. The interest in objects of this size is partly driven by hopes for future quantum technology applications, for example. Such applications require larger systems to be controlled using the principles of quantum mechanics. -- The researchers were able to levitate their nano particles using what is known as an optical tweezer. In this process, the particle is placed in a vacuum in a transparent container. A lens is used to focus polarised laser light at a point inside this container. At this focal point, the particle aligns with the electric field of the polarised laser and thus remains stable. -- "A perfect start" | 374 |
| Lasers Just Unlocked A Hidden Side Of Gold, Copper, And Aluminum | Revolutionary Laser Technique Detects Magnetic Signals In Everyday Metals, Unveiling New Quantum Possibilities | A sensitive MOKE and optical Hall effect technique at visible wavelengths: insights into the Gilbert damping. | The Hebrew University of Jerusalem | A team of scientists has made a breakthrough in detecting faint magnetic signals in non-magnetic metals using innovative laser techniques. This discovery allows for the exploration of hidden magnetic behaviors in common materials like copper and gold, potentially transforming our approach to magnetism in everyday substances and offering new avenues for advancements in quantum computing and electronics. | Light Detects Hidden Magnetism in MetalsUsing only a blue laser and smart modulation, researchers finally “heard” the faint magnetic signals from metals like copper and gold—something that had eluded science since the 1800s. Credit: Paz Roth -- A team of scientists has developed a powerful new way to detect subtle magnetic signals in common metals like copper, gold, and aluminum—using nothing more than light and a clever technique. Their research, recently published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications, could pave the way for advances in everything from smartphones to quantum computing. -- The Longstanding Puzzle: Why Can’t We See the Optical Hall Effect? -- For over a century, scientists have known that electric currents bend in a magnetic field—a phenomenon known as the Hall effect. In magnetic materials like iron, this effect is strong and well understood. But in ordinary, non-magnetic metals like copper or gold, the effect is much weaker. -- In theory, a related phenomenon—the optical Hall effect—should help scientists visualize how electrons behave when light and magnetic fields interact. But at visible wavelengths, this effect has remained far too subtle to detect. The scientific world has known it was there, but lacked the tools to measure it. -- “It was like trying to hear a whisper in a noisy room for decades,” said Prof. Amir Capua. “Everyone knew the whisper was there, but we didn’t have a microphone sensitive enough to hear it.” -- Cracking the Code: A Closer Look at the Invisible -- Led by Ph.D. candidate Nadav Am Shalom and Prof. Amir Capua from the Institute of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics at Hebrew University, in collaboration with Prof. Binghai Yan from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Pennsylvania State University, and Prof. Igor Rozhansky from the University of Manchester, the study focuses on a tricky challenge in physics: how to detect tiny magnetic effects in materials that aren’t magnetic. -- “You might think of metals like copper and gold as magnetically ‘quiet’—they don’t stick to your fridge like iron does,” explained Prof. Capua. “But in reality, under the right conditions, they do respond to magnetic fields—just in extremely subtle ways.” -- The challenge has always been how to detect these tiny effects—especially using light in the visible spectrum where laser sources are readily available. Until now, the signal was simply too faint to observe. | 375 |
| This Flat Chip Uses Twisted Light To Reveal Hidden Images | Twisted Light Technology Unlocks New Potential For Encryption And Molecular Detection Techniques | Chirality encoding in resonant metasurfaces governed by lattice symmetries. | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Researchers at EPFL have developed an optical metasurface that leverages chirality to manipulate light for secure encryption and biosensing applications. By engineering a simple yet powerful method to control light's interaction with chiral materials, this breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize data security and molecular detection, paving the way for innovations in numerous scientific fields. | Hidden Images Revealed by Twisted LightMeta-atoms at varying orientations on a chiral metasurface. Credit: 2025 EPFL Bionanophotonic Systems Lab CC BY SA 4.0 -- Imagine trying to wear a left-handed glove on your right hand: it doesn't fit because left and right hands are mirror images that can't be superimposed on each other. This 'handedness' is what scientists call chirality, and it plays a fundamental role in biology, chemistry, and materials science. Most DNA molecules and sugars are right-handed, while most amino acids are left-handed. Reversing a molecule's handedness can render a nutrient useless or a drug inactive and even harmful. -- Light can also be left or right 'handed'. When a light beam is circularly polarized, its electric field corkscrews through space in either a left-handed or right-handed spiral. Because chiral structures interact differently with these two types of twisted light beams, shining a circularly polarized light on a sample - and comparing how much of each twist is absorbed, reflected, or delayed - lets scientists read out the sample's own handedness. However, this effect is extremely weak, which makes precise control of chirality an essential but challenging task. -- Now, scientists from the Bionanophotonic Systems Laboratory in EPFL's School of Engineering have collaborated with those in Australia to create artificial optical structures called metasurfaces: 2D lattices composed of tiny elements (meta-atoms) that can easily tune their chiral properties. By varying the orientation of meta-atoms within a lattice, scientists can control the resulting metasurface's interaction with polarized light. -- "Our 'chiral design toolkit' is elegantly simple, and yet more powerful than previous approaches, which tried to control light through very complex meta-atom geometries. Instead, we leverage the interplay between the shape of the meta-atom and the symmetry of the metasurface lattice," explains Bionanophotonics Lab head Hatice Altug. -- The innovation, which has potential applications in data encryption, biosensing, and quantum technologies, has been published in Nature Communications. -- An invisible, dual layer watermark -- The team's metasurface, made of germanium and calcium difloride, presents a gradient of meta-atoms with orientations that vary continuously along a chip. The shape and angles of these meta-atoms, as well as the lattice symmetry, all work together to tune the response of the metasurface to polarized light. -- In a proof-of-concept experiment, the scientists encoded two different images simultaneously on a metasurface optimized for the invisible mid-infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum. For the first image of an Australian cockatoo, the image data were encoded in the size of the meta-atoms - which represented pixels - and decoded with unpolarized light. The second image was encoded using the orientation of the meta-atoms so that, when exposed to circularly polarized light, the metasurface revealed a picture of the iconic Swiss Matterhorn. -- "This experiment showcased our technique's ability to produce a dual layer 'watermark' invisible to the human eye, paving the way for advanced anticounterfeiting, camouflage and security applications," says Bionanophotonics Systems Lab researcher Ivan Sinev. | 376 |
| A Strange Fossil At The Edge Of The Solar System Just Shook Up Planet Nine Theories | Newly Discovered Object Beyond Pluto Challenges Existing Theories About The Early Solar System | Discovery and dynamics of a Sedna-like object with a perihelion of 66 au. | National Institutes of Natural Sciences | The recent discovery of the object 2023 KQ14, a distant body beyond Pluto, may significantly alter our understanding of the early Solar System. This rare “sednoid” follows a unique orbit, suggesting ancient celestial upheavals and challenging theories about the elusive Planet Nine. Its stable path over 4 billion years opens new possibilities for studying the history and dynamics of our cosmic neighborhood. | “Fossil” Discovered in Outer Solar SystemA newly spotted icy body in the outer Solar System, 2023 KQ14, may upend theories about Planet Nine and offers fresh clues about ancient planetary migrations. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Subaru Telescope has made an exciting discovery: a small body beyond Pluto, with implications for the formation, evolution, and current structure of the outer Solar System. -- The object was found as part of the survey project FOSSIL (Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy), which takes advantage of the Subaru Telescope's wide field of view. The object was discovered through observations taken in March, May, and August 2023 using the Subaru Telescope. The object is currently designated 2023 KQ14; a more classical name will be assigned later by the International Astronomical Union. After that, follow-up observations in July 2024 with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and a search for unrecognized sightings of the object in old data from other observatories allowed astronomers to track the object's orbit over 19 years. Due to its peculiar distant orbit, 2023 KQ14 has been classified as a "sednoid," making it only the fourth known example of this rare type of object. -- Numerical simulations conducted by the FOSSIL team, some of which used the PC cluster operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, indicate that 2023 KQ14 has maintained a stable orbit for at least 4.5 billion years. Although its current orbit differs from those of the other sednoids, the simulations suggest that their orbits were remarkably similar around 4.2 billion years ago. -- The fact that 2023 KQ14 now follows an orbit different from the other sednoids indicates that the outer Solar System is more diverse and complex than previously thought. This discovery also places new constraints on the hypothetical Planet Nine. If Planet Nine exists, its orbit must lie farther out than typically predicted. -- Dr. Yukun Huang of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan who conducted simulations of the orbit comments, "The fact that 2023 KQ14's current orbit does not align with those of the other three sednoids lowers the likelihood of the Planet Nine hypothesis. It is possible that a planet once existed in the Solar System but was later ejected, causing the unusual orbits we see today." -- Regarding the significance of this discovery, Dr. Fumi Yoshida states, "2023 KQ14 was found in a region far away where Neptune's gravity has little influence. The presence of objects with elongated orbits and large perihelion distances in this area implies that something extraordinary occurred during the ancient era when 2023 KQ14 formed. Understanding the orbital evolution and physical properties of these unique, distant objects is crucial for comprehending the full history of the Solar System. At present, the Subaru Telescope is among the few telescopes on Earth capable of making such discoveries. I would be happy if the FOSSIL team could make many more discoveries like this one and help draw a complete picture of the history of the Solar System." | 377 |
| This Laser Implosion Just Created A Magnetic Field Like A Neutron Star | Laser Implosion Technique Generates Neutron Star-Like Magnetic Fields In Compact Laboratory Setup | Gigagauss magnetic field generation by bladed microtube implosion. | The University of Osaka | Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed a revolutionary method for generating extreme magnetic fields using laser-driven microtubes. This innovative approach produces magnetic strengths nearing one megatesla, comparable to those near neutron stars, all within a compact laboratory setup. The technique promises advancements in astrophysics, quantum research, and fusion energy by harnessing the forces of laser-plasma interactions. | Blades and Light Create Cosmic MagnetismSawtooth-like inner blades on the cylindrical target induce off-axis charged flows under ultraintense laser irradiation, driving strong loop currents and generating sub-megatesla magnetic fields. Credit: Masakatsu Murakami -- Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed a novel method for generating ultrahigh magnetic fields via laser-driven implosions of blade-structured microtubes. This method achieves field strengths approaching one megatesla—a breakthrough in compact, high-field plasma science. -- Ultrastrong magnetic fields approaching the megatesla regime—comparable to those found near strongly magnetized neutron stars or astrophysical jets—have now been demonstrated in theory using a compact, laser-driven setup. A team led by Professor Masakatsu Murakami at The University of Osaka has proposed and simulated a unique scheme that uses micron-sized hollow cylinders with internal blades to achieve these field levels. -- The technique—called bladed microtube implosion (BMI)—relies on directing ultra-intense, femtosecond laser pulses at a cylindrical target with sawtooth-like inner blades. These blades cause the imploding plasma to swirl asymmetrically, generating circulating currents near the center. The resulting loop current self-consistently produces an intense axial magnetic field exceeding 500 kilotesla, approaching the megatesla regime. No externally applied seed field is required. -- This mechanism stands in stark contrast to traditional magnetic compression, which relies on amplifying an initial magnetic field. In BMI, the field is generated from scratch—driven purely by laser-plasma interactions. Moreover, as long as the target incorporates structures that break cylindrical symmetry, high magnetic fields can still be robustly generated. The process forms a feedback loop in which flows of charged particles—composed of ions and electrons—strengthen the magnetic field, which in turn confines those flows more tightly, further amplifying the field. -- “This approach offers a powerful new way to create and study extreme magnetic fields in a compact format,” says Prof. Murakami. “It provides an experimental bridge between laboratory plasmas and the astrophysical universe.” -- Potential applications include: -- Laboratory astrophysics: mimicking magnetized jets and stellar interiors -- Laser fusion: advancing proton-beam fast ignition schemes -- High-field QED: probing non-linear quantum phenomena | 378 |
| It Looked Like Nothing—Then Scientists Found A World 10x The Size Of Jupiter | Astronomers Discover Hidden Exoplanet The Size Of Jupiter In Dusty Young Star's Disc | A young gas giant and hidden substructures in a protoplanetary disk. | University of Cambridge | Astronomers have discovered a massive exoplanet within the dusty disc of the young star MP Mus, using data from ALMA and Gaia. Initially thought to lack planets, further observations revealed the presence of a Jupiter-sized gas giant, marking a significant advancement in detecting young planets within protoplanetary discs. This discovery enhances our understanding of planet formation in the universe. | Giant Planet Uncovered in Star’s FogWhen astronomers first observed it with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), they saw a smooth, planet-free disc, shown here in the right image. The team, led by Álvaro Ribas, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge, UK, gave this star another chance and re-observed it with ALMA at longer wavelengths that probe even deeper into the protoplanetary disc than before. These new observations, shown in the left image, revealed a gap and a ring that had been obscured in previous observations, suggesting that MP Mus might have company after all. Credit: ALMA(ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/A. Ribas et al. -- Astronomers have detected a giant exoplanet - between three and ten times the size of Jupiter - hiding in the swirling disc of gas and dust surrounding a young star. -- Earlier observations of this star, called MP Mus, suggested that it was all alone without any planets in orbit around it, surrounded by a featureless cloud of gas and dust. -- However, a second look at MP Mus, using a combination of results from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the European Space Agency's Gaia mission, suggest that the star is not alone after all. -- The international team of astronomers, led by the University of Cambridge, detected a large gas giant in the star's protoplanetary disc: the pancake-like cloud of gases, dust and ice where the process of planet formation begins. This is the first time that Gaia has detected an exoplanet within a protoplanetary disc. The results, reported in the journal Nature Astronomy, suggest that similar methods could be useful in the hunt for young planets around other stars. -- By studying how planets form in the protoplanetary discs around young stars, researchers can learn more about how our own Solar System evolved. Through a process known as core accretion, gravity causes particles in the disc to stick to each other, eventually forming larger solid bodies like asteroids or planets. As young planets form, they start to carve gaps in the disc, like grooves on a vinyl record. -- However, observing these young planets is extremely challenging, due to the interference from the gas and dust in the disc. To date, only three robust detections of young planets in a protoplanetary disc have been made. -- Dr Álvaro Ribas from Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy, who led the research, specialises in studying protoplanetary discs. "We first observed this star at the time when we learned that most discs have rings and gaps, and I was hoping to find features around MP Mus that could hint at the presence of a planet or planets," he said. -- Using ALMA, Ribas observed the protoplanetary disc around MP Mus (PDS 66) in 2023. The results showed a young star seemingly all alone in the universe. Its surrounding disc showed none of the gaps where planets might be forming, and was completely flat and featureless. -- "Our earlier observations showed a boring, flat disc," said Ribas. "But this seemed odd to us, since the disc is between seven and ten million years old. In a disc of that age, we would expect to see some evidence of planet formation." | 379 |
| This Ai-Powered Lab Runs Itself—And Discovers New Materials 10x Faster | AI-Powered Lab Automation Revolutionizes Material Discovery, Accelerating Research By Tenfold | Flow-driven data intensification to accelerate autonomous inorganic materials discovery. | North Carolina State University | A new self-driving lab technology is revolutionizing materials discovery by conducting real-time chemical experiments, allowing researchers to gather data at an unprecedented rate. This innovative approach promises to accelerate breakthroughs in clean energy, electronics, and sustainability, significantly reducing time and resources required for scientific advancements, and paving the way for rapid discoveries that could transform various fields. | Streaming Chemistry Breaks Discovery RecordsA cutting-edge self-driving lab now uses real-time experiments to gather data continuously, making materials discovery 10x faster and far more efficient. Credit: Milad Abolhasani, North Carolina State University -- Researchers have demonstrated a new technique that allows "self-driving laboratories" to collect at least 10 times more data than previous techniques at record speed. The advance - which is published in Nature Chemical Engineering - dramatically expedites materials discovery research, while slashing costs and environmental impact. -- Self-driving laboratories are robotic platforms that combine machine learning and automation with chemical and materials sciences to discover materials more quickly. The automated process allows machine-learning algorithms to make use of data from each experiment when predicting which experiment to conduct next to achieve whatever goal was programmed into the system. -- "Imagine if scientists could discover breakthrough materials for clean energy, new electronics, or sustainable chemicals in days instead of years, using just a fraction of the materials and generating far less waste than the status quo," says Milad Abolhasani, corresponding author of a paper on the work and ALCOA Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at North Carolina State University. "This work brings that future one step closer." -- Until now, self-driving labs utilizing continuous flow reactors have relied on steady-state flow experiments. In these experiments, different precursors are mixed together and chemical reactions take place, while continuously flowing in a microchannel. The resulting product is then characterized by a suite of sensors once the reaction is complete. -- "This established approach to self-driving labs has had a dramatic impact on materials discovery," Abolhasani says. "It allows us to identify promising material candidates for specific applications in a few months or weeks, rather than years, while reducing both costs and the environmental impact of the work. However, there was still room for improvement." -- Steady-state flow experiments require the self-driving lab to wait for the chemical reaction to take place before characterizing the resulting material. That means the system sits idle while the reactions take place, which can take up to an hour per experiment. -- "We've now created a self-driving lab that makes use of dynamic flow experiments, where chemical mixtures are continuously varied through the system and are monitored in real time," Abolhasani says. "In other words, rather than running separate samples through the system and testing them one at a time after reaching steady-state, we've created a system that essentially never stops running. The sample is moving continuously through the system and, because the system never stops characterizing the sample, we can capture data on what is taking place in the sample every half second. -- "For example, instead of having one data point about what the experiment produces after 10 seconds of reaction time, we have 20 data points - one after 0.5 seconds of reaction time, one after 1 second of reaction time, and so on. It's like switching from a single snapshot to a full movie of the reaction as it happens. Instead of waiting around for each experiment to finish, our system is always running, always learning." -- Collecting this much additional data has a big impact on the performance of the self-driving lab. | 380 |
| After 70 Years, The Sun’s Explosive Mystery Is Finally Solved | NASA’s Parker Probe Solves Longstanding Mystery Of Solar Flares And Eruptions | Direct in situ observations of eruption-associated magnetic reconnection in the solar corona. | Southwest Research Institute | NASA's Parker Solar Probe has made a groundbreaking observation of magnetic reconnection in the Sun’s atmosphere, confirming long-standing theories about solar flares and coronal mass ejections. This research enhances our understanding of space weather phenomena and their potential impact on technology on Earth, making it crucial for future predictions and preparedness. | The Sun’s Explosive Mystery Is Finally SolvedAn SwRI-led study of the Sun confirms decades-old theoretical models about solar magnetic reconnection. Measurements from NASA’s Solar Parker Probe helped fill crucial gaps in the data about processes that drive solar flares, coronal mass ejections and other space weather phenomena. The measurements were taken from the region pictured in the white box, which was identified as the source of a coronal mass ejection. The figures shown here are taken from images captured by the ESA’s Solar Orbiter mission. Credit: ESA/NASA/Solar Orbiter -- New research led by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has confirmed decades-old theoretical models about magnetic reconnection, the process that releases stored magnetic energy to drive solar flares, coronal mass ejections and other space weather phenomena. The data was captured by NASA's Parker Solar Probe (PSP), which is the only spacecraft to have flown through the Sun's upper atmosphere. -- Magnetic reconnection occurs when magnetic field lines in plasma sever and reconnect in a new configuration, releasing large amounts of stored energy. On the Sun, this energy release often results in solar activity that can affect technology on Earth, a phenomenon known as space weather. Modeling solar magnetic reconnection accurately may help predict coronal mass ejections, solar flares and other space weather events that can impact satellites, communication systems and even power grids on Earth. -- "Reconnection operates at different spatial and temporal scales, in space plasmas ranging from the Sun to Earth's magnetosphere to laboratory settings to cosmic scales," said Dr. Ritesh Patel, a research scientist in SwRI's Solar System Science and Exploration Division in Boulder, Colorado, and lead author of a new paper published in Nature Astronomy. "Since the late 1990s, we have been able to identify reconnection in the solar corona through imaging and spectroscopy. In-situ detection was possible in Earth's magnetosphere with the launch of missions like NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. Similar studies in the solar corona, however, only became possible when NASA's Parker Solar Probe launched in 2018." -- PSP's record-breaking proximity to the Sun has enabled new opportunities for study. A Sept. 6, 2022, approach revealed a huge eruption, providing an opportunity to image and sample the plasma and magnetic field properties in detail for the first time. Using a combination of imaging and in-situ diagnostic techniques as well as complementary observations from the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter, the SwRI-led team confirmed that PSP had flown through a reconnection region in the solar atmosphere for the very first time. -- "We've been developing the theory of magnetic reconnection for almost 70 years, so we had a basic idea of how different parameters would behave," Patel said. "The measurements and observations received from the encounter have validated numerical simulation models that have existed for decades within some degree of uncertainty. The data will serve as strong constraints for future models and provide a path to understand PSP's solar measurements from other timeframes and events." -- NASA's MMS mission, led by SwRI, provided researchers with an idea of how reconnection occurs in the near-Earth environment on a smaller scale. The 2022 PSP observations now provide researchers with the missing piece connecting Earth scale to solar scale reconnection. SwRI will next work to identify whether reconnection mechanisms accompanied with turbulence or fluctuations and waves of the magnetic fields are present in the solar regions PSP identified as having active reconnection. -- "Ongoing work provides discoveries at different scales, which allows us to see how energy is transferred and how particles are accelerated," Patel said. "Understanding these processes at the Sun can help better predict solar activity and improve our understanding of the near-Earth environment." -- The Parker Solar Probe was developed as part of NASA's Living with a Star program to explore aspects of the Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society. The Living with a Star program is managed by the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory designed, built and currently operates the spacecraft and manages the mission for NASA. | 381 |
| Scientists May Have Finally Found The Universe’s Missing Sulfur | Researchers Investigate Missing Sulfur In Space, Suggesting It’s Hidden In Icy Grains | Missing interstellar sulfur in inventories of polysulfanes and molecular octasulfur crowns. | University of Mississippi | A new study suggests that the missing sulfur in space may be concealed within icy dust grains, forming complex molecular shapes that are difficult to detect. This discovery provides insights into the chemistry of sulfur in the universe, potentially solving a long-standing mystery about its scarcity and emphasizing its importance for life and planetary formation. | Scientists Found the Universe’s Missing SulfurClouds of cosmic dust and gas contain many of the building blocks needed for life, but sulfur is mysteriously rare. One of the most common forms of sulfur is S8, a ring of sulfur atoms that form a crown-like structure. A team of astrochemists, including an Ole Miss researcher, has discovered that the crowns may help point scientists in the right direction. Credit: John McCustion/University Marketing and Communications -- For decades, astrochemists have been looking for sulfur atoms in space and finding surprisingly little of the element that is a key ingredient to life. A new study could point to where it has been hiding. -- An international team of researchers including Ryan Fortenberry, an astrochemist at the University of Mississippi, and Ralf Kaiser, professor of chemistry at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and Samer Gozem, computational chemist at Georgia State University, published their research in the journal Nature Communications. -- "Hydrogen sulfide is everywhere: it's a product of coal-fired power plants, it has an effect on acid rain, it changes the pH levels of oceans and it comes out of volcanoes," Fortenberry said. "If we gain a better understanding of what the chemistry of sulfur can do, the technological commercialization that can come from that can only be realized with a foundation of fundamental knowledge." -- Sulfur is the 10th most abundant element in the universe and is considered a vital chemical element for planets, stars and life. The lack of molecular sulfur in space has been a mystery for years. -- "The observed amount of sulfur in dense molecular clouds is less - compared to predicted gas-phase abundances- by three orders of magnitude," Kaiser said. -- The answer might lie in interstellar ice. -- In cold regions of space, sulfur can form two distinct, stable configurations: octasulfur crowns, which are a group of eight sulfur atoms configured in ring-like crowns, and polysulfanes, chains of sulfur atoms that are bonded by hydrogen. These molecules can form on icy dust grains, locking sulfur into solid forms. -- "If you use, for instance, the James Webb Space Telescope, you get a specific signature at specific wavelengths for oxygen and carbon and nitrogen and so forth," Fortenberry said. "But when you do that for sulfur, it's out of whack, and we don't know why there isn't enough molecular sulfur. -- "What this work is showing is that the most common forms of sulfur that we already know about are probably where the sulfur is hiding." | 382 |
| One Atom, Endless Power: Scientists Create A Shape-Shifting Catalyst For Green Chemistry | Revolutionary Single-Atom Catalyst Promises Cleaner Chemical Reactions For Sustainable Chemistry | An Adaptive Palladium Single-Atom Catalyst Enabling Reactivity Switching between Borylation and C–C Coupling. | Politecnico di Milano | Researchers at Politecnico di Milano have developed a pioneering single-atom catalyst that acts like a molecular switch, enabling more efficient and eco-friendly chemical reactions. This innovation marks a significant advancement in sustainable chemistry, allowing for programmable industrial processes that minimize energy use and environmental impact, paving the way for future applications in green chemistry. | A Shape-Shifting Catalyst for Green ChemistrySingle-atom catalyst for sustainable chemical synthesis applications, featuring intelligent and reconfigurable behavior. Credit: Politecnico di Milano, edited -- A research team at the Politecnico di Milano has developed an innovative single-atom catalyst capable of selectively adapting its chemical activity. This is a crucial step forward in sustainable chemistry and the design of more efficient and programmable industrial processes. -- The study was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, one of the world's most authoritative scientific journals in chemistry. -- This achievement is a breakthrough in the field of single-atom catalysts. For the first time, scientists have demonstrated the possibility of designing a material that can selectively change its catalytic function depending on the chemical environment. It involves a sort of 'molecular switch' that allows complex reactions to be performed more cleanly and efficiently, using less energy than conventional processes. -- The research focuses on a palladium-based catalyst in atomic form encapsulated in a specially designed organic structure. This structure allows the material to 'switch' between two key reactions in organic chemistry -- bioreaction and carbon-carbon coupling -- simply by varying the reaction conditions. -- "We have created a system that can modulate catalytic reactivity in a controlled manner, paving the way for more intelligent, selective and sustainable chemical transformations," explains Gianvito Vilé, lecturer in the 'Giulio Natta' Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano and coordinator of the study. -- In addition to its reaction flexibility, the new catalyst stands out for its stability, recyclability and reduced environmental impact. The 'green' analyses conducted by the team show a significant decrease in waste and hazardous reagents. -- The study results from an international collaboration with the University of Milan-Bicocca, the University of Ostrava (Czech Republic), the University of Graz (Austria) and Kunsan National University (South Korea). | 383 |
| Astronomers Uncover Enormous Bubble Bigger Than Our Solar System | Astronomers Discover Giant Gas Bubble Surrounding Supergiant Star DFK 52 | Stephenson 2 DFK 52: Discovery of an exotic red supergiant in the massive stellar cluster RSGC2. | Chalmers University of Technology | Astronomers have made an intriguing discovery regarding a red supergiant star, DFK 52, which is surrounded by a massive bubble of gas and dust. This peculiar structure, likely formed by a powerful outburst 4,000 years ago, raises questions about the star's survival without exploding, suggesting the presence of a hidden companion star influencing its dynamics. | Supergiant’s Enormous Bubble Baffles AstronomersRed supergiant DFK 52 and its surroundings as seen by ALMA. The vast, complex bubble blown by this extreme star is about 1.4 light-years across, thousands of times wider than our Solar System. ALMA measures light invisible to our eyes, with wavelength around 1.3 millimetres, emitted by molecules of carbon monoxide and silicon monoxide. Thanks to the Doppler effect, the team has measured how fast the gas is moving along our sightline towards the star. In this image, parts of the bubble moving away from us relative to the star are shown in red, and material moving towards us in blue. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/M. Siebert et al -- Astronomers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have discovered a vast and expanding bubble of gas and dust surrounding a red supergiant star - the largest structure of its kind ever seen in the Milky Way. The bubble, which contains as much mass as the Sun, was blown out in a mysterious stellar eruption around 4000 years ago. Why the star survived such a powerful event is a puzzle, the scientists say. -- The new results are published in the scientific journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, and the team was led by Mark Siebert, Chalmers, Sweden. Using the ALMA radio telescope in Chile, the researchers observed the star DFK 52 - a red supergiant similar to the well-known star Betelgeuse. -- "We got a big surprise when we saw what ALMA was showing us. The star is more or less a twin of Betelgeuse, but it's surrounded by a vast, messy bubble of material," says Mark Siebert at Chalmers. -- The bubble, a complex of clouds of gas and dust, weighs as much as the Sun, and extends out 1.4 light years from the star. That's thousands of times wider than our own solar system. -- If the star was as close to us as Betelgeuse is, the bubble would appear to span a third of the full Moon's width in the sky. -- ALMA's radio observations let astronomers measure the motion of molecules in the cloud, revealing that the bubble is expanding. They believe it was formed when the star suddenly ejected part of its outer layers in a powerful explosion just a few thousand years ago. -- "The bubble is made of material that used to be part of the star. It must have been ejected in a dramatic event, an explosion, that happened about four thousand years ago. In cosmic terms, that's just a moment ago," says Elvire De Beck, astronomer at Chalmers. -- The galaxy's next supernova? -- Why DFK 52 shed so much mass without exploding as a supernova is still unclear. One possibility is that the star has a hidden companion that helped it cast off its outer layers. | 384 |
| Astronomers Stunned By The Strangest Supernova Ever Seen | Newly Observed Supernova Challenges Theories With Stripped-Down Stellar Elements | Extremely stripped supernova reveals a silicon and sulfur formation site. | Northwestern University | A newly identified supernova, stripped of its outer layers, has provided unprecedented insights into stellar death. Observations of SN2021yfj revealed an inner structure rich in silicon and sulfur, challenging existing theories about how massive stars explode and suggesting that their demise may occur in ways that deviate from traditional understandings. | The Strangest Supernova Ever SeenA bizarre supernova, stripped to its silicon-rich core, has given astronomers a rare look inside a massive star’s hidden layers, rewriting ideas about stellar death. Credit: W.M. Keck Observatory/Adam Makarenko -- An international team of scientists, led by Northwestern University astrophysicists, has detected a never-before-seen type of exploding star, or supernova, that is rich with silicon, sulfur and argon. -- When massive stars explode, astrophysicists typically find strong signatures of light elements, such as hydrogen and helium. But the newly discovered supernova, dubbed SN2021yfj, displayed a startling different chemical signature. -- Astronomers long have theorized that massive stars have a layered structure, similar to an onion. The outermost layers predominantly comprise the lightest elements. As the layers move inward, the elements become heavier and heavier until reaching the innermost iron core. -- The observations of SN2021yfj suggest the massive star somehow lost its outer hydrogen, helium and carbon layers -- exposing the inner silicon and sulfur-rich layers -- before exploding. This finding offers direct evidence of the long-theorized inner layered structure of stellar giants and provides an unprecedented glimpse inside a massive star's deep interior -- moments before its explosive death. -- The study was published on Aug. 20 in the journal Nature. -- "This is the first time we have seen a star that was essentially stripped to the bone," said Northwestern's Steve Schulze, who led the study. "It shows us how stars are structured and proves that stars can lose a lot of material before they explode. Not only can they lose their outermost layers, but they can be completely stripped all the way down and still produce a brilliant explosion that we can observe from very, very far distances." -- "This event quite literally looks like nothing anyone has ever seen before," added Northwestern's Adam Miller, a senior author on the study. "It was almost so weird that we thought maybe we didn't observe the correct object. This star is telling us that our ideas and theories for how stars evolve are too narrow. It's not that our textbooks are incorrect, but they clearly do not fully capture everything produced in nature. There must be more exotic pathways for a massive star to end its life that we hadn't considered." -- An expert on astronomy's most extreme transient objects, Schulze is a research associate at Northwestern's Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA). Miller is an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and a leading member of CIERA and the NSF-Simons AI Institute for the Sky. -- A hot, burning onion | 385 |
| How Hidden Cosmic Highways Feed The Universe’s Biggest Stars | Cosmic Highways May Rapidly Form Massive Stars Amidst Fierce Radiation | Massive extended streamers feed high-mass young stars. | Kyoto University | New research suggests that streams of gas may play a critical role in the rapid formation of high-mass stars. Observations indicate that these gas “streamers” could be providing the necessary material to sustain stellar growth despite the strong radiation forces that typically hinder it, redefining our understanding of how massive stars develop. | Feeding Monster Stars with Cosmic HighwaysThe dust emission of the high-mass star forming region G336.018-00.827 ALMA1 at radio wavelengths. The star symbol indicates the protostellar position. The gas is rotating and falling along the red and blue arrows. The gas flow (streamer) indicated by the blue arrow transports gas from the molecular cloud core to the high-density region in the vicinity of the protostar. Credit: KyotoU / Fernando Olguin -- The size of our universe and the bodies within it is incomprehensible for us lowly humans. The sun has a mass that is more than 330,000 that of our Earth, and yet there are stars in the universe that completely dwarf our sun. -- Stars with masses more than eight times that of the sun are considered high mass stars. These form rapidly in a process that gives off stellar wind and radiation, which could not result in stars of such high mass without somehow overcoming this loss of mass, or feedback. Something is feeding these stars, but how exactly they can accumulate so much mass so quickly has remained a mystery. -- Observations of enormous disk-like structures that form around a star -- accretion disks -- had been proposed as the chief way of rapidly feeding young stars. However, a team of researchers from several institutions including Kyoto University and the University of Tokyo, has discovered another possibility. -- "Our work seems to show that these structures are being fed by streamers, which are flows of gas that bring matter from scales larger than a thousand astronomical units, essentially acting as massive gas highways," says corresponding author Fernando Olguin. -- Following on previous research, the team required a higher angular resolution to observe this system in detail, since regions forming high-mass stars are more distant than those with lower mass. The researchers utilized the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, or ALMA, a powerful telescope in Chile composed of an array of antennae that can observe dust and molecular line emissions at millimeter wavelengths. -- Their observations revealed a young star feeding from potentially two streamers. One such streamer was connected to the central region of the star, with a velocity gradient indicative of rotation and possibly infall. This suggests that the streamer carries enough matter at a high rate to quench feedback effects from the young star, eventually contributing to the overly dense region observed around the central massive star. -- The research team expected to see a dust disk or torus of several hundreds astronomical units in size, but they did not expect the spiral arms to reach far closer to the central source. -- "We found streamers feeding what at that time was thought to be a disk, but to our surprise, there is either no disk or it is extremely small," says Olguin. -- These results suggest that, independent of the presence of a disk around the central star, streamers can transport large amounts of gas to feed star-forming regions, even in the presence of feedback from the central star. | 386 |
| Ancient Solar System Crash May Explain Bennu And Ryugu’s Origin | Asteroids Bennu, Ryugu, And Polana Share Ancient Origins From Solar System Collision | JWST Spectroscopy of (142) Polana: Connection to NEAs (101955) Bennu and (162173) Ryugu. | Southwest Research Institute | Researchers have found compelling evidence linking near-Earth asteroids Bennu and Ryugu to a larger main belt asteroid, Polana. Through spectral comparisons using data from the James Webb Telescope, scientists suggest these asteroids are fragments of a single parent body, enhancing our understanding of the early solar system's formation and evolution. | Bennu and Ryugu Traced to Cosmic CollisionSwRI scientists reviewed spectral data of sample material taken from near-Earth asteroids Ryugu (left) and Bennu (right) and compared them with spectral data of main belt asteroid Polana from the James Webb Space Telescope and found that they closely match. Credit: NASA -- A Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) review of data collected from near-Earth asteroids Bennu and Ryugu supports the hypothesis that they were originally part of the Polana collisional family in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. -- The study compared spectroscopy data from Polana with spacecraft and laboratory data from Bennu and Ryugu samples, discovering similarities in their near-infrared spectrum sufficient to support the theory that they originate from the same parent asteroid. -- "Very early in the formation of the solar system, we believe large asteroids collided and broke into pieces to form an 'asteroid family' with Polana as the largest remaining body," said SwRI's Dr. Anicia Arredondo, lead author of the study. "Theories suggest that remnants of that collision not only created Polana, but also Bennu and Ryugu as well. To test that theory, we started looking at spectra of all three bodies and comparing them to one another." -- Arredondo and her team applied for time on the James Webb Space Telescope to observe Polana using two different spectral instruments focusing on the near-infrared and mid-infrared wavelengths. She then compared that data with the spectral data from physical samples of Ryugu and Bennu collected by two different space missions. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Hayabusa2 spacecraft rendezvoused with Ryugu in 2018 and collected samples returned to Earth in late 2020. NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft encountered Bennu in 2020 and collected samples returned to Earth in late 2023. -- Bennu and Ryugu are considered near-Earth asteroids because they orbit the Sun within the orbit of Mars; however, they are not considered a danger to Earth, having a closest approach of about 1.9 and 1 million miles, respectively. Both Bennu and Ryugu are relatively small compared to Polana. Bennu is about one third of a mile in diameter, or about the size of the Empire State Building. Ryugu is twice as large, but Polana dwarfs them both, measuring roughly 33 miles wide. Scientists believe Jupiter's gravity pushed Bennu and Ryugu out of their orbit close to Polana. -- "They are similar enough that we feel confident that all three asteroids could have come from the same parent body," Arredondo said. -- The team noted that the spectral data from the asteroids had variances and differences, but not enough to disprove the hypothesis that they all share a common origin. -- "Polana, Bennu and Ryugu have all had their own journeys through our solar system since the impact that may have formed them," said SwRI's Dr. Tracy Becker, a co-author of the paper. "Bennu and Ryugu are now much closer to the Sun than Polana, so their surfaces may be more affected by solar radiation and solar particles. -- "Likewise, Polana is possibly older than Bennu and Ryugu and thus would have been exposed to micrometeoroid impacts for a longer period," Becker added. "That could also change aspects of its surface, including its composition." | 387 |
| Astronomers Detect Life’s Building Blocks Around A Young Star | Discovery Of Organic Molecules In Protoplanetary Disc Hints At Life’s Building Blocks | A Deep Search for Ethylene Glycol and Glycolonitrile in the V883 Ori Protoplanetary Disk. | Max Planck Institute for Astronomy | Astronomers have detected complex organic molecules in the protoplanetary disc of the young star V883 Orionis, offering insights into the origins of life's building blocks. This discovery shows that essential chemical compounds may be widespread in space, supporting the idea that the precursors to life are synthesized in star-forming regions before the planets take shape. | Astronomers Detect Life’s Building BlocksThis artist’s impression shows the planet-forming disc around the star V883 Orionis. In the outermost part of the disc, volatile gases are frozen out as ice, which contains complex organic molecules. An outburst of energy from the star heats the inner disc to a temperature that evaporates the ice and releases the complex molecules, enabling astronomers to detect it. The inset image shows the chemical structure of complex organic molecules detected and presumed in the protoplanetary disc (from left to right): propionitrile (ethyl cyanide), glycolonitrile, alanine, glycine, ethylene glycol, and acetonitrile (methyl cyanide). Credit: ESO/L. Calçada/T. Müller (MPIA/HdA) -- Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a team of astronomers led by Abubakar Fadul from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) has discovered complex organic molecules - including the first tentative detection of ethylene glycol and glycolonitrile - in the protoplanetary disc of the outbursting protostar V883 Orionis. These compounds are considered precursors to the building blocks of life. Comparing different cosmic environments reveals that the abundance and complexity of such molecules increase from star-forming regions to fully evolved planetary systems. This suggests that the seeds of life are assembled in space and are widespread. The findings were published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters today. -- Astronomers have discovered complex organic molecules (COMs) in various locations associated with planet and star formation before. COMs are molecules with more than five atoms, at least one of which is carbon. Many of them are considered building blocks of life, such as amino acids and nucleic acids or their precursors. The discovery of 17 COMs in the protoplanetary disc of V883 Orionis, including ethylene glycol and glycolonitrile, provides a long-sought puzzle piece in the evolution of such molecules between the stages preceding and following the formation of stars and their planet-forming discs. Glycolonitrile is a precursor of the amino acids glycine and alanine, as well as the nucleobase adenine. -- The assembly of prebiotic molecules begins in interstellar space -- "Our finding points to a straight line of chemical enrichment and increasing complexity between interstellar clouds and fully evolved planetary systems," said Abubakar Fadul, MPIA -- The transition from a cold protostar to a young star surrounded by a disc of dust and gas is accompanied by a violent phase of shocked gas, intense radiation and rapid gas ejection. -- Such energetic processes might destroy most of the complex chemistry assembled during the previous stages. Therefore, scientists had laid out a so-called 'reset' scenario, in which most of the chemical compounds required to evolve into life would have to be reproduced in circumstellar discs while forming comets, asteroids, and planets. -- "Now it appears the opposite is true," MPIA scientist and co-author Kamber Schwarz points out. "Our results suggest that protoplanetary discs inherit complex molecules from earlier stages, and the formation of complex molecules can continue during the protoplanetary disc stage." Indeed, the period between the energetic protostellar phase and the establishment of a protoplanetary disk would, on its own, be too short for COMs to form in detectable amounts. -- As a result, the conditions that predefine biological processes may be widespread rather than being restricted to individual planetary systems. -- Astronomers have found the simplest organic molecules, such as methanol, in dense regions of dust and gas that predate the formation of stars. Under favourable conditions, they may even contain complex compounds comprising ethylene glycol, one of the species now discovered in V883 Orionis. "We recently found ethylene glycol could form by UV irradiation of ethanolamine, a molecule that was recently discovered in space," adds Tushar Suhasaria, a co-author and the head of MPIA's Origins of Life Lab. "This finding supports the idea that ethylene glycol could form in those environments but also in later stages of molecular evolution, where UV irradiation is dominant." | 388 |
| Scientists Twist DNA Into Self-Building Nanostructures That Could Transform Technology | Innovative DNA Structures Open New Frontiers In Nanotechnology And Material Science | DNA moiré superlattices. | Universitaet Stuttgart | Innovative research utilizing DNA's self-assembling properties has led to the creation of intricate moiré superlattices at the nanoscale. These customizable structures, featuring various geometric patterns, hold potential for transformative applications in controlling light, sound, and electrons, marking a significant advancement in nanotechnology and material science. | Twisting DNA Into Self-Building NanostructuresDNA Moiré Superlattices are the focus of a study now published in Nature Nanotechnology. Credit: University of Stuttgart / 2nd Physics Institute -- Researchers are creating new moiré materials at the nanometer scale using advanced DNA nanotechnology: DNA moiré superlattices form when two periodic DNA lattices are overlaid with a slight rotational twist or positional offset. This creates a new, larger interference pattern with completely different physical properties. A new approach developed by researchers at the University of Stuttgart and the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research not only facilitates the complex construction of these superlattices; it also unlocks entirely new design possibilities at the nanoscale. The study has been published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. -- Moiré superlattices have become central to modern condensed matter and photonic research. However, realizing such structures typically involves delicate and laborious fabrication steps, including precise alignment and transfer of pre-fabricated layers under highly controlled conditions. "Our approach bypasses traditional constraints of creating moiré superlattices," says Prof. Laura Na Liu, director of the 2nd Physics Institute at the University of Stuttgart. -- New paradigm for the construction of moiré superlattices -- "Unlike conventional methods that rely on mechanical stacking and twisting of two-dimensional materials, our platform leverages a bottom-up assembly process," explains Laura Na Liu. The assembly process refers to the linking of individual DNA strands to form larger, ordered structures. It is based on self-organization: The DNA strands join together without external intervention, solely through molecular interactions. The Stuttgart research team is taking advantage of this special feature. "We encode the geometric parameters of the superlattice -- such as rotation angle, sublattice spacing, and lattice symmetry -- directly into the molecular design of the initial structure, known as the nucleation seed. We then allow the entire architecture to self-assemble with nanometer precision." The seed acts as a structural blueprint, directing the hierarchical growth of 2D DNA lattices into precisely twisted bilayers or trilayers, all achieved within a single solution-phase assembly step. -- Exploring Uncharted Territory: Moiré Structures on the Intermediate Nanometer Scale -- While moiré superlattices have been widely explored at the atomic (angstrom) and photonic (submicron) scales, the intermediate nanometer regime, where both molecular programmability and material functionality converge, has remained largely inaccessible. The Stuttgart researchers have closed this gap with their current study. The team combines two powerful DNA nanotechniques: DNA origami and single-stranded tile (SST) assembly. -- Using this hybrid strategy, the researchers constructed micrometer-scale superlattices with unit cell dimensions as small as 2.2 nanometers, featuring tunable twist angles and various lattice symmetries, including square, kagome, and honeycomb. They also demonstrated gradient moiré superlattices, in which the twist angle and hence moiré periodicity varies continuously across the structure. "These superlattices reveal well-defined moiré patterns under transmission electron microscopy, with observed twist angles closely matching those encoded in the DNA origami seed," notes co-author Prof. Peter A. van Aken from the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research. -- The study also introduces a new growth process for moiré superlattices. The process is initiated by spatially defined capture strands on the DNA seed that act as molecular 'hooks' to precisely bind SSTs and direct their interlayer alignment. This enables the controlled formation of twisted bilayers or trilayers with accurately aligned SST sublattices. -- Broad implications across molecular engineering, nanophotonics, spintronics, and materials science | 389 |
| Are We Accidentally Broadcasting Our Location To Alien Civilizations? | Could We Be Unknowingly Broadcasting Our Location To Extraterrestrial Civilizations? | Detecting Extraterrestrial Civilizations that Employ an Earth-level Deep Space Network. | Penn State | A study from Penn State and NASA suggests that Earth's deep-space transmissions could be detected by extraterrestrial intelligences if they align properly with certain planetary positions. By analyzing human communications sent to interplanetary spacecraft, researchers propose focusing on exoplanet alignments to enhance the search for alien technosignatures, potentially improving our understanding of cosmic communications. | Earth May Already Be Broadcasting to AliensIn a new study, researchers from Penn State and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory analyzed human deep space communications and found that human transmissions are frequently directed toward our own spacecrafts near Mars (lower left), the Sun, and other planets. Because planets like Mars do not block the entire signal, an extraterrestrial intelligence positioned along the path of interplanetary communications—when the planets align form their perspective—could potentially detect the spillover. This suggests that humans should look to planetary alignments outside of the solar system when searching for signatures of extraterrestrial communications. Credit: Zayna Sheikh -- If an extraterrestrial intelligence were looking for signs of human communications, when and where should they look? In a new study, researchers at Penn State and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California analyzed when and where human deep space transmissions would be most detectable by an observer outside our solar system and suggest that the patterns they see could be used to guide our own search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). -- "Humans are predominantly communicating with the spacecraft and probes we have sent to study other planets like Mars," said Pinchen Fan, graduate student in astronomy and astrophysics in the Penn State Eberly College of Science, science principal investigator of the NASA grant supporting this research and first author of the paper. "But a planet like Mars does not block the entire transmission, so a distant spacecraft or planet positioned along the path of these interplanetary communications could potentially detect the spillover; that would occur when Earth and another solar system planet align from their perspective. This suggests that we should look for alignment of planets outside of our solar system when searching for extraterrestrial communications." -- A paper describing the research was published on August 21 in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. -- "SETI researchers often search the universe for signs of past or present technology, called technosignatures, as evidence of intelligent life," Fan said. "Considering the direction and frequency of our most common signals gives insights into where we should be looking to improve our chances of detecting alien technosignatures." -- The researchers analyzed logs from NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN), a system of ground-based facilities that permits two-way radio communications with human-made objects in space, acting as a relay to send commands to spacecraft and receive information they send back. The research team carefully matched up DSN logs with information about spacecraft locations to determine the timing and directionality of radio communications from Earth. Although several countries have their own deep-space networks, the researchers said that the NASA-run DSN should be representative of the types of communications coming from Earth, in part because NASA has led most deep-space missions to date. -- "NASA's Deep Space Network provides the crucial link between Earth and its interplanetary missions like the New Horizons spacecraft, which is now outbound from the Solar System, and the James Webb Space Telescope," said Joseph Lazio, project scientist at JPL and an author of the paper. "It sends some of humanity's strongest and most persistent radio signals into space, and the public logs of its transmissions allowed our team to establish the temporal and spatial patterns of those transmissions for the past 20 years." -- For this study, the researchers focused on transmissions to deep space, including transmissions to telescopes in space as well as interplanetary spacecraft, instead of transmissions intended for spacecraft or satellites in low-Earth orbit, which are relatively low power and would be difficult to detect from a distance. -- The researchers found that deep space radio signals were predominantly directed toward spacecraft near Mars. Other common transmissions were directed toward other planets and to telescopes at Sun-Earth Lagrange points -- points in space where the gravity of the Sun and Earth keep the telescopes in a relatively fixed position as viewed from Earth. -- "Based on data from the last 20 years, we found that if an extraterrestrial intelligence were in a location that could observe the alignment of Earth and Mars, there's a 77% chance that they would be in the path of one of our transmissions -- orders of magnitude more likely than being in a random position at a random time, Fan said. "If they could view an alignment with another solar-system planet, there is a 12% chance they would be in the path of our transmissions. When not observing a planet alignment, however, these chances are minuscule." | 390 |
| Tiny Reactor Boosts Fusion With A Sponge-Like Trick | Small Reactor Innovatively Boosts Nuclear Fusion Rates Using Deuterium Fuel | Electrochemical loading enhances deuterium fusion rates in a metal target. | University of British Columbia | Researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed a small bench-top reactor that enhances nuclear fusion rates by electrochemically loading deuterium into palladium. Unlike traditional reactors, this room-temperature setup boosts fusion likelihood without requiring extreme pressures. The findings could pave the way for more accessible fusion research and energy solutions, despite not yet achieving net energy gain. | Tiny Reactor Surprises With Fusion BoostThe Thunderbird Reactor is a custom-made, bench-top-sized particle accelerator and electrochemical reactor built by an interdisciplinary team at the University of British Columbia. Credit: niversity of British Columbia, Berlinguette Lab. -- Using a small bench-top reactor, researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have demonstrated that electrochemically loading a solid metal target with deuterium fuel can boost nuclear fusion rates. -- Large-scale magnetic confinement fusion -- which puts plasmas under extreme temperatures and pressure -- is being widely explored as a method for clean energy generation. The experiment published on August 20 in Nature takes an entirely different approach -- with a more accessible, room-temperature reactor used to study the effect of electrochemical loading on nuclear fusion reaction rates. -- The team loaded a metal target made of palladium with high concentrations of deuterium fuel -- on one side of the target, using a plasma field to load the fuel, and on the other, using an additional electrochemical cell to load the fuel. -- "The goal is to increase fuel density and the probability of deuterium-deuterium collisions, and as a result, fusion events," explains Professor Curtis P. Berlinguette, corresponding author of the paper and Distinguished University Scholar at UBC. -- "Using electrochemistry, we loaded much more deuterium into the metal -- like squeezing fuel into a sponge. One volt of electricity achieved what normally requires 800 atmospheres of pressure. While we didn't achieve net energy gain, the approach boosted fusion rates in a way other researchers can reproduce and build on." -- The electrochemical loading of deuterium into the palladium target increased deuterium-deuterium fusion rates by an average of 15 per cent compared to loading the target palladium using the plasma field alone. -- While the performance boost is modest, it's the first demonstration of deuterium-deuterium nuclear fusion using these techniques -- plasma immersion ion implantation and electrochemical loading. The experiment still used more energy than it created. -- "We hope this work helps bring fusion science out of the giant national labs and onto the lab bench," adds Professor Berlinguette. "Our approach brings together nuclear fusion, materials science, and electrochemistry to create a platform where both fuel-loading methods and target materials can be systematically tuned. We see this as a starting point -- one that invites the community to iterate, refine, and build upon in the spirit of open and rigorous inquiry." -- Nuclear fusion -- energy released from combining atomic nuclei, as occurs in the sun -- is more powerful than fission (splitting nuclei) and creates less dangerous radioactive waste. | 391 |
| These Asteroids Share A Strange Fingerprint From Billions Of Years Ago | Unrelated Asteroids Share Mysterious Dusty Coating, Suggesting Common Ancient Origins | The Mineralogical Connection between M- and K-type Asteroids as Indicated by Polarimetry. | Caltech IPAC | An innovative study has revealed that two distinct types of asteroids share a unique troilite coating, suggesting a common origin from ancient parent bodies. Using polarization of light techniques, researchers uncovered this connection, offering new insights into the early solar system's chaotic history and the evolutionary processes that shaped these celestial bodies. | These Asteroids Share a Strange FingerprintThis animation shows how an asteroid would appear during different phases depending on its location relative to the Sun, similar to how the Moon has phases. Credit: Caltech/IPAC/K. Miller -- Approximately 4.6 billion years ago our solar system formed from a huge disk of gas and dust orbiting our Sun. The asteroids we see today are some of the most complete artifacts of this formation left for us to observe, like the screws, offcuts, and other debris leftover at a construction site. Scientists can study these floating time capsules and examine their composition, shape, and surface makeup to infer what our solar system was like when it was born. -- Asteroids are organized by researchers into categories based on similar characteristics, and a recent paper published in The Planetary Science Journal, led by IPAC scientist Joe Masiero, shares evidence that two distinct types of asteroids may have actually shared the same harsh past. -- "Asteroids offer us the chance to look at what was going on in the early solar system like a freeze frame of the conditions that existed when the first solid objects formed," said Masiero. -- Using data from Caltech's Palomar Observatory, Masiero's research focuses on two categories of asteroids, one that is metal-rich and another made of a mix of silicates and other materials. While they have completely different compositions, the two share a unique dusty layer of a material made of both iron and sulfur, called troilite. -- "Troilite is very uncommon, so we can use it as a fingerprint that links these two different types of objects to each other," said Masiero. -- It's just a phase -- Asteroids are separated into different classes based on the spectrum of light reflected off of their surface, denoted by letters such as M, K, C, and more. The spectra can show the presence of carbon, silicates, or metals in the regolith, or surface dirt, of the asteroid. -- In this study, Masiero looked at M- and K-type asteroids. M-types are metal-rich, while K-types are composed of silicates and other materials and thought to be linked to an ancient giant collision between asteroids. About 95 percent of Earth's crust and mantle are made up of silicates. -- But the same materials on asteroids can appear differently depending on the shape of the asteroid, the size of the regolith (dust, pebbles, boulders), and the phase angle of the asteroid relative to the Sun. | 392 |
| What Came Before The Big Bang? Supercomputers May Hold The Answer | Rethinking Cosmic Mysteries: Can Supercomputers Answer What Happened Before The Big Bang? | Cosmology using numerical relativity. | Foundational Questions Institute, FQXi | A new approach using numerical relativity and complex computer simulations aims to address significant cosmic questions, including events preceding the Big Bang and theories of cosmic inflation. Researchers argue that this method allows for exploration beyond traditional assumptions, potentially providing insights into multiverses and the cyclical nature of the universe. | What Came Before the Big Bang?Complex computational methods could solve cosmic mysteries. Credit: Gabriel Fitzpatrick for FQxI, © FQxI (2025) -- We're often told it is "unscientific" or "meaningless" to ask what happened before the Big Bang. But a new paper by FQxI cosmologist Eugene Lim, of King's College London, UK, and astrophysicists Katy Clough, of Queen Mary University of London, UK, and Josu Aurrekoetxea, at Oxford University, UK, published in Living Reviews in Relativity, in June 2025, proposes a way forward: using complex computer simulations to numerically (rather than exactly) solve Einstein's equations for gravity in extreme situations. The team argues that numerical relativity should be applied increasingly in cosmology to probe some of the universe's biggest questions-including what happened before the Big Bang, whether we live in a multiverse, if our universe has collided with a neighboring cosmos, or whether our universe cycled through a series of bangs and crunches. -- Einstein's equations of general relativity describe gravity and the motion of cosmic objects. But wind the clock back far enough and you'll typically encounter a singularity-a state of infinite density and temperature-where the laws of physics collapse. Cosmologists simply cannot solve Einstein's equations in such extreme environments-their normal simplifying assumptions no longer hold. And the same impasse applies to objects involving singularities or extreme gravity, such as black holes. -- One issue might be what cosmologists take for granted. They normally assume that the universe is 'isotropic' and 'homogeneous'-looking the same in every direction to every observer. This is a very good approximation for the universe we see around us, and one that makes it possible to easily solve Einstein's equations in most cosmic scenarios. But is this a good approximation for the universe during the Big Bang? -- "You can search around the lamppost, but you can't go far beyond the lamppost, where it's dark-you just can't solve those equations," explains Lim. "Numerical relativity allows you to explore regions away from the lamppost." -- Beyond the Lamppost -- Numerical relativity was first suggested in the 1960s and 1970s to try to work out what kinds of gravitational waves (ripples in the fabric of spacetime) would be emitted if black holes collided and merged. This is an extreme scenario for which it is impossible to solve Einstein's equations with paper and pen alone-sophisticated computer code and numerical approximations are required. Its development received renewed focus when the LIGO experiment was proposed in the 80s, although the problem was only solved in this way in 2005, raising hopes that the method could also be successfully applied to other puzzles. -- "You can search around the lamppost, but you can't go far beyond the lamppost, where it's dark-you just can't solve those equations. Numerical relativity allows you to explore regions away from the lamppost," says Eugene Lim. -- One longstanding puzzle that Lim is particularly excited about is cosmic inflation, a period of extremely rapid expansion in the early universe. Inflation was initially proposed to explain why the universe looks the way it does today, stretching out an initially small patch, so that the universe looks similar across a vast expanse. "If you don't have inflation, a lot of things fall apart," explains Lim. But while inflation helps explain the state of the universe today, nobody has been able to explain how or why the baby universe had this sudden short-lived growth spurt. -- The trouble is, to probe this using Einstein's equations, cosmologists have to assume that the universe was homogeneous and isotropic in the first place-something which inflation was meant to explain. If you instead assume it started out in another state, then "you don't have the symmetry to write down your equations easily," explains Lim. | 393 |
| This Spectrometer Is Smaller Than A Pixel, And It Sees What We Can’t | Revolutionary Miniature Spectrometer Could Lead To Handheld Imaging Devices | Single-pixel spectrometer based on a bias-tunable tandem organic photodetector. | North Carolina State University | Researchers have developed a miniature spectrometer capable of accurately measuring light wavelengths across a wide spectrum, from ultraviolet to near-infrared. This significantly smaller technology could enable the creation of handheld spectrometry devices, revolutionizing applications in various fields, from biomedical diagnostics to consumer electronics. | Spectrometer Smaller Than a PixelResearchers have successfully demonstrated a spectrometer that is orders of magnitude smaller than current technologies and can accurately measure wavelengths of light from ultraviolet to the near-infrared. The technology makes it possible to create hand-held spectroscopy devices and holds promise for the development of devices that incorporate an array of the new sensors to serve as next-generation imaging spectrometers. This photo shows a series of prototype organic photodetector-based spectrometer cells. Each metal bar is a detector capable of measuring light spectra. Credit: Brendan O'Connor, NC State University -- Researchers have successfully demonstrated a spectrometer that is orders of magnitude smaller than current technologies and can accurately measure wavelengths of light from ultraviolet to the near-infrared. The technology makes it possible to create hand-held spectroscopy devices and holds promise for the development of devices that incorporate an array of the new sensors to serve as next-generation imaging spectrometers. -- "Spectrometers are critical tools for helping us understand the chemical and physical properties of various materials based on how light changes when it interacts with those materials," says Brendan O'Connor, corresponding author of a paper on the work and a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at North Carolina State University. "They are used in applications that range from manufacturing to biomedical diagnostics. However, the smallest spectrometers on the market are still fairly bulky. -- "We've created a spectrometer that operates quickly, at low voltage, and that is sensitive to a wide spectrum of light," O'Connor says. "Our demonstration prototype is only a few square millimeters in size - it could fit on your phone. You could make it as small as a pixel, if you wanted to." -- The technology makes use of a tiny photodetector capable of sensing wavelengths of light after the light interacts with a target material. By applying different voltages to the photodetector, you can manipulate which wavelengths of light the photodetector is most sensitive to. -- "If you rapidly apply a range of voltages to the photodetector, and measure all of the wavelengths of light being captured at each voltage, you have enough data that a simple computational program can recreate an accurate signature of the light that is passing through or reflecting off of the target material," O'Connor says. "The range of voltages is less than one volt, and the entire process can take place in less than a millisecond." -- Previous attempts to create miniaturized photodetectors have relied on complex optics, used high voltages, or have not been as sensitive to such a broad range of wavelengths. -- In proof-of-concept testing, the researchers found their pixel-sized spectrometer was as accurate as a conventional spectrometer and had sensitivity comparable to commercial photodetection devices. -- "In the long term, our goal is to bring spectrometers to the consumer market," O'Connor says. "The size and energy demand of the technology make it feasible to incorporate into a smartphone, and we think this makes some exciting applications possible. From a research standpoint, this also paves the way for improved access to imaging spectroscopy, microscopic spectroscopy, and other applications that would be useful in the lab." -- The paper, "Single pixel spectrometer based on a bias-tunable tandem organic photodetector," is published in the journal Device. First author of the paper is Harry Schrickx, a former Ph.D. student at NC State. The paper was co-authored by Abdullah Al Shafe, a former Ph.D. student at NC State; Caleb Moore, a former undergraduate at NC State; Yusen Pei, a Ph.D. student at NC State; Franky So, the Walter and Ida Freeman Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at NC State; and Michael Kudenov, the John and Catherine Amein Family Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NC State. | 394 |
| Atomic-Scale Secrets: What Really Happens Inside Your Battery | Researchers Uncover Game-Changing Insights About Battery Mechanics At Atomic Level | Nucleation at solid–liquid interfaces is accompanied by the reconfiguration of electrical double layers. | University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering | A team at the University of Illinois has utilized advanced 3D atomic force microscopy to study previously invisible electrical double layers (EDLs) in batteries, revealing their dynamic behavior at solid-liquid interfaces. These findings enhance our understanding of battery function at the molecular level and could lead to innovative designs for next-generation energy storage technologies. | What Really Happens Inside Your BatteryBreakthrough imaging reveals how invisible liquid layers behave inside batteries, hinting at smarter, more efficient energy tech. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Electrochemical cells - or batteries, as a well-known example - are complex technologies that combine chemistry, physics, materials science and electronics. More than power sources for everything from smartphones to electric vehicles, they remain a strong motivation for scientific inquiry that seeks to fully understand their structure and evolution at the molecular level. -- A team led by Yingjie Zhang, a professor of materials science and engineering in The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has completed the first investigation into a widely acknowledged but often overlooked aspect of electrochemical cells: the nonuniformity of the liquid at the solid-liquid interfaces in the cells. As the researchers reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, microscopic imaging revealed that these interfacial structures, called electrical double layers (EDLs), tend to organize into specific configurations in response to chemical deposition on the surface of the solid. -- "There's a tendency to think of electrochemical cells just for their technological utility as batteries, but there is still plenty of science to do on them that will inform the technological applications," said Qian Ai, a graduate student in Zhang's research group and the study's lead author. "In our work, we carefully examined EDLs with 3D atomic force microscopy, a technique designed to sense small forces. We observed the molecular structure of inhomogeneous EDLs surrounding surface clusters for the first time." -- Electrochemical cells take advantage of mobile charges inside liquid electrolytes to maintain an electrical imbalance that gives rise to a voltage difference between two terminals. The earliest investigations of these systems over 100 years ago revealed the existence of EDLs at the interface between the liquid electrolyte and solid conductor mediating the voltage difference. They consist of electrolytes self-organized into nanometer-thick layers at the interface. -- Past work has shown that solid-liquid interfaces in batteries are heterogeneous, exhibiting spatially varying chemical compositions and morphologies, sometimes forming surface clusters. However, these attempts to study and model electrochemical cells focused only on model systems with flat and uniform surfaces. The result is a knowledge gap that impedes our understanding of electrochemical cells and battery technology. -- To investigate the heterogeneous interfaces, the team used 3D atomic force microscopy, a technique designed to sense small forces. This method allowed them to correlate the inhomogeneity in EDLs with the surface clusters, structures that nucleate at the initial stages of battery charging. Based on the data, the researchers proposed three primary responses in the EDLs: "bending," in which the layers appear to curve around the cluster; "breaking," in which parts of the layers detach to form new intermediate layers; and "reconnecting," in which the EDL layer above the cluster connects to a nearby layer with an offset in the layer number. -- "These three patterns are quite universal," Ai said. "Those structures are mainly due to the finite size of the liquid molecules, not their specific chemistry. We should be able to predict the liquid structure based on the solid's surface morphology for other systems." -- Going forward, the researchers look forward to expanding their findings. -- "This is groundbreaking," Zhang said. "We have resolved the EDLs in realistic, heterogeneous electrochemical systems, which is a holy grain in electrochemistry. Besides the practical implications in technology, we are starting to develop new chapters in electrochemistry textbooks." | 395 |
| Trapped By Moon Dust: The Physics Error That Fooled NASA For Years | Engineers Find Critical Error In Testing Rovers On Earth For Lunar Terrain Challenges | A Study Demonstrating That Using Gravitational Offset to Prepare Extraterrestrial Mobility Missions Is Misleading. | University of Wisconsin-Madison | Engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered a critical flaw in how lunar and Martian rovers are tested on Earth, revealing that the behavior of sand changes significantly under different gravitational conditions. Their simulations show that lunar sand is less supportive, suggesting that testing methods must be revised to better predict rover performance in extraterrestrial environments. | Why NASA Rovers Keep Getting StuckThis bootprint marks one of the first steps human beings took on the moon in July 1969. It was made by American astronaut Buzz Aldrin during the Apollo 11 mission. Credit: NASA -- When a multimillion-dollar extraterrestrial vehicle gets stuck in soft sand or gravel -- as did the Mars rover Spirit in 2009 -- Earth-based engineers take over like a virtual tow truck, issuing a series of commands that move its wheels or reverse its course in a delicate, time-consuming effort to free it and continue its exploratory mission. -- While Spirit remained permanently stuck, in the future, better terrain testing right here on terra firma could help avert these celestial crises. -- Using computer simulations, University of Wisconsin-Madison mechanical engineers have uncovered a flaw in how rovers are tested on Earth. That error leads to overly optimistic conclusions about how rovers will behave once they're deployed on extraterrestrial missions. -- An important element in preparing for these missions is an accurate understanding of how a rover will traverse extraterrestrial surfaces in low gravity to prevent it from getting stuck in soft terrain or rocky areas. -- On the moon, the gravitational pull is six times weaker than on Earth. For decades, researchers testing rovers have accounted for that difference in gravity by creating a prototype that is a sixth of the mass of the actual rover. They test these lightweight rovers in deserts, observing how it moves across sand to gain insights into how it would perform on the moon. -- It turns out, however, that this standard testing approach overlooked a seemingly inconsequential detail: the pull of Earth's gravity on the desert sand. -- Through simulation, Dan Negrut, a professor of mechanical engineering at UW-Madison, and his collaborators determined that Earth's gravity pulls down on sand much more strongly than the gravity on Mars or the moon does. On Earth, sand is more rigid and supportive -- reducing the likelihood it will shift under a vehicle's wheels. But the moon's surface is "fluffier" and therefore shifts more easily -- meaning rovers have less traction, which can hinder their mobility. -- "In retrospect, the idea is simple: We need to consider not only the gravitational pull on the rover but also the effect of gravity on the sand to get a better picture of how the rover will perform on the moon," Negrut says. "Our findings underscore the value of using physics-based simulation to analyze rover mobility on granular soil." -- The team recently detailed its findings in the Journal of Field Robotics. | 396 |
| Stopping Time In Cells Exposes Life’s Fastest Secrets | Capturing Cellular Moments: New Microscopy Technique Freezes Cells With Millisecond Precision | Time-deterministic cryo-optical microscopy. | The University of Osaka | Researchers at The University of Osaka have pioneered a time-deterministic cryo-optical microscopy technique, allowing them to freeze living cells at precise moments. This innovative approach captures high-resolution details of rapid cellular events, such as calcium ion waves in heart cells, overcoming traditional imaging limitations and offering critical insights into dynamic biological processes. | Scientists Freeze Living Cells in ActionA new cryo-optical microscopy technique freezes cells in motion, allowing scientists to capture ultra-detailed snapshots of fast biological processes with unprecedented accuracy. Credit: 2025, Kosuke Tsuji, Masahito Yamanaka et al., Time-deterministic cryo-optical microscopy, Light: Science&Applications -- Optical microscopy is a key technique for understanding dynamic biological processes in cells, but observing these high-speed cellular dynamics accurately, at high spatial resolution, has long been a formidable task. -- Now, in an article published in Light: Science & Applications, researchers from The University of Osaka, together with collaborating institutions, have unveiled a cryo-optical microscopy technique that take a high-resolution, quantitatively accurate snapshot at a precisely selected timepoint in dynamic cellular activity. Capturing fast dynamic cellular events with spatial detail and quantifiability has been a major challenge owing to a fundamental trade-off between temporal resolution and the 'photon budget', that is, how much light can be collected for the image. With limited photons and only dim, noisy images, important features in both space and time become lost in the noise. -- "Instead of chasing speed in imaging, we decided to freeze the entire scene," explains one of the lead authors Kosuke Tsuji. "We developed a special sample-freezing chamber to combine the advantages of live-cell and cryo-fixation microscopy. By rapidly freezing live cells under the optical microscope, we could observe a frozen snapshot of the cellular dynamics at high resolutions." -- For instance, the team froze calcium ion wave propagation in live heart-muscle cells. The intricately detailed frozen wave was then observed in three dimensions using a super-resolution technique that cannot normally observe fast cellular dynamics due to its slow imaging acquisition speed. -- "This research began with a bold shift in perspective: to arrest dynamic cellular processes during optical imaging rather than struggle to track them in motion. We believe this will serve as a powerful foundational technique, offering new insights across life-science and medical research," says senior author Katsumasa Fujita. One of the lead authors, Masahito Yamanaka, adds "Our technique preserves both spatial and temporal features of live cells with instantaneous freezing, making it possible to observe their states in detail. While cells are immobilized, we can take the opportunity to perform highly accurate quantitative measurements with a variety of optical microscopy tools." -- The researchers also demonstrated how this technique improves quantification accuracy. By freezing cells labeled with a fluorescent calcium ion probe, they were able to use exposure times 1000 times longer than practical in live-cell imaging, substantially increasing the measurement accuracy. -- To capture transient biological events at precisely defined moments, the researcher integrated an electrically triggered cryogen injection system. With UV light stimulation to induce calcium ion waves, this system enabled freezing of the calcium ion waves at a specific time point after the initiation of the event, with 10 ms precision. This allowed the team to arrest transient biological processes with unprecedented temporal accuracy. -- Finally, the team tuned their attention to combining different imaging techniques, which are often difficult to align in time. By the near-instantaneous freezing of samples, multiple imaging modalities can now be applied sequentially without worrying about temporal mismatch. In their study, the team combined spontaneous Raman microscopy and super-resolution fluorescence microscopy on the same cryofixed cells. This allowed them to view intricate cellular information from a number of perspectives at the exact same point in time. -- This innovation opens new avenues for observing fast, transient cellular events, providing researchers with a powerful tool to explore the mechanisms underlying dynamic biological processes. | 397 |
| Even Mild Covid May Leave Blood Vessels Five Years Older | Covid's Hidden Impact: Blood Vessels Age Five Years Faster, Especially In Women | Accelerated vascular ageing after COVID-19 infection: the CARTESIAN study. | European Society of Cardiology | A recent study indicates that COVID-19 accelerates vascular aging by approximately five years, particularly in women, leading to increased stiffness of arteries. While vaccinated individuals show less damage, this prolonged vascular aging could heighten the long-term risks of heart disease and stroke. | Covid Infection Accelerates Blood Vessel AgingCovid can age arteries by years, particularly in women, increasing risks of heart disease. Vaccination helps reduce the effect, but long Covid leaves many vulnerable. Credit: Shutterstock -- A Covid infection, particularly in women, may lead to blood vessels aging around five years, according to research published today (August 18) in the European Heart Journal. -- Blood vessels gradually become stiffer with age, but the new study suggests that Covid could accelerate this process. Researchers say this is important since people with stiffer blood vessels face a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, including stroke and heart attack. -- The study was led by Professor Rosa Maria Bruno from Université Paris Cité, France. She said: "Since the pandemic, we have learned that many people who have had Covid are left with symptoms that can last for months or even years. However, we are still learning what's happening in the body to create these symptoms. -- "We know that Covid can directly affect blood vessels. We believe that this may result in what we call early vascular aging, meaning that your blood vessels are older than your chronological age and you are more susceptible to heart disease. If that is happening, we need to identify who is at risk at an early stage to prevent heart attacks and strokes." -- The study included 2,390 people from 16 different countries (Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Turkey, UK and US) who were recruited between September 2020 to February 2022. They were categorized according to whether they had never had Covid, had recent Covid but were not hospitalized, hospitalized for Covid on a general ward or hospitalized for Covid in an intensive care unit. -- Researchers assessed each person's vascular age with a device that measures how quickly a wave of blood pressure travels between the carotid artery (in the neck) and femoral arteries (in the legs), a measure called carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV). The higher this measurement, the stiffer the blood vessels and the higher the vascular age of a person. Measurements were taken six months after Covid infection and again after 12 months. -- Researchers also recorded demographic information such as patient's sex, age and other factors that can influence cardiovascular health. -- After taking these factors into consideration, researchers found that all three groups of patients who had been infected with Covid, including those with mild Covid, had stiffer arteries, compared to those who had not been infected. The effect was greater in women than in men and in people who experienced the persistent symptoms of long Covid, such as shortness of breath and fatigue. -- The average increase in PWV in women who had mild Covid was 0.55 meters per second, 0.60 in women hospitalized with Covid, and 1.09 for women treated in intensive care. Researchers say | 398 |
| This Overlooked Trait Could Explain Anxiety And Depression In Millions | Sensitivity And Mental Health: Highly Sensitive Individuals Face Greater Risks And Benefits | The Relationship Between Environmental Sensitivity and Common Mental-Health Problems in Adolescents and Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. | Queen Mary University of London | A groundbreaking meta-analysis reveals that highly sensitive individuals are more susceptible to mental health issues like depression and anxiety while also benefiting significantly from therapeutic interventions. With around 31% of the population identified as highly sensitive, this finding urges clinicians to consider sensitivity levels when diagnosing and treating mental health conditions. | Why Sensitive People Face Anxiety and DepressionBeing highly sensitive raises the risk of mental health struggles, but it also boosts the benefits of positive experiences and treatments, according to the largest review of its kind. Credit: Shutterstock -- The meta-analysis of 33 studies, the first of its kind, looked at the relationship between sensitivity and common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Researchers found there was a significant, positive relationship between the two, concluding that highly sensitive people are more likely to experience depression and anxiety compared to those who are less sensitive. -- In the study, sensitivity was defined as a personality trait that reflects people's capacity to perceive and process environmental stimuli such as bright lights, subtle changes in the environment and other peoples' moods. Often overlooked in mental health studies and clinical practice, which tend to focus on neuroticism and its association with mental health conditions, this research shows that understanding a person's sensitivity level is important and can have therapeutic implications. -- For example, people with more sensitive personality traits may be more likely to benefit from treatment plans which involve techniques such as applied relaxation and mindfulness, which can also prevent relapse. -- Tom Falkenstein, a psychotherapist and a PhD student at Queen Mary University of London, said: "This is the most extensive systematic review on sensitivity and mental health in adolescents and adults to date, and is the first ever meta-analysis on the topic to estimate the impact of this relationship. We found positive and moderate correlations between sensitivity and various mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, agoraphobia and avoidant personality disorder. Our findings suggest that sensitivity should be considered more in clinical practice which could be used to improve diagnosis of conditions." -- "In addition, our findings could help improve treatment for these individuals. Around 31% of the general population are considered highly sensitive, and, as our findings show, are more likely to respond better to some psychological interventions than less sensitive individuals. Therefore, sensitivity should be considered when thinking about treatment plans for mental health conditions. Our work shows it is crucial that the awareness of sensitivity is improved among mental health care professionals, so clinicians and practitioners can recognize the trait in their patients, and tailor treatment to their sensitivity." -- Michael Pluess, Professor in Developmental Psychology at University of Surrey and Visiting Professor at Queen Mary University of London said: -- "This is the first meta-analysis providing robust evidence that highly sensitive people are more prone to common mental health problems. However, it is important to remember that highly sensitive people are also more responsive to positive experiences, including psychological treatment. Our results provide further evidence that sensitive people are more affected by both negative and positive experiences and that the quality of their environment is particularly important for their well-being." -- The systematic review and meta analysis of 33 studies was carried out by an academic team from several universities including Queen Mary University and the University of Surrey. -- Authors include Tom Falkenstein (Queen Mary University of London), Luke Satori (Kings College London), Margherita Malanchini, (Queen Mary University of London) Kristin Hadfield (Trinity College Dublin) and Michael Pluess (University of Surrey). | 399 |
| One Small Walking Adjustment Could Delay Knee Surgery For Years | Walk Your Way To Relief: Simple Gait Adjustments Can Ease Osteoarthritis Pain | Personalised gait retraining for medial compartment knee osteoarthritis: a randomised controlled trial. | University of Utah | Research from Utah's engineering department highlights the significant benefits of gait retraining for easing osteoarthritis pain. By adjusting foot angles during walking, individuals experienced pain relief comparable to medication and slowed cartilage degradation, suggesting a practical non-drug treatment option for knee osteoarthritis sufferers. | Relieve Arthritic Knee Pain Without DrugsScientists have discovered that tweaking foot angle while walking can match the pain relief of drugs for osteoarthritis and even protect knee cartilage from further damage. Credit: Shutterstock -- Nearly a quarter of people over the age of 40 experience painful osteoarthritis, making it a leading cause of disability in adults. Osteoarthritis degrades joint-cushioning cartilage, and there is currently no way of reversing this damage: the only option is to manage pain with medication, and eventually, joint replacement. -- Researchers from the University of Utah, New York University and Stanford University are now demonstrating the potential for another option: gait retraining. -- By making a small adjustment to the angle of their foot while walking, participants in a year-long randomized control trial experienced pain relief equivalent to medication. Critically, those participants also showed less knee cartilage degradation over that period as compared to a group that received a placebo treatment. -- Published in The Lancet Rheumatologyand co-led by Scott Uhlrich of Utah's John and Marcia Price College of Engineering, these findings come from the first placebo-controlled study to demonstrate the effectiveness of a biomechanical intervention for osteoarthritis. -- "We've known that for people with osteoarthritis, higher loads in their knee accelerate progression, and that changing the foot angle can reduce knee load," said Uhlrich, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering. "So the idea of a biomechanical intervention is not new, but there have not been randomized, placebo-controlled studies to show that they're effective." -- With support from the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies, the researchers were specifically looking at patients with mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis in the medial compartment of the knee -- on the inside of the leg -- which tends to bear more weight than the lateral, outside, compartment. This form of osteoarthritis is the most common, but the ideal foot angle for reducing load in the medial side of the knee differs from person to person depending on their natural gait and how it changes when they adopt the new walking pattern. -- "Previous trials prescribed the same intervention to all individuals, resulting in some individuals not reducing, or even increasing, their joint loading," Uhlrich said. "We used a personalized approach to selecting each individual's new walking pattern, which improved how much individuals could offload their knee and likely contributed to the positive effect on pain and cartilage that we saw." -- In their first two visits, participants received a baseline MRI and practiced walking on a pressure-sensitive treadmill while motion-capture cameras recorded the mechanics of their gait. This allowed the researchers to determine whether turning the patient's toe inward or outward would reduce load more, and whether a 5° or 10° adjustment would be ideal. -- This personalized analysis also screened out potential participants who could not benefit from the intervention, as none of the foot angle changes could decrease loading in their knees. These participants were included in previous studies, which may have contributed to those studies' inconclusive pain results. | 400 |
| A $2 Gold Nanotech Test That Detects Deadly Diseases In Minutes | Game-Changing Blood Test: Detect Deadly Diseases In Minutes With Just One Drop | Nanoparticle-Supported, Rapid, and Electronic Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies and Antigens at the Subfemtomolar Level. | Arizona State University | Arizona State University scientists have introduced NasRED, an ultra-sensitive blood test that detects diseases such as COVID-19 and Ebola with remarkable speed and precision. This affordable, portable test can deliver results in 15 minutes and has the potential to transform disease detection and outbreak management worldwide. | $2 Test Detects Deadly Diseases in MinutesAt the core of a new diagnostic test created by ASU researchers are tiny gold nanoparticles, engineered to detect extremely small amounts of disease-related proteins. The device is so sensitive that it can detect disease from just a few hundred molecules in an extremely small fluid sample — a fraction of a single drop. This sensitivity is nearly 100,000 times greater than that of standard laboratory tests. Credit: Jason Drees -- Researchers at Arizona State University have developed a breakthrough diagnostic tool that could transform how quickly and reliably we detect illnesses like COVID-19, Ebola, AIDS or Lyme disease. The test uses just a single drop of blood, costs a couple of dollars and delivers results in only 15 minutes. -- In a new study, the researchers show the test can detect the virus that causes COVID-19 with pinpoint accuracy, clearly distinguishing it from other infections. -- The new diagnostic device, called NasRED (Nanoparticle-Supported Rapid Electronic Detection), is simple and portable enough to be used almost anywhere -- from remote rural clinics to busy urban hospitals. The tool provides lab-quality accuracy without expensive equipment and does not require specialized training, giving it the potential to become a public health game changer. -- "We have the speed and ease of use of a rapid antigen test with sensitivity that's even better than lab-based tests," says Chao Wang, lead author of the new study. "This is very difficult to achieve." -- Wang is an associate professor with the Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics and ASU's School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering. He is joined by ASU researchers Yeji Choi, Seyedsina Mirjalili, Ashif Ikbal, Sean McClure, Maziyar Kalateh Mohammadi, Scott Clemens, Jose Solano, John Heggland, Tingting Zhang and Jiawei Zuo. -- The research appears in the current issue of the journal ACS Nano. -- Halting the spread of infectious diseases -- Infectious diseases are one of humanity's deadliest threats, causing immense suffering and economic damage worldwide. Collectively, infectious diseases cause over 10 million deaths around the world each year, and they are the leading cause of death in low-income countries. -- Nearly 800,000 Americans die or are permanently disabled every year due to diagnostic errors, according to a study published in BMJ Quality & Safety. Many of these cases involve infections or vascular events that might have been treatable if caught early. | 401 |
| Injectable “Skin In A Syringe” Could Heal Burns Without Scars | Revolutionary Skin Gel: Injectable Solution Could Heal Wounds Without Scarring | Biphasic Granular Bioinks for Biofabrication of High Cell Density Constructs for Dermal Regeneration. | Linköping University | A Swedish team has developed a groundbreaking "skin in a syringe," a gel with live cells designed for application on wounds or 3D printing into skin grafts. This innovative approach aims to promote the healing of functional dermis rather than scar tissue, potentially revolutionizing the treatment of severe wounds. | Breakthrough Gel Could End Burn Scarring ForeverThe researchers 3D-printed small pucks of the gel with cells in it. Credit: Magnus Johansson/Linköping University -- Researchers have created what could be called "skin in a syringe." The gel containing live cells can be 3D printed into a skin transplant, as shown in a study conducted on mice. This technology may lead to new ways to treat burns and severe wounds. The study was led from the Center for Disaster Medicine and Traumatology and Linköping University in Sweden, and has been published in Advanced Healthcare Materials. -- As long as we have a healthy skin, we do not give it much thought. However, if we get major wounds or other injuries, it becomes clear that the skin is the body's protection from the outside world. Helping the body restore the skin barrier after a serious burn can therefore be a matter of life and death. -- Large burns are often treated by transplanting a thin layer of the top part of the skin, the epidermis. This is basically composed of a single cell type. Transplanting only this part of the skin leads to severe scarring. -- Under the epidermis there is a thicker and more advanced layer of skin called the dermis. It has blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles and other structures necessary for skin function and elasticity. However, transplanting also the dermis is rarely an option, as the procedure leaves a wound as large as the wound to be healed. -- The trick is to create new skin that does not become scar tissue but a functioning dermis. -- "The dermis is so complicated that we can't grow it in a lab. We don't even know what all its components are. That's why we, and many others, think that we could possibly transplant the building blocks and then let the body make the dermis itself," says Johan Junker, researcher at the Swedish Center for Disaster Medicine and Traumatology and docent in plastic surgery at Linköping University, who led the study published in Advanced Healthcare Materials. -- The most common cell type in the dermis, the connective tissue cell or fibroblast, is easy to remove from the body and grow in a lab. The connective tissue cell also has the advantage of being able to develop into more specialized cell types depending on what is needed. The researchers behind the study provide a scaffold by having the cells grow on tiny, porous beads of gelatine, a substance similar to skin collagen. But a liquid containing these beads poured on a wound will not stay there. -- The researchers' solution to the problem is mixing the gelatine beads with a gel consisting of another body-specific substance, hyaluronic acid. When the beads and gel are mixed, they are connected using what is known as click chemistry. The result is a gel that, somewhat simplified, can be called skin in a syringe. -- "The gel has a special feature that means that it becomes liquid when exposed to light pressure. You can use a syringe to apply it to a wound, for example, and once applied it becomes gel-like again. This also makes it possible to 3D print the gel with the cells in it," says Daniel Aili, professor of molecular physics at Linköping University, who led the study together with Johan Junker. | 402 |
| New “Evolution Engine” Creates Super-Proteins 100,000x Faster | Accelerated Protein Evolution: New Tool Speeds Up Development Of Life-Saving Therapies | An orthogonal T7 replisome for continuous hypermutation and accelerated evolution in E. coli. | Scripps Research Institute | Scientists at Scripps Research have created T7-ORACLE, a fast and scalable platform for protein evolution that accelerates the design and improvement of proteins significantly quicker than traditional methods. This breakthrough has potential applications in developing new therapies and predicting resistance mutations across various diseases. | The 100,000x “Evolution Engine”Scientists have built a rapid-evolution “engine” that can create new and improved proteins in just days, with huge potential for medicine. Credit: Shutterstock -- In medicine and biotechnology, the ability to evolve proteins with new or improved functions is crucial, but current methods are often slow and laborious. Now, Scripps Research scientists have developed a synthetic biology platform that accelerates evolution itself -- enabling researchers to evolve proteins with useful, new properties thousands of times faster than nature. The system, named T7-ORACLE, was described in Science on August 7, 2025, and represents a breakthrough in how researchers can engineer therapeutic proteins for cancer, neurodegeneration and essentially any other disease area. -- "This is like giving evolution a fast-forward button," says co-senior author Pete Schultz, the President and CEO of Scripps Research, where he also holds the L.S. "Sam" Skaggs Presidential Chair. "You can now evolve proteins continuously and precisely inside cells without damaging the cell's genome or requiring labor-intensive steps." -- Directed evolution is a laboratory process that involves introducing mutations and selecting variants with improved function over multiple cycles. It's used to tailor proteins with desired properties, such as highly selective, high-affinity antibodies, enzymes with new specificities or catalytic properties, or to investigate the emergence of resistance mutations in drug targets. However, traditional methods often require repeated rounds of DNA manipulation and testing with each round taking a week or more. Systems for continuous evolution -- where proteins evolve inside living cells without manual intervention -- aim to streamline this process by enabling simultaneous mutation and selection with each round of cell division (roughly 20 minutes for bacteria). But existing approaches have been limited by technical complexity or modest mutation rates. -- T7-ORACLE circumvents these bottlenecks by engineering E. coli bacteria -- a standard model organism in molecular biology -- to host a second, artificial DNA replication system derived from bacteriophage T7, a virus that infects bacteria and has been widely studied for its simple, efficient replication system. T7-ORACLE enables continuous hypermutation and accelerated evolution of biomacromolecules, and is designed to be broadly applicable to many protein targets and biological challenges. Conceptually, T7-ORACLE builds on and extends efforts on existing orthogonal replication systems -- meaning they operate separately from the cell's own machinery -- such as OrthoRep in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast) and EcORep in E. coli. In comparison to these systems, T7-ORACLE benefits from the combination of high mutagenesis, fast growth, high transformation efficiency, and the ease with which both the E. coli host and the circular replicon plasmid can be integrated into standard molecular biology workflows. -- The T-7 ORACLE orthogonal system targets only plasmid DNA (small, circular pieces of genetic material), leaving the cell's host genome untouched. By engineering T7 DNA polymerase (a viral enzyme that replicates DNA) to be error-prone, the researchers introduced mutations into target genes at a rate 100,000 times higher than normal without damaging the host cells. -- "This system represents a major advance in continuous evolution," says co-senior author Christian Diercks, an assistant professor of chemistry at Scripps Research. "Instead of one round of evolution per week, you get a round each time the cell divides -- so it really accelerates the process." -- To demonstrate the power of T7-ORACLE, the research team inserted a common antibiotic resistance gene, TEM-1 β-lactamase, into the system and exposed the E. coli cells to escalating doses of various antibiotics. In less than a week, the system evolved versions of the enzyme that could resist antibiotic levels up to 5,000 times higher than the original. This proof-of-concept demonstrated not only T7-ORACLE's speed and precision, but also its real-world relevance by replicating how resistance develops in response to antibiotics. -- "The surprising part was how closely the mutations we saw matched real-world resistance mutations found in clinical settings," notes Diercks. "In some cases, we saw new combinations that worked even better than those you would see in a clinic." -- But Diercks emphasizes that the study isn't focused on antibiotic resistance per se. | 403 |
| Scientists Found The Gene That Makes Aussie Skinks Immune To Deadly Snake Venom | Nature’s Defense: Australian Skinks Evolve To Resist Venomous Snake Bites | Make Acetylcholine Great Again! Australian Skinks Evolved Multiple Neurotoxin-Proof Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Defiance of Snake Venom. | University of Queensland | Australian skinks have evolved a genetic defense against venomous snakes by mutating a crucial muscle receptor, providing them with resistance to neurotoxins. This evolutionary adaptation parallels similar defenses in mammals, suggesting potential avenues for developing new antivenoms and medical therapies for humans. | How Aussie Skinks Outsmart Deadly Snake VenomAustralia’s Major Skink (Bellatorias frerei) has evolved the same venom resistance mutation as the honey badger (Mellivora capensis), which is found across Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Credit: Scott Eipper -- A University of Queensland-led study has found Australian skinks have evolved molecular armor to stop snake venom from shutting down their muscles. -- Professor Bryan Fry from UQ's School of the Environment said revealing exactly how skinks dodge death could inform biomedical approaches to treating snakebite in people. -- "What we saw in skinks was evolution at its most ingenious," Professor Fry said. -- "Australian skinks have evolved tiny changes in a critical muscle receptor, called the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. -- "This receptor is normally the target of neurotoxins which bind to it and block nerve-muscle communication causing rapid paralysis and death. -- "But in a stunning example of a natural counterpunch, we found that on 25 occasions skinks independently developed mutations at that binding site to block venom from attaching. -- "It's a testament to the massive evolutionary pressure than venomous snakes exerted after their arrival and spread across the Australian continent, when they would have feasted on the defenseless lizards of the day. -- "Incredibly, the same mutations evolved in other animals like mongooses which feed on cobras. -- "We confirmed with our functional testing that Australia's Major Skink (Bellatorias frerei) has evolved exactly the same resistance mutation that gives the honey badger it's famous resistance to cobra venom. | 404 |
| Fatigue, Anxiety, Pain? They Might Be MS In Disguise | Early Signs Of MS: Higher Healthcare Use Up To 15 Years Before Diagnosis | Health Care Use Before Multiple Sclerosis Symptom Onset. | University of British Columbia | New research indicates that multiple sclerosis (MS) may begin impacting healthcare utilization as much as 15 years prior to the onset of noticeable symptoms. Analyzing health records reveals that individuals with MS experience increased medical visits related to vague symptoms, emphasizing the need for early identification and intervention strategies. | MS May Begin 15 Years Before DiagnosisStrange fatigue and anxiety years before diagnosis? They might be MS whispering from the shadows, long before it shouts. Credit: Shutterstock -- The earliest warning signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) may emerge more than a decade before the first classical neurological symptoms occur, according to new research from the University of British Columbia. -- Published on August 1 in JAMA Network Open, the study analyzed the health records of more than 12,000 people in British Columbia and found that those with MS began using healthcare services at elevated rates 15 years before their first MS symptoms appear. -- The findings challenge long-held assumptions about when the disease truly begins, offering the most comprehensive picture to date of how patients engage with a range of healthcare providers in the years leading up to a diagnosis as they search for answers to ill-defined medical challenges. -- "MS can be difficult to recognize as many of the earliest signs -- like fatigue, headache, pain and mental health concerns -- can be quite general and easily mistaken for other conditions," said senior author Dr. Helen Tremlett, professor of neurology at UBC's faculty of medicine and investigator at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health. "Our findings dramatically shift the timeline for when these early warning signs are thought to begin, potentially opening the door to opportunities for earlier detection and intervention." -- The study used linked clinical and administrative provincial health data to track physician visits in the 25 years leading up to the onset of a patient's MS symptoms, as determined by a neurologist through detailed medical history and clinical assessments. -- It is the first study to examine healthcare usage this far back in a patient's clinical history. Most previous studies only examined trends in the five to 10 years leading up to a patient's first demyelinating event (such as vision problems) using administrative data. This is a much later benchmark compared to the neurologist-determined date of symptom onset. -- The findings revealed that, when compared to the general population, people with MS had a steady build-up of healthcare engagement over 15 years with different types of doctor visits increasing at distinct points in time: -- 15 years before symptom onset: Visits to general practice physicians increased, as did visits to any physician for symptoms like fatigue, pain, dizziness and mental health conditions including anxiety and depression. -- 12 years before: Visits to a psychiatrist increased. | 405 |
| This Brain Circuit May Explain Fluctuating Sensations—And Autism | Understanding Sensations: New Brain Mechanism Modulates Our Perception Of Touch | Thalamocortical feedback selectively controls pyramidal neuron excitability. | Université de Genève | A University of Geneva team has identified a novel brain mechanism that modulates sensory signals, impacting perception thresholds. Their findings reveal that the thalamus fine-tunes sensory responses, and a hidden receptor in the cortex enhances neuron sensitivity, potentially explaining variations in sensory experiences. | How the Brain Rewrites Sensation in Real TimeCortical neuron expressing green fluorescent protein, imaged in the living mouse brain using two-photon microscopy. Credit: © Ronan Chéreau -- The cerebral cortex processes sensory information via a complex network of neural connections. How are these signals modulated to refine perception? A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has identified a mechanism by which certain thalamic projections target neurons and modify their excitability. This work, published in Nature Communications, reveals a previously unknown form of communication between two regions of the brain, the thalamus and the somatosensory cortex. It could explain why the same sensory stimulus does not always elicit the same sensation and open up new avenues for understanding certain mental disorders. -- The same sensory stimulus can be perceived clearly at times, and remain vague at others. This phenomenon can be explained by the way the brain integrates stimuli. For example, touching an object outside our field of vision may be enough to identify it...or not. These perceptual variations remain poorly understood, but may depend on factors such as attention or the disruptive presence of other stimuli. What is certain, according to neuroscientists, is that when we touch something, sensory signals from receptors in the skin are interpreted by a specialised region called the somatosensory cortex. -- On their way to it, the signals pass through a complex network of neurons, including a crucial structure in the brain called the thalamus, which serves as a relay station. However, the process is not one-way. A significant portion of the thalamus also receives feedback from the cortex, forming a loop of reciprocal communication. But the exact role and functioning of this feedback loop are still unclear. Could it play an active role in how we perceive sensory information? -- A new modulatory pathway -- To explore this question, neuroscientists at UNIGE studied a region at the top of pyramidal neurons of the somatosensory cortex, rich in dendrites - extensions that receive electrical signals from other neurons. ''Pyramidal neurons have rather strange shapes. They are asymmetrical, both in shape and function. What happens at the top of the neuron is different from what happens at the bottom,'' explains Anthony Holtmaat, full professor at the Department of Basic Neurosciences (NEUFO) and the Synapsy Centre for Neuroscience Research for Mental Health at UNIGE's Faculty of Medicine, and director of the study. -- His team focused on a pathway in which the top of pyramidal neurons in mice receives projections from a specific part of the thalamus. By stimulating the animal's whiskers - the equivalent of touch in humans - a precise dialogue between these projections and the dendrites of pyramidal neurons was revealed. ''What is remarkable, unlike the regular thalamic projections known to activate pyramidal neurons, is that the part of the thalamus providing feedback modulates their activity, in particular by making them more sensitive to stimuli,'' says Ronan Chéreau, senior researcher at NEUFO and co-author of the study. -- An unexpected receptor -- Using cutting-edge techniques - imaging, optogenetics, pharmacology and, above all, electrophysiology - the research team was able to record the electrical activity of tiny structures such as dendrites. These approaches helped clarify how this modulation works at the synaptic level. Normally, the neurotransmitter glutamate acts as an activation signal. It helps neurons transmit sensory information by triggering an electrical response in the next neuron. -- In this newly discovered mechanism, glutamate released from thalamic projections binds to an alternative receptor located in a specific region of the cortical pyramidal neuron. Rather than directly exciting the neuron, this interaction alters its state of responsiveness, effectively priming it for future sensory input. The neuron then becomes more easily activated, as if it were being conditioned to better respond to a future sensory stimulus. | 406 |
| Nature’s Anti-Aging Hack? Jewel Wasp Larvae Slow Their Biological Clock | Anti-Aging Discovery: Jewel Wasp Larvae Slow Their Biological Clock | Larval diapause slows adult epigenetic aging in an insect model, Nasonia vitripennis. | University of Leicester | Researchers at the University of Leicester have found that jewel wasps can significantly slow their biological aging by pausing their development as larvae, resulting in a lifespan extension and a slower epigenetic clock. This discovery offers insights that could one day inform approaches to human aging. | Jewel Wasps Reveal Natural Way to Slow AgingBy pausing their development, jewel wasps extend their lives and slow their biological aging, revealing clues that could one day help us delay aging in humans. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists have discovered that jewel wasps can slow down their biological rate of aging. -- A study of jewel wasps, known for their distinctive metallic colors, has shown that they can undergo a kind of natural 'time-out' as larvae before emerging into adulthood with this surprising advantage. -- The groundbreaking study by scientists at the University of Leicester, has now been published in the journal, PNAS. It reveals that this pause in development within the wasp dramatically extends lifespan and decelerates the ticking of the so-called "epigenetic clock" that marks molecular aging. -- Aging isn't just about counting birthdays, it's also a biological process that leaves molecular fingerprints on our DNA. One of the most accurate markers of this process is the epigenetic clock, which tracks chemical changes in DNA, known as methylation, that accumulate with age. But what happens if we alter the course of development itself? -- To find out, a team at the University of Leicester including first author PhD student Erin Foley, Dr Christian Thomas, Professor Charalambos Kyriacou, and Professor Eamonn Mallon, from the department of Genetics, Genomics and Cancer Sciences, turned to Nasonia Vitripennis, also known as the jewel wasp. -- This tiny insect is becoming a powerful model for aging research because, unlike many other invertebrates, it has a functioning DNA methylation system, just like humans, and a short lifespan that makes it ideal to study. -- The researchers exposed jewel wasp mothers to cold and darkness, triggering a hibernation-like state in their babies called diapause. This natural "pause button" extended the offsprings' adult lifespan by over a third. Even more remarkably, the wasps that had gone through diapause aged 29% more slowly at the molecular level than their counterparts. Their epigenetic clocks ticked more leisurely, offering the first direct evidence that the pace of biological aging can be developmentally tuned in an invertebrate. -- "It's like the wasps who took a break early in life came back with extra time in the bank," said Evolutionary Biology Professor Eamonn Mallon, senior author on the study. -- "It shows that aging isn't set in stone, it can be slowed by the environment, even before adulthood begins." | 407 |
| Walk Faster, Live Longer: How Just 15 Minutes A Day Can Boost Lifespan | Fast Walking Benefits: Just 15 Minutes A Day Can Boost Lifespan | Daily Walking and Mortality in Racially and Socioeconomically Diverse U.S. Adults. | Elsevier | A study involving nearly 80,000 low-income and predominantly Black Americans reveals that fast walking for just 15 minutes daily can reduce mortality risk by 20%. The findings not only affirm the health benefits of walking but also emphasize the importance of pace in improving health outcomes. | Walk Faster, Live LongerA brisk 15-minute walk each day cuts mortality risk by 20%, especially in low-income Black communities, making fast walking a simple yet life-extending habit. Credit: Shutterstock -- Regular walking is widely recognized for its significant benefits to overall health and well-being. Previous research has primarily focused on middle-to-high-income White populations. Now, a novel analysis using data from the Southern Community Cohort Study, involving 79,856 predominantly low-income and Black individuals across 12 southeastern US states, confirms the benefits of regular walking, especially at a faster pace, within a crucial, underrepresented group. The new study appearing in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, underscores the importance of promoting walking, particularly at a brisk pace, as an effective form of physical activity for improving health. -- Lead investigator Wei Zheng, MD, PhD, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, says, "While the health benefits of daily walking are well-established, limited research has investigated effects of factors such as walking pace on mortality, particularly in low-income and Black/African-American populations. Our research has shown that fast walking as little as 15 minutes a day was associated with a nearly 20% reduction in total mortality, while a smaller reduction in mortality was found in association with more than three hours of daily slow walking. This benefit remained strong even after accounting for other lifestyle factors and was consistent across various sensitivity analyses." -- Participants reported the average amount of time per day (minutes) they typically spend "walking slowly (such as moving around, walking at work, walking the dog, or engaging in light exercise)" and "walking fast (such as climbing stairs, brisk walking, or exercising)." Information regarding vital status and cause of death was obtained by linking the cohort to the National Death Index. -- The protective effect of fast walking extended to all causes of death but was most pronounced for cardiovascular diseases. Importantly, the benefits of fast walking were independent of overall leisure-time physical activity levels (LTPA). Even for those who are already engaged in slow walking or some LTPA, adding more fast walking further reduced mortality. -- According to the study the benefits of fast walking related to cardiovascular health are: -- Boosts heart efficiency: As an aerobic exercise, fast walking improves cardiac output, increases oxygen delivery, and enhances the efficiency of the heart's pumping action, leading to better overall cardiovascular health. -- Manages cardiovascular risk factors: Regular fast walking helps control body weight and composition, reducing obesity and related risks like hypertension and dyslipidemia. -- Highly accessible: Fast walking is a convenient, low-impact activity suitable for individuals of all ages and fitness levels. -- Low-income populations often face economic constraints and are more likely to reside in impoverished, highly polluted communities with limited access to safe walking spaces. Additionally, these populations tend to have a higher prevalence of lifestyle behaviors that may increase disease risk and mortality, such as lower quality diet, cigarette smoking, and heavy alcohol consumption. At the same time, there are other challenges for individuals with low income such as lack of access to health insurance or healthcare that may also increase mortality. These factors collectively contribute to an increased mortality among low-income individuals and may potentially elucidate the racial disparities observed in longevity. By demonstrating the benefits of fast walking in this study, this research provides direct evidence to inform targeted interventions and policies to improve health equity. | 408 |
| This Gut Hormone Could Explain 40% Of IBS-D Cases—And Lead To A Cure | Gut Hormone Discovery: Could Explain Many Cases Of Chronic Diarrhea | Insulin-like peptide 5 is released in response to bile acid in the rectum and is associated with diarrhoea severity in patients with bile acid diarrhoea. | University of Cambridge | Researchers from the University of Cambridge have identified a gut hormone called INSL5 as a potential key player in chronic diarrhea cases, particularly those misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome. This discovery opens the door to new diagnostic tests and treatment options, including existing medications that could block this hormone's effects. | The Gut Hormone Behind Unexplained DiarrheaScientists have found that a gut hormone called INSL5 may be the hidden cause behind up to 40% of diarrhea-predominant IBS cases—unlocking a new path for diagnosis and treatment. Credit: Shutterstock -- High levels of a hormone found in cells in the gut could underlie many cases of chronic diarrhea and help explain up to 40% of cases of patients with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea, according to a new study led by scientists at the University of Cambridge. -- The research, published in the journal Gut, could help in the development of a blood test and points towards a potential new treatment. -- When we eat, the liver releases bile acid to break down fats so that they can be absorbed into the body. Bile acid is released into the top end of the small intestine and then absorbed back into the body at the lower end. -- However, around one person in every 100 is affected by a condition known as bile acid diarrhea (also known as bile acid malabsorption), whereby the bile acid is not properly re-absorbed and makes its way into the large intestine (colon). It can trigger urgent and watery diarrhea, and patients can risk episodes of incontinence. -- Bile acid diarrhea can be difficult to diagnose as there are currently no routine clinical blood tests. Many individuals are given a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), an umbrella term for a range of conditions. As many as one in 20 people is thought to have IBS, of which an estimated one in three patients with diarrhea as their main symptom have undiagnosed bile acid diarrhea. -- Studies in mice have previously suggested that the gut hormone known as Insulin-Like Peptide 5 (INSL5) - present in cells at the far end of the colon and rectum - may play a role in chronic diarrhea. INSL5 is released by these cells when irritated by bile acid. -- Researchers at the Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, have been exploring whether this hormone might also underlie chronic diarrhea in humans. This has been possible thanks to a new antibody test developed by pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, with whom the team is collaborating, which allows them to measure tiny amounts of INSL5. -- A study at the University of Adelaide looking at ways to trigger release of the gut hormone GLP-1 - the hormone upon which weight-loss drugs are based - previously found that giving a bile acid enema to healthy volunteers triggered release of GLP-1, but had the unintended consequence of causing diarrhea. When the Cambridge team analyzed samples from this study, they found that the bile acid enema caused levels of INSL5 to shoot up temporarily - and the higher the INSL5 levels, the faster the volunteers needed to use the toilet. This confirmed that INSL5 is likely to play a role in chronic cases of diarrhea. -- When the team analyzed samples obtained from Professor Julian Walters at Imperial College London, which include samples from patients with bile acid diarrhea, they found that while levels of INSL5 were almost undetectable in healthy volunteers, they were much higher in patients with bile acid diarrhea. In addition, the higher the INSL5 level, the more watery their stool samples. | 409 |
| Alzheimer’s Risk May Start At The Brain’s Border, Not Inside It | Brain’s Defense Mechanism: Genetic Risks For Neurological Diseases Start In Blood Vessels | Human brain vascular multi-omics elucidates disease-risk associations. | Gladstone Institutes | A study by the Gladstone Institutes highlights that genetic risks for neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s primarily act in the brain’s blood vessels and immune cells rather than neurons. This insight into the brain's protective barriers offers new therapeutic targets and could reshape our understanding of disease mechanisms. | Alzheimer’s Risk May Start at the Brain’s BorderGenetic risks for Alzheimer’s and stroke act in the brain’s border cells, not neurons, and one target may already be drug-ready. Credit: Shutterstock -- The brain's health depends on more than just its neurons. A complex network of blood vessels and immune cells acts as the brain's dedicated guardians -- controlling what enters, cleaning up waste, and protecting it from threats by forming the blood-brain barrier. -- A new study from Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco (UCSF) reveals that many genetic risk factors for neurological diseases like Alzheimer's and stroke exert their effects within these very guardian cells. -- "When studying diseases affecting the brain, most research has focused on its resident neurons," says Gladstone Investigator Andrew C. Yang, PhD, senior author of the new study. "I hope our findings lead to more interest in the cells forming the brain's borders, which might actually take center stage in diseases like Alzheimer's." -- The findings, published in Neuron, address a long-standing question about where genetic risk begins and suggest that vulnerabilities in the brain's defense system may be a key trigger for disease. -- Mapping the Brain's Guardians -- For years, large-scale genetic studies have linked dozens of DNA variants to a higher risk of neurological diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, or multiple sclerosis. -- Yet, a major mystery has persisted: over 90% of these variants lie not in the genes themselves, but in the surrounding DNA that does not contain the code for making proteins, once dismissed as "junk DNA." These regions act as complex dimmer switches, turning genes on or off. -- Until now, scientists haven't had a full map of which switches control which genes or in which specific brain cells they operate, hindering the path from genetic discovery to new treatments. -- A New Technology Finds Answers | 410 |
| Researchers Discover Key Social Factors That Triple Long COVID Risk | Social Factors Matter: Financial Hardships Increase Long COVID Risk | Social Determinants of Health and Risk for Long COVID in the U.S. RECOVER-Adult Cohort. | Brigham and Women's Hospital | A study by Mass General Brigham has found that financial and social hardships significantly increase the likelihood of developing long COVID, revealing a two- to three-fold higher risk among affected individuals. This research emphasizes the impact of social conditions on long-term health outcomes post-infection. | Key Social Factors Triple Long COVID RiskA large-scale study found that financial hardship and other social struggles significantly increase the risk of long COVID, highlighting how deeply social conditions can shape long-term health outcomes. Credit: Shutterstock -- Mass General Brigham investigators led a nationwide study that found that financial hardship, food insecurity, lack of healthcare access, and other social risk factors are linked to higher risks of long COVID. -- Long COVID includes a wide range of symptoms that present or persist three or more months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although in recent years researchers have gained greater insight into the prevalence, symptoms and effects of long COVID through the longitudinal Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative, social risk factors for developing long COVID remain incompletely understood. In a new analysis of the RECOVER-Adult cohort, Mass General Brigham researchers found a two- to three-times higher risk of long COVID in those with social risk factors, including financial hardship, food insecurity, experiences of medical discrimination, and skipped medical care due to cost. Findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. -- "During the pandemic, we saw the overwhelming role that social risk factors played in determining who was infected with COVID-19 and what the severity and mortality from disease was," said lead author Candace Feldman, MD, MPH, ScD, of the Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. "We wanted to understand whether those risk factors also play a significant role in the longer-term, chronic symptoms that can affect people months and even years after SARS-CoV-2 infection." -- In this study, the researchers analyzed 3,700 participants from the RECOVER-Adult cohort, who had a SARS-CoV-2 infection during the Omicron variant outbreak, completed a baseline survey about social and economic factors at the time of infection, and completed a six-month follow-up survey assessing long COVID symptoms. The RECOVER-Adult participants were from 33 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and joined the study between October 2021 and November 2023. -- In the baseline survey, the researchers assessed four major individual-level social risk factors: economic instability, education and language access barriers, health care access and quality challenges, and lack of social and community support using a series of questions and previously validated surveys. They also used ZIP code data to study area-level measures of risk, like household crowding. -- After adjusting for variables including hospitalization for SARS-CoV-2 infection (as a marker of disease severity), vaccination history, pregnancy status, age, sex, race and ethnicity, the researchers found significant associations between nearly all the individual-level social risk factors studied and increased risk of developing long COVID. Furthermore, a greater number of social risk factors conferred a higher risk of long COVID. Living in areas with more household crowding was also associated with a greater risk of long COVID. -- There was a significantly higher burden of social risk factors among racially or ethnically minoritized groups. However, the researchers found that social risk factors appeared to affect white, Black and Hispanic people's risks of long COVID similarly. -- Going forward, RECOVER Initiative researchers hope to determine whether these findings extend to children with long COVID and whether certain long COVID symptoms may be linked to specific social risk factors. They also hope to study symptoms of COVID-19 lasting a year or longer to better understand how social factors might contribute to these symptoms' persistence. -- "While rates of COVID-19 have decreased, long COVID is a chronic disease that many people still suffer from," said senior author Elizabeth Karlson, MD, MS, of the Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity at BWH. "As with other chronic diseases, many different parts of people's social environment influence long COVID risk. Future interventions must address these factors to effectively reduce adverse outcomes among people with high burden of social risk factors." | 411 |
| Lupus Often Fades With Age. Scientists Finally Know Why | Lupus And Aging: Why Symptoms Can Fade Over Time | Epigenetic attenuation of interferon signaling is associated with aging-related improvements in systemic lupus erythematosus. | University of California - San Francisco | UCSF researchers have discovered that certain antiviral genes in lupus patients become less active with age, leading to a decrease in inflammation and a potential easing of symptoms. This finding could pave the way for new age-targeted treatments for lupus and other autoimmune conditions. | Why Lupus Gets Better With AgeAging may naturally suppress lupus-related inflammation, offering surprising relief later in life. Credit: Shutterstock -- Lupus is a "classic" autoimmune disease. -- It causes the immune system's first-line viral defenses -- known as interferons -- to attack the body. Nearly every organ is at risk, leading to conditions like kidney and heart disease. -- But unlike many other autoimmune or chronic illnesses, lupus can improve as patients reach their 60s and 70s. -- "I see my younger lupus patients in their 20s, 30s, and 40s every few months, monitoring them closely for signs of severe disease, but many of my older patients just once a year to touch base," said Sarah Patterson, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology at UCSF. "If patients make it through those risky decades, they sometimes see a dramatic improvement." -- Now, Patterson and colleagues have published a study in Science Translational Medicine that reveals how this works. -- By analyzing blood samples from patients across the age spectrum, the team discovered that aging turns down the activity of certain immune genes in people with lupus, leading to fewer interferons and other inflammatory proteins in the body. -- The study found that in healthy adults, inflammation-related genes and proteins rose slowly over the years, a process that has been dubbed "inflammaging." In patients with lupus, however, the expression of these genes and proteins were abnormally high in mid-life but decreased as the decades went by. -- "Inflammaging seemed to be reversed in the lupus patients," said Chaz Langelier, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine at UCSF and senior author of the paper. "But it wasn't fully reversed. The lupus patients still had a greater level of inflammatory signaling compared to healthy adults in older age." -- That reversal reflected what Patterson has seen in her patients -- a return to something approaching healthy older age. | 412 |
| This Vaccine Uses Dental Floss Instead Of Needles | Innovative Vaccine Delivery: Dental Floss As A New Method For Immunization | Floss-based vaccination targets the gingival sulcus for mucosal and systemic immunization. | North Carolina State University | Scientists have demonstrated a novel vaccination method using dental floss to target gum tissue, stimulating immunity in the mouth, nose, and lungs. This technique shows promise for delivering vaccines effectively while enhancing the body's defenses against respiratory infections, offering a new approach to vaccination. | Vaccines via Floss? It WorksResearchers have demonstrated a novel vaccine delivery method in an animal model, using dental floss to introduce vaccine via the tissue between the teeth and gums. The testing found that the new technique stimulates the production of antibodies in mucosal surfaces, such as the lining of the nose and lungs. Credit: Jie Sun, NC State University -- Researchers have demonstrated a novel vaccine delivery method in an animal model, using dental floss to introduce vaccine via the tissue between the teeth and gums. The testing found that the new technique stimulates the production of antibodies in mucosal surfaces, such as the lining of the nose and lungs. -- "Mucosal surfaces are important, because they are a source of entry for pathogens, such as influenza and COVID," says Harvinder Singh Gill, corresponding author of a paper on the work. "However, if a vaccine is given by injection, antibodies are primarily produced in the bloodstream throughout the body, and relatively few antibodies are produced on mucosal surfaces. -- "But we know that when a vaccine is given via the mucosal surface, antibodies are stimulated not only in the bloodstream, but also on mucosal surfaces," says Gill, who is the Ronald B. and Cynthia J. McNeill Term Professor in Nanomedicine at North Carolina State University. "This improves the body's ability to prevent infection, because there is an additional line of antibody defense before a pathogen enters the body." -- This is where the junctional epithelium comes in. The term epithelium applies to the tissue that lines the surface of your body parts, such as the lining of your lungs, stomach and intestines. Most epithelial tissues include robust barriers that are designed to keep bad things - from viruses to dirt - from entering your blood stream. But the junctional epithelium is different. -- The junctional epithelium is a thin layer of tissue located in the deepest part of the pocket between the tooth and the gum, and it lacks the barrier features found in other epithelial tissues. The lack of a barrier allows the junctional epithelium to release immune cells to fight bacteria - you find these immune cells in your saliva, as well as between your teeth and gums. -- "Because the junctional epithelium is more permeable than other epithelial tissues - and is a mucosal layer - it presents a unique opportunity for introducing vaccines to the body in a way that will stimulate enhanced antibody production across the body's mucosal layers," says Gill. -- To determine the viability of delivering vaccines via the junctional epithelium, the researchers applied vaccine to unwaxed dental floss and then flossed the teeth of lab mice. Specifically, the researchers compared antibody production in mice that received a peptide flu vaccine via flossing the junctional epithelium; via the nasal epithelium; or via placing vaccine on the mucosal tissue under the tongue. -- "We found that applying vaccine via the junctional epithelium produces far superior antibody response on mucosal surfaces than the current gold standard for vaccinating via the oral cavity, which involves placing vaccine under the tongue," says Rohan Ingrole, first author of the paper, who was a Ph.D. student under Gill at Texas Tech University. "The flossing technique also provides comparable protection against flu virus as compared to the vaccine being given via the nasal epithelium." -- "This is extremely promising, because most vaccine formulations cannot be given via the nasal epithelium - the barrier features in that mucosal surface prevent efficient uptake of the vaccine," Gill says. "Intranasal delivery also has the potential to cause the vaccine to reach the brain, which can pose safety concerns. However, vaccination via the junctional epithelium offers no such risk. For this experiment, we chose one of the few vaccine formulations that actually works for nasal delivery because we wanted to see how junctional epithelium delivery compared to the best-case scenario for nasal delivery." | 413 |
| This New Drug Could Help PTSD Patients Finally Let Go Of Trauma | PTSD Treatment Hope: New Drug Could Help Patients Let Go Of Trauma | Astrocytic gamma-aminobutyric acid dysregulation as a therapeutic target for posttraumatic stress disorder. | Institute for Basic Science | Research identifies that excess GABA produced by astrocytes contributes to the persistence of fear memories in PTSD. A new drug, KDS2010, shows potential in reversing this effect in mice and is already in human trials, presenting a promising avenue for PTSD treatment. | New Drug Offers Hope for PTSD ReliefPTSD may stem from a chemical overreaction by brain support cells. A promising drug targeting this pathway restores fear extinction in animal models, and it’s already shown to be safe in humans. Credit: Shutterstock -- Did you know that patients with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often struggle to forget traumatic memories, even long after the danger has passed? This failure to extinguish fear memories has long puzzled scientists and posed a major hurdle for treatment, especially since current medications targeting serotonin receptors offer limited relief for only a subset of patients. -- In a new discovery, scientists at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) and Ewha Womans University have uncovered a new brain mechanism driving PTSD — and a promising drug that may counteract its effects. -- Led by Dr. C. Justin LEE at the IBS Center for Cognition and Sociality and Professor LYOO In Kyoon at Ewha Womans University, the team has shown that excessive GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) produced by astrocytes, which are star-shaped support cells in the brain, impairs the brain’s ability to extinguish fear memories. This deficit is a core feature of PTSD and helps explain why traumatic memories can persist long after the threat has passed. -- Crucially, the researchers found that a brain-permeable drug called KDS2010, which selectively blocks the monoamine oxidase B enzyme responsible for this abnormal GABA production, can reverse PTSD-like symptoms in mice. The drug has already passed Phase 1 safety trials in humans, making it a strong candidate for future PTSD treatments. -- PTSD remains difficult to treat, with current medications targeting serotonin pathways providing limited relief for many patients. The new study focused on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a region of the brain critical for regulating fear, and found that PTSD patients had unusually high levels of GABA and reduced cerebral blood flow in this area. These findings emerged from brain imaging studies of more than 380 participants. Importantly, GABA levels decreased in patients who showed clinical improvement, pointing to the chemical’s central role in recovery. -- To uncover the origin of this excess GABA, the researchers examined postmortem human brain tissue and used PTSD-like mouse models. They discovered that astrocytes, not neurons, were producing abnormal amounts of GABA via the enzyme monoamine oxidase B (MAOB). This astrocyte-derived GABA impaired neural activity, blocking the brain’s ability to forget traumatic memories. -- When the researchers administered KDS2010, a highly selective, reversible MAOB inhibitor developed at IBS, the mice showed normalized brain activity and were able to extinguish fear responses. The drug reduced GABA levels, restored blood flow in the mPFC, and re-enabled memory extinction mechanisms. The study thus confirms astrocytic MAOB as a central driver of PTSD symptoms, and MAOB inhibition as a viable therapeutic path. -- A major challenge of the study was linking clinical findings in humans with cellular mechanisms in the lab. The researchers addressed this by applying a “reverse translational” strategy: they began with clinical brain scans and moved backward to identify the cellular source of dysfunction, then confirmed the mechanism and tested drug effects in animal models. This approach led to a new understanding of how glial cells — long thought to be passive — actively shape psychiatric symptoms. -- “This study is the first to identify astrocyte-derived GABA as a key pathological driver of fear extinction deficit in PTSD,” said Dr. WON Woojin, a postdoctoral researcher and co-first author of the study. “Our findings not only uncover a novel astrocyte-based mechanism underlying PTSD, but also provide preclinical evidence for a new therapeutic approach using an MAOB inhibitor.” | 414 |
| Max-Dose Statins Save Lives—Here’s Why Doctors Are Starting Strong | Heart Health Strategy: Max-Dose Statins Combined With Lifestyle Changes Save Lives | Low density lipoprotein (LDL) and beyond in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease. | Florida Atlantic University | Top cardiologists recommend the early use of high-dose statins for lowering LDL cholesterol as an effective strategy against heart disease. Combining these potent medications with lifestyle changes is crucial, as many individuals remain undiagnosed and undertreated despite being at high risk for cardiovascular issues. | Doctors Urge: Start High-Dose Statins EarlyTop cardiologists say: hit LDL hard with potent statins from the start—then layer in other treatments if needed. Credit: Shutterstock -- There is broad consensus that the overall body of evidence shows lowering LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol provides both statistically significant and clinically meaningful benefits in treating and preventing cardiovascular disease. Often referred to as the "bad" cholesterol, elevated levels of LDL can clog arteries and significantly increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. -- In an invited editorial published in the current issue of Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine, researchers from Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine urge practicing cardiologists to achieve lower LDL cholesterol levels beginning with the highest doses of the most potent statins, namely rosuvastatin and atorvastatin. The authors emphasize that high-potency statins should be the primary pharmacologic in the treatment of cardiovascular disease as adjuncts to therapeutic lifestyle changes. -- The researchers emphasize that therapeutic lifestyle changes will be effective in the absence and presence of adjunctive therapies in treating and preventing cardiovascular diseases. Lifestyle changes of proven benefit include avoidance or cessation of cigarette smoking, achieving and maintaining healthy body weight and blood pressure, regular physical activity, and restricting alcohol consumption. -- Despite the proven effectiveness of therapeutic lifestyle changes, approximately 40% of adults in the United States have metabolic syndrome, a constellation of risk factors including obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. These individuals have a cardiovascular risk equivalent to those with prior heart attacks or strokes, yet many are underdiagnosed and undertreated. -- The authors also underscore that only about 21% of Americans meet the minimum daily requirement for physical activity, and that meaningful increases in physical activity are possible at any age, including among older adults. -- Based on the robust totality of randomized trial data and their meta-analyses, the authors conclude that statins - particularly rosuvastatin and atorvastatin - have the strongest and most consistent body of evidence supporting their prescription in treatment and prevention in both men and women including older adults. -- Because most patients tend to stay on their initially prescribed statin dose, the authors recommend that cardiologists consider starting therapy with the highest dose of these agents and titrating down if necessary. They also highlight that the benefits of statins and aspirin are at least additive and potentially synergistic. Most secondary prevention patients should be prescribed aspirin. In primary prevention, however, individual clinical judgments are necessary, and aspirin should be considered after statins - and if the residual risk of occlusion exceeds that of major bleeding, predominantly gastrointestinal. -- "Practicing cardiologists may wish to consider that all adjunctive drug therapies to therapeutic lifestyle changes should be added only after achieving maximal doses of statins. Further, statins have the largest and most persuasive body of evidence of any pharmacological adjunctive therapy in treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease," said Charles H. Hennekens, M.D, FACC, senior and corresponding author and the first Sir Richard Doll Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine, and interim chair, Department of Population Health, Schmidt College of Medicine. -- The researchers offer cautious views of adjunctive therapies such as ezetimibe and evolocumab, which tend to be used more widely than optimal. For example, in the IMPROVE-IT trial, the addition of ezetimibe to simvastatin showed only a minor benefit, while the FOURIER trial demonstrated evolocumab's efficacy in secondary prevention only in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia already on maximal statin doses. While FOURIER was a completed trial of secondary prevention, ILLUMINATE is an ongoing trial in high-risk primary prevention patients with familial hypercholesterolemia. | 415 |
| The 0.05% RNA Process That Makes Cancer Self-Destruct | Targeting Cancer's Weakness: Minor Splicing Process Offers New Treatment Possibilities | Inhibition of the minor spliceosome restricts the growth of a broad spectrum of cancers. | Walter and Eliza Hall Institute | Australian researchers have uncovered how targeting minor splicing can combat aggressive cancers, particularly those driven by KRAS mutations. Disrupting this cellular process induced DNA damage in cancer cells while sparing normal cells, paving the way for improved cancer therapies with fewer side effects. | RNA Process Makes Cancer Self-DestructAustralian scientists discovered that disrupting a tiny genetic process called minor splicing can cripple aggressive cancers, especially those with KRAS mutations. The method harms cancer cells while sparing healthy ones — offering hope for better, safer treatments. Credit: Shutterstock -- Australian researchers have discovered a promising new strategy to suppress the growth of aggressive and hard-to-treat cancers by targeting a specialized molecular process known as 'minor splicing'. -- Published in EMBO Reports, the study shows that blocking minor splicing can markedly slow tumor growth in liver, lung and stomach cancers, while leaving healthy cells largely unharmed. -- The research in animal models and human cells, from Australian medical research institute WEHI, demonstrates the potential of this strategy to target cancers driven by mutations in common cancer-causing genes. -- At a glance -- New research shows that targeting minor splicing significantly reduces tumor growth in liver, lung and gastric cancers. -- The strategy is particularly effective for cancers driven by KRAS mutations, which are among the most common genetic changes found in cancer. -- The study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of minor splicing inhibition across diverse cancer models. -- Why minor splicing matters -- Splicing is how cells turn long strands of RNA into shorter pieces called messenger RNA, which provide the template for the production of proteins. | 416 |
| Your Sleep Schedule Could Be Making You Sick, Says Massive New Study | Sleep's Hidden Impact: Poor Habits Linked To Serious Disease Risks | Phenome-wide Analysis of Diseases in Relation to Objectively Measured Sleep Traits and Comparison with Subjective Sleep Traits in 88,461 Adults. | Health Data Science | A global study of over 88,000 adults shows that irregular sleep habits significantly raise disease risks, including liver cirrhosis. This research challenges previous beliefs about sleep duration, suggesting that sleep regularity plays a crucial role in health, necessitating a broader understanding of what constitutes "good sleep." | Your Sleep Schedule Could Be Making You SickPoor sleep regularity—not just duration—is linked to disease risk in over 90 conditions, including liver and circulatory disorders, according to new objective data. Credit: Shutterstock -- A groundbreaking international study, recently published in Health Data Science, analyzed objective sleep data from 88,461 adults in the UK Biobank and found significant associations between sleep traits and 172 diseases. The research, led by teams from Peking University and Army Medical University, highlights sleep regularity -- such as bedtime consistency and circadian rhythm stability -- as an underrecognized but critical factor in disease risk. -- Using actigraphy data over an average of 6.8 years, researchers identified that 92 diseases had over 20% of their risk attributable to poor sleep behavior. Notably, irregular bedtime (after 00:30) was linked to a 2.57-fold higher risk of liver cirrhosis, while low interdaily stability increased the risk of gangrene by 2.61 times. -- Importantly, the study challenges previous claims that "long sleep" (≥9 hours) is harmful. While subjective reports have linked long sleep to stroke and heart disease, objective data revealed this association in only one disease. Misclassification may be to blame: 21.67% of "long sleepers" actually slept less than 6 hours, suggesting that time spent in bed is often confused with actual sleep time. -- "Our findings underscore the overlooked importance of sleep regularity," said Prof. Shengfeng Wang, senior author of the study. "It's time we broaden our definition of good sleep beyond just duration." -- The team confirmed several associations in U.S. populations and identified inflammatory pathways as a possible biological link. Future research will explore causality and assess the impact of sleep interventions on chronic disease outcomes. | 417 |
| Think It’s Just Aging? Why Dementia Is Missed For 3.5 Years On Average | Dementia Diagnosis Delays: Average Wait Times Exceed Three Years | Time to Diagnosis in Dementia: A Systematic Review With Meta‐Analysis. | University College London | A recent global review reveals that individuals with dementia often wait over three years for a diagnosis, with waits even longer for younger patients. Factors such as age, type of dementia, and healthcare system barriers contribute to these delays. Researchers recommend coordinated public awareness efforts, clinician training on early symptom recognition, and stigma reduction to improve diagnosis timelines and treatment outcomes for patients. | Why It Takes 3.5 Years to Diagnose DementiaDementia is often diagnosed too late—especially in younger patients—due to stigma, system failures, and lack of early recognition. Credit: Shutterstock -- People with dementia are diagnosed an average of 3.5 years after symptoms are first noticed, or even longer (4.1 years) for those with early-onset dementia, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. -- The study, published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, is the first systematic review and meta-analysis of global evidence examining time to diagnosis in dementia. -- The researchers reviewed data from 13 previously published studies which took place in Europe, US, Australia and China, reporting data on 30,257 participants. -- The research team was investigating the average interval between symptom onset (rated by patients or family carers using interviews or medical records) to the final diagnosis of dementia. -- Lead author Dr Vasiliki Orgeta (UCL Division of Psychiatry) said: "Timely diagnosis of dementia remains a major global challenge, shaped by a complex set of factors, and specific healthcare strategies are urgently needed to improve it. Other studies estimate that only 50-65% of cases are ever diagnosed in high-income countries, with many countries having even lower diagnostic rates. -- "Timely diagnosis can improve access to treatments and for some people prolong the time living with mild dementia before symptoms worsen." -- In a pooled meta-analysis of 10 of the included studies, the researchers found that it typically takes 3.5 years from the first alert of symptoms to a patient receiving a diagnosis of dementia, or 4.1 years for those with early-onset dementia, with some groups more likely to experience longer delays. -- They found that younger age at onset and having frontotemporal dementia were both linked to longer time to diagnosis. While data on racial disparities was limited, one of the studies reviewed found that black patients tended to experience a longer delay before diagnosis. -- Dr Orgeta said: "Our work highlights the need for a clear conceptual framework on time to diagnosis in dementia, developed in collaboration with people with dementia, their carers, and supporters." | 418 |
| Columbia Scientists Turn Yogurt Into A Healing Gel That Mimics Human Tissue | Healing Innovation: Yogurt-Derived Gel Mimics Human Tissue For Regenerative Medicine | Extracellular vesicles as dynamic crosslinkers for bioactive injectable hydrogels. | Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science | Researchers at Columbia Engineering have developed an innovative injectable hydrogel derived from yogurt-based extracellular vesicles (EVs) that has the potential to change regenerative medicine. This biocompatible material mimics natural tissue, acting both as a healing agent and structural component without the need for additional chemicals, enhancing healing processes. The study's findings open avenues for more accessible therapeutic materials in tissue engineering applications. | Scientists Turn Yogurt Into a Healing GelA yogurt-based hydrogel that heals and mimics living tissue could soon transform regenerative medicine, thanks to EVs doing double duty as building blocks and healing agents. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers from Columbia Engineering have established a framework for the design of bioactive injectable hydrogels formulated with extracellular vesicles (EVs) for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. -- Published on July 25 in Matter, Santiago Correa, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia Engineering, and his collaborators describe an injectable hydrogel platform that uses EVs from milk to address longstanding barriers in the development of biomaterials for regenerative medicine. EVs are particles naturally secreted by cells and carry hundreds of biological signals, like proteins and genetic material, enabling sophisticated cellular communication that synthetic materials cannot easily replicate. -- In this study, Correa and colleagues designed a hydrogel system where EVs play a dual role: they act as bioactive cargo but also serve as essential structural building blocks, by crosslinking biocompatible polymers to form an injectable material. Using an unconventional approach that leveraged milk EVs from yogurt, the team was able to overcome yield constraints that hinder the development of EV-based biomaterials. The yogurt EVs enabled the hydrogel to both mimic the mechanics of living tissue and actively engage surrounding cells, promoting healing and tissue regeneration without the need for additional chemical additives. -- "This project started as a basic question about how to build EV-based hydrogels. Yogurt EVs gave us a practical tool for that, but they turned out to be more than a model," said Correa who led the study with Artemis Margaronis, an NSF graduate research fellow in the Correa lab. "We found that they have inherent regenerative potential, which opens the door to new, accessible therapeutic materials." -- Correa directs the Nanoscale Immunoengineering Lab at Columbia University, where his research focuses on drug delivery and immunoengineering. He is also a member of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center and collaborated on this project with Kam Leong, a fellow Columbia Engineering faculty member. The study was further strengthened through international collaboration with researchers from the University of Padova, including Elisa Cimetta (Department of Industrial Engineering) and graduate student Caterina Piunti. By combining Padova team's expertise in agricultural EV sourcing with the Correa lab's experience in nanomaterials and polymer-based hydrogels, the team demonstrated the power of cross-disciplinary, global partnerships in advancing biomaterials innovation. -- By using yogurt-derived EVs, the team defined a design space for generating hydrogels that incorporate EVs as both structural and biological elements. They further validated the approach using EVs derived from mammalian cells and bacteria, demonstrating that the platform is modular and compatible with diverse vesicle sources. This could open the door to advanced applications in wound healing and regenerative medicine, where current treatments often fall short in promoting long-term tissue repair. By integrating EVs directly into the hydrogel structure, the material enables sustained delivery of their bioactive signals. Because the hydrogel is injectable, it can also be delivered locally to damaged tissue. -- Early experiments show that yogurt EV hydrogels are biocompatible and drive potent angiogenic activity within one week in immunocompetent mice, demonstrating that agricultural EVs not only enable fundamental biomaterials research but also hold therapeutic potential as a next-generation biotechnology. In mice, the material showed no signs of adverse reaction and instead promoted the formation of new blood vessels, a key step in effective tissue regeneration. Correa's team also observed that the hydrogel creates a unique immune environment enriched in anti-inflammatory cell types, which may contribute to the observed tissue repair processes. The team is now exploring how this immune response could help guide tissue regeneration. -- "Being able to design a material that closely mimics the body's natural environment while also speed up the healing process opens a new world of possibilities for regenerative medicine," said Margaronis. "Moments like these remind me why the research field in biomedical engineering is always on the cusp of something exciting." | 419 |
| Scientists Discover The Pancake Secret That Makes Vegan Eggs Irresistible | Vegan Egg Success: Familiar Foods Make Plant-Based Options More Appealing | Consumer Perceptions and Purchase Behavior Towards Plant-Based Eggs: A Vignette Experiment. | University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences | A new study indicates that the acceptance of plant-based eggs increases when incorporated into familiar dishes like pancakes, rather than as standalone products. While traditional eggs are still preferred for taste and appearance, vegan eggs are recognized for their environmental and ethical benefits. The findings suggest that familiarity with food items plays a crucial role in consumer willingness to try plant-based alternatives. | Pancake Secret Makes Vegan Eggs IrresistibleResearchers discovered that the best way to get people to try vegan eggs is to blend them into well-known dishes. While not ready to replace the classic scramble, they’re gaining traction for their eco-friendly and ethical appeal. Credit: Shutterstock -- As the demand for plant-based meat and dairy options grows, vegan burgers, nuggets, and beverages have been in the spotlight for sustainable protein alternatives. But unlike their meatless burger counterparts, plant-based eggs haven't received the same attention from researchers -- until now. -- Enter Da Eun Kim, a doctoral student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Brenna Ellison, a professor at Purdue University. Together, they set out to answer a deceptively simple question: What makes someone willing to purchase a vegan egg? -- Their new study is one of the first to examine this question. Using an experimental method known as a vignette design, researchers tested how factors such as price, product type, and setting influence people's behavior. -- "We wanted to measure the consumer's perception about plant-based eggs," said Kim, who is a graduate student in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at Illinois. "A vignette experiment allowed us to create hypothetical scenarios and isolate what consumers really think." -- Instead of directly asking people if they would purchase a plant-based egg, the vignette method asked participants to imagine they were about to eat breakfast. This meal would take place either at home or in a restaurant, and consumers had a choice between scrambled eggs or pancakes made with plant-based eggs. -- The results were both surprising and informative. -- "We expected the setting to be more important, as we thought the novelty of the plant-based egg product would lead people to want to eat it in a restaurant where chefs know how to prepare the product in a way that tastes good," Ellison said. "Surprisingly, the location of where you were eating, whether it be at a restaurant versus at home, didn't have as much of an effect as we imagined." -- Additionally, consumers were more likely to purchase plant-based eggs when they were mixed into something familiar, like pancakes, instead of served on their own. -- The team also asked participants to rate how plant-based eggs would compare to traditional ones. Unsurprisingly, expected taste and appearance still favor the classic egg. But the plant-based version came out on top for environmental impact and animal welfare. This reflects a broader trend in food science, where ethical motivations are beginning to influence consumer choices. | 420 |
| Why Listening May Be The Most Powerful Medicine | Life-Changing Listening: The Power Of Empathy In Healthcare | The Value — and the Values — of Listening. | Texas A&M University | In a healthcare landscape often dominated by speed, researchers emphasize the transformative power of values-driven listening. By fostering genuine curiosity, compassion, and presence, this approach can enhance trust and overall care quality for both patients and providers. The findings suggest that effective listening is not just courteous; it is a vital aspect of healing in the healthcare system. | Why Listening May Be the Most Powerful MedicineListening in health care is more than politeness—it’s healing. Researchers describe “values-driven listening,” where curiosity, presence, and compassion lead to stronger trust and better care. Credit: Shutterstock -- When you visit a doctor, you expect them to listen. But in today's fast-paced health care system, real listening -- the kind that makes you feel seen, heard and understood -- can be the first thing to go. -- A new article, co-authored by Dr. Leonard Berry of Texas A&M University's Mays Business School, argues that listening isn't just a nice gesture, it's a powerful tool that can improve your care and even help heal the health care system itself. -- Berry and colleagues at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Boston and Henry Ford Health Detroit published their findings in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. -- The Case Of The Norwegian Nurse -- The team identified what it calls "values-driven listening." It's about more than asking questions, it's about asking the right questions, being present and showing genuine curiosity and compassion. -- "Listening is the gateway to healing," Berry said. "It's how we connect, understand and ultimately serve better." -- One story in the article shows just how transformative listening can be. A nurse in a Norwegian nursing home asked a patient, "What would make a good day for you?" -- The patient responded: "I want to wear my blue shirt." -- "Why the blue one?" the nurse asked. | 421 |
| How Low Should Blood Pressure Go? New Study Has The Answer | Blood Pressure Strategy: Aggressive Treatment Proves Cost-Effective For High-Risk Patients | Effect of Systolic Blood Pressure Measurement Error on the Cost-Effectiveness of Intensive Blood Pressure Targets. | Mass General Brigham | A new study reveals that intensive treatment of high blood pressure for patients at increased cardiovascular risk is cost-effective, despite potential side effects. Setting a target of under 120 mm Hg significantly reduces the risk of heart disease and proves beneficial for patients. Researchers emphasize that the health advantages outweigh concerns of overtreatment, making aggressive blood pressure management a viable option. | How Low Should Blood Pressure Go?Lowering blood pressure to 120 mm Hg or less prevents more heart problems and remains cost-effective, though not without added risks. Credit: Shutterstock -- Research led by investigators at Mass General Brigham suggests that the health benefits of more aggressive blood pressure control outweigh concerns about overtreating people with high blood pressure readings. Results of the simulation study are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. -- The study used data from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) trial, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), and other published literature to simulate lifetime health outcomes -- including heart attack, stroke, and heart failure -- for patients whose systolic blood pressure targets were set at <120 mm Hg, <130 mm Hg, and <140 mm Hg. Recognizing that blood pressure medication comes with side effects, the researchers also simulated and compared the risk of serious events resulting from the treatment. -- The simulation model also accounted for common errors in patients' blood pressure readings based on what has been observed in routine clinical practice. -- Even when including this error rate, the simulation model found the <120 mm Hg target prevented more cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure than the <130 mm Hg target. However, the lower target led to additional adverse events related to treatment, such as falls, kidney injury, hypotension, and bradycardia. The lower target also increased overall healthcare spending due to increased antihypertensive use and more frequent visits with clinicians. -- Comparing the cost-effectiveness of the three blood pressure targets with typical levels of measurement error, the researchers found the <120 mm Hg target was cost-effective, associated with a cost of $42,000 per quality-adjusted life-year gained. -- "This study should give patients at high cardiovascular risk and their clinicians more confidence in pursuing an intensive blood pressure goal," said lead author Karen Smith, PhD, an investigator at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. "Our findings suggest the intensive <120 mm Hg target prevents more cardiovascular events and provides good value, and this holds true even when measurements aren't perfect." -- Smith also cautioned, "Our results examine the cost-effectiveness of intensive treatment at the population level. However, given the additional risk of adverse events related to antihypertensives, intensive treatment will not be optimal for all patients. Patients and clinicians should work together to determine the appropriate medication intensity based on patient preferences." -- Authorship: In addition to Smith, Mass General Brigham authors include Thomas Gaziano. Additional authors include Alvin Mushlin, David Cutler, Nicolas Menzies, and Ankur Pandya. -- Funding: The study was funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. | 422 |
| Genetic Evidence Confirms Early Puberty Accelerates Aging And Disease | Reproductive Timing Impact: Early Life Events Accelerate Aging And Disease Risks | Early menarche and childbirth accelerate aging-related outcomes and age-related diseases: Evidence for antagonistic pleiotropy in humans. | Buck Institute for Research on Aging | New research shows that early reproductive events like puberty and childbirth can significantly accelerate aging and increase disease risk in women. The study highlights that women experiencing early reproductive timings face double the risk of major diseases. In contrast, later reproductive events may provide protective benefits, indicating evolutionary trade-offs between reproductive advantages and long-term health burdens. | Early Puberty Accelerates Aging and DiseaseResearchers discovered that early puberty or childbirth doubles women’s risk for major diseases and accelerates aging, while later timing offers protective benefits. Genetic analysis reveals evolutionary tradeoffs, where reproductive advantages early in life create health burdens later. Credit: Shutterstock -- Reproductive timing matters when it comes to aging and age-related disease. In a study now online at eLife¸ Buck researchers determine that girls who go through puberty (the onset of menstruation) before the age of 11 or women who give birth before the age of 21 have double the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart failure and obesity and quadruple the risk of developing severe metabolic disorders. The study also reveals that later puberty and childbirth are genetically associated with longer lifespan, lower frailty, slower epigenetic aging and reduced risk of age-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's. -- Buck professor Pankaj Kapahi, PhD, senior author of the study says the public health implications of the research are significant. "Even though women are routinely asked about their menstrual and childbirth history when they receive medical care, this information has rarely factored into the care they receive outside of OB/GYN," he says. "These risk factors, whether positive or negative, clearly have significant influence on a variety of age-related diseases and should be considered in the larger context of overall health." -- The research was based on one of the most comprehensive analyses to date, using regression analysis on nearly 200,000 women in the UK Biobank to confirm genetic associations. "We identified 126 genetic markers that mediate the effects of early puberty and childbirth on aging," said postdoctoral fellow Yifan Xiang, MD, who led the research. "Many of these markers are involved in well-known longevity pathways, such as IGF-1, growth hormone, AMPK and mTOR signaling, key regulators of metabolism and aging." -- Genetic associations for antagonistic pleiotropy in humans -- Evolution is based on natural selection acting on traits early in life to encourage reproduction and survival of the species. The antagonistic pleiotropy theory of aging suggests that traits beneficial in the young can have negative effects later in life. "Our study provides some of the strongest human evidence for this theory," Kapahi says. "We show that genetic factors favoring early reproduction come with the significant cost later in life including accelerated aging and disease. It makes sense that the very factors that help enhance survival of the offspring may lead to detrimental consequences for the mother." -- The role of BMI in aging and disease risk -- Kapahi says the study highlights the role of Body Mass Index (BMI) as a critical mediator of this process, finding that early reproductive events contribute to a higher BMI, which in turn increases the risk of metabolic disease. "One can envisage that enhancing the ability to absorb nutrients would benefit the offspring but if nutrients are plentiful then it can enhance the risk of obesity and diabetes." -- Implications for public health and basic science -- Kapahi says understanding the long-term impact of reproductive timing allows for the development of personalized healthcare strategies that could help mitigate the risks associated with early puberty and early childbirth, adding that lifestyle modifications, metabolic screenings and tailored dietary recommendations could improve long-term health in women. He says taking reproductive timing into account is currently relevant based on research that shows the age at which girls in the US begin menstruating has dropped by about three months per decade since the 1970s. No specific causes for the phenomena have been identified, but research suggests obesity may play a role. | 423 |
| Scientists Uncover Sugar Pathway Driving Aggressive Childhood Cancer | Childhood Cancer Vulnerability: Exploiting Sugar Pathway Could Lead To New Treatments | Somatic CRISPR tumorigenesis and multiomic analysis reveal a pentose phosphate pathway disruption vulnerability in MPNSTs. | University of Iowa Health Care | Researchers have discovered a critical vulnerability in a deadly childhood cancer that relies on a specific sugar metabolizing pathway for survival. By targeting this pathway, scientists were able to slow tumor growth and enhance treatment efficacy. This breakthrough suggests potential new therapeutic strategies for addressing the aggressive nature of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor (MPNST), offering hope for patients facing limited treatment options. | Hidden Sugar Pathway Powers Childhood CancerResearchers discovered that aggressive childhood tumors depend on a sugar pathway to survive. Cutting off that supply slowed the cancer and revealed a new way to fight it. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study delving into the genetic drivers of a rare and aggressive childhood cancer called Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor (MPNST) has revealed metabolic frailties in the cancer cells that might be exploited to improved treatments for patients. -- MPNST is a rare and deadly childhood cancer, which mainly affects teenagers and young adults. These tumors grow quickly, spread easily, and don't respond well to current treatments. Metastasis is the leading cause of death in MPNST and there currently are no targeted treatments for metastatic disease. -- The study, led by University of Iowa researchers Eric Taylor, PhD, professor of molecular physiology and biophysics, and Rebecca Dodd, PhD, associate professor of internal medicine, identifies a specific metabolic pathway that is critical for MPNST cells' survival and growth, which could potentially be targeted with future therapies. -- Targeting cancer metabolism to slow tumor progression -- To better understand these tumors, the UI researchers used gene editing to create new research models that closely match the cancer-driving mutations found in patients. Using these models, they then applied state-of-the-art genomic and metabolomic tools to map the metabolic pathways that fuel tumor growth in MPNST. -- The study, published in Science Advances, found that these cancers rely on a key metabolic pathway to help them survive oxidative stress and drive tumor growth. This pathway, known as the Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP), metabolizes sugar to produce a critical antioxidant molecule that the cancer cells require to combat oxidative stress. When the researchers blocked the PPP, the tumors grew more slowly and were more vulnerable to chemotherapy. -- "This is the first time this specific metabolic pathway has been linked to MPNST tumor growth, making it a completely new target for therapy in this cancer type," Dodd says. "It opens the door to treatment strategies that haven't been explored before and could lead to more effective treatments and better outcomes for patients who urgently need new options." -- The highly collaborative study combined Dodd's expertise in cancer biology with Taylor's expertise in metabolism. The lead author was UI graduate student Gavin McGivney, PhD, from Bayard in Guthrie County, Iowa, who was co-mentored by Dodd and Taylor. McGivney graduated from the UI Cancer Biology graduate program in 2024, and is now a postdoctoral scholar at University of Chicago. Dodd and Taylor are both members of UI Health Care Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Taylor is a member of the UI Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center. -- In addition to Dodd, Taylor, and McGivney, the research team also included UI researchers in the Departments of Internal Medicine, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, and Radiation Oncology at the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the University of Toronto, were also part of the team. | 424 |
| Is Ketamine The Answer For Chronic Pain? New Findings Cast Doubt | Ketamine's Efficacy Questioned: New Review Challenges Its Use For Chronic Pain | Ketamine and other NMDA receptor antagonists for chronic pain. | Cochrane | A recent Cochrane review challenges the efficacy of ketamine for chronic pain management, finding it does not provide significant benefits. Despite its common off-label use, the analysis of 67 trials shows little convincing evidence for effectiveness and highlights serious side effects. The findings underscore the need for more robust research before considering ketamine a reliable treatment for chronic pain conditions. | Is Ketamine the Answer for Chronic Pain?A major review finds ketamine offers no solid relief for chronic pain, raising red flags over side effects and highlighting the need for stronger evidence. Credit: Shutterstock -- The off-label use of ketamine to treat chronic pain is not supported by scientific evidence, a new Cochrane review has found. -- Ketamine is an anaesthetic commonly used for procedural sedation and short-term pain relief. Ketamine is also frequently prescribed off-label to manage chronic pain conditions such as nerve pain, fibromyalgia and complex regional pain syndrome. It is one of several NMDA receptor antagonists -- a group of drugs thought to reduce pain by blocking certain brain receptors involved in pain signalling. -- The review, conducted by researchers from UNSW Sydney, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), and Brunel University of London, examined 67 trials involving over 2,300 adult participants. It assessed five NMDA receptor antagonists: ketamine, memantine, dextromethorphan, amantadine, and magnesium. Results show no clear evidence of benefit for ketamine in chronic pain and identified an increased risk of adverse effects such as delusions, delirium, paranoia, nausea, and vomiting. Evidence was rated low to very low certainty, due to small study sizes and poor methodological quality. -- "We want to be clear - we're not saying ketamine is ineffective, but there's a lot of uncertainty," said Michael Ferraro, Doctoral Candidate at UNSW and NeuRA, first author of the review. "The data could point to a benefit or no effect at all. Right now, we just don't know." -- Researchers looked at the effects across various chronic pain conditions and dosing strategies but found no clear evidence of benefit in any specific condition or dose. Side effects were a major concern, particularly with intravenous use. -- "The most common adverse events we saw were psychotomimetic effects such as delusions, delirium and paranoia, as well as nausea and vomiting." said Ferraro. "These effects are distressing for many patients. Clinicians often try to balance the dose for pain relief without triggering those symptoms, but this isn't always achieved." -- The review also found no studies that reported on two key outcomes: whether ketamine reduced depressive symptoms or opioid use. This is notable, as ketamine is often proposed for patients with depressive symptoms or opioid tolerance. -- "This group of drugs, and ketamine in particular, are in relatively common use for chronic pain around the world. Yet we have no convincing evidence that they are delivering meaningful benefits for people with pain, even in the short term," said Neil O'Connell, Professor at Brunel University of London, co-senior author of the review. "That seems a good reason to be cautious in the clinic and clearly indicates an urgent need to undertake high quality trials." -- The authors hope the review will help inform patients and clinicians weighing up potential benefits and harms, and guide future research. While more evidence is needed, this review highlights the importance of high-quality trials to understand whether ketamine has a role in chronic pain care. | 425 |
| Columbia Scientists May Have Found A Universal Antiviral | Universal Antiviral Potential: Unique Immune Disorder Inspires New Treatment | An mRNA-based broad-spectrum antiviral inspired by ISG15 deficiency protects against viral infections in vitro and in vivo. | Columbia University Irving Medical Center | Inspired by a rare immune disorder, researchers have developed a promising mRNA-based antiviral therapy that successfully halted influenza and COVID-19 in animal trials. This innovative approach leverages the unique inflammation signature from the disorder to potentially create a universal antiviral treatment. The research opens new pathways for combating viral infections by harnessing the body’s innate immune responses. | Scientists May Have Found a Universal AntiviralScientists may be close to a universal antiviral: a therapy that gives temporary virus-fighting superpowers, inspired by a rare immune disorder. Credit: Shutterstock -- For a few dozen people in the world, the downside of living with a rare immune condition comes with a surprising superpower -- the ability to fight off all viruses. -- Columbia immunologist Dusan Bogunovic discovered the individuals' antiviral powers about 15 years ago, soon after he identified the genetic mutation that causes the condition. -- At first, the condition only seemed to increase vulnerability to some bacterial infections. But as more patients were identified, its unexpected antiviral benefits became apparent. Bogunovic, a professor of pediatric immunology at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, soon learned that everyone with the mutation, which causes a deficiency in an immune regulator called ISG15, has mild, but persistent systemic inflammation. -- "The type of inflammation they had was antiviral, and that's when it dawned on me that these individuals could be hiding something," Bogunovic recalls. When he and his colleagues looked at the individuals' immune cells, they could see encounters with all sorts of viruses -- flu, measles, mumps, chickenpox. But the patients had never reported any overt signs of infection or illness. -- "In the back of my mind, I kept thinking that if we could produce this type of light immune activation in other people, we could protect them from just about any virus," Bogunovic says. -- Today, Bogunovic is closing in on a therapeutic strategy that could provide that broad-spectrum protection against viruses and become an important weapon in next pandemic. -- In his latest study, published Aug. 13 in Science Translational Medicine, Bogunovic and his team report that an experimental therapy they've developed temporarily gives recipients (hamsters and mice, so far) the same antiviral superpower as people with ISG15 deficiency. When administered prophylactically into the animals' lungs via a nasal drip, the therapy prevented viral replication of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses and lessened disease severity. -- In cell culture, "we have yet to find a virus that can break through the therapy's defenses," Bogunovic says. -- Mimicking the immune superpowers of a rare condition | 426 |
| Scientists Create Scalable Quantum Node Linking Light And Matter | Quantum Leap Towards A Future Internet With High-Fidelity Quantum Nodes And Entangled Photons | Photon-Interfaced Ten-Qubit Register of Trapped Ions. | University of Innsbruck | Quantum scientists in Innsbruck are pioneering a transformative approach to the future internet by developing scalable quantum nodes using calcium ions and lasers. They achieved an impressive 92% fidelity in creating streams of entangled photons, which could connect quantum computers globally, enhance secure communications, and revolutionize global timekeeping through advanced optical atomic clocks. | Scalable Quantum Node Linking Light and MatterOne by one, each ion-qubit is moved into an optical cavity, where mirrors efficiently collect the photons emitted by the ion-qubit. Each photon emerges entangled with its ion-qubit, forming a deep quantum link. Credit: Universität Innsbruck/Harald Ritsch -- Quantum networks are often described as the future of the internet -- but instead of transmitting classical information in bits, they send quantum information carried by photons. These networks could enable ultra-secure communication, link together distant quantum computers into a single, vastly more powerful machine, and create precision sensing systems that can measure time or environmental conditions with unprecedented accuracy. -- To make such a network possible, so-called quantum network nodes -- that can store quantum information and share it via light particles - are needed. In their latest work, the Innsbruck team led by Ben Lanyon at the Department of Experimental Physics of the University of Innsbruck demonstrated such a node using a string of ten calcium ions in a prototype quantum computer. By carefully adjusting electric fields, the ions were moved one by one into an optical cavity. There, a finely tuned laser pulse triggered the emission of a single photon whose polarization was entangled with the ion's state. -- The process created a stream of photons; each tied to a different ion-qubit in the register. In future the photons could travel to distant nodes and be used to establish entanglement between separate quantum devices. The researchers achieved an average ion-photon entanglement fidelity of 92 percent, a level of precision that underscores the robustness of their method. -- "One of the key strengths of this technique is its scalability," says Ben Lanyon. "While earlier experiments managed to link only two or three ion-qubits to individual photons, the Innsbruck setup can be extended to much larger registers, potentially containing hundreds of ions and more." This paves the way for connecting entire quantum processors across laboratories or even continents. -- "Our method is a step towards building larger and more complex quantum networks," says Marco Canteri, the first author of the study. "It brings us closer to practical applications such as quantum-secure communication, distributed quantum computing and large-scale distributed quantum sensing." -- Beyond networking, the technology could also advance optical atomic clocks, which keep time so precisely that they would lose less than a second over the age of the universe. Such clocks could be linked via quantum networks to form a worldwide timekeeping system of unmatched accuracy. -- The work, now published in Physical Review Letters, was financially supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF and the European Union, among others, and demonstrates not only a technical milestone but also a key building block for the next generation of quantum technologies. | 427 |
| Tiny Protein Dismantles The Toxic Clumps Behind Alzheimer’s | Midkine Protein Blocks Alzheimer’s Clumps, Offering New Hope For Drug Development | Midkine attenuates amyloid-β fibril assembly and plaque formation. | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | Researchers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have uncovered that the midkine protein plays a crucial role in preventing harmful clumping of amyloid beta, associated with Alzheimer’s disease. This discovery offers hope for new therapeutic strategies by highlighting midkine’s protective effects, laying groundwork for potential drug development focused on combating Alzheimer's. | Protein Could Stop Alzheimer’s Before It StartsMidkine protein may be a natural defense against Alzheimer’s, offering hope for new therapies. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital demonstrated for the first time that the protein midkine plays a preventative role against Alzheimer's disease. Midkine is known to accumulate in Alzheimer's disease patients. Now, researchers have connected it with amyloid beta, a protein that accumulates in the brain, causing assemblies that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's. -- In work published on August 21 in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, the researchers revealed that midkine prevents amyloid beta from sticking together, and, consequently, Alzheimer's disease models lacking midkine show more amyloid beta accumulation. The findings lay the groundwork to better understand the disease-preventing mechanism of midkine and subsequent drug discovery pathways. -- Midkine blocks Alzheimer's amyloid assembly growth -- Midkine is a small, multifunctional growth factor protein found abundantly during embryonic development but also involved in normal cell growth. Its role in cell growth means that midkine is often overexpressed in cancer, making it a valuable biomarker. However, beyond some preliminary studies showing its increase in Alzheimer's, midkine's link to the neurodegenerative disease has been poorly understood. -- Corresponding author Junmin Peng, PhD, Departments of Structural Biology and Developmental Neurobiology, and his team utilized fluorescence assays, circular dichroism, electron microscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance with disease models that replicate amyloid beta accumulation to investigate the role of midkine in Alzheimer's thoroughly. They found that midkine and amyloid beta have a similar pattern at the protein level. -- "We know that correlation is not causative, so we wanted to demonstrate convincingly that real interactions are occurring between the two proteins," Peng explained. -- The researchers used a fluorescent sensor for amyloid beta assemblies, called thioflavin T, to show that the assemblies were broken up in the presence of midkine. Modeling of those data revealed that midkine inhibits amyloid beta elongation and secondary nucleation, two specific phases during assembly formation. Nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed this finding. -- "Once the amyloid beta assemblies grow, the signal becomes weaker and broader until it disappears because the technique can only analyze small molecules," said Peng. "But when we add in midkine, the signal returns, showing that it inhibits the large assemblies." -- Additionally, the researchers used Alzheimer's disease mouse models that have increased amyloid beta and demonstrated that removing the midkine gene resulted in even higher levels of amyloid beta assemblies. These results point to the protective role the protein has against Alzheimer's disease. | 428 |
| A Startling Omega-3 Deficiency May Explain Women’s Alzheimer’s Risk | Women’s Alzheimer’s Risk Linked To Omega-3 Fatty Acid Deficiency, Research Suggests Dietary Changes | Lipid profiling reveals unsaturated lipid reduction in women with Alzheimer's disease. | King's College London | A study has revealed significant differences in how Alzheimer’s disease affects women compared to men, particularly in the loss of omega fatty acids. Researchers found that women with Alzheimer's showed a distinct decline in these protective fats, suggesting that omega-rich diets may hold potential for preventative strategies, though clinical trials are warranted for validation. | Omega-3 Deficiency Tied to Alzheimer’s in WomenAlzheimer’s impacts women differently than men, with a marked drop in protective omega fats found in female patients. This could explain why women are diagnosed more often. Credit: Shutterstock -- Omega fatty acids could protect against Alzheimer's disease in women, new research has found. -- Analysis of lipids - fat molecules that perform many essential functions in the body - in the blood found there was a noticeable loss of unsaturated fats, such as those that contain omega fatty acids, in the blood of women with Alzheimer's disease compared to healthy women. -- Scientists found no significant difference in the same lipid molecule composition in men with Alzheimer's disease compared to healthy men, which suggests that those lipids have a different role in the disease according to sex. Fats perform important roles in maintaining a healthy brain, so this study could indicate why more women are diagnosed with the disease. -- The study, published on August 20 in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association by scientists from King's College London and Queen Mary University London, is the first to reveal the important role lipids could have in the risk for Alzheimer's between the sexes. -- Senior author Dr Cristina Legido-Quigley, from King's College London, said: "Women are disproportionately impacted by Alzheimer's Disease and are more often diagnosed with the disease than men after the age of 80. One of the most surprising things we saw when looking at the different sexes was that there was no difference in these lipids in healthy and cognitively impaired men, but for women this picture was completely different. The study reveals that Alzheimer's lipid biology is different between the sexes, opening new avenues for research." -- The scientists took plasma samples from 841 participants who had Alzheimer's Disease, mild cognitive impairment and cognitively health controls and and were measured for brain inflammation and damage. -- They used mass spectrometry to analyze the 700 individual lipids in the blood. Lipids are a group of many molecules. Saturated lipids are generally considered as 'unhealthy' or 'bad' lipids, while unsaturated lipid, which sometime contains omega fatty acids, are generally considered 'healthy'. -- Scientists saw a steep increase in lipids with saturation - the 'unhealthy lipids' - in women with Alzheimer's compared to the healthy group. The lipids with attached omega fatty acids were the most decreased in the Alzheimer's group. -- Now, the scientists say there is a statistical indication that there is a causal link between Alzheimer's Disease and fatty acids. But a clinical trial is necessary to confirm the link. | 429 |
| Why Some People Age Faster. And The 400 Genes Behind It | New Study Links Over 400 Genes To Frailty, Shedding Light On Aging Differences | Uncovering the multivariate genetic architecture of frailty with genomic structural equation modeling. | University of Colorado at Boulder | A new study identifies over 400 genes associated with various forms of frailty, shedding light on the complexities of aging. Researchers distinguished six distinct unhealthy aging pathways, paving the way for targeted interventions to improve health outcomes and enhance the quality of life for older adults facing age-related challenges. | Scientists Reveal Why Some People Age FasterScientists have uncovered more than 400 genes linked to different forms of unhealthy aging, shedding light on why some people thrive into their 90s while others struggle decades earlier. Credit: Shutterstock -- It's a fact of life: Some people age better than others. -- Some ease into their 90s with mind and body intact, while others battle diabetes, Alzheimer's or mobility issues decades earlier. Some can withstand a bad fall or bout of the flu with ease, while others never leave the hospital again. -- New University of Colorado Boulder-led research, published this month in the journal Nature Genetics, sheds light on why that is. -- In it, an international team of co-authors identify more than 400 genes associated with accelerated aging across seven different sub-types. The study reveals that different groups of genes underlie different kinds of disordered aging, a.k.a. frailty, ranging from cognitive decline to mobility issues to social isolation. -- The findings lend support to what is known as the "geroscience hypothesis" -- the idea that to treat the multiple chronic illnesses that come with aging, we must treat aging itself. -- "To be able to identify treatments to stop or reverse accelerated biological aging, you need to know what the underlying biology is," said Isabelle Foote, first author on the paper and a postdoctoral researcher at CU's Institute for Behavioral Genetics. "This is the largest study yet to use genetics to try to do that." -- Redefining 'frailty' -- The study centers around "frailty," a catch-all term for the "multisystem physiological decline" that often comes with aging. -- More than 40% of U.S. adults over age 65 are considered frail. | 430 |
| Scientists Just Found A Protein That Reverses Brain Aging | FTL1 Protein Identified As Key To Brain Aging — A Potential Reversal Method | Targeting iron-associated protein Ftl1 in the brain of old mice improves age-related cognitive impairment. | University of California - San Francisco | UC San Francisco researchers have identified a protein named FTL1 that accelerates brain aging and contributes to memory loss in mice. By successfully blocking this protein, they were able to restore youthful brain function, presenting a potential target for therapies aimed at reversing cognitive decline rather than merely slowing it down. | Protein That Reverses Brain AgingScientists identified FTL1 as the protein behind brain aging, and found that lowering it can actually reverse memory loss. Credit: Shutterstock -- Aging is particularly harsh on the hippocampus -- the brain region responsible for learning and memory. -- Now, researchers at UC San Francisco have identified a protein that's at the center of this decline. -- They looked at how the genes and proteins in the hippocampus changed over time in mice and found just one that differed between old and young animals. It's called FTL1. -- Old mice had more FTL1, as well as fewer connections between brain cells in the hippocampus and diminished cognitive abilities. -- When the researchers artificially increased FTL1 levels in young mice, their brains and behavior began to resemble that of old mice. -- In experiments in petri dishes, nerve cells engineered to make lots of FTL1 grew simple, one-armed neurites -- rather than the branching neurites that normal cells create. -- But once the scientists reduced the amount of FTL1 in the hippocampus of the old mice, they regained their youth. They had more connections between nerve cells, and the mice did better on memory tests. -- "It is truly a reversal of impairments," said Saul Villeda, PhD, associate director of the UCSF Bakar Aging Research Institute and senior author of the paper, which appears in Nature Aging on Aug. 19. "It's much more than merely delaying or preventing symptoms." -- In old mice, FTL1 also slowed down metabolism in the cells of the hippocampus. But treating the cells with a compound that stimulates metabolism prevented these effects. | 431 |
| A Safe Painkiller? New Research Raises Concerns About Tylenol’s Safety In Pregnancy | New Research Links Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy To Increased Autism And ADHD Risks | Evaluation of the evidence on acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders using the Navigation Guide methodology. | The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine | A large-scale review has raised concerns about the safety of acetaminophen use during pregnancy, linking it to increased risks of autism and ADHD in children. This systematic evaluation of 46 studies prompts calls for caution, updated guidelines, and the exploration of safer alternatives to this commonly used medication. | New Research Raises Tylenol Safety ConcernsAcetaminophen in pregnancy may be tied to autism and ADHD risks, prompting calls for caution and safer alternatives. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen may increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in children. The study, published on August 14 in BMC Environmental Health, is the first to apply the rigorous Navigation Guide methodology to systematically evaluate the rigor and quality of the scientific literature. -- Acetaminophen (often sold under the brand name Tylenol®, and known as paracetamol outside the United States and Canada) is the most commonly used over-the-counter pain and fever medication during pregnancy and is used by more than half of pregnant women worldwide. Until now, acetaminophen has been considered the safest option for managing headache, fever, and other pain. Analysis by the Mount Sinai-led team of 46 studies incorporating data from more than 100,000 participants across multiple countries challenges this perception and underscores the need for both caution and further study. -- The Navigation Guide Systematic Review methodology is a gold-standard framework for synthesizing and evaluating environmental health data. This approach allows researchers to assess and rate each study's risk of bias, such as selective reporting of the outcomes or incomplete data, as well as the strength of the evidence and the quality of the studies individually and collectively. -- "Our findings show that higher-quality studies are more likely to show a link between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and increased risks of autism and ADHD," said Diddier Prada, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Population Health Science and Policy, and Environmental Medicine and Climate Science, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "Given the widespread use of this medication, even a small increase in risk could have major public health implications." -- The paper also explores biological mechanisms that could explain the association between acetaminophen use and these disorders. Acetaminophen is known to cross the placental barrier and may trigger oxidative stress, disrupt hormones, and cause epigenetic changes that interfere with fetal brain development. -- While the study does not show that acetaminophen directly causes neurodevelopmental disorders, the research team's findings strengthen the evidence for a connection and raise concerns about current clinical practices. -- The researchers call for cautious, time-limited use of acetaminophen during pregnancy under medical supervision; updated clinical guidelines to better balance the benefits and risks; and further research to confirm these findings and identify safer alternatives for managing pain and fever in expectant mothers. -- "Pregnant women should not stop taking medication without consulting their doctors," Dr. Prada emphasized. "Untreated pain or fever can also harm the baby. Our study highlights the importance of discussing the safest approach with health care providers and considering non-drug options whenever possible." -- With diagnoses of autism and ADHD increasing worldwide, these findings have significant implications for public health policy, clinical guidelines, and patient education. The study also highlights the urgent need for pharmaceutical innovation to provide safer alternatives for pregnant women. | 432 |
| This Vaccine Uses Dental Floss Instead Of Needles | Flossing Might Lead To A Painless Vaccination Method, Scientists Discover | Floss-based vaccination targets the gingival sulcus for mucosal and systemic immunization. | North Carolina State University | An innovative vaccine delivery method using dental floss has been developed by researchers, demonstrating that flossing can stimulate immune responses via permeable gum tissue. This approach proved effective in mice, generating robust antibody production and suggesting a novel way to enhance vaccination efficacy at mucosal surfaces, where many infections enter. | Vaccines via Floss? It WorksResearchers have demonstrated a novel vaccine delivery method in an animal model, using dental floss to introduce vaccine via the tissue between the teeth and gums. The testing found that the new technique stimulates the production of antibodies in mucosal surfaces, such as the lining of the nose and lungs. Credit: Jie Sun, NC State University -- Researchers have demonstrated a novel vaccine delivery method in an animal model, using dental floss to introduce vaccine via the tissue between the teeth and gums. The testing found that the new technique stimulates the production of antibodies in mucosal surfaces, such as the lining of the nose and lungs. -- "Mucosal surfaces are important, because they are a source of entry for pathogens, such as influenza and COVID," says Harvinder Singh Gill, corresponding author of a paper on the work. "However, if a vaccine is given by injection, antibodies are primarily produced in the bloodstream throughout the body, and relatively few antibodies are produced on mucosal surfaces. -- "But we know that when a vaccine is given via the mucosal surface, antibodies are stimulated not only in the bloodstream, but also on mucosal surfaces," says Gill, who is the Ronald B. and Cynthia J. McNeill Term Professor in Nanomedicine at North Carolina State University. "This improves the body's ability to prevent infection, because there is an additional line of antibody defense before a pathogen enters the body." -- This is where the junctional epithelium comes in. The term epithelium applies to the tissue that lines the surface of your body parts, such as the lining of your lungs, stomach and intestines. Most epithelial tissues include robust barriers that are designed to keep bad things - from viruses to dirt - from entering your blood stream. But the junctional epithelium is different. -- The junctional epithelium is a thin layer of tissue located in the deepest part of the pocket between the tooth and the gum, and it lacks the barrier features found in other epithelial tissues. The lack of a barrier allows the junctional epithelium to release immune cells to fight bacteria - you find these immune cells in your saliva, as well as between your teeth and gums. -- "Because the junctional epithelium is more permeable than other epithelial tissues - and is a mucosal layer - it presents a unique opportunity for introducing vaccines to the body in a way that will stimulate enhanced antibody production across the body's mucosal layers," says Gill. -- To determine the viability of delivering vaccines via the junctional epithelium, the researchers applied vaccine to unwaxed dental floss and then flossed the teeth of lab mice. Specifically, the researchers compared antibody production in mice that received a peptide flu vaccine via flossing the junctional epithelium; via the nasal epithelium; or via placing vaccine on the mucosal tissue under the tongue. -- "We found that applying vaccine via the junctional epithelium produces far superior antibody response on mucosal surfaces than the current gold standard for vaccinating via the oral cavity, which involves placing vaccine under the tongue," says Rohan Ingrole, first author of the paper, who was a Ph.D. student under Gill at Texas Tech University. "The flossing technique also provides comparable protection against flu virus as compared to the vaccine being given via the nasal epithelium." -- "This is extremely promising, because most vaccine formulations cannot be given via the nasal epithelium - the barrier features in that mucosal surface prevent efficient uptake of the vaccine," Gill says. "Intranasal delivery also has the potential to cause the vaccine to reach the brain, which can pose safety concerns. However, vaccination via the junctional epithelium offers no such risk. For this experiment, we chose one of the few vaccine formulations that actually works for nasal delivery because we wanted to see how junctional epithelium delivery compared to the best-case scenario for nasal delivery." | 433 |
| Extinct Human Relatives Left A Genetic Gift That Helped People Thrive In The Americas | Genetic Legacy: Archaic Humans' DNA Provides Advantage To Indigenous Americans | The MUC19 gene: An evolutionary history of recurrent introgression and natural selection. | Brown University | A study reveals that a gene inherited from Denisovans may have provided Indigenous peoples of the Americas with genetic advantages, enhancing their adaptability to new environments. The MUC19 gene, found in both ancient and modern populations, appears to offer immune benefits against pathogens. This research emphasizes the ongoing influence of archaic human DNA on contemporary human survival and health. | Ancient DNA Still Shapes Human SurvivalInterbreeding with Denisovans introduced the MUC19 gene, likely aiding Indigenous ancestors’ survival in the Americas. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study provides fresh evidence that ancient interbreeding with archaic human species may have provided modern humans with genetic variation that helped them adapt to new environments as they dispersed across the globe. -- The study, published in Science, focused on a gene known as MUC19, which is involved in the production of proteins that form saliva and mucosal barriers in the respiratory and digestive tracts. The researchers show that a variant of that gene derived from Denisovans, an enigmatic species of archaic humans, is present in modern Latin Americans with Indigenous American ancestry, as well as in DNA collected from individuals excavated at archeological sites across North and South America. -- The frequency at which the gene appears in modern human populations suggests the gene was under significant natural selection, meaning it provided a survival or reproductive advantage to those who carried it. It's not clear exactly what that advantage might have been, but given the gene's involvement in immune processes, it may have helped populations to fight off pathogens encountered as they migrated into the Americas thousands of years ago. -- "From an evolutionary standpoint, this finding shows how ancient interbreeding can have effects that we still see today," said study author Emilia Huerta-Sánchez, a professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology at Brown University. "From a biological standpoint, we identify a gene that appears to be adaptive, but whose function hasn't yet been characterized. We hope that leads to additional study of what this gene is actually doing." -- Huerta-Sanchez co-authored the study with Fernando Villanea, a former post-doctoral researcher at Brown who is now at University of Colorado, Boulder; David Peede, a graduate student at Brown; and an international team of collaborators. -- Not much is known about the Denisovans, who lived in Asia between 300,000 and 30,000 years ago, aside from a few small fossils from Denisova cave in Siberia, two jaw bones found in Tibet and Taiwan, and a nearly complete skull from China found this year. The finger fossil from Siberia contained ancient DNA, which enables scientists to look for common genes between Denisovans and modern humans. Prior research led by Huerta-Sánchez found that a version of a gene called EPAS1 acquired from Denisovans may have helped Sherpas and other Tibetans to adapt to high altitudes. -- For this study, the researchers compared Denisovan DNA with modern genomes collected through the 1,000 Genomes Project, a survey of worldwide genetic variation. The researchers found that the Denisovan-derived MUC19 gene is present in high frequencies in Latino populations who harbor Indigenous American genetic ancestry. The researchers also looked for the gene in the DNA of 23 individuals collected from archeological sites in Alaska, California, Mexico and elsewhere in the Americas. The Denisovan-derived variant was present at high frequency in these ancient individuals as well. -- The team used several independent statistical tests to show that the Denisovan MUC19 gene variant rose to unusually high frequencies in ancient Indigenous American populations and present-day people of Indigenous descent, and that the gene sits on an unusually long stretch of archaic DNA -- both signs that natural selection had boosted its prevalence. The research also revealed that the gene was likely passed through interbreeding from Denisovans to another archaic population, the Neanderthals, who then interbred with modern humans. -- Huerta-Sánchez said the findings demonstrate the importance that interbreeding had in introducing new and potentially useful genetic variation in the human lineage. | 434 |
| Scientists Unlock Nature’s Secret To Superfast Mini Robots | Nature-Inspired Robotics: Ripple Bugs’ Feet Lead To Agile Aquatic Robots | Ultrafast elastocapillary fans control agile maneuvering in ripple bugs and robots. | University of California - Berkeley | Engineers inspired by the unique leg structure of ripple bugs have designed a robot capable of agile movements on water surfaces. The Rhagobot incorporates self-morphing fan-like legs, mirroring the insects' ability to glide swiftly. This innovation in microrobotics showcases how nature's design can enhance functionality and efficiency, paving the way for advances in aquatic robotic technology. | Nature’s Secret to Superfast Mini RobotsRhagovelia water strider showing fans. Credit: Victor Ortega-Jimenez/UC Berkeley -- A collaborative team of researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Ajou University in South Koreahas revealed that the unique fan-like propellers of Rhagovelia water striders -- which allow them to glide across fast-moving streams -- open and close passively, like a paintbrush, ten times faster than the blink of an eye. Inspired by this biological innovation, the team developed a revolutionary insect-scale robot that incorporates engineered self-morphing fans that mimic the agile movements of Rhagovelia bugs. This study highlights how form and function of a biological adaptation shaped by natural selection, can enhance the locomotion and endurance of both water striders and bioengineered robots without incurring additional energy costs. -- An automatic fan enhances interfacial motion -- Rhagovelia water striders are unique among water striders because these millimeter-sized semiaquatic insects use specialized fan-like structures on their propulsion legs that enable rapid turns and bursts of speed. -- Education Daily -- Why Outdoor Learning Spaces Matter for Student Success -- Sponsored By Education Daily -- "I was intrigued the first time I saw ripple bugs while working as a postdoc at Kennesaw State University during the pandemic." said Victor Ortega-Jimenez an integrative biologist now at the University of California, Berkeley, a lead author of the study. Ortega-Jimenez had previously studied the jumping performance of large Gerridae water striders from unsteady waters, but Rhahovelia bugs were different. "These tiny insects were skimming and turning so rapidly across the surface of turbulent streams that they resembled flying insects. How do they do it? That question stayed with me and took more than five years of incredible collaborative work to answer it." -- Until now it was believed that these fans were powered solely by muscle action. However, a study published on August 21 in Science, reports that Rhagovelia's flat, ribbon-shaped fans can instead passively morph using surface tension and elastic forces, without relying on muscle energy. -- "Observing for the first time an isolated fan passively expanding almost instantaneously upon contact with a water droplet was entirely unexpected," said Dr. Ortega-Jimenez. | 435 |
| Can Humans Regrow Eyes? These Snails Already Do | Eye Regeneration Insight: Apple Snails’ Abilities Offer Hope For Humans | A genetically tractable non-vertebrate system to study complete camera-type eye regeneration. | University of California - Davis | Researchers studying the golden apple snail, which can regenerate its eyes, have identified genes that share similarities with those in humans. Their findings could lead to breakthroughs in vision restoration for humans by understanding the mechanisms behind eye regeneration in snails. This research opens exciting possibilities for developing strategies to heal or regenerate damaged human eyes in the future. | Snail Eyes Regrow. Could Ours?The golden apple snail has camera-type eyes that are fundamentally similar to the human eye. Unlike humans, the snail can regenerate a missing or damaged eye. UC Davis biologist Alice Accorsi is studying how the snails accomplish this feat. This knowledge could help us understand eye damage in humans and even lead to new ways to heal or regenerate human eyes. Credit: Alice Accorsi, UC Davis -- Human eyes are complex and irreparable, yet they are structurally like those of the freshwater apple snail, which can completely regenerate its eyes. Alice Accorsi, assistant professor of molecular and cellular biology at the University of California, Davis, studies how these snails regrow their eyes -- with the goal of eventually helping to restore vision in people with eye injuries. -- In a new study published August 6 in Nature Communications, Accorsi shows that apple snail and human eyes share many anatomical and genetic features. -- "Apple snails are an extraordinary organism," said Accorsi. "They provide a unique opportunity to study regeneration of complex sensory organs. Before this, we were missing a system for studying full eye regeneration." -- Workday -- AI Trust & Purpose -- Sponsored By Workday -- Her team also developed methods for editing the apple snail's genome, which will allow them to explore the genetic and molecular mechanisms behind eye regeneration. -- A not-so-snail's paced snail -- The golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) is a freshwater snail speciesfrom South America. It's now invasive in many places throughout the rest of the world, but Accorsi said the same traits that make apple snails so invasive also make them a good animal to work with in the lab. | 436 |
| Scientists Create Mysterious Molecule That Could Spark Life In Space | Scientists Synthesize Unstable Molecule That Could Be Key Ingredient For Cosmic Life | Methanetetrol and the final frontier in ortho acids. | University of Mississippi | Scientists have successfully synthesized methanetetrol, a previously elusive and unstable compound that may play a vital role in the origins of life. This "prebiotic concentrate" was created under simulated space conditions, unlocking new insights into prebiotic chemistry. The discovery offers potential for understanding the chemical processes that could have led to the emergence of life, akin to an acorn growing into a tree. | Scientists Create Molecule That Could Spark LifeMethanetetrol, a wildly unstable yet potentially life-seeding molecule, has finally been created in the lab under simulated space conditions, opening a new chapter in our understanding of prebiotic chemistry. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Researchers have for the first time isolated a compound that could open new doors in understanding the chemistry that supports life in space. -- Ryan Fortenberry, an astrochemist at the University of Mississippi, Ralf Kaiser, professor of chemistry at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, and Alexander M. Mebel, computational chemist at Florida International University, are part of an international team that synthesized methanetetrol for the first time. They published their research on the elusive compound in the journal Nature Communications. -- "This is essentially a prebiotic concentrate -- a seed of life molecule," Fortenberry said. "It's something that can lead to more complex chemistry if given the opportunity. Think of it like an acorn that will grow into a tree in the Grove. -- "The acorn alone cannot make a tree; it requires sunlight and water and lots of other things. But it can be what starts the process." -- Methanetetrol is an ortho acid - an elusive class of compounds that are particularly difficult to isolate and study but are thought to play a key role in early life chemistry. -- To mimic how methanetetrol might form in space, the researchers froze water and carbon dioxide ices to near absolute zero and exposed them to cosmic ray-like radiation. This process allowed them to release the molecule into gas form and identify it using powerful ultraviolet light. -- "The detection of the only alcohol with four hydroxyl groups at the same carbon atom pushes the experimental and detection capabilities to the 'final frontier,' the next level beyond what could be accomplished before due to the lack of experimental and computational approaches," said Kaiser, whose lab has been trying to isolate methanetetrol for more than five years. -- Since methanetetrol has so many oxygen bonds - and because oxygen does not like to bond close to other oxygens - the compound is very unstable, meaning it is likely to break down if it is not kept in the right conditions. -- "You have this compact, carbon-oxygen molecule that just really wants to go 'boom,'" Fortenberry said. "And when it does, when you give it any kind of energy, you'll have water, hydrogen peroxide and a number of other potential compounds that are important for life. | 437 |
| Crushing Vs. Slashing: New Skull Scans Reveal How Giant Dinosaurs Killed | Discover How Giant Dinosaurs Evolved Unique Skull Designs For Hunting Prey | Carnivorous dinosaur lineages adopt different skull performances at gigantic size. | Cell Press | New research reveals that not all giant carnivorous dinosaurs relied on brute strength for survival. While Tyrannosaurus rex evolved powerful skulls for bone-crushing bites, other species like spinosaurs and allosaurs developed specialized skulls for slashing prey. This diversity in evolutionary adaptations highlights the varied feeding strategies of these massive predators, indicating that multiple approaches allowed them to thrive in their ecosystems. | Skull Scans Reveal How Giant Dinosaurs KilledNot all giant dinosaurs bit with brute force — some preferred finesse. While T. rex had a skull built for powerful, crushing bites, other predators like Giganotosaurus evolved weaker but more specialized skulls for slicing through prey. Evolution carved out different roles for these carnivores, allowing them to coexist with minimal competition. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new analysis of the bite strength of 18 species of carnivorous dinosaurs shows that while the Tyrannasaurus rex skull was optimized for quick, strong bites like a crocodile, other giant, predatory dinosaurs that walked on two legs -- including spinosaurs and allosaurs -- had much weaker bites and instead specialized in slashing and ripping flesh. Reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on August 4, these findings demonstrate that meat-eating dinosaurs followed different evolutionary paths in terms of skull design and feeding style despite their similarly gigantic sizes. -- "Carnivorous dinosaurs took very different paths as they evolved into giants in terms of feeding biomechanics and possible behaviors," said Andrew Rowe of the University of Bristol, UK. -- "Tyrannosaurs evolved skulls built for strength and crushing bites, while other lineages had comparatively weaker but more specialized skulls, suggesting a diversity of feeding strategies even at massive sizes. In other words, there wasn't one 'best' skull design for being a predatory giant; several designs functioned perfectly well." -- Rowe has always been fascinated by big carnivorous dinosaurs, and he considers them interesting subjects for exploring basic questions in organismal biology. In this study, he and co-author Emily Rayfield wanted to know how bipedalism -- or walking on two legs -- influenced skull biomechanics and feeding techniques. -- It was previously known that despite reaching similar sizes, predatory dinosaurs evolved in very different parts of the world at different times and had very different skull shapes. For Rowe and Rayfield, those facts raised questions about whether their skulls were functionally similar under the surface or if there were notable differences in their predatory lifestyles. As there are no massive, bipedal carnivores alive today -- ever since the end-Cretaceous mass extinction event -- the authors note that studying these animals offers intriguing insights into a way of life which has since disappeared. -- To examine the relationship between body size and skull biomechanics, the authors used 3D technologies including CT scans and surface scans analyze the skull mechanics, quantify the feeding performance, and measure the bite strength across 18 species of therapod, a group of carnivorous dinosaurs ranging from small to giant. While they expected some differences between species, they were surprised when their analyses showed clear biomechanical divergence. -- "Tyrannosaurids like T. rex had skulls that were optimized for high bite forces at the cost of higher skull stress," Rowe says. "But in some other giants, like Giganotosaurus, we calculated stress patterns suggesting a relatively lighter bite. It drove home how evolution can produce multiple 'solutions' to life as a large, carnivorous biped." -- Skull stress didn't show a pattern of increase with size. Some smaller therapods experienced greater stress than some larger species due to increased muscle volume and bite forces. The findings show that being a predatory biped didn't always equate to being a bone-crushing giant. Unlike T. rex, some dinosaurs, including the spinosaurs and allosaurs, became giants while maintaining weaker bites more suited for slashing at prey and stripping flesh. -- "I tend to compare Allosaurus to a modern Komodo dragon in terms of feeding style," Rowe says. "Large tyrannosaur skulls were instead optimized like modern crocodiles with high bite forces that crushed prey. This biomechanical diversity suggests that dinosaur ecosystems supported a wider range of giant carnivore ecologies than we often assume, with less competition and more specialization." | 438 |
| Scientists Just Cracked The Code To Editing Entire Chromosomes Flawlessly | New Gene Editing Tools Revolutionize DNA Manipulation With Unprecedented Precision And Efficacy | Iterative recombinase technologies for efficient and precise genome engineering across kilobase to megabase scales. | Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters | A team of Chinese scientists has made significant advancements in gene editing by developing techniques that can modify large DNA segments with remarkable precision. Their new tools, capable of inserting, removing, or flipping genetic code, have successfully demonstrated the ability to engineer herbicide-resistant rice. This breakthrough overcomes limitations of earlier methods and could pave the way for more effective genetic modifications in agriculture. | Editing Entire Chromosomes FlawlesslyIterative Recombinase Technologies Mediated Precision Chromosome Engineering. Credit: IGDB -- A team of Chinese researchers led by Prof. GAO Caixia from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed two new genome editing technologies, known collectively as Programmable Chromosome Engineering (PCE) systems. -- The study, published online in Cell on August 4, achieves multiple types of precise DNA manipulations ranging from kilobase to megabase scale in higher organisms, especially plants. -- Extensive research has demonstrated the immense potential of the site-specific recombinase Cre-Lox system for precise chromosomal manipulation. However, its broader application has been hindered by three critical limitations: -- 1. Reversible recombination reactions -- stemming from the inherent symmetry of Lox sites -- can negate desired edits. -- 2. The tetrameric nature of Cre recombinase complicates engineering efforts, hindering activity optimization. -- 3. Residual Lox sites after recombination may compromise editing precision. -- The research team addressed each of these challenges and developed novel methods to advance the state of this technology. First, they built a high-throughput platform for rapid recombination site modification and proposed an asymmetric Lox site design. This led to the development of novel Lox variants that reduce reversible recombination activity by over 10-fold (approaching the background level of negative controls) while retaining high-efficiency forward recombination. -- They then leveraged their recently developed AiCE (AI-informed Constraints for protein Engineering), model -- a protein-directed evolution system integrating general inverse folding models with structural and evolutionary constraints -- to develop AiCErec, a recombinase engineering method. This approach enabled precise optimization of Cre's multimerization interface, yielding an engineered variant with a recombination efficiency 3.5 times that of wild-type Cre. -- Lastly, they designed and refined a scarless editing strategy for recombinases. By harnessing the high editing efficiency of prime editors, they developed Re-pegRNA, a method that uses specifically designed pegRNAs to perform re-prime editing on residual Lox sites, precisely replacing them with the original genomic sequence, thereby ensuring seamless genome modifications. | 439 |
| 700,000 Years Ahead Of Their Teeth: The Carbs That Made Us Human | Early Humans Craved Carbs Long Before Evolving Teeth To Eat Tough Plants | Behavior drives morphological change during human evolution. | Dartmouth College | A new study suggests that early humans began consuming high-carb plants long before they evolved the dental adaptations necessary for chewing them. Evidence from fossilized teeth indicates that this dietary shift occurred approximately 700,000 years before suitable tooth structure appeared. This finding highlights the behavioral adaptability of early humans in exploring new food sources, underscoring the relationship between environment and survival. | The Diet That Made Us HumanThe researchers report that hominin teeth, especially molars, became smaller and longer over millennia to accommodate a growing diet of tough grass-like plants known as graminoids and their underground storage organs. They found that the turn toward grasses began about 3.8 million years ago with the distant human relative Australopithecus afarensis (left). About 2.3 million years ago, the early human Homo rudolfensis (center) gained regular access to carbohydrate-rich underground plant organs such as tubers, bulbs, and corms. But this dietary shift toward outpaced tooth evolution until about 2 million years ago when species such as Homo ergaster (right) exhibited a spurt of change in tooth size and shape better suited to eating and breaking down cooked plant tissues to derive their nutrients. Credit: L to R: Public domain; Don Hitchcock; Fernando Losada Rodríguez (rotated) -- As early humans spread from lush African forests into grasslands, their need for ready sources of energy led them to develop a taste for grassy plants, especially grains and the starchy plant tissue hidden underground. -- But a new Dartmouth-led study shows that hominins began feasting on these carbohydrate-rich foods before they had the ideal teeth to do so. The study provides the first evidence from the human fossil record of behavioral drive, wherein behaviors beneficial for survival emerge before the physical adaptations that make it easier, the researchers report in Science. -- The study authors analyzed fossilized hominin teeth for carbon and oxygen isotopes left behind from eating plants known as graminoids, which includes grasses and sedges. They found that ancient humans gravitated toward consuming these plants far earlier than their teeth evolved to chew them efficiently. It was not until 700,000 years later that evolution finally caught up in the form of longer molars like those that let modern humans easily chew tough plant fibers. -- The findings suggest that the success of early humans stemmed from their ability to adapt to new environments despite their physical limitations, says Luke Fannin, a postdoctoral researcher at Dartmouth and lead author of the study. -- "We can definitively say that hominins were quite flexible when it came to behavior and this was their advantage," Fannin says. "As anthropologists, we talk about behavioral and morphological change as evolving in lockstep. But we found that behavior could be a force of evolution in its own right, with major repercussions for the morphological and dietary trajectory of hominins." -- Nathaniel Dominy, the Charles Hansen Professor of Anthropology at Dartmouth and senior author of the study, says isotope analysis overcomes the enduring challenge of identifying the factors that caused the emergence of new behaviors -- behavior doesn't fossilize. -- "Anthropologists often assume behaviors on the basis of morphological traits, but these traits can take a long time -- a half-million years or more--to appear in the fossil record," Dominy says. -- "But these chemical signatures are an unmistakable remnant of grass-eating that is independent of morphology," he says. "They show a significant lag between this novel feeding behavior and the need for longer molar teeth to meet the physical challenge of chewing and digesting tough plant tissues." -- The team analyzed the teeth of various hominin species, beginning with the distant human relative Australopithecus afarensis, to track how the consumption of different parts of graminoids progressed over millennia. For comparison, they also analyzed the fossilized teeth of two extinct primate species that lived around the same time -- giant terrestrial baboon-like monkeys called theropiths and small leaf-eating monkeys called colobines. | 440 |
| Scientists Just Solved The 9-Million-Year Mystery Of Where Potatoes Came From | Ancient Hybridization Reveals Surprising Origins Of The Potato From Tomato-Like Ancestors | Ancient hybridization underlies tuberization and radiation of the potato lineage. | Cell Press | Researchers have traced the origins of the potato to a fascinating ancient hybridization event between tomato-like plants and potato relatives that occurred about 9 million years ago. This unique genetic blending led to the development of tubers, enabling the plant to thrive in harsh environments. The study sheds light on the evolutionary processes that gave rise to this vital crop, which plays a crucial role in global food security. | The Ancient Hybrid That Created PotatoesPotatoes owe their existence to a surprising ancient hybrid between tomato and potato-like plants. Credit: Shutterstock -- An international research team has uncovered that natural interbreeding in the wild between tomato plants and potato-like species from South America about 9 million years ago gave rise to the modern-day potato. -- In a study publishing in the Cell Press journal Cell, researchers suggest this ancient evolutionary event triggered the formation of the tuber, the enlarged underground structure that stores nutrients found in plants like potatoes, yams, and taros. -- "Our findings show how a hybridization event between species can spark the evolution of new traits, allowing even more species to emerge," says corresponding author Sanwen Huang of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China. "We've finally solved the mystery of where potatoes came from." -- As one of the world's most important crops, the potato's origin had long puzzled scientists. In appearance, modern potato plants are almost identical to three potato-like species from Chile called Etuberosum. But these plants do not carry tubers. Based on phylogenetic analysis, potato plants are more closely related to tomatoes. -- To solve this contradiction, the research team analyzed 450 genomes from cultivated potatoes and 56 of the wild potato species. -- "Wild potatoes are very difficult to sample, so this dataset represents the most comprehensive collection of wild potato genomic data ever analyzed," says the paper's first author Zhiyang Zhang of the Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. -- They found that every potato species contained a stable, balanced mix of genetic material from both Etuberosum and tomato plants, suggesting that potatoes originated from an ancient hybridization between the two. -- While Etuberosum and tomatoes are distinct species, they shared a common ancestor about 14 million years ago. Even after diverging for about 5 million years, they were able to interbreed and gave rise to the earliest potato plants with tubers around 9 million years ago. -- The team also traced the origins of the potato's key tuber-forming genes, which are a combination of genetic material from each parent. They found the SP6A gene, which acts like a master switch that tells the plant when to start making tubers, came from the tomato side of the family. Another important gene called IT1, which helps control growth of the underground stems that form tubers, came from the Etuberosum side. Without either piece, the hybrid offspring would be incapable of producing tubers. | 441 |
| Woodpeckers Thrive Where Missiles Fly. How A Bombing Range Became A Wildlife Refuge | How A Bombing Range Became A Thriving Sanctuary For Endangered Species | Translocations contribute to population rescue in an imperiled woodpecker. | Michigan State University | Surprisingly, a U.S. Air Force bombing range in Florida has become an unlikely sanctuary for endangered species. Researchers from Michigan State University have used monitoring data to show how strategic interventions and long-term commitments have successfully rehabilitated populations of at-risk wildlife, such as the red-cockaded woodpecker. This conservation success story emphasizes the importance of innovative approaches in protecting endangered species. | Woodpeckers Thrive Where Missiles FlyAlex Lewanski releases a banded red-cockaded woodpecker. Bird banding allows researchers to track and monitor individuals, helping create a detailed population record over years or decades. Credit: Greg Thompson -- Florida's Avon Park bombing range is teeming with life. Over 40 at-risk species occupy this 106,000-acre expanse used by the U.S. Air Force for training exercises. -- Conservation biologists from Michigan State University are using the range to test something other than weapons: innovative strategies to save threatened species. -- Using decades' worth of monitoring data, researchers are looking back through time to understand the outcome of interventions designed to rescue a population of imperiled red-cockaded woodpeckers. -- What they've found is a promising story of success. -- Their results, published in a special edition of (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), demonstrate the potential for translocations -- the practice of moving individuals from donor populations to isolated, at-risk ones -- to reverse long-term population decline in endangered species. It's the latest study from MSU's Fitzpatrick Lab to analyze how translocation efforts can help restore connectivity between isolated populations and bring dwindling species back from the brink. -- These findings emphasize how effective the careful introduction of new individuals can be in the short-term and in the years and decades ahead -- presenting a potential boon for threatened and endangered species. -- When used in concert with land protection and management strategies such as controlled burns, interventions at the individual level can help dwindling communities recover. -- Red-cockaded woodpeckers, once abundant from the American South to the Eastern seaboard, have disappeared alongside their pine savannah habitat, now confined to small, disconnected pockets covering only three percent of their historic range. -- The overdevelopment of these ecosystems has placed hundreds of species -- including the red-cockaded woodpecker -- at risk of disappearing entirely. | 442 |
| Underground Life On Mars? Cosmic Rays Could Make It Possible | Could Cosmic Rays Support Underground Life On Mars And Icy Moons? | Estimating the potential of ionizing radiation-induced radiolysis for microbial metabolism on terrestrial planets and satellites with rarefied atmospheres. | New York University | New research suggests that cosmic rays from deep space might enable life to exist underground on Mars and icy moons by releasing energy-carrying electrons when they interact with water or ice. This process, known as radiolysis, challenges the conventional belief that life requires sunlight or heat to thrive, pointing to the potential for discovering life in extreme, dark environments across the solar system. | Underground Life on Mars?High-energy space particles may fuel life in cold, dark places by releasing energy underground, pointing to the possibility of life on Mars or moons like Enceladus. Credit: Dimitra Atri, EMM/EXI/NYUAD/CASS -- A new study from NYU Abu Dhabi has found that high-energy particles from space, known as cosmic rays, could create the energy needed to support life underground on planets and moons in our solar system. -- The research shows that cosmic rays may not only be harmless in certain environments but could actually help microscopic life survive. These findings challenge the traditional view that life can only exist near sunlight or volcanic heat. Published in the International Journal of Astrobiology, the study is led by the Principal Investigator of the Space Exploration Laboratory at NYUAD's Center for Astrophysics and Space Science (CASS), Dimitra Atri. -- The team focused on what happens when cosmic rays hit water or ice underground. The impact breaks water molecules apart and releases tiny particles called electrons. Some bacteria on Earth can use these electrons for energy, similar to how plants use sunlight. This process is called radiolysis, and it can power life even in dark, cold environments with no sunlight. -- Using computer simulations, the researchers studied how much energy this process could produce on Mars and on the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. These moons, which are covered in thick layers of ice, are believed to have water hidden below their surfaces. The study found that Saturn's icy moon Enceladus had the most potential to support life in this way, followed by Mars, and then Jupiter's moon Europa. -- "This discovery changes the way we think about where life might exist," said Atri. "Instead of looking only for warm planets with sunlight, we can now consider places that are cold and dark, as long as they have some water beneath the surface and are exposed to cosmic rays. Life might be able to survive in more places than we ever imagined." -- The study introduces a new idea called the Radiolytic Habitable Zone. Unlike the traditional "Goldilocks Zone" -- the area around a star where a planet could have liquid water on its surface -- this new zone focuses on places where water exists underground and can be energized by cosmic radiation. Since cosmic rays are found throughout space, this could mean there are many more places in the universe where life could exist. -- The findings provide new guidance for future space missions. Instead of only looking for signs of life on the surface, scientists might also explore underground environments on Mars and the icy moons, using tools that can detect chemical energy created by cosmic radiation. -- This research opens up exciting new possibilities in the search for life beyond Earth and suggests that even the darkest, coldest places in the solar system could have the right conditions for life to survive. | 443 |
| Scientists Unveil Bioplastic That Degrades At Room Temperature, And Outperforms Petroplastics | New Bioplastic Inspired By Leaves Offers Sustainable Solution For Plastic Pollution Crisis | Biomimetic layered, ecological, advanced, multi-functional film for sustainable packaging. | Washington University in St. Louis | Addressing the global plastic pollution crisis, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a novel bioplastic inspired by leaf structures. This new material, known as LEAFF, boasts enhanced strength, functionality, and biodegradability, decomposing at room temperature. By utilizing cellulose nanofibers, this innovation presents a sustainable solution for packaging, potentially revolutionizing the bioplastics industry. | New Bioplastic Degrades at Room TemperatureA new leaf-inspired bioplastic solves major problems with current bioplastics—making them stronger, more functional, and able to biodegrade at room temperature. Credit: Shutterstock -- Society has long struggled with petroleum-derived plastic pollution, and awareness of microplastics' detrimental effects on food and water supplies adds further pressure. -- In response, researchers have been developing biodegradable versions of traditional plastics, or "bioplastics." However, current bioplastics face challenges as well: Current versions are not as strong as petrochemical-based plastics and they only degrade through a high-temperature composting system. -- Enter researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, who have solved both problems with inspiration from the humble leaf. Long before plastic, humans wrapped their food in leaves, which easily biodegrade due to an underlying structure of cellulose-rich cell walls. WashU's chemical engineers decided to introduce cellulose nanofibers to the design of bioplastics. -- "We created this multilayer structure where cellulose is in the middle and the bioplastics are on two sides," said Joshua Yuan, the Lucy and Stanley Lopata Professor and chair of energy, environmental and chemical engineering at the McKelvey School of Engineering. Yuan is also director for the National Science Foundation-funded Carbon Utilization Redesign for Biomanufacturing (CURB) Engineering Research Center. "In this way, we created a material that is very strong and that offers multifunctionality," he added. -- The technology emerged from working with two of the highest production bioplastics today. In a study published in Green Chemistry earlier this year, Yuan and colleagues used a variation of their leaf-inspired cellulose nanofiber structure to improve the strength and biodegradability of polyhydroxybutrate (PHB), a starch-derived plastic; they further refined their technique for polylactic acid (PLA), as detailed in a new paper just published in Nature Communications. -- The plastic packaging market is a $23.5 billion industry dominated by polyethylene and polypropylene, polymers made from petroleum that break down into harmful microplastics. The researchers' optimized bioplastic, called Layered, Ecological, Advanced and multi-Functional Film (LEAFF), turned PLA into a packaging material that is biodegradable at room temperature. Additionally, the structure allows for other critical properties, such as low air or water permeability, helping keep food stable, and a surface that is printable. This improves bioplastics' affordability since it saves manufacturers from printing separate labels for packaging. -- "On top of all of this, the LEAFF's underlying cellulose structure gives it a higher tensile strength than even petrochemical plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene," explained Puneet Dhatt, a PhD student in Yuan's lab and first author on the article. -- The innovation was in adding that cellulosic structure that WashU's engineers replicated, cellulose fibrils embedded within the bioplastics. -- "This unique biomimicking design allows us to address the limitations of bioplastic usage and overcome that technical barrier and allow for broader bioplastic utilization," Yuan said. | 444 |
| Scientists Finally Solve The Mystery Of What Triggers Lightning | Breakthrough Research Explains The Mysteries Of Lightning Formation In Thunderclouds | Photoelectric Effect in Air Explains Lightning Initiation and Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flashes. | Penn State | A study led by Penn State researchers has unveiled the mechanisms behind lightning initiation within thunderclouds, providing the first quantitative explanation of this phenomenon. Their findings demonstrate how powerful electric fields accelerate electrons, leading to a chain reaction that culminates in lightning. This research enhances our understanding of atmospheric physics and the complex events contributing to lightning development in nature. | What Triggers Lightning?In this artist's impression, a high-altitude NASA spy plane carries instrumentation to record purple-colored terrestrial gamma-ray flashes in thunderclouds. Credit: NASA/ALOFT team -- Though scientists have long understood how lightning strikes, the precise atmospheric events that trigger it within thunderclouds remained a perplexing mystery. The mystery may be solved, thanks to a team of researchers led by Victor Pasko, professor of electrical engineering in the Penn State School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, that has revealed the powerful chain reaction that triggers lightning. -- In the study published on July 28 in the Journal of Geophysical Research, the authors described how they determined strong electric fields in thunderclouds accelerate electrons that crash into molecules like nitrogen and oxygen, producing X-rays and initiating a deluge of additional electrons and high-energy photons -- the perfect storm from which lightning bolts are born. -- "Our findings provide the first precise, quantitative explanation for how lightning initiates in nature," Pasko said. "It connects the dots between X-rays, electric fields and the physics of electron avalanches." -- The team used mathematical modeling to confirm and explain field observations of photoelectric phenomena in Earth's atmosphere -- when relativistic energy electrons, which are seeded by cosmic rays entering the atmosphere from outer space, multiply in thunderstorm electric fields and emit brief high-energy photon bursts. This phenomenon, known as a terrestrial gamma-ray flash, comprises the invisible, naturally occurring bursts of X-rays and accompanying radio emissions. -- "By simulating conditions with our model that replicated the conditions observed in the field, we offered a complete explanation for the X-rays and radio emissions that are present within thunderclouds," Pasko said. "We demonstrated how electrons, accelerated by strong electric fields in thunderclouds, produce X-rays as they collide with air molecules like nitrogen and oxygen, and create an avalanche of electrons that produce high-energy photons that initiate lightning." -- Zaid Pervez, a doctoral student in electrical engineering, used the model to match field observations -- collected by other research groups using ground-based sensors, satellites and high-altitude spy planes -- to the conditions in the simulated thunderclouds. -- "We explained how photoelectric events occur, what conditions need to be in thunderclouds to initiate the cascade of electrons, and what is causing the wide variety of radio signals that we observe in clouds all prior to a lightning strike," Pervez said. "To confirm our explanation on lightning initiation, I compared our results to previous modeling, observation studies and my own work on a type of lightning called compact intercloud discharges, which usually occur in small, localized regions in thunderclouds." -- Published by Pasko and his collaborators in 2023, the model, Photoelectric Feedback Discharge, simulates physical conditions in which a lightning bolt is likely to originate. The equations used to create the model are available in the paper for other researchers to use in their own work. -- In addition to uncovering lightning initiation, the researchers explained why terrestrial gamma-ray flashes are often produced without flashes of light and radio bursts, which are familiar signatures of lightning during stormy weather. | 445 |
| 500-Million-Year-Old “Squid” Were Actually Ferocious Worms | Revolutionary Fossil Discovery: Ancient “Squid” Were Actually Ferocious Prehistoric Worms | A fossilized ventral ganglion reveals a chaetognath affinity for Cambrian nectocaridids. | University of Bristol | Recent discoveries in North Greenland have redefined our understanding of ancient squid-like fossils known as nectocaridids. Previously thought to be early cephalopods, these creatures are now recognized as ancestors of arrow worms, revealing their complex anatomy and predatory nature in the Cambrian seas. Their preserved features, including advanced eyes and streamlined bodies, suggest they were formidable predators, challenging the perception of their modern relatives. | Ancient “Squid” Were Actually Ferocious WormsReconstruction of Nektognathus, swimming in the Cambrian Sea. Credit: Bob Nicholls -- Remarkable fossils found in North Greenland have helped researchers solve a 500-million-year-old puzzle surrounding squid-like ancestors. -- It was previously thought ancient organisms called nectocaridids, which bear a resemblance to squid, were a type of cephalopod - marine molluscs with tentacles and a prominent head. But scientists, co-led by the University of Bristol, have now shown these creatures are actually an early descendent of arrow worms, also known as chaetognaths. -- This surprising discovery means the rather simple marine arrow worms had ancestors with much more complex anatomies and a predatory role higher up in the food chain. -- The study, in partnership with paleontologists at the Korean Polar Research Institute and University of Copenhagen, is the culmination of a series of excavation expeditions to Sirius Passet in North Greenland, which began nine years ago. The locality is famous for its extreme exceptional preservation of marine organisms from the Early Cambrian around 518 million years ago. -- Co-lead author Dr Jakob Vinther, Associate Professor in Macroevolution at the University of Bristol, said: "Sirius Passet is a treasure trove of fossils from the Cambrian Explosion. We not only find delicate soft-bodied fossils but also their digestive systems, musculature and sometimes even their nervous system. -- "Around 15 years ago a research paper, based on fossils from the famous Burgess Shale, claimed nectocaridids were cephalopods. It never really made sense to me, as the hypothesis would upend everything we otherwise know about cephalopods and their anatomy didn't closely match cephalopods when you looked carefully." -- The research team's excitement grew as fossils of the mysterious nectocaridids were unearthed in Sirius Passet for the first time. -- By analysing 25 fossil specimens, the researchers were able to pinpoint where nectocaridids fit into the tree of life. The solution came from Sirius Passets' unique preservation conditions resulting in their nervous systems commonly remaining intact. -- "We discovered our nectocaridids preserve parts of their nervous system as paired mineralized structures, and that was a giveaway as to where these animals sit in the tree of life," Dr Vinther explained. | 446 |
| Scientists Just Measured How Fast Glaciers Carve The Earth | Machine Learning Reveals How Glaciers Erode Earth's Surface At Varying Speeds | Drivers of global glacial erosion rates. | University of Victoria | A groundbreaking study employing machine learning has provided insights into the erosion rates of 180,000 glaciers worldwide. Researchers have determined that glaciers erode the landscape at varied speeds influenced by climate and geological factors, with most glaciers eroding at minuscule rates. This research is crucial for informing global environmental management and planning efforts, as it enhances our understanding of glacial dynamics and landscape alteration. | How Fast Glaciers Carve the EarthA glacier in the Canadian Arctic. Credit: John Gosse, Dalhousie University -- Glaciers carved the deep valleys of Banff, eroded Ontario to deposit the fertile soils of the Prairies and continue to change the Earth's surface. But how fast do glaciers sculpt the landscape? -- Published on August 7 in Nature Geoscience, University of Victoria (UVic) geographer Sophie Norris and her international team provide the most comprehensive view of how fast glaciers erode, and how they change the landscape. Most importantly, their research also provides an estimate of the rate of contemporary future erosion for more than 180,000 glaciers worldwide. -- Using a machine learning-based global analysis, Norris and her research team have worked to predict glacial erosion for 85 per cent of modern glaciers. Their regression equations estimate that 99 per cent of glaciers erode between 0.02 and 2.68 millimeters per year -- roughly the width of a credit card. -- "The conditions that lead to erosion at the base of glaciers are more complicated than we previously understood," says Norris. "Our analysis found that many variables strongly influence erosion rates: temperature, amount of water under the glacier, what kind of rocks are in the area, and how much heat comes from inside the Earth." -- "Given the extreme difficulty in measuring glacial erosion in active glacial settings, this study provides us with estimates of this process for remote locations worldwide," says John Gosse, Dalhousie University. -- Understanding the complex factors that cause erosion underneath glaciers is vital information for landscape management, long-term nuclear waste storage and monitoring the movement of sediment and nutrients around the world. -- Norris started this work while a post-doctoral fellow at Dalhousie and concluded it at UVic. The team of collaborators included the University of Grenoble Alpes (France), Dartmouth College (US), Pennsylvania State University (US) and the University of California Irvine (US). The work was carried out in partnership with and financially supported by the Canadian Nuclear Waste Management Organization. | 447 |
| Closest And Brightest Fast Radio Burst Ever Detected By Astronomers | Astronomers Capture Brightest Fast Radio Burst Ever Detected, Offering Unprecedented Cosmic Insight | FRB 20250316A: A Brilliant and Nearby One-off Fast Radio Burst Localized to 13 pc Precision. | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Astronomers have made a remarkable discovery with the detection of the RBFLOAT fast radio burst, the closest and brightest ever observed, originating from a galaxy just 130 million light-years away. This extraordinary signal, which outshone all other radio sources in its vicinity, offers a unique opportunity to study the environment surrounding these enigmatic cosmic events in detail, potentially unlocking new insights into the nature of fast radio bursts. | Closest and Brightest Fast Radio Burst EverThe dazzling “RBFLOAT” radio burst, originating nearby in the Ursa Major constellation, offers the clearest view yet of the environment around these mysterious flashes. Credit: Danielle Futselaar -- A fast radio burst is an immense flash of radio emission that lasts for just a few milliseconds, during which it can momentarily outshine every other radio source in its galaxy. These flares can be so bright that their light can be seen from halfway across the universe, several billion light years away. -- The sources of these brief and dazzling signals are unknown. But scientists now have a chance to study a fast radio burst (FRB) in unprecedented detail. An international team of scientists including physicists at MIT have detected a near and ultrabright fast radio burst some 130 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major. It is one of the closest FRBs detected to date. It is also the brightest -- so bright that the signal has garnered the informal moniker, RBFLOAT, for "radio brightest flash of all time." -- The burst's brightness, paired with its proximity, is giving scientists the closest look yet at FRBs and the environments from which they emerge. -- "Cosmically speaking, this fast radio burst is just in our neighborhood," says Kiyoshi Masui, associate professor of physics and affiliate of MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. "This means we get this chance to study a pretty normal FRB in exquisite detail." -- Masui and his colleagues reported their findings on August 21 in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. -- Diverse bursts -- The clarity of the new detection is thanks to a significant upgrade to The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME), a large array of halfpipe-shaped antennae based in British Columbia. CHIME was originally designed to detect and map the distribution of hydrogen across the universe. The telescope is also sensitive to ultrafast and bright radio emissions. Since it started observations in 2018, CHIME has detected about 4,000 fast radio bursts, from all parts of the sky. But the telescope had not been able to precisely pinpoint the location of each fast radio burst, until now. -- CHIME recently got a significant boost in precision, in the form of CHIME Outriggers -- three miniature versions of CHIME, each sited in different parts of North America. Together, the telescopes work as one continent-sized system that can focus in on any bright flash that CHIME detects, to pin down its location in the sky with extreme precision. -- "Imagine we are in New York and there's a firefly in Florida that is bright for a thousandth of a second, which is usually how quick FRBs are," says MIT Kavli graduate student Shion Andrew. "Localizing an FRB to a specific part of its host galaxy is analogous to figuring out not just what tree the firefly came from, but which branch it's sitting on." | 448 |
| Jupiter’s Core Isn’t What We Thought | New Research Reveals Jupiter’s Core Formed Gradually, Not From Catastrophic Collision | No dilute core produced in simulations of giant impacts on to Jupiter. | Royal Astronomical Society | New research challenges the long-held belief that a massive impact caused Jupiter's unusual core structure. Instead, scientists propose that Jupiter's diffuse core formed gradually through the absorption of various elements during the planet's development, leading to a more complex internal composition than previously thought. This finding reshapes our understanding of the gas giant's formation and its distinct layers, contributing to insights into planetary evolution. | Jupiter’s Core Isn’t What We ThoughtAn impacting planet collides with Jupiter's core in the simulations, triggering shock waves and turbulent mixing. Credit: Thomas Sandnes -- The mystery at Jupiter's heart has taken a fresh twist - as new research suggests a giant impact may not have been responsible for the formation of its core. -- It had been thought that a colossal collision with an early planet containing half of Jupiter's core material could have mixed up the central region of the gas giant, enough to explain its interior today. -- But a new study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society suggests its make-up is actually down to how the growing planet absorbed heavy and light materials as it formed and evolved. -- Unlike what scientists once expected, the core of the largest planet in our solar system doesn't have a sharp boundary but instead gradually blends into the surrounding layers of mostly hydrogen - a structure known as a dilute core. -- How this dilute core formed has been a key question among scientists and astronomers ever since NASA's Juno spacecraft first revealed its existence. -- Using cutting-edge supercomputer simulations of planetary impacts, with a new method to improve the simulation's treatment of mixing between materials, researchers from Durham University, in collaboration with scientists from NASA, SETI, and CENSSS, University of Oslo, tested whether a massive collision could have created Jupiter's dilute core. -- The simulations were run on the DiRAC COSMA supercomputer hosted at Durham University using the state-of-the-art SWIFT open-source software. -- The study found that a stable dilute core structure was not produced in any of the simulations conducted, even in those involving impacts under extreme conditions. -- Instead, the simulations demonstrate that the dense rock and ice core material displaced by an impact would quickly re-settle, leaving a distinct boundary with the outer layers of hydrogen and helium, rather than forming a smooth transition zone between the two regions. | 449 |
| AI Finds Hidden Safe Zones Inside A Fusion Reactor | AI Tool Discovers Hidden Safe Zones Inside Fusion Reactors For Enhanced Safety | Shadow masks predictions in SPARC tokamak plasma-facing components using HEAT code and machine learning methods. | Princeton University | Scientists have developed a revolutionary AI tool, HEAT-ML, that efficiently identifies "magnetic shadows" within fusion reactors, crucial for protecting components from extreme plasma heat. This innovation speeds up calculations that are essential for safe fusion energy operations, potentially accelerating the path toward practical fusion power. The tool represents a significant advancement in the design and management of future fusion systems. | AI Finds Safe Zones Inside a Fusion ReactorAn artist’s interpretation of the inside of a fusion vessel, where some of the inner surfaces are directly exposed to the plasma. Some regions lie in the “magnetic shadow” of other components and are therefore magnetically shielded from the intense heat of the plasma. Credit: Kyle Palmer / PPPL Communications Department -- A public-private partnership between Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory has led to a new artificial intelligence (AI) approach that is faster at finding what's known as "magnetic shadows" in a fusion vessel: safe havens protected from the intense heat of the plasma. -- Known as HEAT-ML, the new AI could lay the foundation for software that significantly speeds up the design of future fusion systems. Such software could also enable good decision-making during fusion operations by adjusting the plasma so that potential problems are thwarted before they start. -- "This research shows that you can take an existing code and create an AI surrogate that will speed up your ability to get useful answers, and it opens up interesting avenues in terms of control and scenario planning," said Michael Churchill, co-author of a paper in Fusion Engineering and Design about HEAT-ML and head of digital engineering at PPPL. -- Fusion, the reaction that fuels the sun and stars, could provide potentially limitless amounts of electricity on Earth. To harness it, researchers need to overcome key scientific and engineering challenges. One such challenge is handling the intense heat coming from the plasma, which reaches temperatures hotter than the sun's core when confined using magnetic fields in a fusion vessel known as a tokamak. Speeding up the calculations that predict where this heat will hit and what parts of the tokamak will be safe in the shadows of other parts is key to bringing fusion power to the grid. -- "The plasma-facing components of the tokamak might come in contact with the plasma, which is very hot and can melt or damage these elements," said Doménica Corona Rivera, an associate research physicist at PPPL and first author on the paper on HEAT-ML. "The worst thing that can happen is that you would have to stop operations." -- PPPL amplifies its impact through public-private partnership -- HEAT-ML was specifically made to simulate a small part of SPARC: a tokamak currently under construction by CFS. The Massachusetts company hopes to demonstrate net energy gain by 2027, meaning SPARC would generate more energy than it consumes. -- Simulating how heat impacts SPARC's interior is central to this goal and a big computing challenge. To break down the challenge into something manageable, the team focused on a section of SPARC where the most intense plasma heat exhaust intersects with the material wall. This particular part of the tokamak, representing 15 tiles near the bottom of the machine, is the part of the machine's exhaust system that will be subjected to the most heat. -- To create such a simulation, researchers generate what they call shadow masks. Shadow masks are 3D maps of magnetic shadows, which are specific areas on the surfaces of a fusion system's internal components that are shielded from direct heat. The location of these shadows depends on the shape of the parts inside the tokamak and how they interact with the magnetic field lines that confine the plasma. | 450 |
| Tiny “Talking” Robots Form Shape-Shifting Swarms That Heal Themselves | Microrobots Communicate With Sound To Form Shape-Shifting Swarms That Can Self-Heal | Acoustic Signaling Enables Collective Perception and Control in Active Matter Systems. | Penn State | Researchers have created innovative acoustic microrobots that communicate and coordinate using sound waves, forming self-organizing swarms similar to natural animal groups. These tiny machines demonstrate the ability to adapt and perform complex tasks like environmental cleanup or targeted medical applications, showcasing the potential for employing collective behavior in robotic systems to navigate challenging scenarios efficiently. | Tiny “Talking” Robots Form Shape-Shifting SwarmsA new study led by Penn State researchers shows for the first time how sound waves could function as a means of controlling micro-sized robots. Credit: Igor Aronson / Penn State -- Animals like bats, whales and insects have long used acoustic signals for communication and navigation. Now, an international team of scientists have taken a page from nature's playbook to model micro-sized robots that use sound waves to coordinate into large swarms that exhibit intelligent-like behavior. The robot groups could one day carry out complex tasks like exploring disaster zones, cleaning up pollution, or performing medical treatments from inside the body, according to team lead Igor Aronson, Huck Chair Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, and Mathematics at Penn State. -- "Picture swarms of bees or midges," Aronson said. "They move, that creates sound, and the sound keeps them cohesive, many individuals acting as one." -- The researchers published their work on August 12 in the journal Physical Review X. -- Since the miniature, sound-broadcasting swarms of micromachines are self-organizing, they can navigate tight spaces and even re-form themselves if deformed. The swarms' collective -- or emergent -- intelligence could one day be harnessed to carry out tasks like cleaning up pollution in contaminated environments, Aronson explained. -- Beyond the environment, the robot swarms could potentially work inside the body, delivering drugs directly to a problem area, for example. Their collective sensing also helps in detecting changes in surroundings, and their ability to "self-heal" means they can keep functioning as a collective unit even after breaking apart, which could be especially useful for threat detection and sensor applications, Aronson said. -- "This represents a significant leap toward creating smarter, more resilient and, ultimately, more useful microrobots with minimal complexity that could tackle some of our world's toughest problems," he said. "The insights from this research are crucial for designing the next generation of microrobots, capable of performing complex tasks and responding to external cues in challenging environments." -- For the study, the team developed a computer model to track the movements of tiny robots, each equipped with an acoustic emitter and a detector. They found that acoustic communication allowed the individual robotic agents to work together seamlessly, adapting their shape and behavior to their environment, much like a school of fish or a flock of birds. -- While the robots in the paper were computational agents within a theoretical -- or agent-based -- model, rather than physical devices that were manufactured, the simulations observed the emergence of collective intelligence that would likely appear in any experimental study with the same design, Aronson said. -- "We never expected our models to show such a high level of cohesion and intelligence from such simple robots," Aronson said. "These are very simple electronic circuits. Each robot can move along in some direction, has a motor, a tiny microphone, speaker and an oscillator. That's it, but nonetheless it's capable of collective intelligence. It synchronizes its own oscillator to the frequency of the swarm's acoustic field and migrates toward the strongest signal." | 451 |
| Why AI Emails Can Quietly Destroy Trust At Work | Heavy Reliance On AI In Emails Can Erode Trust Between Employees And Managers | Professionalism and Trustworthiness in AI-Assisted Workplace Writing: The Benefits and Drawbacks of Writing With AI. | University of Florida | A recent study reveals that while AI tools like ChatGPT enhance communication professionalism in workplaces, their overuse can undermine trust between managers and employees. The findings indicate that employees appreciate low-level AI assistance for communication but become skeptical of sincerity when managers rely heavily on AI for personal messages. This highlights the delicate balance needed to maintain trust in professional environments amid the growing use of AI. | Why AI Emails Can Quietly Destroy Trust at WorkAI boosts professionalism in emails but can erode trust when managers overuse it for heartfelt messages. Credit: Shutterstock -- With over 75% of professionals using AI in their daily work, writing and editing messages with tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot or Claude has become a commonplace practice. While generative AI tools are seen to make writing easier, are they effective for communicating between managers and employees? -- A new study of 1,100 professionals reveals a critical paradox in workplace communications: AI tools can make managers' emails more professional, but regular use can undermine trust between them and their employees. -- "We see a tension between perceptions of message quality and perceptions of the sender," said Anthony Coman, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Florida's Warrington College of Business and study co-author. "Despite positive impressions of professionalism in AI-assisted writing, managers who use AI for routine communication tasks put their trustworthiness at risk when using medium- to high-levels of AI assistance." -- In the study published in the International Journal of Business Communication, Coman and his co-author, Peter Cardon, Ph.D., of the University of Southern California, surveyed professionals about how they viewed emails that they were told were written with low, medium and high AI assistance. Survey participants were asked to evaluate different AI-written versions of a congratulatory message on both their perception of the message content and their perception of the sender. -- While AI-assisted writing was generally seen as efficient, effective, and professional, Coman and Cardon found a "perception gap" in messages that were written by managers versus those written by employees. -- "When people evaluate their own use of AI, they tend to rate their use similarly across low, medium and high levels of assistance," Coman explained. "However, when rating other's use, magnitude becomes important. Overall, professionals view their own AI use leniently, yet they are more skeptical of the same levels of assistance when used by supervisors." -- While low levels of AI help, like grammar or editing, were generally acceptable, higher levels of assistance triggered negative perceptions. The perception gap is especially significant when employees perceive higher levels of AI writing, bringing into question the authorship, integrity, caring and competency of their manager. -- The impact on trust was substantial: Only 40% to 52% of employees viewed supervisors as sincere when they used high levels of AI, compared to 83% for low-assistance messages. Similarly, while 95% found low-AI supervisor messages professional, this dropped to 69-73% when supervisors relied heavily on AI tools. -- The findings reveal employees can often detect AI-generated content and interpret its use as laziness or lack of caring. When supervisors rely heavily on AI for messages like team congratulations or motivational communications, employees perceive them as less sincere and question their leadership abilities. | 452 |
| Hubble Just Exposed A Rare And Violent Star Collision | Hubble Telescope Reveals Hidden Secrets Of A Rare Cosmic Star Collision | A hot white dwarf merger remnant revealed by an ultraviolet detection of carbon. | University of Warwick | Astronomers have utilized the Hubble Space Telescope to uncover evidence of a rare stellar merger, identifying a white dwarf that likely formed from the collision of two stars. The presence of carbon in its atmosphere supports this theory, providing unique insights into the life cycle of stars and the processes that lead to the formation of ultra-massive white dwarfs, enriching our understanding of stellar evolution. | Hubble Just Exposed a Violent Star CollisionIllustration depicting the hot stellar merger that formed the ultra-massive white dwarf -WD 0525+526. Credit: Dr. Snehalata Sahu/University of Warwick -- University of Warwick astronomers have uncovered compelling evidence that a nearby white dwarf is in fact the remnant of two stars merging -- a rare stellar discovery revealed through Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet observations of carbon in the star's hot atmosphere. -- White dwarfs are the dense cores left behind when stars exhaust their fuel and collapse. They are Earth-sized stellar embers weighing typically half as much as the Sun, made up of carbon-oxygen cores with surface layers of helium and hydrogen. While white dwarfs are common in the universe, those with exceptionally high mass (weighing more than the Sun) are rare and enigmatic. -- In a paper published on August 6 in Nature Astronomy, Warwick astronomers report on their investigations of a known high-mass white dwarf 130 light-years away, called WD 0525+526. With a mass 20% larger than our Sun, WD 0525+526 is considered "ultra-massive," and how this star came to be is not fully understood. -- Such a white dwarf could form from the collapse of a massive star. However, ultraviolet data from the Hubble Space Telescope revealed WD 0525+526 to have small amounts of carbon rising from its core into its hydrogen-rich atmosphere -- suggesting this white dwarf did not originate from a single massive star. -- "In optical light (the kind of light we see with our eyes), WD 0525+526 looks like a heavy but otherwise ordinary white dwarf," said first author Dr Snehalata Sahu, Research Fellow at the University of Warwick. "However, through ultraviolet observations obtained with Hubble, we were able to detect faint carbon signatures that were not visible to optical telescopes. -- "Finding small amounts of carbon in the atmosphere is a telltale sign that this massive white dwarf is likely to be a be the remnant of a merger between two stars colliding. It also tells us there may be many more merger remnants like this masquerading as common pure-hydrogen atmosphere white dwarfs. Only ultraviolet observations would be able to reveal them to us." -- Normally, hydrogen and helium form a thick barrier-like envelope around a white dwarf core, keeping elements like carbon hidden. In a merger of two stars, the hydrogen and helium layers can burn off almost completely as the stars combine. The resulting single star has a very thin envelope that no longer prevents carbon from reaching the surface -- this is exactly what is found on WD 0525+526. -- Antoine Bédard, Warwick Prize Fellow in the Astronomy and Astrophysics group at Warwick and co-first author said, "We measured the hydrogen and helium layers to be ten-billion times thinner than in typical white dwarfs. We think these layers were stripped away in the merger, and this is what now allows carbon to appear on the surface. -- "But this remnant is also unusual: it has about 100,000 times less carbon on its surface compared to other merger remnants. The low carbon level, together with the star's high temperature (nearly four times hotter than the Sun), tells us WD 0525+526 is much earlier in its post-merger evolution than those previously found. This discovery helps us build a better understand the fate of binary star systems, which is critical for related phenomena like supernova explosions." | 453 |
| ‘Bridge’ Of Stray Stars Reveals Two Massive Galaxies Tearing Each Other Apart | Ghostly Star Bridge Provides Evidence Of Massive Galaxy Collision In Deep Space | The Intracluster Light of Abell 3667: Unveiling an Optical Bridge in LSST Precursor Data. | Brown University | Astronomers have discovered a remarkable cosmic phenomenon: a luminous bridge of stars connecting two massive galaxies within the Abell 3667 cluster. This bridge, which spans a million light-years, serves as the first optical evidence of a galactic merger, revealing the dynamic interactions between galaxies and offering insights into the formation and evolution of galaxy clusters. | Two Massive Galaxies Tearing Each Other ApartAbell 3667 — an actively merging galaxy cluster — is featured in this image assembled from over 28 hours of observations with the 570-megapixel Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera, mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. This collage shows some of the interesting features of Abell 3667. (See details in footnotes.) Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA, Acknowledgment: PI: Anthony Englert (Brown University), Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani & D. de Martin (NSF NOIRLab) -- Using one of the most detailed sets of observations ever of a galaxy cluster 700 million light-years from Earth, astronomers have captured the faint glow of stray stars in the process of being ripped from their home galaxy and absorbed into another. The 'bridge' of diffuse light -- spanning roughly a million light years between two galaxies in the cluster Abell 3667 -- is the first direct evidence that the two brightest galaxies in the cluster are actively merging. -- The findings also imply, the researchers say, that Abell 3667 formed from two smaller clusters, which had themselves merged around a billion years ago. -- "This is the first time a feature of this scale and size has been found in a local galaxy cluster," said Anthony Englert, a Ph.D. candidate at Brown University and lead author of a study describing the findings. "We knew that it was possible for a bridge like this to form between two galaxies, but it hadn't been documented anywhere before now. It was a huge surprise that we were able to image such a faint feature." -- The new images of Abell 3667 were made using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) mounted on the Víctor M. Blanco Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. Englert and two colleagues -- Ian Dell'Antonio, a professor of physics at Brown, and Mireia Montes, a research fellow at the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona, Spain -- stitched together a record-breaking 28 hours of observations taken over a span of years by DECam. The findings are published in The Astrophysical Journal. -- "Because Blanco has been imaging with DECam for the past decade, there is a ton of archival data available," Englert said. "It was just a happy coincidence that so many people had imaged Abell 3667 over the years, and we were able to stack all of those observations together." -- That extensive observation time is what made it possible to image the dim light of stray stars within the cluster. This type of diffuse light, known as intracluster light or ICL, offers a treasure trove of information about the history of Abell 3667 and the gravitational dance of the galaxies within it. -- The ICL imaged by Englert and his colleagues revealed a special type of galactic merger happening in Abell 3667. Normally, Englert says, mergers that involve the largest galaxy in a cluster, called the brightest cluster galaxy or BCG, occur gradually as it steals stars from many smaller galaxies that surround it. But this new research shows something different happening in this case. Abell 3667 is actually made of two galaxy clusters, each with its own BCG, that are now merging together. The ICL bridge discovered by the researchers suggests that the larger BCG is stealing stars from the smaller one -- an event known as a rapid or aggressive merger. As the two BCGs merge, so too do the smaller galaxies that surround them, making Abell 3667 the product of two merging clusters. Data from X-ray and radio frequency observations had suggested a rapid merger in Abell 3667, but this is the first optical evidence to back it up. -- The appearance of intracluster light in these new images offers a tantalizing preview of what's to come when the Vera C. Rubin Observatory becomes fully operational later this year or early next. Using a telescope twice the size of Blanco and the largest camera ever built, the Rubin telescope will perform a 10-year scan deep into the entire southern sky, a project called the Legacy Survey of Space and Time. -- "Rubin is going to be able to image ICL in much the same way as we did here, but it's going to do it for every single local galaxy cluster in the southern sky," Englert said. "What we did is just a small sliver of what Rubin is going to be able to do. It's really going to blow the study of the ICL wide open." | 454 |
| Baby Star Fires A Jet, Then Gets Blasted By The Fallout | A Young Star’s Jet Ignites A Cosmic Chain Reaction, Transforming Its Environment | Discovery of Jet–Bubble–Disk Interaction: Jet Feedback on a Protoplanetary Disk Via an Expanding Bubble in WSB 52. | National Institutes of Natural Sciences | A newly observed cosmic feedback loop reveals a young star emitting a high-speed jet that triggers an explosion, creating a massive bubble that collides with its protoplanetary disk. This unprecedented observation, captured using ALMA data, suggests that young stars may face harsher environmental conditions than previously understood, fundamentally altering our perception of star and planet formation processes. | Baby Star Hit by Its Own ExplosionArtist’s impression of a protoplanetary disk distorted by a shock front created by an expanding bubble. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), M. Aizawa et al -- Astronomers have observed an explosion in space that is pushing back against and influencing the baby star which triggered the explosion in the first place. If explosions like this one are common around young stars, then the young stars and their planets are exposed to a harsher environment than previously thought. -- Stars and their associated planetary systems are formed from the gravitational collapse of molecular clouds in space. As a cloud collapses, it retains its angular momentum, causing it to evolve into a spinning structure known as a protoplanetary disk. Stars and planets form within a protoplanetary disk, but not all of the material is incorporated into the new stars and planets. Some of the material is ejected through powerful jets aligned with the rotation axis of the disk. These jets help remove excess angular momentum and matter from the protoplanetary disk. -- A team of Japanese astronomers was reanalyzing archival data for protoplanetary disks from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), when they unexpectedly discovered an explosively expanding bubble structure near one of the disks. That disk, known as WSB 52, is located 441.3 light-years away in the direction of the constellation Ophiuchus. Further detailed analysis revealed that a shock front created by the expanding bubble was colliding with the disk and distorting it. Similar expanding bubble structures have been detected around other young stars, but none of them have shown signs of collision between the bubble and the disk. This phenomenon was also not predicted theoretically. -- The team found that the center of the bubble aligned with the disk’s rotation axis. The chances of a bubble aligning with the axis of the disk by random chance are effectively zero, indicating that this alignment is not random. This led the research team to conclude that a jet aligned with the axis of the disk triggered the expansion of the bubble. According to their explanation, a high-speed jet emitted from WSB 52 hundreds of years ago collided with cold gas near the disk, causing the gas to compress. The increased pressure from the compression caused the gas to explode, which resulted in the formation of the expanding bubble. -- Masataka Aizawa at Ibaraki University, who led this research, explains, “In science fiction, there are scenes where a beam is fired at something to destroy it, causing an explosion with debris flying back at the shooter. Similar things occur in real astronomical phenomena, but with greater intensity. Through this discovery, I once again realized that nature is far more complex than humans think. In future research, I hope to further explore the effects of the explosions on the formation of stars and planetary systems.” | 455 |
| AI Just Found 5 Powerful Materials That Could Replace Lithium Batteries | AI Discovers New Materials That Could Revolutionize Next-Gen Multivalent-Ion Batteries | Generative AI for discovering porous oxide materials for next-generation energy storage. | New Jersey Institute of Technology | Researchers at NJIT have made strides in energy storage technology by employing AI to discover new porous materials for multivalent-ion batteries. These breakthroughs point toward potentially significant advancements in battery performance, using abundant elements like magnesium and providing sustainable alternatives to traditional lithium-ion batteries, thus addressing crucial energy storage challenges. | AI Finds Better Battery MaterialsA dual-AI system has uncovered five promising materials for high-performance, eco-friendly multivalent batteries—poised to replace lithium-ion tech. -- Researchers from New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) have used artificial intelligence to tackle a critical problem facing the future of energy storage: finding affordable, sustainable alternatives to lithium-ion batteries. -- In research published in Cell Reports Physical Science, the NJIT team led by Professor Dibakar Datta successfully applied generative AI techniques to rapidly discover new porous materials capable of revolutionizing multivalent-ion batteries. These batteries, using abundant elements like magnesium, calcium, aluminum and zinc, offer a promising, cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion batteries, which face global supply challenges and sustainability issues. -- Unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries, which rely on lithium ions that carry just a single positive charge, multivalent-ion batteries use elements whose ions carry two or even three positive charges. This means multivalent-ion batteries can potentially store significantly more energy, making them highly attractive for future energy storage solutions. -- However, the larger size and greater electrical charge of multivalent ions make them challenging to accommodate efficiently in battery materials -- an obstacle that the NJIT team's new AI-driven research directly addresses. -- "One of the biggest hurdles wasn't a lack of promising battery chemistries -- it was the sheer impossibility of testing millions of material combinations," Datta said. "We turned to generative AI as a fast, systematic way to sift through that vast landscape and spot the few structures that could truly make multivalent batteries practical. -- "This approach allows us to quickly explore thousands of potential candidates, dramatically speeding up the search for more efficient and sustainable alternatives to lithium-ion technology." -- To overcome these hurdles, the NJIT team developed a novel dual-AI approach: a Crystal Diffusion Variational Autoencoder (CDVAE) and a finely tuned Large Language Model (LLM). Together, these AI tools rapidly explored thousands of new crystal structures, something previously impossible using traditional laboratory experiments. -- The CDVAE model was trained on vast datasets of known crystal structures, enabling it to propose completely novel materials with diverse structural possibilities. Meanwhile, the LLM was tuned to zero in on materials closest to thermodynamic stability, crucial for practical synthesis. -- "Our AI tools dramatically accelerated the discovery process, which uncovered five entirely new porous transition metal oxide structures that show remarkable promise," said Datta. "These materials have large, open channels ideal for moving these bulky multivalent ions quickly and safely, a critical breakthrough for next-generation batteries." | 456 |
| AI Cracks A Meteorite’s Secret: A Material That Defies Heat | Meteorite Mystery: AI Unlocks Secrets Of A Unique Material Defying Heat Flow | Temperature-invariant crystal–glass heat conduction: From meteorites to refractories. | Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science | A rare space mineral, discovered in a meteorite, has exhibited unexpected thermal properties that blend characteristics of both crystals and glasses. This groundbreaking discovery, aided by AI and quantum physics, may revolutionize heat management technologies, enhancing our understanding of materials science, particularly in applications where effective thermal conductivity is critical. | AI Unlocks Meteorite’s Thermal SuperpowerScientists confirmed a space mineral with "hybrid" thermal properties that doesn't follow typical heat-flow rules. The find could transform materials science and help cut carbon emissions in steel production. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Crystals and glasses have opposite heat-conduction properties, which play a pivotal role in a variety of technologies. These range from the miniaturization and efficiency of electronic devices to waste-heat recovery systems, as well as the lifespan of thermal shields for aerospace applications. -- The problem of optimizing the performance and durability of materials used in these different applications essentially boils down to fundamentally understanding how their chemical composition and atomic structure (e.g., crystalline, glassy, nanostructured) determine their capability to conduct heat. Michele Simoncelli, assistant professor of applied physics and applied mathematics at Columbia Engineering, tackles this problem from first principles -- i.e., in Aristotle's words, in terms of "the first basis from which a thing is known" -- starting from the fundamental equations of quantum mechanics and leveraging machine-learning techniques to solve them with quantitative accuracy. -- In research published on July 11 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Simoncelli and his collaborators Nicola Marzari from the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne and Francesco Mauri from Sapienza University of Rome predicted the existence of a material with hybrid crystal-glass thermal properties, and a team of experimentalists led by Etienne Balan, Daniele Fournier, and Massimiliano Marangolo from the Sorbonne University in Paris confirmed it with measurements. -- The first of its kind, this material was discovered in meteorites and has also been identified on Mars. The fundamental physics driving this behavior could advance our understanding and design of materials that manage heat under extreme temperature differences -- and, more broadly, provide insight into the thermal history of planets. -- A unified theory of thermal transport in atomically ordered crystals and disordered glasses -- Thermal conduction depends on whether a material is crystalline, with an ordered lattice of atoms, or glassy, with a disordered, amorphous structure, which influences how heat flows at the quantum level-broadly speaking, thermal conduction in crystals typically decreases with increasing temperature, while in glasses it increases upon heating. -- In 2019, Simoncelli, Nicola Marzari, and Francesco Mauri derived a single equation that captures the opposite thermal-conductivity trends observed in crystals and glasses -- and, most importantly, also describes the intermediate behavior of defective or partially disordered materials, such as those used in thermoelectrics for waste-heat recovery, perovskite solar cells, and thermal barrier coatings for heat shields. -- Using this equation, they investigated the relationship between atomic structure and thermal conductivity in materials made from silicon dioxide, one of the main components of sand. They predicted that a particular "tridymite" form of silicon dioxide, described in the 1960s as typical of meteorites, would exhibit the hallmarks of a hybrid crystal-glass material with a thermal conductivity that remains unchanged with temperature. This unusual thermal-transport behavior bears analogies with the invar effect in thermal expansion, for which the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded in 1920. -- That led the team to the experimental groups of Etienne Balan, Daniele Fournier, and Massimiliano Marangolo in France, who obtained special permission from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris to perform experiments on a sample of silica tridymite carved from a meteorite that landed in Steinbach, Germany, in 1724. Their experiments confirmed their predictions: meteoric tridymite has an atomic structure that falls between an orderly crystal and disordered glass, and its thermal conductivity remains essentially constant over the experimentally accessible temperature range of 80 K to 380 K. | 457 |
| This New Titanium Alloy Is 29% Cheaper, And Even Stronger | 3D-Printed Titanium Alloy Is Stronger, Cheaper, And More Accessible For Various Applications | Compositional criteria to predict columnar to equiaxed transitions in metal additive manufacturing. | RMIT University | Engineers at RMIT University have pioneered a new 3D-printed titanium alloy that is not only stronger and more ductile but also significantly cheaper than traditional titanium alloys. By substituting expensive materials and optimizing design, this innovation could transform the aerospace and medical industries, presenting opportunities for more accessible and efficient materials in high-demand applications. | New Titanium Alloy Is Cheaper and StrongerPhD candidate and study lead author Ryan Brooke inspects a sample of the new titanium. Credit: Michael Quin, RMIT University -- Engineers from RMIT University, Australia, have produced a new type of 3D-printed titanium that's about a third cheaper than commonly used titanium alloys. -- The team used readily available and cheaper alternative materials to replace the increasingly expensive vanadium. -- RMIT has filed a provisional patent on their innovative approach, which has also been outlined in Nature Communications, as the team considers commercial opportunities to develop the new low-cost approach for aerospace and medical device industries. -- RMIT's Centre for Additive Manufacturing (RCAM) PhD candidate and study lead author Ryan Brooke said testing of their alloy showed improved strength and performance compared to standard 3D-printed titanium alloys (Ti-6Al-4V). -- Brooke, who has just accepted a Research Translation Fellowship at RMIT to investigate the next steps of commercialising the technology, said the area of 3D-printed titanium alloys was ripe for innovations. -- "3D printing allows faster, less wasteful and more tailorable production yet we're still relying on legacy alloys like Ti-6Al-4V that doesn't allow full capitalisation of this potential. It's like we've created an aeroplane and are still just driving it around the streets," he said. -- "New types of titanium and other alloys will allow us to really push the boundaries of what's possible with 3D printing and the framework for designing new alloys outlined in our study is a significant step in that direction." -- The latest study outlines a time- and cost-saving method to select elements for alloying, to take advantage of emerging 3D-printing technology. -- This work provides a clearer framework for predicting the printed grain structure of metallic alloys in additive manufacturing. | 458 |
| What Happens When Light Smashes Into Itself? Scientists Just Found Out | Light-On-Light Scattering Reveals Ghostly Particles That Challenge Classical Light Behavior | Longitudinal short-distance constraints on hadronic light-by-light scattering and tensor-meson contributions to the muon g−2. | Vienna University of Technology | Physicists have discovered a surprising phenomenon known as light-on-light scattering, where beams of light can interact at the quantum level, generating virtual particles. This finding challenges classical physics assumptions and suggests that light can influence itself in ways previously unimagined, potentially revealing new insights into the fundamentals of particle physics and quantum mechanics. | What Happens When Light Smashes Into Itself?Physicists have found that light can interact with itself by creating virtual particles, possibly revealing hidden cracks in the Standard Model. Credit: TU Wien -- Usually, light waves can pass through each other without any resistance. According to the laws of electrodynamics, two light beams can exist in the same place without influencing each other; they simply overlap. Light saber battles, as seen in science fiction films, would therefore be rather boring in reality. -- Nevertheless, quantum physics predicts the effect of "light-on-light scattering." Ordinary lasers are not powerful enough to detect it, but it has been observed at the CERN particle accelerator. Virtual particles can literally emerge from nothing for a short time, interact with the photons and change their direction. The effect is extremely small, but it must be understood precisely in order to verify particle physics theories through current high-precision experiments on muons. A team at TU Wien (Vienna) has now been able to show that a previously underestimated aspect plays an important role in this: the contribution of so-called tensor mesons. The new results have been published in the journal Physical Review Letters. -- Virtual particles from nothing -- When photons interact with photons, virtual particles can be created. They cannot be measured directly, as they disappear immediately. In a sense, they are constantly there and not there at the same time -- quantum physics allows such superpositions of states that would be mutually exclusive according to our classical everyday understanding. -- "Even though these virtual particles cannot be observed directly, they have a measurable effect on other particles," says Jonas Mager from the Institute of Theoretical Physics at TU Wien, lead author of the study. "If you want to calculate precisely how real particles behave, you have to take all conceivable virtual particles into account correctly. That's what makes this task so difficult -- but also so interesting." -- When light scatters off light, a photon may transform, for example, into an electron-positron pair. Other photons can then interact with these two particles before the electron and positron annihilate each other and become a new photon. Things become more complicated when heavier particles are created that are also subject to strong nuclear forces -- for example, mesons, which consist of a quark and an antiquark. -- "There are different types of these mesons," says Jonas Mager. "We have now been able to show that one of them, the tensor mesons, has been significantly underestimated. Through the effect of light-light scattering, they influence the magnetic properties of muons, which can be used to test the Standard Model of particle physics with extreme accuracy." Tensor mesons did appear in earlier calculations, but with very rough simplifications. In the new evaluation, not only does their contribution turn out to be much stronger than previously assumed, but it also has a different sign than previously thought, thus influencing the results in the opposite direction. -- Unusual theoretical methods -- This result also resolves a discrepancy that arose last year between the latest analytical calculations and alternative computer simulations. "The problem is that conventional analytical calculations can describe the strong interactions of quarks only well in limiting cases," says Anton Rebhan (TU Wien). | 459 |
| Einstein Was Wrong: MIT Just Settled A 100-Year Quantum Debate | MIT Physicists Confirm Light’s Dual Nature, Resolving Centuries-Old Quantum Debate | Coherent and Incoherent Light Scattering by Single-Atom Wave Packets. | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MIT physicists have revisited the famous double-slit experiment, utilizing individual photons and atoms to explore light's wave-particle duality. Their results not only refute certain classical interpretations proposed by Einstein but also enhance our understanding of quantum mechanics, emphasizing the complex interplay between light's dual identities, which cannot be observed simultaneously. | MIT Just Settled a 100-Year Quantum DebateSchematic of the MIT experiment: Two single atoms floating in a vacuum chamber are illuminated by a laser beam and act as the two slits. The interference of the scattered light is recorded with a highly sensitive camera depicted as a screen. Incoherent light appears as background and implies that the photon has acted as a particle passing only through one slit. Credit: Courtesy of the researchers -- MIT physicists have performed an idealized version of one of the most famous experiments in quantum physics. Their findings demonstrate, with atomic-level precision, the dual yet evasive nature of light. They also happen to confirm that Albert Einstein was wrong about this particular quantum scenario. -- The experiment in question is the double-slit experiment, which was first performed in 1801 by the British scholar Thomas Young to show how light behaves as a wave. Today, with the formulation of quantum mechanics, the double-slit experiment is now known for its surprisingly simple demonstration of a head-scratching reality: that light exists as both a particle and a wave. Stranger still, this duality cannot be simultaneously observed. Seeing light in the form of particles instantly obscures its wave-like nature, and vice versa. -- The original experiment involved shining a beam of light through two parallel slits in a screen and observing the pattern that formed on a second, faraway screen. One might expect to see two overlapping spots of light, which would imply that light exists as particles, a.k.a. photons, like paintballs that follow a direct path. But instead, the light produces alternating bright and dark stripes on the screen, in an interference pattern similar to what happens when two ripples in a pond meet. This suggests light behaves as a wave. Even weirder, when one tries to measure which slit the light is traveling through, the light suddenly behaves as particles and the interference pattern disappears. -- The double-slit experiment is taught today in most high school physics classes as a simple way to illustrate the fundamental principle of quantum mechanics: that all physical objects, including light, are simultaneously particles and waves. -- Nearly a century ago, the experiment was at the center of a friendly debate between physicists Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr. In 1927, Einstein argued that a photon particle should pass through just one of the two slits and in the process generate a slight force on that slit, like a bird rustling a leaf as it flies by. He proposed that one could detect such a force while also observing an interference pattern, thereby catching light's particle and wave nature at the same time. In response, Bohr applied the quantum mechanical uncertainty principle and showed that the detection of the photon's path would wash out the interference pattern. -- Scientists have since carried out multiple versions of the double-slit experiment, and they have all, to various degrees, confirmed the validity of the quantum theory formulated by Bohr. Now, MIT physicists have performed the most "idealized" version of the double-slit experiment to date. Their version strips down the experiment to its quantum essentials. They used individual atoms as slits, and used weak beams of light so that each atom scattered at most one photon. By preparing the atoms in different quantum states, they were able to modify what information the atoms obtained about the path of the photons. The researchers thus confirmed the predictions of quantum theory: The more information was obtained about the path (i.e. the particle nature) of light, the lower the visibility of the interference pattern was. -- They demonstrated what Einstein got wrong. Whenever an atom is "rustled" by a passing photon, the wave interference is diminished. -- "Einstein and Bohr would have never thought that this is possible, to perform such an experiment with single atoms and single photons," says Wolfgang Ketterle, the John D. MacArthur Professor of Physics and leader of the MIT team. "What we have done is an idealized Gedanken experiment." -- Their results appear in the journal Physical Review Letters. Ketterle's MIT co-authors include first author Vitaly Fedoseev, Hanzhen Lin, Yu-Kun Lu, Yoo Kyung Lee, and Jiahao Lyu, who all are affiliated with MIT's Department of Physics, the Research Laboratory of Electronics, and the MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms. | 460 |
| Building Electronics That Don’t Die: Columbia's Breakthrough At CERN | Columbia Engineers Create Rugged Electronics Resistant To Extreme Conditions At CERN | A Radiation-Hard 8-Channel 15-Bit 40-MSPS ADC for the ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeter Readout. | Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science | Engineers at Columbia University have developed radiation-resistant chips designed to function within the harsh environment of the Large Hadron Collider. These custom-built devices are crucial for capturing data from high-energy particle collisions, thereby facilitating significant advancements in particle physics research, including the exploration of fundamental particles like the Higgs boson. | Building Electronics That Don’t DieThe latest chip, soon to be installed, precisely digitizes selected signals, capturing details that no existing component could reliably record. Credit: Ray Xu and Peter Kinget -- The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is tough on electronics. Situated inside a 17-mile-long tunnel that runs in a circle under the border between Switzerland and France, this massive scientific instrument accelerates particles close to the speed of light before smashing them together. The collisions yield tiny maelstroms of particles and energy that hint at answers to fundamental questions about the building blocks of matter. -- Those collisions produce an enormous amount of data -- and enough radiation to scramble the bits and logic inside almost any piece of electronic equipment. -- That presents a challenge to CERN's physicists as they attempt to probe deeper into the mysteries of the Higgs boson and other fundamental particles. Off-the-shelf components simply can't survive the harsh conditions inside the accelerator, and the market for radiation-resistant circuits is too small to entice investment from commercial chip manufacturers. -- "Industry just couldn't justify the effort, so academia had to step in," according to Peter Kinget, the Bernard J. Lechner Professor of Electrical Engineering at Columbia Engineering. "The next discoveries made with the LHC will be triggered by one Columbia chip and measured by another." -- Kinget leads the team that designed specialized silicon chips that collect data in one of the harshest and most important environments in particle physics. Their most recent paper describing this project was published July 1 in the IEEE Open Journal of the Solid-State Circuits Society. -- "These sort of collaborations between physicists and engineers are very important to advancing our ability to explore fundamental questions about the universe," according to John Parsons, professor of physics at Columbia University and leader of the Columbia team working on the ATLAS detector, one of the LHC's massive instruments. "Developing state-of-the-art instrumentation is crucial to our success." -- Circuits that resist radiation -- The devices the team designed are called analog-to-digital converters, or ADCs. Their task is capturing electrical signals produced by particle collisions inside CERN's detectors and translating them into digital data that researchers can analyze. -- In the ATLAS detector, the electrical pulses generated by particle collisions are measured using a device called a liquid argon calorimeter. This enormous vat of ultra-cold argon captures an electronic trace of every particle that passes through. Columbia's ADC chips convert these delicate analog signals into precise digital measurements, capturing details that no existing component could reliably record. | 461 |
| Stunning New Images: The Sun’s Smallest Loops Ever Seen | Inouye Telescope Captures Sharpest Images Of Solar Flares And Their Tiny Coronal Loops | Unveiling Unprecedented Fine Structure in Coronal Flare Loops with the DKIST. | Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) | The Inouye Solar Telescope has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by capturing the first-ever images of an X-class solar flare, revealing the smallest coronal loops seen to date. These observations provide valuable insights into the Sun's magnetic architecture and could enhance our understanding of solar activity, improving predictions for space weather phenomena. | The Sun’s Smallest Loops Ever SeenA high-resolution image of the flare from the Inouye Solar Telescope, taken on August 8, 2024, at 20:12 UT. The image is about 4 Earth diameters wide. Credit: NSF/NSO/AURA -- The highest-resolution images of a solar flare captured at the H-alpha wavelength (656.28 nm) may reshape how we understand the Sun's magnetic architecture -- and improve space weather forecasting. Using the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, built and operated by the NSF National Solar Observatory (NSO), astronomers captured dark coronal loop strands with unprecedented clarity during the decay phase of an X1.3-class flare on August 8, 2024, at 20:12 UT. The loops averaged 48.2 km in width -- perhaps as thin as 21 km -- the smallest coronal loops ever imaged. This marks a potential breakthrough in resolving the fundamental scale of solar coronal loops and pushing the limits of flare modeling into an entirely new realm. -- Coronal loops are arches of plasma that follow the Sun's magnetic field lines, often preceding solar flares that trigger sudden releases of energy associated with some of these magnetic field lines twisting and snapping. This burst of energy fuels solar storms that can impact Earth's critical infrastructure. Astronomers at the Inouye observe sunlight at the H-alpha wavelength (656.28 nm) to view specific features of the Sun, revealing details not visible in other types of solar observations. -- "This is the first time the Inouye Solar Telescope has ever observed an X-class flare," says Cole Tamburri, the study's lead author who is supported by the Inouye Solar Telescope Ambassador Program while completing his Ph.D. at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU). The program is funded by the NSF and is designed to support Ph.D. students as they create a well-networked cohort of early-career scientists at U.S. Universities, who will bring their expertise in Inouye data reduction and analysis to the broader solar community. "These flares are among the most energetic events our star produces, and we were fortunate to catch this one under perfect observing conditions." -- The team -- which includes scientists from the NSO, the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), and CU -- focused on the razor-thin magnetic field loops (hundreds of them) woven above the flare ribbons. On average, the loops measured about 48 km across, but some were right at the telescope's resolution limit. "Before Inouye, we could only imagine what this scale looked like," Tamburri explains. "Now we can see it directly. These are the smallest coronal loops ever imaged on the Sun." -- The Inouye's Visible Broadband Imager (VBI) instrument, tuned to the H-alpha filter, can resolve features down to ~24 km. That is over two and a half times sharper than the next-best solar telescope, and it is that leap in resolution that made this discovery possible. "Knowing a telescope can theoretically do something is one thing," Maria Kazachenko, a co-author in the study and NSO scientist, notes. "Actually watching it perform at that limit is exhilarating." -- While the original research plan involved studying chromospheric spectral line dynamics with the Inouye's Visible Spectropolarimeter (ViSP) instrument, the VBI data revealed something unexpected treasures -- ultra-fine coronal structures that can directly inform flare models built with complex radiative-hydrodynamic codes. "We went in looking for one thing and stumbled across something even more intriguing," Kazachenko admits. -- Theories have long suggested coronal loops could be anywhere from 10 to 100 km in width, but confirming this range observationally has been impossible -- until now. "We're finally peering into the spatial scales we've been speculating about for years," says Tamburri. "This opens the door to studying not just their size, but their shapes, their evolution, and even the scales where magnetic reconnection -- the engine behind flares -- occurs." -- Perhaps most tantalizing is the idea that these loops might be elementary structures -- the fundamental building blocks of flare architecture. "If that's the case, we're not just resolving bundles of loops; we're resolving individual loops for the first time," Tamburri adds. "It's like going from seeing a forest to suddenly seeing every single tree." -- The imagery itself is breathtaking: dark, threadlike loops arching in a glowing arcade, bright flare ribbons etched in almost impossibly sharp relief -- a compact triangular one near the center, and a sweeping arc-shaped one across the top. Even a casual viewer, Tamburri suggests, would immediately recognize the complexity. "It's a landmark moment in solar science," he concludes. "We're finally seeing the Sun at the scales it works on." Something made only possible by the NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope's unprecedented capabilities. | 462 |
| Cornell Researchers Build First ‘Microwave Brain’ On A Chip | Cornell Engineers Develop First Microwave Brain Chip For Fast, Low-Power Data Processing | An integrated microwave neural network for broadband computation and communication. | Cornell University | Researchers at Cornell University have created an innovative "microwave brain" microchip capable of processing ultrafast data and wireless signals simultaneously, using analog microwave physics. This low-power technology promises to enhance performance in secure wireless and wearable technologies by overcoming the limitations of traditional digital processing methods, paving the way for more efficient systems. | First “Microwave Brain” Chip DebutsHarnessing analog microwave physics, researchers have developed a “microwave brain” chip that performs high-speed tasks with minimal power, promising advances in secure wireless and wearable tech. Credit: Shutterstock -- Cornell University researchers have developed a low-power microchip they call a "microwave brain," the first processor to compute on both ultrafast data signals and wireless communication signals by harnessing the physics of microwaves. -- Detailed today in the journal Nature Electronics, the processor is the first, true microwave neural network and is fully integrated on a silicon microchip. It performs real-time frequency domain computation for tasks like radio signal decoding, radar target tracking and digital data processing, all while consuming less than 200 milliwatts of power. -- "Because it's able to distort in a programmable way across a wide band of frequencies instantaneously, it can be repurposed for several computing tasks," said lead author Bal Govind, a doctoral student who conducted the research with Maxwell Anderson, also a doctoral student. "It bypasses a large number of signal processing steps that digital computers normally have to do." -- That capability is enabled by the chip's design as a neural network, a computer system modeled on the brain, using interconnected modes produced in tunable waveguides. This allows it to recognize patterns and learn from data. But unlike traditional neural networks that rely on digital operations and step-by-step instructions timed by a clock, this network uses analog, nonlinear behavior in the microwave regime, allowing it to handle data streams in the tens of gigahertz - much faster than most digital chips. -- "Bal threw away a lot of conventional circuit design to achieve this," said Alyssa Apsel, professor of engineering, who was co-senior author with Peter McMahon, associate professor of applied and engineering physics. "Instead of trying to mimic the structure of digital neural networks exactly, he created something that looks more like a controlled mush of frequency behaviors that can ultimately give you high-performance computation." -- The chip can perform both low-level logic functions and complex tasks like identifying bit sequences or counting binary values in high-speed data. It achieved at or above 88% accuracy on multiple classification tasks involving wireless signal types, comparable to digital neural networks but with a fraction of the power and size. -- "In traditional digital systems, as tasks get more complex, you need more circuitry, more power and more error correction to maintain accuracy," Govind said. "But with our probabilistic approach, we're able to maintain high accuracy on both simple and complex computations, without that added overhead." -- The chip's extreme sensitivity to inputs makes it well-suited for hardware security applications like sensing anomalies in wireless communications across multiple bands of microwave frequencies, according to the researchers. -- "We also think that if we reduce the power consumption more, we can deploy it to applications like edge computing," Apsel said, "You could deploy it on a smartwatch or a cellphone and build native models on your smart device instead of having to depend on a cloud server for everything." | 463 |
| NASA And Japan’s XRISM Just Found Sulfur Hiding Between The Stars | XRISM Mission Reveals Elemental Sulfur Hidden Between Stars For The First Time | XRISM insights for interstellar sulfur. | NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center | An international team has utilized the XRISM spacecraft to achieve a groundbreaking measurement of sulfur in the interstellar medium. This study represents the first direct detection of sulfur in both gaseous and solid forms, providing valuable insights into its role in cosmic processes and enhancing our understanding of the elemental composition of space. | XRISM Found Sulfur Hiding Between the StarsThis composite shows a section of the interstellar medium scientists X-rayed for sulfur using the Japan-led XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission). X-ray binary GX 340+0 is the blue dot in the center. The composite contains a blend of imagery in X-rays (represented in deep blue), infrared, and light. Credit: DSS/DECaPS/eRosita/NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center -- An international team of scientists have provided an unprecedented tally of elemental sulfur spread between the stars using data from the Japan-led XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) spacecraft. -- Astronomers used X-rays from two binary star systems to detect sulfur in the interstellar medium, the gas and dust found in the space between stars. It's the first direct measurement of both sulfur's gas and solid phases, a unique capability of X-ray spectroscopy, XRISM's (pronounced "crism") primary method of studying the cosmos. -- "Sulfur is important for how cells function in our bodies here on Earth, but we still have a lot of questions about where it's found out in the universe," said Lía Corrales, an assistant professor of astronomy at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. "Sulfur can easily change from a gas to a solid and back again. The XRISM spacecraft provides the resolution and sensitivity we need to find it in both forms and learn more about where it might be hiding." -- A paper about these results, led by Corrales, published June 27 in the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. -- Using ultraviolet light, researchers have found gaseous sulfur in the space between stars. In denser parts of the interstellar medium, such as the molecular clouds where stars and planets are born, this form of sulfur quickly disappears. -- Scientists assume the sulfur condenses into a solid, either by combining with ice or mixing with other elements. -- When a doctor performs an X-ray here on Earth, they place the patient between an X-ray source and a detector. Bone and tissue absorb different amounts of the light as it travels through the patient's body, creating contrast in the detector. -- To study sulfur, Corrales and her team did something similar. -- They picked a portion of the interstellar medium with the right density -- not so thin that all the X-rays would pass through unchanged, but also not so dense that they would all be absorbed. | 464 |
| Tiny Gold “Super Atoms” Could Spark A Quantum Revolution | Gold Nanoclusters Mimic Quantum Systems, Potentially Transforming Computing And Sensing Technologies | Diverse Superatomic Magnetic and Spin Properties of Au144(SC8H9)60 Clusters. | Penn State | Scientists have discovered that gold nanoclusters exhibit properties similar to the most accurate quantum systems, making them suitable for scalable quantum applications. By manipulating their spin properties, these clusters could pave the way for advancements in quantum computing and sensing, challenging existing limitations in the scalability of quantum information systems. | Gold “Super Atoms” Spark Quantum RevolutionGold nanoclusters can now rival trapped atomic ions in quantum performance, offering scalable, tunable building blocks for next-generation devices. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- The efficiency of quantum computers, sensors and other applications often relies on the properties of electrons, including how they are spinning. One of the most accurate systems for high performance quantum applications relies on tapping into the spin properties of electrons of atoms trapped in a gas, but these systems are difficult to scale up for use in larger quantum devices like quantum computers. Now, a team of researchers from Penn State and Colorado State has demonstrated how a gold cluster can mimic these gaseous, trapped atoms, allowing scientists to take advantage of these spin properties in a system that can be easily scaled up. -- "For the first time, we show that gold nanoclusters have the same key spin properties as the current state-of-the-art methods for quantum information systems," said Ken Knappenberger, department head and professor of chemistry in the Penn State Eberly College of Science and leader of the research team. "Excitingly, we can also manipulate an important property called spin polarization in these clusters, which is usually fixed in a material. These clusters can be easily synthesized in relatively large quantities, making this work a promising proof-of-concept that gold clusters could be used to support a variety of quantum applications." -- Two papers describing the gold clusters and confirming their spin properties appeared in ACS Central Science, ACS Central Science and The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. -- "An electron's spin not only influences important chemical reactions, but also quantum applications like computation and sensing," said Nate Smith, graduate student in chemistry in the Penn State Eberly College of Science and first author of one of the papers. "The direction an electron spins and its alignment with respect to other electrons in the system can directly impact the accuracy and longevity of quantum information systems." -- Much like the Earth spins around its axis, which is tilted with respect to the sun, an electron can spin around its axis, which can be tilted with respect to its nucleus. But unlike Earth, an electron can spin clockwise or counterclockwise. When many electrons in a material are spinning in the same direction and their tilts are aligned, the electrons are considered correlated, and the material is said to have a high degree of spin polarization. -- "Materials with electrons that are highly correlated, with a high degree of spin polarization, can maintain this correlation for a much longer time, and thus remain accurate for much longer," Smith said. -- The current state-of-the-art system for high accuracy and low error in quantum information systems involve trapped atomic ions -- atoms with an electric charge -- in a gaseous state. This system allows electrons to be excited to different energy levels, called Rydberg states, which have very specific spin polarizations that can last for a long period of time. It also allows for the superposition of electrons, with electrons existing in multiple states simultaneously until they are measured, which is a key property for quantum systems. -- "These trapped gaseous ions are by nature dilute, which makes them very difficult to scale up," Knappenberger said. "The condensed phase required for a solid material, by definition, packs atoms together, losing that dilute nature. So, scaling up provides all the right electronic ingredients, but these systems become very sensitive to interference from the environment. The environment basically scrambles all the information that you encoded into the system, so the rate of error becomes very high. In this study, we found that gold clusters can mimic all the best properties of the trapped gaseous ions with the benefit of scalability." -- Scientists have heavily studied gold nanostructures for their potential use in optical technology, sensing, therapeutics and to speed up chemical reactions, but less is known about their magnetic and spin-dependent properties. In the current studies, the researchers specifically explored monolayer-protected clusters, which have a core of gold and are surrounded by other molecules called ligands. The researchers can precisely control the construction of these clusters and can synthesize relatively large amounts at one time. | 465 |
| Star Survives Black Hole And Comes Back For More | Star Survives Close Encounter With Black Hole, Defying Expectations Of Tidal Disruption | The Double Tidal Disruption Event AT 2022dbl Implies that at Least Some “Standard” Optical Tidal Disruption Events Are Partial Disruptions. | Tel-Aviv University | Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery regarding a star that has survived an encounter with a supermassive black hole, contrary to previous beliefs about such events. This first confirmed case suggests that tidal disruption flares may indicate a more complex relationship between stars and black holes than previously thought, inviting further exploration into the dynamics of these cosmic interactions. | Star Survives Black Hole and Comes Back for MoreA star being torn apart by a black hole. Credit: Ignacio de la Calle - Quasar Science Resources for ESA -- Lightning might not strike twice, but black holes apparently do. An international group of researchers led by Tel Aviv University astronomers observed a flare caused when a star falls onto a black hole and is destroyed. Surprisingly, this flare occurred about two years after a nearly identical flare named AT 2022dbl, from the exact same location. This is the first confirmed case of a star that survived an encounter with a supermassive black hole and came back for more. This discovery upends conventional wisdom about such tidal disruption events and suggests that these spectacular flares may be just the opening act in a longer, more complex story. -- The study was led by Dr. Lydia Makrygianni (a former postdoc at Tel Aviv University and currently a researcher at Lancaster University in the UK) under the supervision of Prof. Iair Arcavi, a member of the Astrophysics Department at Tel Aviv University, and Director of the Wise Observatory in Mizpe Ramon. Prof. Ehud Nakar, Chair of the Astrophysics Department, and students Sara Faris and Yael Dgany from Arcavi's research group also took part in the research, alongside many international collaborators. The results are published in a July issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters. -- The researchers explain that at the center of every large galaxy lies a black hole that is millions to billions of times the mass of the sun. Such a supermassive black hole exists also in our own Milky Way Galaxy, its discovery was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in physics. But beyond knowing they're there, it's not well understood how such monsters form, nor how they affect their host galaxies. One of the main challenges in understanding these black holes is that they are, well, black. A black hole is a region of space where gravity is so strong that not even light can escape. The supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way was discovered thanks to the movement of stars in its vicinity. But in other, more distant, galaxies, such movement cannot be discerned. -- Luckily, or unluckily, depending on your point of view, once every 10,000 to 100,000 years, a star will wander too close to the supermassive black hole in the center of its galaxy, resulting in it getting ripped to shreds. Half of the star will be "swallowed" by the black hole, and half thrown outward. When material falls onto a black hole, it does so in a circular fashion, much like water going down the bathtub drain. Around black holes, however, the velocity of the rotating material approaches the speed of light, the material is heated and radiates brilliantly. Such an unlucky star thus "illuminates" the black hole for a few weeks to months, providing astronomers with a brief opportunity to study its properties. -- Strangely, though, these flares have not been behaving as expected. Their brilliance and temperature were much lower than predicted. After about a decade of trying to understand why, AT 2022dbl may have provided the answer. The repetition of the first flare in an almost identical manner two years later implies that at least the first flare was the result of the partial disruption of the star, with much of it surviving and coming back for a (nearly identical) additional passage. These flares are thus more of a "snack" by the supermassive black hole than a "meal." -- "The question now is whether we'll see a third flare after two more years, in early 2026" says Prof. Arcavi. "If we see a third flare," continues Arcavi, "it means that the second one was also the partial disruption of the star. So maybe all such flares, which we have been trying to understand for a decade now as full stellar disruptions, are not what we thought." If a third flare does not occur, then the second flare could have been the full disruption of the star. The implication is that partial and full disruptions look almost identical, a prediction made before this discovery by the research group of Prof. Tsvi Piran at the Hebrew University. "Either way," adds Arcavi, "we'll have to re-write our interpretation of these flares and what they can teach us about the monsters lying in the centers of galaxies." | 466 |
| Life Without Sunlight? Earthquake Fractures Fuel Deep Underground Microbes | Earthquake Fractures Provide Energy For Deep Microbial Life Without Sunlight | Crustal faulting drives biological redox cycling in the deep subsurface. | Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters | A study from Chinese scientists has revealed that deep Earth microbes can thrive on hydrogen and oxidants produced by rock fracturing during earthquakes, challenging the belief that life solely relies on sunlight. This discovery opens new avenues for understanding microbial life in extreme environments and suggests potential pathways for life on other planets devoid of sunlight. | Earthquakes Feed Hidden Life Deep UndergroundEarthquake-driven rock fractures produce hydrogen and oxidants that fuel deep subsurface life, possibly hinting at life beyond Earth. Credit: Shutterstock -- Chinese researchers have recently challenged the long-held belief that "all life depends on sunlight." In a study published in Science Advances, the researchers identified how microbes in deep subsurface areas can derive energy from chemical reactions driven by crustal faulting, offering critical insights into life deep below Earth's surface. -- The research was led by Prof. Hongping he, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and Prof. Jianxi Zhu, both from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry of CAS. -- Long regarded as inhospitable to life due to the absence of sunlight and organic matter, the deep subsurface has in recent years been found to host a large-scale, highly active biosphere teeming with diverse microorganisms. These microbes derive energy from abiotic redox reactions during water–rock interactions. Hydrogen (H2) serves as their main energy source and oxidants are also essential for metabolic activities, but their origins were not previously well understood. -- To tackle this mystery, the research team simulated crustal faulting activities and discovered that free radicals produced during rock fracturing can decompose water, generating both hydrogen and oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). These substances create a distinct redox gradient within fracture systems, which can further react with iron (Fe) in groundwater and rocks—oxidizing ferrous iron (Fe²⁺) to ferric iron (Fe³⁺) or reducing ferric iron (Fe³⁺) to ferrous iron (Fe²⁺), depending on local redox conditions. -- In microbe-rich fractures, hydrogen production driven by earthquake-related faulting was found to be up to 100,000 times greater than that from other known pathways, such as serpentinization and radiolysis. The team demonstrated that this process effectively drives iron's redox cycle, which in turn influences the geochemical processes of elements like carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur—sustaining microbial metabolism in the deep biosphere. -- This study sheds new light on the energy sources and ecological diversity of the deep-subsurface biosphere. Profs. He and Zhu also noted that fracture systems on other Earth-like planets could potentially provide habitable conditions for extraterrestrial life, offering a new avenue for the search for life beyond Earth. -- The study was financially supported by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and the Strategic Priority Research Program of CAS, among other sources. | 467 |
| Quantum Tunneling Mystery Solved After 100 Years—And It Involves A Surprise Collision | Scientists Discover Electrons Tunneling Through Barriers In A Surprising Quantum Mechanism | Unveiling Under-the-Barrier Electron Dynamics in Strong Field Tunneling. | Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) | Groundbreaking research has unveiled that electrons can perform a unique quantum behavior known as "under-the-barrier recollision," where they not only tunnel through atomic barriers but also collide with atomic nuclei during the process. This revelation enhances our understanding of quantum tunneling and could have significant implications for future technologies reliant on quantum mechanics. | Quantum Tunneling Mystery Solved After 100 YearsElectrons don’t just tunnel—they loop back and crash into atomic nuclei in the middle of the process. This unprecedented insight changes what we thought we knew about quantum behavior and could supercharge future tech. Credit: Shutterstock -- Recently, Professor Dong Eon Kim from POSTECH's Department of Physics and Max Planck Korea-POSTECH Initiative and his research team have succeeded in unraveling for the first time the mystery of the 'electron tunneling' process, a core concept in quantum mechanics, and confirmed it through experiments. This study was published in the international journal Physical Review Letters and is attracting attention as a key to unlocking the long-standing mystery of 'electron tunneling,' which has remained unsolved for over 100 years. -- While the idea of teleporting through walls may sound like something out of a movie, such phenomena actually occur in the atomic world. This phenomenon, called 'quantum tunneling,' involves electrons passing through energy barriers (walls) that they seemingly cannot surmount with their energy, as if digging a tunnel through them. -- This phenomenon is the principle by which semiconductors, i. e., core components of smartphones and computers, operate, and is also essential for nuclear fusion, the process that produces light and energy in the sun. However, until now, while some understanding existed about what happens before and after an electron passes through a tunnel, the exact behavior of the electron as it traverses the barrier remained unclear. We know the entrance and exit of the tunnel, but what happens inside has remained a mystery. -- Professor Kim Dong Eon's team, along with Professor C. H. Keitel's team at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany, conducted an experiment using intense laser pulses to induce electron tunneling in atoms. The results revealed a surprising phenomenon: electrons do not simply pass through the barrier but collide again with the atomic nucleus inside the tunnel. The research team named this process 'under-the-barrier recollision' (UBR). Until now, it was believed that electrons could only interact with the nucleus after exiting the tunnel, but this study confirmed for the first time that such interaction can occur inside the tunnel. -- Even more intriguingly, during this process, electrons gain energy inside the barrier and collide again with the nucleus, thereby strengthening what is known as 'Freeman resonance.' This ionization was significantly greater than that observed in previously known ionization processes and was hardly affected by changes in laser intensity. This is a completely new discovery that could not be predicted by existing theories. -- This research is significant as it is the first in the world to elucidate the dynamics of electrons during tunneling. It is expected to provide an important scientific foundation for more precise control of electron behavior and increased efficiency in advanced technologies such as semiconductors, quantum computers, and ultrafast lasers that rely on tunneling. -- Professor Kim Dong Eon stated, "Through this study, we were able to find clues about how electrons behave when they pass through the atomic wall," and added, "Now, we can finally understand tunneling more deeply and control it as we wish." -- Meanwhile, this research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea and the Capacity Development Project of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology. | 468 |
| Ultra-Hot Jupiter In Death Spiral May Reveal How Rocky Worlds Are Born | Extreme Planet's Orbital Decay Offers Insights Into Energy Dissipation In Star Systems | Orbital Decay of the Ultra-hot Jupiter TOI-2109b: Tidal Constraints and Transit-timing Analysis. | Macquarie University | Astronomers have observed an ultra-hot Jupiter exoplanet, TOI-2109b, spiraling toward its star, providing direct evidence of its impending demise. This discovery offers insight into the processes governing planetary evolution and the dynamics of extreme planetary systems, highlighting the potential for catastrophic outcomes in close stellar encounters. | Ultra-Hot Jupiter in Death SpiralCosmic catastrophe: One of three scenarios for TOI-2109b involves the planet accelerating its death spiral until consumed by its star, similar to this illustrated planetary destruction. Credit: Illustration: NASA/CXC/M. Weiss; X-ray spectrum: NASA/CXC/MIT/H. M.Günther -- Macquarie University astronomers have tracked an extreme planet's orbital decay, confirming it is spiralling towards its star in a cosmic death dance that could end in three possible ways. -- The ultra-hot Jupiter exoplanet TOI-2109b, located 870 light-years from Earth, completes an orbit around its star in just 16 hours - making it the closest hot Jupiter ever discovered. -- With a mass nearly five times that of Jupiter and almost twice Jupiter's size, TOI-2109b orbits even closer to its star than Mercury does to our Sun. -- "Just to put it into context - Mercury's mass is almost 6,000 times smaller than Jupiter, but it still takes 88 days to orbit our Sun. For a huge gas giant such as TOI-2109b to fully orbit in 16 hours - it tells us that this is a planet located super-close to its star," says Dr Jaime A. Alvarado-Montes, a Macquarie Research Fellow who led the international study published on July 15 in The Astrophysical Journal. -- By analysing transit timing data from multiple ground-based telescopes, NASA's TESS mission and the European Space Agency's CHEOPS satellite spanning 2010 to 2024, the team detected subtle changes in the planet's orbit. -- Both theoretical models and observations independently calculated that the planet's orbital period would decrease by at least 10 seconds over the next three years - confirming the planet may be spiralling towards its star. -- The researchers identified three possible fates for TOI-2109b: it could be torn apart by tidal forces, plunge directly into its star, or have its gaseous envelope stripped away by intense radiation, leaving only a rocky core. -- "This planet and its interesting situation could help us figure out some mysterious astronomical phenomena that so far we really don't have much evidence to explain," Dr Alvarado-Montes says. "It could tell us the story of many other solar systems." -- The findings suggest some rocky planets in other solar systems might be the stripped cores of former gas giants - a possibility that could reshape our understanding of planetary evolution. | 469 |
| Spiders Turn Fireflies Into Glowing Traps | Spooky Spiders Use Fireflies As Lures, Attracting More Prey With Their Glow | Prey bioluminescence‐mediated visual luring in a sit and wait predator. | British Ecological Society | Ecologists in Taiwan have discovered that the sheet web spider, Psechrus clavis, employs an unusual hunting strategy by leaving captured fireflies glowing in its web to lure additional prey. This fascinating behavior was confirmed through experiments showing that webs with light sources attracted significantly more insects, revealing an intricate predator-prey dynamic. | Spiders Turn Fireflies Into Glowing TrapsSheet web spider with fireflies caught in web. Credit: Tunghai University -- Ecologists have observed a species of nocturnal spider attracting prey to its web using the bioluminescent beacons of already trapped fireflies. This rare example of a predator exploiting its prey's mating signal for its own gain is documented in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Animal Ecology. -- Researchers at Tunghai University, Taiwan have observed sheet web spiders Psechrus clavis capturing fireflies in their webs and leaving them there while they emitted bioluminescent light for up to an hour. The researchers even observed the spiders going to check on the captured fireflies from time to time. -- Intrigued by this unusual behavior the researchers set up an experiment to test whether this was a strategy used by the spiders to increase their hunting success. In the experiment, they placed LEDs that resembled fireflies, in real sheet spider webs and left other webs clear as controls. -- They found three times the amount of prey was attracted to webs with the LEDs compared to the control webs. This increased to ten times more prey when they only looked at fireflies being captured. -- The findings confirm that captured fireflies left as bait increase the hunting success rate of the spiders. The researchers also noticed that the majority of captured fireflies were male, who were likely mistaking the glow for potential mates. -- Dr I-Min Tso, the lead author of the study said: "Our findings highlight a previously undocumented interaction where firefly signals, intended for sexual communication, are also beneficial to spiders. -- "This study sheds new light on the ways that nocturnal sit-and-wait predators can rise to the challenges of attracting prey and provides a unique perspective on the complexity of predator-prey interactions." -- The researchers suggest that this behavior could have developed in sheet web spiders to avoid costly investment in their own bioluminescence like other sit-and-wait predators, such as anglerfish. Instead, the spiders are able to outsource prey attraction to their prey's own signals. -- The sheet web spider Psechrus clavis is a nocturnal sit and wait predator found in subtropical forests of East Asia. It's main source of prey, the winter firefly Diaphanes lampyroides, uses continuous, non-flashing bioluminescence to attract mates. | 470 |
| 70-Million-Year-Old Crocodile Relative With Dinosaur-Crushing Jaws Found In Argentina | Well-Preserved Fossil Reveals Jaw-Dropping Predator That Lurked Before Dinosaurs’ Extinction | A new large hypercarnivorous crocodyliform from the Maastrichtian of Southern Patagonia, Argentina. | PLOS | A newly found fossil in Patagonia has identified Kostensuchus atrox, a formidable predator that lived just before the dinosaurs went extinct. This well-preserved specimen, measuring about 3.5 meters long, provides valuable insights into the prehistoric ecosystem and the predatory dynamics of the late Cretaceous period, indicating a complex food web. | Croc Relative With Dinosaur-Crushing JawsKostensuchus atrox – life restoration, 3 meters long. Credit Gabriel Diaz Yanten -- A newly-discovered species of a large, crocodile-relative predator has been described via a remarkably well-preserved fossil from Argentina, according to a study published August 27, 2025, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Fernando Novas from Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia," Argentina, and colleagues. -- The Chorrillo Formation formed around 70 million years ago, during the Maastrichtian age at the very end of the Cretaceous period. At this time, southern Patagonia was a warm, seasonally humid landscape of freshwater floodplains, home to creatures like dinosaurs, turtles, frogs, and various mammals. -- The new fossil unearthed in this formation is largely intact, including a skull and jaws with visible details, as well as multiple bones from the body. This crocodile-like apex predator may have reached around 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) long and weighed around 250 kilograms (551 pounds), with a wide, powerful jaw and big teeth capable of devouring large prey -- likely including medium-sized dinosaurs. The researchers named the species Kostensuchus atrox, referring to the Patagonian wind known in the Tehuelche native language as the Kosten and the Egyptian crocodile-headed god known as Souchos, with atrox meaning "fierce" or "harsh." -- K. atrox itself is not a dinosaur, but rather a peirosaurid crocodyliform, an extinct group of reptiles related to modern crocodiles and alligators. This species is the second-largest predator known to scientists from the Maastrichtian Chorrillo Formation, and the researchers believe it was likely one of the top predators in the region. K. atrox is also the first crocodyliform fossil found in the Chorrillo Formation, and one of the most intact peirosaurid crocodyliforms ever found, giving scientists unique new insight into these prehistoric animals and their ecosystem. -- Funding: DP 9282-R-22 National Geographic Society. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. ISC Faperj E-26/200.998/2024 Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. ISC CNPq 303596/2016-3 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. | 471 |
| Living Night Lights: Succulents That Store Sunlight And Shine For Hours | Glow-in-the-Dark Succulents Created By Scientists Could Revolutionize Home Lighting | Sunlight-powered multicolor and uniform luminescence in material-engineered living plants. | Cell Press | Researchers have engineered succulents that glow in the dark by infusing them with phosphor particles, creating a sustainable lighting solution that can recharge in sunlight. This low-cost method is a significant advancement over traditional genetic engineering, showcasing the potential for glowing plants to replace conventional lighting systems in the future. | Glowing Succulents Recharge in SunlightSucculents glow in shades of red, green, blue, and more after being infused with afterglow phosphor particles that absorb and slowly release light. Credit: Liu et al., Matter -- From mushrooms that cast a soft green glow to plankton that glimmers sparkling blue, glowing plants are nothing new for nature. Now, scientists are bringing that light to houseplants. -- Reporting in the Cell Press journal Matter on August 27, researchers crafted glow-in-the-dark succulents that recharge in sunlight. Injected with light-emitting compounds, the plants can shine in various colors and rival a small night light at their brightest. The simple, low-cost method may help lay the foundation for sustainable, plant-based lighting systems. -- "Picture the world of Avatar, where glowing plants light up an entire ecosystem," says first author Shuting Liu of South China Agricultural University. "We wanted to make that vision possible using materials we already work with in the lab. Imagine glowing trees replacing streetlights." -- Glowing greenery isn't a new idea. Past studies have designed similar plants using genetic engineering. But the glow is often faint and is typically only available in green. The methods were also complex and costly. -- Instead of coaxing cells to glow through genetic modification, the team used afterglow phosphor particles -- materials similar to those found in glow-in-the-dark toys. These compounds absorb light and release it slowly over time. -- For the particles to travel through leaf tissues, the researchers had to get the size just right: around 7 micrometers, roughly the width of a red blood cell. -- "Smaller, nano-sized particles move easily within the plant but are dimmer," says Liu. "Larger particles glowed brighter but couldn't travel far inside the plant." -- The team then injected the particles into several plant species, including succulents and non-succulents like golden pothos and bok choy. But only the succulents produced a strong glow, thanks to the narrow, uniform, and evenly distributed channels within the leaf that helped to disperse the particles more effectively. After a couple of minutes of exposure to sunlight or indoor LED light, the modified plants glowed for up to two hours. -- "It was really unexpected," says Liu, noting that she initially thought plants with airy tissue structures would perform better. "The particles diffused in just seconds, and the entire succulent leaf glowed." | 472 |
| Scientists Recreate Life’s First Step: Linking Amino Acids To RNA | Clue Found Linking Amino Acids To RNA In Early Earth Conditions | Thioester-mediated RNA aminoacylation and peptidyl-RNA synthesis in water. | University College London | A groundbreaking study by UCL chemists shows how amino acids can spontaneously attach to RNA using thioesters under conditions similar to early Earth. This finding bridges existing theories on the origins of life, offering insights into how the first proteins may have formed and how primitive life began on our planet. | Scientists Recreate Life’s First StepUCL chemists showed amino acids can link to RNA in simple water chemistry, potentially explaining how life’s first proteins began to form. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Chemists at UCL have shown how two of biology's most fundamental ingredients, RNA (ribonucleic acid) and amino acids, could have spontaneously joined together at the origin of life four billion years ago. -- Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, the "workhorses" of life essential to nearly every living process. But proteins cannot replicate or produce themselves -- they require instructions. These instructions are provided by RNA, a close chemical cousin of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). -- In a new study, published in Nature, researchers chemically linked life's amino acids to RNA in conditions that could have occurred on the early Earth -- an achievement that has eluded scientists since the early 1970s. -- Senior author Professor Matthew Powner, based at UCL's Department of Chemistry, said: "Life relies on the ability to synthesize proteins -- they are life's key functional molecules. Understanding the origin of protein synthesis is fundamental to understanding where life came from. -- "Our study is a big step towards this goal, showing how RNA might have first come to control protein synthesis. -- "Life today uses an immensely complex molecular machine, the ribosome, to synthesize proteins. This machine requires chemical instructions written in messenger RNA, which carries a gene's sequence from a cell's DNA to the ribosome. The ribosome then, like a factory assembly line, reads this RNA and links together amino acids, one by one, to create a protein. -- "We have achieved the first part of that complex process, using very simple chemistry in water at neutral pH to link amino acids to RNA. The chemistry is spontaneous, selective and could have occurred on the early Earth." -- Previous attempts to attach amino acids to RNA used highly reactive molecules, but these broke down in water and caused the amino acids to react with each other, rather than become linked to RNA. -- For the new study, the researchers took inspiration from biology, using a gentler method to convert life's amino acids into a reactive form. This activation involved a thioester, a high-energy chemical compound important in many of life's biochemical processes and that has already been theorized to play a role at the start of life*. | 473 |
| The Bright Yellow Worm That Turns Ocean Poison Into Golden Survival Crystals | Bright Yellow Worm Turns Toxic Ocean Chemicals Into Golden Crystals For Survival | A deep-sea hydrothermal vent worm detoxifies arsenic and sulfur by intracellular biomineralization of orpiment (As2S3). | PLOS | Scientists have discovered a deep-sea worm, Paralvinella hessleri, that survives in toxic hydrothermal vents by converting harmful arsenic and sulfide into less toxic minerals. This unique detoxification process illustrates the remarkable adaptability of life in extreme environments and challenges our understanding of resilience in nature. | Worm Turns Ocean Poison Into Golden CrystalsImage of the alvinellid worm, Paralvinella hessleri. A P. hessleri specimen with buccal tentacles extroverted, lateral view. Note that the animal has a bright yellow color. Credit: Wang H, et al., 2025, PLOS Biology, CC-BY 4.0 -- A deep sea worm that inhabits hydrothermal vents survives the high levels of toxic arsenic and sulfide in its environment by combining them in its cells to form a less hazardous mineral. Chaolun Li of the Institute of Oceanology, CAS, China, and colleagues report these findings in a new study published August 26th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology. -- The worm, named Paralvinella hessleri, is the only animal to inhabit the hottest part of deep sea hydrothermal vents in the west Pacific, where hot, mineral-rich water spews from the seafloor. These fluids can contain high levels of sulfide, as well as arsenic, which builds up in the tissues of P. hessleri, sometimes making up more than 1% of the worm's body weight. -- Li and his team investigated how P. hessleri can tolerate the high levels of arsenic and sulfide in the vent fluids. They used advanced microscopy, and DNA, protein and chemical analyses to identify a previously unknown detoxification process. The worm accumulates particles of arsenic in its skin cells, which then react with sulfide from the hydrothermal vent fluids to form small clumps of a yellow mineral called orpiment. -- The study provides new insights into the novel detoxification strategy that P. hessleri uses for "fighting poison with poison," which enables it to live in an extremely toxic environment. Previous studies have found that related worms living in other parts of the world, as well as some snail species in the west Pacific, also accumulate high levels of arsenic, and may use this same strategy. -- Coauthor Dr. Hao Wang adds, "This was my first deep-sea expedition, and I was stunned by what I saw on the ROV monitor -- the bright yellow Paralvinella hessleri worms were unlike anything I had ever seen, standing out vividly against the white biofilm and dark hydrothermal vent landscape. It was hard to believe that any animal could survive, let alone thrive, in such an extreme and toxic environment." -- Dr. Wang says, "What makes this finding even more fascinating is that orpiment -- the same toxic, golden mineral produced by this worm -- was once prized by medieval and Renaissance painters. It's a curious convergence of biology and art history, unfolding in the depths of the ocean." -- The authors note, "We were puzzled for a long time by the nature of the yellow intracellular granules, which had a vibrant color and nearly perfect spherical shape. It took us a combination of microscopy, spectroscopy, and Raman analysis to identify them as orpiment minerals -- a surprising finding." -- The authors conclude, "We hope that this 'fighting poison with poison' model will encourage scientists to rethink how marine invertebrates interact with and possibly harness toxic elements in their environment." -- Funding: This work was supported by grants from Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42476133 to H.W.), Science and Technology Innovation Project of Laoshan Laboratory (Project Number No. LSKJ202203104 to H.W.), National Key RandD Program of China (Project Number 2018YFC0310702 to H.W.), Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 42030407 to C.Li), and the NSFC Innovative Group Grant (No. 42221005 to M.X.W.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. | 474 |
| Bumble Bees Balance Their Diets With Surprising Precision | Bumble Bees Exhibit Dietary Precision, Balancing Nutrition To Thrive In Competition | Nutrient niche dynamics among wild pollinators. | Northwestern University | Research indicates that wild bumble bees exhibit strategic foraging behaviors to balance their nutrient intake, acting as tiny nutritionists. By selectively gathering pollen based on nutritional content, these bees minimize competition and adapt their diets according to seasonal changes and colony needs, thereby promoting healthy hive dynamics. | Bumble Bees Balance Their Diets with PrecisionA wild bumble bee (Bombus appositus) visiting a flower (Delphinium barbeyi) — both species were included in the study. Credit: Paul CaraDonna -- Move over gym rats. Bumble bees are now the true masters of macros. -- In the first long-term, community-level field study of wild bumble bee nutrition, a team of ecologists led by Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden discovered that wild bees aren't just flitting from flower to flower, collecting pollen at random. Instead, they are strategically targeting flowers that enable them to carefully balance their protein, fat and carbs. -- Focusing on pollen consumption, the study revealed that coexisting bee species occupy two distinct nutrient niches. Larger bodied bees with longer tongues prefer pollen that's high in protein but lower in sugars and fats. Bees with shorter tongues, however, tend to gather pollen that's richer in carbs and fats. The scientists also found individual bees adjust their diets as their colonies grow and develop, reflecting changing nutritional needs throughout the season. -- By dividing up nutritional resources, wild bumble bees can avoid competition, thrive together and keep their colonies buzzing strong all season long. -- The study was published on Aug. 26 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. -- "Despite the general importance of wild pollinators, especially bees, we know very little about their nutritional needs," said Northwestern's Paul CaraDonna, the study's senior author. "Given widespread pollinator declines that have been observed around the globe, this knowledge gap is surprising and concerning. Our research provides some of the best information yet on the availability of nutritional resources found in wildflowers and how pollinators use these resources. We can incorporate this work into our thinking about garden design, so we can select the right flowers that best support the nutritional needs of wild pollinators." -- An expert on plant-pollinator interactions, CaraDonna is an adjunct associate professor in the Program in Plant Biology and Conservation, a partnership between Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and the Chicago Botanic Garden. Justin Bain, a recent Ph.D. graduate from CaraDonna's lab group, is the study's first author. This work was a part of Bain's dissertation. -- In the dark about diet -- In the wild, bumble bees mainly consume two floral-based foods: sweet, syrupy nectar and fat- and protein-packed pollen. While adult bees sip nectar for a quick burst of energy, they also collect pollen for their babies, or larvae, to help them grow. Worker bees gather pollen from various flowers, pack it into special "baskets" on their hind legs and ferry it home to feed their young. | 475 |
| Mysterious Earthquake Reveals Cascadia’s Hidden Dangers | Mysterious 1954 Quake In Northern California May Have Origins In Cascadia Subduction Zone | Revisiting an Enigma on California’s North Coast: The Mw 6.5 Fickle Hill Earthquake of 21 December 1954. | Seismological Society of America | A long-standing mystery surrounding a 1954 earthquake in Northern California has been resolved, suggesting it originated from the Cascadia subduction interface rather than the usual Gorda Plate. This research highlights the complex seismic activity in the region and the potential for unexpected earthquake sources, emphasizing the need for further investigation. | Earthquake Reveals Cascadia’s Hidden DangersResearchers believe a mysterious 1954 quake in Northern California came from the Cascadia fault, revealing the zone may break in unexpected ways. Credit: Shutterstock -- What lies beneath Fickle Hill in northern California? Maybe the answer to an earthquake mystery that has puzzled seismologists for decades. -- The origin of the 1954 magnitude 6.5 earthquake that rattled residents around Humboldt Bay has been unclear, but a new study now suggests a surprising source: the Cascadia subduction interface. -- In the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, a team of researchers shares the scientific sleuthing that led them to that conclusion, in a tale that combines fading paper records, modern methods and modeling, and eyewitness accounts of the event. -- The December 21, 1954, event occurred in a region where earthquakes are common. This part of coastal northern California includes the Mendocino Triple Junction, where the Pacific, Gorda and North American tectonic plates meet and is the most seismically active area of the lower 48 states. -- But the 1954 earthquake was unusual in its location, magnitude and shaking intensity. Historically, most large earthquakes in the area are located within the Gorda Plate, either offshore or the portion of it that is subducted beneath the North American plate. There have been no large earthquakes on surface faults in the North American plate in the region in instrumental times, although the faults have been mapped as active. -- Peggy Hellweg, a retired seismologist at the University of California, Berkeley's Seismological Laboratory and colleagues conclude that the earthquake was a thrust event, located about 11 kilometers deep below Fickle Hill to the east of the city of Arcata. These characteristics taken together suggest that the most likely source of the earthquake is the Cascadia subduction interface, they write. -- The Cascadia Subduction Zone along the Pacific Northwest coast looms large in the scientific and public minds, as it has the potential to generate great earthquakes. The magnitude 9.0 Cascadia earthquake in 1700 drowned forests, sunk coastlines by six feet and led to a massive tsunami that caused damage as far away as Japan. -- The Fickle Hill earthquake could help answer questions that seismologists have been working diligently to solve: does the Cascadia subduction interface only rupture in large, 1700-style earthquakes? Does the entire interface always rupture, or can smaller parts of it rupture on their own? -- There's only one other large recorded earthquake in the area -- the 1992 magnitude 7.2 Cape Mendocino event -- that may have its origins on the subduction interface, said Hellweg. | 476 |
| New Fossils Reveal A Hidden Branch In Human Evolution | New Ethiopian Fossils Reshape Understanding Of Human Evolution And Ancestry | New discoveries of Australopithecus and Homo from Ledi-Geraru, Ethiopia. | University of Nevada, Las Vegas | Recent fossil discoveries in Ethiopia have unveiled a new ancestor species, reshaping the understanding of human evolution. Instead of a linear progression from ape-like ancestors to modern humans, this evidence indicates a branching evolutionary tree with multiple species coexisting, highlighting the complexity of early human development and adaptation. | A Hidden Branch in Human Evolution RevealedTeeth found in Ethiopia point to a new Australopithecus species that coexisted with early Homo, proving human evolution was more like a tree than a ladder. Credit: Shutterstock -- The discovery of new fossils and a new species of ancient ancestor may help shift the perception of human evolution from linear evolution to that of a tree with many branches, new UNLV research published on August 13 in the journal Nature shows. -- UNLV anthropologist Brian Villmoare and a team of international scientists discovered new fossils at a field site in Ethiopia that indicate Australopithecus, and the oldest specimens of Homo, coexisted between 2.6 and 2.8 million years ago at the same place in Africa. -- The scientists found 13 teeth at the Ledi-Geraru site and determined that, although some belong to the genus Homo, a set of upper and lower teeth belong to a new species of the genus Australopithecus. This new species is distinct from the well-known Australopithecus afarensis (the famous 'Lucy'), which last appears at roughly 2.95 million years ago and was discovered in nearby Hadar. -- The presence of both species in the same location shows that human evolution is less linear and more tree-like, said Villmoare, associate professor of anthropology and lead author of the paper. -- "We used to think of human evolution as fairly linear, with a steady march from an ape-like ancestor to modern Homo sapiens. Instead, humans have branched out multiple times into different niches. Our pattern of evolution is not particularly unusual, and what has happened to humans has happened to every other tree of life," he said. -- "This is what we should be finding in the human fossil record," Villmoare said. "Nature experimented with different ways to be a human as the climate became drier in East Africa, and earlier more ape-like species went extinct." -- The Ledi-Geraru site is the same field site where a team of researchers discovered the jaw of the earliest Homo specimen ever found at 2.8 million years old. Villmoare has worked with the Ledi-Geraru Research Project and scientists at the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University since 2002. -- "The new finds of Homo teeth from 2.6-2.8 million-year-old sediments -- reported in this paper -- confirms the antiquity of our lineage," he said. -- "We know what the teeth and mandible of the earliest Homo look like, but that's it. This emphasizes the critical importance of finding additional fossils to understand the differences between Australopithecus and Homo, and potentially how they were able to overlap in the fossil record at the same location." | 477 |
| Scientists Warn Ocean Could Soon Reach Rapa Nui’s Sacred Moai | Rising Sea Levels Threaten Rapa Nui’s Cultural Treasures, Urgent Measures Needed | Impacts of sea-level rise and wave inundation in the Tongariki Complex, Rapa Nui. | University of Hawaii at Manoa | Advanced computer modeling indicates that by 2080, rising sea levels may lead to flooding at Rapa Nui's Ahu Tongariki and potentially threaten up to 51 cultural treasures on the island. This alarming research underscores the critical need for immediate protective strategies to safeguard Rapa Nui’s cultural heritage and tourism-driven economy, focusing on community involvement and scientific backing to combat the impending environmental challenge. | Rising Seas Threaten Rapa Nui’s Iconic MoaiSea level rise could threaten Rapa Nui’s Ahu Tongariki and dozens of cultural sites by 2080, prompting calls for urgent preservation efforts grounded in both science and community engagement. Credit: Shutterstock -- Rising sea levels could cause seasonal waves to reach Ahu Tongariki, the iconic ceremonial platform that is part of the Rapa Nui National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site by 2080, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Cultural Heritage by a team of researchers from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. This coastal flooding also threatens to impact up to 51 cultural assets in the area, including Rapa Nui's world renowned moai statues. -- "This research reveals a critical threat to the living culture and livelihood of Rapa Nui," said Noah Paoa, lead author of the study and doctoral student in the Department of Earth Sciences in the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). "For the community, these sites are an essential part of reaffirming identity and support the revitalization of traditions. Economically, they are the backbone of the island's tourism industry. Failure to address this threat could ultimately endanger the island's UNESCO world heritage site status." -- "As we work to understand the impacts of future sea level rise, we provide information that not only enables us to maintain safe, functional spaces and infrastructure, but also to support thriving communities," said Chip Fletcher, co-author of the study and dean of SOEST. "That means we must document threats to culturally significant places and assets, and develop plans to preserve and protect what matters to communities." -- Computer simulations reveal vulnerabilities -- Paoa and his team built a detailed digital twin of the study site and used advanced computer models to simulate the wave environment along the coastline. They then mapped the projected flooding caused by waves under future sea level rise scenarios. The flood extent was then overlaid on geospatial layers containing the location of cultural assets provided to the team by local partners, which allowed the researchers to identify the cultural assets that will be flooded. -- "Unfortunately, from a scientific standpoint, the findings are not surprising," said Paoa. "We know that sea level rise poses a direct threat to coastlines globally. The critical question was not if the site would be impacted, but how soon and how severely. Our work aimed to set potential timelines by which we could expect the impacts to happen. Finding that waves could reach Ahu Tongariki by 2080 provides the specific, urgent data needed to incentivize community discussion and planning for the future." -- The challenges facing Rapa Nui mirror those in other coastal areas of the world, including Hawaiʻi. -- "While Hawaiʻi is invested in protecting coastal infrastructure from sea level rise, the irreplaceable coastal cultural heritage sites in Hawai'i and across the Pacific face the same urgent threat," Paoa added. "Our research in Rapa Nui serves as a vital blueprint, demonstrating how we can use science to forecast risks to sacred places, such as coastal heiau and ancestral burial sites. By developing and applying these methods we hope we can help protect what is precious to the people of Hawaiʻi -- provided such work is guided by, and deemed appropriate by, the Native Hawaiian community." -- Paoa is now using available data on coastal flooding to examine potential sea level rise impacts on cultural assets in Hawai'i. In the future, he and the research team, in collaboration with local partners in Rapa Nui, plan to further investigate potential impacts of sea level rise on the island's coastal cultural assets and examine adaptation and mitigation efforts to safeguard the cultural heritage. | 478 |
| Your Nature Photo Might Be A Scientific Breakthrough In Disguise | Your Wildlife Photos Can Drive Scientific Discovery Through Citizen Science Initiatives | iNaturalist accelerates biodiversity research. | University of Florida | Citizen science through platforms like iNaturalist is proving invaluable for ecological research, as it allows users to document wildlife and contribute to significant scientific discoveries. A study highlights how such crowdsourced data are being utilized to track biodiversity, document invasive species, and even rediscover lost species, showcasing the growing importance of public engagement in ecological science and conservation efforts. | How a Photo Can Help Save a SpeciesBurrowing owls in nature. Credit: Brittany Mason -- A frog croaks from a walking trail. A hiker snaps a photo and uploads it to iNaturalist. That single act -- one person, one amphibian and one click -- feeds into a growing global dataset that scientists now use to map shifting species ranges, detect invasive threats and even discover new species. -- An international study led by researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) shows how iNaturalist, the global technology platform through which everyday people share wildlife photos via a website and an app, is doing far more than connecting users with nature. It's rapidly becoming a cornerstone of scientific research. -- "The scientific use of iNaturalist has grown tenfold in five years, closely tracking the platform's data growth," said Brittany Mason, lead author and data management analyst at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (FLREC). "This suggests that increasing observations, especially in less-documented geographic areas and lesser-studied species groups, can further expand its research applications." -- "Until now, the scientific value of iNaturalist has been recognized in isolated case studies, like how a user rediscovered a century-lost Vietnamese snail, how the data are used to provide high-resolution maps of plants or how iNaturalist is becoming critical for early detection of invasive species," said Corey Callaghan, senior author of the study, and an assistant professor of global ecology at FLREC. -- Those examples remained somewhat isolated until now. -- "This study is the first to systematically assess the full scope of how iNaturalist data are being used in research," said Mason. -- To do this, the research team assessed how technology is being used and which geographic areas and scientific questions the data are being used for. The findings -- emphasize how platforms like iNaturalist allow anybody armed with a smart phone to gather data and help scientists. -- "Millions of people are now directly shaping how we understand and conserve biodiversity," said Callaghan. The study reveals several trends in shaping and enhancing the future of biodiversity science. | 479 |
| Scientists Stunned By Colossal Formations Hidden Under The North Sea | Colossal Sinkites Found Beneath North Sea Challenge Geological Norms And Oil Exploration | Km-scale mounds and sinkites formed by buoyancy driven stratigraphic inversion. | The University of Manchester | Beneath the North Sea, researchers have identified enormous sand formations, termed “sinkites,” that challenge established geological understandings and may influence future energy exploration and carbon storage. Formed millions of years ago, these colossal structures exhibit stratigraphic inversion, raising questions about geological processes and prompting discussions about new methodologies for locating natural resources and understanding Earth’s geological history. | Hidden Sand Giants Beneath the North SeaMassive buried sand mounds under the North Sea, formed millions of years ago, are defying geological norms and could change energy exploration and carbon storage strategies. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists have discovered hundreds of giant sand bodies beneath the North Sea that appear to defy fundamental geological principles and could have important implications for energy and carbon storage. -- Using high-resolution 3D seismic (sound wave) imaging, combined with data and rock samples from hundreds of wells, researchers from The University of Manchester in collaboration with industry, identified vast mounds of sand -- some several kilometers wide -- that appear to have sunk downward, displacing older, lighter and softer materials from beneath them. -- The result is stratigraphic inversion -- a reversal of the usual geological order in which younger rocks are typically deposited on top of older ones on a previously unseen scale. -- While stratigraphic inversion has previously been observed at small scales, the structures discovered by the Manchester team -- now named "sinkites" -- are the largest example of the phenomenon documented so far. -- The finding, published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, challenges scientists understanding of the subsurface and could have implications for carbon storage. -- Lead author Professor Mads Huuse from The University of Manchester, said: "This discovery reveals a geological process we haven't seen before on this scale. What we've found are structures where dense sand has sunk into lighter sediments that floated to the top of the sand, effectively flipping the conventional layers we'd expect to see and creating huge mounds beneath the sea." -- It is believed the sinkites formed millions of years ago during the Late Miocene to Pliocene periods, when earthquakes or sudden shifts in underground pressure may have caused the sand to liquefy and sink downward through natural fractures in the seabed. This displaced the underlying, more porous but rigid, ooze rafts -- composed largely of microscopic marine fossils -- bound by shrinkage cracks, sending them floating upwards. The researchers have dubbed these lighter, uplifted features 'floatites'. -- The finding could help scientists better predict where oil and gas might be trapped and where it's safe to store carbon dioxide underground. -- Prof Huuse said: "This research shows how fluids and sediments can move around in the Earth's crust in unexpected ways. Understanding how these sinkites formed could significantly change how we assess underground reservoirs, sealing, and fluid migration -- all of which are vital for carbon capture and storage." | 480 |
| Scientists Just Uncovered Three Ancient Worlds Frozen Beneath Illinois For 300 Million Years | Unique Fossils Found In Illinois Capture Life’s Diversity Over 300 Million Years | 283,821 concretions, how do you measure the Mazon Creek? Assessing the paleoenvironmental and taphonomic nature of the Braidwood and Essex assemblages. | University of Missouri-Columbia | A recent study from the University of Missouri sheds light on extraordinary fossil preservation at the Mazon Creek site, revealing three distinct ancient ecosystems—freshwater, transitional marine, and offshore—each teeming with unique life. Researchers are uncovering the influences of sea-level changes and microbial activity on fossil formation, enhancing our understanding of ancient biodiversity and the geological processes that shaped the region over 300 million years ago. | Three Ancient Worlds Frozen Beneath IllinoisA Tully Monster (Tullimonstrum gregarium). Credit: University of Missouri -- More than 300 million years ago, during the Carboniferous Period, much of northern Illinois outside Chicago -- including what is now the Mazon Creek ("muh-ZAHN") fossil site -- was alive with ancient creatures thriving in lush, tropical swamps, river deltas and shallow seas. -- Now, researchers at the University of Missouri's College of Arts and Science are collaborating with geologist Gordon Baird to reanalyze his massive fossil collection from Mazon Creek -- currently housed at the Field Museum in Chicago -- which includes 300,000 siderite concretions from around 350 different localities. -- The Mazon Creek fossil beds are renowned for their exceptional preservation of both plants and animals, made possible by their unique geological setting. The fossils are encased in siderite -- an iron carbonate mineral -- forming abundant concretions that have become a treasure trove for scientists and avocational fossil hunters alike. -- Thanks to decades of research at Mazon Creek, including foundational fieldwork by Baird and colleagues in the late 1970s, we now have an extraordinary view of life along that ancient coast. -- A snapshot of ancient life -- Baird's original work at the Mazon Creek fossil site helped distinguish two major faunal assemblages, or groups of animal remains. These assemblages helped scientists understand the ancient environments where the fossils originated. They were a marine assemblage comprised of life in offshore coastal waters, and a mixed assemblage from a river delta along the shoreline, where freshwater organisms and washed-in terrestrial plants and animals were preserved together. -- Now, Mizzou's team has confirmed a slightly more nuanced view of Baird's original findings, using modern data analysis techniques coupled with advanced imaging at Mizzou's X-ray Microanalysis Core. -- "We found three readily identifiable paleoenvironments, including the unique characteristics of a benthic marine assemblage representing a transitional habitat between the nearshore and offshore zones," said Jim Schiffbauer, Marie M. and Harry L. Smith Endowed Professor of Geological Sciences. "These ancient environments were each dominated by specific groups of animals, for example freshwater animals nearest to shore, jellyfish and sea anemones further offshore, and marine clams and worms in the transitional zone." -- The fossils formed during a phase of sea-level rise and flooding of what used to be large coal swamps. | 481 |
| Butterfly Nebula Reveals Sparkling Gems, Fiery Dust, And The Ingredients Of Life | Butterfly Nebula’s Hidden Chemistry Reveals Building Blocks For Planetary Formation | The JWST/MIRI view of the planetary nebula NGC 6302 – I. A UV-irradiated torus and a hot bubble triggering PAH formation. | Royal Astronomical Society | The James Webb Space Telescope has uncovered intriguing chemistry within the Butterfly Nebula, revealing a blend of crystalline materials, dust, and carbon molecules that could reshape our understanding of planetary formation. This groundbreaking discovery provides insights into the raw materials essential for creating rocky planets and the origins of life, highlighting the nebula's complex structure and the processes at play in cosmic evolution. | Butterfly Nebula Reveals the Ingredients of LifeThis image set showcases two views of the Butterfly Nebula, featuring an optical view from Hubble (left) and the latest Webb/ALMA image. Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, M. Matsuura, J. Kastner, K. Noll, ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), N. Hirano, J. Kastner, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb) -- Clues about how worlds like Earth may have formed have been found buried at the heart of a spectacular 'cosmic butterfly'. -- With the help of the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers say they have made a big leap forward in our understanding of how the raw material of rocky planets comes together. -- This cosmic dust - tiny particles of minerals and organic material which include ingredients linked to the origins of life - was studied at the core of the Butterfly Nebula, NGC 6302, which is located about 3,400 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius. -- From the dense, dusty torus that surrounds the star hidden at the center of the nebula to its outflowing jets, the Webb observations reveal many new discoveries that paint a never-before-seen portrait of a dynamic and structured planetary nebula. -- They have been published on August 27 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. -- Most cosmic dust has an amorphous, or randomly oriented-atomic structure, like soot. But some of it forms beautiful, crystalline shapes, more like tiny gemstones. -- "For years, scientists have debated how cosmic dust forms in space. But now, with the help of the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, we may finally have a clearer picture," said lead researcher Dr Mikako Matsuura, of Cardiff University. -- "We were able to see both cool gemstones formed in calm, long-lasting zones and fiery grime created in violent, fast-moving parts of space, all within a single object. -- "This discovery is a big step forward in understanding how the basic materials of planets, come together." | 482 |
| Astronomers Capture Breathtaking First Look At A Planet Being Born | Planetary Birth Captured In Stunning Details As Astronomers Image WISPIT 2b | WIde Separation Planets In Time (WISPIT): A Gap-clearing Planet in a Multi-ringed Disk around the Young Solar-type Star WISPIT 2. | University of Galway | Astronomers have achieved a remarkable milestone by directly imaging WISPIT 2b, a gas giant in the process of formation around a young Sun-like star. This unprecedented observation offers a unique opportunity to study planetary birth and evolution, shedding light on the characteristics of gas giants similar to Jupiter, and highlighting the capabilities of advanced observational instruments like the ESO Very Large Telescope. | Rare Glimpse of a World Still FormingImage of a dusty disk around a young star. Among the multiple concentric rings we see a small dot of light (indicated by a white circle). This is an image of a new-born planet, likely a gas giant similar to Jupiter in our own solar system but about 5 times more massive. These observations were taken with the ESO Very Large Telescope in near-infrared light. Credit: C. Ginski/R. van Capelleveen et al. -- An international team of astronomers, co-led by researchers at University of Galway, has made the unexpected discovery of a new planet. -- Detected at an early stage of formation around a young analog of our own Sun, the planet is estimated to be about 5 million years-old and most likely a gas giant of similar size to Jupiter. -- The study, which was led by Leiden University, University of Galway and University of Arizona, has been published in the international journal Astrophysical Journal Letters. -- The ground-breaking discovery was made using one of the world's most advanced observatories -- the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT) in the Atacama Desert in Chile. -- To coincide with the research being published, the European Southern Observatory -- the world's foremost international astronomy organization -- has released a stunning image of the discovery as their picture of the week. View images here. -- The new planet has been named WISPIT 2b. -- Dr Christian Ginski, lecturer at the School of Natural Sciences, University of Galway and second author of the study, said: "We used these really short snapshot observations of many young stars -- only a few minutes per object -- to determine if we could see a little dot of light next to them that is caused by a planet. However, in the case of this star, we instead detected a completely unexpected and exceptionally beautiful multi-ringed dust disk. -- "When we saw this multi-ringed disk for the first time, we knew we had to try and see if we could detect a planet within it, so we quickly asked for follow-up observations." -- It is only the second time a confirmed planet has been detected at this early evolutionary stage around a young version of our Sun. The first one was discovered in 2018, by a research team also involving Dr Ginski. | 483 |
| Scientists Finally Pinpoint Jupiter’s Birth Using “Molten Rock Raindrops” | Meteorite Droplets Reveal Insights Into Planet Formation And Jupiter’s Birth Timeline | Chondrule formation by collisions of planetesimals containing volatiles triggered by Jupiter’s formation. | Nagoya University | Research has shown that ancient droplets found in meteorites can illuminate the history of planet formation, particularly regarding Jupiter’s tumultuous growth. These chondrules, formed from explosive collisions, serve as tiny time capsules that help scientists trace the birth order of planets and refine our understanding of the solar system’s early dynamics and the processes that led to the formation of its largest planet. | “Molten Rock Raindrops” Reveal Jupiter’s BirthRound chondrules visible in a thin section of the Allende meteorite under microscopic view. Credit: Akira Miyake, Kyoto University -- Four and a half billion years ago Jupiter rapidly grew to its massive size. Its powerful gravitational pull disrupted the orbits of small rocky and icy bodies similar to modern asteroids and comets, called planetesimals. This caused them to smash into each other at such high speeds that the rocks and dust they contained melted on impact and created floating molten rock droplets, or chondrules, that we find preserved in meteorites today. -- Now, researchers at Nagoya University in Japan and the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) have for the first time determined how these droplets formed and accurately dated the formation of Jupiter based on their findings. Their study, published in Scientific Reports, shows how the characteristics of chondrules, particularly their sizes and the rate at which they cooled in space, are determined by the water contained in the impacting planetesimals. This explains what we observe in meteorite samples and proves that chondrule formation was a result of planet formation. -- Time capsules from 4.6 billion years ago -- Chondrules, small spheres approximately 0.1-2 millimeters wide, were incorporated into asteroids as the solar system formed. Billions of years later, pieces of these asteroids would break off and fall to Earth as meteorites. How chondrules came to have their round shape has puzzled scientists for decades. -- "When planetesimals collided with each other, water instantly vaporized into expanding steam. This acted like tiny explosions and broke apart the molten silicate rock into the tiny droplets we see in meteorites today," co-lead author Professor Sin-iti Sirono from Nagoya University's Graduate School of Earth and Environmental Sciences explained. -- "Previous formation theories couldn't explain chondrule characteristics without requiring very specific conditions, while this model requires conditions that naturally occurred in the early solar system when Jupiter was born." -- The researchers developed computer simulations of Jupiter's growth and tracked how its gravity caused high-speed collisions between rocky and water-rich planetesimals in the early solar system. -- "We compared the characteristics and abundance of simulated chondrules to meteorite data and found that the model spontaneously generated realistic chondrules. The model also shows that chondrule production coincides with Jupiter's intense accumulation of nebular gas to reach its massive size. As meteorite data tell us that peak chondrule formation took place 1.8 million years after the solar system began, this is also the time at which Jupiter was born," Dr. Diego Turrini, co-lead author and senior researcher at the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) said. -- A new way to date when planets form | 484 |
| Scientists Just Cracked The Quantum Code Hidden In A Single Atom | Quantum Logic Gate Breakthrough Reduces Qubit Count, Transforming Quantum Computing Scalability | Universal quantum gate set for Gottesman–Kitaev–Preskill logical qubits. | University of Sydney | A research team has made significant strides in quantum computing by developing a quantum logic gate that dramatically reduces the number of physical qubits required for operation. This innovative approach, which uses the GKP error-correction code to entangle quantum vibrations within a single atom, presents a pivotal advancement that could simplify the scaling of quantum computers and enhance their practical applications. | Scientists Unlock Quantum Power in a Single AtomArtist's impression of the entangled logic gate built by University of Sydney quantum scientists. Credit: Emma Hyde/University of Sydney -- To build a large-scale quantum computer that works, scientists and engineers need to overcome the spontaneous errors that quantum bits, or qubits, create as they operate. -- Scientists encode these building blocks of quantum information to suppress errors in other qubits so that a minority can operate in a way that produces useful outcomes. -- As the number of useful (or logical) qubits grows, the number of physical qubits required grows even further. As this scales up, the sheer number of qubits needed to create a useful quantum machine becomes an engineering nightmare. -- Now, for the first time, quantum scientists at the Quantum Control Laboratory at the University of Sydney Nano Institute have demonstrated a type of quantum logic gate that drastically reduces the number physical qubits needed for its operation. -- To do this, they built an entangling logic gate on a single atom using an error-correcting code nicknamed the 'Rosetta stone' of quantum computing. It earns that name because it translates smooth, continuous quantum oscillations into clean, digital-like discrete states, making errors easier to spot and fix, and importantly, allowing a highly compact way to encode logical qubits. -- GKP Codes: A Rosetta Stone for Quantum Computing -- This curiously named Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill (GKP) code has for many years offered a theoretical possibility for significantly reducing the physical number of qubits needed to produce a functioning 'logical qubit'. Albeit by trading efficiency for complexity, making the codes very difficult to control. -- Research published on August 21 in Nature Physics demonstrates this as a physical reality, tapping into the natural oscillations of a trapped ion (a charged atom of ytterbium) to store GKP codes and, for the first time, realizing quantum entangling gates between them. -- Led by Sydney Horizon Fellow Dr Tingrei Tan at the University of Sydney Nano Institute, scientists have used their exquisite control over the harmonic motion of a trapped ion to bridge the coding complexity of GKP qubits, allowing a demonstration of their entanglement. | 485 |
| Scientists Discover Crystal That Breathes Oxygen Like Lungs | Researchers Develop Crystal That Mimics Lungs By Inhaling And Exhaling Oxygen | Selective reduction in epitaxial SrFe0.5Co0.5O2.5 and its reversibility. | Pusan National University | Scientists have developed a unique crystal capable of absorbing and releasing oxygen, mimicking lung behavior, which has potential applications in clean energy technologies and electronics. This stable and reusable material operates under real-world conditions, making it a promising candidate for innovations like fuel cells and smart windows, as it can efficiently manage oxygen levels while maintaining structural integrity through multiple cycles. | Crystal That Breathes Oxygen Like LungsScientists developed a special type of crystal with oxygen-breathing abilities, which could be used in clean energy technologies and next-generation electronics. Credit: Prof. Hyoungjeen Jeen from Pusan National University, Korea -- A team of scientists from Korea and Japan has discovered a new type of crystal that can "breathe" -- releasing and absorbing oxygen repeatedly at relatively low temperatures. This unique ability could transform the way we develop clean energy technologies, including fuel cells, energy-saving windows, and smart thermal devices. -- The newly developed material is a special kind of metal oxide made of strontium, iron, and cobalt. What makes it extraordinary is that it can release oxygen when heated in a simple gas environment and then take it back in, all without falling apart. This process can be repeated many times, making it ideal for real-world applications. -- This remarkable study has been led by Professor Hyoungjeen Jeen from the Department of Physics, Pusan National University, Korea, and co-authored by Professor Hiromichi Ohta from the Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Japan. Their findings have been published in the journal Nature Communications on August 15, 2025. "It is like giving the crystal lungs and it can inhale and exhale oxygen on command," says Prof. Jeen. Controlling oxygen in materials is crucial for technologies like solid oxide fuel cells, which produce electricity from hydrogen with minimal emissions. It also plays a role in thermal transistors -- devices that can direct heat like electrical switches -- and in smart windows that adjust their heat flow depending on the weather. -- Until now, most materials that could do this kind of oxygen control were too fragile or operated only at the harsh conditions like extremely high temperatures. This new material works under milder conditions and remains stable. "This finding is striking in two ways: only cobalt ions are reduced, and the process leads to the formation of an entirely new but stable crystal structure," explains Prof. Jeen. They also showed that the material could return to its original form when oxygen was reintroduced, proving that the process is fully reversible. "This is a major step towards the realization of smart materials that can adjust themselves in real time," says Prof. Ohta. "The potential applications range from clean energy to electronics and even eco-friendly building materials." -- Funding: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (RS-2025-00558200). Also, this work was partially supported under the framework of international cooperation program managed by the NRF (NRF-2022K2A9A1A01098180). H.O. is supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research A (22H00253) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). Part of this work was supported by the Crossover Alliance to Create the Future with People, Intelligence and Materials, and by the Network Joint Research Center for Materials and Devices. H. J. acknowledges the support of Korea Basic Science Institute (National research Facilities and Equipment Center) grant funded by the Ministry of Education (grant No. RS-2024-00435344). S. P. and S. Y. acknowledge support from the Nano & Material Technology Development Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (RS-2024-00460372). | 486 |
| The Surprising Way Rising CO2 Could Supercharge Space Storms | Rising CO₂ Levels Could Impact Satellites By Altering Geomagnetic Storms | Impact of Increasing Greenhouse Gases on the Ionosphere and Thermosphere Response to a May 2024‐Like Geomagnetic Superstorm. | National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research | Rising CO₂ levels in the upper atmosphere are expected to alter the effects of geomagnetic storms on satellites, creating challenges for space operations. According to new research, future storms could lead to more pronounced density spikes in a thinner atmosphere, which could affect satellite functionality and longevity, necessitating updated strategies for satellite management in response to changing environmental conditions. | Rising CO2 Could Supercharge Space StormsFuture storms will pack a proportionally bigger punch in a thinner atmosphere, reshaping satellite risks. Credit: Shutterstock -- Rising concentrations of carbon dioxide in the upper atmosphere will change the way geomagnetic storms impact Earth, with potential implications for thousands of orbiting satellites, according to new research led by scientists at the US. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR). -- Geomagnetic storms, caused by massive eruptions of charged particles from the surface of the Sun that buffet Earth's atmosphere, are a growing challenge for our technologically dependent society. The storms temporarily increase the density of the upper atmosphere and therefore the drag on satellites, which impacts their speed, altitude, and how long they remain operational. -- The new study used an advanced computer model to determine that the upper atmosphere's density will be lower during a future geomagnetic storm compared with a present-day storm of the same intensity. That's because the baseline density will be lower, and future storms won't increase it to levels as high as what occurs with storms currently. -- However, the relative magnitude of the density increase -- the rise from baseline to peak during a multiday storm -- will be greater with future storms. -- "The way that energy from the Sun affects the atmosphere will change in the future because the background density of the atmosphere is different and that creates a different response," said NSF NCAR scientist Nicolas Pedatella, the lead author. "For the satellite industry, this is an especially important question because of the need to design satellites for specific atmospheric conditions." -- The study, a collaboration with Japan's Kyushu University, was published in Geophysical Research Letters. -- Colder and thinner air -- Earth's upper atmosphere has become increasingly important in recent decades because of society's dependence on advanced navigation systems, online data transmission, national security applications, and other technologies that rely on satellite operations. -- Unlike the lower atmosphere, which warms with emissions of carbon dioxide, the upper atmosphere becomes colder. This has to do with the varying impacts of carbon dioxide: instead of absorbing and reemitting heat to nearby molecules in the relatively dense air near Earth's surface, carbon dioxide reemits the heat out into space at high altitudes where the air is much thinner. | 487 |
| A Star Torn Apart By A Black Hole Lit Up The Universe Twice | Astronomers Witness Stellar Explosion Lit Up Twice By Black Hole Interaction | Evidence for an Instability-induced Binary Merger in the Double-peaked, Helium-rich Type IIn Supernova 2023zkd. | University of California, Santa Cruz | Using machine learning, astronomers successfully detected a rare supernova event, SN 2023zkd, which was directly triggered by a black hole interacting with a massive star. This event provided compelling evidence that black holes can initiate stellar explosions. The real-time detection capabilities of AI may offer future applications in various fields, including medical diagnostics and security, showcasing the potential of technology in observational astronomy. | Black Hole Triggers Once-in-a-Lifetime SupernovaArtistic depiction of the explosive interaction between the black hole and the massive nearby star (blue). As the separation between the star and the black hole decreased, the black hole's intense gravity pulled gas and dust off of the star into a disk. Before the star was able to swallow the black hole, gravitational stress from the black hole triggered the star's explosion. Collisions between the stellar explosion and shells of material from earlier interactions located above and below the disk, powered a dramatic re-brightening event. Credit: Melissa Weiss/CfA -- Key Takeaways -- Astronomers used a UC Santa Cruz-led AI system to detect a rare supernova, SN 2023zkd, within hours of its explosion, allowing rapid follow-up observations before the fleeting event faded. -- Evidence suggests the blast was triggered by a massive star's catastrophic encounter with a black hole companion, either partially swallowing the star or tearing it apart before it could explode on its own. -- Researchers say the same real-time anomaly-detection AI used here could one day be applied to fields like medical diagnostics, national security, and financial-fraud prevention. -- The explosion of a massive star locked in a deadly orbit with a black hole has been discovered with the help of artificial intelligence used by an astronomy collaboration led by the University of California, Santa Cruz, that hunts for stars shortly after they explode as supernovae. -- The blast, named SN 2023zkd, was first discovered in July 2023 with the help of a new AI algorithm designed to scan for unusual explosions in real time. The early alert allowed astronomers to begin follow-up observations immediately -- an essential step in capturing the full story of the explosion. -- By the time the explosion was over, it had been observed by a large set of telescopes, both on the ground and from space. That included two telescopes at the Haleakalāa Observatory in Hawaiʻi used by the Young Supernova Experiment (YSE) based at UC Santa Cruz. -- "Something exactly like this supernova has not been seen before, so it might be very rare," said Ryan Foley, associate professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz. "Humans are reasonably good at finding things that 'aren't like the others,' but the algorithm can flag things earlier than a human may notice. This is critical for these time-sensitive observations." -- Time-bound astrophysics | 488 |
| Why Recycling ‘Dead’ Batteries Could Save Billions And Slash Pollution | Recycling Lithium Batteries Can Slash Emissions And Unlock Economic Potential | A comprehensive review on the recovery of lithium from lithium-ion batteries and spodumene. | Edith Cowan University | The recycling of lithium batteries presents a sustainable solution to meet increasing demand while significantly reducing emissions and resource consumption. New research emphasizes the economic potential of reclaiming valuable materials from discarded batteries, advocating for improved infrastructure and policies to facilitate this process, and highlighting the importance of embracing a circular economy for lithium resources as the electric vehicle market grows. | Recycling ‘Dead’ Batteries Could Save BillionsDiscarded lithium batteries hold vast untapped resources that could fuel a greener, billion-dollar industry. Recycling slashes emissions and saves resources, but scaling it up will require policy and infrastructure progress. -- Increased demand for electric vehicles, portable electronics, and renewable energy storage has resulted in lithium becoming a truly critical mineral. As the world races toward a clean energy future, the recycling of lithium batteries has become crucial. -- New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has highlighted that tapping into used batteries as a secondary source of lithium not only helps reduce environmental impact but also secures access to this valuable resource, supporting a circular economy and ensuring long-term sustainability in the energy sector. -- PhD student Ms Sadia Afrin has pointed out that the global lithium-ion battery market size is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 13 per cent, reaching $87.5 billion by 2027, with lithium consumption forecast to increase from 390 kilotons in 2020 to approximately 1,600 kilotons by 2026. -- However, only around 20 per cent of a lithium-ion battery's capacity is used before the battery is no longer fit for use in electric vehicles, meaning those batteries ending up in storage or on the landfill retain nearly 80 per cent of their lithium capacity. -- The Australian Department of Industry, Science and Resources has previously estimated that by 2035, Australia could be generating 137,000 t of lithium battery waste annually. -- For the end-of-life batteries, the obvious answer is recycling, said first author Mr Asad Ali quoting figures from the government which estimates that the recycling industry could be worth between $603 million and $3.1 billion annually in just over a decade. -- "By recycling these batteries, you can access not only the remaining lithium - which already purified to near 99 per cent - but you can also retrieve the nickel and the cobalt from these batteries." -- While the lithium retrieved through the recycling process is unlikely to impact the lithium extraction or downstream sectors, Mr Ali noted that the recycling process offered significant environmental benefits when compared with the mining industry. -- "Recycling processes can significantly reduce the extensive use of land, soil contamination, ecological footprint, water footprint, carbon footprint and harmful chemical release into the environment, thereby lowering greenhouse gas emissions and minimising waste. | 489 |
| Scientists Just Made Vibrations So Precise They Can Spot A Single Molecule | Scientists Achieve Record Sensitivity With Phonon Vibrations, Detecting Single Molecules | Tunable phononic quantum interference induced by two-dimensional metals. | Rice University | Researchers at Rice University have achieved a breakthrough by enhancing the interference of tiny vibrations, or phonons, to detect single molecules, a significant advancement for sensor technology. This innovative approach could pave the way for sensitive quantum devices and applications that control heat and energy at the atomic level, demonstrating the potential for phonon-based technologies in various fields, including environmental monitoring and medical diagnostics. | Quantum Vibrations Detect a Single MoleculeScientists have unlocked record-setting quantum vibrations capable of detecting single molecules, paving the way for next-generation sensors and devices. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Just as overlapping ripples on a pond can amplify or cancel each other out, waves of many kinds -- including light, sound and atomic vibrations -- can interfere with one another. At the quantum level, this kind of interference powers high-precision sensors and could be harnessed for quantum computing. -- In a new study published in Science Advances, researchers at Rice University and collaborators have demonstrated a strong form of interference between phonons -- the vibrations in a material's structure that constitute the tiniest units, or quanta, of heat or sound in that system. The phenomenon where two phonons with different frequency distributions interfere with each other, known as Fano resonance, was two orders of magnitude greater than any previously reported. -- "While this phenomenon is well-studied for particles like electrons and photons, interference between phonons has been much less explored," said Kunyan Zhang, a former postdoctoral researcher at Rice and first author on the study. "That is a missed opportunity, since phonons can maintain their wave behavior for a long time, making them promising for stable, high-performance devices." -- By showing that phonons can be harnessed as effectively as light or electrons, the study paves the way for a new generation of phonon-based technologies. The team's breakthrough hinges on the use of a two-dimensional metal on top of a silicon carbide base. Using a technique called confinement heteroepitaxy, the researchers intercalated just a few layers of silver atoms between a layer of graphene and silicon carbide, producing a tightly bound interface with remarkable quantum properties. -- "The 2D metal triggers and strengthens the interference between different vibrational modes in silicon carbide, reaching record levels," Zhang said. -- The research team studied how phonons interfere with each other by looking at the shape of their signal in Raman spectroscopy, a technique that measures the vibrational modes of a material. The spectrum revealed a sharply asymmetric line shape and in some cases showed a complete dip, forming an antiresonance pattern characteristic of intense interference. -- The effect proved highly sensitive to the specificities of the silicon carbide surface. The comparison between three different surface terminations of silicon carbide revealed a clear link between each surface and its unique Raman line shape. Moreover, when the researchers introduced a single dye molecule to the surface, the spectral line shape changed dramatically. -- "This interference is so sensitive that it can detect the presence of a single molecule," Zhang said. "It enables label-free single-molecule detection with a simple and scalable setup. Our results open up a new path for using phonons in quantum sensing and next-generation molecular detection." -- Exploring the dynamic of the effect at low temperatures, the researchers confirmed that the interference stemmed purely from phonon interactions and not electrons, marking a rare case of phonon-only quantum interference. The effect has only been observed in the particular 2D metal/silicon carbide system used in the study and is absent in regular bulk metals. This is due to the special transition pathways and surface configurations enabled by the atomically thin metal layer. | 490 |
| How Scientists Made Quantum Dots Smarter And Cheaper | New Method Makes Quantum Dots Cheaper And Smarter For Practical Use | Passive demultiplexed two-photon state generation from a quantum dot. | University of Innsbruck | A new method developed by researchers allows quantum dots to emit streams of perfectly controlled photons using only laser pulses, simplifying the technology needed for practical applications. This advancement eliminates the reliance on complex electronics and enhances the efficiency of quantum dot systems, potentially revolutionizing quantum communication and physics experiments by providing a more accessible and cost-effective approach to photon generation. | Scientists Made Quantum Dots SmarterThe new approach uses a purely optical technique called stimulated two-photon excitation to generate streams of photons in different polarization states directly from a quantum dot without requiring any active switching components. Credit: University of Innsbruck, edited -- Quantum dots - semiconductor nanostructures that can emit single photons on demand - are considered among the most promising sources for photonic quantum computing. However, every quantum dot is slightly different and may emit a slightly different color. This means that, to produce multi-photon states we cannot use multiple quantum dots. Usually, researchers use a single quantum dot and multiplex the emission into different spatial and temporal modes, using a fast electro-optic modulator. Now here comes the technological challenge: faster electro-optic modulators are expensive and often require very customized engineering. To add to that, it may not be very efficient, which introduces unwanted losses in the system. -- The international research team, led by Vikas Remesh from the Photonics Group at the Department of Experimental Physics of the University of Innsbruck and involving researchers from the University of Cambridge, Johannes Kepler University Linz, and other institutions, has now demonstrated an elegant solution that sidesteps these limitations. Their approach uses a purely optical technique called stimulated two-photon excitation to generate streams of photons in different polarization states directly from a quantum dot without requiring any active switching components. The team demonstrated their technique by generating high-quality two-photon states with excellent single-photon properties. -- "The method works by first exciting the quantum dot with precisely timed laser pulses to create a biexciton state, followed by polarization-controlled stimulation pulses that deterministically trigger photon emission in the desired polarization," explain Yusuf Karli and Iker Avila Arenas, the study's first authors. "It was a fantastic experience for me to work in the photonics group for my master's thesis, remembers Iker Avila Arenas, who was part of 2022-2024 cohort of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's program in Photonics for Security Reliability and Safety and spent 6 months in Innsbruck. -- "What makes this approach particularly elegant is that we have moved the complexity from expensive, loss-inducing electronic components after the single photon emission to the optical excitation stage, and it is a significant step forward in making quantum dot sources more practical for real-world applications," notes Vikas Remesh, the study's lead researcher. Looking ahead, the researchers envision extending the technique to generate photons with arbitrary linear polarization states using specially engineered quantum dots. -- "The study has immediate applications in secure quantum key distribution protocols, where multiple independent photon streams can enable simultaneous secure communication with different parties, and in multi-photon interference experiments which are very important to test even the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics," explains Gregor Weihs, head of the photonics research group in Innsbruck. -- The research, published in npj Quantum Information, represents a collaborative effort involving expertise in quantum optics, semiconductor physics, and photonic engineering. The work was supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), and the European Union's research programs. | 491 |
| Eating Meat May Protect Against Cancer, Landmark Research Shows | Higher Animal Protein Intake Linked To Lower Cancer Mortality In Large Study | Animal and plant protein usual intakes are not adversely associated with all-cause, cardiovascular disease–, or cancer-related mortality risk: an NHANES III analysis. | McMaster University | A comprehensive study involving nearly 16,000 adults found no correlation between eating animal protein and increased mortality rates. In fact, higher consumption of animal protein was linked to a decrease in cancer-related deaths. This research provides evidence that animal protein can be part of a balanced, health-enhancing diet, suggesting it may play a beneficial role in cancer prevention. | Eating Meat May Protect Against CancerAnimal protein isn’t linked to early death and may even lower cancer risk, according to a major population study. Credit: Shutterstock -- Eating animal-sourced protein foods is not linked to a higher risk of death and may even offer protective benefits against cancer-related mortality, new research finds. -- The study, published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, analyzed data from nearly 16,000 adults aged 19 and older using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHAMES III). -- Researchers examined how much animal and plant protein people typically consume and whether those patterns were associated with their risk of dying from heart disease, cancer or any cause. -- They found no increased risk of death associated with higher intake of animal protein. In fact, the data showed a modest but significant reduction in cancer-related mortality among those who ate more animal protein. -- "There's a lot of confusion around protein - how much to eat, what kind and what it means for long-term health. This study adds clarity, which is important for anyone trying to make informed, evidence-based decisions about what they eat," explains Stuart Phillips, Professor and Chair of the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University, who supervised the research. -- To ensure reliable results, the team employed advanced statistical methods, including the National Cancer Institute (NCI) method and multivariate Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) modelling, to estimate long-term dietary intake and minimize measurement error. -- "It was imperative that our analysis used the most rigorous, gold standard methods to assess usual intake and mortality risk. These methods allowed us to account for fluctuations in daily protein intake and provide a more accurate picture of long-term eating habits," says Phillips. -- The researchers found no associations between total protein, animal protein or plant protein and risk of death from any cause, cardiovascular disease, or cancer. When both plant and animal protein were included in the analysis, the results remained consistent, suggesting that plant protein has a minimal impact on cancer mortality, while animal protein may offer a small protective effect. -- Observational studies like this one cannot prove cause and effect; however, they are valuable for identifying patterns and associations in large populations. Combined with decades of clinical trial evidence, the findings support the inclusion of animal proteins as part of a healthy dietary pattern. | 492 |
| Your Brain Works Overtime At Night To Burn Fat And Prevent Sugar Crashes | Hypothalamic Neurons Help Maintain Blood Sugar Levels During Early Sleep | Control of physiologic glucose homeostasis via hypothalamic modulation of gluconeogenic substrate availability. | Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan | Researchers have discovered that specific neurons in the hypothalamus help regulate blood sugar levels during short fasts, such as during sleep. This study indicates that these neurons promote fat breakdown to prevent hypoglycemia, shedding light on metabolic dysfunctions related to prediabetes. Such findings could redefine our understanding of glucose management in everyday scenarios. | Your Brain Burns Fat at Night to Stay FueledA hidden network of brain cells prevents overnight glucose crashes by turning fat into fuel—possibly a key to understanding prediabetes. Credit: Shutterstock -- The brain controls the release of glucose in a wide range of stressful circumstances, including fasting and low blood sugar levels. -- However, less attention has been paid to its role in day-to-day situations. -- In a study published in Molecular Metabolism, University of Michigan researchers have shown that a specific population of neurons in the hypothalamus help the brain maintain blood glucose levels under routine circumstances. -- Over the past five decades, researchers have shown that dysfunction of the nervous system can lead to fluctuations in blood glucose levels, especially in patients with diabetes. -- Some of these neurons are in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that controls hunger, fear, temperature regulation and sexual activity. -- "Most studies have shown that this region is involved in raising blood sugar during emergencies," said Alison Affinati, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of internal medicine and member of Caswell Diabetes Institute. -- "We wanted to understand whether it is also important in controlling blood sugar during day-to-day activities because that's when diabetes develops." -- The group focused on VMHCckbr neurons, which contain a protein called the cholecystokinin b receptor. -- They used mouse models in which these neurons were inactivated. | 493 |
| Why Irregular Sleep Puts Heart Failure Patients In Danger | Consistent Sleep Schedule Vital For Heart Failure Recovery, Study Reveals | Effect of Posthospitalization Sleep Regularity on Clinical Events in Adults With Heart Failure. | Oregon Health & Science University | A review from Oregon Health & Science University highlights that maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is crucial for heart failure recovery. The study found that patients with irregular sleep patterns were more than twice as likely to face severe setbacks within six months, emphasizing the importance of sleep regularity for improving survival and recovery outcomes in this vulnerable population. | Irregular Sleep Doubles Heart Failure RiskA regular bedtime could be a lifesaver for people recovering from heart failure. Credit: Shutterstock -- People recovering from heart failure should consider improving the regularity of their sleep, a study led by Oregon Health & Science University suggests. -- The research team found that even moderately irregular sleep doubles the risk of having another clinical event within six months, according to a study published on August 21 in the journal JACC Advances. A clinical event could be another visit to the emergency room, hospitalization or even death. -- "Going to bed and waking up at consistent times is important for overall health," said lead author Brooke Shafer, Ph.D., a research assistant professor in the Sleep, Chronobiology and Health Laboratory in the OHSU School of Nursing. "Our study suggests that consistency in sleep timing may be especially important for adults with heart failure." -- Researchers enrolled 32 patients who had been hospitalized for acutely decompensated heart failure at OHSU Hospital and Hillsboro Medical Center from September 2022 through October 2023. For one week following hospital discharge, participants used sleep diaries to record the time they fell asleep at night, woke up in the morning and the timing of naps they took during the day. -- The participants were then categorized as regular sleepers or moderately irregular sleepers, based on their sleep patterns. -- The study found: -- Following discharge from the hospital, 21 participants experienced a clinical event over the course of six months. -- Of that group, 13 were classified as moderately irregular sleepers compared with eight classified as having a regular sleep schedule. -- Statistically, the irregular sleepers had more than double the risk of an event across the six-month time span. | 494 |
| Too Much Salt Can Hijack Your Brain | New Insights On Hypertension: Brain Connection Discovered With Excess Salt | Microglia regulate neuronal activity via structural remodeling of astrocytes. | McGill University | New findings from McGill University indicate that excessive salt intake may lead to brain inflammation that elevates blood pressure, suggesting that the brain could be a novel target for hypertension treatment. This research challenges traditional beliefs that focus solely on kidney effects, revealing a complex relationship between salt, brain health, and high blood pressure management. | Too Much Salt Can Hijack Your BrainA groundbreaking study shows that a high-salt diet doesn’t just affect the kidneys and blood vessels—it sparks brain inflammation that drives up blood pressure. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study finds that a high-salt diet triggers brain inflammation that drives up blood pressure. -- The research, led by McGill University scientist Masha Prager-Khoutorsky in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team at McGill and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, suggests the brain may be a missing link in certain forms of high blood pressure - or hypertension - traditionally attributed to the kidneys. -- "This is new evidence that high blood pressure can originate in the brain, opening the door for developing treatments that act on the brain," said Prager-Khoutorsky, associate professor in McGill's Department of Physiology. -- Hypertension affects two-thirds of people over 60 and contributes to 10 million deaths worldwide each year. Often symptomless, the condition increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and other serious health problems. -- About one-third of patients don't respond to standard medications, which primarily target the blood vessels and kidneys based on the long-standing view that hypertension begins there. The study, published in the journal Neuron, suggests the brain may also be a key driver of the condition, particularly in treatment-resistant cases. -- How salt disrupts the brain -- To mimic human eating patterns, rats were given water containing two per cent salt, comparable to a daily diet high in fast food and items like bacon, instant noodles and processed cheese. -- The high-salt diet activated immune cells in a specific brain region, causing inflammation and a surge in the hormone vasopressin, which raises blood pressure. Researchers tracked these changes using cutting-edge brain imaging and lab techniques that only recently became available. -- "The brain's role in hypertension has largely been overlooked, in part because it's harder to study," Prager-Khoutorsky said. "But with new techniques, we're able to see these changes in action." | 495 |
| A Hidden Sugar Source In Ketchup, Salad Dressing, And Toothpaste | Gut Bacteria Can Digest Additives: A Breakthrough In Understanding Nutrition | Artificial cellulose derivatives are metabolized by select human gut Bacteroidota upon priming with common plant β-glucans. | University of British Columbia | Researchers at the University of British Columbia have revealed that gut bacteria can digest cellulose-based food thickeners, previously thought indigestible, by utilizing enzymes activated by dietary fibers. This groundbreaking discovery suggests that these common additives might play a more beneficial role in nutrition than previously recognized, overturning long-standing scientific assumptions regarding their digestibility and nutritional impact. | A Hidden Sugar Source in Ketchup, Salad DressingGut bacteria can actually break down cellulose thickeners in foods like ketchup and salad dressing, thanks to enzymes triggered by natural fibers—overturning decades of scientific assumptions. Credit: Shutterstock -- It turns out those cellulose-based thickening agents found in common foods can be digested. -- Researchers at the University of British Columbia have shown that our gut bacteria can feed on these large molecules -- something thought to not be possible -- thanks to enzymes that normally help us break down dietary fiber. -- "Researchers assumed that these thickening agents, which are artificial derivatives of natural cellulose, just pass right through the digestive system unaltered," says Dr. Deepesh Panwar, a postdoctoral fellow at the Michael Smith Laboratories and lead author of the study published in the Journal of Bacteriology. "But our study provides a first glimpse at how these food additives are actually digested by our gut bacteria thanks to natural polysaccharides in our diets." -- The complex structure of these cellulose derivatives is what makes them valuable as thickening agents in popular products like ketchup, salad dressing and even toothpaste. This structure is also why gut bacteria have a harder time breaking them down -- and why in higher concentrations, they're even used as laxatives. -- This new in vitro study, however, shows that if our gut bacteria are 'primed' with natural polysaccharides -- long chains of sugars found in fruits, vegetables and cereals -- the cellulose derivatives can be digested. This is because the natural polysaccharides activate enzymes that are produced on bacteria cell surfaces that can also break down artificial cellulose molecules. -- The findings don't challenge the fact that these compounds are safe to consume, proven by years of testing and history of use. However, the new research suggests that more work should be done to explore the physical, chemical and biological effects of the digestion of cellulose derivatives by gut bacteria. -- One reason researchers may not have seen this before is because bacteria in the lab are often exposed to polysaccharides, including cellulose derivatives, in isolation, instead of in combinations that mimic our diet. On their own, these cellulose derivatives can't activate the same enzymes, preventing their digestion. -- "It was really unexpected for us to see that these cellulose derivatives are in fact used as a source of sugar for bacterial growth," says Dr. Harry Brumer, a professor in the Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Chemistry. "It is always a surprise when a new finding goes against the conventional wisdom, in this case showing that these common additives are not just inactive thickeners." -- Dr. Brumer also notes that the next steps in this research will be to look for this ability in a wider range of human gut bacteria, and eventually explore potential effects on nutrition in people. | 496 |
| Artificial Sweeteners Could Soon Taste Just Like Sugar | Sweetening The Deal: New Compounds Could Make Artificial Sweeteners More Tasty | Menthol‐like cooling compounds, including (R)‐(‐)‐carvone, inhibit the human bitter taste receptors for saccharin and acesulfame K. | Wiley | A new study has identified compounds that can inhibit the bitter taste receptors activated by certain artificial sweeteners, enhancing their palatability. The compound (R)-(-)-carvone stands out as a promising candidate since it reduces bitterness without the cooling effect of menthol, potentially making sugar-free products more enjoyable for consumers and improving market acceptance. | Mint Compound Could Erase Sweetener BitternessA spearmint compound may finally erase the bitter aftertaste of popular sugar substitutes. -- Some artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin and acesulfame K, have a bitter aftertaste that affects consumer acceptance of reduced-calorie foods and beverages. New research in FEBS Open Bio reveals the potential of compounds that inhibit bitter taste receptors to make artificial sweeteners more palatable. -- Saccharin and acesulfame K are detected by two types of bitter taste receptors from the taste receptor type 2 (TAS2R) family: TAS2R31 and TAS2R43. When investigators measured the inhibitory effects of various compounds against TAS2R31, they found that menthols reduced the responses of TAS2R31-expressing cells to saccharin. Additionally, another compound called (R)-(-)-carvone (which gives spearmint leaves their sweetish minty smell) showed a strong inhibitory effect on TAS2R31 and TAS2R43 after the use of saccharin and acesulfame K. -- Unlike menthol, (R)-(-)-carvone did not have a notable cooling sensation. As cooling sensation is often not desirable in food flavoring, (R)-(-)-carvone is a promising candidate for lessening the unpleasant aftertaste of artificial sweeteners. -- "The bitter taste inhibitors identified in this study have potential applications in food products, suggesting their utility in enhancing the palatability of foods containing artificial sweeteners," said corresponding author Takumi Misaka, PhD, of the University of Tokyo. | 497 |
| Ocean Air May Add Years To Your Life, Research Shows | Coastal Living Linked To Longer Life Expectancy: The Ocean's Hidden Health Benefits | Unveiling complexity in blue spaces and life expectancy. | Ohio State University | A nationwide study indicates that living near the ocean is associated with longer life expectancy compared to residing near inland waterways. Researchers attribute this disparity to various environmental and social factors, such as cleaner air and recreational opportunities, suggesting that not all water sources provide the same health benefits and that coastal living may significantly enhance longevity. | Ocean Air May Help You Live LongerCoastal living is linked to longer lifespans, while urban life near inland waters may cut years short. Researchers found cleaner air, cooler temperatures, and lifestyle opportunities may explain the coastal edge. Credit: Shutterstock -- Living within miles of the ocean breeze may be linked to a longer life, but you shouldn't count on the same benefits if you live in a riverside city, suggests a recent study. -- Researchers from The Ohio State University analyzed population data -- including life expectancy -- in more than 66,000 census tracts throughout the U.S. and compared it based on proximity to waterways. Their study was published online in the journal Environmental Research. -- A correlation between longer life expectancy and water was clear for those who live within about 30 miles of an ocean or gulf. But for those who live in urban settings and near an inland body of water larger than 4 square miles, the opposite was true. Rural residents who live near water may also reap some lifespan advantages, according to the research. -- "Overall, the coastal residents were expected to live a year or more longer than the 79-year average, and those who lived in more urban areas near inland rivers and lakes were likely to die by about 78 or so. The coastal residents probably live longer due to a variety of intertwined factors," said lead researcher Jianyong "Jamie" Wu. -- The analysis suggested that milder temperatures, better air quality, more opportunities for recreation, better transportation, less susceptibility to drought, and higher incomes could all be contributors to a better outlook for coastal residents compared to those who live inland. -- "On the other side, pollution, poverty, lack of safe opportunities to be physically active and an increased risk of flooding are likely drivers of these differences," said Yanni Cao, a postdoctoral researcher who worked on the study. -- The most critical difference the researchers found is that coastal areas experience fewer hot days and lower maximum temperatures compared to inland water areas. -- Previous research has found a connection between living near water and better health measures, including higher physical activity levels, lower obesity rates and improved heart health. That prompted Wu to wonder if there could be a link between "blue space" living and longer lives, and how that relationship might differ depending on the type of neighborhood people call home, he said. -- "We thought it was possible that any type of 'blue space' would offer some beneficial effects, and we were surprised to find such a significant and clear difference between those who live near coastal waters and those who live near inland waters," said Wu, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at The Ohio State University College of Public Health. | 498 |
| The Hidden DNA Organizer Linking Fertility And Cancer | Hidden Protein Complex Links Fertility And Cancer, Changing How We Understand Sperm Stem Cells | The mitotic STAG3–cohesin complex shapes male germline nucleome. | Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University | Researchers at Kyoto University have identified a crucial protein complex called STAG3 that organizes DNA in sperm stem cells, linking fertility to cancer. In mice, a lack of STAG3 results in infertility due to improper sperm cell maturation. Interestingly, this protein is also prevalent in certain cancers, and inhibiting it has shown promise in slowing tumor growth, potentially leading to innovative treatments for both infertility and cancer. | DNA Organizer Links Fertility and CancerResearchers uncovered STAG3, a secret DNA organizer tied to both sperm production and cancer growth — a surprising double role with big medical potential. Credit: Shutterstock -- A research team at Kyoto University has discovered STAG3-cohesin, a new mitotic cohesin complex that helps establish the unique DNA architecture of spermaotogonial stem cells (SSCs), the stem cells that give rise to sperm. This "DNA organizer" is crucial for sperm production in mice: without STAG3, SSCs cannot differentiate properly, leading to a fertility problem. In humans, the researchers found that STAG3 is highly expressed in immune B cells and in B-cell lymphomas (a type of blood cancer), and blocking it slowed the growth of these cells. This discovery might open the door to new strategies for treating infertility and certain cancers. -- This research is led by Prof. Mitinori Saitou, Director/Principal Investigator at the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (WPI-ASHBi), Kyoto University (also Professor at the Graduate School of Medicine), Dr. Masahiro Nagano (then Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Medicine, currently Research Fellow at ASHBi and Postdoctoral Researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and Dr. Bo Hu (then Ph.D. student, currently Research Fellow at ASHBi). The results of this study will be published online in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology at 10:00 am GMT (6:00 pm Japan Standard Time) on August 25, 2025. -- Background -- Our bodies contain many different types of cells, yet they all contain the same DNA. What makes each cell type unique is how this DNA is modified, packaged, folded, and organized. Think of DNA as a very long piece of string. Inside every nucleus, about two meters of this DNA string must be folded and stored in a space smaller than the width of a human hair. This folding is highly organized, with special boundaries called insulation that separate different regions of DNA and control which genes are turned on or off. Ring-shaped protein complexes called cohesins serve as the key players that create these boundaries. Cohesin complexes were previously thought to exist in two main forms: mitotic cohesins (contain STAG1 or STAG2 together with RAD21) and meiotic cohesins (contain STAG3 together with REC8 or RAD21L). -- Germ cells are unique because they pass DNA to the next generation, and they undergo major changes in DNA folding during development. These cells undergo massive reorganization of their DNA packaging during development. Notably, SSCs have a unique way of organizing their DNA with unusually weak boundaries, but scientists do not yet understand how this happens. -- Key findings -- Because cohesin complexes contribute to DNA boundaries, and SSCs are mitotically dividing cells before entering meiosis, the research team decided to map where different cohesin proteins were located in SSCs cultured in vitro, and which proteins were present at each site. They found that RAD21, which normally partners with STAG1 or STAG2 in dividing cells, was instead partnering with STAG3. This protein was previously thought to function only during meiosis. Using immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry (a technique that identifies which proteins stick together), they confirmed that RAD21 and STAG3 form a complex, revealing a new type of cohesin, which they referred to as STAG3-cohesin. -- To find out what this new complex does, the researchers created two types of genetically modified SSCs in vitro: one set completely lacked STAG3, while the other contained only STAG3 (without STAG1 or STAG2). They discovered that STAG3-cohesin is responsible for the unusually weak DNA boundaries in SSCs. Most importantly, in mice missing STAG3, the SSCs could not progress from their stem-cell state to the next stage of sperm development in an efficient manner. This led to a fertility problem, showing that STAG3-cohesin does more than organize DNA and is critical for proper germ cell development. -- As STAG3 functions in mitotically dividing cells, the team then investigated whether it might also function in other human cell types. By analyzing large datasets of all human cell types, they found that STAG3 is highly expressed in immune B cells and in B-cell lymphomas, a type of blood cancer. Interestingly, blocking STAG3 caused these lymphoma cells to grow much more slowly in laboratory studies, suggesting that STAG3 could be explored as a possible target for future cancer research. | 499 |
| Rats Walk Again After Breakthrough Spinal Cord Repair With 3D Printing | Breakthrough Spinal Cord Repair Allows Paralysis Recovery Using 3D Printing And Stem Cells | 3D‐Printed Scaffolds Promote Enhanced Spinal Organoid Formation for Use in Spinal Cord Injury. | University of Minnesota | A groundbreaking study from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities reveals a novel approach to spinal cord injury repair using a combination of 3D printing, stem cells, and lab-grown tissues. This innovative method involves the creation of a 3D-printed organoid scaffold, designed with microscopic channels that house spinal neural progenitor cells, aimed at overcoming the challenges of nerve cell regeneration after injury and restoring mobility in affected rats. | Rats Walk Again After Spinal Cord RepairThe method involves creating a unique 3D-printed framework for lab-grown organs, called an organoid scaffold, with microscopic channels. Credit: McAlpine Research Group, University of Minnesota -- For the first time, a research team at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities demonstrated a groundbreaking process that combines 3D printing, stem cell biology, and lab-grown tissues for spinal cord injury recovery. -- The study was recently published in Advanced Healthcare Materials, a peer-reviewed scientific journal. -- According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, more than 300,000 people in the United States suffer from spinal cord injuries, yet there is no way to completely reverse the damage and paralysis from the injury. A major challenge is the death of nerve cells and the inability for nerve fibers to regrow across the injury site. This new research tackles this problem head-on. -- The method involves creating a unique 3D-printed framework for lab-grown organs, called an organoid scaffold, with microscopic channels. These channels are then populated with regionally specific spinal neural progenitor cells (sNPCs), which are cells derived from human adult stem cells that have the capacity to divide and differentiate into specific types of mature cells. -- "We use the 3D printed channels of the scaffold to direct the growth of the stem cells, which ensures the new nerve fibers grow in the desired way," said Guebum Han, a former University of Minnesota mechanical engineering postdoctoral researcher and first author on the paper who currently works at Intel Corporation. "This method creates a relay system that when placed in the spinal cord bypasses the damaged area." -- In their study, the researchers transplanted these scaffolds into rats with spinal cords that were completely severed. The cells successfully differentiated into neurons and extended their nerve fibers in both directions -- rostral (toward the head) and caudal (toward the tail) -- to form new connections with the host's existing nerve circuits. -- The new nerve cells integrated seamlessly into the host spinal cord tissue over time, leading to significant functional recovery in the rats. -- "Regenerative medicine has brought about a new era in spinal cord injury research," said Ann Parr, professor of neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota. "Our laboratory is excited to explore the future potential of our 'mini spinal cords' for clinical translation." -- While the research is in its beginning stages, it offers a new avenue of hope for those with spinal cord injuries. The team hopes to scale up production and continue developing this combination of technologies for future clinical applications. | 500 |
| Scientists Crack Indole’s Toughest Bond With Copper, Unlocking New Medicines | New Copper-Catalyzed Reaction Unlocks Indole’s Potential For Developing Innovative Pharmaceutical Treatments | Copper-catalyzed direct regioselective C5–H alkylation reactions of functionalized indoles with α-diazomalonates. | Chiba University | Researchers at Chiba University have developed a cost-effective method for selectively modifying the C5 position of indole rings, which are essential for drug development. By utilizing a copper-based catalyst and highly reactive carbenes, they achieved impressive yields, highlighting a new strategy for attaching chemical groups to indoles. This development is particularly significant as indoles form the backbone of numerous approved pharmaceuticals, potentially enhancing the efficiency of drug synthesis. | A Simple Metal Unlocks New Drug PotentialBy using highly reactive carbenes and a copper–silver catalyst system, researchers have developed a method to selectively attach alkyl groups to the C5 position of indoles, which are found in bioactive compounds and are considered valuable building blocks for drug development. Credit: OLCF (CC BY 2.0) -- Indole, a molecule made up of a six-membered benzene ring fused to a five-membered ring containing nitrogen, forms the core structure of many biologically active compounds. Derivatives of indole, where hydrogen atoms are replaced by various chemical groups, are naturally produced by plants, fungi, and even the human body. -- Due to their properties, indoles have gained attention as a backbone for synthesizing a wide variety of drugs. Since 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved 14 indole drugs to treat conditions, such as migraines, infections, and hypertension. Chemists have developed many strategies to attach different chemical groups to indoles. Some approaches introduce new groups directly onto the ring, while others involve temporary structural changes through intermediates. However, modifying specific positions on the indole ring, such as the C5 carbon, remains a challenge due to its low reactivity. -- In a recent study, researchers at Chiba University, Japan, reported a method for selectively attaching an alkyl group to the C5 position of indole using a relatively inexpensive copper-based catalyst, which produced the desired product in yields of up to 91%. This method offers a more affordable and scalable approach for modifying indoles, which could be especially valuable in drug development. -- The study, led by Associate Professor Shingo Harada, included Mr. Tomohiro Isono, B.Pharm., Ms. Mai Yanagawa, M.Pharm., and Professor Tetsuhiro Nemoto from the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Chiba University, and was published online in the journal Chemical Science. -- "We developed a direct, regioselective C5-H functionalization reaction of indoles under copper catalysis. The resulting compounds contain structural features commonly found in natural indole alkaloids and drug molecules, highlighting the usefulness of this approach for making biologically important compounds," says Dr. Harada. -- The reaction uses carbenes, highly reactive carbon species that can form new carbon-carbon bonds. In an earlier study, the team used rhodium-based carbenes to attach groups at the C4 position of indole, guided by unsaturated enone groups placed at the 3-position. In this study, they used a similar strategy but altered the reaction conditions to target the C5 position instead. -- They tested the reaction using a model compound, N-benzyl indole with an enone group, together with dimethyl α-diazomalonates as the carbene source and different combinations of rhodium, copper, and silver salts as catalysts. Initially, the desired C5-functionalized product formed only in small amounts, with yields up to 18%. However, when they used a combination of copper and silver salts (Cu(OAc)2·H2O and AgSbF6), the yield rose to 62%. Upon carrying out further optimizations, such as adjusting the solvent volume and increasing the concentration, they improved the yield to 77%. -- The reaction proved to be highly versatile, working with a wide range of indoles. When the enone group was replaced at the 3-position with a benzoyl group, the yield increased to 91%. Successful reactions were also observed with indoles bearing other substituents, such as methoxybenzyl, allyl, and phenyl groups, opening the door to the synthesis of structurally diverse molecules. -- To uncover the reaction mechanism, the team carried out quantum chemical calculations, which suggested that the carbene does not react directly at C5. Instead, it first forms a bond at the C4 position, creating a strained three-membered ring. This intermediate then rearranges, shifting the new bond to the C5 position. The copper catalyst plays a critical role in making this pathway possible by stabilizing the intermediate and lowering the energy barrier for the rearrangement. | 501 |
| The Common Cold’s Unexpected Superpower Against COVID | Common Cold Offers Surprising Protection Against COVID-19, Especially For Children’s Immune Systems | The Common Cold Is Associated With Protection From SARS-CoV-2 Infections. | National Jewish Health | A study from National Jewish Health suggests that recent rhinovirus infections, commonly associated with the common cold, may offer temporary immunity against COVID-19, particularly in children. Analyzing data from a nationwide study, researchers found that children with recent colds were less likely to contract SARS-CoV-2, likely due to an enhanced antiviral response. This discovery sheds light on the dynamics of respiratory illnesses and could guide future preventive strategies. | Common Cold May Protect Against COVID-19Recent colds may boost the immune system’s defenses, making it harder for COVID-19 to take hold, especially in children. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study led by researchers at National Jewish Health has found that recent infection with the common cold -- often caused by rhinoviruses -- may offer temporary protection against infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The research provides fresh insight into why children are less likely than adults to develop symptoms and could point toward new ways to reduce the severity of respiratory illnesses. -- Published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases earlier this month, the study analyzed data from the nationwide Human Epidemiology and Response to SARS-CoV-2 (HEROS) study, which tracked more than 4,100 people in 1,394 households from May 2020 to February 2021. -- Researchers found that people, particularly children who had a recent rhinovirus infection, were significantly less likely to become infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the following weeks. This effect is thought to be linked to the body's antiviral defenses. Rhinoviruses trigger a strong interferon response in the airways, which can temporarily prime the immune system to fight off other viruses. -- "Our findings suggest that the immune boost from a recent cold may give the body an early advantage in fighting SARS-CoV-2 before it has a chance to take hold," said senior author of the study Max Seibold, PhD, a researcher and Director of the Regenerative Medicine and Genome Editing Program (REGEN) at National Jewish Health. "This may help explain why children, who tend to get more colds than adults, generally experience fewer and less severe COVID cases." -- Using thousands of self-collected nasal swabs, the team tested for both SARS-CoV-2 and other common respiratory viruses, including rhinovirus, in participants of all ages. They also analyzed airway gene expression to see how recent viral infections influenced the body's antiviral defenses. Children were found to have higher baseline expression of interferon-related genes -- proteins that act as the immune system's first line of defense against viruses -- compared to adults. -- While this phenomenon, known as heterologous viral interference, has been observed with other respiratory viruses, this is the first prospective study to show it may also occur with SARS-CoV-2. -- "This doesn't mean people should intentionally try to catch a cold," said Camille Moore, PhD and lead author of the study at National Jewish Health. "But understanding how one virus can affect the body's response to another could help us develop new prevention strategies, especially for vulnerable populations." -- The research builds on earlier findings from the HEROS study showing that children are six times less likely than adults to develop symptomatic COVID. The new data highlights the role that both age-related immune differences and recent viral exposures may play in that protection. -- National Jewish Health researchers conducted the study in collaboration with partners from 12 cities across the United States. | 502 |
| 9 In 10 Australian Teachers Are Stressed To Breaking Point | Majority Of Australian Teachers Face Severe Stress And Unmanageable Workloads According To Research | Teachers’ workload, turnover intentions, and mental health: perspectives of Australian teachers. | University of New South Wales | A recent study by UNSW Sydney reveals that an alarming 90% of Australian teachers are experiencing severe stress, with nearly 70% indicating their workload is unmanageable. This research highlights the mental health crisis within the teaching profession, where rates of anxiety and depression are significantly higher than the national average, exacerbating teacher shortages and negatively impacting student learning outcomes. | Teachers Are Stressed to Breaking PointTeachers across Australia face severe stress and burnout from overwhelming workloads, with mental health issues well above national norms. This crisis fuels teacher shortages and impacts student outcomes. Credit: Shutterstock -- Nine out of 10 Australian teachers are experiencing severe stress, and nearly 70% say their workload is unmanageable, says UNSW Sydney research. -- A new study from researchers at UNSW Sydney - the first to examine rates of depression, anxiety and stress in Australian teachers - has found they experience these mental health issues at three times the national norm. -- The study 'Teachers' workload, turnover intentions, and mental health' published in Social Psychology of Education surveyed nearly 5000 primary and secondary school teachers across the country. -- Researchers found that 90% of teachers reported moderate to extremely severe levels of stress, while more than two-thirds experienced moderate to extremely severe symptoms of depression and anxiety. The figures for depression and anxiety alone are more than double the national averages and point to a profession under immense pressure. -- "This is not just a well-being issue - it's a workforce issue," said lead researcher Dr Helena Granziera, from the School of Education at UNSW's Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture. "Our findings show that teachers are experiencing mental health symptoms at rates far above the general population, and that these symptoms are closely linked to their workload and intentions to leave the profession." -- Using validated psychological measures (the DASS test), the study revealed that teachers' average scores for depression, anxiety, and stress were in the "extremely severe" range. Compared to national norms, teachers scored three times higher for depression and nearly four times higher for stress. -- Causes of mental health issues -- The research also found that workload manageability was a key factor influencing teachers' mental health. Teachers who reported their workload as unmanageable were significantly more likely to experience depressive symptoms, which in turn were strongly associated with their intentions to leave the profession. Notably, 68.8% of teachers described their workload as largely or completely unmanageable. -- "Teachers are telling us they're overwhelmed - not by teaching itself, but by the growing burden of non-core tasks," said Dr Granziera. "Administrative duties, compliance requirements, and excessive data collection are taking time away from lesson planning and student engagement. This is leading to burnout and a sense of professional disillusionment." | 503 |
| Scientists Create Scalable Quantum Node Linking Light And Matter | New Quantum Interface Connects Devices, Paving The Way For Future Quantum Technology | Photon-Interfaced Ten-Qubit Register of Trapped Ions. | University of Innsbruck | Researchers from the University of Innsbruck have developed a scalable quantum network node that connects quantum devices using light and matter. By positioning ion-qubits in an optical cavity and generating entangled photons, this innovative technique promises to enhance quantum communication and computing capabilities. The method's scalability opens the door to establishing robust quantum networks that could vastly improve computational power and security. | Scalable Quantum Node Linking Light and MatterOne by one, each ion-qubit is moved into an optical cavity, where mirrors efficiently collect the photons emitted by the ion-qubit. Each photon emerges entangled with its ion-qubit, forming a deep quantum link. Credit: Universität Innsbruck/Harald Ritsch -- Quantum networks are often described as the future of the internet -- but instead of transmitting classical information in bits, they send quantum information carried by photons. These networks could enable ultra-secure communication, link together distant quantum computers into a single, vastly more powerful machine, and create precision sensing systems that can measure time or environmental conditions with unprecedented accuracy. -- To make such a network possible, so-called quantum network nodes -- that can store quantum information and share it via light particles - are needed. In their latest work, the Innsbruck team led by Ben Lanyon at the Department of Experimental Physics of the University of Innsbruck demonstrated such a node using a string of ten calcium ions in a prototype quantum computer. By carefully adjusting electric fields, the ions were moved one by one into an optical cavity. There, a finely tuned laser pulse triggered the emission of a single photon whose polarization was entangled with the ion's state. -- The process created a stream of photons; each tied to a different ion-qubit in the register. In future the photons could travel to distant nodes and be used to establish entanglement between separate quantum devices. The researchers achieved an average ion-photon entanglement fidelity of 92 percent, a level of precision that underscores the robustness of their method. -- "One of the key strengths of this technique is its scalability," says Ben Lanyon. "While earlier experiments managed to link only two or three ion-qubits to individual photons, the Innsbruck setup can be extended to much larger registers, potentially containing hundreds of ions and more." This paves the way for connecting entire quantum processors across laboratories or even continents. -- "Our method is a step towards building larger and more complex quantum networks," says Marco Canteri, the first author of the study. "It brings us closer to practical applications such as quantum-secure communication, distributed quantum computing and large-scale distributed quantum sensing." -- Beyond networking, the technology could also advance optical atomic clocks, which keep time so precisely that they would lose less than a second over the age of the universe. Such clocks could be linked via quantum networks to form a worldwide timekeeping system of unmatched accuracy. -- The work, now published in Physical Review Letters, was financially supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF and the European Union, among others, and demonstrates not only a technical milestone but also a key building block for the next generation of quantum technologies | 504 |
| This Simple Diet Could Help Protect Memory, Even With Alzheimer’s Genes | Mediterranean Diet May Lower Dementia Risk, Especially for Alzheimer’s Gene Carriers | Interplay of genetic predisposition, plasma metabolome and Mediterranean diet in dementia risk and cognitive function. | Mass General Brigham | A recent study reveals that a Mediterranean-style diet may significantly lower the risk of dementia, particularly among individuals with high genetic susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease. The research indicates that dietary changes can positively influence metabolic pathways that protect cognitive health, making nutrition an essential tool for those at risk. | This Simple Diet Could Help Protect MemoryA simple eating pattern may help shield the brain from Alzheimer’s, even for those most at genetic risk. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers found dietary changes may help improve cognitive health and stave off dementia. -- A new study led by investigators from Mass General Brigham, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard suggests that a Mediterranean-style diet may help reduce dementia risk. The study, published in Nature Medicine, found that people at the highest genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease benefited more from following a Mediterranean-style diet, showing a greater reduction in dementia risk compared to those at lower genetic risk. -- "One reason we wanted to study the Mediterranean diet is because it is the only dietary pattern that has been causally linked to cognitive benefits in a randomized trial," said study first author Yuxi Liu, PhD, a research fellow in the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, and a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard Chan School and Broad. "We wanted to see whether this benefit might be different in people with varying genetic backgrounds, and to examine the role of blood metabolites, the small molecules that reflect how the body processes food and carries out normal functions." -- Over the last few decades, researchers have learned more about the genetic and metabolic basis of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. These are among the most common causes of cognitive decline in older adults. Alzheimer's disease is known to have a strong genetic component, with heritability estimated at up to 80%. -- One gene in particular, apolipoprotein E (APOE), has emerged as the strongest genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer's disease -- the more common type develops later in life and is not directly inherited in a predictable pattern. People who carry one copy of the APOE4 variant have a 3-to-4-fold higher risk of developing Alzheimer's. People with two copies of the APOE4 variant (called APOE4 homozygous) have a 12-fold higher risk of Alzheimer's than those without. -- To explore how the Mediterranean diet may reduce dementia risk and influence blood metabolites linked to cognitive health, the team analyzed data from 4,215 women in the Nurses' Health Study, following participants from 1989 to 2023 (average age 57 at baseline). To validate their findings, the researchers analyzed similar data from 1,490 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, followed from 1993 to 2023. -- Researchers evaluated long-term dietary patterns using food frequency questionnaires and examined participants' blood samples for a broad range of metabolites. Genetic data were used to assess each participant's inherited risk for Alzheimer's disease. Participants were then followed over time for new cases of dementia. A subset of 1,037 women underwent regular telephone-based cognitive testing. -- They found that the people following a more Mediterranean-style diet had a lower risk of developing dementia and showed slower cognitive decline. The protective effect of the diet was strongest in the high-risk group with two copies of the APOE4 gene variant, suggesting that diet may help offset genetic risk. -- "These findings suggest that dietary strategies, specifically the Mediterranean diet, could help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and stave off dementia by broadly influencing key metabolic pathways," Liu said. "This recommendation applies broadly, but it may be even more important for individuals at a higher genetic risk, such as those carrying two copies of the APOE4 genetic variant." | 505 |
| Common Painkillers Like Advil And Tylenol Supercharge Antibiotic Resistance | Common Painkillers Might Be Fueling Antibiotic Resistance Crisis, New Study Reveals | The effect of commonly used non-antibiotic medications on antimicrobial resistance development in Escherichia coli. | University of South Australia | New findings indicate that commonly used pain relievers, ibuprofen and acetaminophen, may inadvertently contribute to antibiotic resistance. This alarming trend is particularly concerning for elderly populations in care facilities, as combining these medications with antibiotics can exacerbate resistance, making infections increasingly difficult to treat. | Advil and Tylenol Power Antibiotic ResistanceCommon painkillers are helping bacteria outsmart antibiotics, making infections harder to treat and raising urgent concerns about medication use in aged care facilities. Credit: Shutterstock -- Ibuprofen and acetaminophen (paracetamol) are common over-the-counter medications that many of us reach for when we're sick. But new research from the University of South Australia shows that these trusted staples are quietly fuelling one of the world's biggest health threats: antibiotic resistance. -- In the first study of its kind, researchers found that ibuprofen and acetaminophen are not only driving antibiotic resistance when used individually but amplifying it when used together. -- Assessing the interaction of non-antibiotic medications, the broad-spectrum antibiotic ciprofloxacin, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) -- a common bacteria that causes gut and urinary tract infections - researchers found that ibuprofen and acetaminophen significantly increased bacterial mutations, making E. coli highly resistant to the antibiotic. -- It's an important finding that has serious health implications, particularly for people in aged care homes, where multiple medications are regularly administered. -- The World Health Organization reports that antimicrobial resistance is a global threat to public health, and that bacterial resistance was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019. -- Lead researcher UniSA's Associate Professor Rietie Venter says the findings raise important questions about the risks of polypharmacy in aged care. -- "Antibiotics have long been vital in treating infectious diseases, but their widespread overuse and misuse have driven a global rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria," Assoc Prof Venter says. -- "This is especially prevalent in residential aged care facilities, where older people are more likely to be prescribed multiple medications -- not just antibiotics, but also drugs for pain, sleep, or blood pressure -- making it an ideal breeding ground for gut bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics. -- "In this study we looked at the effect of non-antibiotic medicines and ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic which is used to treat common skin, gut or urinary tract infections. | 506 |
| Eating Meat May Protect Against Cancer, Landmark Research Shows | Eating Animal Protein Linked to Lower Cancer Mortality, Surprising Study Findings | Animal and plant protein usual intakes are not adversely associated with all-cause, cardiovascular disease–, or cancer-related mortality risk: an NHANES III analysis. | McMaster University | A significant study involving nearly 16,000 adults shows no connection between animal protein consumption and increased mortality risk; in fact, higher intake of animal protein correlates with lower cancer mortality rates. This suggests that animal proteins may play a beneficial role in a balanced diet without compromising health. | Eating Meat May Protect Against CancerAnimal protein isn’t linked to early death and may even lower cancer risk, according to a major population study. Credit: Shutterstock -- Eating animal-sourced protein foods is not linked to a higher risk of death and may even offer protective benefits against cancer-related mortality, new research finds. -- The study, published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, analyzed data from nearly 16,000 adults aged 19 and older using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHAMES III). -- Researchers examined how much animal and plant protein people typically consume and whether those patterns were associated with their risk of dying from heart disease, cancer or any cause. -- They found no increased risk of death associated with higher intake of animal protein. In fact, the data showed a modest but significant reduction in cancer-related mortality among those who ate more animal protein. -- "There's a lot of confusion around protein - how much to eat, what kind and what it means for long-term health. This study adds clarity, which is important for anyone trying to make informed, evidence-based decisions about what they eat," explains Stuart Phillips, Professor and Chair of the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University, who supervised the research. -- To ensure reliable results, the team employed advanced statistical methods, including the National Cancer Institute (NCI) method and multivariate Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) modelling, to estimate long-term dietary intake and minimize measurement error. -- "It was imperative that our analysis used the most rigorous, gold standard methods to assess usual intake and mortality risk. These methods allowed us to account for fluctuations in daily protein intake and provide a more accurate picture of long-term eating habits," says Phillips. -- The researchers found no associations between total protein, animal protein or plant protein and risk of death from any cause, cardiovascular disease, or cancer. When both plant and animal protein were included in the analysis, the results remained consistent, suggesting that plant protein has a minimal impact on cancer mortality, while animal protein may offer a small protective effect. -- Observational studies like this one cannot prove cause and effect; however, they are valuable for identifying patterns and associations in large populations. Combined with decades of clinical trial evidence, the findings support the inclusion of animal proteins as part of a healthy dietary pattern. | 507 |
| Scientists May Have Found The Tiny DNA Switch That Made Us Human | Tiny DNA Switch Might Explain Our Unique Brain Evolution, Scientists Say | An ancient enhancer rapidly evolving in the human lineage promotes neural development and cognitive flexibility. | University of California - San Diego | Researchers at UC San Diego have identified a crucial DNA segment, HAR123, that influences brain development and sets humans apart from primates. This genetic enhancer plays a key role in how brain cells form, suggesting it may hold answers to understanding human cognitive abilities and certain neurological conditions. | The Genetic Switch That Made Us HumanA newly identified genetic enhancer, HAR123, appears to shape the human brain’s structure and flexibility, distinguishing us from our primate relatives and potentially offering clues to conditions like autism. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Research from scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have shed new light on an age-old question: what makes the human brain unique? -- The team's discovery comes from their investigation of human-accelerated regions (HARs) -- sections of the human genome that have accumulated an unusually high level of mutations as humans have evolved. There is a lot of scientific interest in HARs, as they are hypothesized to play an essential role in conferring human-specific traits, and also have links to neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism. -- One reason why scientists think that HARs confer human-specific traits is because they have undergone rapid changes in their genetic sequences since we split from our closest living relative -- the chimpanzee -- approximately 5 million years ago. -- Now, UC San Diego researchers have identified one particular HAR -- called HAR123 -- that appears to be instrumental in shaping the human brain. -- The researchers found: -- HAR123 itself is not a gene, but is instead a type of molecular "volume control" known as a transcriptional enhancer. Transcriptional enhancers control which genes are activated, how much they are activated, and at what times they are activated during an organism's development. -- Through its role as a transcriptional enhancer, HAR123 promotes the development of neural progenitor cells, the cells that give rise to the two main types of brain cells -- neurons and glial cells. -- HAR123 also influences the ratio of neurons and glial cells that form from neural progenitor cells. -- Ultimately, HAR123 promotes a particularly advanced human trait called cognitive flexibility, or the ability to unlearn and replace previous knowledge. | 508 |
| How Cats With Dementia Could Help Crack The Alzheimer’s Puzzle | Cats Could Help Us Understand Alzheimer’s Through Their Own Dementia Similarities | Amyloid‐Beta Pathology Increases Synaptic Engulfment by Glia in Feline Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome: A Naturally Occurring Model of Alzheimer's Disease. | University of Edinburgh | A study indicates that cats can develop dementia resembling Alzheimer’s disease, including the buildup of amyloid-beta proteins in their brains. This similarity makes felines valuable models for Alzheimer's research, potentially aiding in treatment development and helping pet owners recognize and manage dementia symptoms in their aging cats. | Cats with Dementia Could Help Crack Alzheimer’sCats with dementia show the same toxic brain protein and synapse loss seen in Alzheimer’s, making them promising models for studying the disease and testing treatments for both cats and humans. Credit: Shutterstock -- Cats with dementia have brain changes similar to those of people with Alzheimer's disease, offering a valuable model for studying the condition in humans, a study says. -- Scientists discovered a build-up of the toxic protein amyloid-beta in the brains of cats with the condition - one of the defining features of Alzheimer's disease. -- The findings offer a clearer picture of how amyloid-beta may lead to age-related brain dysfunction and memory loss in cats, experts say. -- Many older cats develop dementia, leading to behavioral changes such as increased vocalization - or meowing - confusion and disrupted sleep - symptoms similar to those seen in people with Alzheimer's disease. -- Scientists at the University of Edinburgh examined the brains of 25 cats of different ages after they had passed away, including those with signs of dementia. -- Powerful microscopy images revealed a build-up of amyloid-beta within the synapses - connections between brain cells - of older cats and cats with dementia. -- Synapses allow the flow of messages between brain cells and are vital to healthy brain function. Their loss strongly predicts reduced memory and thinking abilities in humans with Alzheimer's disease. -- The research team also found evidence that astrocytes and microglia - types of support cells in the brain - engulfed or 'ate' the affected synapses. This process, called synaptic pruning, is important during brain development but can contribute to synapse loss in dementia. -- Experts say the findings will not only help to understand and manage dementia in cats but, given their similarities, could also contribute to the development of future treatments for people with Alzheimer's disease. | 509 |
| Global Study Reveals The Surprising Habit Behind Tough Decisions | Cultural Decision-Making Study Reveals Shared Human Tendencies Across the Globe | Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, 13 August 2025 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2025.1355 | University of Waterloo | A comprehensive international study has found that people from diverse cultures tend to rely on their own judgment when making complex decisions rather than seeking advice. This research reveals that self-reliance is a shared human trait, irrespective of cultural background, which could improve cross-cultural communication and teamwork. | The Surprising Global Decision HabitFrom city dwellers to Amazon tribes, people worldwide tend to “go it alone” in decision-making, with culture influencing how strongly they trust their inner voice. Credit: Shutterstock -- An international study surveying people in a dozen countries found that when it comes to making complex decisions, people all over the world tend to reflect on their own, rather than seek advice. -- Researchers from the University of Waterloo led the new study that surveyed more than 3,500 people from megacities to small Indigenous communities in the Amazon rainforest to learn how they make decisions. This work is the broadest test of decision-style preferences across cultures to date. -- The researchers say that by understanding that even in interdependent societies most people prefer to go with the decision made by themselves, irrespective of what others say, can help clarify cross-cultural misunderstandings and realize that we all appear to be juggling similar internal debates. -- "Realizing that most of us instinctively 'go it alone' helps explain why we often ignore good counsel, be it for health tips or financial planning, despite mounting evidence that such counsel may help us make wiser decisions," said Dr. Igor Grossmann, professor in the Department of Psychology at Waterloo and first author on the paper. "This knowledge can help us design teamwork better by working with this self-reliant tendency and letting employees reason privately before sharing advice that they might reject." -- The study upends the belief that westerners work things out themselves while the rest of the world leans on others. In fact, intuition and self-reflection beat out advice from friends or crowdsourcing in all countries studied. The amount of that preference varied, depending on the level at which a culture values independence or interdependence. -- "Our take-home message is that we all look inward first, yet the wisest moves may happen when solo reflections are shared with others," Grossmann said. "What culture does is controls the volume knob, dialing up that inner voice in highly independent societies and softening it somewhat in more interdependent ones." -- Nearly 40 authors contributed to this work as part of the Geography of Philosophy Project, which is led by Dr. Edouard Machery, from the University of Pittsburgh. -- The study, Decision-making preferences for intuition, deliberation, friends or crowds in independent and interdependent societies, appears in Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences. | 510 |
| The Surprising Brain Chemistry Behind Instant Friendships | Understanding Oxytocin’s Role Could Change How We Form Friendships | Oxytocin receptors mediate social selectivity in prairie vole peer relationships. | University of California - Berkeley | New research from UC Berkeley highlights the vital role of oxytocin in forming friendships, showing that its absence slows bonding in prairie voles. This study suggests that while oxytocin is crucial for quick social connections, it is less important for enduring mate bonds, offering insights into social behavior and conditions like autism. | The Brain Chemistry Behind Instant FriendshipsOxytocin speeds up friendship formation and partner preference, as shown in prairie vole studies. Without it, bonds take longer, and social selectivity drops. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new UC Berkeley study shows that the so-called love hormone, oxytocin, is also critical for the formation of friendships. -- Oxytocin is released in the brain during sex, childbirth, breastfeeding and social interactions and contributes to feelings of attachment, closeness and trust. Never mind that it's also associated with aggression; the hormone is commonly referred to as the "cuddle" or "happy" hormone, and people are encouraged to boost their oxytocin levels for better well-being by touching friends and loved ones, listening to music and exercising. -- But recent studies involving the prairie vole have called this love association into question. They've shown that oxytocin, which in the brain acts as a neuromodulator, is not essential for long-term mate bonding, or "social monogamy," or for parenting behavior, though without it, voles take longer to form such bonds. -- Scientists focus on prairie voles because, like humans, they form stable and selective relationships. While most studies focus on mate bonds, the Beery lab at UC Berkeley is particularly interested in selective peer relationships, analogous to human friendships. Such studies could shed light on human psychiatric conditions, such as autism and schizophrenia, that interfere with a person's ability to form or maintain social bonds. -- "Prairie voles are special because they allow us to get at the neurobiology of friendship and how it's similar to and different from other types of relationships," said Annaliese Beery, a UC Berkeley associate professor of integrative biology and neuroscience and senior author of the study. -- Beery and integrative biology graduate student Alexis Black, one of two first authors of the study, found that prairie voles that lack oxytocin receptors take longer than normal voles to form peer relationships. Prairie voles that are close friends typically huddle side by side, groom and even sit on one another. -- "Oxytocin seems to be particularly important in the early formation phase of relationships and especially in the selectivity of those relationships: 'I prefer you to this stranger,' for example," Beery said. "The animals that didn't have intact oxytocin signaling took longer to form relationships. And then when we challenged those relationships by making new groups, they lost track of their original partners right away." -- The voles, genetically modified in the UC San Francisco laboratory of collaborator and co-author Dr. Devanand Manoli, also lacked the social rewards that normally come from selective attachments -- they didn't work very hard to snuggle up with their friends and were less avoidant of and less aggressive towards strangers. -- "In other words, oxytocin is playing a crucial role not so much in how social they are, but more in who they are social with, their selectivity," she said. | 511 |
| The Parasite That Turns Off Your Body’s Pain Alarm And Sneaks In | Sneaky Parasite Evades Detection by Turning Off Pain Signals in Skin | TRPV1 neurons promote cutaneous immunity against Schistosoma mansoni. | American Association of Immunologists Inc | Scientists have discovered a parasitic worm that can enter the body undetected by shutting down pain and itch signals. This stealthy tactic enhances its survival and could lead to new pain treatments and preventative measures against infections by understanding the mechanisms behind the worm’s ability to evade detection. | Parasite Turns Off Your Body’s Pain AlarmA parasitic worm can slip into the body by shutting down pain and itch signals, avoiding detection. This discovery may lead to new painkillers and ways to prevent infection. Credit: Shutterstock -- New research, published in The Journal of Immunology, discovered that a parasitic worm suppresses neurons in the skin to evade detection. The researchers suggest that the worm likely evolved this mechanism to enhance its own survival, and that the discovery of the molecules responsible for the suppression could aid in the development of new painkillers. -- Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection caused by helminths, a type of worm. Infection occurs during contact with infested water through activities like swimming, washing clothes, and fishing, when larvae penetrate the skin. Surprisingly, the worm often evades detection by the immune system, unlike other bacteria or parasites that typically cause pain, itching, or rashes. -- In this new study, researchers from Tulane School of Medicine aimed to find out why the parasitic worm Schistosoma mansoni doesn't cause pain or itching when it penetrates the skin. Their findings show that S. mansoni causes a reduction in the activity of TRPV1+, a protein that sends signals the brain interprets as heat, pain, or itching. As part of pain-sensing in sensory neurons, TRPV1+ regulates immune responses in many scenarios such as infection, allergy, cancer, autoimmunity, and even hair growth. -- The researchers found that S. mansoni produces molecules that suppress TRPV1+ to block signals from being sent to the brain, allowing S. mansoni to infect the skin largely undetected. It is likely S. mansoni evolved the molecules that block TRPV1+ to enhance its survival. -- "If we identify and isolate the molecules used by helminths to block TRPV1+ activation, it may present a novel alternative to current opioid-based treatments for reducing pain," said Dr. De'Broski R. Herbert, Professor of Immunology at Tulane School of Medicine, who led the study. "The molecules that block TRPV1+ could also be developed into therapeutics that reduce disease severity for individuals suffering from painful inflammatory conditions." -- The study also found that TRPV1+ is necessary for initiating host protection against S. mansoni. TRPV1+ activation leads to the rapid mobilization of immune cells, including gd T cells, monocytes, and neutrophils, that induce inflammation. This inflammation plays a crucial role in host resistance to the larval entry into the skin. These findings highlight the importance of neurons that sense pain and itching in successful immune responses -- "Identifying the molecules in S. mansoni that block TRPV1+ could inform preventive treatments for schistosomiasis. We envision a topical agent which activates TRPV1+ to prevent infection from contaminated water for individuals at risk of acquiring S. mansoni," said Dr. Herbert. -- In this study, mice were infected with S. mansoi and evaluated for their sensitivity to pain as well as the role of TRPV1+ in preventing infection. Researchers next plan to identify the nature of the secreted or surface-associated helminth molecules that are responsible for blocking TRPV1+ activity and specific gd T cell subsets that are responsible for immune responses. The researchers also seek to further understand the neurons that helminths have evolved to suppress. | 512 |
| Tiny Eye Implant Becomes The First FDA-Approved Therapy For Rare Blindness | First-Ever FDA-Approved Therapy for Rare Blindness Offers Hope to Patients | Cell-Based Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Therapy for Macular Telangiectasia Type 2. | Scripps Research Institute | Promising results from a Phase 3 trial have supported the FDA's approval of ENCELTO, the first cell-based therapy for macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel). This innovative treatment shows potential in slowing vision loss, marking a significant step forward for patients suffering from this rare retinal condition. | First FDA-Approved Therapy for Rare BlindnessImages of a healthy retina (left) and a retina affected by macular telangiectasia type 2 (right). Credit: Scripps Research -- For people with macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel), an orphan retinal disorder that gradually destroys central vision, there have long been no approved treatment options. But now, a new study sponsored by Neurotech Pharmaceuticals and spearheaded by investigators at Scripps Research and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers compelling evidence that vision loss can be slowed with a neuroprotective surgical implant. -- "This is a step toward redefining how we think about vision loss," says one of the corresponding authors, Professor Martin Friedlander of Scripps Research. "Instead of waiting for cells to die, we're learning how to protect and preserve them." -- Published in in NEJM Evidence, the study reports results from two phase 3 clinical trials evaluating ENCELTO (revakinagene taroretcel-lwey), a surgically implanted device that continuously releases a therapeutic protein to preserve vision. Conducted across 47 sites internationally, the randomized trials enrolled 228 participants with MacTel, following their progress over a 24-month period. -- The trials were coordinated by an international network of clinicians and researchers with key collaborators from the NIH's National Eye Institute, the Lowy Medical Research Institute, and Neurotech Pharmaceuticals. Their ensuing results helped support the March 2025 approval of ENCELTO for MacTel by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), making it the first authorized treatment for the condition and the first cell-based neuroprotective treatment for any neurodegenerative retinal disease or central nervous system disorder. -- The trials followed identical designs but enrolled participants at different times and locations. While both trials showed that ENCELTO slowed the loss of light-sensing retinal cells, the effect was stronger in one trial, likely due to variations in disease severity and other factors among participants. Together, the results provide strong evidence that the implant can preserve vision in people with MacTel. -- "This is the first time we've seen a therapy meaningfully alter the course of MacTel," says Friedlander. "It confirms that neuroprotection can be a powerful strategy to preserve vision in degenerative retinal conditions." -- Friedlander, who's also president of the Lowy Medical Research Institute, has spent nearly two decades studying MacTel and helped lay the biological foundation for ENCELTO. The device delivers ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), a naturally occurring protein known to protect retinal neurons. ENCELTO also consists of genetically modified retinal pigment epithelial cells -- which help nourish and support the retina -- housed in a tiny, collagen-based capsule, which is implanted in the back of the eye. Thanks to the capsule design, the cells remain shielded from immune rejection while continuously releasing CNTF -- enabling long-term, localized delivery of the therapeutic molecule. -- The study demonstrated that ENCELTO significantly slowed the loss of photoreceptors -- light-sensing nerve cells that are critical for central vision -- compared with sham-treated eyes, or eyes that underwent a simulated procedure without receiving actual treatment. In one of the trials, the implant resulted in a 54.8% reduction in the rate of ellipsoid zone loss, a measurable change in retinal structure that signals photoreceptor cell degeneration. The second trial showed a 30.6% reduction in the same measure, which is still statistically significant, though smaller in magnitude. -- In addition to changes in retinal cells, the study evaluated several measures of visual function: how well the eye can actually see and perform everyday vision-related tasks. These included microperimetry (a sensitive test of retinal light response) and reading speed. Results from microperimetry showed statistically significant slowing of visual function loss, particularly in the trial where ENCELTO provided greater preservation of photoreceptor cells. However, reading speed and retinal sensitivity outcomes were more mixed, with one trial showing improvement and the other showing no significant difference from the control group. | 513 |
| Breakthrough “Smart” Gel Restores Blood Flow And Heals Diabetic Wounds In Days | Innovative Gel Treatment Speeds Up Healing for Diabetic Wounds | Engineered sEVs encapsulated in GelMA facilitated diabetic wound healing by promoting angiogenesis via targeting thrombospondin-1. | Burns & Trauma | Researchers have developed a groundbreaking gel-based treatment that accelerates the healing of diabetic wounds. By combining extracellular vesicles with a specialized hydrogel, this innovative dressing not only speeds up recovery but also promotes blood vessel growth, offering hope for millions suffering from chronic wounds. | “Smart” Gel Heals Diabetic Wounds in DaysScientists have developed a special gel that jumpstarts blood vessel growth, helping stubborn diabetic wounds heal in days instead of months. Credit: Shutterstock -- Chronic diabetic wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers, are a significant burden for patients, as impaired blood vessel growth hinders the healing process. A recent breakthrough offers hope by combining small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) loaded with miR-221-3p and a GelMA hydrogel to target thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), a protein that suppresses angiogenesis. This new bioactive wound dressing not only accelerates healing but also promotes blood vessel formation, offering a promising new approach to treating one of the most challenging complications of diabetes. -- Diabetic wounds, particularly foot ulcers, are notorious for their slow and often incomplete healing due to reduced blood flow and endothelial cell dysfunction. One of the major contributors to this issue is thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), which inhibits the growth of new blood vessels, a process crucial for tissue repair. Despite various existing treatments, the challenge of addressing this barrier to healing remains unmet. With the global rise in diabetes cases, new treatments targeting the underlying causes of delayed wound healing have become a critical area of research. In light of these ongoing challenges, this study explores a new approach to stimulate angiogenesis and speed up the healing process. -- In a new study published in Burns & Trauma, a team of researchers from leading Chinese institutions has unveiled a novel therapeutic solution for diabetic wound healing. The study introduces an innovative wound dressing that combines miR-221OE-sEVs -- engineered extracellular vesicles that target and reduce TSP-1 levels -- with a GelMA hydrogel to create a sustained-release system. This cutting-edge approach has shown to significantly enhance wound healing and blood vessel formation in diabetic mice, offering hope for more effective treatments in the future. -- In their study, the researchers discovered that high glucose conditions commonly found in diabetic wounds lead to increased levels of TSP-1 in endothelial cells, impairing their ability to proliferate and migrate -- key processes for angiogenesis. By utilizing miR-221-3p, a microRNA that targets and downregulates TSP-1 expression, they restored endothelial cell function. The engineered miR-221OE-sEVs were encapsulated within a GelMA hydrogel, ensuring a controlled release at the wound site, mimicking the extracellular matrix. In animal trials, this composite dressing dramatically accelerated wound healing, with a notable increase in vascularization and a 90% wound closure rate within just 12 days, compared to slower healing in control groups. -- Dr. Chuan'an Shen, a key researcher in the study, shared his excitement about the potential impact of this innovation: "Our results demonstrate the power of combining advanced tissue engineering with molecular biology. By targeting TSP-1 with miR-221OE-sEVs encapsulated in GelMA, we've not only improved endothelial cell function but also ensured a sustained and localized therapeutic effect. This breakthrough could revolutionize how we approach diabetic wound care, with the potential to improve patients' quality of life significantly." -- The success of this engineered hydrogel in diabetic wound healing opens up several exciting possibilities. Beyond diabetic foot ulcers, the technology could be adapted for use in treating other chronic wounds, such as those caused by vascular diseases, or even in regenerating tissues like bone and cartilage. As further research and clinical trials progress, the promise of combining miRNA-based therapies with biocompatible hydrogels could become a cornerstone in regenerative medicine, offering patients more efficient and lasting wound healing solutions. -- The study was supported by Beijing Natural Science Foundation (7244411) and Independent Innovation Science Fund of The Fourth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital (2024-4ZX-MS-06, 2024-4ZX-MS-07, 2024-4ZX-MS-09). | 514 |
| Lithium Deficiency May Be The Hidden Spark Behind Alzheimer’s | Lithium’s Role in Alzheimer’s Unveils New Therapeutic Possibilities, Researchers Discover | Lithium deficiency and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. | Harvard Medical School | Harvard researchers have revealed that lithium depletion in the brain, caused by toxic amyloid plaques, may contribute to the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Their findings show that new lithium compounds can reverse memory loss in mice, suggesting a potential therapeutic avenue for combating this neurodegenerative condition. | Could Lithium Explain and Treat Alzheimer’s?A natural brain element, lithium, may protect against Alzheimer’s. Its depletion by amyloid plaques accelerates disease, but a new compound restores memory in mice without toxicity. Credit: Shutterstock -- At a glance: -- Study shows for the first time that lithium plays an essential role in normal brain function and can confer resistance to brain aging and Alzheimer's disease. -- Scientists discovered that lithium is depleted in the brain by binding to toxic amyloid plaques -- revealing a new way Alzheimer's may begin. -- A new class of lithium-based compounds avoids plaque binding and reverses Alzheimer's and brain aging in mice, without toxicity. -- What is the earliest spark that ignites the memory-robbing march of Alzheimer's disease? Why do some people with Alzheimer's-like changes in the brain never go on to develop dementia? These questions have bedeviled neuroscientists for decades. -- Now, a team of researchers at Harvard Medical School may have found an answer: lithium deficiency in the brain. -- The work, published Aug. 6 in Nature, shows for the first time that lithium occurs naturally in the brain, shields it from neurodegeneration, and maintains the normal function of all major brain cell types. The findings -- 10 years in the making -- are based on a series of experiments in mice and on analyses of human brain tissue and blood samples from individuals in various stages of cognitive health. -- The scientists found that lithium loss in the human brain is one of the earliest changes leading to Alzheimer's, while in mice, similar lithium depletion accelerated brain pathology and memory decline. The team further found that reduced lithium levels stemmed from binding to amyloid plaques and impaired uptake in the brain. In a final set of experiments, the team found that a novel lithium compound that avoids capture by amyloid plaques restored memory in mice. -- The results unify decades-long observations in patients, providing a new theory of the disease and a new strategy for early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. | 515 |
| Brain Fog, Falls, And Fatigue? This App Helps Seniors Cut Risky Meds | New App Helps Seniors Avoid Overprescribing Medications, Improving Health Outcomes | Electronic Decision Support for Deprescribing in Older Adults Living in Long-Term Care. | McGill University | McGill University's MedSafer tool aims to reduce overprescribing in seniors by identifying unnecessary medications, significantly enhancing patient outcomes. In clinical trials, the digital tool successfully flagged inappropriate prescriptions, showcasing its potential to redefine the standard of care in medication management for older adults. | Too Many Meds? This App Can HelpA digital tool reveals when meds hurt more than help, restoring health through smarter deprescribing. Credit: Shutterstock -- McGill University researchers have developed and are licensing a digital tool to help safely reduce patients' use of medications that may be unnecessary or even harmful to them. -- When clinicians review a patient's file, MedSafer flags potentially inappropriate medications. In a new clinical trial, the software helped deprescribe such medications in 36 percent of long-term care residents, nearly triple as many as when reviews were done without the tool. -- "Sometimes we blame aging for memory loss or mobility issues when the real culprit is the medications," said lead author Dr. Emily McDonald, Associate Professor in McGill's Department of Medicine, Scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (The Institute) and attending physician at the McGill University Health Centre. "I've seen patients go from barely responsive to having conversations again after stopping a sedating medication." -- Nearly two thirds of Canadian seniors take five or more medications a day, and the number is significantly higher in long-term care, she added. -- How the tool fits into routine care -- Medications are typically reviewed every three months in long-term care homes, but the scholars say there's no standard approach to deprescribing. -- MedSafer works as a checklist for clinicians. It scans a resident's medication list alongside their health conditions, flags drugs that may no longer be appropriate and provides guidance on how to stop some medications or for safer alternatives. -- The software was co-developed by McDonald and Dr. Todd Lee, Associate Professor in McGill's Department of Medicine and Scientist at The Institute . The trial involved 725 residents in five long-term care homes in New Brunswick who were taking an average of 10 medications each. -- The problem with 'prescribing cascades' | 516 |
| This Diet Helped People Lose Twice As Much Weight, Without Eating Less | Minimally Processed Foods Help People Lose Weight More Effectively Than Highly Processed | Ultraprocessed or minimally processed diets following healthy dietary guidelines on weight and cardiometabolic health: a randomized, crossover trial. | University College London | A recent study found that individuals who consumed minimally processed foods lost twice as much weight compared to those on ultra-processed diets, despite both groups eating nutritionally balanced meals. This suggests that the degree of food processing significantly influences weight management and overall health outcomes. | This Diet Helped People Lose Twice as Much WeightMore weight loss, less craving: minimally processed meals outperform ultra-processed ones, even with the same calories. Credit: Shutterstock -- When given nutritionally matched diets, participants lost twice as much weight eating minimally processed foods compared to ultra-processed foods, suggesting that cutting down on processing could help to sustain a healthy weight long term, finds a new clinical trial led by researchers at UCL and UCLH. -- The study, published in Nature Medicine, is the first interventional study comparing ultra-processed food (UPF) and minimally processed food (MPF) diets in 'real world' conditions, as well as being the longest experimental study of a UPF diet to date1. -- The trial split 55 adults into two groups. One group started with an eight-week diet of MPF, such as overnight oats or homemade spaghetti Bolognese. After a four-week 'washout' period during which participants went back to their normal diet, they switched to a diet of UPF, such as breakfast oat bars or a lasagna ready meal. The other group completed the diets in the opposite order. In total, 50 participants completed at least one diet. -- The provided diets were nutritionally matched in accordance with the Eatwell Guide, the UK's official government advice on how to eat a healthy, balanced diet. This included levels of fat, saturated fat, protein, carbohydrate, salt and fiber, as well as providing recommended intakes of fruits and vegetables. Participants had plenty of food (i.e. more calories than they needed) delivered to their home and were told to eat as much or as little as they wanted, as they would normally. They were not told to limit their intake. -- After eight weeks on each diet, both groups lost weight, likely as a result of the improved nutritional profile of what they were eating compared to their normal diet. However, this effect was higher (2.06% reduction) on the MPF diet compared to the UPF diet (1.05% reduction)2. -- These changes corresponded to an estimated calorie deficit of 290 kilocalories (kcal) per day on the MPF diet, compared to 120 kcal per day on the UPF diet. To put this in context, the Eatwell Guide recommends a daily energy intake of 2,000 kcal for women and 2,500 kcal for men. -- The greater weight loss experienced on the MPF diet came from reductions in fat mass and total body water, with no change in muscle or fat-free mass, indicating a healthier body composition overall. -- The findings suggest that, when observing recommended dietary guidelines, choosing minimally processed foods may be more effective for losing weight. -- Dr Samuel Dicken, first author of the study from the UCL Centre for Obesity Research and UCL Department of Behavioural Science & Health, said: "Previous research has linked ultra-processed foods with poor health outcomes. But not all ultra-processed foods are inherently unhealthy based on their nutritional profile. The main aim of this trial was to fill crucial gaps in our knowledge about the role of food processing in the context of existing dietary guidance, and how it affects health outcomes such as weight, blood pressure and body composition, as well as experiential factors like food cravings. | 517 |
| Hidden Gene In Leukemia Virus Could Revolutionize HIV Treatment | Discovery of Viral Silencer in HTLV-1 Offers New Hope for HIV Treatments | Intragenic viral silencer element regulates HTLV-1 latency via RUNX complex recruitment. | Kumamoto University | Researchers in Japan have identified a genetic "silencer" within the HTLV-1 virus that helps it evade the immune system, potentially informing new therapies for other retroviruses like HIV. This discovery may pave the way for innovative treatment strategies by exploiting the virus's stealth mechanisms. | Hidden Off Switch Found in Deadly VirusResearchers found a “mute button” in HTLV-1 that could help suppress other viruses like HIV, offering a surprising path to new therapies. Credit: Shutterstock -- A research team from Kumamoto University has made a groundbreaking discovery that reveals how the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) silently persists in the body, potentially laying the foundation for new therapeutic approaches. Their findings, published on May 13, 2025, in Nature Microbiology, identify a previously unknown genetic "silencer" element that keeps the virus in a dormant, undetectable state. -- HTLV-1 is a cancer-causing retrovirus known to lead to adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), an aggressive and often fatal disease. Although most infected individuals remain asymptomatic for life, a fraction eventually develops leukemia or other inflammatory conditions. The virus achieves long-term persistence by entering a "latent" state, during which its genetic material hides inside the host's genome with minimal activity -- evading immune detection. -- In this study, the research team, led by Professor Yorifumi Satou from the Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus, Kumamoto University, identified a specific region within the HTLV-1 genome that functions as a viral silencer. This sequence recruits host transcription factors, particularly the RUNX1 complex, which suppresses the virus's gene expression. When this silencer region was removed or mutated, the virus became more active, leading to greater immune recognition and clearance in lab models. -- Remarkably, when the HTLV-1 silencer was artificially inserted into HIV-1 -- the virus that causes AIDS -- the HIV virus adopted a more latent-like state, with reduced replication and cell killing. This suggests that the silencer mechanism could potentially be harnessed to design better therapies for HIV as well. -- "This is the first time we've uncovered a built-in mechanism that allows a human leukemia virus to regulate its own invisibility," said Professor Satou. "It's a clever evolutionary tactic, and now that we understand it, we might be able to turn the tables in treatment." -- The findings offer hope not only for understanding and treating HTLV-1, especially in endemic regions like southwestern Japan, but also for broader retroviral infections. | 518 |
| Found In The Trash: A Super Opioid 1000x Stronger Than Morphine | Super Opioid Nitazene Emerges in Australia’s Drug Market, Causing Alarming Death Rates | Searching for a Needle in a Haystack: Chemical Analysis Reveals Nitazenes Found in Drug Paraphernalia Residues. | University of South Australia | A potent synthetic opioid, nitazene, has infiltrated Adelaide’s drug supply, raising alarms for public health officials due to its extreme potency and association with fatal overdoses. The dangerous drug, often mixed with heroin or fentanyl, poses a serious risk to unsuspecting users and calls for urgent intervention. | A Super Opioid 1000x Stronger Than MorphineA hidden killer 1000 times stronger than morphine is quietly infiltrating Australia's drug supply. Credit: Shutterstock -- A synthetic opioid 1000 times more potent than morphine is infiltrating the street drug trade in Adelaide, Australia, sparking fears of a wave of overdoses that could be lethal. -- In the first study of its kind in South Australia, University of South Australia researchers have detected traces of nitazene in samples of discarded injecting equipment, plastic bags, vials and filters from public disposal bins at local needle and syringe program sites. -- Their findings were published on July 31 in the Drug & Alcohol Review. -- Using highly sensitive chemical analysis, researchers identified nitazenes in 5% of 300 samples, mainly in combination with heroin and mostly found in syringes. -- Nitazenes led to 32 overdose deaths in Australia between 2020 and 2024, with 84% of patients unaware the synthetic opioid was present in the drug they consumed. It is increasingly hidden in illicit drugs such as fentanyl and heroin, posing extreme overdose risks, often with fatal consequences. -- "Nitazenes are among the most potent synthetic opioids in circulation today, some stronger than fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin," according to lead researcher UniSA Associate Professor Cobus Gerber. -- "These substances can be lethal in tiny quantities and are often mixed with other drugs, making them incredibly difficult to detect and monitor through traditional means," he says. -- Several different nitazenes were identified, some of them combined with the non-opioid veterinary sedative xylazine, which is not approved for human use. -- "This is particularly alarming," says Assoc Prof Gerber, "as xylazine has been linked to severe adverse effects, including necrotic skin lesions, prolonged sedation and depression. | 519 |
| Did Drunk Apes Help Us Evolve? New Clues Reveal Why We Digest Alcohol So Well | “Scrumping”: New Term for Apes’ Fruit Eating Habits Offers Evolutionary Insights | Fermented fruits: scrumping, sharing, and the origin of feasting. | Dartmouth College | Dartmouth researchers have coined the term "scrumping" to describe apes' behavior of eating overripe, fermented fruit, highlighting its significance in understanding human alcohol tolerance. This classification may shed light on the evolutionary adaptations that allowed our ancestors to metabolize alcohol effectively, influencing social and behavioral practices. | Did Drunk Apes Help Us Evolve?The newly named ape behavior "scrumping" could explain humans' exceptional ability to metabolize alcohol — long before we ever brewed it. Credit: Shutterstock -- If scientists are to better understand whether the genes that let us safely welcome the weekend with a cold beer or enjoy a bottle of wine with dinner began with apes eating fermented fruit, then the habit needs a name, according to a new study. -- "Scrumping" is the name coined in a paper led by researchers at Dartmouth and the University of St Andrews in Scotland for the fondness apes have for eating ripe fruit from the forest floor. These primates' palate for picked-up produce has taken on new importance in recent years, the researchers report in the journal BioScience. -- But scientists cannot fully understand the significance of this behavior -- particularly for human evolution -- because "we never bothered to differentiate fruits in trees from fruits on the ground," says Nathaniel Dominy, the Charles Hansen Professor of Anthropology at Dartmouth and a corresponding author of the paper, which includes co-author Luke Fannin, a postdoctoral researcher at Dartmouth. -- In other words, scrumping by no name at all just looks like eating fruit, Dominy says. The researchers write that geneticists reported in a 2015 study that eating fermented fruit may have triggered a single amino acid change in the last common ancestor of humans and African apes that boosted their ability to metabolize alcohol by 40 times. -- "It's a fascinating idea, but nobody studying these ape species, or Asian apes, had the data to test it. It just wasn't on our radar," Dominy says. "It's not that primatologists have never seen scrumping -- they observe it pretty regularly. But the absence of a word for it has disguised its importance. We're hoping to fill an important void in scientific discourse." -- Scrumping, the researchers write, describes the act of gathering -- or sometimes stealing -- windfallen apples and other fruits. The word is the English form of the medieval German word "schrimpen," a noun meaning "shriveled" or "shrunken" used to describe overripe or fermented fruit. In England today, scrumpy refers to a cloudy apple cider with an alcohol by volume content that ranges from 6 to 9%. -- The researchers set out to better determine how common their new behavior classification is among great apes. They examined dietary reports of orangutans, chimpanzees, and mountain and western gorillas observed in the wild. -- Feeding events were cross-referenced with how high off the ground the animal was when it ate, as well as the height at which the fruit grows. If an ape at ground level was recorded eating a fruit known to grow in the middle or upper levels of the forest canopy, it was counted as scrumping. -- The researchers found that African apes "scrump" on a regular basis, but orangutans do not. These results corroborate the 2015 gene-sequencing study, which found the primary enzyme for metabolizing ethanol is relatively inefficient in orangutans and other non-human primates. | 520 |
| Unwanted Pregnancies Surge With Alcohol, But Not With Cannabis, Study Finds | Heavy Drinking Linked to Increased Unwanted Pregnancies Among Women, Study Finds | Alcohol and drug use and attainment of pregnancy preferences in the southwestern United States: A longitudinal cohort study. | Society for the Study of Addiction | A new study reveals that women who drink heavily are 50% more likely to become pregnant unintentionally, even when they wish to avoid pregnancy, while cannabis use does not show the same risk. This highlights the potential impact of alcohol consumption on reproductive health among women. | Alcohol Ups Pregnancy Risk. Cannabis Doesn’t.Despite a strong desire to avoid pregnancy, heavy-drinking women were far more likely to conceive unintentionally—unlike cannabis users. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study has found that, among women with a high desire to avoid becoming pregnant, those who drank heavily had a 50% higher risk of becoming pregnant than those who drank moderately or not at all. In contrast, participants who used cannabis were no more likely to have an undesired pregnancy than participants who did not use cannabis. -- From a larger sample of over 2,000 non-pregnant women aged 15-34, researchers identified a subgroup of 936 who didn't want to get pregnant. Within that subgroup, 429 reported heavy drinking (as measured using a standard alcohol screening questionnaire) and 362 reported using cannabis (including 157 who reported daily or almost daily use). -- Those who drank heavily and those who used cannabis frequently had a higher overall desire to avoid pregnancy, compared with participants who drank moderately or not at all and participants who did not use cannabis. -- Over the course of one year, 71 of the 936 women who most wanted to avoid pregnancy became pregnant. More than half of those undesired pregnancies (38) occurred among those who drank heavily, more than the combined number for those who drank moderately or not at all. In other words, heavy drinking was associated with a higher risk of undesired pregnancy compared with lower levels of drinking. -- In contrast, less than half of the 71 undesired pregnancies (28) occurred among people who used cannabis, meaning that those who used cannabis did not show an elevated risk of undesired pregnancy compared with people who did not use cannabis. -- Lead author Dr Sarah Raifman, of the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, comments: "This study made two important findings. First, non-pregnant women who drink heavily appear, on average, to have a higher desire to avoid pregnancy than those who drink moderately or not at all. Second, drinking heavily as opposed to moderately or not at all appears to put those who most want to avoid pregnancy at higher risk of becoming pregnant within one year. Finding out why those pregnancies happen is the next step in our research." -- "In the meantime, given the potentially life-altering effects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (which occur when a fetus is exposed to alcohol through the mother's drinking) and the fact that the risk of FASD increases with the amount and duration of the mother's drinking, it's important for doctors and clinicians to support women who drink heavily to stop drinking as soon as they suspect an unintentional pregnancy." -- This study was funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01-HD108643) and by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (F31AA028988). | 521 |
| 4,000-Year-Old Teeth Reveal The Earliest Human High — Hidden In Plaque | Ancient Plaque Analysis Reveals Betel Nut Chewing in Prehistoric Southeast Asia | Earliest direct evidence of bronze age betel nut use: biomolecular analysis of dental calculus from Nong Ratchawat, Thailand. | Frontiers | Researchers have uncovered the earliest evidence of betel nut chewing in Southeast Asia by analyzing ancient dental plaque, suggesting that psychoactive rituals were practiced long before written records. This discovery illuminates the cultural significance of betel nuts and their use in ancient societies. | Ancient Plaque Reveals 4,000-Year-Old HighResearchers uncovered 4,000-year-old chemical traces of betel nut chewing in ancient Thai dental plaque — the earliest biomolecular evidence of its kind. Credit: Shutterstock -- In south-east Asia, betel nut chewing has been practiced since antiquity. The plants contain compounds that enhance the consumer's alertness, energy, euphoria, and relaxation. Although the practice is becoming less common in modern times, it has been deeply embedded in social and cultural traditions for thousands of years. Chewing betel nuts typically results in dark, reddish-brown to black stained teeth. -- Yet, teeth without staining may not mean that people didn't chew betel nuts. Now, using a new method, an international team of researchers examined ancient dental plaque from Bronze Age Thailand and found evidence of betel nut chewing. -- "We identified plant derivatives in dental calculus from a 4,000-year-old burial at Nong Ratchawat, Thailand," said first author of the Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology study Dr Piyawit Moonkham, an anthropological archaeologist at Chiang Mai University in Thailand. "This is the earliest direct biomolecular evidence of betel nut use in south-east Asia." -- "We demonstrate that dental calculus can preserve chemical signatures of psychoactive plant use for millennia, even when conventional archaeological evidence is completely absent," added Dr Shannon Tushingham, the senior author, who is the associate curator of anthropology at the California Academy of Sciences. "In essence, we've developed a way to make the invisible visible -- revealing behaviors and practices that have been lost to time for 4,000 years." -- Hidden in plaque -- At Nong Ratchawat, an archaeological site in central Thailand that dates back to the Bronze Age, 156 human burials have been unearthed since 2003. For the present study, the team collected 36 dental calculus samples from six individuals. -- Back in the lab, they removed tiny amounts of plaque from the samples and the chemical residues found therein underwent analysis. The team also used betel liquid samples they produced themselves to ensure psychoactive compounds could be reliably detected through their analysis and to understand the complex biochemical interactions between ingredients. "We used dried betel nut, pink limestone paste, Piper betel leaves, and sometimes Senegalia catechu bark and tobacco. We ground the ingredients with human saliva to replicate authentic chewing conditions," Moonkham said. "Sourcing materials and experimentally 'chewing' betel nuts to create authentic quid samples was both a fun and interesting process." -- The results showed that three of the archaeological samples - all stemming from a molar of the same individual, Burial 11 - contained traces of arecoline and arecaidine. These organic compounds, found in betel nuts but also plants like coffee, tea, and tobacco, have pronounced physiological effects on humans. This suggests that betel nuts were chewed as early as 4,000 years ago in Thailand. -- 'Archaeologically invisible' proof | 522 |
| The Pandemic’s Secret Aftershock: Inside The Gut-Brain Breakdown | Long COVID Linked to Rising Gut-Brain Disorders and Mental Health Issues | The Prevalence and Burden of Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI) before versus after the COVID-19 Pandemic. | American Gastroenterological Association | A global study highlights the alarming rise in gut-brain interaction disorders, particularly irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia, among individuals with long COVID. Comparing data from 2017 to 2023, researchers found significant increases, with long COVID sufferers facing heightened anxiety, depression, and diminished quality of life. These findings underscore the urgent need for more research on the gut-brain axis and a reassessment of healthcare strategies in a post-pandemic context. | COVID Linked to Surge in Gut-Brain DisordersIBS and related gut-brain disorders have jumped dramatically since the pandemic, especially among long COVID sufferers, hinting at deeper links between infection, the brain, and the gut. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new international study confirmed a significant post-pandemic rise in disorders of gut-brain interaction, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia, according to the paper published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. -- Building on prior research, investigators used Rome Foundation diagnostic tools to analyze nationally representative samples from both 2017 and 2023 -- offering the first direct, population-level comparison of disorders of gut-brain interaction prevalence before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. -- Key findings: -- Overall disorders of gut-brain interaction rose from 38.3% to 42.6%. -- IBS jumped 28%, from 4.7% to 6%. -- Functional dyspepsia rose by nearly 44%, from 8.3% to 11.9%. -- Individuals with long COVID were significantly more likely to have a disorder of gut-brain interaction and reported worse anxiety, depression, and quality of life. -- This is the first population-level study to directly compare rates of disorders affecting gut-brain interaction before and after the pandemic, using a consistent methodology. It adds weight to growing calls for updated care models and more research into the gut-brain axis in the post-COVID era. -- Irritable bowel syndrome | 523 |
| Why Ultra-Processed Diets Make You Gain Fat Even Without Extra Calories | Ultra-Processed Foods Linked To Weight Gain And Hormonal Disruption In New Study | Effect of ultra-processed food consumption on male reproductive and metabolic health. | University of Copenhagen | Recent research has revealed that ultra-processed foods have a detrimental impact on men’s health, specifically leading to weight gain and hormonal disruptions even when calorie intake remains constant. The study highlights the role of food processing in introducing harmful substances that adversely affect hormone levels and sperm quality, as stated by researchers from the University of Copenhagen. | Why Ultra-Processed Diets Make You Gain FatUltra-processed diets cause weight gain, lower testosterone, and introduce toxic pollutants—effects seen even when calorie counts are identical. Credit: Shutterstock -- Over the past 50 years, rates of obesity and type-2 diabetes have soared, while sperm quality has plummeted. Driving these changes could be the increasing popularity of ultra-processed foods, which have been linked to a range of poor health outcomes. However, scientists still aren't sure whether it's the industrial nature of the ingredients themselves, the processing of the foods, or whether it's because they lead people to eat more than they should. -- An international team of scientists has now discovered that people gain more weight on an ultra-processed diet compared to a minimally processed diet, even when they eat the same number of calories. The study in humans also revealed a diet high in ultra-processed foods introduces higher levels of pollutants that are known to affect sperm quality. The findings were published in the journal Cell Metabolism. -- "Our results prove that ultra-processed foods harm our reproductive and metabolic health, even if they're not eaten in excess. This indicates that it is the processed nature of these foods that makes them harmful," says Jessica Preston, lead author of the study, who carried out the research during her PhD at the University of Copenhagen's NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR). -- Same calories, different outcomes -- To get the best possible data, the scientists compared the health impact of unprocessed and ultra-processed diets on the same person. They recruited 43 men aged 20 to 35, who spent three weeks on each of the two diets, with three months 'washout' in between. Half started on the ultra-processed and half started on the unprocessed diet. Half of the men also received a high-calorie diet with an extra 500 daily calories, while half received the normal amount of calories for their size, age and physical activity levels. They were not told which diet they were on. Both the unprocessed and ultra-processed diets had the same amount of calories, protein, carbs and fats. -- Men gained around 1 kg more of fat mass while on the ultra-processed diet compared to the unprocessed diet, regardless of whether they were on the normal or excess calorie diet. Several other markers of cardiovascular health were also affected. -- Ultra-processed foods polluted with endocrine disruptors -- The scientists also discovered a worrying increase in the level of the hormone-disrupting phthalate cxMINP, a substance used in plastics, in men on the ultra-processed diet. Men on this diet also saw decreases in their levels of testosterone and follicle-stimulating hormone, which are crucial for sperm production. -- "We were shocked by how many body functions were disrupted by ultra-processed foods, even in healthy young men. The long-term implications are alarming and highlight the need to revise nutritional guidelines to better protect against chronic disease." says the study's senior author Professor Romain Barrès from the University of Copenhagen's NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research, and the Université Côte d'Azur. | 524 |
| Cannabis For Coping? Why It May Trigger Paranoia | Cannabis Self-Medication Can Lead To Increased Paranoia And Greater THC Consumption | Are reasons for first using cannabis associated with subsequent cannabis consumption (standard THC units) and psychopathology? | King's College London | A new study has shown that individuals who use cannabis for self-medication face heightened risks of anxiety and paranoia, particularly if they have experienced childhood trauma. The findings indicate that the reasons for cannabis use significantly influence its effects, revealing an alarming trend among self-medicators compared to recreational users, according to research from King's College London. | Cannabis for Coping May Fuel ParanoiaNew studies reveal that individuals who start using cannabis to self-medicate pain, anxiety, or depression face higher risks of paranoia, anxiety, and depression compared to those who use it recreationally. Credit: Shutterstock -- New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London, in partnership with the University of Bath, has found that the reasons why a person chooses to use cannabis can increase their risk of developing paranoia. -- The use and potency of cannabis is increasing worldwide, and dependence and cannabis-induced psychosis are also greatly increasing as a result, especially in North America. Two new research papers, both using data from Cannabis & Me -- the largest survey of its kind -- have identified key risk factors associated with the more severe forms of paranoia in cannabis users. -- The first study, published on August 26 in the BMJ Mental Health, explored the relationship between why people first started using cannabis, and how this affected their subsequent use. -- 3389 former and current cannabis users aged 18 and over responded to a survey examining their reasons for first and continued use, their weekly consumption of cannabis in THC units, and their mental health. -- Researchers established several key findings. Respondents who first started using cannabis to self-medicate an illness, including physical pain, anxiety, depression, or because they were experiencing minor psychotic symptoms, all demonstrated higher paranoia scores. -- This was in contrast to those respondents who tried cannabis for fun or curiosity, or with their friends, who reported the lowest average paranoia and anxiety scores. -- Dr Edoardo Spinazzola, a Research Assistant at King's IoPPN and the study's first author said, "Our study provides vital evidence on how the reason someone first starts using cannabis can dramatically impact their long-term health. -- "This research suggests that using cannabis as a mean to self-medicate physical or mental discomfort can have a negative impact on the levels of paranoia, anxiety, and depression. Most of these subgroups had average scores of depression and anxiety which were above the threshold for referral to counseling." -- Respondents were also asked to provide data on the frequency and strength of the cannabis they were using so that researchers could track their average weekly consumption of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) -- the principle psychoactive component of cannabis. | 525 |
| Scientists Found 3 Simple Tweaks That Cut Diabetes Risk By 31% | Mediterranean Diet Combined With Lifestyle Changes Cuts Diabetes Risk By 31% | Comparison of an Energy-Reduced Mediterranean Diet and Physical Activity Versus an Ad Libitum Mediterranean Diet in the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes. | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health | Combining a Mediterranean diet with calorie control and exercise can significantly reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 31%, as demonstrated by the PREDIMED-Plus study involving nearly 5,000 participants. This extensive research emphasizes that small, practical lifestyle changes can yield significant public health benefits regarding diabetes prevention, showcasing the importance of comprehensive dietary approaches. | 3 Simple Tweaks That Cut Diabetes Risk by 31%Pairing the Mediterranean diet with exercise and calorie control cuts diabetes risk by nearly a third. Credit: Shutterstock -- Key points: -- Those who adhered to a Mediterranean diet, reduced their caloric intakes, engaged in moderate exercise, and received professional weight loss support had a 31% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who adhered to a Mediterranean diet alone. -- The findings come from PREDIMED-Plus, the largest nutrition and lifestyle clinical trial ever conducted in Europe. -- A Mediterranean-style diet, in combination with reduced caloric intake, moderate physical activity, and professional support for weight loss, may cut the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) by 31%, according to a new study co-authored by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. -- The study was published on August 25, 2025, in the Annals of Internal Medicine. -- "We're facing a global epidemic of diabetes," said co-author Frank Hu, Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology and chair of the Department of Nutrition. "With the highest-level evidence, our study shows that modest, sustained changes in diet and lifestyle could prevent millions of cases of this disease worldwide." -- Prior research has linked the Mediterranean diet -- which emphasizes high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, moderate intake of dairy and lean proteins, and little to no intake of red meat -- to better health outcomes, including lowered risk of T2D through improved insulin sensitivity and reduced inflammation. -- A team of collaborators from the PREDIMED-Plus clinical trial, the largest nutrition and lifestyle randomized trial in Europe, sought to understand how the diet's benefits may be enhanced with additional healthy lifestyle changes. -- The researchers, from 23 universities in Spain and Harvard Chan School, split 4,746 PREDIMED-Plus participants into an intervention group and a control group and followed their health outcomes for six years. The intervention group adhered to a Mediterranean diet; reduced their caloric intake by about 600 calories per day; engaged in moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking and strength and balance exercises; and received professional support for weight loss control. The control group adhered to a Mediterranean diet without calorie restriction, exercise guidance, or professional support. Participants ranged from age 55 to 75, were overweight or obese, and had metabolic syndrome, but were free of T2D at baseline. | 526 |
| Scientists Uncover The Secret To Orangutan Survival In The Trees | Young Orangutans Learn Nest-Building Skills By Observing Mothers And Peers | Observational social learning of “know-how” and “know-what” in wild orangutans: evidence from nest-building skill acquisition. | University of Warwick | Research on wild Sumatran orangutans reveals that young individuals learn complex nest-building skills through observational learning, closely watching their mothers and peers. This study highlights the importance of social learning in developing survival skills, emphasizing the intricate methods these primates employ to master essential behaviors critical for their safety and well-being in arboreal environments. | The Secret to Orangutan Survival in the TreesImmature orangutan looking down through the branches. Credit: Natasha Bartolotta @ SUAQ Project -- Warwick primatologists, in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute, have shown that young orangutans develop their nighttime nest building skills via observational social learning -- by closely watching others and then practicing these complex constructions. -- Nest-building is an often-overlooked behavior in great apes, but for arboreal species, a well-built nest is essential to survival. Nests are responsible for keeping apes safe from predators, helping them stay warm, providing a secure place to sleep when up high and have even been shown to have anti-mosquito properties. But how orangutans learn this complex ability has remained largely unclear. -- Now, University of Warwick researchers have reported in Nature Communications Biology that immature Sumatran orangutans learn how to build these complex feats of engineering through carefully 'peering' at the workmanship of their mothers and others and practicing the steps they've paid careful attention to. -- Dr. Ani Permana, Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, lead author of the paper said: "Nest-building is critical to survival in orangutans but is surprisingly not the focus of a lot of research. We previously reported that it takes multiple years for immature orangutans to learn to nest-build, but based on 17 years of observational data, this paper shows that this learning process is highly dependent on young animals carefully watching the nest-building of others. -- "Orangutan nest-building tendency may have some innate basis, but the details and method must be socially learned starting from a very young age by watching and practicing, learning from mistakes as they grow and this paper is the first time this has been shown in wild apes." -- In the wild, Sumatran orangutans build two types of nests. Day nests tend to be basic practical frames, but the night nests are intricate sleeping platforms often built as high as 20 meters in the tree canopy and including comfort elements such as pillows, blankets, mattresses (linings) and roofs to protect from adverse weather. -- By observing orangutans for long durations over many years, the research group managed to show that young orangutans peered at (deliberately watched) their mothers making nests to learn how to do it. When peering was observed, the immature orangutan was more likely to follow up by practicing nest-building themselves. If the immature orangutans were nearby when mum built a nest but didn't watch for example because they were distracted, they generally didn't go on to practice themselves -- meaning active watching is likely crucial to developing the skill, strongly supporting the idea that this is observational social learning. -- Immature orangutans were also shown to pay special attention to the more complicated parts of nest construction -- like adding comfort elements or building across multiple trees -- and practiced more after watching these actions. -- As the orangutans grew older, they began watching and learning from other individuals beyond their mothers, choosing new role models who can help diversify their knowledge of which trees to use, suggesting that both how to build, and what to build with, are learned socially. | 527 |
| Cells “Vomit” Waste In A Hidden Healing Shortcut That Could Also Fuel Cancer | Surprising “Vomit” Healing Mechanism Found In Cells That Could Cause Inflammation | Cathartocytosis: Jettisoning of cellular material during reprogramming of differentiated cells. | WashU Medicine | A novel cellular purging process called cathartocytosis has been discovered in injured gastric cells, allowing them to "vomit" internal machinery for quicker recovery. While this mechanism accelerates tissue regeneration, it also leaves debris that may lead to inflammation or cancer, presenting both a beneficial and potentially harmful aspect of cellular healing that could impact recovery strategies. | Cells “Vomit” Waste to Heal FasterA new study from WashU Medicine identifies a previously unknown way that cells purge waste in a process that helps them revert to a stem cell-like state to promote healing after injury. Here, three mouse stomach cells (numbered) are shown jettisoning cellular debris through cavities (white) that form in their membranes. The researchers dubbed the new purging process “cathartocytosis,” combining Greek root words meaning cellular cleansing. Credit: Jeffrey Brown -- When injured, cells have well-regulated responses to promote healing. These include a long-studied self-destruction process that cleans up dead and damaged cells as well as a more recently identified phenomenon that helps older cells revert to what appears to be a younger state to help grow back healthy tissue. -- Now, a new study in mice led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Baylor College of Medicine reveals a previously unknown cellular purging process that may help injured cells revert to a stem cell-like state more rapidly. The investigators dubbed this newly discovered response cathartocytosis, taking from Greek root words that mean cellular cleansing. -- Published online in the journal Cell Reports, the study used a mouse model of stomach injury to provide new insights into how cells heal, or fail to heal, in response to damage, such as from an infection or inflammatory disease. -- "After an injury, the cell's job is to repair that injury. But the cell's mature cellular machinery for doing its normal job gets in the way," said first author Jeffrey W. Brown, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at WashU Medicine. "So, this cellular cleanse is a quick way of getting rid of that machinery so it can rapidly become a small, primitive cell capable of proliferating and repairing the injury. We identified this process in the GI tract, but we suspect it is relevant in other tissues as well." -- Brown likened the process to a "vomiting" or jettisoning of waste that essentially adds a shortcut, helping the cell declutter and focus on regrowing healthy tissues faster than it would be able to if it could only perform a gradual, controlled degradation of waste. -- As with many shortcuts, this one has potential downsides: According to the investigators, cathartocytosis is fast but messy, which may help shed light on how injury responses can go wrong, especially in the setting of chronic injury. For example, ongoing cathartocytosis in response to an infection is a sign of chronic inflammation and recurring cell damage that is a breeding ground for cancer. In fact, the festering mess of ejected cellular waste that results from all that cathartocytosis may also be a way to identify or track cancer, according to the researchers. -- A novel cellular process -- The researchers identified cathartocytosis within an important regenerative injury response called paligenosis, which was first described in 2018 by the current study's senior author, Jason C. Mills, MD, PhD. Now at the Baylor College of Medicine, Mills began this work while he was a faculty member in the Division of Gastroenterology at WashU Medicine and Brown was a postdoctoral researcher in his lab. -- In paligenosis, injured cells shift away from their normal roles and undergo a reprogramming process to an immature state, behaving like rapidly dividing stem cells, as happens during development. Originally, the researchers assumed the decluttering of cellular machinery in preparation for this reprogramming happens entirely inside cellular compartments called lysosomes, where waste is digested in a slow and contained process. | 528 |
| Bizarre Ankylosaur With Giant Neck Spikes Redefines Dinosaur Evolution | Jurassic Ankylosaur Challenges Dinosaur Evolution With Unique Features And Early Defense Mechanisms | Extreme armour in the world’s oldest ankylosaur. | University of Birmingham | The Jurassic ankylosaur Spicomellus afer, recently studied, reveals that tail weaponry and spiked features evolved much earlier than believed. This discovery suggests that these adaptations served purposes beyond defense, potentially indicating a role in display behaviors, thus reshaping our understanding of the evolution of armor in dinosaurs and their ecological interactions. | Bizarre Ankylosaur With Giant Neck SpikesA life reconstruction of Spicomellus afer. Credit: © Matthew Dempsey -- The world's most unusual dinosaur is even stranger than first realized... -- Research published in Nature on August 27 reports that Spicomellus afer had a tail weapon more than 30 million years before any other ankylosaur, as well as a unique bony collar ringed with meter-long spikes sticking out from either side of its neck. -- Spicomellus is the world's oldest ankylosaur, having lived more than 165 million years ago in the Middle Jurassic near what is now the Moroccan town of Boulemane. It was the first ankylosaur to be found on the African continent. -- New remains of Spicomellus found by a team of paleontologists have helped to build upon the original description of the unusual animal. The initial description of the species was published in 2021 and was based on one rib bone. The team now know that the animal had bony spikes fused onto and projecting from all of its ribs, a feature not seen in any other vertebrate species living or extinct. It had long spikes, measuring 87 centimeters, which authors believe would have been even longer during the animal's life, that emerged from a bony collar that sat around its neck. -- Prof Susannah Maidment of Natural History Museum, London, and the University of Birmingham, who co-led the team of researchers said, "To find such elaborate armour in an early ankylosaur changes our understanding of how these dinosaurs evolved. It shows just how significant Africa's dinosaurs are, and how important it is to improve our understanding of them." -- "Spicomellus had a diversity of plates and spikes extending from all over its body, including metre-long neck spikes, huge upwards-projecting spikes over the hips, and a whole range of long, blade-like spikes, pieces of armor made up of two long spikes, and plates down the shoulder. We've never seen anything like this in any animal before." -- "It's particularly strange as this is the oldest known ankylosaur, so we might expect that a later species might have inherited similar features, but they haven't." -- Project co-lead, Professor Richard Butler of the University of Birmingham, said, "Seeing and studying the Spicomellus fossils for the first time was spine-tingling. We just couldn't believe how weird it was and how unlike any other dinosaur, or indeed any other animal we know of alive or extinct. It turns much of what we thought we knew about ankylosaurs and their evolution on its head and demonstrates just how much there still is to learn about dinosaurs." -- Authors postulate that this array of spikes would have been used for attracting mates and showing off to rivals. Interestingly, similar display armour has not yet been found in any other ankylosaur, with later species possessing armor that probably functioned more for defense. | 529 |
| Ancient DNA Finally Solves The Mystery Of The World’s First Pandemic | Ancient DNA Confirms Yersinia Pestis Caused The First Pandemic: A Historic Discovery | Genetic Evidence of Yersinia pestis from the First Pandemic. | University of South Florida | Groundbreaking research has identified the bacterium Yersinia pestis as the cause of the Plague of Justinian, based on genetic evidence discovered in ancient remains in Jordan. This finding conclusively links the early pandemic to the same pathogen responsible for later outbreaks, offering crucial insights into historical pandemics and their impact on human history. | Mystery of the World’s First Pandemic SolvedArchaeologists and geneticists identified plague DNA in 1,500-year-old teeth from Jerash, Jordan, providing the first direct proof that the Justinian Plague was caused by Yersinia pestis. Credit: Shutterstock -- For the first time, researchers have uncovered direct genomic evidence of the bacterium behind the Plague of Justinian -- the world's first recorded pandemic -- in the Eastern Mediterranean, where the outbreak was first described nearly 1,500 years ago. -- The landmark discovery, led by an interdisciplinary team at the University of South Florida and Florida Atlantic University, with collaborators in India and Australia, identified Yersinia pestis, the microbe that causes plague, in a mass grave at the ancient city of Jerash, Jordan, near the pandemic's epicenter. The groundbreaking find definitively links the pathogen to the Justinian Plague marking the first pandemic (AD 541-750), resolving one of history's long-standing mysteries. -- For centuries, historians have deliberated on what caused the devastating outbreak that killed tens of millions, reshaped the Byzantine Empire and altered the course of Western civilization. Despite circumstantial evidence, direct proof of the responsible microbe had remained elusive -- a missing link in the story of pandemics. -- Two newly published papers led by USF and FAU provide these long-sought answers, offering new insight into one of the most consequential episodes in human history. The discovery also underscores plague's ongoing relevance today: while rare, Y. pestis continues to circulate worldwide. In July, a resident of northern Arizona died from pneumonic plague, the most lethal form of Y. pestis infection, marking the first such fatality in the U.S. since 2007, and just last week another individual in California tested positive for the disease. -- "This discovery provides the long-sought definitive proof of Y. pestis at the epicenter of the Plague of Justinian," said Rays H. Y. Jiang, PhD, lead PI of the studies and associate professor with the USF College of Public Health. "For centuries, we've relied on written accounts describing a devastating disease, but lacked any hard biological evidence of plague's presence. Our findings provide the missing piece of that puzzle, offering the first direct genetic window into how this pandemic unfolded at the heart of the empire." -- The Plague of Justinian first appeared in the historical record in Pelusium (present day Tell el-Farama) in Egypt before spreading throughout the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine, Empire. While traces of Y. pestis had previously been recovered thousands of miles away in small western European villages, no evidence had ever been found within the empire itself or near the heart of the pandemic. -- "Using targeted ancient DNA techniques, we successfully recovered and sequenced genetic material from eight human teeth excavated from burial chambers beneath the former Roman hippodrome in Jerash, a city just 200 miles from ancient Pelusium" said Greg O'Corry-Crowe, PhD, co-author and a research professor at FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and a National Geographic Explorer. -- The arena had been repurposed as a mass grave during the mid-sixth to early seventh century, when written accounts describe a sudden wave of mortality. -- Genomic analysis revealed that the plague victims carried nearly identical strains of Y. pestis, confirming for the first time that the bacterium was present within the Byzantine Empire between AD 550-660. That genetic uniformity suggests a rapid, devastating outbreak consistent with historical descriptions of a plague causing mass death. | 530 |
| In The Dark For 11 Million Years: How Blind Cavefish Rewrote Evolution | Cavefish Evolved Blindness Over 11 Million Years: Insights Into Evolutionary Adaptation | Convergent Evolution in Amblyopsid Cavefishes and the Age of Eastern North American Subterranean Ecosystems. | Yale University | A study at Yale has determined that cavefishes lost their eyesight independently through evolutionary adaptation to dark environments, using genomic analysis to date these changes. This research not only sheds light on the evolutionary history of cave species but may also provide insights into human eye diseases, linking ancient adaptations to contemporary health issues. | Blind Cavefish Rewrite Evolutionary HistoryCavefish in the U.S. evolved blindness separately across species, with genetic evidence pushing cave ages to over 11 million years and offering insights into human eye disease. Credit: Shutterstock -- Small, colorless, and blind, amblyopsid cavefishes inhabit subterranean waters throughout the eastern United States. In a new study, Yale researchers reveal insights into just how these distinctive cave dwellers evolved -- and provide a unique method for dating the underground ecosystems where they reside. -- In an analysis of the genomes of all known amblyopsid species, the researchers found that the different species colonized caves systems independently of each other and separately evolved similar traits -- such as the loss of eyes and pigment -- as they adapted to their dark cave environments. -- Their findings are published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution. -- By studying the genetic mutations that caused the fishes' eyes to degenerate, the researchers developed a sort of mutational clock that allowed them to estimate when each species began losing their eyes. They found that vision-related genes of the oldest cavefish species, the Ozark cavefish (Troglichthys rosae), began degenerating up to 11 million years ago. -- The technique provides a minimum age for the caves that the fishes colonized since the cavefish must have been inhabiting subterranean waters when their eyesight began devolving, the researchers said. -- "The ancient subterranean ecosystems of eastern North America are very challenging to date using traditional geochronological cave-dating techniques, which are unreliable beyond an upper limit of about 3 to 5 million years," said Chase Brownstein, a student in Yale's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, and the study's co-lead author. "Determining the ages of cave-adapted fish lineages allows us to infer the minimum age of the caves they inhabit because the fishes wouldn't have started losing their eyes while living in broad daylight. In this case we estimate a minimum age of some caves of over 11 million years." -- Maxime Policarpo of the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence and the University of Basel is the co-lead author. -- For the study, the researchers reconstructed a time-calibrated evolutionary tree for amblyopsids, which belong to an ancient, species-poor order of freshwater fishes called Percopsiformes, using the fossil record as well as genomic data and high-resolution scans of all living relevantspecies. -- All the cavefish species have similar anatomies, including elongated bodies and flattened skulls, and their pelvic fins have either been lost or severely reduced. Swampfish (Chologaster cornuta), a sister to cavefish lineage that inhabits murky surface waters, also has a flattened skull, elongated body, and no pelvic fin. While it maintains sight and pigment, there is softening of the bones around its eyes, which disappear in cavefishes. This suggests that cavefishes evolved from a common ancestor that was already equipped to inhabit low-light environments, Brownstein said. | 531 |
| Mexican Cave Stalagmites Reveal The Deadly Droughts Behind The Maya Collapse | Stalagmites Reveal Droughts Caused Ancient Maya Civilization’s Collapse: A Climate Connection | Classic Maya response to multiyear seasonal droughts in Northwest Yucatán, Mexico. | University of Cambridge | Chemical analysis from a stalagmite in Mexico indicates that prolonged droughts closely associated with the decline of the Classic Maya civilization were significant contributors to its collapse. This study highlights the utility of stalagmite data in linking environmental changes to historical events, underscoring the impact of climate stresses on ancient societies. | Mexican Cave Holds Secrets of the Maya CollapseTourists explore the ‘Dome of the Cathedral’, the largest chamber in Grutas Tzabnah (Yucatán, Mexico), and the origin of Tzab06-1. The artificial well ‘La Noria’ now illuminates the cave. Credit: Mark Brenner -- A drought lasting 13 years and several others that each lasted over three years may have contributed to the collapse of the Classic Maya civilization, chemical fingerprints from a stalagmite in a Mexican cave have revealed. -- A detailed analysis of oxygen isotopes in the stalagmite allowed a team of researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, to determine rainfall levels for individual wet and dry seasons between 871 and 1021 CE, which overlaps with the Terminal Classic period of Maya civilization. This is the first time it has been possible to isolate rainfall conditions for individual wet and dry seasons during the Terminal Classic, the time of societal decline historically referred to as the Maya collapse. -- During the Terminal Classic, limestone Maya cities in the south were abandoned and dynasties were ended, as one of the ancient world’s great civilizations shifted north and lost much of its political and economic power. -- The data contained within the stalagmite, from a cave in the Yucatán, showed that there were eight wet season droughts that lasted for at least three years during this period, with the longest drought lasting for 13 consecutive years. -- This climate data aligns with existing historical and archaeological evidence: construction of monuments and political activity at several major northern Maya sites, including the famous city of Chichén Itzá, stopped at different times during this period of climate stress. -- The accurately and precisely dated droughts provide a new framework for fine-grained analysis of the timing and dynamics of human-climate interactions in the region. The results are reported in the journal Science Advances. -- “This period in Maya history has been a cause of fascination for centuries,” said lead author Dr Daniel H. James, who conducted the research while a PhD student at Cambridge’s Department of Earth Sciences. “There have been multiple theories as to what caused the collapse, such as changing trade routes, war or severe drought, based on the archaeological evidence the Maya left behind. But in the past few decades, we’ve started to learn quite a lot about what happened to the Maya and why, by combining the archaeological data with quantifiable climate evidence.” -- Starting in the 1990s, researchers began to piece together climate records with those left by the Maya, such as the dates they recorded on key monuments, to show that a series of droughts during the Terminal Classic was a likely contributor to the massive socio-political upheaval in Maya society. -- Now, James and his co-authors from the UK, US and Mexico have used the chemical fingerprints contained in stalagmites from a cave in the northern Yucatán to bring those droughts into much sharper focus. | 532 |
| The Ocean’s Fragile Fortresses Are Crumbling Under Climate Pressure | Climate Change Threatens Bryozoans: Key Invertebrates’ Role In Marine Ecosystems At Risk | Interactive effects of ocean acidification and warming disrupt calcification and microbiome composition in bryozoans. | Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) | A new study reveals that climate change poses serious threats to bryozoans, essential invertebrates that create underwater habitats. Research shows that ocean acidification and warming significantly alter their structure and microbiomes, indicating potential ecological consequences that could jeopardize marine ecosystems, highlighting the need for further studies on these critical species. | The Ocean’s Fragile Fortresses Are Crumbling'False coral' is widely distributed in the Mediterranean. Credit: ICM-CSIC, edited -- A research team from the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) has published a study in Communications Biology showing how ocean acidification and warming -- two of the main consequences of global climate change -- can simultaneously affect the structure, mineral composition, and microbiome of bryozoans, colonial invertebrates crucial for forming marine habitats. The findings point to potentially serious ecological consequences under a scenario of accelerated climate change. -- The "False Coral," One of the Most Affected Species -- The study characterizes for the first time the microbiome of Myriapora truncata, a habitat-forming species known as "false coral" and widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean. It also analyzes the response of this and another encrusting bryozoan species under future environmental conditions. False corals form three-dimensional structures that offer shelter to many species, as do other bryozoans that can even form reef-like systems -- although corals usually receive more attention as primary marine habitat builders. -- "Despite being a different phylum, very diverse and abundant globally, these small architects of the sea are often overlooked in studies on responses to environmental changes," explains Blanca Figuerola, ICM-CSIC researcher and lead author of the study. She emphasizes that this work opens a new window to better understand how bryozoans may respond to the ocean's rapid changes. -- The researcher notes that "bryozoans play a very important ecological role," although little was previously known about their response to the combined effects of ocean acidification and warming. She adds that "their microbiome had been virtually unexplored." -- A Natural Laboratory to Predict Future Scenarios -- To conduct the study, the team used a "natural laboratory": on the island of Ischia (Italy), volcanic CO2 bubbles from the seabed, which allow simulation of the ocean acidification conditions projected for the end of the century. -- "This area offers a unique opportunity to study how marine species respond to acidification under natural conditions," explains Núria Teixidó, researcher at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn and last author of the article. -- Using this approach, the researchers compared the morphology, skeleton mineralogy, and microbiome of colonies of two bryozoan species exposed and unexposed to these conditions. Results show that the species exhibit some acclimation capacity, modifying their skeletal mineralogy to become more resistant and maintaining a relatively stable microbiome composition. | 533 |
| Predator Fly Unleashes Chaotic Ant Wars That Could Save Coffee | Chaotic Ant Dynamics Uncovered In Puerto Rico Coffee Farm: Pest Management Insights | Keystone predator and keystone intransitivity and the rescue of a competitively subdominant species. | University of Michigan | Researchers at the University of Michigan have uncovered complex interactions between ant species and a predatory fly on a Puerto Rican coffee farm, revealing chaotic dynamics that complicate pest management. By applying ecological theories, they illustrate how these interactions create unpredictable patterns, emphasizing the challenges and potential of using ecological methods in sustainable agriculture. | Chaotic Ant Wars That Could Save CoffeeScientists found that ants and a predator fly on a coffee farm engage in shifting dominance cycles, creating chaotic patterns that complicate eco-friendly pest control strategies. Credit: Shutterstock -- To help manage agricultural practices with fewer or no pesticides, University of Michigan researchers say they need to understand how ecological systems work on agricultural lands. -- Now, U-M researchers John Vandermeer and Ivette Perfecto have used two ecological theories to describe a tangle of interactions between three ant species and a recently introduced fly that preys on one of the ant species. Their work on a coffee farm in Puerto Rico shows that the interaction between the ants and the predator fly creates chaotic patterns -- chaos in the classical sense, in that natural populations are subjected to fluctuations depending on the interactions of organisms within a system. -- These chaotic patterns mean that any one of the four insect species could be dominant at any point in time. Understanding which ants may be dominant over time may help farmers use the ants to manage pests on their farms. Their study, supported by the National Science Foundation, is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. -- "Two of the three ant species we studied are really important agents of biological control of two of the important pests in coffee," said Vandermeer, U-M professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. "We would like, or a farmer would like, to be able to predict when the ants are going to be there, and when they're not going to be there. And it turns out that that kind of prediction is going to be pretty difficult." -- For three decades, Vandermeer and Perfecto, a professor at the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability, have been studying ant interactions in the coffee farm's agricultural setting. Their goal is to help transform how agriculture is done -- but to do so, we need to first understand the ecology of agricultural systems, they say. -- "We believe that the current international agricultural system with its use of pesticides and chemicals is not contributing to the welfare of anybody, especially the farmers, and is actually contributing quite a bit to global climate change," Vandermeer said. "We take the position that in order to incorporate the rules of ecology into the development of new forms of agriculture, we need to understand what those rules are and how those rules work." -- In the tropics, ants are dominant, Vandermeer says, and often involved in agriculture as agents of controlling pests. But using an ant species to control pests can be complicated: The dominance of the ant being used as a biological control depends on what other species of ants -- as well as other types of insects -- there are in the system. -- In this system, Vandermeer and Perfecto examined two types of ecological behavior: intransitive loop cyclic behavior and predator-mediated coexistence. Intransitive loop cyclic behavior means that if there's a group of three ant species, Ant A might be dominant over Ant B, Ant B might dominate Ant C, but Ant C could dominate Ant A. -- When a predator is thrown into the mix, these dynamics become even more complicated. Among the three species of ants that Vandermeer and Perfecto study, one species is dominant. But the recently introduced fly preys upon the dominant ant. This predator-prey relationship not only affects the dominant ant, it has downstream effects on the other two ant species, allowing any of the four species to become the dominant species at different points of time. This is an example of predator-mediated coexistence. | 534 |
| Ancient Predators And Giant Amphibians Found In African Fossil Treasure Trove | Fossil Finds From Tanzania And Zambia Provide Rare Glimpse Into Pre-Mass Extinction Life | Introduction to vertebrate evolution in the Permian rift basins of Tanzania and Zambia. | University of Washington | Extensive fossil excavations in Tanzania and Zambia have unveiled a diverse ecosystem that thrived just before Earth's largest mass extinction event. This research provides valuable insights into the species that existed during the Permian period, enhancing our understanding of the evolutionary history and ecological dynamics leading up to one of the most catastrophic events in Earth’s history. | Stunning Fossils Reveal a Lost Prehistoric WorldAn artistic rendering of an evening approximately 252 million years ago during the late Permian in the Luangwa Basin of Zambia. The scene includes several saber-toothed gorgonopsians and beaked dicynodonts. Credit: Gabriel Ugueto, edited -- An international team of paleontologists has spent more than 15 years excavating and studying fossils from Africa to expand our understanding of the Permian, a period of Earth's history that began 299 million years ago and ended 252 million years ago with our planet's largest and most devastating mass extinction. Led by researchers at the University of Washington and the Field Museum of Natural History, the team is identifying the animals that thrived in southern Pangea -- the planet's single supercontinent at the time -- just before the so-called "Great Dying" wiped out about 70% of terrestrial species, and an even larger fraction of marine ones. -- "This mass extinction was nothing short of a cataclysm for life on Earth, and changed the course of evolution," said Christian Sidor, a UW professor of biology and curator of vertebrate paleontology at the UW Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture. "But we lack a comprehensive view of which species survived, which didn't, and why. The fossils we have collected in Tanzania and Zambia will give us a more global perspective on this unprecedented period in our planet's natural history." -- Sidor and Kenneth Angielczyk, curator of paleomammalogy at the Field Museum, are co-editors of a 14-article series published Aug. 7 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology featuring the team's recent discoveries about the myriad of animals that made Permian Africa their home. These include saber-toothed predators, burrowing foragers and a large, salamander-like creature. -- All these finds were excavated in three basins across southern Africa: the Ruhuhu Basin in southern Tanzania, the Luangwa Basin in eastern Zambia and the Mid-Zambezi Basin in southern Zambia. Most were discovered by team members on multiple, month-long excavation trips to the region over the past 17 years. Others were analyses of specimens dug up decades prior that had been stored in museum collections. -- "These parts of Zambia and Tanzania contain absolutely beautiful fossils from the Permian," said Sidor. "They are giving us an unprecedented view of life on land leading up to the mass extinction." -- Starting in 2007, Sidor and his team, including UW students and postdoctoral researchers, made five trips to the Ruhuhu Basin and four to the Mid-Zambezi and Luangwa basins, all in cooperation with the Tanzanian and Zambian governments. The researchers trekked between field sites miles apart to collect fossils. They stayed in villages or camped in the open -- once waking during the night to the ground-quaking stomps of a nearby elephant herd. All fossils collected by the team will be returned to Tanzania and Zambia after researchers have completed their analyses. -- The Permian is the endpoint of what paleontologists call the Paleozoic Era. During this time, animal life -- which evolved first in Earth's oceans -- began to colonize land and complex terrestrial ecosystems developed. By the Permian, a diverse array of amphibian and reptile-like creatures roamed environments ranging from early forests to arid valleys. The end-Permian mass extinction -- whose precise cause scientists are still debating -- obliterated many of these ecosystems and ushered in the Mesozoic Era, which saw the evolution of dinosaurs, as well as the first birds, flowering plants and mammals. -- For decades, scientists' best understanding of the Permian, the Great Dying and the start of the Mesozoic came from the Karoo Basin in South Africa, which contains a near-complete fossil record of periods before and after the mass extinction. But beginning in the 1930s, paleontologists realized that basins in Tanzania and Zambia contain fossil records of this time range that are almost as pristine as the Karoo's. The excavation trips by Sidor, Angielczyk and their colleagues represent the largest analysis to date of the region's fossil record from before and after the Great Dying. In 2018, they published a comprehensive analysis of the post-Permian animals of the Ruhuhu and Luangwa basins. These new papers look further back into the Permian. -- "The number of specimens we've found in Zambia and Tanzania is so high and their condition is so exquisite that we can make species-level comparisons to what paleontologists have found in South Africa," said Sidor. "I know of no better place on Earth for getting sufficient detail of this time period to make such detailed conclusions and comparisons." | 535 |
| Could This New Earthquake System Give Alaska 50 Seconds To Prepare? | New Earthquake Alert System Could Give Alaskans Critical Seconds To Prepare For Quakes | Earthquake Early Warning Scenarios for Alaska. | University of Alaska Fairbanks | A proposed earthquake early warning system in Alaska could provide communities precious seconds to prepare for significant seismic events, potentially saving lives. Modeling suggests that towns could receive alerts ranging from 10 to 50 seconds before strong shaking occurs, highlighting the importance of timely warning systems in earthquake-prone regions. | Life-Saving Seconds Before Alaska’s Big QuakeResearchers show an early warning system could give Alaskans up to 50 seconds’ notice before a major quake, using models adapted to the state’s unique seismic environment. Credit: Shutterstock -- A proposed earthquake early warning system could have provided several communities an alert of 10 seconds or more ahead of strong shaking from the magnitude 7.3 quake that occurred south of Sand Point near the tip of the Alaska Peninsula in mid-July. -- That analysis is provided by Alex Fozkos of the Alaska Earthquake Center's systems team at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. -- "Individuals in Sand Point could have expected approximately 10 seconds of warning time before shaking increased to its strongest," Fozkos said. "In King Cove, individuals could have expected a warning of approximately 20 seconds." -- Sand Point is 55 miles from the epicenter; King Cove is slightly farther away. The community of Chignik, about 140 miles from the epicenter, would have received about 50 seconds of warning. -- Fozkos' Sand Point analysis is based on a hypothetical early warning system. The Alaska Earthquake Center and the U.S. Geological Survey earlier this year described the first phase of implementing the proposed USGS ShakeAlert warning system, which operates in California, Oregon and Washington. -- The Sand Point analysis was enabled by earthquake early warning modeling by Fozkos. That modeling system was published on August 5 in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. The Sand Point analysis is not part of the research paper, however, as it occurred after the paper was submitted. -- Research professor Michael West, the Alaska Earthquake Center's director and state seismologist, is a co-author. -- For the research paper, Fozkos ran numerous warning time scenarios in several categories with varying inputs such as locations, magnitudes and fault configurations. -- "This lays the groundwork for showing potential stakeholders how an early warning system could benefit Alaskans and why they should be paying attention," said Fozkos, who conducted the research at the UAF Geophysical Institute while a graduate student. | 536 |
| Mysterious Bone Disease Ravaged Brazil’s Giant Dinosaurs | Dinosaur Bones Reveal Osteomyelitis, Suggesting Ancient Conditions Were Favorable For Infectious Diseases | Several occurrences of osteomyelitis in dinosaurs from a site in the Bauru Group, Cretaceous of Southeast Brazil. | Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo | Fossil evidence from Brazil indicates that ancient sauropods suffered from osteomyelitis, a bone infection caused by various pathogens. Researchers discovered signs of this disease in bones dating back 80 million years, suggesting that the environmental conditions at the time were conducive to infectious diseases. This finding provides insight into the health challenges faced by these giant dinosaurs and the broader ecological context of their era. | Bone Disease Ravaged Brazil’s Giant DinosaursAncient sauropods in Brazil suffered fatal bone infections, leaving fossilized evidence of osteomyelitis that spread through harsh, pathogen-rich environments. Credit: Shutterstock -- A set of bones belonging to sauropods, as long-necked dinosaurs are called, found in the municipality of Ibirá in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, reveals that the region was conducive to a bone disease that was fatal to these animals. -- Supported by FAPESP, the researchers found signs of osteomyelitis, a bone disease that can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or protozoa, in the fossils of six individuals from the Cretaceous period, approximately 80 million years ago. -- The bones show no signs of regeneration, suggesting that the animals died with the disease still active, probably as a result of it. The study was published in the journal The Anatomical Record. -- "There have been few findings of infectious diseases in sauropods, the first having been published recently. The bones we analyzed are very close to each other in time and from the same paleontological site, which suggests that the region provided conditions for pathogens to infect many individuals during that period," says Tito Aureliano, the first author of the study and a researcher at the Regional University of Cariri (URCA) in Crato, in the Brazilian state of Ceará. -- One of the lesions was confined to the marrow. The other bones, which were also found between 2006 and 2023 at the Vaca Morta site, have lesions that extend from the marrow to the outer part. These lesions have a spongy texture, indicating vascularization in the region. This texture differentiates the lesions from other pathologies that can affect bone tissue, such as osteosarcoma and bone neoplasia, two types of cancer. -- There were no signs of healing, which is when the bone tissue lost in the lesion is replaced by new tissue. This sign of regeneration is quite common in the fossil record of bones affected by bites from other dinosaurs. -- Analysis -- The study was supported by the Institute for the Study of Parasitic Hymenoptera in the Brazilian Southeast Region (HYMPAR), which is a National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT) supported by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and FAPESP. -- At IEHYPA-Sudeste, which is coordinated by Angélica Maria Penteado Martins Dias, a professor at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), researchers analyzed the bones using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a stereomicroscope. | 537 |
| Scientists Just Found A Hidden Factor Behind Earth’s Methane Surge | CRISPR Technology Reveals Key Factors Behind Earth’s Methane Emissions | Modulation of methyl–coenzyme M reductase expression alters the isotopic composition of microbial methane. | University of California - Berkeley | Researchers from UC Berkeley have utilized CRISPR technology to modify a crucial enzyme involved in microbial methane production, unveiling the distinctive isotope signatures of methane across various environments. This innovative study addresses the complexities of understanding methane emissions, which account for a significant portion of atmospheric greenhouse gases. By enhancing the understanding of these isotopic fingerprints, scientists may improve estimations of methane's contributions to Earth's climate dynamics. | Hidden Factor Behind Earth’s Methane SurgeAn electron microscope image of single-celled methanogens, members of the archaea domain. They are ubiquitous in oxygen-free environments, turning simple foods into methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Credit: Alienor Baskevitch/UC Berkeley -- Roughly two-thirds of all emissions of atmospheric methane -- a highly potent greenhouse gas that is warming planet Earth -- come from microbes that live in oxygen-free environments like wetlands, rice fields, landfills and the guts of cows. -- Tracking atmospheric methane to its specific sources and quantifying their importance remains a challenge, however. Scientists are pretty good at tracing the sources of the main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, to focus on mitigating these emissions. But to trace methane's origins, scientists often have to measure the isotopic composition of methane's component atoms, carbon and hydrogen, to use as a fingerprint of various environmental sources. -- A new paper by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, reveals how the activity of one of the main microbial enzymes involved in producing methane affects this isotope composition. The finding could change how scientists calculate the contributions of different environmental sources to Earth's total methane budget. -- "When we integrate all the sources and sinks of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, we kind of get the number that we're expecting from direct measurement in the atmosphere. But for methane, large uncertainties in fluxes exist -- within tens of percents for some of the fluxes -- that challenge our ability to precisely quantify the relative importance and changes in time of the sources," said UC Berkeley postdoctoral fellow Jonathan Gropp, who is first author of the paper. "To quantify the actual sources of methane, you need to really understand the isotopic processes that are used to constrain these fluxes." -- Gropp teamed up with a molecular biologist and a geochemist at UC Berkeley to, for the first time, employ CRISPR to manipulate the activity of this key enzyme to reveal how these methanogens interact with their food supply to produce methane. -- "It is well understood that methane levels are rising, but there is a lot of disagreement on the underlying cause," said co-author Dipti Nayak, UC Berkeley assistant professor of molecular and cell biology. "This study is the first time the disciplines of molecular biology and isotope biogeochemistry have been fused to provide better constraints on how the biology of methanogens controls the isotopic composition of methane." -- Many elements have heavier or lighter versions, called isotopes, that are found in small proportions in nature. Humans are about 99% carbon-12 and 1% carbon-13, which is slightly heavier because it has an extra neutron in its nucleus. The hydrogen in water is 99.985% hydrogen-1 and 0.015% deuterium or hydrogen-2, which is twice as heavy because it has a neutron in its nucleus. -- The natural abundances of isotopes are reflected in all biologically produced molecules and variations can be used to study and fingerprint various biological metabolisms. -- "Over the last 70 years, people have shown that methane produced by different organisms and other processes can have distinctive isotopic fingerprints," said geochemist and co-author Daniel Stolper, UC Berkeley associate professor of earth and planetary science. "Natural gas from oil deposits often looks one way. Methane made by the methanogens within cow guts looks another way. Methane made in deep sea sediments by microorganisms has a different fingerprint. Methanogens can consume or 'eat', if you will, a variety of compounds including methanol, acetate or hydrogen; make methane; and generate energy from the process. Scientists have commonly assumed that the isotopic fingerprint depends on what the organisms are eating, which often varies from environment to environment, creating our ability to link isotopes to methane origins." | 538 |
| The Surprising Ant Strategy That Could Transform Robotics | Weaver Ants’ Teamwork Strategies Could Inspire Future Robotics Innovations | Superefficient teamwork in weaver ants. | Macquarie University | A groundbreaking study reveals how weaver ants excel in teamwork, increasing their individual pulling strength as group size grows. Unlike humans, who often decrease their effort in larger teams, these ants enhance their collective efficiency by using a unique “force ratchet” system. Their remarkable ability to maximize output through collaboration could inspire new approaches to cooperative robotics, showcasing the potential for biological insights to inform technological advancements. | Ant Strategy Could Transform RoboticsWeaver ants increase their effort as their team size grows, using a clever pull-and-anchor method that makes them super-efficient builders and potential models for better robot teamwork. Credit: Shutterstock -- Weaver ants have solved a problem that has plagued human teams for centuries: individuals contribute less to tasks when more people join in. New research published in Current Biology on August 12 shows individual weaver ants instead get stronger as their group grows. -- "Each individual ant almost doubled their pulling force as team size increased - they actually get better at working together as the group gets bigger," says lead author Madelyne Stewardson from Macquarie University. -- The longstanding problem in human teams was first published by French engineer Max Ringelmann in 1913 who measured students pulling on ropes and found that while total force increased as more people joined in, each individual's contribution actually decreased. -- The study shows weaver ants form super-efficient teams in which individuals actually increase their contributions as teams grow bigger, defying the declining performance affecting human teams. -- These tiny, tree-dwelling ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) found in tropical Africa, Asia and Australia, are known for their nest-building behaviors, forming living chains to roll leaves and glue them with silk from their larvae. -- Stewardson and behavioral ecologist Dr Chris Reid from Macquarie's School of Natural Sciences worked with an international team to measure the force different sized ant teams could apply while building nests. -- The researchers set up experiments enticing weaver ant colonies to form pulling chains to move an artificial leaf connected to a force meter. -- "The ants split their work into two jobs: some actively pull while others act like anchors to store that pulling force," says Stewardson. -- How the ant team makes it work | 539 |
| Tiny Ancient Whale With A Killer Bite Found In Australia | Jurassic Era Predator Fossil Found Offers New Insights into Whale Evolution | An immature toothed mysticete from the Oligocene of Australia and insights into mammalodontid (Cetacea: Mysticeti) morphology, systematics, and ontogeny. | Museum Victoria | The discovery of Janjucetus dullardi, a dolphin-sized predator from 26 million years ago, sheds light on the evolution of baleen whales. Found along Victoria’s Surf Coast, this ancient species had large eyes and sharp teeth, offering valuable insights into the dietary habits and ecological roles of early whale ancestors. This remarkable fossil enriches our understanding of marine life’s evolutionary history, revealing how predation strategies have shifted over millions of years. | The Tiny Whale That Hunted Like a SharkJanjucetus dullardi calf and mother. Credit: Ruairidh Duncan, Museums Victoria, edited -- With large eyes, razor sharp teeth and a compact body built for hunting, Janjucetus dullardi is nothing like the gentle giants we know today, but this newly discovered ancient whale is one of their earliest cousins. -- Scientists at Museums Victoria's Research Institute have described a new species of ancient whale from a 26-million-year-old fossil found near Jan Juc, on Wadawurrung Country, along Victoria's Surf Coast. -- The discovery offers remarkable insight into the early evolution of baleen whales - the filter-feeding giants that now cruise our oceans. -- Janjucetus dullardi was no ocean giant - it was a fast, sharp-toothed predator about the size of a dolphin. With a short snout, large forward-facing eyes and slicing teeth, it would have been a compact, yet fearsome sight in the warm, shallow seas of ancient Victoria. -- The fossil, a partial skull with ear bones and teeth, was discovered in June 2019 by local resident Ross Dullard while walking along the beach. Recognising its scientific significance, Dullard generously donated it to Museums Victoria, where researchers carefully prepared and studied the fossil. In recognition of his contribution, the new species has been named in his honour. -- 'This kind of public discovery and its reporting to the museum is vital,' said Dr Erich Fitzgerald, senior curator of vertebrate palaeontology at Museums Victoria Research Institute and senior author of the study. 'Ross' discovery has unlocked an entire chapter of whale evolution we've never seen before. It's a reminder that world-changing fossils can be found in your own backyard.' -- The research, published on August 12 in the prestigious Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, identifies Janjucetus dullardi as a juvenile 'baby whale', just over two metres long. Despite its small size, it belonged to a group known as mammalodontids, early whales that lived only during the Oligocene Epoch, around 30 to 23 million years ago. -- 'It's essentially a little whale with big eyes and a mouth full of sharp, slicing teeth,' said Ruairidh Duncan, PhD student at the Museums Victoria Research Institute and Monash University, and lead author of the study. 'Imagine the shark-like version of a baleen whale - small and deceptively cute, but definitely not harmless.' -- This is the third known mammalodontid species from Victoria, and only the fourth found worldwide. It's also the first to preserve both the teeth and inner ear structures in such detail, which are key features for understanding how early whales fed, heard, moved and behaved in the water. | 540 |
| Strange Spotted Rock On Mars Could Reveal Signs Of Ancient Life | Martian Rock Analysis Could Reveal Signs of Ancient Life on Mars | Application of optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy (O-PTIR) for future returned Mars samples. | American Institute of Physics | Researchers are preparing for future Mars sample analysis by studying a peculiar spotted rock called Sapphire Canyon. Using a powerful laser technique, O-PTIR, they tested a similar terrestrial rock to understand its chemical makeup quickly. This research aims to facilitate the analysis of Martian samples, potentially revealing organic origins and contributing to our understanding of life's building blocks on other planets, while showcasing the capabilities of advanced analytical technologies. | Strange Spotted Rock on Mars. Ancient Life?The original, untreated sample Heinz picked up on his Sedona hike, with spots similar to spots on the Mars Sapphire Canyon rock. Credit: Nicholas Heinz -- In 2024, NASA's Mars rover Perseverance collected an unusual rock sample. The rock, named Sapphire Canyon, features white, leopardlike spots with black borders within a red mudstone and might hold clues about sources of organic molecules within Mars. -- Here on Earth, in Review of Scientific Instruments, by AIP Publishing, researchers from Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology used a technique called optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy (O-PTIR) to study a visually similar rock. They wanted to determine if O-PTIR can be applied to the Sapphire Canyon sample when it is eventually brought here for study. -- O-PTIR uses two lasers to study a material: The first heats up the material and causes small thermal vibrations on its surface proportional to the laser's wavelength, and the second measures the extent of these changes. Together, this creates the material's unique chemical fingerprint. -- The researchers tested O-PTIR on a basalt rock with dark inclusions of similar size to the Sapphire Canyon sample's -- which, in contrast to Perseverance's sophisticated sample selection process, author Nicholas Heinz found purely by coincidence. -- "I was hiking in Arizona, in Sedona, when I saw this rock that just didn't look like it belonged," he said. "I put it in my backpack and brought it back to look at." -- They aimed to see if O-PTIR could differentiate between the rock's primary material and its dark inclusions and found it was extremely effective because of the enhanced spatial resolution of O-PTIR. Moreover, O-PTIR is a rapid technique. Each spectrum can be collected in minutes, allowing scientists to go in with a more sensitive technique to study potential areas of interest identified in more detail, such as regions containing organics. -- "I hope this capability will be considered for any future material returned from Mars, an asteroid, or any other planetary surface," said Heinz. -- The team's O-PTIR capabilities are the only of their kind available at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and have already been used by other NASA missions -- in 2024, they helped confirm the cleanliness of Europa Clipper, a mission to study one of Jupiter's moons, prior to its launch. Heinz said that now that they've shown its additional benefits in applications related to Mars samples, and geology more widely, they are working with NASA's Mars science team to test the algal microfossils typically used as Mars analogs for the rovers. | 541 |
| Scientists Turn Grapevine Waste Into Clear, Strong Films That Vanish In Days | Researchers Turn Grapevine Waste into Biodegradable Plastics, Addressing Environmental Concerns | Valorization of grapevine agricultural waste into transparent and high-strength biodegradable films for sustainable packaging. | South Dakota State University | A study from South Dakota State University highlights a breakthrough in biodegradable materials, transforming grapevine canes into a plastic-like film that is stronger than traditional plastics yet decomposes within 17 days. This innovative approach addresses the urgent need for sustainable packaging solutions in response to the escalating plastic waste crisis. By utilizing agricultural byproducts, researchers aim to create eco-friendly alternatives that can help mitigate environmental impacts and promote a circular economy. | Stronger Than Plastic, Gone in 17 DaysBy extracting cellulose from grapevine canes, researchers have produced eco-friendly films that are stronger than plastic bags and fully biodegrade in 17 days. Credit: Shutterstock -- The need for biodegradable packaging material has never been higher. -- Currently, most packaging is "single use" and is made with plastic materials, derived from nonrenewable sources like crude oil that take hundreds of years to decompose in the environment. On top of this, only 9% of plastic is recycled. This has resulted in the formation of floating piles of plastic garbage in the ocean, called the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch." -- But maybe even more concerning is the discovery of micro- and nano-plastics in the environment. Research has found that plastic breaks down into tiny particles, which are being ingested or inhaled by both humans and animals, and are found literally everywhere, including in the human body -- according to recent research studies. Worse, little is known about the long-term health effects of microplastics. -- Srinivas Janaswamy is an associate professor in South Dakota State University's Department of Dairy and Food Science. His research has focused on developing value-added products through biowaste and agricultural byproducts. One of the overarching goals of Janaswamy's research is to tackle the plastic waste crisis. -- Perhaps the biggest contributor to plastic waste, at least in the United States, is plastic bags, the kind found at most retail stores. These bags, while sometimes recycled, are often only used once and can be found littered throughout the environment. -- To address this problem, Janaswamy is working toward developing a plastic-like bag that will decompose in the environment. -- "That is my dream," Janaswamy said. -- The key ingredient to Janaswamy's work? Cellulose. This biopolymer is the most abundant organic substance on Earth and is found, primarily, in the cell walls of plants. Cellulose, thanks to strong hydrogen bonds and a chain of glucose molecules, gives plants structural strength and rigidity along with other biopolymers such as mannan, xylose, hemicellulose and lignin. -- Humans have long used cellulose to create products. Cotton, the material used to make a majority of the world's clothing, is primarily composed of cellulose. Wood is rich in cellulose as well. | 542 |
| Great White Sharks Have A DNA Mystery Science Still Can’t Explain | Great White Sharks’ DNA Holds Mysteries That Challenge Scientific Explanations | A genomic test of sex-biased dispersal in white sharks. | Florida Museum of Natural History | New insights from a global DNA analysis of great white sharks challenge the long-standing migration theory of these species. The research reveals a significant genetic divergence between nuclear and mitochondrial DNA and suggests that a single Indo-Pacific population existed at the last ice age. These findings underscore the complexity of great white shark evolutionary history and highlight the need for further investigation into their breeding and migratory behaviors. | Great White Sharks DNA MysteryA global study of great white shark DNA overturns the long-held migration theory, exposing a genetic riddle that neither breeding habits nor known evolutionary forces can explain. Credit: Shutterstock -- Key points -- White sharks exhibit stark differences between the DNA in their nuclei and the DNA in their mitochondria. Until now, scientists have pointed to the migration patterns of great whites to explain these differences. -- Scientists tested this theory in a new study by analyzing genetic differences between global white shark populations. In doing so, they discovered that great whites were restricted to a single population in the Indo-Pacific Ocean at the end of the last ice age 10,000 years ago and have since expanded to their current global distribution. -- The results also invalidate the migration theory, but an alternative explanation remains elusive. -- White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) almost went bottom-up during the last ice age, when sea levels were much lower than they are today and sharks had to get by with less space. The most recent cold snap ended about 10,000 years ago, and the planet has been gradually warming ever since. As temperatures increased, glaciers melted, and sea levels rose, which was good news for great whites. -- Results of a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences show that white sharks had been reduced to a single, well-mixed population somewhere in the southern Indo-Pacific Ocean. White sharks began genetically diverging about 7,000 years ago, suggesting that they had broken up into two or more isolated populations by this time. -- This is new information but not particularly surprising. There are never many white sharks around even at the best of times, as befits their status at the top of the tapered food chain, where a lack of elbow room limits their numbers. Today, there are three genetically distinct white shark populations: one in the southern hemisphere around Australia and South Africa, one in the northern Atlantic and another in the northern Pacific. Though widespread, the number of white sharks still remains low. -- "There are probably about 20,000 individuals globally," said study co-author Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the Florida Museum of Natural History. "There are more fruit flies in any given city than there are great white sharks in the entire world." -- Organisms with small populations can be pushed dangerously close to the edge of extinction when times are tough. Mile-high glaciers extended from the poles and locked away so much water that by 25,000 years ago, sea levels had plunged by about 40 meters (131 feet), eliminating habitat and restricting great whites to an oceanic corral. | 543 |
| Did Humans Learn To Walk In Trees? | Savannah Chimpanzees’ Climbing Habits Provide Clues About Early Human Bipedalism | Foraging strategy and tree structure as drivers of arboreality and suspensory behaviour in savannah chimpanzees. | Frontiers | A novel study on chimpanzees inhabiting savannah-like environments suggests that the ability to navigate trees safely may explain why early human ancestors retained tree-climbing adaptations despite evolving bipedalism. Observations of these chimpanzees indicate that tree climbing is still crucial for foraging, potentially reshaping our understanding of the evolutionary pressures that influenced the development of bipedal walking in early hominins within changing habitats. | Did Humans Learn to Walk in Trees?Chimpanzees in open habitats still rely heavily on trees for food, indicating that early human ancestors may have evolved bipedalism not just on the ground, but while navigating the treetops. Credit: Shutterstock -- It's hard to tell when -- and why -- our ancestors got down from trees and started walking on two legs. Many early hominins capable of bipedal walking were also well-adapted for climbing, and we lack fossil evidence from a key period when climate change turned forests into open, dry woodland called savannah-mosaic, which might have pushed hominins onto the ground. Now a study on modern chimpanzees could help fill in the gaps. Scientists observing chimpanzees in the Issa Valley, Tanzania have shown that despite living in a savannah-mosaic, they frequently climb trees for valuable food -- potentially explaining why early hominins kept their arboreal adaptations. -- "For decades it was assumed that bipedalism arose because we came down from the trees and needed to walk across an open savannah," said Dr Rhianna Drummond-Clarke of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, lead author of the article in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. "Here we show that safely and effectively navigating the canopy can remain very important for a large, semi-arboreal ape, even in open habitat. Adaptations to arboreal, rather than terrestrial, living may have been key in shaping the early evolution of the human lineage." -- Habitats and hunger -- Issa Valley is divided between a small amount of thick forest surrounding riverbanks and open woodland. The chimpanzees forage more in the woodland during the dry season, when it offers more food. Their habitat and diet are comparable to those of some early hominins, which means their behavior might offer insights into those extinct hominins' lives. -- "Our previous research found that, compared to chimpanzees living in forests, Issa Valley chimpanzees spent just as much time moving in the trees," said Drummond-Clarke. "We wanted to test if something about how they foraged could explain their unexpectedly high arboreality. Savannah-mosaics are characterized by more sparsely distributed trees, so we hypothesized that adapting behavior to forage efficiently in a tree would be especially beneficial when the next tree is further away." -- Researchers monitored the adults of the Issa community during the dry season, watching how they foraged in trees and what they ate there. The size, height, and shape of the trees were recorded, as well as the number and size of branches. -- Issa chimpanzees mostly ate fruit, followed by leaves and flowers -- foods found at the ends of branches, so the chimpanzees needed to be capable climbers to reach them safely. They spent longer foraging in trees that were larger and offered more food. The longest foraging sessions, and the most specialized behaviors to navigate thinner terminal branches, were seen in trees with large open crowns offering lots of food: perhaps abundant food justified the extra time and effort. A similar trade-off between the nutritional benefits of specific foods and the effort of acquiring them could also explain why chimpanzees spent longer in trees while eating nutritionally-rich, hard-to-access seeds. -- Fast food -- Because they are relatively large, chimpanzees move within trees not by climbing on thin branches but by hanging under them, or standing upright and holding on to nearby branches with their hands. Although these 'safe' behaviors are traditionally associated with foraging in dense forest, these findings show they're also important for chimpanzees foraging in a savannah-mosaic. | 544 |
| How AI Is Supercharging Plant Immunity To Fight Deadly Bacteria | AI-Powered Plants Could Revolutionize Crop Resistance to Disease | Unlocking expanded flagellin perception through rational receptor engineering. | University of California - Davis | UC Davis researchers have harnessed artificial intelligence to enhance plant immune systems, enabling crops like tomatoes and potatoes to better defend against rapidly evolving bacterial threats. By reengineering plant receptors, the team improves recognition of diverse bacterial invaders, aiming to create more resilient crops. This innovative approach could revolutionize agricultural practices and help secure food production against the increasing challenges posed by bacterial diseases. | AI Helps Plants Outsmart BacteriaAI is giving plants a powerful immune boost, helping them fight back against bacterial threats that evolve too quickly for traditional defenses. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists at the University of California, Davis, used artificial intelligence to help plants recognize a wider range of bacterial threats -- which may lead to new ways to protect crops like tomatoes and potatoes from devastating diseases. The study was published in Nature Plants. -- Plants, like animals, have immune systems. Part of their defense toolkit includes immune receptors, which give them the ability to detect bacteria and defend against it. One of those receptors, called FLS2, helps plants recognize flagellin -- a protein in the tiny tails bacteria use to swim. But bacteria are sneaky and constantly evolving to avoid detection. -- "Bacteria are in an arms race with their plant hosts, and they can change the underlying amino acids in flagellin to evade detection," said lead author Gitta Coaker, professor in the Department of Plant Pathology. -- To help plants keep up, Coaker's team turned to using natural variation coupled with artificial intelligence -- specifically AlphaFold, a tool developed to predict the 3D shape of proteins and reengineered FLS2, essentially upgrading its immune system to catch more intruders. -- The team focused on receptors already known to recognize more bacteria, even if they weren't found in useful crop species. By comparing them with more narrowly focused receptors, the researchers were able to identify which amino acids to change. -- "We were able to resurrect a defeated receptor, one where the pathogen has won, and enable the plant to have a chance to resist infection in a much more targeted and precise way," Coaker said. -- Why it matters -- Coaker said this opens the door to developing broad-spectrum disease resistance in crops using predictive design. -- One of the researchers' targets is a major crop threat: Ralstonia solanacearum, the cause of bacterial wilt. Some strains of the soil-borne pathogen can infect more than 200 plant species, including staple crops like tomato and potato. | 545 |
| 400-Million-Year-Old Fish Exposes Big Mistake In How We Understood Evolution | Coelacanth Study Rewrites Understanding of Vertebrate Evolution | Coelacanths illuminate deep-time evolution of cranial musculature in jawed vertebrates. | Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo | A recent reexamination of coelacanth anatomy has corrected decades-long misconceptions about the evolutionary significance of certain skull musculature. This ancient fish, often dubbed a “living fossil,” has revealed that previously identified muscles were misclassified, necessitating a reevaluation of foundational assumptions regarding vertebrate evolution. The findings from this study present new insights into the evolutionary history of feeding and respiration, ultimately enriching our understanding of vertebrate lineage. | 400-Million-Year-Old Fish Exposes Big MistakeThis ancient fish just corrected a 70-year mistake in the story of how animals — and humans — evolved to breathe and eat. Credit: Shutterstock -- The coelacanth is known as a "living fossil" because its anatomy has changed little in the last 65 million years. Despite being one of the most studied fish in history, it continues to reveal new information that could transform our understanding of vertebrate evolution. This is revealed in a study published in the journal Science Advances by researchers from the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil and the Smithsonian Institution in the United States. -- Upon re-examining the cranial musculature of the African coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae), the authors discovered that only 13% of the previously identified evolutionary muscle novelties for the largest vertebrate lineages were accurate. The study also identified nine new evolutionary transformations related to innovations in feeding and respiration in these groups. -- "Ultimately, it's even more similar to cartilaginous fish [sharks, rays, and chimaeras] and tetrapods [birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles] than previously thought. And even more distinct from ray-finned fish, which make up about half of living vertebrates," says Aléssio Datovo, a professor at the Museum of Zoology (MZ) at USP supported by FAPESP, who led the study. -- Among the evolutionary novelties erroneously identified as present in coelacanths are muscles responsible for actively expanding the buccopharyngeal cavity, which extends from the mouth to the pharynx. This set of muscles is directly related to food capture and respiration. However, the study showed that these supposed muscles in coelacanths were actually ligaments, which are structures incapable of contraction. -- Ray-finned fish (actinopterygii) and lobe-finned fish (sarcopterygii) diverged from a common ancestor approximately 420 million years ago. The sarcopterygii include fish such as coelacanths and lungfish, as well as all other tetrapods, because they evolved from an aquatic ancestor. These include mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. -- In ray-finned fish, such as aquarium carp, it is easy to see how the mouth moves to suck in food. This ability gave actinopterygii a significant evolutionary advantage; today, they comprise about half of all living vertebrates. -- This is a fundamental difference from other fish, such as coelacanths and sharks, which primarily feed by biting their prey. -- "In previous studies, it was assumed that this set of muscles that would give greater suction capacity was also present in coelacanths and, therefore, would have evolved in the common ancestor of bony vertebrates, which we now show isn't true. This only appeared at least 30 million years later, in the common ancestor of living ray-finned fish," points out Datovo. -- Behind the scenes | 546 |
| Clockwork From Scratch: How Scientists Made Timekeeping Cells | Scientists Create Artificial Cells That Mimic Biological Clocks for Timekeeping | Reconstitution of circadian clock in synthetic cells reveals principles of timekeeping. | University of California - Merced | A research team at UC Merced has successfully engineered artificial cells that can keep precise time, mimicking biological circadian rhythms. By reconstructing essential clock machinery within tiny vesicles, these synthetic systems demonstrated rhythmic behavior for several days, providing insights into how biological clocks function amid molecular noise. This groundbreaking study could pave the way for advancements in synthetic biology and the development of timekeeping mechanisms in artificial systems. | How Scientists Made Timekeeping CellsA graphic depicts a clock and dots connected by a wavy line, indicating how cells tell time. Credit: UC Merced -- A team of UC Merced researchers has shown that tiny artificial cells can accurately keep time, mimicking the daily rhythms found in living organisms. Their findings shed light on how biological clocks stay on schedule despite the inherent molecular noise inside cells. -- The study, recently published in Nature Communications, was led by bioengineering Professor Anand Bala Subramaniam and chemistry and biochemistry Professor Andy LiWang. The first author, Alexander Zhang Tu Li, earned his Ph.D. in Subramaniam's lab. -- Biological clocks -- also known as circadian rhythms -- govern 24-hour cycles that regulate sleep, metabolism and other vital processes. To explore the mechanisms behind the circadian rhythms of cyanobacteria, the researchers reconstructed the clockwork in simplified, cell-like structures called vesicles. These vesicles were loaded with core clock proteins, one of which was tagged with a fluorescent marker. -- The artificial cells glowed in a regular 24-hour rhythm for at least four days. However, when the number of clock proteins was reduced or the vesicles were made smaller, the rhythmic glow stopped. The loss of rhythm followed a reproducible pattern. -- To explain these findings, the team built a computational model. The model revealed that clocks become more robust with higher concentrations of clock proteins, allowing thousands of vesicles to keep time reliably -- even when protein amounts vary slightly between vesicles. -- The model also suggested another component of the natural circadian system -- responsible for turning genes on and off -- does not play a major role in maintaining individual clocks but is essential for synchronizing clock timing across a population. -- The researchers also noted that some clock proteins tend to stick to the walls of the vesicles, meaning a high total protein count is necessary to maintain proper function. -- "This study shows that we can dissect and understand the core principles of biological timekeeping using simplified, synthetic systems," Subramaniam said. -- The work led by Subramaniam and LiWang advances the methodology for studying biological clocks, said Mingxu Fang, a microbiology professor at Ohio State University and an expert in circadian clocks. | 547 |
| Digital Twins Are Reinventing Clean Energy — But There’s A Catch | AI Digital Twins Show Promise for Advancing Clean Energy Solutions | Harnessing the future: Exploring digital twin applications and implications in renewable energy. | University of Sharjah | Researchers are exploring AI-powered digital twins as a revolutionary tool to enhance clean energy systems. These digital models simulate various energy sources, such as wind and solar, optimizing their efficiency and sustainability. However, the study acknowledges ongoing challenges with data scarcity and environmental variability that must be addressed to fully realize the potential of digital twins in accelerating the global transition to cleaner energy solutions. | Digital Twins Are Reinventing Clean EnergyDigital twin of an oil rig. Credit: CC BY-SA 4.0 -- As the world grapples with the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change, researchers at the University of Sharjah are turning to a cutting-edge technology that could reshape the future of energy: AI-powered digital twins. -- According to the researchers, these digital replicas of the physical world have the potential to transform the generation, management, and optimization of energy across diverse clean energy platforms, accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels, which environmental scientists associate with global warming. -- Digital twins' ability to replicate and interact with complex systems has made them a cornerstone of innovation across industries, driving improvements in efficiency, cost reduction, and the development of novel solutions. -- However, the scientists caution that current digital twin models still face notable limitations that restrict their full potential in harnessing energy from sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and biomass. -- "Digital twins are highly effective in optimizing renewable energy systems," the researchers write in the journal Energy Nexus. "Yet, each energy source presents unique challenges -- ranging from data variability and environmental conditions to system complexity -- that can limit the performance of digital twin technologies, despite their considerable promise in improving energy generation and management." -- In their study, the authors conducted an extensive review of existing literature on the application of digital twins in renewable energy systems. They examined various contexts, functions, lifecycles, and architectural frameworks to understand how digital twins are currently being utilized and where gaps remain. -- To extract meaningful insights, the researchers employed advanced text mining techniques, leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. This scientifically rigorous approach enabled them to analyze large volumes of raw data and uncover structured patterns, concepts, and emerging trends. -- From this in-depth analysis, the authors drew several key conclusions. They identified research gaps, proposed new directions, and outlined the challenges that must be addressed to fully harness the potential of digital twin technology in the renewable energy sector. -- Following a detailed discussion on the integration of digital twins across various renewable energy applications, the authors summarized their most significant findings across five major energy sources: wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and biomass. Each source presents unique opportunities and challenges, and the study offers a comprehensive overview of how digital twins can be tailored to optimize performance in each domain. | 548 |
| Deep-Sea Fish Just Changed What We Know About Earth’s Carbon Cycle | Deep-Sea Fish Play Crucial Role in Carbon Cycling, New Research Shows | Osmoregulation by the gastro-intestinal tract of marine fish at depth – implications for the global carbon cycle. | University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science | A new study reveals the underappreciated role of mesopelagic fish in marine carbon cycling, demonstrating that they excrete carbonate minerals similarly to shallow-water species. This research, conducted on the blackbelly rosefish, broadens our understanding of fish contributions to the ocean's carbon dynamics and could influence global carbon cycle models. By highlighting the significance of deep-sea fish in regulating ocean chemistry, the findings open avenues for future research in climate science. | Deep-Sea Fish Change Carbon ScienceResearchers proved deep-sea fish excrete carbonates like shallow ones, validating their key role in Earth’s carbon cycle. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study offers the first direct evidence that deep-dwelling mesopelagic fish, which account for up to 94 percent of global fish biomass, excrete carbonate minerals at rates comparable to shallow-water species. The findings validate previous global models suggesting that marine fish are major contributors to biogenic carbonate production in the ocean. -- Scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science studied the blackbelly rosefish (Helicolenus dactylopterus), a deep-sea species living at depths of 350-430 meters (1,148-1,410 feet), to determine whether it forms and excretes intestinal carbonate -- known as ichthyocarbonate. This physiological process, common among marine fish, helps maintain internal salt and water balance in saline environments and plays a critical role in marine carbon cycling. -- "Mesopelagic fish live in deep, cold, high-pressure environments, and until now, it was unclear if they produced carbonate like shallow water fish do -- or at what rate," Martin Grosell, the lead author of the study and chair of the Department of Marine Biology and Ecology at the Rosenstiel School, said. "This study is the first to confirm that they do and that the mechanisms and characteristics of ichthyocarbonate formation are remarkably consistent across depths." -- The blackbelly rosefish was an ideal model. Unlike many mesopelagic species, it lacks a swim bladder and can survive both capture and lab acclimation. Researchers maintained specimens at 6 degrees Celsius, replicating their natural habitat, and found they excreted approximately 5 milligrams of ichthyocarbonate per kilogram per hour, aligning with predictions from thermal and metabolic scaling models. -- "This research fills a major gap in our understanding of ocean chemistry and carbon cycling," Amanda Oehlert, co-author and assistant professor in the Department of Marine Geosciences, said. "With mesopelagic fish playing such a significant role, their contribution to carbonate flux -- and how it might change with warming oceans -- deserves greater attention." -- Key findings include: -- Deep-sea blackbelly rosefish produce carbonate at rates and compositions comparable to shallower fish, confirming that depth and pressure do not inhibit ichthyocarbonate formation. -- These results strengthen global estimates of fish-derived carbonate production, confirming that mesopelagic fish are substantial contributors to the ocean's carbonate budget. -- Ichthyocarbonate composition is similar regardless of the depth at which it forms, which influences how and where it is stored or dissolved in the ocean. | 549 |
| Satellites Just Revealed A Hidden Global Water Crisis—And It’s Worse Than Melting Ice | Satellite Data Reveals Alarming Global Groundwater Crisis and Its Impact | Unprecedented continental drying, shrinking freshwater availability, and increasing land contributions to sea level rise. | Arizona State University | Satellite data reveals a severe freshwater crisis as Earth's continents face unprecedented drying due to climate change, groundwater overuse, and extreme droughts. A study identifies four mega-drying regions in the northern hemisphere, significantly affecting water security and contributing to rising sea levels. The findings underscore the urgent need for global water management policies, as 75% of the world's population lives in regions experiencing freshwater loss, potentially leading to catastrophic shortages. | Satellites Reveal a Hidden Global Water CrisisEarth’s continents have experienced unprecedented freshwater loss since 2002, driven by climate change, unsustainable groundwater use and extreme droughts. A new Arizona State University-led study highlights the emergence of four continental-scale “mega-drying” regions, all located in the northern hemisphere, with staggering implications for freshwater availability. Credit: Sophia Franz -- New findings from studying over two decades of satellite observations reveal that the Earth's continents have experienced unprecedented freshwater loss since 2002, driven by climate change, unsustainable groundwater use and extreme droughts. The study, led by Arizona State University and published on July 25 in Science Advances, highlights the emergence of four continental-scale "mega-drying" regions, all located in the northern hemisphere, and warns of severe consequences for water security, agriculture, sea level rise and global stability. -- The research team reports that drying areas on land are expanding at a rate roughly twice the size of California every year. And, the rate at which dry areas are getting drier now outpaces the rate at which wet areas are getting wetter, reversing long-standing hydrological patterns. -- The negative implications of this for available freshwater are staggering. 75% of the world's population lives in 101 countries that have been losing freshwater for the past 22 years. According to the United Nations, the world's population is expected to continue to grow for the next 50 to 60 years -- at the same time the availability of freshwater is dramatically shrinking. -- The researchers identified the type of water loss on land, and for the first time, found that 68% came from groundwater alone -- contributing more to sea level rise than the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets combined. -- "These findings send perhaps the most alarming message yet about the impact of climate change on our water resources," said Jay Famiglietti, the study's principal investigator and a Global Futures Professor with the ASU School of Sustainability. "Continents are drying, freshwater availability is shrinking, and sea level rise is accelerating. The consequences of continued groundwater overuse could undermine food and water security for billions of people around the world. This is an 'all-hands-on-deck' moment -- we need immediate action on global water security." -- The researchers evaluated more than two decades of data from the US-German Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE-Follow On (GRACE-FO) missions, looking at how and why terrestrial water storage has changed since 2002. Terrestrial water storage includes all of Earth's surface and vegetation water, soil moisture, ice, snow, and groundwater stored on land. -- "It is striking how much non-renewable water we are losing," said Hrishikesh A. Chandanpurkar, lead author of the study and a research scientist for ASU. "Glaciers and deep groundwater are sort of ancient trust funds. Instead of using them only in times of need such as a prolonged drought, we are taking them for granted. Also, we are not trying to replenish the groundwater systems during wet years and thus edging towards an imminent freshwater bankruptcy." -- Tipping point and worsening continental drying -- The study identified what seems to be a tipping point around 2014-15 during a time considered "mega El-Niño" years. Climate extremes began accelerating and in response, groundwater use increased and continental drying exceeded the rates of glacier and ice sheet melting. | 550 |
| Baby Pterosaurs Died In Ancient Storms—And Their Fossils Reveal The Truth | Tiny Pterosaur Fossils Reveal Storms As Cause Of Death In Ancient Creatures | Fatal accidents in neonatal pterosaurs and selective sampling in the Solnhofen fossil assemblage. | University of Leicester | Scientists at the University of Leicester have made a remarkable discovery regarding two ancient pterosaur fossils, revealing that they died due to violent storms rather than predation. The preserved hatchlings, with broken wings consistent with being tossed by powerful winds, provide insights into the conditions of their era, shedding light on the factors influencing fossil preservation. | Baby Pterosaurs Died in Ancient StormsAn artist’s impression of a tiny Pterodactylus hatchling struggling against a raging tropical storm, inspired by fossil discoveries. Credit: Artwork by Rudolf Hima -- The cause of death for two baby pterosaurs has been revealed by University of Leicester paleontologists in a post-mortem 150 million years in the making. -- Detailed in a new study in the journal Current Biology, their findings show how these flying reptiles were tragically struck down by powerful storms that also created the ideal conditions to preserve them and hundreds more fossils like them. -- The Mesozoic, or age of reptiles, is often imagined as a time of giants. Towering dinosaurs, monstrous marine reptiles, and vast-winged pterosaurs dominate museum halls and the public consciousness. But this familiar picture is skewed. Just as today's ecosystems are mostly populated by small animals, so too were ancient ones. The difference? Fossilization tends to favor the largest and the most robust organisms. Small, fragile creatures rarely make it into the paleontological record. -- On rare occasions, however, nature conspires to preserve the delicate and the diminutive inhabitants of these lost worlds. One of the most famous examples is the 150-million-year-old Solnhofen Limestones of southern Germany. These lagoonal deposits are renowned for their exquisitely preserved fossils, including many specimens of pterosaurs, the flying reptiles of the Mesozoic. -- Yet here lies a mystery: while Solnhofen has yielded hundreds of pterosaur fossils, nearly all are very small, very young individuals, perfectly preserved. By contrast, larger, adult pterosaurs are rarely found, and when they are, they're represented only by fragments (often isolated skulls or limbs). This pattern runs counter to expectations: larger, more robust animals should stand a better chance of fossilization than delicate juveniles. -- Lead author of the study Rab Smyth, from the University of Leicester's Centre for Palaeobiology and Biosphere Evolution, was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council through the CENTA Doctoral Training Partnership -- Rab said: "Pterosaurs had incredibly lightweight skeletons. Hollow, thin-walled bones are ideal for flight but terrible for fossilization. The odds of preserving one are already slim and finding a fossil that tells you how the animal died is even rarer." -- The discovery of two baby pterosaurs with broken wings has helped to solve this mystery. These tiny fossils, though easily overlooked, are powerful evidence of ancient tropical storms and how they shaped the fossil record. -- Ironically nicknamed Lucky and Lucky II by the researchers, the two individuals belong to Pterodactylus, the first pterosaur ever scientifically named. With wingspans of less than 20 cm (8 inches) these hatchlings are among the smallest of all known pterosaurs. Their skeletons are complete, articulated and virtually unchanged from when they died. Except for one detail. Both show the same unusual injury: a clean, slanted fracture to the humerus. Lucky's left wing and Lucky II's right wing were both broken in a way that suggests a powerful twisting force, likely the result of powerful gusts of wind rather than a collision with a hard surface. | 551 |
| Ghost Sharks Grow Teeth On Their Heads To Mate | Ghost Sharks Develop Teeth On Forehead For Unique Mating Strategy | Teeth outside the jaw: Evolution and development of the toothed head clasper in chimaeras. | University of Florida | Ghost sharks possess a unique adaptation: a forehead rod lined with rows of true teeth, which serve a significant role in mating. This remarkable evolutionary trait, recently studied, underscores how biological tools can be repurposed over time. The research reveals a fascinating insight into the adaptability of ghost sharks, showcasing their surprising reproductive strategies. | Ghost Sharks Grow Teeth on Their Heads to MateCT (computed tomography) scan of the adult male Spotted Ratfish frontal clasper (Tenaculum) covered in rows of teeth (rainbow colors). Credit: Specimen scanned by Karly Cohen; rendering and image by Ella Nicklin -- Male "ghost sharks" -- eerie deep-sea fish known as chimaeras that are related to sharks and rays -- have a strange rod jutting from their foreheads, studded with sharp, retractable teeth. New research reveals these are not merely lookalikes, but real rows of teeth that grow outside the mouth. -- What's more, the toothy appendage is likely used for mating. Found only in males, the forehead rod -- called a tenaculum -- is the ghost sharks' only source of distinct teeth, and it seems to be used to grasp females in much the same way sharks use their toothy mouths in mating. -- "If these strange chimaeras are sticking teeth on the front of their head, it makes you think about the dynamism of tooth development more generally," said Gareth Fraser, Ph.D., a professor of biology at the University of Florida and senior author of the study. "If chimaeras can make a set of teeth outside the mouth, where else might we find teeth?" -- The team, including scientists from the University of Washington and the University of Chicago, studied both fossils and living specimens to solve the mystery. A 315-million-year-old fossil showed the tenaculum attached to the upper jaw, bearing teeth incredibly similar to those in the mouth. Modern chimaeras collected from Puget Sound revealed the same tooth-growing process on the head, seen in modern-day shark jaws. And genetic testing confirmed they expressed the same tooth-specific genes as oral teeth. -- "What we found is that the teeth on this strange appendage look very much like rows of shark teeth. The ability to make teeth transferred onto that appendage, likely from the mouth," Fraser said. "Over time, the tenaculum shortened but retained the ability to make oral teeth on this forehead appendage." -- Fraser collaborated with Washington's Karly Cohen, Ph.D., and Michael Coates, Ph.D., from Chicago on the study, which was published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. -- As experts in shark evolution and anatomy, the scientists were intrigued by these tooth-filled rods sprouting from the ghost shark foreheads. The central mystery: Is the tenaculum covered in true teeth related to oral teeth or more similar to the tooth-like scales plastering the skin of sharks and some ghost sharks? -- CT scans of the fossils and modern chimaeras gave the scientists unprecedented, detailed insights into the development of the tenaculum teeth, which looked remarkably similar to the teeth of today's sharks. The nail in the coffin came from genetic evidence. The tenaculum teeth express genes found only in true teeth, never in shark skin denticles. -- "What I think is very neat about this project is that it provides a beautiful example of evolutionary tinkering or 'bricolage,'" said Coates, a professor of biology at the University of Chicago. "We have a combination of experimental data with paleontological evidence to show how these fishes co-opted a preexisting program for manufacturing teeth to make a new device that is essential for reproduction." | 552 |
| Earth’s Inner Core Exists Only Because Of Carbon | Carbon's Role In Solidifying Earth's Core Stabilizes Our Planet's Magnetic Field | Constraining Earth’s core composition from inner core nucleation. | University of Oxford | A study has identified carbon as a crucial element that allowed Earth’s molten core to solidify, creating a stable magnetic field essential for protecting life on the planet. This groundbreaking discovery highlights the role of carbon in the crystallization of the core, providing new insights into Earth's inner workings and its geological history. | Earth’s Inner Core Exists Only Because of CarbonCartoon of the Earth with cutaway showing the mantle and inner and outer core. Magnetic field lines produced by the geodynamo extend into space and interact with the solar wind. -- A new study by researchers at the University of Oxford, University of Leeds, and University College London has identified a new constraint on the chemistry of Earth's core, by showing how it was able to crystallize millions of years ago. The study was published today (September 4) in Nature Communications. -- The researchers showed that the core would need to be made of 3.8% carbon for it to have begun crystallizing. This result indicates that carbon may be more abundant in Earth's core than previously thought, and that this element could have played a key role in how it froze, offering a rare glimpse into the processes occurring at the heart of our planet. -- Earth's inner core, the solid iron-rich mass at the center of our planet, is slowly growing as the surrounding molten outer core cools and freezes. But this process has been a source of debate amongst scientists for decades. -- Inner core formation is not just a matter of determining when the core cooled to its freezing point, but instead involves the process of crystallization which depends on its exact chemical composition. Like water droplets in clouds, which can cool to -30 °C before forming hail, molten iron must be supercooled (cooled to below its melting point) before it can freeze. -- Previous calculations have suggested that 800-1000 °C of supercooling would be needed to initiate freezing of the core if it were made of pure iron. -- However, if the core is supercooled to this degree, researchers have shown that the inner core would grow massively, and the Earth's magnetic field would fail. But neither of these outcomes have occurred during our planet's history. Instead, scientists believe that in the past, the core could have cooled to no more than about 250 °C below its melting point. -- This new research aimed to understand how the inner core exists as observed today with such limited supercooling in the past. Without direct access to the Earth's deep interior, the research team needed to rely on computer simulations of the freezing process. -- They looked at the presence of other elements, specifically silicon, sulphur, oxygen, and carbon, and how these might affect the freezing process. -- "Each of these elements exist in the overlying mantle and could therefore have been dissolved into the core during Earth's history," explained co-author Associate Professor Andrew Walker (Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford). "As a result, these could explain why we have a solid inner core with relatively little supercooling at this depth. The presence of one or more of these elements could also rationalise why the core is less dense than pure iron, a key observation from seismology." | 553 |
| Fossil Reveals A 310-Million-Year-Old Fish That Ate With A Hidden Second Jaw | Ancient Fish Fossil Shows Rapid Evolution Of Feeding Strategies After Mass Extinction | Tongue-bite apparatus highlights functional innovation in a 310-million-year-old ray-finned fish. | University of Birmingham | Researchers have discovered a 310-million-year-old fish fossil with a unique adaptation—a “tongue bite” mechanism, showcasing how ancient fish evolved innovative feeding strategies. This finding reveals that these fish had additional teeth in their mouths, offering insights into the rapid evolutionary changes that occurred after mass extinctions and enhancing our understanding of prehistoric ecosystems. | 310-Million-Year-Old Fish Had a Secret JawFossils over 300 million years old reveal the evolution of a tongue bite in an ancient group of deep-bodied ray-finned fishes, such as Platysomus parvulus. Credit: Joschua Knüppe -- Experts have uncovered the earliest known example of a fish with extra teeth deep inside its mouth – a 310-million-year-old fossilized ray-finned fish that evolved a unique way of devouring prey. -- Platysomus parvulus had a unique way of eating never seen in ray-finned fish from that time – a ‘tongue bite’, using a special set of teeth on the floor and roof of the mouth to help it crush and chew tough food like shells or insects. -- Most fish today use their jaws to bite and chew, but some also have tongue bites, which work like a second set of jaws. Until now, the oldest known fish with such a dental arrangement lived about 150 million years later -- Publishing their findings on September in Biology Letters, the international research team used high-resolution CT scanning to reconstruct the internal anatomy of the fossil, which was discovered in Carboniferous rock formations in the UK county of Staffordshire. -- Supported by the Royal Society, the National Science Foundation, and the Natural Environment Research Council, the researchers discovered a sophisticated arrangement of tooth plates on the roof of the fish’s mouth and the gill skeleton. -- Lead author Professor Sam Giles, from the University of Birmingham, commented: “Our discovery helps us understand how fish evolved after the End-Devonian Mass Extinction, which wiped out many species. After this extinction event, fish started to change and develop new body shapes and ways of feeding. -- “Tongue bites have evolved many times in different fish groups - including in modern ones such as trout and bonefish, demonstrating that it is a useful tool that helps fish eat a wider variety of food and survive in different environments.” -- The tongue bite mechanism involves opposing sets of teeth—one on the roof of the mouth and another on the gill skeleton—that work together to grip and crush prey. -- The Platysomus fossil studied is uniquely preserved in 3D, allowing researchers to peer inside its mouth and digitally dissect its anatomy. This reveals a multi-part lower tooth plate and narrow upper plate, both bearing a single layer of pointed teeth—suggesting a transitional stage in the evolution of more advanced tongue bite systems seen in later fish like Bobasatrania. | 554 |
| A Tiny Embryo Fold Changed The Course Of Evolution | Tiny Tissue Fold In Fly Embryos Plays Critical Role In Development | Patterned invagination prevents mechanical instability during gastrulation. | Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) | A small tissue fold in fruit fly embryos, previously considered insignificant, has been found to play a critical role in buffering mechanical stresses during development. Researchers have shown that this fold, known as the cephalic furrow, stabilizes tissues, suggesting that mechanical forces can drive the evolution of new developmental features in organisms. | A Tiny Embryo Fold Changed EvolutionGene expression in a Drosophila melanogaster embryo. Nuclei are shown in gray, and the colors represent where the genes slp1 (cyan), btd (magenta), and eve (yellow) are expressed. Credit: Bruno C. Vellutini / MPI-CBG / Nature (2025) -- To the point: -- Small fold - big role: A tissue fold known as the cephalic furrow, an evolutionary novelty that forms between the head and the trunk of fly embryos, plays a mechanical role in stabilizing embryonic tissues during the development of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. -- Combining theory and experiment: Researchers integrated computer simulations with their experiments and showed that the timing and position of cephalic furrow formation are crucial for its function, preventing mechanical instabilities in the embryonic tissues. -- Evolutionary response to mechanical stress: The increased mechanical instability caused by embryonic tissue movements may have contributed to the origin and evolution of the cephalic furrow genetic program. This shows that mechanical forces can shape the evolution of new developmental features. -- Mechanical forces shape tissues and organs during the development of an embryo through a process called morphogenesis. These forces cause tissues to push and pull on each other, providing essential information to cells and determining the shape of organs. Despite the importance of these forces, their role in the evolution of development is still not well understood. -- Animal embryos undergo tissue flows and folding processes, involving mechanical forces, that transform a single-layered blastula (a hollow sphere of cells) into a complex multi-layered structure known as the gastrula. During early gastrulation, some flies of the order Diptera form a tissue fold at the head-trunk boundary called the cephalic furrow. This fold is a specific feature of a subgroup of Diptera and is therefore an evolutionary novelty of flies. -- The research groups of Pavel Tomancak and Carl Modes, both group leaders at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, Germany, looked into the function of the cephalic furrow during the development of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the potential connection with its evolution. The results of their investigation are published in the journal Nature. -- A genetically patterned fold with unknown function -- The researchers knew that several genes are involved in the formation of the cephalic furrow. The cephalic furrow is especially interesting because it is a prominent embryonic invagination whose formation is controlled by genes, but that has no obvious function during development. The fold does not give rise to specific structures and, later in development, it simply unfolds, leaving no trace. Bruno C. Vellutini, a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Pavel Tomancak, who led the study together with Tomancak, explains, "Our original question was to uncover the genes involved in cephalic furrow formation and the developmental role of the invagination. Later on, we broadened our investigations to other fly species and found that changes in the expression of the gene buttonhead are associated with the evolution of the cephalic furrow." | 555 |
| Woolly Mammoth Teeth Reveal The World’s Oldest Microbial DNA | Woolly Mammoth Teeth Unveil The Oldest Microbial DNA Ever Discovered | Ancient host-associated microbes obtained from mammoth remains. | Stockholm University | A groundbreaking study has uncovered microbial DNA embedded in ancient mammoth remains, dating back over a million years. This research not only reveals the oldest host-associated microbial DNA but also identifies bacterial lineages that may have affected mammoths’ health and survival, offering profound insights into the interplay between ancient microbes and megafauna. | Million-Year-Old Mammoth Tooth Reveals SecretsMammoth tooth. Credit: Love Dalén -- An international team led by researchers at the Centre for Palaeogenetics, has uncovered microbial DNA preserved in woolly and steppe mammoth remains dating back more than one million years. The analyses reveal some of the world's oldest microbial DNA ever recovered, as well as the identification of bacteria that possibly caused disease in mammoths. The findings are published in Cell. -- Researchers at the Centre for Palaeogenetics, a collaboration between Stockholm University and the Swedish Museum of Natural History, analyzed microbial DNA from 483 mammoth specimens, of which 440 were sequenced for the first time. Among them was a steppe mammoth that lived about 1.1 million years ago. Using advanced genomic and bioinformatic techniques, the team distinguished microbes that once lived alongside the mammoths from those that invaded their remains after death. -- "Imagine holding a million-year-old mammoth tooth. What if I told you it still carries traces of the ancient microbes that lived together with this mammoth? Our results push the study of microbial DNA back beyond a million years, opening up new possibilities to explore how host-associated microbes evolved in parallel with their hosts," says Benjamin Guinet, a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Palaeogenetics and lead author of the study. -- Six microbial clades persisted across time and space -- The analyses identified six microbial groups consistently associated with mammoth hosts, including relatives of Actinobacillus, Pasteurella, Streptococcus, and Erysipelothrix. Some of these microbes may have been pathogenic. For instance, one Pasteurella-related bacterium identified in the study is closely related to a pathogen that has caused fatal outbreaks in African elephants. Since African and Asian elephants are the closest living relatives of mammoths, these findings raise questions about whether mammoths may also have been vulnerable to similar infections. -- Remarkably, the team reconstructed partial genomes of Erysipelothrix from a 1.1-million-year-old steppe mammoth, representing the oldest known host-associated microbial DNA ever recovered. This pushes the limits of what researchers can learn about the interactions between ancient hosts and their microbiomes. -- "As microbes evolve fast, obtaining reliable DNA data across more than a million years was like following a trail that kept rewriting itself. Our findings show that ancient remains can preserve biological insights far beyond the host genome, offering us perspectives on how microbes influenced adaptation, disease, and extinction in Pleistocene ecosystems," says Tom van der Valk, senior author and researcher at the Centre for Palaeogenetics. -- A new window into ancient ecosystems -- Although the exact impact of the identified microbes on mammoth health is difficult to determine due to DNA degradation and limited comparative data, the study provides an unprecedented glimpse into the microbiomes of extinct megafauna. The results suggest that some microbial lineages coexisted with mammoths for hundreds of thousands of years, spanning both wide geographic ranges and evolutionary timescales, from over one million years ago to the extinction of woolly mammoths on Wrangel Island about 4,000 years ago. | 556 |
| Protected Seas Help Kelp Forests Bounce Back From Heatwaves | Marine Protected Areas Enhance Kelp Forest Resilience After Marine Heatwaves | Marine protected areas enhance climate resilience to severe marine heatwaves for kelp forests. | British Ecological Society | Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been shown to enhance the recovery of kelp forests after marine heatwaves, according to new research from UCLA. While the overall impact of MPAs on kelp cover was modest, the study highlights their crucial role in speeding up recovery, particularly in southern California, emphasizing the importance of local protections against climate impacts. | Protected Seas Help Kelp Forests Bounce BackMarine Protected Areas give kelp forests a recovery edge after heatwaves, showing that local protections can buffer global climate pressures. Credit: Shutterstock -- New research finds that Marine Protected Areas can boost the recovery of globally important kelp forests following marine heatwaves. The findings are published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology. -- Using four decades of satellite images, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers have looked at impacts Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are having on kelp forests along the coast of California. -- They found that although the overall effect of MPAs on kelp forest cover was modest, the benefits became clear in the aftermath of marine heatwaves in 2014-2016, when kelp forests within MPAs were able recover more quickly, particularly in southern California. -- "We found that kelp forests inside MPAs showed better recovery after a major climate disturbance compared to similar unprotected areas." Explained Emelly Ortiz-Villa, lead author of the study and a PhD researcher at UCLA Department of Geography. -- "Places where fishing is restricted and important predators like lobsters and sheephead are protected saw stronger kelp regrowth. This suggests that MPAs can support ecosystem resilience to climate events like marine heatwaves." -- Professor Rick Stafford, Chair of the British Ecological Society Policy Committee, who was not involved in the study said: "It's great to see these results and they clearly show that local action to protect biodiversity and ecosystem function can help prevent changes caused by global pressures such as climate change. -- "However, it also demonstrates the need for effective MPAs. In this study, all the MPAs examined regulated fishing activity, and this is not the case for many sites which are designated as MPAs worldwide - including many in the UK." -- Kelp forests: a globally important and threatened ecosystem -- Kelp forests our found around coastlines all over the world, particularly in cool, temperate waters such as the pacific coast of North America, The UK, South Africa, and Australia. | 557 |
| This Is Where Tree Planting Has The Biggest Climate Impact | Tree Planting Locations Matter Most For Climate Cooling And Fire Risk Reduction | Climate effects of a future net forestation scenario in CMIP6 models. | University of California - Riverside | A recent study indicates that tree planting can significantly cool the planet, especially when carried out in tropical regions. Researchers have found that tropical trees grow year-round and provide robust climate benefits, absorbing carbon dioxide and cooling the air, underscoring the importance of targeted tree-planting efforts to combat climate change effectively. | Where Tree Planting Has the Biggest ImpactTropical trees offer the strongest climate benefits, cooling the air and absorbing carbon dioxide while helping suppress fires. Credit: Shutterstock -- More trees will cool the climate and suppress fires, but mainly if planted in the tropics, according to a new UC Riverside study. -- The study, published in npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, found that tree planting is generally a net positive for the climate because it helps pull warming carbon out of the atmosphere. However, local effects on temperature not related to carbon varied significantly by region. At higher latitudes, trees could have a slight heating effect, while the opposite is true in the tropics. -- "Our study found more cooling from planting in warm, wet regions, where trees grow year-round. Tropical trees not only pull carbon dioxide from the air, they also cool while releasing water vapor," said study first author and UCR graduate student James Gomez. "It's not that planting elsewhere doesn't help - it does - but the tropics offer the strongest returns per tree." -- These findings mirror the results of an earlier UCR study that shows planting trees could cool the surface of the planet even more than previously expected. While that study factored in the chemical effects of trees interacting with the atmosphere, this study places more emphasis on understanding the physical effects of tree planting. -- These effects include "tree sweating," or evapotranspiration. Tree roots pull water from the soil, which then travels up through the trunk and into the leaves. When pores in the leaves open up so the tree can take in carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, some of the water in the leaves evaporates into the air. This process cools the air on Earth's surface and cools the tree, too. -- "It's just like the way sweating cools your body," Gomez said. "In the tropics, there is constantly water available for trees, and that increases transpiration." -- Trees can also reduce the amount of sunlight that reaches the planet's surface. As they give off water vapor, the air can become more humid. More humidity can mean more clouds, and water vapor itself can soak up some sun. Both of these effects reduce the amount of sun that reaches the ground, giving a cooling effect. -- The physical effects of the added trees yield weak global mean cooling of 0.01° F, although this cooling does become significant in the tropics at about 0.1° F, with some tropical regions like central Africa experiencing cooling up to 0.8° F. -- Accounting for the carbon sequestration of the added trees, which here are approximated offline, is expected to amplify these cooling effects by about 0.15° F globally. The researchers note that better estimates of the carbon sequestration effects will be explored in a future study, where both the physical and carbon cycle effects of establishing new forests are interactively simulated. | 558 |
| Scientists Reveal How Just Two Human Decisions Rewired The Great Salt Lake Forever | Human Actions Have Permanently Altered The Great Salt Lake’s Ecosystem | Multi‐Millennial Context for Post‐Colonial Hydroecological Change in Great Salt Lake. | University of Utah | Research analyzing carbon and oxygen isotopes has revealed profound human impact on the Great Salt Lake's ecosystem due to agriculture and railroad construction. This study indicates that the lake's water chemistry has shifted dramatically over the last two centuries, illustrating how human activities have disrupted a balance that had remained stable for thousands of years. | Two Human Decisions Rewired the Great Salt LakeThe view of Great Salt Lake's North Arm from Gunnison Island, which has long served as a nesting ground for pelicans. Credit: Brian Maffly, University of Utah -- Over the past 8,000 years, Utah's Great Salt Lake has been sensitive to changes in climate and water inflow. Now, new sediment isotope data indicate that human activity over the past 200 years has pushed the lake into a biogeochemical state not seen for at least 2,000 years. -- A University of Utah geoscientist applied isotope analysis to sediments recovered from the lake's bed to characterize changes to the lake and its surrounding watershed back to the time the lake took its current shape from the vast freshwater Lake Bonneville that once covered much of northern Utah. -- "Lakes are great integrators. They're a point of focus for water, for sediments, and also for carbon and nutrients," said Gabriel Bowen, a professor and chairman of the Department of Geology & Geophysics. "We can go to lakes like this and look at their sediments and they tell us a lot about the surrounding landscape." -- Sedimentary records provide context for ongoing changes in terminal saline lakes, which support fragile, yet vital ecosystems, and may help define targets for their management, according to Bowen's new study, published last month in Geophysical Research Letters. -- This research helps fill critical gaps in the lake's geological and hydrological records, coming at a time when the drought-depleted level of the terminal body has been hovering near its historic low. -- "We have all these great observations, so much monitoring, so much information and interest in what's happening today. We also have a legacy of people looking at the huge changes in the lake that happened over tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of years," Bowen said. "What we've been missing is the scale in the middle." -- That is the time spanning the first arrival of white settlers in Utah but after Lake Bonneville receded to become Great Salt Lake. -- By analyzing oxygen and carbon isotopes preserved in lake sediments, the study reconstructs the lake's water and carbon budgets through time. Two distinct, human-driven shifts stand out: -- Mid-19th century - Coinciding with Mormon settlement in 1847, irrigation rapidly greened the landscape around the lake, increasing the flow of organic matter into the lake and altering its carbon cycle. | 559 |
| NASA’s X-Ray Telescope Finds Bizarre Features In A Cosmic Hand | NASA's X-ray Telescope Reveals Intriguing Features In The “Hand Of God” Pulsar | High-resolution Radio Study of Pulsar Wind Nebula MSH 15–52 and Supernova Remnant RCW 89. | Stockholm University | Astronomers have combined X-ray and radio data to study the "Hand of God" pulsar B1509-58, revealing intricate structures in the surrounding nebula. This research uncovers surprising cosmic features and deepens our understanding of pulsars and their environments, offering new insights into the life cycles of stars and the dynamics of nebulae. | Bizarre Features in a Cosmic HandNear the center of these images lies the pulsar B1509-58, a rapidly spinning neutron star that is only about 12 miles in diameter. This tiny object is responsible for producing an intricate nebula (called MSH 15-52) that spans over 150 light-years, or about 900 trillion miles. The nebula, which is produced by energetic particles, resembles a human hand with a palm and extended fingers pointing to the upper right in Chandra’s X-ray view. Radio data from ATCA provides new information about this exploded star and its environment. This image also contains optical data of hydrogen gas. The bright red and gold areas near the top of the image show the remains of the supernova that formed the pulsar. Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Hong Kong/S. Zhang et al.; Radio: ATNF/CSIRO/ATCA; H-alpha: UK STFC/Royal Observatory Edinburgh; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk -- In 2009, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory released a captivating image: a pulsar and its surrounding nebula that is shaped like a hand. -- X-rays from Chandra have been combined with radio data obtained by the Australian Telescope Compact Array to reveal new structures. -- At the center of this image is a pulsar, a rapidly spinning neutron star, which is responsible for creating the nebula. -- This system was created when a massive star collapsed and exploded after it burned through its sustainable nuclear fuel. -- In 2009, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory released a captivating image: a pulsar and its surrounding nebula that is shaped like a hand. -- Since then, astronomers have used Chandra and other telescopes to continue to observe this object. Now, new radio data from the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), has been combined with Chandra's X-ray data to provide a fresh view of this exploded star and its environment, to help understand its peculiar properties and shape. -- At the center of this new image lies the pulsar B1509-58, a rapidly spinning neutron star that is only about 12 miles in diameter. This tiny object is responsible for producing an intricate nebula (called MSH 15-52) that spans over 150 light-years, or about 900 trillion miles. The nebula, which is produced by energetic particles, resembles a human hand with a palm and extended fingers pointing to the upper right in X-rays. -- The collapse of a massive star created the pulsar when much of the star crashed inward once it burned through its sustainable nuclear fuel. An ensuing explosion sent the star's outer layers outward into space as a supernova. -- The pulsar spins around almost seven times every second and has a strong magnetic field, about 15 trillion times stronger than the Earth's. The rapid rotation and strong magnetic field make B1509-58 one of the most powerful electromagnetic generators in the Galaxy, enabling it to drive an energetic wind of electrons and other particles away from the pulsar, creating the nebula. | 560 |
| Astronomers Stunned As James Webb Finds A Planet Nursery Flooded With Carbon Dioxide | Planet-Forming Disk Rich In Carbon Dioxide Discovered, Challenging Traditional Planetary Chemistry Theories | XUE: The CO2-rich terrestrial planet-forming region of an externally irradiated Herbig disk. | Stockholm University | The James Webb Space Telescope has identified a planet-forming disk rich in carbon dioxide yet lacking in water, challenging conventional theories of planetary chemistry. This discovery suggests that the conditions in cosmic environments can dramatically influence the materials available for planet formation, potentially reshaping our understanding of the origins of celestial bodies in our Solar System. | Planet Nursery Flooded With Carbon DioxideThis image, taken by astronomers using the Dark Energy Camera on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, captures the star-forming nebula NGC 6357, which is located 8,000 light-years away in the direction of the constellation Scorpius. This image reveals bright, young stars surrounded by billowing clouds of dust and gas within NGC 6357, also known as the Lobster Nebula. Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA, T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), J. Miller (Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani & D. de Martin (NSF NOIRLab) -- A study led by Jenny Frediani at Stockholm University has revealed a planet-forming disk with a strikingly unusual chemical composition: an unexpectedly high abundance of carbon dioxide (CO2) in regions where Earth-like planets may one day form. The discovery, made using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), challenges long-standing assumptions about the chemistry of planetary birthplaces. The study is published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. -- "Unlike most nearby planet-forming disks, where water vapor dominates the inner regions, this disk is surprisingly rich in carbon dioxide," says Jenny Frediani, PhD student at the Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University. -- "In fact, water is so scarce in this system that it's barely detectable -- a dramatic contrast to what we typically observe." -- A newly formed star is initially deeply embedded in the gas cloud from which it was formed and creates a disk around itself where planets in turn can be formed. In conventional models of planet formation, pebbles rich in water ice drift from the cold outer disk toward the warmer inner regions, where the rising temperatures cause the ices to sublimate. This process usually results in strong water vapor signatures in the disk's inner zones. However, in this case, the JWST/MIRI spectrum shows a puzzlingly strong carbon dioxide signature instead. -- "This challenges current models of disk chemistry and evolution since the high carbon dioxide levels relative to water cannot be easily explained by standard disk evolution processes," Jenny Frediani explains. -- Arjan Bik, researcher at the Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, adds, "Such a high abundance of carbon dioxide in the planet-forming zone is unexpected. It points to the possibility that intense ultraviolet radiation -- either from the host star or neighbouring massive stars -- is reshaping the chemistry of the disk." -- The researchers also detected rare isotopic variants of carbon dioxide, enriched in either carbon-13 or the oxygen isotopes ¹⁷O and ¹⁸O, clearly visible in the JWST data. These isotopologues could offer vital clues to long-standing questions about the unusual isotopic fingerprints found in meteorites and comets -- relics of our own Solar System's formation. -- This CO2-rich disk was found in the massive star-forming region NGC 6357, located approximately 1.7 kiloparsecs (about 53 quadrillion kilometers) away. The discovery was made by the eXtreme Ultraviolet Environments (XUE) collaboration, which focuses on how intense radiation fields impact disk chemistry. -- Maria-Claudia Ramirez-Tannus from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg and lead of the XUE collaboration says that it is an exciting discovery: "It reveals how extreme radiation environments -- common in massive star-forming regions -- can alter the building blocks of planets. Since most stars and likely most planets form in such regions, understanding these effects is essential for grasping the diversity of planetary atmospheres and their habitability potential." | 561 |
| New AI Model Predicts Which Genetic Mutations Truly Drive Disease | AI Predicts Disease Risk From Rare Genetic Mutations Using Health Data Insights | Machine learning–based penetrance of genetic variants. | The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine | Researchers from Mount Sinai have created an AI model that predicts the disease risk associated with rare genetic mutations by analyzing electronic health records and lab data. This innovative system provides a nuanced understanding of genetic risk, moving beyond binary classifications to better inform patients and physicians about the implications of genetic findings. | Which Genetic Mutations Truly Drive DiseaseMount Sinai researchers have built an AI tool that uses lab results and electronic health records to score the real-world impact of rare genetic mutations. The system uncovers surprising insights, clarifying which variants truly raise disease risk. Credit: Shutterstock -- When genetic testing reveals a rare DNA mutation, doctors and patients are frequently left in the dark about what it actually means. Now, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed a powerful new way to determine whether a patient with a mutation is likely to actually develop disease, a concept known in genetics as penetrance. -- The team set out to solve this problem using artificial intelligence (AI) and routine lab tests like cholesterol, blood counts, and kidney function. Details of the findings were reported in the August 28 online issue of Science. Their new method combines machine learning with electronic health records to offer a more accurate, data-driven view of genetic risk. -- Traditional genetic studies often rely on a simple yes/no diagnosis to classify patients. But many diseases, like high blood pressure, diabetes, or cancer, don't fit neatly into binary categories. The Mount Sinai researchers trained AI models to quantify disease on a spectrum, offering more nuanced insight into how disease risk plays out in real life. -- "We wanted to move beyond black-and-white answers that often leave patients and providers uncertain about what a genetic test result actually means," says Ron Do, PhD, senior study author and the Charles Bronfman Professor in Personalized Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "By using artificial intelligence and real-world lab data, such as cholesterol levels or blood counts that are already part of most medical records, we can now better estimate how likely disease will develop in an individual with a specific genetic variant. It's a much more nuanced, scalable, and accessible way to support precision medicine, especially when dealing with rare or ambiguous findings." -- Using more than 1 million electronic health records, the researchers built AI models for 10 common diseases. They then applied these models to people known to have rare genetic variants, generating a score between 0 and 1 that reflects the likelihood of developing the disease. -- A higher score, closer to 1, suggests a variant may be more likely to contribute to disease, while a lower score indicates minimal or no risk. The team calculated "ML penetrance" scores for more than 1,600 genetic variants. -- Some of the results were surprising, say the investigators. Variants previously labeled as "uncertain" showed clear disease signals, while others thought to cause disease had little effect in real-world data. -- "While our AI model is not meant to replace clinical judgment, it can potentially serve as an important guide, especially when test results are unclear. Doctors could in the future use the ML penetrance score to decide whether patients should receive earlier screenings or take preventive steps, or to avoid unnecessary worry or intervention if the variant is low-risk," says lead study author Iain S. Forrest, MD, PhD, in the lab of Dr. Do at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "If a patient has a rare variant associated with Lynch syndrome, for instance, and it scores high, that could trigger earlier cancer screening, but if the risk appears low, jumping to conclusions or overtreatment might be avoided." -- The team is now working to expand the model to include more diseases, a wider range of genetic changes, and more diverse populations. They also plan to track how well these predictions hold up over time, whether people with high-risk variants actually go on to develop disease, and whether early action can make a difference. | 562 |
| Scientists Uncover Hidden Shards Of Mars’ Violent Birth, Frozen For Billions Of Years | Mars’ Mantle Holds Clues To Its Violent Past: Hidden Geological Time Capsule Revealed | Seismic evidence for a highly heterogeneous martian mantle. | Imperial College London | New research from NASA’s InSight mission reveals that Mars’ mantle contains ancient fragments from its violent beginnings, providing a geological time capsule of the planet’s history. These findings show that Mars is not the smooth, layered world previously believed, but rather a complex interior shaped by significant early impacts. | Scientists Uncover Hidden Shards of Mars’ BirthA giant collision in Mars’ early history created a global magma ocean and buried large fragments of debris deep within the young planet. As Mars cooled, it formed a solid crust — eventually becoming a stagnant lid that trapped heat and slowed the planet’s internal motion. Over billions of years, Mars’ interior evolved as slow convecting currents stretched, folded, and dismantled these ancient structures, leaving behind a jumbled interior filled with scattered remnants. These surviving debris — some large, but many more small and dispersed — form a geological time capsule, preserving clues to the planet’s earliest moments. Today, seismic waves from a much smaller, recent meteorite impact travel through this complex interior. By studying how these waves scatter and change, NASA’s InSight lander has revealed hidden details about the planet’s deep and turbulent past. Credit: Vadim Sadovski / Imperial College London -- New research published in the journal Science reveals the Red Planet's mantle preserves a record of its violent beginnings. -- The inside of Mars isn't smooth and uniform like familiar textbook illustrations. Instead, new research reveals it's chunky -- more like a Rocky Road brownie than a neat slice of Millionaire's Shortbread. -- We often picture rocky planets like Earth and Mars as having smooth, layered interiors -- with crust, mantle, and core stacked like the biscuit base, caramel middle, and chocolate topping of a millionaire's shortbread. But the reality for Mars is rather less tidy. -- Seismic vibrations detected by NASA's InSight mission revealed subtle anomalies, which led scientists from Imperial College London and other institutions to uncover a messier reality: Mars's mantle contains ancient fragments up to 4km wide from its formation -- preserved like geological fossils from the planet's violent early history. -- History of gigantic impacts -- Mars and the other rocky planets formed about 4.5 billion years ago, as dust and rock orbiting the young Sun gradually clumped together under gravity. -- Once Mars had largely taken shape, it was struck by giant, planet-sized objects in a series of near-cataclysmic collisions -- the kind that also likely formed Earth's Moon. -- "These colossal impacts unleashed enough energy to melt large parts of the young planet into vast magma oceans," said lead researcher Dr Constantinos Charalambous from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Imperial College London. "As those magma oceans cooled and crystallised, they left behind compositionally distinct chunks of material -- and we believe it's these we're now detecting deep inside Mars." -- These early impacts and their aftermath scattered and mixed fragments of the planet's early crust and mantle -- and possibly debris from the impacting objects themselves -- into the molten interior. As Mars slowly cooled, these chemically diverse chunks were trapped in a sluggishly churning mantle, like ingredients folded into a Rocky Road brownie mix, and the mixing was too weak to fully smooth things out. | 563 |
| Dark Matter Could Be Turning Giant Planets Into Black Holes | Dark Matter May Turn Gas Giants Into Detectable Black Holes, Scientists Propose | Probing superheavy dark matter with exoplanets. | University of California - Riverside | A recent study suggests that gas giant exoplanets like Jupiter may accumulate dark matter in their cores, potentially leading to the formation of black holes. This groundbreaking idea could offer new avenues for investigating dark matter and understanding its nature, highlighting the significant role exoplanets may play in unraveling cosmic mysteries. | Could Exoplanets Collapse Into Black Holes?Scientists suggest that gas giant exoplanets might transform into black holes if they trap enough dark matter. Spotting a planet-sized black hole would be a game-changing clue about dark matter’s true nature. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- More than 5,000 planets have been discovered beyond our solar system, allowing scientists to explore planetary evolution and consider the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Now, a UC Riverside study published in Physical Review D suggests that these "exoplanets" could also serve as tools to investigate dark matter. -- The researchers examined how dark matter, which makes up 85% of the universe's matter, might affect Jupiter-sized exoplanets over long periods of time. Their theoretical calculations suggest dark matter particles could gradually collect in the cores of these planets. Although dark matter has never been detected in laboratories, physicists are confident it exists. -- "If the dark matter particles are heavy enough and don't annihilate, they may eventually collapse into a tiny black hole," said paper first author Mehrdad Phoroutan-Mehr, a graduate student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy who works with Hai-Bo Yu, a professor of physics and astronomy. "This black hole could then grow and consume the entire planet, turning it into a black hole with the same mass as the original planet. This outcome is only possible under the superheavy non-annihilating dark matter model." -- According to the superheavy non-annihilating dark matter model, dark matter particles are extremely massive and do not destroy each other when they interact. The researchers focused on this model to show how superheavy dark matter particles are captured by exoplanets, lose energy, and drift toward their cores. There, they accumulate and collapse into black holes. -- "In gaseous exoplanets of various sizes, temperatures, and densities, black holes could form on observable timescales, potentially even generating multiple black holes in a single exoplanet's lifetime," Phoroutan-Mehr said. "These results show how exoplanet surveys could be used to hunt for superheavy dark matter particles, especially in regions hypothesized to be rich in dark matter like our Milky Way's galactic center." -- Phoroutan-Mehr was joined in the study by Tara Fetherolf, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. -- Phoroutan-Mehr explained that, so far, astronomers have only detected black holes with masses greater than our sun. He said most existing theories suggest that black holes must be at least that massive. -- "Discovering a black hole with the mass of a planet would be a major breakthrough," he added. "It would support the thesis of our paper and offer an alternative to the commonly accepted theory that planet-sized black holes could only form in the early universe." -- According to Phoroutan-Mehr, exoplanets have not been used much in dark matter research largely because scientists did not have enough data about them. | 564 |
| Astronomers Track Record-Breaking Radio Flash Across 130 Million Light-Years | Astronomers Trace Brightest Fast Radio Bursts To Nearby Galaxy’s Spiral Arm | FRB 20250316A: A Brilliant and Nearby One-off Fast Radio Burst Localized to 13 pc Precision. | Northwestern University | Astronomers have traced one of the brightest fast radio bursts, RBFLOAT, to a specific spiral arm of a galaxy 130 million light-years away using advanced observational techniques. This discovery enhances our understanding of the origins of these mysterious cosmic phenomena and supports the hypothesis that magnetars may be their source. | Astronomers Track Record-Breaking Radio FlashArtistic interpretation of CHIME's Outrigger array over North America, localizing RBFLOAT to its host galaxy. Credit: Daniëlle Futselaar/MMT Observatory -- An international team of scientists, including Northwestern University astrophysicists, has spotted one of the brightest fast radio bursts (FRBs) ever recorded -- and pinpointed its location with unprecedented precision. -- The millisecond-long blast -- nicknamed RBFLOAT (short for "radio-brightest flash of all time" and, yes, a nod to "root beer float") -- was discovered by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) and its newly completed "Outrigger" array. By combining observations from sites in British Columbia, West Virginia and California, scientists traced the burst to a single spiral arm of a galaxy 130 million light-years away -- accurate within just 42 light-years. -- Because they occur so far away and vanish within the blink of an eye, FRBs are notoriously difficult to study. If scientists can pinpoint an FRB's exact location, however, they can explore its environment, including characteristics of its home galaxy, distance from Earth and potentially even its cause. Eventually, this information could help shed light on the nature and origins of these mysterious, fleeting bursts. -- The study was published on Aug. 21 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. It marks the first time the full Outrigger array was used to localize an FRB. -- "It is remarkable that only a couple of months after the full Outrigger array went online, we discovered an extremely bright FRB in a galaxy in our own cosmic neighborhood," said Northwestern's Wen-fai Fong, a senior author on the study. "This bodes very well for the future. An increase in event rates always provides the opportunity for discovering more rare events. The CHIME/FRB collaboration worked for many years toward this technical achievement, and the universe rewarded us with an absolute gift." -- "This result marks a turning point," said corresponding author Amanda Cook, a postdoctoral researcher at McGill University. "Instead of just detecting these mysterious flashes, we can now see exactly where they are coming from. It opens the door for discovering whether they are caused by dying stars, exotic magnetic objects or something we haven't even thought of yet." -- An expert on cosmic explosions, Fong is an associate professor of physics and astronomy at Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. She also is a member of the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and the NSF-Simons AI Institute for the Sky (SkAI Institute). -- Four days of solar energy packed into a single blink -- Flaring up and disappearing within milliseconds, FRBs are brief, powerful radio blasts that generate more energy in one quick burst than our sun emits in an entire year. While most pass unnoticed, every once in a while, an FRB is bright enough to detect. FRB20250316A, or RBFLOAT, was one of these rare events. Detected in March 2025, RBFLOAT released as much energy in a few milliseconds as the sun produces in four days. | 565 |
| NASA’s Webb Telescope Just Found 300 Galaxies That Defy Explanation | NASA's Webb Telescope Identifies 300 Unusual Early Galaxy Candidates That Challenge Current Theories | On the Very Bright Dropouts Selected Using the James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam Instrument. | University of Missouri-Columbia | Utilizing data from the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers at the University of Missouri have identified 300 unusual early galaxy candidates that may reshape our understanding of galaxy formation. These bright cosmic objects challenge existing theories about the emergence of galaxies in the universe's infancy, indicating a need for further investigation. | Webb Finds 300 Galaxies That Defy ExplanationGraphic showing the mysterious objects in the universe that the University of Missouri researchers identified in their study. Credit: Bangzheng “Tom” Sun/University of Missouri -- In a new study, scientists at the University of Missouri looked deep into the universe and found something unexpected. Using infrared images taken from NASA's powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), they identified 300 objects that were brighter than they should be. -- "These mysterious objects are candidate galaxies in the early universe, meaning they could be very early galaxies," said Haojing Yan, an astronomy professor in Mizzou's College of Arts and Science and co-author on the study. "If even a few of these objects turn out to be what we think they are, our discovery could challenge current ideas about how galaxies formed in the early universe -- the period when the first stars and galaxies began to take shape." -- But identifying objects in space doesn't happen in an instant. It takes a careful step-by-step process to confirm their nature, combining advanced technology, detailed analysis and a bit of cosmic detective work. -- Step 1: Spotting the first clues -- Mizzou's researchers started by using two of JWST's powerful infrared cameras: the Near-Infrared Camera and the Mid-Infrared Instrument. Both are specifically designed to detect light from the most distant places in space, which is key when studying the early universe. -- Why infrared? Because the farther away an object is, the longer its light has been traveling to reach us. -- "As the light from these early galaxies travels through space, it stretches into longer wavelengths -- shifting from visible light into infrared," Yan said. "This stretching is called redshift, and it helps us figure out how far away these galaxies are. The higher the redshift, the farther away the galaxy is from us on Earth, and the closer it is to the beginning of the universe." -- Step 2: The 'dropout' -- To identify each of the 300 early galaxy candidates, Mizzou's researchers used an established method called the dropout technique. | 566 |
| This Tiny Spacecraft Could Race To A Black Hole And Rewrite Physics | Tiny Spacecraft Aims To Explore A Nearby Black Hole Within A Century | An interstellar mission to test astrophysical black holes. | Cell Press | A visionary mission proposal suggests sending a tiny, laser-powered spacecraft to a nearby black hole within the next century to explore fundamental physics. While technological challenges remain, advancements in nanocraft design and laser propulsion could eventually enable this journey, potentially transforming our understanding of relativity and the nature of black holes. | Racing to the Edge of a Black HoleCredit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- It sounds like science fiction: a spacecraft, no heavier than a paperclip, propelled by a laser beam and hurtling through space at the speed of light toward a black hole, on a mission to probe the very fabric of space and time and test the laws of physics. But to astrophysicist and black hole expert Cosimo Bambi, the idea is not so far-fetched. -- Reporting in the Cell Press journal iScience, Bambi outlines the blueprint for turning this interstellar voyage to a black hole into a reality. If successful, this century-long mission could return data from nearby black holes that completely alter our understanding of general relativity and the rules of physics. -- "We don't have the technology now," says author Cosimo Bambi of Fudan University in China. "But in 20 or 30 years, we might." -- The mission hinges on two key challenges -- finding a black hole close enough to target and developing probes capable of withstanding the journey. -- Previous knowledge on how stars evolve suggests that there could be a black hole lurking just 20 to 25 light-years from Earth, but finding it won't be easy, says Bambi. Because black holes don't emit or reflect light, they are virtually invisible to telescopes. Instead, scientists detect and study them based on how they influence nearby stars or distort light. -- "There have been new techniques to discover black holes," says Bambi. "I think it's reasonable to expect we could find a nearby one within the next decade." -- Once the target is identified, the next hurdle is getting there. Traditional spacecrafts, powered by chemical fuel, are too clunky and slow to make the journey. Bambi points to nanocrafts -- gram-scale probes consisting of a microchip and light sail -- as a possible solution. Earth-based lasers would blast the sail with photons, accelerating the craft to a third of the speed of light. -- At that pace, the craft could reach a black hole 20 to 25 light-years away in about 70 years. The data it gathers would take another two decades to get back to Earth, making the total mission duration around 80 to 100 years. -- Once the craft is near the black hole, researchers could run experiments to answer some of the most pressing questions in physics. Does a black hole truly have an event horizon, the boundary beyond which not even light can escape its gravitational pull? Do the rules of physics change near a black hole? Does Einstein's theory of general relativity hold under the universe's most extreme conditions? | 567 |
| Scientists Stunned By The Universe’s First Known Black Hole | Discovery Of Early Black Hole Challenges Understanding Of Cosmic Evolution Post-Big Bang | CAPERS-LRD-z9: A Gas-enshrouded Little Red Dot Hosting a Broad-line Active Galactic Nucleus at z = 9.288. | University of Texas at Austin | An unexpected discovery using the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a supermassive black hole, 300 million times the mass of the Sun, existing just 500 million years after the Big Bang. This finding redefines our understanding of black hole growth and challenges previous notions regarding the timeline of cosmic evolution. | The Universe’s First Known Black HoleArtist representation of CAPERS-LRD-z9, home to the earliest confirmed black hole. The supermassive black hole at its center is believed to be surrounded by a thick cloud of gas, giving the galaxy a distinctive red color. Credit: Erik Zumalt, The University of Texas at Austin -- An international team of astronomers, led by The University of Texas at Austin's Cosmic Frontier Center, has identified the most distant black hole ever confirmed. It and the galaxy it calls home, CAPERS-LRD-z9, are present 500 million years after the Big Bang. That places it 13.3 billion years into the past, when our universe was just 3% of its current age. As such, it provides a unique opportunity to study the structure and evolution of this enigmatic period. -- "When looking for black holes, this is about as far back as you can practically go. We're really pushing the boundaries of what current technology can detect," said Anthony Taylor, a postdoctoral researcher at the Cosmic Frontier Center and lead on the team that made the discovery. Their research was published Aug. 6 in the Astrophysical Journal. -- "While astronomers have found a few, more distant candidates," added Steven Finkelstein, a co-author on the paper and director of the Cosmic Frontier Center, "they have yet to find the distinct spectroscopic signature associated with a black hole." -- With spectroscopy, astronomers split light into its many wavelengths to study an object's characteristics. To identify black holes, they search for evidence of fast-moving gas. As it circles and falls into a black hole, the light from gas moving away from us is stretched into much redder wavelengths, and light from gas moving toward us is compressed into much bluer wavelengths. "There aren't many other things that create this signature," explained Taylor. "And this galaxy has it!" -- The team used data from the James Webb Space Telescope's CAPERS (CANDELS-Area Prism Epoch of Reionization Survey) program for its search. Launched in 2021, JWST provides the most far-reaching views into space available, and CAPERS provides observations of the outermost edge. -- "The first goal of CAPERS is to confirm and study the most distant galaxies," said Mark Dickinson, a co-author on the paper and the CAPERS team lead. "JWST spectroscopy is the key to confirming their distances and understanding their physical properties." -- Initially seen as an interesting speck in the program's imagery, CAPERS-LRD-z9 turned out to be part of a new class of galaxies known as "Little Red Dots." Present only in the first 1.5 billion years of the universe, these galaxies are very compact, red, and unexpectedly bright. -- "The discovery of Little Red Dots was a major surprise from early JWST data, as they looked nothing like galaxies seen with the Hubble Space Telescope," explained Finkelstein. "Now, we're in the process of figuring out what they're like and how they came to be." -- CAPERS-LRD-z9 may help astronomers do just that. | 568 |
| Distant Suns Covered In Dark Spots Could Shape The Search For Life | StarryStarryProcess Model Enhances Star Mapping, Improving Exoplanet Studies And Their Insights | Polka-dotted Stars: A Hierarchical Model for Mapping St Surfaces Using Occultation Light Curves and the Case of TOI-3884. | NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center | Scientists have introduced a new model called StarryStarryProcess, which enhances the mapping of star spots and improves exoplanet studies. By incorporating both stellar rotation and transit data, this model allows for a more detailed understanding of stars and their effects on planetary signals. The insights gained could significantly advance the search for habitable exoplanets and deepen our knowledge of stellar behavior. | Star Spots Could Change the Hunt for LifeStarryStarryProcess reveals the hidden spottiness of stars, refining exoplanet studies and boosting the search for habitable worlds. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center -- Scientists have devised a new method for mapping the spottiness of distant stars by using observations from NASA missions of orbiting planets crossing their stars' faces. The model builds on a technique researchers have used for decades to study star spots. -- By improving astronomers' understanding of spotty stars, the new model -- called StarryStarryProcess -- can help discover more about planetary atmospheres and potential habitability using data from telescopes like NASA's upcoming Pandora mission. -- "Many of the models researchers use to analyze data from exoplanets, or worlds beyond our solar system, assume that stars are uniformly bright disks," said Sabina Sagynbayeva, a graduate student at Stony Brook University in New York. "But we know just by looking at our own Sun that stars are more complicated than that. Modeling complexity can be difficult, but our approach gives astronomers an idea of how many spots a star might have, where they are located, and how bright or dark they are." -- A paper describing StarryStarryProcess, led by Sagynbayeva, published on August 25, in The Astrophysical Journal. -- NASA's TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and now-retired Kepler Space Telescope were designed to identify planets using transits, dips in stellar brightness caused when a planet passes in front of its star. -- These measurements reveal how the star's light varies with time during each transit, and astronomers can arrange them in a plot astronomers call a light curve. Typically, a transit light curve traces a smooth sweep down as the planet starts passing in front of the star's face. It reaches a minimum brightness when the world is fully in front of the star and then rises smoothly as the planet exits and the transit ends. -- By measuring the time between transits, scientists can determine how far the planet lies from its star and estimate its surface temperature. The amount of missing light from the star during a transit can reveal the planet's size, which can hint at its composition. -- Every now and then, though, a planet's light curve appears more complicated, with smaller dips and peaks added to the main arc. Scientists think these represent dark surface features akin to sunspots seen on our own Sun -- star spots. -- The Sun's total number of sunspots varies as it goes through its 11-year solar cycle. Scientists use them to determine and predict the progress of that cycle as well as outbreaks of solar activity that could affect us here on Earth. | 569 |
| NASA’s Webb Space Telescope Reveals Secrets Of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS | NASA's Telescopes Collaborate To Uncover Secrets Of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS, A Unique Opportunity | JWST detection of a carbon dioxide dominated gas coma surrounding interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. | NASA | NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, in collaboration with Hubble and SPHEREx, has conducted detailed observations of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, revealing critical information about its structure and chemical composition. Although the comet poses no threat to Earth, these observations provide a unique opportunity to study materials originating from beyond our solar system, contributing to our understanding of cosmic phenomena and the materials that may exist in the universe. | Webb Observes Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLASNASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured detailed observations of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, working in tandem with other missions like Hubble and SPHEREx to uncover the comet’s size, makeup, and physical traits. Credit: NASA/James Webb Space Telescope -- NASA's James Webb Space Telescope observed interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS Aug. 6, with its Near-Infrared Spectrograph instrument. The research team has been analyzing insights from Webb's data, and a preprint is available online. Webb is one of NASA's space telescopes observing this comet, together providing more information about its size, physical properties, and chemical makeup. For example, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the recently launched SPHEREx mission have also observed the comet. While the comet poses no threat to Earth, NASA's space telescopes help support the agency's ongoing mission to find, track, and better understand solar system objects. | 570 |
| A Simple Metal Could Solve The World’s Plastic Recycling Problem | New Catalyst Could Revolutionize Mixed Plastic Recycling Efforts | Stable single-site organonickel catalyst preferentially hydrogenolyses branched polyolefin C–C bonds. | Northwestern University | Northwestern University researchers have developed an innovative nickel-based catalyst that could revolutionize plastic recycling. This catalyst can break down mixed polyolefin plastics—commonly found in single-use items—into valuable products without the need for extensive sorting. This advancement promises to simplify recycling processes and could lead to more sustainable waste management practices, transforming the global approach to plastic waste and fostering a circular economy. | Solving the World’s Plastic Recycling ProblemA new nickel-based catalyst could revolutionize recycling by turning everyday single-use plastics into useful products—without tedious sorting. Credit: Shutterstock -- The future of plastic recycling may soon get much less complicated, frustrating and tedious. -- In a new study, Northwestern University chemists have introduced a new plastic upcycling process that can drastically reduce -- or perhaps even fully bypass -- the laborious chore of pre-sorting mixed plastic waste. -- The process harnesses a new, inexpensive nickel-based catalyst that selectively breaks down polyolefin plastics consisting of polyethylenes and polypropylenes -- the single-use kind that dominates nearly two-thirds of global plastic consumption. This means industrial users could apply the catalyst to large volumes of unsorted polyolefin waste. -- When the catalyst breaks down polyolefins, the low-value solid plastics transform into liquid oils and waxes, which can be upcycled into higher-value products, including lubricants, fuels and candles. Not only can it be used multiple times, but the new catalyst can also break down plastics contaminated with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a toxic polymer that notoriously makes plastics "unrecyclable." -- The study was published on Sept. 2 in the journal Nature Chemistry. -- "One of the biggest hurdles in plastic recycling has always been the necessity of meticulously sorting plastic waste by type," said Northwestern's Tobin Marks, the study's senior author. "Our new catalyst could bypass this costly and labor-intensive step for common polyolefin plastics, making recycling more efficient, practical and economically viable than current strategies." -- "When people think of plastic, they likely are thinking about polyolefins," said Northwestern's Yosi Kratish, a co-corresponding author on the paper. "Basically, almost everything in your refrigerator is polyolefin based -- squeeze bottles for condiments and salad dressings, milk jugs, plastic wrap, trash bags, disposable utensils, juice cartons and much more. These plastics have a very short lifetime, so they are mostly single-use. If we don't have an efficient way to recycle them, then they end up in landfills and in the environment, where they linger for decades before degrading into harmful microplastics." -- A world-renowned catalysis expert, Marks is the Vladimir N. Ipatieff Professor of Catalytic Chemistry at Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and a professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering. He is also a faculty affiliate at the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy. Kratish is a research assistant professor in Marks' group, and an affiliated faculty member at the Trienens Institute. Qingheng Lai, a research associate in Marks' group, is the study's first author. Marks, Kratish and Lai co-led the study with Jeffrey Miller, a professor of chemical engineering at Purdue University; Michael Wasielewski, Clare Hamilton Hall Professor of Chemistry at Weinberg; and Takeshi Kobayashi a research scientist at Ames National Laboratory. -- The polyolefin predicament | 571 |
| Warped Planet Nurseries Rewrite The Rules Of How Worlds Are Born | Warped Planetary Discs Challenge Traditional Views on Planet Formation | Interpreting Large-scale Kinematic Structures as Moderate Warping. | Queen Mary University of London | New observations from ALMA reveal that planet-forming discs are often warped, challenging traditional views of their structure. The discovery of these subtle misalignments suggests a more chaotic environment for planetary formation, linking disc warps to gas dynamics and turbulence. This research offers fresh insights into the complexities of planet formation and may reshape our understanding of the forces at play in the evolution of planetary systems across the universe. | A Cosmic Twist Reveals How Planets Really BeginNew ALMA data shows planet-forming discs twist and bend, challenging the classic flat-disc model and hinting at hidden cosmic forces. Credit: Shutterstock -- The textbook picture of how planets form - serene, flat discs of cosmic dust - has just received a significant cosmic twist. New research, published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, is set to reshape this long-held view. An international team of scientists, wielding the formidable power of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), has found compelling evidence that many protoplanetary discs, the very birthplaces of planets, are in fact subtly warped. -- These slight bends and twists in the disc plane, often just a few degrees, bear a striking resemblance to the subtle tilts observed among the planets in our own Solar System. This discovery suggests the initial conditions for planetary systems might be far less orderly than previously thought, with profound implications for how planets grow and settle into their final orbits. -- Dr Andrew Winter, the lead author of the study from Queen Mary University of London where he is Royal Society University Research Fellow in astronomy, said: "Our results suggest that protoplanetary discs are slightly warped. This would be quite a change in how we understand these objects and has many consequences for how planets form. Particularly interesting is that the couple of degree warping is similar to the differences in inclination between our own Solar System planets." -- Dr Myriam Benisty, director of the Planet and Star Formation Department at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy said,"exoALMA has revealed large scale structures in the planet forming discs that were completely unexpected. The warp-like structures challenge the idea of orderly planet formation and pose a fascinating challenge for the future. -- To uncover these subtle twists, the team meticulously analysed Doppler shifts - tiny changes in the radio waves emitted by carbon monoxide (CO) molecules swirling within the discs. These shifts act like a cosmic speedometer, revealing the gas's exact motion. As part of a major ALMA program called exoALMA, researchers used this flagship observatory to map the gas's velocity across each disc in unprecedented detail. By carefully modelling these intricate patterns, they were able to detect when different regions of a disc were slightly tilted, thus revealing the warps. -- "These modest misalignments may be a common outcome of star and planet formation," Dr Winter added, noting the intriguing parallel with our own Solar System. The research not only provides a fresh perspective on the mechanics of planet formation but also raises new questions about why these discs are warped - a mystery the team is eager to unravel. -- Is it the gravitational pull of unseen companion stars, or perhaps the chaotic dance of gas and dust that twists these stellar cradles? The findings show that these subtle disc warps, often tilting by as little as half a degree to two degrees, can naturally explain many of the prominent large-scale patterns observed in the gas's motion across the discs. They even suggest these warps could be responsible for creating intriguing spiral patterns and slight temperature variations within these cosmic nurseries. -- If these warps are a key driver of how gas moves within the disc, it profoundly changes our understanding of critical processes like turbulence and how material is exchanged - ultimately dictating how planets form and settle into their final orbits. Intriguingly, the nature of these warps appears to be connected to how much material the young star is actively drawing in towards its center. This hints at a dynamic link between the disc's innermost regions, where the star is fed, and its outer, planet-forming areas. -- This discovery offers a thrilling glimpse into the complex and often surprising realities of planet formation, fundamentally changing our cosmic blueprint and opening new avenues for understanding the diverse worlds beyond our Sun. | 572 |
| Scientists Create Biodegradable Plastic Stronger Than PET | Researchers Create Biodegradable Plastic Alternative Using Engineered E. Coli | Biosynthesis of 2,5-pyridinedicarboxylate from glucose via p-aminobenzoic acid in Escherichia coli. | Kobe University | A Japanese research team has successfully utilized E. coli to produce PDCA, a biodegradable plastic alternative, achieving record production levels without toxic byproducts. This innovative approach opens new pathways for sustainable bioengineering, showing how creative solutions can address environmental challenges related to plastic production and usage. | Biodegradable Plastic Stronger Than PETA Kobe University group now published that they achieved the production of PDCA — which is biodegradable and materials incorporating this show physical properties comparable to or even surpassing those of PET — in bioreactors at concentrations more than seven-fold higher than previously reported. Credit: Tsutomu Tanaka -- The PET-alternative PDCA is biodegradable and has superior physical properties. A Kobe University team of bioengineers engineered E. coli bacteria to produce the compound from glucose at unprecedented levels and without byproducts -- and opened up a realm of possibilities for the future of bioengineering. -- The durability of plastics is both the reason why they have become so wide-spread and why they pose environmental problems. In addition, they are mainly sourced from petroleum, making them non-renewable and contingent on geopolitics. Research groups worldwide work on both biodegradable and bio-sourced alternatives, but there often are issues with yield, purity and -- as a result -- associated production cost. -- Kobe University bioengineer Tsutomu Tanaka says: "Most biomass-based production strategies focus on molecules consisting of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. However, there are highly promising compounds for high-performance plastics that include other elements such as nitrogen, but there are no efficient bioproduction strategies. And purely chemical reactions inevitably generate unwanted byproducts." PDCA, which stands for pyridinedicarboxylic acid, is such a candidate. It is biodegradable, and materials incorporating this show physical properties comparable to or even surpassing those of PET, which is widely used in containers and textiles. "Our group approached the challenge from a new angle: We aimed to harness cellular metabolism to assimilate nitrogen and build the compound from start to finish," says Tanaka. -- In the journal Metabolic Engineering, the Kobe University group now published that they achieved the production of PDCA in bioreactors at concentrations more than seven-fold higher than previously reported. Tanaka explains, "The significance of our work lies in demonstrating that metabolic reactions can be used to incorporate nitrogen without producing unwanted byproducts, thereby enabling the clean and efficient synthesis of the target compound." -- The group, however, did have some stubborn problems to solve along the way. The most stubborn of these came when they discovered a bottleneck where one of the enzymes they had introduced produced the highly reactive compound hydrogen peroxide, H2O2. The compound then attacked the enzyme that produced it, thereby deactivating it. "Through refining the culture conditions, in particular by adding a compound that can scavenge H2O2, we could finally overcome the issue, although this addition may present new economic and logistical challenges for large-scale production," says Tanaka. -- The bioengineers already have plans on how to improve the production going forward, with every problem pointing the way to its solution. Looking at the future, Tanaka says: "The ability to obtain sufficient quantities in bioreactors lays the groundwork for the next steps toward practical implementation. More generally, though, our achievement in incorporating enzymes from nitrogen metabolism broadens the spectrum of molecules accessible through microbial synthesis, thus enhancing the potential of bio-manufacturing even further." -- This research was funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (grants 25K00054, 23H04565, 25H01701, 25K01594, 25H00819) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (grant JPMJPR22N9). | 573 |
| A Monster Molecular Cloud Has Been Discovered In Our Galaxy – “No One Had Any Idea This Existed” | New Midpoint Cloud Discovery Provides Insights Into Galactic Star Formation | Discovery of a Giant Molecular Cloud at the Midpoint of the Galactic Bar Dust Lanes: M4.7–0.8. | National Radio Astronomy Observatory | Astronomers have discovered a massive cloud of gas and dust in the Milky Way, known as the Midpoint cloud, which plays a critical role in star formation. This finding provides valuable insights into the dynamic processes that funnel material toward the galaxy's center, enhancing our understanding of cosmic evolution and star genesis. | Massive Molecular Cloud Hidden in Milky WayThe location of the area of focus for this research in the Milky Way Galaxy is shown above, along with a previously unknown maser. Credit: Collage created by NSF/AUI/NSF NRAO/P.Vosteen -- An international team of astronomers has discovered a massive cloud of gas and dust located in a little-known region of our Milky Way galaxy. The Giant Molecular Cloud (GMC) is about 60 parsecs -- or 200 light years -- long. -- In a new study published in the Astrophysical Journal, researchers using the U.S. National Science Foundation Green Bank Telescope (NSF GBT) have peered into a molecular cloud known as M4.7-0.8, nicknamed the Midpoint cloud. Their observations have revealed a dynamic region bustling with activity, including potential sites of new star formation. -- "One of the big discoveries of the paper was the GMC itself. No one had any idea this cloud existed until we looked at this location in the sky and found the dense gas. Through measurements of the size, mass, and density, we confirmed this was a giant molecular cloud," shares Natalie Butterfield, an NSF National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) scientist and lead author of this paper. -- "These dust lanes are like hidden rivers of gas and dust that are carrying material into the center of our galaxy," explained Butterfield. "The Midpoint cloud is a place where material from the galaxy's disk is transitioning into the more extreme environment of the galactic center and provides a unique opportunity to study the initial gas conditions before accumulating in the center of our galaxy." -- The NSF GBT observations focused on molecules like ammonia (NH3) and cyanobutadiyne (HC5N), which are tracers of dense gas. Besides revealing the previously unknown Midpoint cloud in the Galaxy's inward-bound dust lane, the data also showed: -- A New Maser: The team discovered a previously unknown "maser," a natural source of intense microwave radiation, associated with ammonia gas. This is often a sign of active star formation. -- Potential Star Birth Sites: The cloud contains compact clumps of gas and dust that appear to be on the verge of forming new stars. One of these clumps, dubbed Knot E, might be a frEGG (free-floating evaporating gas globule) - a small, dense cloud being eroded by radiation from nearby stars. -- Evidence of Stellar Feedback: The team found a shell-like structure within the cloud, possibly created by the energy released from dying stars. -- Turbulent Gas: The gas within the cloud is highly turbulent, similar to what is seen in the galaxy's central regions. This turbulence could be caused by the inflow of material along the dust lanes or by collisions with other clouds. | 574 |
| Scientists Watch An Atomic Nucleus Flip In Real Time | Scientists Observe An Atomic Nucleus Flip Its Spin Live For The First Time | Single-shot readout of the nuclear spin of an on-surface atom. | Delft University of Technology | For the first time, scientists have observed an atomic nucleus flipping its spin in real time, unlocking new possibilities for quantum sensing. This breakthrough, achieved with a scanning tunneling microscope, reveals the stability of nuclear spin and sets the stage for advancements in manipulating atomic-scale quantum states, promising future applications in quantum technology. | Real-Time Glimpse Inside a Single AtomArtist impression, based on actual measurement data, of the nuclear spin of an atom flipping between distinct quantum states. The flipping was observed as a fluctuation in the electrical current passing through the atom on a timescale of seconds. Credit: Scixel -- Researchers from Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands have been able to see the magnetic nucleus of an atom switch back and forth in real time. They read out the nuclear 'spin' via the electrons in the same atom through the needle of a scanning tunneling microscope. To their surprise, the spin remained stable for several seconds, offering prospects for enhanced control of the magnetic nucleus. The research, published in Nature Communications, is a step forward for quantum sensing at the atomic scale. -- A scanning tunneling microscope (STM) consists of an atomically-sharp needle that can 'feel' single atoms on a surface and make images with atomic resolution. Or to be precise, STM can only feel the electrons that surround the atomic nucleus. Both the electrons and the nucleus in an atom are potentially small magnets. Depending on the type of atom, they each carry a quantity called 'spin', the quantum-mechanical equivalent of magnetism. Measuring the motion of an individual electron spin with an STM was achieved for the first time a decade ago. The TU Delft research group led by professor Sander Otte wanted to know: could they also use an STM to read out the nuclear spin in time, the other part of the atom? -- Reading out the nuclear spin -- The STM is not sensitive to nuclear spins directly, so the team had to use the electron to read out the nuclear spin indirectly. "The general idea had been demonstrated a few years ago, making use of the so-called hyperfine interaction between electron and nuclear spins," Otte explains. However, these early measurements were too slow to capture the motion of the nuclear spin over time." -- Rapid measurements -- First authors Evert Stolte and Jinwon Lee set out to perform rapid measurements on an atom known to carry a nuclear spin. To their excitement, they observed the signal switching between two distinct levels in real time, live on their computer screen. "We were able to show that this switching corresponds to the nuclear spin flipping from one quantum state to another, and back again," Stolte says. They determined that it takes about five seconds before the spin changes, much longer than many other quantum systems available for the STM. For instance, the lifetime of the electron spin in the same atom is only around 100 nanoseconds. -- Single-shot readout -- Since the researchers could measure nuclear spin state faster than it flips and (mostly) without causing a flip by the measurement itself, they achieved so-called 'single-shot readout'. This opens up exciting experimental possibilities for controlling the nuclear spin. Furthermore, fundamental progress in the readout and control of an on-surface nuclear spins could, in the long term, assist in applications like quantum simulation or quantum sensing at the atomic scale. Stolte: "The first step in any new experimental frontier is being able to measure it, and that is what we were able to do for nuclear spins at the atomic scale." | 575 |
| The Sun’s Hidden Particle Engines Finally Exposed | Solar Orbiter Uncovers The Sun’s Dual Engines For Accelerating Electrons | CoSEE-Cat: A Comprehensive Solar Energetic Electron event Catalogue obtained from combined in situ and remote-sensing observations from Solar Orbiter. | European Space Agency | The Solar Orbiter mission has successfully identified the Sun's dual engines responsible for launching superfast electrons: explosive solar flares and coronal mass ejections. By correlating over 300 events with their solar origins, researchers have gained crucial insights into how these particles travel, which will enhance space weather forecasts and protect astronauts from solar radiation. | Sun’s Hidden Particle Engines Finally ExposedSolar Orbiter observed more than 300 bursts of ‘Solar Energetic Electrons’ between November 2020 and December 2022. For the first time, we clearly see the connection between the energetic electrons in space and their sources on the Sun. The energetic electrons are launched by two distinct sources: solar flares (blue dots) and coronal mass ejections (red dots). Solar flares release quick bursts of energetic electrons, whereas coronal mass ejections release broader swells of energetic electrons more gradually. Credit: ESA & NASA/Solar Orbiter/STIX & EPD -- The European Space Agency-led Solar Orbiter mission has split the flood of energetic particles flung out into space from the Sun into two groups, tracing each back to a different kind of outburst from our star. -- The Sun is the most energetic particle accelerator in the Solar System. It whips up electrons to nearly the speed of light and flings them out into space, flooding the Solar System with so-called 'Solar Energetic Electrons' (SEEs). -- Researchers have now used Solar Orbiter to pinpoint the source of these energetic electrons and trace what we see out in space back to what's actually happening on the Sun. In a paper to be published in Astronomy & Astrophysics on September 1, they explain that they found two kinds of SEE with clearly distinct stories: one connected to intense solar flares (explosions from smaller patches of the Sun's surface), and one to larger eruptions of hot gas from the Sun's atmosphere (known as 'coronal mass ejections', or CMEs). -- "We see a clear split between 'impulsive' particle events, where these energetic electrons speed off the Sun's surface in bursts via solar flares, and 'gradual' ones associated with more extended CMEs, which release a broader swell of particles over longer periods of time," says lead author Alexander Warmuth of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP), Germany. -- A clearer connection -- While scientists were aware that two types of SEE event existed, Solar Orbiter was able to measure a large number of events, and look far closer to the Sun than other missions had, to reveal how they form and leave the surface of our star. -- "We were only able to identify and understand these two groups by observing hundreds of events at different distances from the Sun with multiple instruments - something that only Solar Orbiter can do," adds Alexander. "By going so close to our star, we could measure the particles in a 'pristine' early state and thus accurately determine the time and place they started at the Sun." -- Flight delays -- The researchers detected the SEE events at different distances from the Sun. This let them study how the electrons behave as they travel through the Solar System, answering a lingering question about these energetic particles. | 576 |
| A Weirdly Shaped Telescope Could Finally Find Earth 2. 0 | Innovative Telescope Design Could Reveal Nearby Earth-Like Planets | The case for a rectangular format space telescope for finding exoplanets. | Frontiers | Researchers have proposed an innovative rectangular telescope design, aimed at overcoming challenges in spotting Earth-like planets. By effectively separating a planet's faint glow from the brightness of its star, this bold approach may enable scientists to discover numerous nearby worlds with potential for life, revolutionizing our understanding of extraterrestrial possibilities. | A Weirdly Shaped Telescope Could Find Earth 2.0Concept design for a rectangular space telescope, modeled after the Diffractive Interfero Coronagraph Exoplanet Resolver (DICER), a notional infrared space observatory, and the James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: Leaf Swordy/Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute -- The Earth supports the only known life in the universe, all of it depending heavily on the presence of liquid water to facilitate chemical reactions. While single-celled life has existed almost as long as the Earth itself, it took roughly three billion years for multicellular life to form. Human life has existed for less than one 10 thousandth of the age of the Earth. -- All of this suggests that life might be common on planets that support liquid water, but it might be uncommon to find life that studies the universe and seeks to travel through space, like we do. To find extraterrestrial life, it might be necessary for us to travel to it. -- However, the vastness of space, coupled with the impossibility of traveling or communicating faster than the speed of light, places practical limits on how far we can roam. Only the closest stars to the sun could possibly be visited in a human lifetime, even by a space probe. In addition, only stars similar in size and temperature to the sun are long-lived enough, and have stable enough atmospheres, for multicellular life to have time to form. For this reason, the most valuable stars to study are the 60 or so sun-like stars that are closer to us than approximately 30 light-years. The most promising planets orbiting these stars would have sizes and temperatures similar to the Earth, so solid ground and liquid water can exist. -- A needle in the haystack -- Observing an Earth-like exoplanet separately from the star it is orbiting around is a major challenge. Even in the best possible scenario, the star is a million times brighter than the planet; if the two objects are blurred together, there is no hope of detecting the planet. Optics theory says that the best resolution one can get in telescope images depends on the size of the telescope and the wavelength of the observed light. Planets with liquid water give off the most light at wavelengths around 10 microns (the width of a thin human hair and 20 times the typical wavelength of visible light). At this wavelength, a telescope needs to collect light over a distance of at least 20 meters to have enough resolution to separate the Earth from the sun at a distance of 30 light-years. Additionally, the telescope must be in space, because looking through the Earth's atmosphere would blur the image too much. However, our largest space telescope - the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) - is only 6.5 meters in diameter, and that telescope was extremely difficult to launch. -- Because deploying a 20-meter space telescope seems out-of-reach with current technology, scientists have explored several alternative approaches. One involves launching multiple, smaller telescopes that maintain extremely accurate distances between them, so that the whole set acts as one telescope with a large diameter. But, maintaining the required spacecraft position accuracy (which must be precisely calibrated to the size of a typical molecule) is also currently infeasible. -- Other proposals use shorter wavelength light, so that a smaller telescope can be used. However, in visible light a sun-like star is more than 10 billion times brighter than the Earth. It is beyond our current capability to block out enough starlight to be able to see the planet in this case, even if in principle the image has high enough resolution. -- One idea for blocking the starlight involves flying a spacecraft called a 'starshade' that is tens of meters across, at a distance of tens of thousands of miles in front of the space telescope, so that it exactly blocks the light from the star while the light from a companion planet is not blocked. However, this plan requires that two spacecraft be launched (a telescope and a starshade). Furthermore, pointing the telescope at different stars would entail moving the starshade thousands of miles, using up prohibitively large quantities of fuel. -- A rectangular perspective | 577 |
| Tiny Quantum Dots Unlock The Future Of Unbreakable Encryption | Quantum Dots Break Barriers In Secure Quantum Communication | Decoy-State and Purification Protocols for Superior Quantum Key Distribution with Imperfect Quantum-Dot-Based Single-Photon Sources: Theory and Experiment. | The Hebrew University of Jerusalem | Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in quantum communication by developing a new encryption method that works with imperfect hardware. This innovative approach, utilizing quantum dots, demonstrates the potential for more secure communication over longer distances, bringing practical quantum encryption closer to everyday applications without the need for flawless optical components. | Scientists Crack 40-Year Encryption PuzzleQuantum Cryptography with quantum dot based compact and high rate single photon nano-devices. Credit: Lars Luder -- Physicists have developed a breakthrough concept in quantum encryption that makes private communication more secure over significantly longer distances, surpassing state-of-the-art technologies. For decades, experts believed such a technology upgrade required perfect optical hardware, namely, light sources that strictly emit one light particle (photon) at a time -- something extremely difficult and expensive to build. But the new approach uses innovative encryption protocols applied to tiny, engineered materials called quantum dots to send encrypted information securely, even with imperfect light sources. Real-world tests show it can outperform even the best of current systems, potentially bringing quantum-safe communication closer to everyday use. -- A team of physicists has made a breakthrough that could bring secure quantum communication closer to everyday use -- without needing flawless hardware. -- The research, led by PhD students Yuval Bloom and Yoad Ordan, under the guidance of Professor Ronen Rapaport from theRacah Institute of Physics at Hebrew University in collaboration with researchers from Los-Alamos National Labs, and published in PRX Quantum, introduces a new practical approach that significantly improve how we send quantum encrypted information using light particles -- even when using imperfect equipment. -- Cracking a 40-Year-Old Challenge in Quantum Communication -- For four decades, the holy grail of quantum key distribution (QKD) -- the science of creating unbreakable encryption using quantum mechanics -- has hinged on one elusive requirement: perfectly engineered single-photon sources. These are tiny light sources that can emit one particle of light (photon) at a time. But in practice, building such devices with absolute precision has proven extremely difficult and expensive. -- To work around that, the field has relied heavily on lasers, which are easier to produce but not ideal. These lasers send faint pulses of light that contain a small, but unpredictable, number of photons -- a compromise that limits both security and the distance over which data can be safely transmitted, as a smart eavesdropper can "steal" the information bits that are encoded simultaneously on more than one photon. -- A Better Way with Imperfect Tools -- Bloom, Ordan, and their team flipped the script. Instead of waiting for perfect photon sources, they developed two new protocols that work with what we have now -- sub-Poissonian photon sources based on quantum dots, which are tiny semiconductor particles that behave like artificial atoms. -- By dynamically engineering the optical behavior of these quantum dots and pairing them with nanoantennas, the team was able to tweak how the photons are emitted. This fine-tuning allowed them to suggest and demonstrate two advanced encryption strategies: | 578 |
| A Simple Trick Just Made Tiny Lasers More Powerful Than Ever | New Method Enhances Perovskite Lasers, Achieving Record Performance | Volatile ammonium-driven perovskite phase reconstruction for high-performance quasi-CW lasing. | SPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics | A new processing technique has successfully suppressed Auger recombination in perovskite films, achieving record-setting performance for quasi-continuous-wave lasers. Researchers at Zhejiang University have demonstrated that this simple additive method enhances the efficiency of perovskite lasers, paving the way for advanced optical devices and more efficient integration with silicon technology. | A Simple Fix Makes Lasers Stronger Than EverSuppressing Auger recombination for high-performance perovskite VCSELs. Credit: Xingliang Dai (Zhejiang University) -- For years, engineers have sought better ways to build tiny, efficient lasers that can be integrated directly onto silicon chips, a key step toward faster, more capable optical communications and computing. Today's commercial lasers are mostly made from III-V semiconductors grown on specialized substrates -- a process that makes them difficult and costly to combine with mainstream silicon technology. All-inorganic perovskite films have emerged as a promising alternative because they can be produced inexpensively, work with many substrate types, and offer strong optical properties. But one major obstacle has stood in the way: at room temperature, it has been difficult to get perovskite lasers to run in continuous or near-continuous modes without quickly losing their charge carriers to an effect known as Auger recombination. -- A research team at Zhejiang University has now demonstrated a simple method to overcome this problem, leading to record-setting performance for perovskite lasers under near-continuous operation. As reported in Advanced Photonics, their approach uses a volatile ammonium additive during the annealing process of polycrystalline perovskite films. This additive triggers a "phase reconstruction" that removes unwanted low-dimensional phases, reducing channels that accelerate Auger recombination. The result is a pure 3D structure that better preserves the charge carriers needed for lasing, without adding significant optical loss. -- To understand the improvement, the team analyzed how electrons and holes recombine under different pumping conditions. Auger recombination -- where energy from a recombining electron-hole pair is given to another carrier instead of emitted as light -- becomes especially problematic when the input light is delivered in longer pulses or continuous beams. In those situations, carrier injection occurs on a timescale similar to or longer than the Auger lifetime, leading to rapid carrier loss and preventing the build-up of population inversion needed for lasing. By suppressing this process, the researchers were able to sustain the carrier densities required for efficient stimulated emission. -- With their optimized films, the team built a single-mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) that achieved a low lasing threshold of 17.3 μJ/cm² and an impressive quality factor of 3850 under quasi-continuous nanosecond pumping. This performance marks the best reported to date for a perovskite laser in this regime. -- The results point toward a practical route for making high-performance perovskite lasers that could work under true continuous-wave or electrically driven conditions -- key milestones for their integration into future photonic chips and potentially flexible or wearable optoelectronic devices. | 579 |
| Black Holes Don’t Just Swallow Light, They Sing. And We Just Learned The Tune | Revolutionary Math Reveals The Unique "Sing" Of Black Holes | Path to an exact WKB analysis of black hole quasinormal modes. | Kyoto University | A novel mathematical approach has revealed the intricate “ringing” patterns of black holes, enhancing our understanding of their vibrations and gravitational wave emissions. This breakthrough allows for more precise measurements of black hole characteristics, providing a deeper insight into their fundamental properties and improving our capacity to detect cosmic signals. | Black Holes Don’t Just Swallow Light, They SingA new method exposes the hidden spirals in black hole vibrations, reshaping how we hear and understand their cosmic signals. Credit: Shutterstock -- Black holes embody the ultimate abyss. They are the most powerful sources of gravity in the universe, capable of dramatically distorting space and time around them. When disturbed, they begin to "ring" in a distinctive pattern known as quasinormal modes: ripples in space-time that produce detectable gravitational waves. -- In events like black hole mergers, these waves can be strong enough to detect from Earth, offering a unique opportunity to measure a black hole's mass and shape. However, precise calculation of these vibrations through theoretical methods has proven a major challenge, particularly for vibrations that are rapidly weakening. -- This inspired a team of researchers at Kyoto University to try a new method of calculating the vibrations of black holes. The scientists applied a mathematical technique called the exact Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin, orexact WKB analysisto carefully trace the behavior of waves from a black hole out into distant space. While this method has long been studied in mathematics, its application to physics -- especially to black holes -- is still a newly developing area. -- "The foundations of the exact WKB methodwere largely developed by Japanese mathematicians. As a researcher from Japan, I have always found this field intellectually and culturally familiar," says corresponding author Taiga Miyachi. -- This method allowed the research team to follow wave patterns in great detail, even in regions that are difficult to analyze with other existing methods. Their approach involved examining space near the black hole by extending it into the complex number domain, revealing a rich structure of the black hole's geometry. -- This included a mathematical phenomenon called Stokes curves, which designate where the nature of a wave suddenly changes. While previous studies have often overlooked the infinitely spiraling Stokes curves and paths that branch off from black holes, the research team incorporated these complex features into their analysis. -- The findings revealed that the team had succeeded in developing a method that systematically and precisely captures the frequency structure of rapidly weakening vibrations. This demonstrates the power of the exact WKB method as a practical tool for bridging theoretical predictions with observational data. -- "We were surprised at how complex and beautiful the underlying structure of these vibrations turned out to be. We found spiraling patterns in our mathematical analysis that had been missed before, and these turned out to be key in understanding the full picture of quasinormal modes," says Miyachi. -- This study makes it possible to analyze the "ringing sounds" of black holes across a wide range of theoretical models. Ultimately, this may help improve the precision of future gravitational wave observations and lead to a deeper, more reliable understanding of the true nature of our Universe and its geometry. | 580 |
| Scientists Reveal How Breakfast Timing May Predict How Long You Live | When You Eat Breakfast May Influence Your Mental Well-Being And Longevity | Meal timing trajectories in older adults and their associations with morbidity, genetic profiles, and mortality. | Mass General Brigham | Researchers at Mass General Brigham have found that as people age, their meal timing shifts, particularly breakfast. Eating breakfast later is linked to various health issues, including depression and fatigue, and may serve as a health marker for aging adults, potentially guiding better health strategies. | Breakfast Timing May Predict How Long You Live -- As we age, what and how much we eat tends to change. However, how meal timing relates to our health remains less understood. Researchers at Mass General Brigham and their collaborators studied changes to meal timing in older adults and discovered people experience gradual shifts in when they eat meals as they age. They also found characteristics that may contribute to meal timing shifts and revealed specific trajectories linked to an earlier death. The results are published in Communications Medicine. -- "Our research suggests that changes in when older adults eat, especially the timing of breakfast, could serve as an easy-to-monitor marker of their overall health status. Patients and clinicians can possibly use shifts in mealtime routines as an early warning sign to look into underlying physical and mental health issues," said lead author Hassan Dashti, PhD, RD, a nutrition scientist and circadian biologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. "Also, encouraging older adults in having consistent meal schedules could become part of broader strategies to promoting healthy aging and longevity." -- Dashti and his colleagues -- including senior author Altug Didikoglu, MSc, PhD, of the Izmir Institute of Technology in Turkey -- examined key aspects of meal timing that are significant for aging populations to determine whether certain patterns might signal, or even influence, health outcomes later in life. The research team analyzed data, including blood samples, from 2,945 community-dwelling adults in the UK aged 42-94 years old who were followed for more than 20 years. They found that as older adults age, they tend to eat breakfast and dinner at later times, while also narrowing the overall time window in which they eat each day. -- Later breakfast time was consistently associated with having physical and mental health conditions such as depression, fatigue and oral health problems. Difficulty with meal preparation and worse sleep were also linked with later mealtimes. Notably, later breakfast timing was associated with an increased risk of death during follow-up. Individuals genetically predisposed to characteristics associated with being a "night owl" (preferring later sleep and wake times) tended to eat meals at later times. -- "Up until now, we had a limited insight into how the timing of meals evolves later in life and how this shift relates to overall health and longevity," said Dashti. "Our findings help fill that gap by showing that later meal timing, especially delayed breakfast, is tied to both health challenges and increased mortality risk in older adults. These results add new meaning to the saying that 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day,' especially for older individuals." -- Dashti noted that this has important implications as time-restricted eating and intermittent fasting gain popularity, where the health impacts of shifting meal schedules may differ significantly in aging populations from those in younger adults. -- Authorship: In addition to Dashti, Mass General Brigham authors include Chloe Liu, Hao Deng and Anushka Sharma. -- Funding: This study was supported by the National Institute of Health (R00HL153795). | 581 |
| A 3-Minute Brainwave Test Could Spot Alzheimer’s Years Before Symptoms | Fastball Test Could Detect Alzheimer’s Years Before Symptoms Show Up | A passive and objective measure of recognition memory in mild cognitive impairment using Fastball memory assessment. | University of Bath | A breakthrough brainwave test called Fastball, developed by scientists at the University of Bath, can detect early signs of Alzheimer’s from home. This three-minute test passively records brain responses, making early diagnosis and treatment more accessible, especially as effective medications are available for early-stage Alzheimer’s. | A 3-Minute Test Could Spot Alzheimer’s EarlyJohn Stennard, a healthy volunteer, taking the Fastball test in his home. Credit: BRACE Dementia Research -- A simple brainwave test developed at the University of Bath has been shown to detect signs of memory impairment linked to Alzheimer's disease years before clinical diagnosis is typically possible. -- Published in the journal Brain Communications the study by academics from the University of Bath and the University of Bristol, reports that Fastball EEG, a three-minute passive test that records electrical activity in the brain while participants view a stream of images, can reliably identify memory problems in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) -- a condition that can lead to Alzheimer's. This follows the group's previous study in 2021 that demonstrated Fastball was sensitive to memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease. -- Crucially, the research team has demonstrated for the first time that the test can be administered in people's homes, outside of a clinical environment. Researchers say this opens the door to wider screening and monitoring using accessible, low-cost technology. -- With the development of the breakthrough Alzheimer's drugs, donanemab and lecanemab, an early diagnosis is more important than ever before. The drugs are clinically proven to be the most effective in the early stages of Alzheimer's. Despite this, in England, it is estimated that as many as 1 in 3 people do not currently have a dementia diagnosis, delaying treatments, support and research opportunities to tackle the condition. -- The study was led by Dr George Stothart, a cognitive neuroscientist in the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath. He said: -- "We're missing the first 10 to 20 years of Alzheimer's with current diagnostic tools. Fastball offers a way to change that -- detecting memory decline far earlier and more objectively, using a quick and passive test." -- How the test works -- Fastball is a passive EEG test that monitors the brain's automatic responses to images -- without requiring participants to follow instructions or recall information. This makes it more objective and accessible than traditional memory tests. -- | 582 |
| Scientists Discover How To Wipe Out Breast Cancer’s Hidden Cells | New Approach May Prevent Breast Cancer From Coming Back After Treatment | Targeting dormant tumor cells to prevent recurrent breast cancer: a randomized phase 2 trial | University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine | A clinical trial led by the University of Pennsylvania demonstrates that dormant cancer cells in breast cancer survivors can be detected and eliminated using existing medications, significantly improving survival rates and opening new avenues for proactive breast cancer treatment to prevent recurrence. | Wiping Out Breast Cancer’s Sleeper CellsDormant cancer cells that trigger breast cancer relapses can now be detected and eliminated with existing drugs, dramatically improving survival rates. Credit: Shutterstock -- A first-of-its-kind, federally funded clinical trial has shown it's possible to identify breast cancer survivors who are at higher risk of their cancer coming back due to the presence of dormant cancer cells and to effectively treat these cells with repurposed, existing drugs. The research, led by scientists from the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn's Perelman School of Medicine was published today in Nature Medicine. -- While breast cancer survival continues to improve, thanks to advances in detection and treatment, when breast cancer relapses -- or returns after initial treatment -- it is still incurable. For the 30 percent of women and men who do relapse, the only option is continuous and indefinite treatment which cannot eliminate the cancer completely. Some breast cancers, like triple negative and HER2+, recur within a few years, and others like ER+ can recur decades later. Until now, there has not been a way to identify those breast cancer survivors who harbor the dormant cells that lead to recurrence in real time and to intervene with a treatment that can prevent incurable relapse. -- In a randomized phase II clinical trial with 51 breast cancer survivors, existing drugs were able to clear dormant tumor cells from 80 percent of the study participants. The three-year survival rate without any disease recurrence was above 90 percent in patients who received one drug and 100 percent for patients who received both study drugs. -- "The lingering fear of cancer returning is something that hangs over many breast cancer survivors after they celebrate the end of treatment," said principal investigator Angela DeMichele, MD, MSCE, FASCO, the Mariann T. and Robert J. MacDonald Professor in Breast Cancer Research. "Right now, we just don't know when or if someone's cancer will come back -- that's the problem we set out to solve. Our study shows that preventing recurrence by monitoring and targeting dormant tumor cells is a strategy that holds real promise, and I hope it ignites more research in this area." -- Seizing a window of opportunity to wipe out cancer while it's sleeping -- The study builds on previous research that showed how dormant tumor cells continue to lay in wait in some patients after breast cancer treatment. These so-called "sleeper cells," also referred to as minimal residual disease (MRD), can reactivate years or even decades later. Because they are not "active" cancer cells and can be scattered throughout the body, they do not show up on standard imaging tests that are used to watch for breast cancer recurrence. -- Once the sleeper cells begin to expand and circulate in the bloodstream, it can lead to the spread of metastatic breast cancer. Patients who have MRD are more likely to experience breast cancer recurrence and have decreased overall survival. -- Lewis Chodosh, MD, PhD, chair of Cancer Biology and senior author of the study, previously led research to identify the pathways that allow dormant tumor cells to survive in patients for decades. -- | 583 |
| Metformin’s Mysterious Metal Effect Could Explain Its Big Health Benefits | Metformin’s Hidden Health Benefits Linked To Changes In Blood Metal Levels | Association of metformin treatment with changes in metal dynamics in individuals with type 2 diabetes | Kobe University | Researchers at Kobe University have uncovered that the diabetes drug metformin alters blood metal levels, lowering copper and iron while raising zinc. These changes may be a key factor behind the drug's numerous health benefits, enhancing our understanding of diabetes management. | Metformin’s Secret Effect on Blood MetalsScientists in Japan discovered that metformin shifts blood metal levels, lowering copper and iron while raising zinc. These changes could be a key reason behind the drug’s broad protective effects, offering clues for designing new and improved diabetes therapies. Credit: Shutterstock -- The widely used diabetes drug metformin changes blood metal levels in humans. The Kobe University study is an important step in understanding the drug's many actions and designing better ones in the future. -- Metformin is the most widely prescribed diabetes drug in the world. Apart from lowering blood sugar levels, it is also known to have a broad range of beneficial side effects such as against tumors, inflammations and atherosclerosis. However, although it has been used for more than 60 years now, its mechanism of action is still not clear, hampering the development of even better drugs against these conditions. -- Kobe University endocrinologist Wataru Ogawa says: "It is known that diabetes patients experience changes in the blood levels of metals such as copper, iron and zinc. In addition, chemical studies found that metformin has the ability to bind certain metals, such as copper, and recent studies showed that it is this binding ability that might be responsible for some of the drug's beneficial effects. So, we wanted to know whether metformin actually affects blood metal levels in humans, which had not been clarified." To do so, Ogawa and his team enlisted about 200 diabetes patients at Kobe University Hospital, half of which took metformin and half of which did not, in a study to analyze their blood serum levels for those metals and various metal deficiency indicators. -- In the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, the Kobe University team now published the first clinical evidence of altered blood metal levels in patients taking metformin. They showed that drug-taking patients have significantly lower copper and iron levels and heightened zinc levels. Ogawa says: "It is significant that we could show this in humans. Furthermore, since decreases in copper and iron concentrations and an increase in zinc concentration are all considered to be associated with improved glucose tolerance and prevention of complications, these changes may indeed be related to metformin's action." -- Recently, Japan has approved the use of imeglimin, a new diabetes drug that is a derivative of metformin but that should not be able to bind metals the same way as its parent. "Imeglimin is thought to have a different method of action, and we are already conducting studies to compare the effects the two drugs have," says Ogawa. -- It is not just about understanding the current drugs, however. Ogawa explains the bigger picture, saying: "We need both clinical trials and animal experiments to pinpoint the causal relationship between the drug's action and its effects. If such studies progress further, they may lead to the development of new drugs for diabetes and its complications by properly adjusting the metal concentrations in the body." -- This research was funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (grant 24H00638) and the Manpei Suzuki Diabetes Foundation. It was conducted in collaboration with a researcher from the Kagayaki Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic Sannomiya. | 584 |
| How Long Can One RSV Shot Protect Seniors? Study Shows Surprising Two-Year Shield | One RSV Vaccine Dose Offers Significant Protection For Seniors Over Two Years | RSV Vaccine Effectiveness Against Hospitalization Among US Adults Aged 60 Years or Older During 2 Seasons | Vanderbilt University Medical Center | A single dose of the RSV vaccine dramatically protects older adults from severe illness and hospitalization across two RSV seasons. This reinforces the importance of vaccination in this age group and establishes a foundation for future booster strategies as RSV continues to pose health risks. | One RSV Shot Protects Seniors for Two SeasonsResearchers found that one RSV shot protected older adults against hospitalization and critical illness for two seasons, with effectiveness strongest in the first year. Credit: Shutterstock -- One shot of an RSV vaccine protects adults ages 60 or older from RSV-associated hospitalization and critical illness during two consecutive RSV seasons, according to a study published in JAMA on August 30 by the IVY Network research group. -- RSV causes substantial seasonal illness during fall and winter in the U.S., with an estimated 100,000-150,000 hospitalizations and 4,000-8,000 deaths occurring annually among adults 60 or older. -- The results reinforce the recommendations for RSV vaccines in older adults and lay the groundwork for understanding how long a single dose of the vaccine may be effective, according to Wesley Self, MD, MPH, principal investigator for the IVY Network and Senior Vice President for Clinical Research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. -- "These results clearly demonstrate that the RSV vaccines prevent hospitalizations and critical illness due to RSV infection among older Americans," Self said. "It is exciting to see the public health benefits of this new vaccination program." -- Investigators used data from a multicenter hospital network known as the IVY Network (The Investigating Respiratory Viruses in the Acutely Ill Network) to assess RSV vaccine effectiveness. They used a test-negative, case-control study design among 6,958 persons 60 years or older who had been hospitalized with acute respiratory illness at one of 26 hospitals in 20 US states during two RSV seasons from October 1, 2023-March 31, 2024 and October 1, 2024-April 30, 2025. -- Overall, vaccination reduced the risk of RSV hospitalization by 58% during two RSV seasons, including 69% in the first year after vaccination and 48% in the second year after vaccination. -- "Our data show that the beneficial effects of RSV vaccines appear to wane over time," Self said. "Redosing the vaccine at some interval after the initial dose could be a strategy to maintain protection over longer periods of time. It will be important to continue to closely monitor vaccine effectiveness over time to understand how long the benefit lasts after a single dose and if repeat dosing should be considered." -- Current RSV vaccine recommendations are for all adults aged 75 years and older and those aged 60-74 years who are at an increased risk of severe RSV. -- | 585 |
| Scientists Reveal Breakthrough Blood Pressure Treatment That Works When Others Fail | New Pill Successfully Lowers High Blood Pressure When Other Treatments Fail | Efficacy and Safety of Baxdrostat in Uncontrolled and Resistant Hypertension | University College London | The new drug baxdrostat has proven effective in lowering stubbornly high blood pressure in patients unresponsive to existing treatments. In a major international trial, the drug significantly reduced systolic pressure, offering a promising new option for individuals at high risk for cardiovascular diseases. | Breakthrough Blood Pressure TreatmentA new pill called baxdrostat lowered stubbornly high blood pressure by nearly 10 mmHg in a major global trial, offering a powerful new option for patients at high risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new treatment has been shown to significantly lower blood pressure in people whose levels stay dangerously high, despite taking several existing medicines, according to the results of a Phase III clinical trial led by a UCL Professor. -- Globally around 1.3 billion people have high blood pressure (hypertension), and in around half of cases the condition is uncontrolled or treatment resistant. These individuals face a much greater risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and early death. In the UK the number of people with hypertension is around 14 million. -- The international BaxHTN trial, led by Professor Bryan Williams (UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science) and sponsored by AstraZeneca, assessed the new drug baxdrostat - which is taken as a tablet - with participation from nearly 800 patients across 214 clinics worldwide. -- The study was supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at UCLH. -- Results were presented on August 30th at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2025 in Madrid and are being simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine. -- The trial results showed that, after 12 weeks, patients taking baxdrostat (1 mg or 2 mg once daily in pill form) saw their blood pressure fall by around 9-10 mmHg more than placebo - a reduction large enough to cut cardiovascular risk. About 4 in 10 patients reached healthy blood pressure levels, compared with fewer than 2 in 10 on placebo. -- Principal Investigator, Professor Williams, who is presenting the results at ESC, said: "Achieving a nearly 10 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure with baxdrostat in the BaxHTN Phase III trial is exciting, as this level of reduction is linked to substantially lower risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease." -- How baxdrostat works -- | 586 |
| Common Heart Drug Taken By Millions Found Useless, Possibly Risky | Common Heart Drug Found Useless For Patients With Preserved Heart Function | Beta-Blockers after Myocardial Infarction without Reduced Ejection Fraction | The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine | Findings from the REBOOT trial indicate that beta blockers, traditionally prescribed after heart attacks, provide no benefit to patients with preserved heart function and may even pose risks, especially for women. This revelation could lead to significant changes in cardiac treatment guidelines globally. | Heart Drug Taken by Millions Found UselessA huge international study shows beta blockers don’t help most post-heart attack patients and may even harm women, marking a major shift in cardiac care. Credit: Shutterstock -- Beta blockers—drugs commonly prescribed for a range of cardiac conditions, including heart attacks—provide no clinical benefit for patients who have had an uncomplicated myocardial infarction with preserved heart function. Beta blockers have been the standard treatment for these patients for 40 years. -- This is a breakthrough discovery from the “REBOOT Trial” with senior investigator Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, President of Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital and General Director of Spain’s Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC). The study results, which could overturn a standard treatment paradigm, were presented on Saturday, August 30, during a “Hot Line” session at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Madrid, and simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine. -- Additionally, a REBOOT substudy, published on August 30 in the European Heart Journal, shows that women treated with beta blockers had a higher risk of death, heart attack, or hospitalization for heart failure compared to women not receiving the drug. Men did not have this increased risk. -- MYOB - SME (Aus) -- Can admin run itself? -- Sponsored By MYOB - SME (Aus) -- See More -- “This trial will reshape all international clinical guidelines. It joins other previous landmark trials led by CNIC and Mount Sinai—such as SECURE with the polypill and DapaTAVI, with SLT2 inhibition associated to TAVI—that have already transformed some global approaches to cardiovascular disease,” says Dr. Fuster. -- | 587 |
| Overworked Neurons Burn Out And Fuel Parkinson’s Disease | Overactive Neurons May Be Driving The Progression Of Parkinson’s Disease | Chronic hyperactivation of midbrain dopamine neurons causes preferential dopamine neuron degeneration | Gladstone Institutes | Overactivation of dopamine neurons may lead to degeneration in Parkinson’s disease, according to research at Gladstone Institutes. This discovery highlights the potential for new therapies that target neuron overactivity, which could help slow disease progression and protect vulnerable brain cells. | Overworked Neurons Burn Out in Parkinson’sConstant overactivation exhausts dopamine neurons, leading to degeneration much like in Parkinson’s patients. This discovery could point to new treatments that protect vulnerable brain cells by rebalancing their activity. Credit: Shutterstock -- Certain brain cells are responsible for coordinating smooth, controlled movements of the body. But when those cells are constantly overactivated for weeks on end, they degenerate and ultimately die. This new observation made by scientists at Gladstone Institutes may help explain what goes awry in the brains of people with Parkinson's disease. -- Researchers have long known that a particular subset of neurons die as Parkinson's disease progresses, but they aren't sure why. The new work, published in the scientific journal eLife, shows that in mice, chronic activation of these neurons can directly cause their demise. The scientists hypothesize that in Parkinson's, neuron overactivation could be triggered by a combination of genetic factors, environmental toxins, and the need to compensate for other neurons that are lost. -- MYOB - SME (Aus) -- More AI for your Admin -- Sponsored By MYOB - SME (Aus) -- See More -- "An overarching question in the Parkinson's research field has been why the cells that are most vulnerable to the disease die," says Gladstone Investigator Ken Nakamura, MD, PhD, who led the study. "Answering that question could help us understand why the disease occurs and point toward new ways to treat it." -- Too Much Buzz -- | 588 |
| Hidden Viruses In Our DNA Could Be Medicine’s Next Big Breakthrough | Viral Protein Hidden In Our DNA Could Revolutionize Cancer Treatment And Diagnostics | Human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) envelope structures in pre- and postfusion by cryo-EM | La Jolla Institute for Immunology | Researchers have decoded the 3D structure of the HERV-K Env protein, embedded in human DNA, revealing its potential for cancer immunotherapy and diagnostics. This groundbreaking work opens the door to new treatment options for autoimmune diseases and enhances our understanding of viral proteins in human genetics. | Hidden Viruses in Our DNA Revealed in 3DThe new study, led by LJI scientists, shows the HERV-K Env structure from every angle. These renderings offer a top view and side view of the protein and reveal how the three parts of its trimer structure come together. Credit: LJI/Saphire Lab -- You are mostly but not entirely human. If we crunch the numbers, 8 percent of your genome actually comes from viruses that got stranded there. This viral detritus is a souvenir from our evolutionary past, a reminder that viruses have been with us from the very beginning. -- Usually, this 8 percent of your DNA -- the viral bits -- are kept silent. Scientists call it part of the "dark matter" in your genome. -- Now scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have published a first look at a key viral protein. In a study published in Science Advances, LJI researchers revealed the first three-dimensional structure of a protein from one of these ancient "human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs)." -- The team mapped the surface envelope glycoprotein (Env), the antibody target of the most active HERV, marking a milestone in structural biology. "This is the first human HERV protein structure ever solved -- and only the third retroviral envelope structure solved overall, after human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)," says Erica Ollmann Saphire, Ph.D., MBA, LJI President, CEO, and Professor. -- This discovery opens the door to new strategies for diagnosing and treating disease. Back in the evolutionary past, HERV-K Env proteins studded the outside of the HERV-K retroviruses. But in modern humans, HERV-K Env proteins show up on the surface of certain tumor cells and in patients with autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, making them a valuable target for developing novel diagnostics and therapies. -- "In many disease states, like autoimmune diseases and cancer, these genes re-awaken and start making pieces of these viruses," says Saphire. "Understanding the HERV-K Env structure, and the antibodies we now have, opens up diagnostic and treatment opportunities." -- An unexpected "twist" -- Until now, HERV proteins had been invisible. They've proven too mobile -- and too twitchy -- to be seen with even the most sophisticated imaging techniques. Solving the structure of HERV-K Env was especially challenging because the LJI team needed to capture the protein's delicate "pre-fusion" state. -- | 589 |
| Study Finds Cannabis Improves Sleep Where Other Drugs Fail | Cannabis Treatment Linked To Improved Sleep And Reduced Anxiety Over 18 Months | UK Medical Cannabis Registry: A clinical outcomes analysis for insomnia | PLOS | A long-term study on insomnia patients using cannabis-based medical products found significant improvements in sleep quality, mood, and pain management over 18 months. While mild side effects were reported, the findings support the potential role of cannabis for insomnia treatment where traditional options have failed. | Study Finds Cannabis Improves SleepCannabis-based medicines may provide lasting relief for insomnia sufferers, improving sleep and mental health with minimal side effects. Credit: Shutterstock -- Insomnia patients taking cannabis-based medical products reported better quality sleep after up to 18 months of treatment, according to a study published August 27 in the open-access journal PLOS Mental Health by Arushika Aggarwal from Imperial College London, U.K., and colleagues. -- About one out of every three people has some trouble getting a good night's rest, and 10 percent of adults meet the criteria for an insomnia disorder. But current treatments can be difficult to obtain, and the drugs approved for insomnia run the risk of dependence. To understand how cannabis-based medical products might affect insomnia symptoms, the authors of this study analyzed a set of 124 insomnia patients taking medical cannabis products. They examined the patient's reports of their sleep quality, anxiety/depression, and quality of life changes between one and 18 months of treatment. -- The patients reported improved sleep quality that lasted over the 18 months of treatment. They also showed significant improvements in anxiety/depression as well as reporting less pain. About nine percent of the patients reported adverse effects such as fatigue, insomnia, or dry mouth, but none of the side effects were life-threatening. While randomized controlled trials will be needed to prove that the products are safe and effective, the authors suggest that cannabis-based medical products could improve sleep quality in insomnia patients. -- Co-author Dr. Simon Erridge, Research Director at Curaleaf Clinic, summarizes: "Over an 18-month period, our study showed that treatment for insomnia with cannabis-based medicinal products was associated with sustained improvements in subjective sleep quality and anxiety symptoms. These findings support the potential role of medical cannabis as a medical option where conventional treatments have proven ineffective, though further randomised trials are needed to confirm long-term efficacy." -- He adds: "Conducting this long-term study provided valuable real-world evidence on patient outcomes that go beyond what we typically see in short-term trials. It was particularly interesting to observe signs of potential tolerance over time, which highlights the importance of continued monitoring and individualized treatment plans." | 590 |
| Scientists Reveal How Breathwork Unlocks Psychedelic Bliss In The Brain | Breathwork With Music Can Induce Blissful States And Shift Brain Blood Flow | Neurobiological substrates of altered states of consciousness induced by high ventilation breathwork accompanied by music | PLOS | High-ventilation breathwork combined with music has been shown to induce blissful states and reduce negative emotions while altering blood flow in the brain, according to new research. This suggests breathwork could serve as a natural therapeutic method with significant benefits for mental health. | Breathwork Unlocks Psychedelic StatesFast-paced breathwork with music induces altered states resembling psychedelics, calming negative emotions while reshaping brain activity. Credit: Shutterstock -- Breathwork while listening to music may induce a blissful state in practitioners, accompanied by changes in blood flow to emotion-processing brain regions, according to a study published August 27, 2025, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Amy Amla Kartar from the Colasanti Lab in the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, U.K., and colleagues. These changes occur even while the body's stress response may be activated and are associated with reporting reduced negative emotions. -- The popularity of breathwork as a therapeutic tool for psychological distress is rapidly expanding. Breathwork practices that increase ventilatory rate or depth, accompanied by music, can lead to altered states of consciousness (ASCs) similar to those evoked by psychedelic substances. High ventilation breathwork (HVB) might offer a non-pharmacological alternative, with fewer legal and ethical restrictions to large-scale adoption in clinical treatment. However, the neurobiological mechanisms and subjective experience underlying ASCs induced by HVB have not been studied extensively. -- To fill this knowledge gap, Kartar and colleagues characterized ASCs induced by HVB in experienced practitioners by analyzing self-reported data from 15 individuals who participated online, 8 individuals who participated in the lab, and 19 individuals who underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Their task consisted of a 20- to 30-minute session of cyclic breathing without pausing while listening to music, followed by a series of questionnaires within 30 minutes of finishing the breathwork session. -- The results showed that the intensity of ASCs evoked by HVB was proportional to cardiovascular sympathetic activation, as indicated by a decrease in heart rate variability, indicating a potential stress response. In addition, HVB-evoked ASCs were associated with a profound decrease in blood flow to the left operculum and posterior insula - brain regions implicated in representing the internal state of the body, including breathing. Also, despite HVB causing large and global reductions in blood flow to the brain, there was a progressive increase in blood flow during the session to the right amygdala and anterior hippocampus, which are brain regions involved in the processing of emotional memories. These blood flow changes correlated with psychedelic experiences, demonstrating that these alterations may underlie the positive effects of this breathwork. -- During all experimental sessions, participants reported a reduction in fear and negative emotions, with no adverse reactions. Across participants and experimental settings, HVB reliably enhanced ASCs dominated by Oceanic Boundlessness (OBN), which is a term coined by Freud in 1920 that describes a set of related feelings including spiritual experience, insightfulness, blissful state, positively experienced depersonalization, and the experience of unity. OBN is considered as a defining aspect of ASCs evoked by psychedelic substances, such as psilocybin. -- According to the authors, their study was novel and exploratory and requires replication by future research including larger sample sizes and a control group to separate the effects of music on the brain. Despite these limitations, the findings provide a better understanding of HVB and direct research to investigate its therapeutic applications. -- The authors add: "Our research is the first to use neuroimaging to map the neurophysiological changes that occur during breathwork. Our key findings include that breathwork can reliably evoke profound psychedelic states. We believe that these states are linked to changes in the function of specific brain regions involved in self-awareness, and fear and emotional memory processing. We found that more profound changes in blood flow in specific brain areas were linked to deeper sensations of unity, bliss, and emotional release, collectively known as "oceanic boundlessness." -- Amy Kartar, lead author, adds: "Conducting this research was a fantastic experience. It was thrilling to explore such a novel area - while many people anecdotally recognize the health benefits of breathwork, this style of fast-paced breathing has received very little scientific attention. We are very grateful to our participants for making this work possible." -- | 591 |
| The Midlife Crisis Is Over, But Something Worse Took Its Place | Youth Mental Health Decline May Be Replacing The Midlife Crisis | The declining mental health of the young and the global disappearance of the unhappiness hump shape in age | PLOS | A study indicates that the traditional “unhappiness hump” in midlife has faded, with today's youth experiencing worse mental health than older adults. This shift highlights the growing struggles faced by younger generations, raising concerns about their overall well-being and future mental health outcomes. | Why Young People Are Now UnhappiestThe old midlife slump in wellbeing has faded. Instead, young people are now reporting the highest levels of mental distress, while older adults show more stability. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new survey-based study suggests that the "unhappiness hump" -- a widely documented rise in worry, stress, and depression with age that peaks in midlife and then declines -- may have disappeared, perhaps due to declining mental health among younger people. David Blanchflower of Dartmouth College, U.S., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One on August 27, 2025. -- Since 2008, a U-shaped trend in well-being with age, in which well-being tends to decline from childhood until around age 50 before rebounding in old age, has been observed in developed and developing countries worldwide. Data have also revealed a corresponding "ill-being" or unhappiness hump. -- Recent data point to a worldwide decline in well-being among younger people, but most studies have not directly addressed potential implications for the unhappiness hump. To help clarify, Blanchflower and colleagues first analyzed data from U.S. and U.K. surveys that included questions about participants' mental health. U.S. data included responses from more than 10 million adults surveyed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 1993 and 2024. U.K. data spanned 2009 through 2023 and were collected in the ongoing U.K. Household Longitudinal Study, which involves 40,000 households. -- The analysis showed that, in the U.S. and the U.K., the ill-being hump has disappeared, such that ill-being / unhappiness now tends to decline over the course of a lifetime. Ill-being among people in their late 40s and older did not change significantly. Instead, the hump's disappearance appears to be due to a decline in mental health among younger people. -- Next, the researchers analyzed data on nearly 2 million people from 44 countries, including the U.S. and the U.K., from a mental health study called Global Minds. Covering the years 2020 through 2025, these data suggest the unhappiness hump has disappeared worldwide. -- Reasons for the disappearance of the unhappiness hump are unclear. The authors suggest several possibilities, including long-term impacts of the Great Recession on job prospects for younger people, underfunded mental health care services, mental health challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and increased social media use. Further research is needed to determine whether any of these or other factors are at play. -- The authors add: "Ours is the first paper to show that the decline in young people's mental health in recent years means that today, both in the United States and the United Kingdom, mental ill-being is highest among the young and declines with age. This is a huge change from the past when mental ill-being peaked in middle-age. The reasons for the change are disputed but our concern is that today there is a serious mental health crisis among the young that needs addressing." | 592 |
| Stronger Weed, Higher Risk? Potent THC Linked To Psychosis And Addiction | High-Potency Cannabis Products Linked To Increased Risk Of Psychosis And Addiction | High-Concentration Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Cannabis Products and Mental Health Outcomes | American College of Physicians | A systematic review of nearly 100 studies highlights strong links between high-potency cannabis products and mental health issues such as psychosis and cannabis use disorder. While concerns about THC levels are confirmed, evidence on anxiety and depression remains unclear, prompting calls for more rigorous research. | Potent Cannabis Linked to PsychosisPotent cannabis products show risks for psychosis and addiction, but the full mental health picture is still murky. Credit: Shutterstock -- A systematic review analyzed associations of high-concentration delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cannabis products with mental health outcomes. The review found that high-concentration THC products are associated with unfavorable mental health outcomes, particularly for psychosis or schizophrenia and cannabis use disorder (CUD). However, there are limitations to currently available evidence and the researchers call for studies with improved designs to provide more accurate guidance for clinicians and the public. The review is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. -- Researchers from University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and colleagues analyzed 99 studies comprising 221,097 participants completed between 1977 and 2023. Study selection was intentionally broad and included studies examining associations between high-concentration cannabis products and mental health outcomes regardless of whether the study had the purpose of evaluating therapeutic effects. -- High-concentration cannabis products were defined as having THC concentration exceeding 5 mg THC or 10% THC per serving or products described as "high-potency concentrate," "shatter," or "dab." The mental health outcomes of interest included anxiety, depression, psychosis, schizophrenia, CUD and other substance use disorders. The researchers defined acute effects (within 12 hours), post-acute effects (after consistent use for 1 to 2 months), and long-term effects (after consistent use for > 1 year). -- In studies not testing for therapeutic effects, high concentration THC products were associated with psychosis, schizophrenia, and cannabis use disorder. No therapeutic studies found favorable effects on psychosis or schizophrenia. Of non-therapeutic studies, 53% identified unfavorable associations with anxiety and 41% found unfavorable associations with depression. Among therapeutic studies, some suggested beneficial effects for anxiety (47%) and depression (48%), while others suggested unfavorable effects (24% for anxiety and 30% for depression). -- The findings reinforce previous conclusions that higher THC concentrations increase the risk for adverse mental health outcomes; however, they fall short of providing the definitive evidence needed to provide clear advice to patients. | 593 |
| Your Nose Could Detect Alzheimer’s Years Before Memory Loss | Sense Of Smell Tests Could Early Detect Alzheimer’s Disease | Early Locus Coeruleus noradrenergic axon loss drives olfactory dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease | DZNE - German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases | Researchers have identified early signs of Alzheimer’s linked to loss of smell, revealing that the brain's immune response mistakenly attacks olfactory nerve connections. These insights could enable earlier diagnosis and treatment options for Alzheimer’s, emphasizing the importance of olfactory changes as potential warning signs. | Smell Loss Could Be Alzheimer’s First WarningAlzheimer’s may start with a failing sense of smell as the brain’s immune system mistakenly attacks scent-related nerve fibers. Studies in humans and mice show this process begins early, opening the door to earlier diagnosis and treatment. Credit: Shutterstock -- A fading sense of smell can be one of the earliest signs of Alzheimer's disease even before cognitive impairments manifest. Research by scientists at DZNE and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) sheds new light on this phenomenon, pointing to a significant role for the brain's immune response, which seems to fatally attack neuronal fibers crucial for the perception of odors. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, is based on observations in mice and humans, including analysis of brain tissue and so-called PET scanning. These findings may help to devise ways for early diagnosis and, consequently, early treatment. -- The researchers come to the conclusion that these olfactory dysfunctions arise because immune cells of the brain called "microglia" remove connections between two brain regions, namely the olfactory bulb and the locus coeruleus. The olfactory bulb, located in the forebrain, analyzes sensory information from the nose's scent receptors. The locus coeruleus, a region of the brainstem, influences this processing by means of long nerve fibers originating from neurons in the locus coeruleus and extending all the way to the olfactory bulb. "The locus coeruleus regulates a variety physiological mechanisms. These include, for example, cerebral blood flow, sleep-wake cycles, and sensory processing. The latter applies, in particular, also to the sense of smell," says Dr. Lars Paeger, a scientist at DZNE and LMU. "Our study suggests that in early Alzheimer's disease, changes occur in the nerve fibers linking the locus coeruleus to the olfactory bulb. These alterations signal to the microglia that affected fibers are defective or superfluous. Consequently, the microglia break them down." -- Alterations in the membrane -- Specifically, the team of Dr. Lars Paeger and Prof. Dr. Jochen Herms, who is a co-author of the current publication, found evidence of changes in the composition of the membranes of the affected nerve fibers: Phosphatidylserine, a fatty acid that usually occurs inside a neuron's membrane, had been moved to the outside. "Presence of phosphatidylserine at the outer site of the cell membrane is known to be an "eat-me" signal for microglia. In the olfactory bulb, this is usually associated with a process called synaptic pruning, which serves to remove unnecessary or dysfunctional neuronal connections," explains Paeger. "In our situation, we assume that the shift in membrane composition is triggered by hyperactivity of the affected neurons due to Alzheimer's disease. That is, these neurons exhibit abnormal firing." -- A wide range of data -- The findings of Paeger and colleagues are based on a plethora of observations. These include studies on mice with features of Alzheimer's disease, analysis of brain samples from deceased Alzheimer's patients, and positron emission tomography (PET) scans of the brains of individuals with Alzheimer's or mild cognitive impairment. "Smell issues in Alzheimer's disease and damage to the associated nerves have been discussed for some time. However, the causes were unclear until yet. Now, our findings point to an immunological mechanism as cause for such dysfunctions - and, in particular, that such events already arise in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease," says Joachim Herms, a research group leader at DZNE and LMU as well as a member of the Munich-based "SyNergy" Cluster of Excellence. -- Perspectives for early diagnosis -- So-called amyloid-beta antibodies have recently become available for the treatment of Alzheimer's. For this novel therapy to be effective, it needs to be applied at an early stage of the disease, and this is precisely where the current research could be significant. "Our findings could pave the way for the early identification of patients at risk of developing Alzheimer's, enabling them to undergo comprehensive testing to confirm the diagnosis before cognitive problems arise. This would allow earlier intervention with amyloid-beta antibodies, increasing the probability of a positive response," says Herms. | 594 |
| Exercise May Actually Reverse Your Body’s Aging Clock | Exercise Might Actually Reverse Your Biological Aging Process | Exercise as a geroprotector: focusing on epigenetic aging | Impact Journals LLC | New research suggests that structured exercise can slow or even reverse epigenetic aging, impacting various organs and systems. By focusing on physical fitness, scientists demonstrate that regular exercise has significant benefits beyond traditional health improvements, potentially extending healthspan and overall longevity. | Exercise Reverses Your Body’s Aging ClockStructured exercise appears to slow molecular aging, with studies showing measurable reductions in biological age across multiple organs and systems. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new research perspective was recently published in Aging, titled "Exercise as a geroprotector: focusing on epigenetic aging." -- In this perspective, led by Takuji Kawamura from Tohoku University, researchers reviewed existing evidence from scientific studies showing that regular exercise, physical activity, and fitness may influence epigenetic aging and potentially reverse it, offering a promising way to extend healthspan and improve long-term health. -- Epigenetic aging refers to changes in the body's DNA that reflect how quickly a person is aging at the molecular level. It is measured using epigenetic clocks, which analyze patterns of DNA methylation, a chemical modification that can affect gene activity. Unlike chronological age, which simply counts the number of years lived, epigenetic aging presents a more accurate picture of how well the body's cells and tissues are functioning. This process is influenced by various factors, including lifestyle, and has become a powerful tool for studying aging. -- This perspective highlights that while general physical activity, such as walking or doing household tasks, offers health benefits, structured exercise routines that are planned, repetitive, and goal-directed appear to have stronger effects on slowing epigenetic aging. Physical fitness, especially high cardiorespiratory capacity, is also closely associated with slower epigenetic aging. -- The authors also discuss key findings from both human and animal studies. In mice, structured endurance and resistance training reduced age-related molecular changes in muscle tissue. In humans, multi-week exercise interventions demonstrated reductions in biological age markers in blood and skeletal muscle. One study found that sedentary middle-aged women reduced their epigenetic age by two years after just eight weeks of combined aerobic and strength training. Another study showed that older men with higher oxygen uptake levels, a key measure of cardiovascular fitness, had significantly slower epigenetic aging. -- "These findings suggest that maintaining physical fitness delays epigenetic aging in multiple organs and supports the notion that exercise as a geroprotector confers benefits to various organs." -- The research also examines which organs benefit most from exercise. While skeletal muscle has been a central focus, new evidence shows that regular physical training may also slow aging in the heart, liver, fat tissue, and even the gut. In addition, Olympic athletes were found to have slower epigenetic aging than non-athletes, suggesting that long-term, intensive physical activity may have lasting anti-aging effects. -- The authors call for further research to understand why some individuals respond more strongly to exercise than others and how different types of training influence aging in various organs. They also point out the importance of developing personalized exercise programs to maximize anti-aging benefits. Overall, the findings support the growing recognition that maintaining physical fitness is not only essential for daily health but may also serve as one of the most effective tools for slowing the body's internal aging process. | 595 |
| Powerful New Painkiller ADRIANA Shows Promise In Ending Opioid Dependence | New Non-Opioid Painkiller Promises Relief Without Addiction Risks | Discovery and development of an oral analgesic targeting the α2B adrenoceptor | Kyoto University | A new non-opioid painkiller called ADRIANA has shown promising results in providing effective pain relief without the risks associated with addiction. Following successful trials in Japan, large studies in the U.S. are underway, raising hopes for safer alternatives to opioids in pain management. | Could This Pill End the Opioid Crisis?ADRIANA, a new drug from Japan, offers effective pain relief without opioids and could help combat the global addiction crisis. Credit: Shutterstock -- Opioids like morphine are widely used in medical practice due to their powerful pain-relieving effects. However, they carry the risk of serious adverse effects such as respiratory depression and drug dependence. For this reason, Japan has strict regulations in place to ensure that these medications are prescribed only by authorized physicians. -- In the United States, however, the opioid OxyContin was once prescribed frequently triggering a surge in the misuse of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. As a result, the number of deaths caused by opioid overdose surpassed 80,000 in 2023, escalating into a national public health crisis now referred to as the "opioid crisis." -- Opioids may soon have a rival, however. A team of researchers at Kyoto University has recently discovered a novel analgesic, or pain reliever, which exerts its effect through an entirely different mechanism. Clinical development of their drug ADRIANA is currently underway as part of an international collaborative effort. -- "If successfully commercialized, ADRIANA would offer a new pain management option that does not rely on opioids, contributing significantly to the reduction of opioid use in clinical settings," says corresponding author Masatoshi Hagiwara, a specially-appointed professor at Kyoto University. -- The research team was first inspired by substances that mimic noradrenaline, which is released in life-threatening situations andactivates α2A-adrenoceptors to suppress pain. However, these pose a high risk of cardiovascular instability. After observing noradrenaline levels and α2B-adrenoceptors, the team hypothesized that selectively blocking α2B-adrenoceptors could elevate noradrenaline levels, leading to activation of α2A-adrenoceptors and resulting in pain relief without causing cardiovascular instability. -- To identify selective inhibitors of α2B-adrenoceptors and measure the activity of individual α2-adrenoceptor subtypes, the researchers employed a novel technology known as the TGFα shedding assay and conducted compound screening leading to their discovery of the world's first selective α2B-adrenoceptor antagonist. -- After success in administering the compound to mice and conducting non-clinical studies to assess its safety, physician-led clinical trials were conducted at Kyoto University Hospital. Both the Phase I trial in healthy volunteers and the Phase II trial in patients with postoperative pain following lung cancer surgery yielded highly promising results. -- Building on these outcomes, preparations are now underway for a large-scale Phase II clinical trial in the United States, in collaboration with BTB Therapeutics, Inc, a Kyoto University-originated venture company. -- | 596 |
| Flamingos Reveal Their Secret To Staying Young | Flamingo Research Reveals Surprising Insights On Aging And Longevity | Migration shapes senescence in a long-lived bird. | Tour du Valat | A long-term study of flamingos suggests that migratory behavior influences aging rates, with resident flamingos aging faster than their migratory counterparts. While residents enjoy early-life advantages, they face accelerated aging later, indicating that seasonal migration may play a significant role in longevity and providing insights into the science of aging across different species. | Flamingos Reveal Their Secret to Staying YoungFlamingos that migrate age more slowly than those that stay home, according to a 40-year study. While residents thrive early in life, they face faster decline later, unlike migrants who trade early hardships for long-term vitality. Credit: Shutterstock -- Is aging inevitable? While most living beings age, some do so more slowly than others. A new scientific study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) addresses a fascinating question: what if migration influences the way we age? -- To explore this mystery, scientists turned their attention to the pink flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), a graceful migratory bird that is emblematic of the Camargue region of France. Birds that do not all age in the same way Thanks to a flamingo tagging and tracking program conducted for over 40 years by the Tour du Valat research institute, scientists have discovered a surprising phenomenon: migratory flamingos age more slowly than resident flamingos. In this species, some birds remain in the Camargue for their entire lives (they are called 'residents'), while others travel every year along the shores of the Mediterranean (these are the 'migrants'). At the beginning of their adult life, resident flamingos fare better: well established in the lagoons of the French Mediterranean coast during the winter, they survive and reproduce more than migrants. But at what cost? As they age, residents decline more rapidly. With 40% greater aging, their ability to reproduce decreases and the risk of death increases faster than among migratory flamingos. On the contrary, migratory flamingos, those that leave to spend the winter in Italy, Spain or North Africa, pay a high price for these seasonal journeys early in life (higher mortality and lower reproduction rates) but seem to compensate for this by slower aging at an advanced age. Thus, the onset of the aging process occurs earlier in residents (20.4 years on average) than in migrants (21.9 years). -- Migration: An Animal Behavior That Influences Aging -- This study shows that seasonal migration -- a behavior exhibited by billions of animals -- can influence the rate of aging. In flamingos, deciding not to migrate offers advantages early in life that are associated with accelerated senescence at an advanced age. "This is probably linked to a compromise between performance when young and health in old age," explains Sébastien Roques, researcher at the CNRS and co-author of the study. "Residents live intensely at first, but pay for this pace later on. Migrants, on the other hand, seem to age more slowly." With their long lifespan (some live to be over 50 years old!) and behavioral diversity, flamingos are more than just an iconic animal of the Camargue. They also provide an ideal model for understanding aging in animals. "That's the whole point of having continued this study over the long term. Initiated in 1977 in the Camargue by tagging flamingos with rings that can be read from a distance with a telescope, this program still allows us to observe flamingos tagged that year," explain Arnaud Béchet and Jocelyn Champagnon, research directors at the Tour du Valat and co-authors of the study. "This is a unique dataset that is proving invaluable for understanding the mechanisms of aging in animal populations." -- Unravelling the secrets of aging, a scientific and existential quest -- This discovery is part of an exciting field of research: senescence, or biological aging. Hugo Cayuela, one of the study's co-authors and a researcher at the University of Oxford, comments: "Understanding the causes of changes in the rate of aging is a problem that has obsessed researchers and polymath philosophers since ancient times." He continues "For a long time, we thought that these variations occurred mainly between species. But recently, our perception of the problem has changed. We are accumulating evidence showing that, within the same species, individuals often do not age at the same rate due to genetic, behavioral and environmental variations." By studying how certain animals are born, reproduce and die, scientists hope to unlock the secrets of aging... In doing so, they are attempting to answer one of the most existential and central questions in biology: why and how do we die? -- About the Tour du Valat -- The Tour du Valat is a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, based in Camargue (France), with the status of a private foundation recognized as being of public interest. Founded in 1954 by Luc Hoffmann, the Tour du Valat has since developed its research activities with one constant concern: to better understand these environments -- wetlands are the most abundant and most threatened ecosystem on the planet -- to manage them better. Convinced that Mediterranean wetlands can only be preserved if human activities and the protection of natural heritage go hand in hand, the Tour du Valat has been developing research and integrated management programs for many years that promote exchanges between users and scientists, mobilize a community of stakeholders and promote the benefits of wetlands to decision-makers. | 597 |
| Autism Symptoms Vanish In Mice After Stanford Brain Breakthrough | Stanford Study Uncovers Potential Autism Treatment By Targeting Brain Hyperactivity | Reticular thalamic hyperexcitability drives autism spectrum disorder behaviors in the Cntnap2 model of autism. | Stanford Medicine | Researchers at Stanford have identified that hyperactivity in the reticular thalamic nucleus may drive autism-like behaviors in mice. By suppressing this hyperactive brain region, symptoms resembling autism were reversed, suggesting potential therapeutic pathways that intersect with treatments for epilepsy, highlighting the shared neurological mechanisms underlying both disorders. | Scientists Erase Autism Behaviors in MiceA hyperactive brain “gatekeeper” may explain autism behaviors. By calming this region in mice, researchers reversed symptoms, revealing a surprising overlap with epilepsy drugs. Credit: Shutterstock -- Stanford Medicine scientists investigating the neurological underpinnings of autism spectrum disorder have found that hyperactivity in a specific brain region could drive behaviors commonly associated with the disorder. -- Using a mouse model of the disease, the researchers identified the reticular thalamic nucleus -- which serves as a gatekeeper of sensory information between the thalamus and cortex -- as a potential target for treatments. -- Moreover, they were able to reverse symptoms similar to those of autism -- including susceptibility to seizures, heightened sensitivity to stimulus, increased motor activity, repetitive behaviors and decreased social interactions -- by giving the mice drugs that suppressed this area of the brain. -- The same drugs are being studied for the treatment of epilepsy, highlighting where the processes underlying autism spectrum disorders and epilepsy may overlap in the brain and why they often occur in the same patients. -- The findings will be published Aug. 20 in Science Advances. The senior author of the study is John Huguenard, PhD, professor of neurology and neurological sciences. The lead author is Sung-Soo Jang, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in neurology and neurological sciences. -- The neural circuitry connecting the thalamus and cortex has been implicated in autism in both humans and animal models, but the role of the reticular thalamic nucleus was not clear. -- In the new study, the researchers recorded the neural activity of this brain region in mice while observing the animals' behavior. In mice that had been genetically modified to model autism (Cntnap2 knockout mice), the reticular thalamic nucleus showed elevated activity when the animals encountered stimuli like light or an air puff as well as during social interactions. The brain region also showed bursts of spontaneous activity, causing seizures. -- Epilepsy is much more prevalent in people with autism than in the general population -- 30% versus 1% -- though the mechanisms are not well understood. Recognizing this connection, the researchers tested an experimental seizure drug, Z944, and found that it reversed behavioral deficits in the autism mouse model. -- With a different experimental treatment that genetically modifies neurons to respond to designer drugs, known as DREADD-based neuromodulation, the researchers could suppress overactivity in the reticular thalamic nucleus and reverse behavioral deficits in the autism mouse model. They could even induce these behavioral deficits in normal mice by ramping up activity in the reticular thalamic nucleus. | 598 |
| One Number At Age 7 Could Predict How Long You Live | Elevated Blood Pressure In Children Linked To Increased Cardiovascular Risk Later | High Blood Pressure in Childhood and Premature Cardiovascular Disease Mortality. | American Heart Association | A large-scale study has found that elevated blood pressure in children as young as seven significantly increases their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by midlife. Moderately elevated readings, not just hypertension, elevate this risk by 40–50%, highlighting the critical need for early blood pressure monitoring to encourage heart-healthy habits in youth. | One Number at Age 7 Predicts Heart RiskChildren with elevated blood pressure face up to 50% higher risk of dying from heart disease by midlife, underscoring the need for early monitoring. Credit: Shutterstock -- Research Highlights: -- Children who had higher blood pressure at age 7 were more likely to die early from cardiovascular disease by their mid-50s. The risk was highest for children whose blood pressure measurements were in the top 10% for their age, sex and height. -- Both elevated blood pressure (90-94th percentile) and hypertension (≥95th percentile) were linked with about a 40% to 50% higher risk of early cardiovascular death in adulthood. -- Researchers said their findings show why it's important to regularly check children's blood pressure and to help them develop heart-healthy habits early that can help lower their risk of health conditions later in life. -- Blood pressure matters at all ages. Children with higher blood pressure at age 7 may be at an increased risk of dying of cardiovascular disease by their mid-50s, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2025. The meeting is in Baltimore, September 4-7, 2025, and is the premier scientific exchange focused on recent advances in basic and clinical research on high blood pressure and its relationship to cardiac and kidney disease, stroke, obesity and genetics. The study is simultaneously published today in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. -- "We were surprised to find that high blood pressure in childhood was linked to serious health conditions many years later. Specifically, having hypertension or elevated blood pressure as a child may increase the risk of death by 40% to 50% over the next five decades of an individual's life," said Alexa Freedman, Ph.D., lead author of the study and an assistant professor in the department of preventive medicine at the Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. "Our results highlight the importance of screening for blood pressure in childhood and focusing on strategies to promote optimal cardiovascular health beginning in childhood." -- Previous research has shown that childhood blood pressure is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood, and a 2022 study found that elevated blood pressure in older children (average age of 12 years) increased the risk of cardiovascular death by middle age (average age of 46 years). The current study is the first to investigate the impact of both systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure in childhood on long-term cardiovascular death risk in a diverse group of children. Clinical practice guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend checking blood pressure at annual well-child pediatric appointments starting at age 3 years. -- "The results of this study support monitoring blood pressure as an important metric of cardiovascular health in childhood," said Bonita Falkner, M.D., FAHA, an American Heart Association volunteer expert. "Moreover, the results of this study and other older child cohort studies with potential follow-up in adulthood will contribute to a more accurate definition of abnormal blood pressure and hypertension in childhood." Falkner, who was not involved in this study, is emeritus professor of pediatrics and medicine at Thomas Jefferson University. -- The researchers used the National Death Index to follow up on the survival or cause of death as of 2016 for approximately 38,000 children who had their blood pressures taken at age 7 years as part of the Collaborative Perinatal Project (CPP), the largest U.S. study to document the influence of pregnancy and post-natal factors on the health of children. Blood pressure measured in the children at age 7 years were converted to age-, sex-, and height-specific percentiles according to the American Academy of Pediatrics clinical practice guidelines. The analysis accounted for demographic factors as well as for childhood body mass index, to ensure that the findings were related to childhood blood pressure itself rather than a reflection of children who were overweight or had obesity. | 599 |
| Scientists Watch Parkinson’s Protein Drill Holes In Brain Cells | Toxic Proteins May Explain The Gradual Onset Of Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms | Single-vesicle Tracking of α-Synuclein Oligomers Reveals Pore Formation by a Three-Stage Model. | Aarhus University | Aarhus University researchers have discovered that a toxic protein forms dynamic pores in brain cell membranes, which may help explain the gradual onset of Parkinson’s disease. This mechanism suggests that instead of immediate cell death, the slow weakening of cells due to these pores contributes to the development of Parkinson’s symptoms. | Parkinson’s Protein Drill Holes in Brain CellsThe image shows an α-synuclein oligomer (blue) partially inserted into a cell membrane (left). Over time, it forms a pore (right) that allows molecules to pass through for a short period. The oligomer then reverts to the initial stage and transitions dynamically between the two states. Credit: Mette Galsgaard Malle, AU -- A toxic protein forms dynamic pores in the membranes of brain cells - and that may be the key to understanding how Parkinson's disease develops. This is the conclusion of a new study from Aarhus University, where researchers have developed an advanced method to track molecular attacks in real time. -- Parkinson's disease often begins subtly. A slight tremor in the hand. A bit of stiffness. But over time, brain cells begin to die, and the symptoms worsen. The cause has long remained a mystery - but scientists may now be a step closer to an explanation. -- At the center of attention is the protein α-synuclein, which plays a role in cell-to-cell communication in the healthy brain. In Parkinson's, however, it starts to behave abnormally and clumps into toxic structures. -- Until now, most research has focused on the large aggregates known as fibrils, which are visible in brain tissue from patients with Parkinson's. But a new study focuses on smaller, less understood, and more toxic structures: α-synuclein oligomers. According to the researchers, these are the ones that drill microscopic holes in the membranes of nerve cells. -- The study was recently published in the prestigious journal ACS Nano, published by the American Chemical Society. -- Tiny revolving doors in the cells -- "We are the first to directly observe how these oligomers form pores - and how the pores behave," says Mette Galsgaard Malle, postdoctoral researcher at both Aarhus University and Harvard University. -- The process unfolds in three steps. First, the oligomers attach to the membrane, especially at curved regions. Then they partially insert themselves into the membrane. Finally, they form a pore that allows molecules to pass through and potentially disrupt the cell's internal balance. -- But these are not static holes. The pores constantly open and close like tiny revolving doors. | 600 |
| Sweeteners In Diet Drinks May Steal Years From The Brain | Artificial Sweeteners Linked To Faster Brain Aging, Particularly In Younger Adults | Association Between Consumption of Low- and No-Calorie Artificial Sweeteners and Cognitive Decline. | American Academy of Neurology | Consumption of high levels of artificial sweeteners is linked to accelerated cognitive decline in adults, equivalent to 1.6 years of aging, according to a Brazilian study. The findings signal the importance of monitoring sweetener intake, particularly among younger individuals and those with pre-existing conditions like diabetes, to mitigate long-term brain health risks. | Sweeteners May Steal Years From the BrainConsuming high amounts of artificial sweeteners like aspartame and saccharin was linked to faster memory and thinking decline—about 1.6 years of aging—in adults under 60, especially those with diabetes. Credit: Shutterstock -- Highlights: -- The study followed 12,772 adults with an average age of 52 -- Researchers tracked seven artificial sweeteners typically found in ultra-processed foods like flavored water, soda, energy drinks, yogurt and low-calorie desserts -- People who consumed the highest total amounts of these sweeteners had faster decline in overall thinking and memory skills compared to people who consumed the lowest amounts -- The faster decline equaled about 1.6 years of aging -- Researchers found a link in people under 60 but not older than 60 -- While the study found links, it does not prove that sweeteners cause cognitive decline -- Some sugar substitutes may come with unexpected consequences for long-term brain health, according to a study published in the September 3, 2025, issueofNeurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study examined seven low- and no-calorie sweeteners and found that people who consumed the highest amounts experienced faster declines in thinking and memory skills compared to those who consumed the lowest amounts. The link was even stronger in people with diabetes. While the study showed a link between the use of some artificial sweeteners and cognitive decline, it did not prove that they were a cause. -- The artificial sweeteners examined in the study were aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol and tagatose. These are mainly found in ultra-processed foods like flavored water, soda, energy drinks, yogurt and low-calorie desserts. Some are also used as a standalone sweetener. | 601 |
| Common Allergy Spray Slashes COVID-19 Risk In Surprising Trial | Allergy Nasal Spray Found Effective In Reducing COVID-19 Infections | Azelastine Nasal Spray for Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 Infections. | Saarland University | Recent clinical trials have shown that a commonly used hay fever nasal spray can significantly lower the risk of COVID-19 infections, cutting cases by two-thirds. Researchers led by Professor Robert Bals believe that this low-cost preventive measure could be especially beneficial for vulnerable populations, although more extensive studies are still necessary to confirm its effectiveness against various respiratory pathogens. | Common Allergy Spray Slashes COVID-19 RiskAn allergy nasal spray dramatically reduced COVID-19 and cold infections in a trial, raising hopes for a simple new preventive tool. Credit: Shutterstock -- The trial, led by Professor Robert Bals, Director of the Department of Internal Medicine V at Saarland University Medical Center and Professor of Internal Medicine at Saarland University, divided the 450 participants into two groups. The treatment group of 227 individuals used an azelastine nasal spray three times a day over a 56-day period. During that same period, the 223 participants in the control group used a placebo spray three times a day. Robert Bals summarized the key finding as follows: 'During the observation period, 2.2% of the participants in the azelastine group became infected with SARS-CoV-2; in the placebo group, it was 6.7% -- three times as many.' All infections were confirmed by PCR testing. -- In addition to showing a marked reduction in coronavirus infections, the azelastine group also displayed fewer symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections, a lower overall number of confirmed respiratory infections, and, unexpectedly, a reduced incidence of rhinovirus infections, another major cause of respiratory illness. In the treatment group, 1.8% developed a rhinovirus infection, compared to 6.3% in the placebo group -- a proportion similar to that seen for SARS-CoV-2. -- Azelastine nasal spray has been available for decades as an over-the-counter treatment for hay fever. Previous in vitro studies on azelastine had already suggested antiviral effects against SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses. 'This clinical trial is the first to demonstrate a protective effect in a real-world setting,' says Professor Bals. -- For Robert Bals, the results suggest practical applications: 'Azelastine nasal spray could provide an additional easily accessible prophylactic to complement existing protective measures, especially for vulnerable groups, during periods of high infection rates, or before travelling.' But Professor Bals also stressed the importance of further research: 'Our results highlight the need for larger, multicentre trials to continue exploring the use of azelastine nasal sprays as an on-demand preventive treatment, and to examine its potential effectiveness against other respiratory pathogens.' -- Besides Professor Bals, the randomized, double-blind phase 2 study 'CONTAIN' also involved the Institute of Clinical Pharmacy (Professor Thorsten Lehr, Dr. Dominik Selzer), the Institute of Virology (Professor Sigrun Smola), and the Saarbrücken-based pharmaceutical company URSAPHARM Arzneimittel GmbH, which sponsored the study and manufactured the investigational product. The Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) contributed through the research groups of Professor Smola and Professor Bals. The project serves as an excellent example of successful collaboration between academic research, industry partners and public health initiatives in the Saarland region. | 602 |
| Scientists Just Made CRISPR Three Times More Effective | New DNA-Coated Nanostructures Make CRISPR Three Times More Effective At Gene Editing | A general genome editing strategy using CRISPR lipid nanoparticle spherical nucleic acids. | Northwestern University | Northwestern University scientists have made significant advancements in CRISPR technology by developing DNA-coated nanostructures that enhance the delivery and efficiency of gene editing. This innovative method tripled the success rate of gene editing while minimizing toxicity, potentially paving the way for safe and effective treatments for genetic disorders. | CRISPR Made Three Times More EffectiveDNA-wrapped nanoparticles gave CRISPR a powerful new delivery system, tripling editing success and opening doors for safer genetic medicine. Credit: Shutterstock -- At a glance: -- CRISPR gene-editing machinery could transform medicine but is difficult to get into tissues and disease-relevant cells -- New delivery system loads CRISPR machinery inside spherical nucleic acid (SNA) nanoparticles -- Particles entered cells three times more effectively, tripled gene-editing efficiency, and decreased toxicity compared to current delivery methods -- With the power to rewrite the genetic code underlying countless diseases, CRISPR holds immense promise to revolutionize medicine. But until scientists can deliver its gene-editing machinery safely and efficiently into relevant cells and tissues, that promise will remain out of reach. -- Now, Northwestern University chemists have unveiled a new type of nanostructure that dramatically improves CRISPR delivery and potentially extends its scope of utility. -- Called lipid nanoparticle spherical nucleic acids (LNP-SNAs), these tiny structures carry the full set of CRISPR editing tools -- Cas9 enzymes, guide RNA and a DNA repair template -- wrapped in a dense, protective shell of DNA. Not only does this DNA coating shield its cargo, but it also dictates which organs and tissues the LNP-SNAs travel to and makes it easier for them to enter cells. -- In lab tests across various human and animal cell types, the LNP-SNAs entered cells up to three times more effectively than the standard lipid particle delivery systems used for COVID-19 vaccines, caused far less toxicity and boosted gene-editing efficiency threefold. The new nanostructures also improved the success rate of precise DNA repairs by more than 60% compared to current methods. -- The study was published on Sept. 5 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. | 603 |
| Strange New Bacteria Found In Amazon Sand Flies. Could It Spread To Humans? | New Bartonella Strain Discovered In Amazon Sand Flies, Implications For Human Health | Molecular evidence of Bartonella spp. in sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) from the Brazilian Amazon. | Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo | Researchers in Brazil have identified a new strain of Bartonella bacteria in Amazonian sand flies, raising concerns about its potential to infect humans. This strain shares genetic similarities with those responsible for Carrión’s disease in the Andes, highlighting the need for further investigation into its pathogenicity and possible spread beyond its current habitat. | Strange New Bacteria Found in Amazon Sand FliesResearchers in Brazil have discovered a new species of Bartonella bacteria in sand flies from the Amazon National Park. While there is no current evidence that it causes disease, the bacteria are genetically close to species that trigger Carrión’s disease in the Andes. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new species of bacteria of the genus Bartonella has been found in the Amazon National Park in the state of Pará, Brazil, in phlebotomine insects, also known as sand flies. This type of insect is generally associated with transmitting leishmaniasis, but according to the researchers, the DNA of the newly discovered microorganism is similar to that of two other Andean species of bacteria, B. bacilliformis and B. ancashensis. These bacteria cause Carrión's disease (also known as Peruvian wart and Oroya fever) and are both transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies. -- There is currently no evidence in Brazil that this new species of bacteria can cause disease. However, since species of the genus Bartonella are responsible for several diseases in other countries, further studies are needed. -- The research was conducted by Marcos Rogério André in partnership with Eunice Aparecida Bianchi Galati. Both researchers are affiliated with Brazilian institutions: the Faculty of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences of São Paulo State University (FCAV-UNESP) in Jaboticabal campus and the School of Public Health of the University of São Paulo (FSP-USP). The study was supported by FAPESP through two projects (22/08543-2 and 22/16085-4). -- It was published in the scientific journal Acta Tropica and included the participation of researchers Paulo Vitor Cadina Arantes, Israel de Souza Pinto, Daniel Antônio Braga Lee, Anna Cláudia Baumel Mongruel, and Rosângela Zacarias Machado. -- What is the disease? -- Bartonellosis is a term that refers to a group of diseases caused by bacteria of the genus Bartonella. These bacteria are transmitted by various vectors. In addition to sand flies, they can be transmitted by fleas and lice. -- Symptoms usually include infections that take a long time to clear up in both humans and animals. These bacteria can remain in the body for a long time without being detected and end up harming patients with preexisting immune problems. -- "Bartonellosis is a neglected disease. The disease best known to health professionals is cat scratch disease, caused by Bartonella henselae. It's important to understand the real prevalence of these diseases, especially in isolated regions with low human development indices, where populations don't have easy access to health services," explains André. -- The objective of the study was to investigate the presence of Bartonella spp. DNA in 297 specimens of female sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) collected in the Amazon National Park in the state of Pará. "This park has caves and receives many visitors, so it's important to study it," says the researcher. | 604 |
| The Fat You Can’t See May Be Damaging Your Heart, Even If You Exercise | Hidden Visceral Fat Linked To Accelerated Heart Aging Despite Regular Exercise | Sex-specific body fat distribution predicts cardiovascular ageing. | UK Research and Innovation | A groundbreaking study utilizing AI and imaging on over 21,000 participants has linked excessive visceral fat, the fat surrounding organs, to accelerated heart aging. This research reveals that while visceral fat poses health risks, fat stored in the hips and thighs may have protective effects, particularly in women. | Hidden Belly Fat Ages the Heart FasterTwo MRI scans, showing the person on left with more visceral fat (in red) and subcutaeous fat (in blue). Credit: AMRA Medical -- Excessive amounts of visceral fat -- the hidden fat surrounding organs -- is linked with faster aging of the heart, a new study has found. -- Aging is the biggest risk factor for heart disease, but why some people age faster than others isn't fully understood. The scientists leading the research say that visceral body fat could play an important role in accelerating aging of the heart and blood vessels. This type of fat is known to be harmful to health and this study now links it to faster heart aging. -- The study, led by scientists from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Medical Sciences, in London, UK, also found differences between men and women, and discovered that fat around the hips and thighs could potentially slow heart aging in women. -- In the study, published in the European Heart Journal, the scientists analyzed data from 21,241 participants in UK Biobank, which includes whole body imaging to map the amount of fat and where it is located in the body. -- The UK Biobank data also includes detailed imaging of the heart and blood vessels. Artificial intelligence was used to analyse these images to capture signs of organ aging -- such as tissues becoming stiff and inflamed. An individual was given a "heart age" which can be compared to their actual age at the time of the scan. -- The researchers found that faster heart aging was linked to having more visceral adipose tissue. Visceral adipose tissue is fat found deep inside the abdomen around organs such as the stomach, intestines, and liver. This type of fat cannot be seen from the outside, and some people can have large amounts of visceral fat despite having a healthy weight. -- The researchers found signs on blood tests that visceral fat is linked to increased inflammation in the body - which is a potential cause of premature aging. -- They also found differences between the sexes. Male-type fat distribution (fat around the belly, often called 'apple' shaped) was particularly predictive of early aging in men. -- In contrast, a genetic predisposition to female-type fat (fat on the hips and thighs, often called "pear" shaped) was protective against heart aging in women. | 605 |
| A Common Supplement Could Reverse The Hidden Harm Of Sucralose | Sucralose Disrupts Gut Microbiome: Could Arginine Supplementation Help Cancer Treatments? | Sucralose consumption ablates cancer immunotherapy response through microbiome disruption.. | University of Pittsburgh | A study from the University of Pittsburgh indicates that the artificial sweetener sucralose negatively impacts cancer immunotherapy by altering gut microbiota and depleting arginine levels. However, supplementation with arginine or citrulline could mitigate these effects, suggesting a practical approach to improve treatment outcomes for cancer patients. | Simple Supplement Counters Sweetener’s HarmScientists found that sucralose disrupts gut bacteria, depleting arginine and impairing cancer immunotherapy, though supplements may reverse the effect. Credit: Shutterstock -- Sucralose is a popular sugar substitute for people who are cutting calories or managing blood sugar levels, but new research by the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center suggests that the artificial sweetener may not be the best choice for patients undergoing cancer immunotherapy. -- Publishing recently in Cancer Discovery, a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, the study found that patients with melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer who consumed high levels of sucralose had worse response to immunotherapy and poorer survival than those with diets low in the artificial sweetener. -- Strikingly, supplements that boosted levels of the amino acid arginine mitigated the negative effects of sucralose on immunotherapy in mice, an approach that could now be tested in clinical trials. -- "It's easy to say, 'Stop drinking diet soda,' but when patients are being treated for cancer, they are already dealing with enough, so asking them to drastically alter their diet may not be realistic," said lead author Abby Overacre, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Immunology at Pitt and UPMC Hillman. "We need to meet patients where they are. That's why it's so exciting that arginine supplementation could be a simple approach to counteract the negative effects of sucralose on immunotherapy." -- Senior author Diwakar Davar, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Pitt and a medical oncologist and hematologist at UPMC Hillman, collaborating with Overacre and their team, used mouse models to show that the negative impacts of sucralose are driven by disruption to gut bacteria. -- Sucralose shifted the composition of the mouse gut microbiome, increasing bacterial species that degrade arginine, which reduced levels of this amino acid in the blood, tumor fluid and stool. -- Immune checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapies such as anti-PD1 work by ramping up T cell activity so that they can more effectively kill cancer cells. Arginine is essential for T cell function, especially in cancer. -- "When arginine levels were depleted due to sucralose-driven shifts in the microbiome, T cells couldn't function properly," said Overacre. "As a result, immunotherapy wasn't as effective in mice that were fed sucralose." -- In mouse models of adenocarcinoma and melanoma, adding sucralose to the diet inhibited anti-PD1 therapy, leading to larger tumors and poorer survival. But when the researchers gave sucralose-fed mice arginine or citrulline, which is metabolized into arginine in the body, the effectiveness of immunotherapy was restored. | 606 |
| These Dinosaur Eggs Survived 85 Million Years. What They Reveal Is Wild | Breakthrough Method Dates Dinosaur Eggs, Unlocking Secrets Of Their Ancient Lives | Geological age of the Yunyang dinosaur eggs revealed by in-situ carbonate U-Pb dating and its scientific implications. | Frontiers | Researchers have successfully dated dinosaur eggs for the first time using a new technique that involves firing lasers at eggshell fragments. This method revealed that certain eggs found in central China date back approximately 85 million years, providing valuable insights into dinosaur history and the environmental conditions of their time. | Dinosaur Eggs Crack Open 85 Million Year SecretsEgg clutch sampled for chronological studies. Credit: Dr. Bi Zhao -- In the Cretaceous period, Earth was plagued by widespread volcanic activity, oceanic oxygen depletion events, and mass extinctions. Fossils from that era remain and continue to give scientists clues as to what the climate may have looked like in different regions. -- Now, researchers in China have examined some of them: dinosaur eggs found at the Qinglongshan site in the Yunyang Basin in central China. This is the first time that dinosaur eggs have been dated using carbonate uranium-lead (U-Pb) dating. The team published their results in Frontiers in Earth Science. -- "We show that these dinosaur eggs were deposited roughly 85 million years ago, in the Late Cretaceous period," said corresponding author Dr Bi Zhao, a researcher at the Hubei Institute of Geosciences. "We provide the first robust chronological constraints for these fossils, resolving long-standing uncertainties about their age." -- New dates -- Qinglongshan is China's first national dinosaur egg fossil reserve. There, more than 3,000 fossilized eggs are spread across three sites. Most fossils are embedded in different stones, such as breccias, breccia and siltstone mixes, and fine sandstones. The eggs have mostly remained in their original location and show only minimal deformation. The majority is thought to belong to a single species, Placoolithus tumiaolingensis, which belongs to the family Dendroolithidae, a group characterized by highly porous eggshells. The sampled calcite-filled dinosaur egg fossil came from a cluster of 28 eggs embedded within breccia-bearing siltstone. -- To date the egg, the team used U-Pb dating. "We fired a micro-laser at eggshell samples, vaporizing carbonate minerals into aerosol. This is analyzed by a mass spectrometer to count uranium and lead atoms. Since uranium decays into lead at a fixed rate, we were able to calculate the age by measuring accumulated lead -- it's like an atomic clock for fossils," Zhao explained. -- The results showed that the eggs from this cluster were deposited around 85 million years ago, with the possibility of them having been deposited around 1.7 million years earlier or later. Their age means they've been laid during the Late Cretaceous, an epoch lasting from approximately 100 to 66 million years ago. They are the first reliably dated fossils from the Qinglongshan site. -- Traditionally, dating dinosaur eggs involves indirect methods, such as dating volcanic rock, ash layers, or minerals around eggs. These, however, may have formed before or after the laying of the eggs, or geological processes may have altered them. The method used here allows for precise dating of eggs without having to rely on anything but the eggs themselves. "It revolutionizes our ability to establish global dinosaur egg chronologies," Zhao said. -- Old climates | 607 |
| Salmon’s Secret Superfood Is Smaller Than A Grain Of Salt | Tiny Diatoms Serve As Nature’s Nutrient Factories For Aquatic Life | Ecosystem consequences of a nitrogen-fixing proto-organelle | Northern Arizona University | Tiny diatoms and their nitrogen-fixing bacterial partners in California's Eel River act as nutrient factories that support local ecosystems, including salmon. This pollution-free process could inspire sustainable agricultural practices, highlighting the importance of these microorganisms in maintaining healthy aquatic environments. | Salmon’s Secret SuperfoodNorthern California’s Eel River hides a microscopic powerhouse that sustains salmon and entire river ecosystems. Scientists discovered that a diatom called Epithemia, working with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, creates a natural nutrient pipeline—transforming air into plant food without pollution. Credit: Shutterstock -- In northern California, salmon are more than just fish -- they're a cornerstone of tribal traditions, a driver of tourism and a sign of healthy rivers. So it may not come as a surprise that NAU and University of California Berkeley scientists working along the region's Eel River have discovered a micro-scale nutrient factory that keeps rivers healthy and allows salmon to thrive. -- The scientists' new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) reveals how a partnership between algae and bacteria works like nature's clean-nitrogen machine, turning nitrogen from the air into food that fuels river ecosystems without fertilizers or pollution. The hidden nutrient factory boosts populations of aquatic insects, which young salmon rely on for growth and survival. -- At the heart of the scientists' discovery is a type of diatom -- a single-celled aquatic plant in a glass-like shell -- called Epithemia. The golden-brown diatom, smaller than a grain of table salt and approximately the width of a human hair, plays a massive role in keeping rivers productive. Inside each diatom live bacterial partners housed within the cell called diazoplasts -- tiny nitrogen-fixing compartments that transform air into plant food. The diatom Epithemia captures sunlight and makes sugar, which the diazoplast uses to turn atmospheric nitrogen into a nutrient form. In return, the diazoplast provides nitrogen that helps the diatom keep photosynthesizing. -- "This is nature's version of a clean nutrient pipeline, from sunlight to fish, without the runoff that creates harmful algal blooms," said Jane Marks, biology professor at Northern Arizona University and lead author of the study. -- By late summer, Marks said, strands of the green alga Cladophora are draped with rusty-red Epithemia along the Eel River. At this stage, the algae-bacteria duos supply up to 90% of the new nitrogen entering the river's food web, giving insect grazers the fuel they need and powering salmon from the bottom up. -- "Healthy rivers don't just happen -- they're maintained by ecological interactions, like this partnership," said Mary Power, co-author of the study and faculty director of UC Berkeley's Angelo Coast Range Reserve, where the field study took place. "When native species thrive in healthy food webs, rivers deliver clean water, wildlife and essential support for fishing and outdoor communities." -- Using advanced imaging, the research team watched the partners trade life's essentials in a perfect loop: The diatom used sunlight and carbon dioxide to make sugar and share it with the bacterium, which then used the sugar to turn nitrogen from the air into plant food. That nitrogen helped the diatom make even more sugar, because the key enzymes of photosynthesis need lots of nitrogen. -- "It's like a handshake deal: Both sides benefit, and the entire river thrives," said Mike Zampini, a postdoctoral researcher at NAU and the study's isotope tracing lead. "The result is a beautifully efficient cycle of energy and nutrients." -- | 608 |
| Dinosaur Teeth Reveal Secrets Of Jurassic Life 150 Million Years Ago | Dinosaur Teeth Reveal Insights Into Their Seasonal Migration And Diet | Dental microwear texture analysis reveals behavioural, ecological and habitat signals in Late Jurassic sauropod dinosaur faunas | Freie Universität Berlin | Researchers analyzing the teeth of sauropod dinosaurs found evidence of seasonal migration and diverse diets shaped by climate, offering new insights into ancient ecosystems. Their study used dental wear patterns to uncover how these enormous creatures thrived during the Jurassic period. | Dinosaur Teeth Reveal Secrets of Jurassic LifePhoto of teeth in a jaw section of Giraffatitan from Tanzania (Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, MB.R.2180.20.5). The light-colored area is the dentin, which has been exposed by tooth wear. Credit: Jan Kersten, Freie Universität Berlin, Fachrichtung Paläontologie -- What did long-necked dinosaurs eat - and where did they roam to satisfy their hunger? A team of researchers has reconstructed the feeding behavior of sauropods using cutting-edge dental wear analysis. Their findings, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, show that microscopic enamel wear marks provide surprising insights into migration, environmental conditions, and niche distribution within ecosystems from 150 million years ago. -- How did massive dinosaurs live during the Jurassic period? What did they eat, how did they share their habitats - and did they perhaps migrate seasonally? These questions have been explored by an international team of researchers led by Dr Daniela E. Winkler, a postdoctoral researcher at Kiel University, Dr Emanuel Tschopp, visiting scientist at the LIB and research associate at Freie Universität Berlin, and André Saleiro, PhD student at NOVA University Lisbon. Their new study employs an unusual method: using wear marks on fossilised teeth as a window into the past. -- "I still find it fascinating that microscopic scratches on fossil teeth can tell us so much about diet and even behavior," says Winkler, an expert in the applied methodology. The technique, known as Dental Microwear Texture Analysis (DMTA), was originally developed by a research group led by LIB scientist Professor Thomas Kaiser for studying mammals. The current study, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, marks the first systematic application of the method to sauropods. The analyses were carried out in the laboratories of the LIB. -- Tooth Enamel as an Environmental Archive -- The team analyzed 322 high-resolution 3D scans of tooth surfaces from three geological formations that are famous for their dinosaur fossils: the Lourinhã Formation in Portugal, the Morrison Formation in the USA, and the Tendaguru Formation in Tanzania. All the teeth came from a total of 39 individuals. Samples were taken directly from original teeth or from high-resolution silicone molds. "We're talking about structures at the micrometer scale," Winkler explains. "These tiny wear marks results from the interaction between tooth and food - they reveal what the animals had eaten in the last days or weeks of their lives." -- Surprising Differences between Species and Regions -- The statistical analyses revealed clear differences between various sauropod groups and their localities oder geographic regions. Particularly striking was the high variability in wear patterns among the flagellicaudatans - a group of long-tailed sauropods that includes the well-known Diplodocus. This heterogeneity suggests that these animals had access to a variety of food sources and displayed generalist feeding behavior. -- A particular surprise was that Camarasaurus specimens from both Portugal and the USA had highly uniform wear patterns. Such consistency in microwear is unlikely to be explained solely by uniform plant availability - rather, it indicates that these dinosaurs deliberately sought out the same preferred food sources throughout the year. "The climate at the time in both Portugal and the USA was highly seasonal, so certain plants likely weren't available year-round," explains Emanuel Tschopp. "The consistency in Camarasaurus tooth wear suggests they may have migrated seasonally to access the same resources." -- | 609 |
| How Orangutans Thrive In Feast And Famine Without Gaining Weight | Orangutans Share Survival Strategies That Could Help Humans Manage Diet | Integrated behavioral and metabolically flexible responses of wild orangutans to ecologically driven dietary variation | Rutgers University | A study led by Rutgers University highlights how orangutans successfully manage their nutrition and activity levels to prevent obesity and metabolic issues, offering valuable lessons for human dietary habits. This research emphasizes the importance of understanding natural dietary patterns for better health management. | How Orangutans Thrive in Feast and FamineOrangutans outshine humans in diet and energy balance, using flexible strategies to survive food shortages and maintain health. Credit: Shutterstock -- Humans could learn a thing or two from orangutans when it comes to maintaining a balanced, protein-filled diet. -- Great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia, orangutans are marvels of adaptation to the vagaries of food supply in the wild, according to an international team of researchers led by a Rutgers University-New Brunswick scientist. The critically endangered primates outshine modern humans in avoiding obesity through their balanced choices of food and exercise, the scientists found. -- The researchers reported their findings, based on 15 years of firsthand observations of wild orangutans in the jungles of Borneo, in Science Advances. -- "These findings show how wild Bornean orangutans adapt to changes in their environment by adjusting their nutrient intake, behavior and energy use," said Erin Vogel, the Henry Rutgers Term Chair Professor in the Department of Anthropology in the School of Arts and Sciences, who led the study. "The work highlights the importance of understanding natural dietary patterns and their impact on health, both for orangutans and humans." -- Orangutans are one of the closest living relatives to humans, sharing a common ancestor, Vogel said. This evolutionary relationship means that orangutans and humans have similar physiological and metabolic processes, dietary needs and behavioral adaptations. Studying orangutans can provide insights into the evolutionary adaptations that might also be relevant to humans, she said. -- Humans also exhibit metabolic flexibility, Vogel said, but modern diets high in processed foods can disrupt this balance, leading to metabolic disorders such as diabetes. -- While orangutans reduce physical activity during low fruit periods to conserve energy, Vogel said, humans, especially those with sedentary lifestyles, may not adjust their energy expenditure to match their caloric intake, leading to weight gain and associated health issues. -- "Understanding these adaptations can help us learn more about how humans can manage their diets and health," Vogel said. "It also highlights the importance of conserving orangutan habitats to ensure their survival." -- | 610 |
| Most Of Earth’s Species Came From Explosive Bursts Of Evolution | Most Of Earth’s Species Evolved From A Few Explosive Diversification Events | Rapid radiations underlie most of the known diversity of life | Frontiers | A new study indicates that most living species stem from a few groups that underwent rapid diversification due to evolutionary explosions, such as the development of flowers and flight. This research enhances our understanding of biodiversity, showing that species are concentrated among a limited number of groups. | The Explosive Origins of Most Species on EarthBiodiversity isn’t evenly spread—most species belong to a few groups that rapidly expanded, often sparked by innovations like flowers or flight. Credit: Shutterstock -- The British evolutionary biologist JBS Haldane is said to have quipped that any divine being evidently had 'an ordinate fondness for beetles'. This bon mot conveyed an important truth: the 'tree of life' - the family tree of all species, living or extinct - is very uneven. In places, it resembles a dense thicket of short twigs; elsewhere it has only sparse but long branches. A few groups tend to predominate: as Haldane pointed out, more than 40% of extant insects are beetles, while 60% of birds are passerines, and more than 85% of plants are flowering plants. -- But is such a concentration of species within a few exceptionally large groups a universal phenomenon of life on Earth? This question, important for our understanding of evolution and ecology, has long been the subject of controversy among biologists. But until recently, it was difficult to answer due to our poor knowledge of the number of species in existence, their evolutionary relationships, and the age of each group. But now, scientists in the US finally have provided an answer, published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. -- "Here we show for the first time that most living species do indeed belong to a limited number of rapid radiations: that is, they form groups with many species which evolved in a relatively short period of time," said Dr John J. Wiens, a professor at the University of Arizona. -- "Specifically, if we look among the kingdoms of life, among animal phyla, and among plant phyla, we find in each case that more than 80% of known species belong to the minority of groups with exceptionally high rates of species diversification." -- Wiens and his coauthor Dr Daniel Moen, an assistant professor at the University of California Riverside, here analyzed the distribution of species richness and diversification rates across 'clades' - groups of species that each evolved from a single ancestor, such as phyla, classes, or families. -- Out on a limb -- They did this for land plants, insects, vertebrates, for all animals, and for all species across life. They analyzed data on each clade's species richness, age, and estimated diversification rate: that is, the accumulation of new species over time. -- They focused on 10 phyla, 140 orders, and 678 families of land plants, jointly spanning more than 300,000 species; 31 orders and 870 families of insects, encompassing more than one million known species; 12 classes of vertebrates, encompassing more than 66,000 species; and 28 phyla and 1,710 families of animals with more than 1.5 million species. Finally, they analyzed 17 kingdoms and 2,545 families across all of life, including more than 2 million species. -- | 611 |
| Ozone Recovery Could Trigger 40% More Global Warming Than Predicted | Ozone Layer Recovery Could Lead To Unexpected Global Warming | Climate forcing due to future ozone changes: an intercomparison of metrics and methods | University of Reading | As the ozone layer recovers, it may also contribute significantly to global warming, potentially offsetting the benefits of banning CFCs. A study predicts that by 2050, ozone could become the second-largest driver of warming, challenging previous assumptions about climate progress and the implications of ozone recovery. | Ozone Recovery Could Trigger 40% More WarmingHealing the ozone layer protects us from UV rays, but it may also fuel far more global warming than once thought, challenging assumptions about climate progress. -- The world will warm more than expected due to future changes in ozone, which protects Earth from harmful sun rays but also traps heat as it is a greenhouse gas. -- While banning ozone-destroying gases such as CFCs has helped the ozone layer to recover, when combined with increased air pollution the impact of ozone could warm the planet 40% more than originally thought. -- A new study led by the University of Reading found that from 2015 to 2050, ozone is expected to cause 0.27 watts per square meter (Wm⁻²) of extra warming. This figure -- which measures how much extra energy gets trapped per square metre of Earth's surface -- would make ozone the second largest contributor to future warming by 2050 after carbon dioxide (1.75 Wm⁻² of extra warming). -- Professor Bill Collins, lead author from the University of Reading, said: "Countries are doing the right thing by continuing to ban chemicals called CFCs and HCFCs that damage the ozone layer above Earth. However, while this helps repair the protective ozone layer, we have found that this recovery in ozone will warm the planet more than we originally thought. -- "Air pollution from vehicles, factories and power plants also creates ozone near the ground, causing health problems and warming the planet." -- Simulating the atmosphere -- The research, published on August 21 in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, used computer models to simulate how the atmosphere will change by the middle of the century. The models followed a scenario with low implementation of air pollution controls, but with CFCs and HCFCs being phased out as mandated by the Montreal Protocol (1987). -- The findings show that stopping CFC and HCFC production -- done mainly to protect the ozone layer -- provides less climate benefit than previously calculated. CFCs and HCFCs are greenhouse gases that warm the planet. Countries banned them to save the ozone layer, expecting this would also help fight climate change. But as the ozone layer heals, it creates more warming that cancels out most of the climate benefits from removing CFCs and HCFCs. -- | 612 |
| The Surprising Reason Timber Plantations Explode Into Megafires | Industrial Forestry Practices Linked To Increased Wildfire Severity | Extreme Weather Magnifies the Effects of Forest Structure on Wildfire, Driving Increased Severity in Industrial Forests | University of Utah | A study finds that industrial private lands have a significantly higher risk of high-severity wildfires compared to public forests. However, proactive thinning of trees can mitigate this risk, suggesting that informed land management practices can enhance forest resilience even in extreme weather conditions. | Why Timber Plantations Explode Into MegafiresDense plantation forests ignite megafires, but lidar mapping shows land management changes can still tip the balance toward resilience instead of ruin. Credit: Shutterstock -- The odds of high-severity wildfire were nearly one-and-a-half times higher on industrial private land than on publicly owned forests, a new study found. Forests managed by timber companies were more likely to exhibit the conditions that megafires love -- dense stands of regularly spaced trees with continuous vegetation connecting the understory to the canopy. -- The research, led by the University of Utah, University of California, Berkeley, and the United States Forest Service, is the first to identify how extreme weather conditions and forest management practices jointly impact fire severity.Leveraging a unique lidar dataset, the authors created three-dimensional maps of public and private forests before five wildfires burned 1.1 million acres in the northern Sierra Nevada, California. -- In periods of extreme weather, stem density -- the number of trees per acre -- became the most important predictor of a high-severity fire. Even in the face of accelerating climate change, how we manage the land will make a difference. -- "That's a really hopeful finding because it means that we can adjust how we manage these landscapes to impact the way fires move through them," said Jacob Levine, postdoctoral researcher at the U and lead author of the study. "Strategies that reduce density by thinning out both small and mature trees will make forests more robust and resilient to fire in the future." -- In a 2022 study, Levine and collaborators found that fire severity was typically higher on privately managed forests. They also discovered the risks extended to areas near to, but not owned by, private industry, threatening the wilderness, small landowners and urban areas in their shadow.This new study is the first to identify the underlying forest structures that make high-severity fires more likely in some areas than in others. -- The study was published on Aug. 20, 2025, in the journal Global Change Biology. -- Lidar unlocks forest structure secrets -- Plumas National Forest, the study area in California's northern Sierra Nevada, is emblematic of the wider trend of wildfire occurrence and severity. The region's mixed conifer forests are adapted to periodic, low- to medium-severity fires that cleared vegetation, creating large spaces between clumps of trees. Efforts to increase timber resources led the U.S. government to implement fire suppression policies in the 1800s, including a ban on controlled burns that Indigenous People practiced for millennia. In the absence of natural fire cycles and Indigenous burning, modern forests have more fodder to fuel high-severity fires, defined as a fire that kills more than 95% of overstory trees. -- | 613 |
| The Surprising Reason Timber Plantations Explode Into Megafires | Industrial Forests Face Higher Wildfire Risks: Thinning Could Help | Extreme Weather Magnifies the Effects of Forest Structure on Wildfire, Driving Increased Severity in Industrial Forests. | University of Utah | A study reveals that industrial private forests face a higher risk of severe wildfires compared to publicly owned forests due to their dense tree patterns. However, researchers found that reducing tree density through management practices can mitigate megafire risks, promoting resilience in forest ecosystems even under extreme weather conditions. | Why Timber Plantations Explode Into MegafiresDense plantation forests ignite megafires, but lidar mapping shows land management changes can still tip the balance toward resilience instead of ruin. Credit: Shutterstock -- The odds of high-severity wildfire were nearly one-and-a-half times higher on industrial private land than on publicly owned forests, a new study found. Forests managed by timber companies were more likely to exhibit the conditions that megafires love -- dense stands of regularly spaced trees with continuous vegetation connecting the understory to the canopy. -- The research, led by the University of Utah, University of California, Berkeley, and the United States Forest Service, is the first to identify how extreme weather conditions and forest management practices jointly impact fire severity.Leveraging a unique lidar dataset, the authors created three-dimensional maps of public and private forests before five wildfires burned 1.1 million acres in the northern Sierra Nevada, California. -- In periods of extreme weather, stem density -- the number of trees per acre -- became the most important predictor of a high-severity fire. Even in the face of accelerating climate change, how we manage the land will make a difference. -- "That's a really hopeful finding because it means that we can adjust how we manage these landscapes to impact the way fires move through them," said Jacob Levine, postdoctoral researcher at the U and lead author of the study. "Strategies that reduce density by thinning out both small and mature trees will make forests more robust and resilient to fire in the future." -- In a 2022 study, Levine and collaborators found that fire severity was typically higher on privately managed forests. They also discovered the risks extended to areas near to, but not owned by, private industry, threatening the wilderness, small landowners and urban areas in their shadow.This new study is the first to identify the underlying forest structures that make high-severity fires more likely in some areas than in others. -- The study was published on Aug. 20, 2025, in the journal Global Change Biology. -- Lidar unlocks forest structure secrets -- Plumas National Forest, the study area in California's northern Sierra Nevada, is emblematic of the wider trend of wildfire occurrence and severity. The region's mixed conifer forests are adapted to periodic, low- to medium-severity fires that cleared vegetation, creating large spaces between clumps of trees. Efforts to increase timber resources led the U.S. government to implement fire suppression policies in the 1800s, including a ban on controlled burns that Indigenous People practiced for millennia. In the absence of natural fire cycles and Indigenous burning, modern forests have more fodder to fuel high-severity fires, defined as a fire that kills more than 95% of overstory trees. -- Plumas National Forest is a mosaic of private industrial and public ownership, and 70% of the study area was burned in five massive wildfires between 2019 and 2021, including the largest single fire in California's recorded history, the Dixie Fire. Serendipitously, a unique dataset had been collected a year before the region burned. | 614 |
| Secrets Unearthed: Women And Children Buried With Stone Tools | Stone Age Tools Challenge Gender Roles Through Burial Practices In Ancient Graves | Multiproxy study reveals equality in the deposition of flaked lithic grave goods from the Baltic Stone Age cemetery Zvejnieki (Latvia). | University of York | Archaeological findings from the Zvejnieki cemetery in Latvia challenge established notions about gender roles in Stone Age societies. The discovery that stone tools were equally buried with women and children, in addition to men, suggests a more complex social structure that valued these artifacts for emotional and symbolic reasons during funerary practices. | Women and Children Buried With Stone ToolsStone Age tools. Credit: University of York -- Study has revealed new insights into Stone Age life and death, showing that stone tools were just as likely to be buried with women and children as with men. -- The discovery, from Zvejnieki cemetery in northern Latvia, one of the largest Stone Age burial sites in Europe, challenges the idea that stone tools were strictly associated with men. -- The site was used for more than 5,000 years, and contains over 330 graves, but until now, stone artefacts found in burials had not been studied, with stone tools at Zvejnieki and other Stone Age burial sites often disregarded as utilitarian and therefore uninteresting. -- As part of the Stone Dead Project, led by Dr Aimée Little at the University of York, and working with the Latvian National Museum of History and colleagues across Europe, the team took a powerful microscope to Riga to look at how the tools were made and used. -- The research showed that stone tools played a far deeper role in burial rituals, as not only were the tools discovered that had been used to work animal hides, but some tools appear to have been specifically made and then broken as part of funerary rites. -- They found that women were as, or even more, likely than men to be buried with stone tools, and that children and older adults were the most common age group to receive stone artifacts. -- The long-held stereotype of women in this era was that they played a more domestic role - cooking animals hunted by the men, doing crafts, and caring for the family. -- Dr Aimée Little, from the Centre for Artefacts and Materials Analysis, part of the University of York’s Department of Archaeology, said: “The site in Latvia has seen numerous investigations of the skeletal remains and other types of grave goods, such as thousands of animal teeth pendants. -- “A missing part of the story was understanding, with greater depth, why people gave seemingly utilitarian items to the dead. | 615 |
| Scientists Uncover Wildfire Paradox That’s Putting 440 Million People In Danger | Wildfire Risks Rise Despite Decline In Burned Areas, Especially In Africa | Increasing global human exposure to wildland fires despite declining burned area. | University of California - Irvine | A vast global study has revealed a paradox: while the total burned area from wildfires has decreased, human exposure to these fires has significantly increased. The findings emphasize that climate change and population growth are contributing to a growing risk of wildfires, particularly in Africa and California. | Scientists Uncover Global Wildfire ParadoxDespite fewer acres burned, wildfire danger is rising where it matters most: near people. Africa dominates exposure, California suffers extreme intensity, and climate-driven fire weather makes future disasters almost certain. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and other institutions have spotted a contradiction in worldwide wildfire trends: Despite a 26 percent decline in total burned area from 2002 to 2021, the number of people exposed to wildfires has surged by nearly 40 percent. -- The study, published on August 21 in Science, revealed another statistic that may come as a surprise to people who rely primarily on Western news sources: While high-profile wildfire disasters in the United States, Canada and Australia often dominate headlines, the researchers found that 85 percent of all human exposures to wildfires during that period occurred in Africa. -- Just five central African countries - Congo, South Sudan, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola - accounted for half of all global human exposure. In contrast, the United States, Europe and Australia collectively constituted less than 2.5 percent of the total. -- "Nevertheless, the western U.S. and particularly California are hot spots of intense fires globally," said senior author Mojtaba Sadegh, an associate professor of civil engineering at Idaho's Boise State University who earned a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering at UC Irvine in 2015. "Our previously published study shows that California experiences a disproportionately large share of U.S. fire impacts, accounting for 72 percent of human exposures despite comprising 15 percent of the nation's burned area." -- The researchers analyzed population data and more than 18.6 million fire records from 2002 to 2021 to find that an estimated 440 million people worldwide were exposed to a wildfire encroaching on their home during this period - a number roughly equivalent to the entire population of the European Union. They discovered that human exposure to wildland fire increased by 7.7 million people, an average of 382,700 persons per year during the study period. This surge in human exposure was prompted not by a global jump in fire activity but primarily by population growth and migration into fire-prone landscapes. -- Another factor illuminated by the research is a significant rise in the intensity of wildfires in North and South America. This is linked to the climate change-driven amplification of "fire weather," which includes conditions like increased heat, lower humidity and strong winds. -- Extreme fire weather has grown by more than 50 percent over the past four decades globally. -- When combined with such human activities as land development and historical fire suppression practices, this trend has led to an escalating risk of destructive fires in regions like California. The frequency of conditions conducive to extreme-impact wildfires (like the 2025 Los Angeles fires) quadrupled from 1990 to 2022 across the state. -- In Europe and Oceania, the study noted a decline in wildfire exposures, mainly because of population shifts from rural to urban areas. This highlights how both social and environmental factors play critical roles in shaping wildfire risk. | 616 |
| Geologists Got It Wrong: Rivers Didn’t Need Plants To Meander | Rivers Meandered Long Before Plants Existed, Changing Our Understanding Of Geology | Vegetation changes the trajectory of river bends. | Stanford University | New research from Stanford University challenges the long-held belief that meandering rivers only emerged after the rise of land plants. The study suggests that ancient rivers were capable of meandering even before vegetation, fundamentally altering our understanding of geological history and the interplay between rivers and plant life. | Geologists Were Wrong About Meandering RiversA view of seasonal flow in Shoshone Creek – an unvegetated meandering stream in Nevada. Credit: M. Hasson and M. Lapôtre -- A new Stanford study challenges the decades-old view that the rise of land plants half a billion years ago dramatically changed the shapes of rivers. -- Rivers generally come in two styles: braided, where multiple channels flow around sandy bars, and meandering, where a single channel cuts S-curves across a landscape. Geologists have long thought that before vegetation, rivers predominantly ran in braided patterns, only forming meandering shapes after plant life took root and stabilized riverbanks. -- The new study, which was published online by the journal Science on Aug. 21, 2025, suggests the theory that braided rivers dominated the first 4 billion years of Earth's history is based on a misinterpretation of the geological record. The research demonstrates that unvegetated meandering rivers can leave sedimentary deposits that look deceptively similar to those of braided rivers. This distinction is crucial for our understanding of Earth's early ecology and climate, as a river's type determines how long sediment, carbon, and nutrients are stored in floodplains. -- "With our study, we're pushing back on the widely accepted story of what landscapes looked like when plant life first evolved on land," said lead author Michael Hasson, a PhD student in Mathieu Lapôtre's lab at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. "We're rewriting the story of the intertwined relationship between plants and rivers, which is a significant revision to our understanding of the history of the Earth." -- The muddy floodplains of meandering rivers - dynamic ecosystems created over thousands of years by river overflow - are among the planet's most abundant non-marine carbon reservoirs. Carbon levels in the atmosphere, in the form of carbon dioxide, act as Earth's thermostat, regulating temperature over vast timescales. Accurately budgeting for the carbon caches created by meandering rivers could help scientists build more comprehensive models of Earth's ancient and future climate. -- "Floodplains play an important role in determining how, when, and whether carbon is buried or released back into the atmosphere," Hasson said. "Based on this work, we argue carbon storage in floodplains would have been common for much longer than the classic paradigm that assumes meandering rivers only occurred over the last several hundred million years." -- Where the river flows -- To gauge vegetation's impact on river channel patterns, the researchers examined satellite imagery of about 4,500 bends in 49 current-day meandering rivers. About half of the rivers were unvegetated and half were densely or partly vegetated. -- The researchers keyed in on point bars - the sandy landforms that develop on the inside bends of meandering rivers as water flow deposits sediments. Unlike the sandy bars that form in the middle of braided rivers, point bars tend to migrate laterally away from the centers of rivers. Over time, this migration contributes to meandering rivers' characteristically sinuous channel shapes. | 617 |
| Why Most Whale Sharks In Indonesia Are Scarred By Humans | Simple Fishing Changes Could Protect Endangered Whale Sharks From Human Harm | Insights into the population demographics and residency patterns of photo-identified whale sharks Rhincodon typus in the Bird’s Head Seascape, Indonesia. | Frontiers | Research shows that a significant number of whale sharks in Indonesia bear scars from human interactions, primarily due to fishing practices and boat collisions. Simple changes in fishing gear and practices could greatly reduce these injuries, offering a path toward better protection for these endangered marine giants. | Most Whale Sharks in Indonesia Scarred by HumansWhale shark in Triton Bay. Credit: M.V. Erdmann -- Whale sharks, the largest living fish species, are classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Over the past 75 years, populations have declined by more than 50% worldwide, and by up to 63% in the Indo-Pacific region. Because whale sharks take up to 30 years to become sexually mature, populations can only recover slowly from threats like hunting for fins, meat, and oil, habitat loss, and entanglement in fishing nets. -- Now, an international group of researchers has shown that in the Bird's Head Seascape off Indonesian West Papua, 62% of whale sharks have scars and injuries from preventable human causes. They argue that simple interventions could greatly lessen this burden on the local population of these gentle giants. -- "We found that scars and injuries were mainly from anthropogenic causes, such as collisions with 'bagans' - traditional fishing platforms with lift nets - and whale shark-watching tour boats," said Dr Edy Setyawan, the lead conservation scientist at the Elasmobranch Institute Indonesia, and the study's corresponding author. -- "Relatively harmless minor abrasions were the most common. Serious injuries from natural causes such as predator attacks, or from boat propellers were much less common." -- Whale shark spotting -- Between 2010 and 2023, Setyawan and colleagues studied presence by whale sharks to Cenderawasih Bay, Kaimana, Raja Ampat, and Fakfak within the Bird's Head Seascape, a region hosting a network of 26 marine protected areas and a hotspot for marine megafauna and tropical marine biodiversity. Each whale shark sports its own unique pattern of white spots and stripes, which enabled the scientists to use photos by researchers and citizen scientists to identify each one individually. Setyawan et al. also recorded the date and time of each sighting, its GPS coordinates, the shark's sex and maturity status, size, behavior, and any visible injuries. -- Over this period, they observed a total of 268 unique whale sharks, of which 98% were sighted in Cenderawasih Bay and Kaimana. Whale shark sightings were almost exclusively seen near bagans, where they typically fed on baitfish like anchovies, herrings, and sprats - either swimming horizontally or in a vertical heads-up position. They were also observed to suck fish directly from bagans, which often damaged the nets. Most sighted individuals were juveniles between four and five meters long, while 90% were males. -- 52.6% of whale sharks were resighted at least once, up to 11 years apart. The record holder was a young male which was recorded 34 times over three years. -- Of the 206 sharks recorded with injuries or scarring, 80.6% exhibited injuries that were attributed to human-made causes, while 58.3% had injuries that were likely from natural causes (note: some individuals had both anthropogenic and natural injuries). Serious lacerations, amputations, and evidence of blunt trauma from anthropogenic causes were relatively rare, observed in 17.7% of individuals. However, non-life-threatening abrasions were common and frequently due to whale sharks rubbing against bagans or boats. | 618 |
| Sharks’ Teeth Are Crumbling In Acid Seas | Ocean Acidification Weakens Shark Teeth, Threatening Their Hunting Abilities | Simulated ocean acidification affects shark tooth morphology. | Frontiers | A study has revealed that ocean acidification may be weakening shark teeth, making them more brittle and less effective for hunting. This vulnerability poses a significant risk for sharks and highlights the broader implications of ocean changes on marine predator dynamics. | Sharks’ Teeth Are Crumbling in Acid SeasAcidifying oceans makes shark teeth brittle and vulnerable, weakening their iconic bite and posing risks for marine predators. Credit: Shutterstock -- Sharks can famously replace their teeth, with new ones always growing as they’re using up the current set. As sharks rely on their teeth to catch prey, this is vital to the survival of one of the oceans’ top predators. -- But the ability to regrow teeth might not be enough to ensure they can withstand the pressures of a warming world where oceans are getting more acidic, new research has found. Researchers in Germany examined sharks’ teeth under different ocean acidification scenarios and showed that more acidic oceans lead to more brittle and weaker teeth. -- “Shark teeth, despite being composed of highly mineralized phosphates, are still vulnerable to corrosion under future ocean acidification scenarios,” said first author of the Frontiers in Marine Science article, Maximilian Baum, a biologist at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU). “They are high developed weapons built for cutting flesh, not resisting ocean acid. Our results show just how vulnerable even nature’s sharpest weapons can be.” -- Damage from root to crown -- Ocean acidification is a process during which the ocean’s pH value keeps decreasing, resulting in more acidic water. It is mostly driven by the release of human-generated CO2. Currently, the average pH of the world’s oceans is 8.1. In 2300, it is expected to drop to 7.3, making it almost 10 times more acidic than it currently is. -- For their study, the researchers used these two pH values to examine the effects of more and less acidic water on the teeth of Blacktip reef sharks. Divers collected more than 600 discarded teeth from an aquarium housing the sharks. 16 teeth – those that were completely intact and undamaged – were used for the pH experiment, while 36 more teeth were used to measure before and after circumference. The teeth were incubated for eight weeks in separate 20-liter tanks. “This study began as a bachelor’s project and grew into a peer-reviewed publication. It’s a great example of the potential of student research,” said the study’s senior author, Prof Sebastian Fraune, who heads the Zoology and Organismic Interactions Institute at HHU. “Curiosity and initiative can spark real scientific discovery.” -- Compared to the teeth incubated at 8.1 pH, the teeth exposed to more acidic water were significantly more damaged. “We observed visible surface damage such as cracks and holes, increased root corrosion, and structural degradation,” said Fraune. Tooth circumference was also greater at higher pH levels. Teeth, however, did not actually grow, but the surface structure became more irregular, resulting in it appearing larger on 2D images. While an altered tooth surface may improve cutting efficiency, it potentially also makes teeth structurally weaker and more prone to break. -- Small damage, big effects -- The study only looked at discarded teeth of non-living mineralized tissue, which means repair processes that may happen in living organisms could not be considered. “In living sharks, the situation may be more complex. They could potentially remineralize or replace damaged teeth faster, but the energy costs of this would be probably higher in acidified waters,” Fraune explained. | 619 |
| The Ancient Oxygen Flood That Forever Changed Life In The Oceans | Ancient Forests Boosted Deep-Sea Oxygen Levels, Leading To Major Evolutionary Changes | Mid-Devonian ocean oxygenation enabled the expansion of animals into deeper-water habitats. | Duke University | New evidence suggests that ancient forests may have played a crucial role in oxygenating the deep ocean nearly 390 million years ago, facilitating the evolution of jawed fish and larger marine animals. This pivotal increase in oxygen levels marked a significant turning point in Earth’s evolutionary history. | Ancient Oxygen Flood Changed Life ForeverAn artist’s rendering of a prehistoric jawed fish from the Late Devonian called Dunkleosteus. These sorts of large, active vertebrates evolved shortly after the deep ocean became well-oxygenated. Credit: © 2008 N. Tamura/CC-BY-SA -- Some 390 million years ago in the ancient ocean, marine animals began colonizing depths previously uninhabited. New research indicates this underwater migration occurred in response to a permanent increase in deep-ocean oxygen, driven by the aboveground spread of woody plants — precursors to Earth’s first forests. -- That rise in oxygen coincided with a period of remarkable diversification among fish with jaws — the ancestors of most vertebrates alive today. The finding suggests that oxygenation might have shaped evolutionary patterns among prehistoric species. -- “It’s known that oxygen is a necessary condition for animal evolution, but the extent to which it is the sufficient condition that can explain trends in animal diversification has been difficult to pin down,” said co-lead author Michael Kipp, assistant professor of earth and climate sciences in the Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment. “This study gives a strong vote that oxygen dictated the timing of early animal evolution, at least for the appearance of jawed vertebrates in deep-ocean habitats.” -- For a time, researchers thought that deep-ocean oxygenation occurred once at the beginning of the Paleozoic Era, some 540 million years ago. But more recent studies have suggested that oxygenation occurred in phases, with nearshore waters first becoming livable to breathing organisms, followed by deeper environments. -- Kipp and colleagues homed in on the timing of those phases by studying sedimentary rocks that formed under deep seawater. Specifically, they analyzed the rocks for selenium, an element that can be used to determine whether oxygen existed at life-sustaining levels in ancient seas. -- In the marine environment, selenium occurs in different forms called isotopes that vary by weight. Where oxygen levels are high enough to support animal life, the ratio of heavy to light selenium isotopes varies widely. But at oxygen levels prohibitive to most animal life, that ratio is relatively consistent. By determining the ratio of selenium isotopes in marine sediments, researchers can infer whether oxygen levels were sufficient to support animals that breathe underwater. -- Working with research repositories around the world, the team assembled 97 rock samples dating back 252 to 541 million years ago. The rocks had been excavated from areas across five continents that, hundreds of millions of years ago, were located along the outermost continental shelves — the edges of continents as they protrude underwater, just before giving way to steep drop-offs. -- After a series of steps that entailed pulverizing the rocks, dissolving the resulting powder and purifying selenium, the team analyzed the ratio of selenium isotopes that occurred in each sample. -- Their data indicated that two oxygenation events occurred in the deeper waters of the outer continental shelves: a transient episode around 540 million years ago, during a Paleozoic period known as the Cambrian, and an episode that began 393-382 million years ago, during an interval called the Middle Devonian, that has continued to this day. During the intervening millennia, oxygen dropped to levels inhospitable to most animals. The team published their findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in August. | 620 |
| A Tiny Chip May Have Solved One Of Clean Energy’s Biggest Problems | New Megalibrary Uncovers Iridium Alternative For Affordable Hydrogen Production | Accelerating the Pace of Oxygen Evolution Reaction Catalyst Discovery through Megalibraries. | Northwestern University | Researchers have developed a groundbreaking “megalibrary” of nanoparticles that can quickly identify effective catalysts for hydrogen production, providing a potential alternative to costly iridium. This innovation represents a significant step forward in clean energy technology, promising to enhance hydrogen fuel production efficiency at a lower cost. | Solving One of Clean Energy’s Biggest ProblemsAn artistic interpretation of the new catalytic material performing a reaction to split water. Credit: Jin Huang and Siyuan Zuo -- For decades, researchers around the world have searched for alternatives to iridium, an extremely rare, incredibly expensive metal used in the production of clean hydrogen fuels. -- Now, a powerful new tool has found one -- within a single afternoon. -- Invented and developed at Northwestern University, that tool is called a megalibrary. The world's first nanomaterial "data factory," each megalibrary contains millions of uniquely designed nanoparticles on one tiny chip. In collaboration with researchers from the Toyota Research Institute (TRI), the team used this technology to discover commercially relevant catalysts for hydrogen production. Then, they scaled up the material and demonstrated it could work within a device -- all in record time. -- With a megalibrary, scientists rapidly screened vast combinations of four abundant, inexpensive metals -- each known for its catalytic performance -- to find a new material with performance comparable to iridium. The team discovered a wholly new material that, in laboratory experiments, matched or in some cases even exceeded the performance of commercial iridium-based materials, but at a fraction of the cost. -- This discovery doesn't just make affordable green hydrogen a possibility; it also proves the effectiveness of the new megalibrary approach, which could completely change how researchers find new materials for any number of applications. -- The study was published on August 19 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS). -- "We've unleashed arguably the world's most powerful synthesis tool, which allows one to search the enormous number of combinations available to chemists and materials scientists to find materials that matter," said Northwestern's Chad A. Mirkin, the study's senior author and primary inventor of the megalibrary platform. "In this particular project, we have channeled that capability toward a major problem facing the energy sector. That is: How do we find a material that is as good as iridium but is more plentiful, more available and a lot cheaper? This new tool enabled us to find a promising alternative and to find it rapidly." -- A nanotechnology pioneer, Mirkin is the George B. Rathmann Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences; professor of chemical and biological engineering, biomedical engineering and materials science and engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering; and executive director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology. Mirkin co-led the work with Ted Sargent, the Lynn Hopton Davis and Greg Davis Professor of Chemistry at Weinberg, professor of electrical and computer engineering at McCormick and executive director of the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy. -- 'Not enough iridium in the world' | 621 |
| Don’t Toss Cannabis Leaves. Scientists Just Found Rare Compounds Inside | Rare Cannabis Compounds Discovered In Leaves, Expanding Their Biomedical Potential | Comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatographic analysis of Cannabis phenolics and first evidence of flavoalkaloids in Cannabis. | Stellenbosch University | Researchers at Stellenbosch University have made an exciting discovery by identifying a unique class of phenolic compounds, known as flavoalkaloids, in Cannabis leaves for the first time. Using advanced analytical techniques, they identified 79 phenolic compounds across three strains, with 25 being new to Cannabis research. This discovery not only underscores the complexity of the plant but also suggests its potential for biomedical applications that extend beyond traditional cannabinoids. | Rare Compounds Found in Cannabis LeavesRare flavoalkaloids uncovered in Cannabis may hold surprising medical potential. Credit: Shutterstock -- Analytical chemists from Stellenbosch University (SU) have provided the first evidence of a rare class of phenolics, called flavoalkaloids, in Cannabis leaves. -- Phenolic compounds, especially flavonoids, are well-known and sought after in the pharmaceutical industry because of their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic properties. -- The researchers identified 79 phenolic compounds in three strains of Cannabis grown commercially in South Africa, of which 25 were reported for the first time in Cannabis. Sixteen of these compounds were tentatively identified as flavoalkaloids. Interestingly, the flavoalkaloids were mainly found in the leaves of only one of the strains. The results were published in the Journal of Chromatography A recently. -- Dr Magriet Muller, an analytical chemist in the LC-MS laboratory of the Central Analytical Facility (CAF) at Stellenbosch University and first author on the paper, says the analysis of plant phenolics is challenging due to their low concentration and extreme structural diversity. -- "Most plants contain highly complex mixtures of phenolic compounds, and while flavonoids occur widely in the plant kingdom, the flavoalkaloids are very rare in nature," she explains. -- "We know that Cannabis is extremely complex - it contains more than 750 metabolites - but we did not expect such high variation in phenolic profiles between only three strains, nor to detect so many compounds for the first time in the species. Especially the first evidence of flavoalkaloids in Cannabis was very exciting." -- For her postgraduate studies in SU's Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, she developed powerful analytical methods combining comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry for the detailed characterisation of phenolic compounds. -- "We were looking for a new application for the methods that I developed, after successfully testing them on rooibos tea, grapes and wine. I then decided to apply the methods to Cannabis because I knew it was a complex sample, and that Cannabis phenolics have not been well characterised," she explains. -- According to Prof. André de Villiers, her study leader and main author on the paper, he was blown away by the chromatographic results that Muller obtained: "The excellent performance of two-dimensional liquid chromatography allowed separation of the flavoalkaloids from the much more abundant flavonoids, which is why we were able to detect these rare compounds for the first time in Cannabis." He leads the analytical chemistry research group in SU's Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science. | 622 |
| Ancient Fossils In Ethiopia Rewrite The First Chapter Of Human Evolution | Ancient Fossils Rewrite Human Evolution Timeline, Revealing Competing Species | New discoveries of Australopithecus and Homo from Ledi-Geraru, Ethiopia. | University of Arkansas | A recent fossil find in Ethiopia has provided compelling evidence that early humans, represented by Homo species, coexisted with Australopithecus around 2.6 million years ago. This revelation complicates our understanding of human evolution, which was previously thought to follow a linear path. The researchers, through a collaborative effort, have filled in gaps in the fossil record, shedding light on the competitive nature of early hominins. | Fossils Rewrite a Chapter of Human EvolutionLucas Delezene, associate professor of anthropology. Credit: University Relations -- While we know much of the story of how humans evolved, the puzzle is still missing critical pieces. For example, fossil evidence for human evolution between 2 and 3 million years ago is patchy. It's frustrating because we know that the branch of the hominin family tree that includes humans, or Homo sapiens, appears in the fossil record for the first time in this period. -- Today, Homo sapiens (which anthropologists shorten to Homo), is the only hominin species alive. But in the past, Homo wasn't alone. We coexisted and competed with other branches of the human family tree. Research supported by the National Science Foundation and the Leakey Foundation and published in Nature now fills in a piece of the ongoing evolutionary puzzle, placing two early species of hominin side-by-side. -- A team working in the Afar Region of Ethiopia, at the site of Ledi-Geraru, reports hominin fossils that date between 2.6 and 3.0 million years old. Lucas Delezene, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Arkansas, was second author on a paper that incorporated the work of more than 20 researchers from North America, Africa and Europe. -- The team found fossils of Homo that confirm the earliest evidence for the human lineage at 2.8 million years ago as well as evidence of Homo at 2.6 million years ago, solidifying the antiquity of Homo. Unexpectedly, the team also found evidence that Homo overlapped at the site with a different type of hominin, Australopithecus, at 2.6 million years ago. -- This was a surprise because Australopithecus was thought to be extinct in the area by about 3 million years ago. The famous Australopithecus fossil known as Lucy was found at a nearby site, but her species disappeared from the fossil record at 3 million years ago. -- "People often think evolution is a linear progression," explains Delezene, "like the March of Progress, but in reality humans are only one species that make up a twig of a bigger family tree -- it's quite bushy and what we found is another twig that was previously unknown. The idea that Homo appears and immediately spreads around the planet and replaces all other hominin species is not accurate. Homo lived side-by-side with many other hominin species throughout Africa. What's neat is that Homo overlaps with different hominin species in different places." -- For example, from southern Ethiopia to southern Africa, the earliest species of Homo overlapped with a hominin known as Paranthropus, which is well known for its massive teeth and chewing muscles and a diet reliant on grass in some parts of its range. However, in the Afar Region of Ethiopia, no Paranthropus fossils have ever been found. -- Instead, the team working at Ledi-Geraru found that Homo overlap with a different type of hominin, Australopithecus. How all of these hominin species divided up resources is the question of ongoing research. Did Homo nod to the other hominin species on their way to hunting and gathering in the morning, or did the various species consume similar resources? Did Homo eat the same things in Ethiopia where it coexisted with Australopithecus as it did in the south where it coexisted with Paranthropus, or was its diet flexible? -- We know that Homo eventually becomes a culturally reliant tool user and occasionally consumed meat. But the oldest Homo fossils at Ledi-Geraru predate any evidence of tool manufacture or meat consumption. Did Homo evolve those traits to avoid competing with other hominin species? Competition among these various hominin species likely set the stage for the evolution of the traits that ultimately made humans a globally widespread and successful species. | 623 |
| Scientists Finally Crack The Mystery Of Rogue Waves | Scientists Explain How Rogue Waves Form Without Mysterious Forces | Effects of bound-wave asymmetry on North Sea rogue waves. | Georgia Institute of Technology | For a long time, rogue waves were dismissed as sailor myths until a 1995 incident proved otherwise. New research has demystified these massive waves, revealing that they can form from common oceanic behaviors, such as wave alignment and nonlinear stretching. This understanding not only validates sailors' tales but could also lead to improved models for predicting these dangerous waves in the future. | Scientists Crack the Mystery of Rogue WavesRogue waves aren’t ocean myths—they’re natural results of waves lining up and amplifying each other. Researchers using North Sea data found they arise from common physics, not exotic forces, and are working on models that could one day forecast these dangerous giants. Credit: Shutterstock -- From Maritime Myth to Measured Reality -- On New Year's Day 1995, a monstrous 80-foot wave in the North Sea slammed into the Draupner oil platform. The wall of water crumpled steel railings and flung heavy equipment across the deck -- but its biggest impact was what it left behind: hard data. It was the first time a rogue wave had ever been measured in the open ocean. -- "It confirmed what seafarers had described for centuries," said Francesco Fedele, associate professor Georgia Tech's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. "They always talked about these waves that appear suddenly and are very large -- but for a long time, we thought this was just a myth." -- Rethinking Rogues -- No longer the stuff of legend, that single wave stunned scientists and launched decades of debate over how rogue waves form. -- Fedele -- a longtime skeptic of the conventional explanations -- led an international team to investigate rogue wave origins. The results, published in Nature's Scientific Reports, underscore the significance of their findings. The team analyzed 27,500 wave records collected over 18 years in the North Sea. It was the most comprehensive dataset of its kind. -- Each record captured 30 minutes of detailed wave activity: height, frequency, and direction. Their findings challenged long-held assumptions. To occur, these towering waves don't require "exotic" forces -- just the right alignment of familiar ones. -- Fedele explained, "Rogue waves follow the natural orders of the ocean -- not exceptions to them. This is the most definitive, real-world evidence to date." -- Extraordinary Waves, Ordinary Physics | 624 |
| Who Were The Mystery Humans Behind Indonesia’s Million-Year-Old Tools? | Ancient Hominins Crossed Oceans Over A Million Years Ago, Leaving Behind Tools | Hominins on Sulawesi during the Early Pleistocene. | Griffith University | A groundbreaking discovery on Sulawesi Island challenges previous assumptions about early human migrations, revealing evidence of ancient hominins crossing treacherous seas over a million years ago. The discovery of sophisticated stone tools predates earlier findings, raising intriguing questions about the identity of these tool-makers and how their isolation on a large island may have influenced their evolution. | Million-Year-Old Tools Rewrite Human HistoryStone tools unearthed in Sulawesi show that early humans reached the island more than a million years ago, long before previously thought. While their identity remains unknown, the discovery raises tantalizing questions about evolution in isolation. Credit: Shutterstock -- Recent findings, made by Griffith University researchers, show that early hominins made a major deep-sea crossing to reach the Indonesian island of Sulawesi much earlier than previously established, based on the discovery of stone tools dating to at least 1.04 million years ago at the Early Pleistocene (or 'Ice Age') site of Calio. -- Budianto Hakim from the National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia (BRIN) and Professor Adam Brumm from the Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution at Griffith University led the research published recently in Nature. -- A field team led by Hakim excavated a total of seven stone artefacts from the sedimentary layers of a sandstone outcrop in a modern corn field at the southern Sulawesi location. -- In the Early Pleistocene, this would have been the site of hominin tool-making and other activities such as hunting, in the vicinity of a river channel. -- The Calio artefacts consist of small, sharp-edged fragments of stones (flakes) that the early human tool-makers struck from larger pebbles that had most likely been obtained from nearby riverbeds. -- The Griffith-led team used palaeomagnetic dating of the sandstone itself and direct-dating of an excavated pig fossil, to confirm an age of at least 1.04 million years for the artifacts. -- Previously, Professor Brumm's team had revealed evidence for hominin occupation in this archipelago, known as Wallacea, from at least 1.02 million years ago, based on the presence of stone tools at Wolo Sege on the island of Flores, and by around 194 thousand years ago at Talepu on Sulawesi. -- The island of Luzon in the Philippines, to the north of Wallacea, had also yielded evidence of hominins from around 700,000 years ago. -- "This discovery adds to our understanding of the movement of extinct humans across the Wallace Line, a transitional zone beyond which unique and often quite peculiar animal species evolved in isolation," Professor Brumm said. | 625 |
| Scientists Just Made The First Time Crystal You Can See | First Visible Time Crystal Created By Physicists At University Of Colorado | Space-time crystals from particle-like topological solitons | University of Colorado at Boulder | Physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder have created the first visible time crystal using liquid crystals, which exhibit perpetual motion. This breakthrough could lead to innovative applications in technology, such as anti-counterfeiting measures and advanced data storage methods. | Scientists Make Time Crystal You Can SeeThe stripes in a time crystal as seen under a microscope. Credit: Zhao & Smalyukh, 2025, Nature Materials -- Imagine a clock that doesn't have electricity, but its hands and gears spin on their own for all eternity. -- In a new study, physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder have used liquid crystals, the same materials that are in your phone display, to create such a clock -- or, at least, as close as humans can get to that idea. The team's advancement is a new example of a "time crystal." That's the name for a curious phase of matter in which the pieces, such as atoms or other particles, exist in constant motion. -- The researchers aren't the first to make a time crystal, but their creation is the first that humans can actually see, which could open a host of technological applications. -- "They can be observed directly under a microscope and even, under special conditions, by the naked eye," said Hanqing Zhao, lead author of the study and a graduate student in the Department of Physics at CU Boulder. -- He and Ivan Smalyukh, professor of physics and fellow with the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI), published their findings Sept. 4 in the journal Nature Materials. -- In the study, the researchers designed glass cells filled with liquid crystals -- in this case, rod-shaped molecules that behave a little like a solid and a little like a liquid. Under special circumstances, if you shine a light on them, the liquid crystals will begin to swirl and move, following patterns that repeat over time. -- Under a microscope, these liquid crystal samples resemble psychedelic tiger stripes, and they can keep moving for hours -- similar to that eternally spinning clock. -- "Everything is born out of nothing," Smalyukh said. "All you do is shine a light, and this whole world of time crystals emerges." -- | 626 |
| Planet Birth Photographed For The First Time | Astronomers Capture First Images Of Planet Forming In A Dusty Disk | Wide Separation Planets in Time (WISPIT): Discovery of a Gap Hα Protoplanet WISPIT 2b with MagAO-X | University of Arizona | For the first time, astronomers have directly observed a young planet forming within a gap of a dust and gas disk around a star. This discovery of the protoplanet WISPIT 2b provides crucial evidence supporting longstanding theories about planet formation in protoplanetary disks. | Planet Birth Photographed for the First TimeIn this artist's illustration, infalling hydrogen gas causes the growing protoplanet WISPIT 2b to shine brightly in the hydrogen alpha spectrum, to which the MagAO-X instrument is particularly sensitive. Credit: Joseph Olmsted/STScI/NASA -- A team of astronomers has detected for the first time a growing planet outside our solar system, embedded in a cleared gap of a multi-ringed disk of dust and gas. -- The team, led by University of Arizona astronomer Laird Close and Richelle van Capelleveen, an astronomy graduate student at Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands, discovered the unique exoplanet using the University of Arizona's MagAO-X extreme adaptive optics system at the Magellan Telescope in Chile, the U of A's Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona and the Very Large Telescope at the European Southern Observatory in Chile. Their results are published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. -- For years, astronomers have observed several dozen planet-forming disks of gas and dust surrounding young stars. Many of these disks display gaps in their rings, hinting at the possibility that they are being "plowed" by nearby nascent planets, or protoplanets, like lanes being cleared by a snowplow. Yet, only about three actual young growing protoplanets have been discovered to date, all in the cavities between a host star and the inner edge of its adjacent protoplanetary disk. Until this discovery, no protoplanets had been seen in the conspicuous disk gaps - which appear as dark rings. -- "Dozens of theory papers have been written about these observed disk gaps being caused by protoplanets, but no one's ever found a definitive one until today," said Close, professor of astronomy at the University of Arizona. He calls the discovery a "big deal," because the absence of planet discoveries in places where they should be has prompted many in the scientific community to invoke alternative explanations for the ring-and-gap pattern found in many protoplanetary disks. -- "It's been a point of tension, actually, in the literature and in astronomy in general, that we have these really dark gaps, but we cannot detect the faint exoplanets in them," he said. "Many have doubted that protoplanets can make these gaps, but now we know that in fact, they can." -- 4.5 billion years ago, our solar system began as just such a disk. As dust coalesced into clumps, sucking up gas around them, the first protoplanets began to form. How exactly this process unfolded, however, is still largely a mystery. To find answers, astronomers have looked to other planetary systems that are still in their infancy, known as planet-forming disks, or protoplanetary disks. -- Close's team took advantage of an adaptive optics system, one of the most formidable of its kind in the world, developed and built by Close, Jared Males and their students. Males is an associate astronomer at Steward Observatory and the principal investigator of MagAO-X. MagAO-X, which stands for "Magellan Adaptive Optics System eXtreme," dramatically improves the sharpness and resolution of telescope images by compensating for atmospheric turbulence, the phenomenon that causes stars to flicker and blur, and is dreaded by astronomers. -- Suspecting there should be invisible planets hiding in the gaps of protoplanetary disks, Close's team surveyed all the disks with gaps and probed them for a specific emission of visible light known as hydrogen alpha or H-alpha. -- | 627 |
| Scientists Discover Flaws That Make Electronics Faster, Smarter, And More Efficient | Imperfections In Spintronic Materials May Drive Future Electronic Advancements | Unconventional scaling of the orbital Hall effect | Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters | Research from China reveals that defects in spintronic materials may enhance orbital currents, leading to more efficient, low-power electronic devices. This finding transforms a previously viewed limitation into an advantage, pointing toward a new era of energy-efficient electronics. | Defects That Make Electronics FasterInstead of hindering progress, material flaws in spintronics can be harnessed to boost efficiency. This breakthrough points to a new generation of powerful, energy-saving electronics. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists have turned a longstanding challenge in electronics -- material defects -- into a quantum-enhanced solution, paving the way for new-generation ultra-low-power spintronic devices. -- Spintronics, short for "spin electronics," is a field of technology that aims to go beyond the limits of conventional electronics. Traditional devices rely only on the electric charge of electrons to store and process information. Spintronics takes advantage of two additional quantum properties: spin angular momentum, which can be imagined as a built-in "up" or "down" orientation of the electron, and orbital angular momentum, which describes how electrons move around atomic nuclei. By using these extra degrees of freedom, spintronic devices can store more data in smaller spaces, operate faster, consume less energy, and retain information even when the power is switched off. -- A longstanding challenge in spintronics has been the role of material defects. Introducing imperfections into a material can sometimes make it easier to "write" data into memory bits by reducing the current needed, but this typically comes at a cost: electrical resistance increases, spin Hall conductivity declines, and overall power consumption goes up. This trade-off has been a major obstacle to developing ultra-low-power spintronic devices. -- Now, the Flexible Magnetic-Electronic Materials and Devices Group from the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have found a way to turn this problem into an advantage. Their study, published in Nature Materials, focused on the orbital Hall effect in strontium ruthenate (SrRuO3), a transition metal oxide whose properties can be finely tuned. This quantum phenomenon causes electrons to move in a way determined by their orbital angular momentum. -- Using custom-designed devices and precision measurement techniques, the researchers uncovered an unconventional scaling law that achieves a "two birds with one stone" outcome: Defect engineering simultaneously boosts both orbital Hall conductivity and orbital Hall angle, a stark contrast to conventional spin-based systems. -- To explain this finding, the team linked it to the Dyakonov-Perel-like orbital relaxation mechanism. "Scattering processes that typically degrade performance actually extend the lifetime of orbital angular momentum, thereby enhancing orbital current," said Dr. Xuan Zheng, a co-first author of the study. -- "This work essentially rewrites the rulebook for designing these devices," said Prof. Zhiming Wang, a corresponding author of the study. "Instead of fighting material imperfections, we can now exploit them." -- Experimental measurements confirm the technology's potential: tailored conductivity modulation yielded a threefold improvement in switching energy efficiency. -- | 628 |
| Scientists Supercharge Solar Power 15x With Black Metal Tech | New Solar Generator Achieves 15 Times More Efficiency Than Current Models | 15-Fold increase in solar thermoelectric generator performance through femtosecond-laser spectral engineering and thermal management | University of Rochester | Scientists from the University of Rochester have developed a solar thermoelectric generator that is 15 times more efficient than existing models by improving heat absorption and dissipation methods. This advance could significantly enhance solar power generation, paving the way for practical applications in energy independence. | Scientists Supercharge Solar Power 15xNew, high-efficiency STEGs were engineered with three strategies: black metal technology on the hot side, covering the black metal with a piece of plastic to make a mini greenhouse, and laser-etched heat sinks on the cold side. Credit: University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster -- In the quest for energy independence, researchers have studied solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) as a promising source of solar electricity generation. Unlike the photovoltaics currently used in most solar panels, STEGs can harness all kinds of thermal energy in addition to sunlight. The simple devices have hot and cold sides with semiconductor materials in between, and the difference in temperature between the sides generates electricity through a physical phenomenon known as the Seebeck effect. -- But current STEGs have major efficiency limitations preventing them from being more widely adopted as a practical form of energy production. Right now, most solar thermoelectric generators convert less than 1 percent of sunlight into electricity, compared to roughly 20 percent for residential solar panel systems. -- That gap in efficiency was dramatically reduced through new techniques developed by researchers at the University of Rochester's Institute of Optics. In a study published in Light: Science and Applications, the team described their unique spectral engineering and thermal management methods to create a STEG device that generates 15 times more power than previous devices. -- "For decades, the research community has been focusing on improving the semiconductor materials used in STEGs and has made modest gains in overall efficiency," says Chunlei Guo, a professor of optics and of physics and a senior scientist at Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics. "In this study, we don't even touch the semiconductor materials -- instead, we focused on the hot and the cold sides of the device instead. By combining better solar energy absorption and heat trapping at the hot side with better heat dissipation at the cold side, we made an astonishing improvement in efficiency." -- The new, high-efficiency STEGs were engineered with three strategies. First, on the hot side of the STEG, the researchers used a special black metal technology developed in Guo's lab to transform regular tungsten to selectively absorb light at the solar wavelengths. Using powerful femtosecond laser pulses to etch metal surfaces with nanoscale structures, they enhanced the material's energy absorption from sunlight, while also reducing heat dissipation at other wavelengths. -- Second, the researchers "covered the black metal with a piece of plastic to make a mini greenhouse, just like on a farm," says Guo. "You can minimize the convection and conduction to trap more heat, increasing the temperature on the hot side." -- Lastly, on the cold side of the STEG, they once again used femtosecond laser pulses, but this time on regular aluminum, to create a heat sink with tiny structures that improved the heat dissipation through both radiation and convection. That process doubles the cooling performance of a typical aluminum heat dissipator. -- In the study, Guo and his research team provided a simple demonstration of how their STEGS can be used to power LEDs much more effectively than the current methods. Guo says the technology could also be used to power wireless sensors for the Internet of Things, fuel wearable devices, or serve as off-grid renewable energy systems in rural areas. -- | 629 |
| Astronomers Uncover A Hidden World On The Solar System’s Edge | Astronomers Discover Massive Object At The Solar System’s Edge | Discovery of a dwarf planet candidate in an extremely wide orbit: 2017 OF201. | Institute for Advanced Study | Astronomers have discovered a new trans-Neptunian object named 2017 OF201, challenging prior assumptions about the emptiness of space beyond Neptune. This massive object, with a lengthy orbit and potential dwarf planet status, may reshape our understanding of the solar system's outer reaches. | A Hidden World on the Solar System’s EdgeA composite image showing the five dwarf planets recognized by the International Astronomical Union, plus the newly discovered trans-Neptunian object 2017 OF201. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech; image of 2017 OF201: Sihao Cheng et al. -- A small team led by Sihao Cheng, Martin A. and Helen Chooljian Member in the Institute for Advanced Study's School of Natural Sciences, has discovered an extraordinary trans-Neptunian object (TNO), named 2017 OF201, at the edge of our solar system. -- The TNO is potentially large enough to qualify as a dwarf planet, the same category as the much more well-known Pluto. The new object is one of the most distant visible objects in our solar system and, significantly, suggests that the empty section of space thought to exist beyond Neptune in the Kuiper Belt is not, in fact, empty at all. -- Cheng made the discovery alongside colleagues Jiaxuan Li and Eritas Yang from Princeton University, using advanced computational methods to identify the object's distinctive trajectory pattern on the sky. The new object was officially announced by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center and in an arXiv pre-print. -- Trans-Neptunian objects are minor planets that orbit the Sun at a greater average distance than the orbit of Neptune. The new TNO is special for two reasons: its extreme orbit and its large size. -- "The object's aphelion -- the farthest point on the orbit from the Sun -- is more than 1600 times that of the Earth's orbit," explains Cheng. "Meanwhile, its perihelion -- the closest point on its orbit to the Sun -- is 44.5 times that of the Earth's orbit, similar to Pluto's orbit." -- This extreme orbit, which takes the object approximately 25,000 years to complete, suggests a complex history of gravitational interactions. "It must have experienced close encounters with a giant planet, causing it to be ejected to a wide orbit," says Yang. "There may have been more than one step in its migration. It's possible that this object was first ejected to the Oort cloud, the most distant region in our solar system, which is home to many comets, and then sent back," Cheng adds. -- "Many extreme TNOs have orbits that appear to cluster in specific orientations, but 2017 OF201 deviates from this," says Li. This clustering has been interpreted as indirect evidence for the existence of another planet in the solar system, Planet X or Planet Nine, which could be gravitationally shepherding these objects into their observed patterns. The existence of 2017 OF201 as an outlier to such clustering could potentially challenge this hypothesis. -- Cheng and his colleagues estimate 2017 OF201's diameter to be 700 km, which would make it the second largest known object in such a wide orbit. The diameter of Pluto, meanwhile, is 2,377 km. Further observations, potentially using radio telescopes, are needed to determine the object's exact size. -- Cheng discovered the object as part of an ongoing research project to identify TNOs and possible new planets in the outer solar system. The object was identified by pinpointing bright spots in an astronomical image database from the Victor M. Blanco Telescope and Canada France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), and trying to connect all possible groups of such spots that appeared to move across the sky in the way a single TNO might. This search was carried out using a computationally efficient algorithm produced by Cheng. Ultimately, they identified 2017 OF201 in 19 different exposures, captured over 7 years. | 630 |
| Black Holes Just Proved Stephen Hawking Right With The Clearest Signal Yet | Gravitational-Wave Astronomy Is Advancing Rapidly, Confirming Theories And Planning Future Observatories | Testing Hawking’s Area Law and the Kerr Nature of Black Holes. | European Gravitational Observatory | Since 2015, gravitational-wave astronomy has progressed significantly, capturing numerous black hole and neutron star collisions. Researchers are now using clearer signals to test key theories in physics, including those of Einstein and Hawking, while planning next-generation observatories that could explore the early universe. The advancements in detection technology have led to a remarkable increase in the understanding of cosmic events. | Black Holes Just Proved Stephen Hawking RightThis artwork imagines the ultimate front-row seat for GW250114, a powerful collision between two black holes observed in gravitational waves by the US National Science Foundation LIGO. It depicts the view from one of the black holes as it spirals toward its cosmic partner. Ten years after LIGO's landmark detection of gravitational waves, the observatory's improved detectors allowed it to "hear" this celestial collision with unprecedented clarity. The gravitational-wave data enabled scientists to distinguish multiple subtle tones ringing out like a cosmic bell across the universe (imagined here as intertwining musical threads spiraling toward the center). Though only LIGO was online during GW250114, it now routinely operates as part of a network with other gravitational-wave detectors, including Europe's Virgo and Japan's KAGRA. Credit: Aurore Simonnet (SSU/EdEon)/LVK/URI -- On September 14, 2015, a signal arrived on Earth, carrying information about a pair of remote black holes that had spiraled together and merged. The signal had traveled about 1.3 billion years to reach us at the speed of light -- but it was not made of light. It was a different kind of signal: a quivering of space-time called gravitational waves, first predicted by Albert Einstein 100 years prior. On that day 10 years ago, the twin detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) made the first-ever direct detection of gravitational waves. The LIGO and Virgo collaborations announced it to the world in February 2016, after six months of analysis and verification. -- The historic discovery meant that researchers could now sense the universe through three different means. Light waves, such as X-rays, optical, radio, and other wavelengths of light, as well as high-energy particles called cosmic rays and neutrinos had been captured before, but this was the first time researchers had witnessed a cosmic event through its gravitational warping of space-time. For this achievement, first dreamed up more than 40 years prior, three of the LIGO founders won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics: MIT's Rainer Weiss, professor of physics, emeritus (who recently passed away at age 92); Caltech's Barry Barish; and Caltech's Kip Thorne. -- LIGO, which consists of detectors in both Hanford, Washington and Livingston, Louisiana, the Virgo detector in Italy and KAGRA in Japan operate in coordination and currently are routinely observing roughly one black hole merger every three days. Together, the gravitational-wave-hunting network, known as LVK (LIGO, Virgo, KAGRA), has captured a total of more than 300 black hole mergers, most of which are already confirmed while others await further analysis. During the network's current science run, the fourth since the first run in 2015, the LVK has discovered about 230 candidate black hole mergers, more than doubling the number caught in the first three runs. -- The dramatic rise in the number of LVK discoveries over the past decade is owed to several improvements to their detectors -- some of which involve cutting-edge quantum precision engineering. These gravitational-wave interferometers remain by far the most precise rulers for making measurements ever created by humans. The space-time distortions induced by gravitational waves are incredibly minuscule. To sense them, LIGO and Virgo must detect changes in space-time smaller than 1/10,000 the width of a proton. That's 700 trillion times smaller than the width of a human hair. -- The Clearest Signal Yet -- The improved sensitivity of the instruments is exemplified in a recent discovery of a black hole merger referred to as GW250114 (the numbers denote the date the gravitational-wave signal arrived at Earth: January 14, 2025). The event was not that different from the first-ever detection (called GW150914) -- both involve colliding black holes about 1.3 billion light-years away with masses between 30 to 40 times that of our Sun. But thanks to 10 years of technological advances reducing instrumental noise, the GW250114 signal is dramatically clearer. -- "We can hear it loud and clear, and that lets us test the fundamental laws of physics," says LIGO team member Katerina Chatziioannou, Caltech assistant professor of physics and William H. Hurt Scholar, and one of the leading authors of a new study on GW250114 published in the Physical Review Letters. -- By analyzing the frequencies of gravitational waves emitted by the merger, the LVK team was able to provide the best observational evidence captured to date for what is known as the black hole area theorem, an idea put forth by Stephen Hawking in 1971 that says the total surface areas of black holes cannot decrease. When black holes merge, their masses combine, increasing the surface area. But they also lose energy in the form of gravitational waves during the phenomenon. Additionally, the merger can cause the combined black hole to increase its spin, which leads to it having a smaller area. The black hole area theorem states that, despite these competing factors, the total surface area must grow in size. -- Later, Hawking and physicist Jacob Bekenstein concluded that a black hole's area is proportional to its entropy, or degree of disorder. The findings paved the way for later groundbreaking work in the field of quantum gravity, which attempts to unite two pillars of modern physics: general relativity and quantum physics. | 631 |
| Black Hole Explosion Could Change Everything We Know About The Universe | Massive Primordial Black Holes May Soon Explode, Offering Cosmic Insights | Could We Observe an Exploding Black Hole in the Near Future? | University of Massachusetts Amherst | New research suggests that primordial black holes, theorized remnants of the Big Bang, could soon be detected, with a 90% chance of witnessing such an event in the next decade. This exciting possibility offers not only a chance to confirm theories like Hawking radiation but also to catalog all known particles, potentially reshaping our understanding of the universe's origins. | Black Hole Explosion Could Reveal Hidden SecretsExploding primordial black holes could soon be detected, with researchers predicting up to a 90% chance in the next 10 years. If seen, these rare events could unlock the universe’s hidden particles and confirm long-sought theories. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Physicists have long believed that black holes explode at the end of their lives, and that such explosions happen -- at most -- only once every 100,000 years. But new research published in Physical Review Letters by physicists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has found a more than 90% probability that one of these black-hole explosions might be seen within the decade, and that, if we are prepared, our current fleet of space and earthbound telescopes could witness the event. -- Such an explosion would be strong evidence of a theorized but never observed kind of black hole, called a "primordial black hole," that could have formed less than a second after the Big Bang occurred, 13.8 billion years ago. Furthermore, the explosion would give us a definitive catalog of all the subatomic particles in existence, including the ones we have observed, such as electrons, quarks and Higgs bosons, the ones that we have only hypothesized, like dark matter particles, as well as everything else that is, so far, entirely unknown to science. This catalog would finally answer one of humankind's oldest questions: from where did everything in existence come? -- We know that black holes exist, and we have a good understanding of their life cycle: an old, large star runs out of fuel, implodes in a massively powerful supernova and leaves behind an area of spacetime with such intense gravity that nothing, not even light, can escape. These black holes are incredibly heavy and are essentially stable. -- But, as physicist Stephen Hawking pointed out in 1970, another kind of black hole -- a primordial black hole (PBH), could be created not by the collapse of a star but from the universe's primordial conditions shortly after the Big Bang. PBHs, like the standard black holes, are so massively dense that almost nothing can escape them -- which is what makes them "black." However, despite their density, PBHs could be much lighter than the black holes we have so far observed. Furthermore, Hawking also showed that black holes have a temperature and could, in theory, slowly emit particles via what is now known as "Hawking radiation" if they got hot enough. -- "The lighter a black hole is, the hotter it should be and the more particles it will emit. As PBHs evaporate, they become ever lighter, and so hotter, emitting even more radiation in a runaway process until explosion. It's that Hawking radiation that our telescopes can detect," says Andrea Thamm, co-author and assistant professor of physics at UMass Amherst. -- Yet, while we should be able to, no one has ever directly observed a PBH. -- "We know how to observe this Hawking radiation," says Joaquim Iguaz Juan, a postdoctoral researcher in physics at UMass Amherst. "We can see it with our current crop of telescopes, and because the only black holes that can explode today or in the near future are these PBHs, we know that if we see Hawking radiation, we are seeing an exploding PBH." -- Though physicists since Hawking's time have thought that the chances of seeing an exploding PBH are infinitesimally slight, Iguaz Juan notes that "our job as physicists is to question the received assumptions, to ask better questions and come up with more precise hypotheses." -- The team's new hypothesis? Get ready now to see the explosion. "We believe that there is up to a 90% chance of witnessing an exploding PBH in the next 10 years," says Aidan Symons, one of the paper's co-authors and a graduate student in physics at UMass Amherst. | 632 |
| A Doomed Star System Could Soon Shine As Bright As The Moon | White Dwarf Star’s Feeding Frenzy Could Soon Create A Bright Supernova | V Sge: Supersoft Source or Exotic Hot Binary? I. An X-Shooter campaign in the high state. | University of Southampton | Astronomers have discovered the dynamic double star system V Sagittae, where a white dwarf is aggressively consuming its companion star. This violent interaction creates a brilliant display and a massive gas halo, signaling a potential supernova in the future, which could be visible even during daylight. The findings reveal the complex and dramatic nature of stellar evolution. | Hungry White Dwarf Races Toward SupernovaDouble star V Sagittae - 10,000 light years from earth - is burning bright because greedy white dwarf is gorging on its larger twin. Credit: University of Southampton -- A greedy white dwarf star not far from Earth is devouring its closest celestial companion at a rate never seen before, space scientists have discovered. -- Their study found the double star, named V Sagittae, is burning unusually bright as the super-dense white dwarf is gorging on its larger twin in a feeding frenzy. -- Experts think the stars are locked in an extraterrestrial tango as they orbit each other every 12.3 hours, gradually pulling each other closer. -- Hearing Australia -- Australia's #1 Trusted Hearing Service Provider -- Sponsored By Hearing Australia -- See More -- They say it could cause a massive explosion so bright it would be seen by the naked eye from Earth, some 10,000 light-years away. -- The findings were made by an international team of astronomers involving Professor Phil Charles from University of Southampton, led by Dr Pasi Hakala from the University of Turku in Finland with Dr Pablo Rodríguez Gil from the Spanish Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias and University of La Laguna. | 633 |
| Life On Mars? NASA Discovers Potential Biosignatures In Martian Mudstones | NASA’s Mars Findings Hint At Potential Ancient Life In Mudstones | Redox-driven mineral and organic associations in Jezero Crater, Mars. | Stony Brook University | NASA’s Perseverance rover has made intriguing discoveries in Mars’ Jezero Crater, unearthing mudstones that contain organic carbon along with features suggesting possible biosignatures. While the team emphasizes that they have not found definitive evidence of life, the chemical signals present in these rocks hint at ancient environments that could have supported microbial activity similar to Earth. | Strange Mars Rocks May Hold Clues to Ancient LifeNASA’s Perseverance rover discovered leopard spots on a reddish rock nicknamed “Cheyava Falls” in Mars’ Jezero Crater in July 2024. Scientists think the spots may indicate that, billions of years ago, the chemical reactions in this rock could have supported microbial life; other explanations are being considered. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS -- Data and images from NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover reveals that recently discovered rocks in Jezero crater are organic carbon bearing mudstones. The findings, detailed in a paper published in Nature, indicate that these mudstones experienced chemical processes that left behind colorful, enigmatic textures in the rock that represent potential biosignatures. -- The paper, led by Joel Hurowitz, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Geosciences at Stony Brook University, builds upon ongoing research conducted with the rover since it landed in 2021 – work aimed at characterizing early Martian geological processes and collecting samples that may someday be returned to Earth. -- Upon entering the Jezero crater’s western edge, Perseverance investigated distinctive mudstone outcrops of the Bright Angel formation. There, the Mars 2020 science team conducted a detailed geological, petrographic, and geochemical survey of these rocks and found traces of carbon matter along with minerals, namely ferrous iron phosphate and iron sulfide. -- While the research team is not claiming to have found some form of fossilized life on Mars, they do believe the rocks contain features that could have been formed by life – a potential biosignature. A potential biosignature is any characteristic, element, molecule, substance, or feature that could have been formed by past biological life, but which also could have formed in the absence of life. While a compelling find, the team points out that more data is needed before any conclusion can be made about whether microbial activity is responsible for the development of the features observed in the mudstones. -- “These mudstones provide information about Mars’ surface environmental conditions at a time hundreds of millions of years after the planet formed, and thus they can be seen as a great record of the planetary environment and habitability during that period,” says Hurowitz, who has been involved with Mars rover research since he was a graduate student at Stony Brook University in 2004. -- “We will need to conduct broader research into both living and non-living processes that will help us to better understand the conditions under which the collection of minerals and organic phases in the Bright Angel formation were formed,” he explains. -- More specifically, the researchers concluded the following during their analyses: -- The organic carbon detected appears to have participated in post-depositional redox reactions that produced the observed iron phosphate and iron sulfide minerals. And these reactions occurred in a sedimentary rock environment at low temperature. Redox reactions are a type of chemical reaction that all living things derive energy from, and in low temperature sedimentary environments on Earth, these redox reactions are commonly driven by microbial life. -- A review of the various pathways by which redox reactions that involve organic matter can produce the observed suite of iron, sulfur, and phosphorus-bearing minerals reveals that both abiotic (physical not biological) and biological processes can explain the unique features observed in the Bright Angel formation. | 634 |
| The Real Reason Ice Is Slippery, Revealed After 200 Years | New Research Reveals Surprising Reason Ice Is Slippery, Challenging Old Beliefs | Cold Self-Lubrication of Sliding Ice. | Saarland University | A new study from Saarland University has overturned a long-standing explanation for why ice is slippery. Researchers found that molecular dipole interactions between ice and surfaces like shoes create a thin liquid layer, rather than pressure and friction alone. This revelation has important implications for physics and could change how we understand ice interactions during winter sports and everyday activities. | Ice’s Slipperiness Explained After 200 YearsIce isn’t slippery because of pressure or friction, but because of molecular dipoles disrupting its crystal lattice. Credit: Shutterstock -- For over a hundred years, schoolchildren around the world have learned that ice melts when pressure and friction are applied. When you step out onto an icy pavement in winter, you can slip up because of the pressure exerted by your body weight through the sole of your (still warm) shoe. But it turns out that this explanation misses the mark. New research conducted at Saarland University reveals that it's not pressure or friction that causes ice to become slippery, but rather the interaction between molecular dipoles in the ice and those in the contacting surface, such as a shoe sole. -- This insight from Professor Müser and his colleagues Achraf Atila and Sergey Sukhomlinov overturns a paradigm established nearly two centuries ago by the brother of Lord Kelvin, James Thompson, who proposed that pressure and friction contribute to ice melting alongside temperature. -- 'It turns out that neither pressure nor friction plays a particularly significant part in forming the thin liquid layer on ice,' explains Martin Müser. Instead, computer simulations by the team reveal that molecular dipoles are the key drivers behind the formation of this slippery layer, which so often causes us to lose our footing in winter. But what exactly is a dipole? A molecular dipole arises when a molecule has regions of partial positive and partial negative charge, giving the molecule an overall polarity that points in a specific direction. -- To get a better understanding of what is going on, it helps to know how ice is structured. Below zero degrees Celsius, water molecules (H2O) arrange themselves into a highly ordered crystal lattice in which the molecules are all aligned neatly with one another creating a solid, crystalline structure. When someone steps onto this orderly structure, it's not the resulting pressure or friction of the shoe that disrupts the top layer of molecules, but the orientation of the dipoles in the shoe sole interacting with those in the ice. The previously well-ordered structure suddenly becomes disordered. 'In three dimensions, these dipole-dipole interactions become "frustrated",' says Müser, referring to a concept in physics where competing forces prevent a system from achieving a fully ordered stable configuration. At the microscopic level, the forces between the dipoles in the ice and those in the shoe sole material disrupt the orderly crystalline structure at the interface between ice and shoe, causing the ice to become disordered, amorphous and ultimately liquid. -- In addition to overturning nearly 200 years of accepted knowledge, the team's research also debunks another misconception. 'Until now, it was assumed that skiing below -40°C is impossible because it's simply too cold for a thin lubricating liquid film to form beneath the skis. That too, it turns out, is incorrect,' explains Professor Müser. -- 'Dipole interactions persist at extremely low temperatures. Remarkably, a liquid film still forms at the interface between ice and ski -- even near absolute zero,' says Müser. However, at such low temperatures, the film is more viscous than honey. We'd hardly recognize it as water and skiing on it would be practically impossible -- but the film nevertheless exists. -- For someone who is nursing an injury because they slipped and fell in winter, it hardly matters whether pressure, friction or dipoles were to blame. But for physics, the distinction is crucial. The implications of this discovery by the Saarland research team are still unfolding, and the scientific community is taking notice. | 635 |
| Scientists Turn Spin Loss Into Energy, Unlocking Ultra-Low-Power AI Chips | Researchers Turn Electron Spin Loss Into Energy, Revolutionizing Computing Efficiency | Magnetization switching driven by magnonic spin dissipation. | National Research Council of Science & Technology | Researchers have discovered a way to harness previously wasted electron spin loss to drive magnetization switching in spintronic devices, achieving up to three times greater efficiency. This innovative approach could lead to the development of ultra-low-power AI chips and memory technologies, marking a significant advancement in the field of spintronics and energy-efficient computing. | Unlocking Ultra-Low-Power AI ChipsBy harnessing wasted spin loss, researchers achieved energy-efficient magnetic switching, a leap that could reshape AI semiconductors and ultra-low-power computing. -- Dr. Dong-Soo Han's research team at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Semiconductor Technology Research Center, in collaboration with the research teams of Prof. Jung-Il Hong at DGIST and Prof. Kyung-Hwan Kim at Yonsei University, has developed a device principle that can utilize "spin loss," which was previously thought of as a simple loss, as a new power source for magnetic control. -- Spintronics is a technology that utilizes the "spin" property of electrons to store and control information, and it is being recognized as a key foundation for next-generation information processing technologies such as ultra-low-power memory, neuromorphic chips, and computational devices for stochastic computation, as it consumes less power and is more non-volatile than conventional semiconductors. This research is significant because it presents a new approach that can significantly improve the efficiency of these spintronics devices. -- A team of researchers has identified a new physical phenomenon that allows magnetic materials to spontaneously switch their internal magnetization direction without external stimuli. Magnetic materials are key to the next generation of information processing devices that store information or perform computations by changing the direction of their internal magnetization. For example, if the magnetization direction is upward, it is recognized as '1', and if it is downward, it is recognized as '0', and data can be stored or computed. -- Traditionally, to reverse the direction of magnetization, a large current is applied to force the spin of electrons into the magnet. However, this process results in spin loss, where some of the spin does not reach the magnet and is dissipated, which has been considered a major source of power waste and poor efficiency. -- Researchers have focused on material design and process improvements to reduce spin loss. But now, the team has found that spin loss actually has the opposite effect, altering magnetization. This means that spin loss induces a spontaneous magnetization switch within the magnetic material, just as the balloon moves as a reaction to the wind being taken out of it. -- In their experiments, the team demonstrated the paradox that the greater the spin loss, the less power is required to switch magnetization. As a result, the energy efficiency is up to three times higher than conventional methods, and it can be realized without special materials or complex device structures, making it highly practical and industrially scalable. -- In addition, the technology adopts a simple device structure that is compatible with existing semiconductor processes, making it highly feasible for mass production, and it is also advantageous for miniaturization and high integration. This enables applications in various fields such as AI semiconductors, ultra-low power memory, neuromorphic computing, and probability-based computing devices. In particular, the development of high-efficiency computing devices for AI and edge computing is expected to be in full swing. -- "Until now, the field of spintronics has focused only on reducing spin losses, but we have presented a new direction by using the losses as energy to induce magnetization switching," said Dr. Dong-Soo Han, a senior researcher at KIST. "We plan to actively develop ultra-small and low-power AI semiconductor devices, as they can serve as the basis for ultra-low-power computing technologies that are essential in the AI era." -- This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Bae Kyung-hoon) through the KIST Institutional Program, the Global TOP Research and Development Project (GTL24041-000), and the Basic Research Project of the National Research Foundation of Korea (2020R1A2C2005932). The results of this research were published in the latest issue of the international journal Nature Communications (IF 15.7, JCR field 7%). | 636 |
| How Scientists Made Quantum Dots Smarter And Cheaper | Quantum Dots Now Produce Controlled Light More Efficiently With Laser Pulses | Passive demultiplexed two-photon state generation from a quantum dot. | University of Innsbruck | Scientists have developed a new method for controlling the photon emission from quantum dots, making them more practical for real-world applications. By employing a simple sequence of laser pulses, they can generate streams of precisely controlled photons without the need for complex electronics, potentially advancing quantum technologies like secure communications and advanced physics experiments. | Scientists Made Quantum Dots SmarterThe new approach uses a purely optical technique called stimulated two-photon excitation to generate streams of photons in different polarization states directly from a quantum dot without requiring any active switching components. Credit: University of Innsbruck, edited -- Quantum dots - semiconductor nanostructures that can emit single photons on demand - are considered among the most promising sources for photonic quantum computing. However, every quantum dot is slightly different and may emit a slightly different color. This means that, to produce multi-photon states we cannot use multiple quantum dots. Usually, researchers use a single quantum dot and multiplex the emission into different spatial and temporal modes, using a fast electro-optic modulator. Now here comes the technological challenge: faster electro-optic modulators are expensive and often require very customized engineering. To add to that, it may not be very efficient, which introduces unwanted losses in the system. -- The international research team, led by Vikas Remesh from the Photonics Group at the Department of Experimental Physics of the University of Innsbruck and involving researchers from the University of Cambridge, Johannes Kepler University Linz, and other institutions, has now demonstrated an elegant solution that sidesteps these limitations. Their approach uses a purely optical technique called stimulated two-photon excitation to generate streams of photons in different polarization states directly from a quantum dot without requiring any active switching components. The team demonstrated their technique by generating high-quality two-photon states with excellent single-photon properties. -- "The method works by first exciting the quantum dot with precisely timed laser pulses to create a biexciton state, followed by polarization-controlled stimulation pulses that deterministically trigger photon emission in the desired polarization," explain Yusuf Karli and Iker Avila Arenas, the study's first authors. "It was a fantastic experience for me to work in the photonics group for my master's thesis, remembers Iker Avila Arenas, who was part of 2022-2024 cohort of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's program in Photonics for Security Reliability and Safety and spent 6 months in Innsbruck. -- "What makes this approach particularly elegant is that we have moved the complexity from expensive, loss-inducing electronic components after the single photon emission to the optical excitation stage, and it is a significant step forward in making quantum dot sources more practical for real-world applications," notes Vikas Remesh, the study's lead researcher. Looking ahead, the researchers envision extending the technique to generate photons with arbitrary linear polarization states using specially engineered quantum dots. -- "The study has immediate applications in secure quantum key distribution protocols, where multiple independent photon streams can enable simultaneous secure communication with different parties, and in multi-photon interference experiments which are very important to test even the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics," explains Gregor Weihs, head of the photonics research group in Innsbruck. -- The research, published in npj Quantum Information, represents a collaborative effort involving expertise in quantum optics, semiconductor physics, and photonic engineering. The work was supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), and the European Union's research programs. | 637 |
| NASA’s Celestial “Accident” Unlocks Secrets Of Jupiter And Saturn | NASA Discovers Silane In Brown Dwarf, Unveiling Secrets Of Planetary Atmospheres | Silicate precursor silane detected in cold low-metallicity brown dwarf. | NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory | Astronomers studying a peculiar brown dwarf known as "The Accident" have finally detected silane, a silicon molecule previously absent from the atmospheres of gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn. This discovery, facilitated by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, enhances our understanding of planetary atmospheres and their chemical compositions, shedding light on previously unexplained phenomena. | NASA’s Celestial “Accident” Unlocks SecretsThis artist’s concept shows a brown dwarf — an object larger than a planet but not massive enough to kickstart fusion in its core like a star. Brown dwarfs are hot when they form and may glow like this one, but over time they get closer in temperature to gas giant planets like Jupiter. Credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor -- An unusual cosmic object is helping scientists better understand the chemistry hidden deep in Jupiter and Saturn's atmospheres -- and potentially those of exoplanets. -- Why has silicon, one of the most common elements in the universe, gone largely undetected in the atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, and gas planets like them orbiting other stars? A new study using observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope sheds light on this question by focusing on a peculiar object that astronomers discovered by chance in 2020 and called "The Accident." -- The results were published on September 4 in the journal Nature. -- The Accident is a brown dwarf, a ball of gas that's not quite a planet and not quite a star. Even among its already hard-to-classify peers, The Accident has a perplexing mix of physical features, some of which have been previously seen in only young brown dwarfs and others seen only in ancient ones. Because of those features, it slipped past typical detection methods before being discovered five years ago by a citizen scientist participating in Backyard Worlds: Planet 9. The program lets people around the globe look for new discoveries in data from NASA's now-retired NEOWISE (Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer), which was managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. -- The Accident is so faint and odd that researchers needed NASA's most powerful space observatory, Webb, to study its atmosphere. Among several surprises, they found evidence of a molecule they couldn't initially identify. It turned out to be a simple silicon molecule called silane (SiH4). Researchers have long expected -- but been unable -- to find silane not only in our solar system's gas giants, but also in the thousands of atmospheres belonging to brown dwarfs and to the gas giants orbiting other stars. The Accident is the first such object where this molecule has been identified. -- Scientists are fairly confident that silicon exists in Jupiter and Saturn's atmospheres but that it is hidden. Bound to oxygen, silicon forms oxides such as quartz that can seed clouds on hot gas giants, bearing a resemblance to dust storms on Earth. On cooler gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn, these types of clouds would sink far beneath lighter layers of water vapor and ammonia clouds, until any silicon-containing molecules are deep in the atmosphere, invisible even to the spacecraft that have studied those two planets up close. -- Some researchers have also posited that lighter molecules of silicon, like silane, should be found higher up in these atmospheric layers, left behind like traces of flour on a baker's table. That such molecules haven't appeared anywhere except in a single, peculiar brown dwarf suggests something about the chemistry occurring in these environments. -- "Sometimes it's the extreme objects that help us understand what's happening in the average ones," said Faherty, a researcher at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, and lead author on the new study. -- Happy accident | 638 |
| The Invisible Plastic Threat You Can Finally See | New "Optical Sieve" Detects Invisible Nanoplastics, Enhancing Environmental Research | Optical sieve for nanoplastic detection, sizing and counting. | Universitaet Stuttgart | Researchers have created an innovative "optical sieve" that detects tiny nanoplastic particles, enabling analysis of environmental samples. This test strip, observed under a standard microscope, changes colors to indicate the size and number of particles, providing a straightforward and effective method for assessing the presence of harmful nanoplastics in various contexts. | The Invisible Plastic Threat You Can Finally SeeThe optical sieve nanoplastic particles fall into holes of the appropriate size in the test strip. The color of the holes changes. The new color provides information about the size and number of particles. Credit: University of Stuttgart / 4th Physics Institute -- A joint team from the University of Stuttgart in Germany and the University of Melbourne in Australia has developed a new method for the straightforward analysis of tiny nanoplastic particles in environmental samples. One needs only an ordinary optical microscope and a newly developed test strip -- the optical sieve. The research results have now been published in Nature Photonics. -- "The test strip can serve as a simple analysis tool in environmental and health research," explains Prof. Harald Giessen, Head of the 4th Physics Institute of the University of Stuttgart. "In the near future, we will be working toward analyzing nanoplastic concentrations directly on site. But our new method could also be used to test blood or tissue for nanoplastic particles." -- Nanoplastics as a danger to humans and the environment -- Plastic waste is one of the central and acute global problems of the 21st century. It not only pollutes oceans, rivers, and beaches but has also been detected in living organisms in the form of microplastics. Until now, environmental scientists have focused their attention on larger plastic residues. However, it has been known for some time that an even greater danger may be on the horizon: nanoplastic particles. These tiny particles are much smaller than a human hair and are created through the breakdown of larger plastic particles. They cannot be seen with the naked eye. These particles in the sub-micrometer range can also easily cross organic barriers such as the skin or the blood-brain barrier. -- Color changes make tiny particles visible -- Because of the small particle size, their detection poses a particular challenge. As a result, there are not only gaps in our understanding of how particles affect organisms but also a lack of rapid and reliable detection methods. In collaboration with a research group from Melbourne in Australia, researchers at the University of Stuttgart have now developed a novel method that can quickly and affordably detect such small particles. Color changes on a special test strip make nanoplastics visible in an optical microscope and allow researchers to count the number of particles and determine their size. "Compared with conventional and widely used methods such as scanning electron microscopy, the new method is considerably less expensive, does not require trained personnel to operate, and reduces the time required for detailed analysis," explains Dr. Mario Hentschel, Head of the Microstructure Laboratory at the 4th Physics Institute. -- Optical sieve instead of expensive electron microscope -- The "optical sieve" uses resonance effects in small holes to make the nanoplastic particles visible. A study on optical effects in such holes was first published by the research group at the University of Stuttgart in 2023. The process is based on tiny depressions, known as Mie voids, which are edged into a semiconductor substrate. Depending on their diameter and depth, the holes interact characteristically with the incident light. This results in a bright color reflection that can be seen in an optical microscope. If a particle falls into one of the indentations, its color changes noticeably. One can therefore infer from the changing color whether a particle is present in the void. -- "The test strip works like a classic sieve," explains Dominik Ludescher, PhD student and first author of the publication in "Nature Photonics." Particles ranging from 0.2 to 1 µm can thus be examined without difficulty. "The particles are filtered out of the liquid using the sieve in which the size and depth of the holes can be adapted to the nanoplastic particles, and subsequently by the resulting color change can be detected. This allows us to determine whether the voids are filled or empty." | 639 |
| Scientists Discover A Strange New Magnet That Bends Light Like Magic | Altermagnets Bending Light Like Magic Are Unlocked Through Innovative Measurements | Magneto-optical spectra of an organic antiferromagnet as a candidate for an altermagnet. | Tohoku University | A new optical technique has confirmed the existence of altermagnets, materials that exhibit unique magnetic properties without net magnetization. By studying an organic crystal, researchers have clarified the mechanisms behind altermagnetism, opening avenues for developing lightweight and high-performance magnetic devices that could revolutionize technology in various fields. | A Strange New Type of MagnetA new optical breakthrough confirms altermagnets’ existence and points to lightweight, high-performance magnetic devices of the future. Credit: AI/Shuttertstock -- Researchers have uncovered the magnetic properties and underlying mechanisms of a novel magnet using advanced optical techniques. Their study focused on an organic crystal believed to be a promising candidate for an "altermagnet"- a recently proposed third class of magnetic materials. Unlike conventional ferromagnets and antiferromagnets, altermagnets exhibit unique magnetic behavior. -- Details of their breakthrough were published recently in the journal Physical Review Research. -- "Unlike typical magnets that attract each other, altermagnets do not exhibit net magnetization, yet they can still influence the polarization of reflected light," points out Satoshi Iguchi, associate professor at Tohoku University's Institute for Materials Research. "This makes them difficult to study using conventional optical techniques." -- To overcome this, Iguchi and his colleagues applied a newly derived general formula for light reflection to the organic crystal, successfully clarifying its magnetic properties and origin. -- The group also comprised Yuka Ikemoto and Taro Moriwaki from the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute; Hirotake Itoh from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Kwansei Gakuin University; Shinichiro Iwai from the Department of Physics at Tohoku University; and Tetsuya Furukawa and Takahiko Sasaki, also from the Institute for Materials Research. -- The team's newly derived general formula for light reflection was based on Maxwell's equations and is applicable to a wide range of materials, including those with low crystal symmetry, such as the organic compound studied here. -- This new theoretical framework also allowed the team to develop a precise optical measurement method and apply it to the organic crystal κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Cl. They successfully measured the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) and extracted the off-diagonal optical conductivity spectrum, which provides detailed information about the material's magnetic and electronic properties. -- The results revealed three key features in the spectrum: (1) edge peaks indicating spin band splitting, (2) a real component associated with crystal distortion and piezomagnetic effects, and (3) an imaginary component linked to rotational currents. These findings not only confirm the altermagnetic nature of the material but also demonstrate the power of the newly developed optical method. -- "This research opens the door to exploring magnetism in a broader class of materials, including organic compounds, and lays the groundwork for future development of high-performance magnetic devices based on lightweight, flexible materials," adds Iguchi. | 640 |
| Surprising Giant DNA Discovery May Be Linked To Gum Disease And Cancer | Discovering Inocles: New Genetic Material That Could Revolutionize Oral Health Research | Giant extrachromosomal element “Inocle” potentially expands the adaptive capacity of the human oral microbiome, | University of Tokyo | Recent research from Tokyo reveals a significant finding regarding oral health: a genetic material known as Inocles, discovered within common oral bacteria, is present in about three-quarters of the population. These large strands of extrachromosomal DNA, often overlooked in traditional studies, may play a crucial role in how oral microbes adapt and thrive, suggesting new connections to diseases like cancer and altering our understanding of the human microbiome. | Giant Hidden DNA Found in the Human MouthA surprising discovery in saliva samples reveals giant DNA elements called Inocles, hidden in common oral bacteria. These overlooked genetic powerhouses may shape human health, influence disease, and provide new insight into the human microbiome. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers including those at the University of Tokyo have made a surprising discovery hiding in people's mouths: Inocles, giant DNA elements that had previously escaped detection. These appear to play a central role in helping bacteria adapt to the constantly changing environment of the mouth. The findings provide fresh insight into how oral bacteria colonize and persist in humans, with potential implications for health, disease and microbiome research. -- You might think that modern medical science knows everything there is to know about the human body. But even within the last decade, small, previously unknown organs have been discovered, and there's one area of human biology that is currently going through a research renaissance, the microbiome. This includes familiar areas such as the gut microbiome, but also the oral microbiome. Inspired in part by recent discoveries of extraneous DNA in the microbiome of soil, Project Research Associate Yuya Kiguchi and his team turned their sights to a large set of saliva samples collected by the Yutaka Suzuki Lab of the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences at the University of Tokyo. They wondered if they might find something similar in human saliva. -- "We know there are a lot of different kinds of bacteria in the oral microbiome, but many of their functions and means of carrying out those functions are still unknown," said Kiguchi. "By exploring this, we discovered Inocles, an example of extrachromosomal DNA -- chunks of DNA that exist in cells, in this case bacteria, but outside their main DNA. It's like finding a book with extra footnotes stapled to it, and we're just starting to read them to find out what they do." -- Detecting Inocles was not easy, as conventional sequencing methods fragment genetic data, making it impossible to reconstruct large elements. To overcome this, the team applied advanced long-read sequencing techniques, which can capture much longer stretches of DNA. A key breakthrough came from co-first author Nagisa Hamamoto, who developed a method called preNuc to selectively remove human DNA from saliva samples, greatly improving the quality of sequencing long sections of other DNA. This allowed the researchers to assemble for the first time complete Inocle genomes, which turned out were hosted by the bacteria Streptococcus salivarius, though identifying the host itself was a difficult matter. -- "The average genome size of Inocle is 350 kilobase pairs, a measure of length for genetic sequences, so it is one of the largest extrachromosomal genetic elements in the human microbiome. Plasmids, other forms of extrachromosomal DNA, are at most a few tens of kilobase pairs," said Kiguchi. "This long length endows Inocles with genes for various functions, including resistance to oxidative stress, DNA damage repair and cell wall-related genes, possibly involved in adapting to extracellular stress response." -- The team aims to develop stable methods for culturing Inocle containing bacteria. This will allow them to investigate how Inocles function, whether they can spread between individuals, and how they might influence oral health conditions such as cavities and gum disease. Since many Inocle genes remain uncharacterized, researchers will use a mixture of laboratory experiments and also computational simulations such as AlphaFold to predict and model the roles Inocles may play. -- "What's remarkable is that, given the range of the human population the saliva samples represent, we think 74% of all human beings may possess Inocles. And even though the oral microbiome has long been studied, Inocles remained hidden all this time because of technological limitations," said Kiguchi. "Now that we know they exist, we can begin to explore how they shape the relationship between humans, their resident microbes and our oral health. And there's even some hints that Inocles might serve as markers for serious diseases like cancer." | 641 |
| Simple Blood Test Could Spot Alzheimer’s Years Before Symptoms | Early Alzheimer’s Detection: Blood Test Could Transform Diagnosis For Underrepresented Groups | Alzheimer Disease Biomarkers and Subjective Cognitive Decline Among Hispanic and/or Latino Adults, | University of California - San Diego | A groundbreaking study suggests a simple blood test could facilitate early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, particularly in underrepresented Hispanic and Latino populations. Researchers at UC San Diego identified blood proteins linked to cognitive decline, indicating that this less invasive method could simplify identification of neurodegenerative diseases, potentially transforming the landscape of Alzheimer's detection and care. | Simple Blood Test Could Spot Alzheimer’s EarlyA new study suggests a simple blood test could one day catch Alzheimer’s before symptoms fully emerge. Credit: Shutterstock -- In a landmark study of Hispanic and Latino adults, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have identified a link between self-reported cognitive decline and blood-based biomarkers, which could pave the way for a simple blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. This approach could be faster, less-invasive and more affordable than existing screening tools. The results are published in JAMA Network Open. -- "We need ways to identify underlying neurodegenerative diseases earlier in patients with cognitive symptoms," said corresponding author Freddie Márquez, Ph.D., a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "This study highlights the promise of blood-based biomarkers as a more accessible and scalable tool for understanding cognitive decline, particularly in populations that have been underserved by traditional methods." -- There is currently only one blood test approved by the Food and Drug Administration to assist in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. While this test, the Lumipulse G pTau217/Aβ42 plasma ratio, can detect proteins associated with Alzheimer's in the blood, it is currently very expensive and only available in specialized care settings. Whether or not blood can be reliably used for early Alzheimer's detection on a larger scale is still unknown. -- To help answer this question, the researchers used data from the Study of Latinos-Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging. This clinical study assessed neurocognition in a subset of participants from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, the largest, most comprehensive long-term study of Hispanic and Latino health and disease in the United States. -- "Hispanic and Latino adults are thought to be more likely to get Alzheimer's and related dementias, and this group is projected to have the largest increases in disease prevalence over the coming decades," said senior author Hector M. González, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "Despite this, they're still significantly underrepresented in Alzheimer's and dementia research, which is something our study aimed to address." -- The researchers tested the blood of 5,712 Hispanic and/or Latino adults between the ages of 50 and 86, looking for proteins that are present in the brain in people with Alzheimer's disease, such as amyloid beta and tau proteins. They also assessed participants for subjective cognitive decline, which refers to a decline in cognitive status that the individual themself perceives. -- The researchers found: -- Higher blood levels of NfL (nerve cell injury marker) and GFAP (brain inflammation marker) were associated with more self-reported declines in thinking, planning and overall cognitive performance. Higher blood levels of NfL and tau protein (ptau-181) were also associated with more self-reported declines in memory. -- Blood levels of amyloid-beta protein (Aβ42/40), a protein well-known to be associated with Alzheimer's disease in the brain, showed no associations with subjective cognitive decline. | 642 |
| Ozempic’s Hidden Pregnancy Risk Few Women Know About | Ozempic and Unintended Pregnancies: Essential Guidance Needed for Women Using Weight Loss Drugs | Incidence of GLP‐1 receptor agonist use by women of reproductive age attending general practices in Australia, 2011–2022: a retrospective open cohort study, | Flinders University | A new study reveals a concerning trend among women using GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic for weight loss; many are not using effective contraception, which raises risks of unintended pregnancies and complications. Researchers stress the need for clearer medical guidelines and better patient education to ensure the safety of these medications among reproductive-age women. | Ozempic’s Hidden Pregnancy RiskGLP-1 weight-loss drugs are increasingly used by women of reproductive age, but most are not protecting against pregnancy despite potential risks. Researchers call for stronger guidelines and patient education to ensure safe use. Credit: Shutterstock -- Women taking popular weight-loss medications during their reproductive years may be unaware of associated risks to pregnancy and unborn babies, warn Flinders University researchers. -- A new study has revealed that most Australian women of reproductive age prescribed GLP-1 receptor agonists -- medications increasingly used for weight loss such as Ozempic -- are not using effective contraception, despite known risks during pregnancy. -- Published in the Medical Journal of Australia, the research analyzed data from over 1.6 million women aged 18 to 49 who attended general practices between 2011 and 2022. Of the 18,010 women who were first prescribed GLP-1 receptor agonists during that time, only 21% had reported using contraception. -- Originally developed to manage type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 receptor agonists have gained popularity for their appetite-suppressing and weight-loss effects, with the study finding that most prescriptions are now issued to women without diabetes. -- Lead author and pharmacist, Associate Professor Luke Grzeskowiak, says that in 2022 alone, more than 6,000 women began treatment on GLP-1s, and over 90% of those did not have a diabetes diagnosis. -- "We're seeing widespread use of these medications among women of childbearing age, but very little evidence that contraception is being considered as part of routine care," says Associate Professor Grzeskowiak from the College of Medicine and Public Health. -- "These medications can be incredibly helpful, but they're not risk-free, especially during pregnancy." -- The study found that 2.2% of women became pregnant within six months of starting GLP-1 treatment with pregnancy rates highest among younger women with diabetes, and among women without diabetes in their early thirties. -- Women with polycystic ovary syndrome were twice as likely to conceive, suggesting that weight loss may improve fertility, even when unintended. | 643 |
| Smog In The Brain: Dirty Air Speeds Alzheimer’s Decline | Air Pollution May Accelerate Alzheimer’s: New Research Links Toxicity to Cognitive Decline | Ambient Air Pollution and the Severity of Alzheimer Disease Neuropathology, | University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine | Emerging research indicates a worrying connection between air pollution and Alzheimer's disease, showing that exposure to fine particulate matter accelerates the accumulation of toxic proteins in the brain. This novel study highlights how even short-term air pollution exposure can hasten cognitive decline, providing crucial insights into environmental factors that may exacerbate Alzheimer’s progression. | Dirty Air Speeds Up Alzheimer’sExposure to fine air pollution particles (PM2.5) worsens Alzheimer’s by fueling protein buildup in the brain and hastening cognitive decline, according to new research on over 600 brain samples. Credit: Shutterstock -- Exposure to high concentrations of air pollution may worsen Alzheimer's disease (AD) by accelerating the buildup of toxic proteins in the brain and speeding up cognitive decline. For the first time, post-mortem tissue from people with AD revealed that those who lived in areas with higher concentrations of fine particulate matter in the air even just one year had more severe accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles -- hallmarks of Alzheimer's pathology -- compared to those with less exposure. These individuals also experienced faster cognitive and functional decline, including memory loss, impaired judgment, and difficulty with personal care, according to research published today (September 8) in JAMA Neurologyfrom the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. -- "This study shows that air pollution doesn't just increase the risk of dementia -- it actually makes Alzheimer's disease worse," said Edward Lee, MD, PhD, co-director of Penn's Institute on Aging. "As researchers continue to search for new treatments, it's important to uncover all of the factors that contribute to the disease, including the influence of the environment in which they live." -- Health risks from tiny air particles -- Air pollution is made up of fine particulate matter, or the tiny, inhalable particles, ranging from 10 micrometers to less than 2.5 micrometers wide, about half the width of a single strand of spider web. It can come from wildfire smoke, car exhaust, construction site debris, or combustion from factories. Particulate matter 2.5 micrometers and smaller (PM2.5) is so small that when inhaled, the particles can be absorbed into the blood stream and cause health concerns. Previous research has linked air pollution containing PM2.5 with dementia, loss of cognitive function, and accelerated cognitive decline. -- The researchers examined brain samples from over 600 autopsies from the Penn Medicine Brain Bank. Using data from satellites and local air quality monitors, the researchers modeled the amount of PM2.5 in the air based on where each person lived. They found that for every increase of 1 microgram per cubic meter of PM2.5, the risk for worse Alzheimer's disease amyloid and tau buildup increased by 19 percent. -- Further, when they examined the clinical records of these individuals, researchers found that those who lived in areas with high concentrations of PM2.5 with advanced pathology also had greater cognitive impairment and more rapid onset of symptoms, including memory loss, difficulty with speech, and diminished judgement, compared to people who lived in areas with lower concentrations of air pollution. -- While this study focused on exposures to PM2.5 based on geographic location, researchers acknowledgethat they could not account for individual-specific exposures to air pollution, such as exposure to second-hand smoke in the home, or working with potentially dangerous chemicals. -- "In the United States, air pollution is at the lowest levels in decades, but even just a year living in an area with high levels of pollution can have a big impact on a person's risk for developing Alzheimer's disease," said Lee. "It underscores the value of environmental justice efforts that focus on reducing air pollution to improve public health." -- This research is funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (P30AG072979, P01AG066597, U19AG062418, P01AG084497, and P30ES013508). | 644 |
| The Sleep Switch That Builds Muscle, Burns Fat, And Boosts Brainpower | Sleep's Role in Growth Hormone: New Study Reveals Secrets to Metabolism and Health | Neuroendocrine circuit for sleep-dependent growth hormone release, | University of California - Berkeley | UC Berkeley researchers have made a significant discovery regarding growth hormone release during sleep, revealing the brain's complex circuits that balance sleep and hormone regulation. This mechanism highlights the intricate relationship between sleep quality and metabolic health, shedding light on potential new treatment avenues for sleep disorders and related conditions like obesity and diabetes. | Sleep Switch Builds Muscle and Boosts BrainpowerScientists discovered how the brain balances sleep and growth hormone, revealing a loop that affects muscle growth, metabolism, and even cognition — with big implications for treating sleep and neurological diseases. Credit: Shutterstock -- As every bodybuilder knows, a deep, restful sleep boosts levels of growth hormone to build strong muscle and bone and burn fat. And as every teenager should know, they won't reach their full height potential without adequate growth hormone from a full night's sleep. -- But why lack of sleep -- in particular the early, deep phase called non-REM sleep -- lowers levels of growth hormone has been a mystery. -- In a study published in the current issue of the journal Cell, researchers from University of California, Berkeley, dissect the brain circuits that control growth hormone release during sleep and report a novel feedback mechanism in the brain that keeps growth hormone levels finely balanced. -- The findings provide a map for understanding how sleep and hormone regulation interact. The new feedback mechanism could open avenues for treating people with sleep disorders tied to metabolic conditions like diabetes, as well as degenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. -- "People know that growth hormone release is tightly related to sleep, but only through drawing blood and checking growth hormone levels during sleep," said study first author Xinlu Ding, a postdoctoral fellow in UC Berkeley's Department of Neuroscience and the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute. "We're actually directly recording neural activity in mice to see what's going on. We are providing a basic circuit to work on in the future to develop different treatments." -- Because growth hormone regulates glucose and fat metabolism, insufficient sleep can also worsen risks for obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. -- The sleep-wake cycle -- The neurons that orchestrate growth hormone release during the sleep-wake cycle -- growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) neurons and two types of somatostatin neurons -- are buried deep in the hypothalamus, an ancient brain hub conserved in all mammals. Once released, growth hormone increases the activity of neurons in the locus coeruleus, an area in the brainstem involved in arousal, attention, cognition and novelty seeking. Dysregulation of locus coeruleus neurons is implicated in numerous psychiatric and neurological disorders. -- "Understanding the neural circuit for growth hormone release could eventually point toward new hormonal therapies to improve sleep quality or restore normal growth hormone balance," said Daniel Silverman, a UC Berkeley postdoctoral fellow and study co-author. "There are some experimental gene therapies where you target a specific cell type. This circuit could be a novel handle to try to dial back the excitability of the locus coeruleus, which hasn't been talked about before." | 645 |
| Heart Attacks May Actually Be Infectious | Heart Attacks Triggered By Infection: Bacterial Biofilms Found Hiding in Arterial Plaques | Viridans Streptococcal Biofilm Evades Immune Detection and Contributes to Inflammation and Rupture of Atherosclerotic Plaques, | Tampere University | A recent study challenges the traditional view of heart attack causes, suggesting that infectious processes may play a critical role. Researchers found that dormant bacterial biofilms in artery plaques could trigger heart attacks when awakened by infections, implying that developing preventive strategies, including vaccines, could fundamentally alter approaches to heart disease management. | Heart Attacks May Actually Be InfectiousHeart attacks may not just be caused by cholesterol, they could be sparked by hidden bacterial biofilms that awaken after viral infections. This discovery could transform prevention and treatment, even leading to vaccines against heart disease. Credit: Shutterstock -- A pioneering study by researchers from Finland and the UK has demonstrated for the first time that myocardial infarction may be an infectious disease. This discovery challenges the conventional understanding of the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction and opens new avenues for treatment, diagnostics, and even vaccine development. -- According to the recently published research, an infection may trigger myocardial infarction. Using a range of advanced methodologies, the research found that, in coronary artery disease, atherosclerotic plaques containing cholesterol may harbor a gelatinous, asymptomatic biofilm formed by bacteria over years or even decades. Dormant bacteria within the biofilm remain shielded from both the patient's immune system and antibiotics because they cannot penetrate the biofilm matrix. -- A viral infection or another external trigger may activate the biofilm, leading to the proliferation of bacteria and an inflammatory response. The inflammation can cause a rupture in the fibrous cap of the plaque, resulting in thrombus formation and ultimately myocardial infarction. -- Professor Pekka Karhunen, who led the study, notes that until now, it was assumed that events leading to coronary artery disease were only initiated by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which the body recognizes as a foreign structure. -- "Bacterial involvement in coronary artery disease has long been suspected, but direct and convincing evidence has been lacking. Our study demonstrated the presence of genetic material -- DNA -- from several oral bacteria inside atherosclerotic plaques," Karhunen explains. -- The findings were validated by developing an antibody targeted at the discovered bacteria, which unexpectedly revealed biofilm structures in arterial tissue. Bacteria released from the biofilm were observed in cases of myocardial infarction. The body's immune system had responded to these bacteria, triggering inflammation which ruptured the cholesterol-laden plaque. -- The observations pave the way for the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for myocardial infarction. Furthermore, they advance the possibility of preventing coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction by vaccination. -- The study was conducted by Tampere and Oulu Universities, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and the University of Oxford. Tissue samples were obtained from individuals who had died from sudden cardiac death, as well as from patients with atherosclerosis who were undergoing surgery to cleanse carotid and peripheral arteries. -- The research is part of an extensive EU-funded cardiovascular research project involving 11 countries. Significant funding was also provided by the Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research and Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation. | 646 |
| Hidden Gut Cells Could Transform Food Allergy Treatment | New Gut Pathway Discovered: Potential Breakthrough for Preventing Severe Food Allergic Reactions | Intestinal mast cell–derived leukotrienes mediate the anaphylactic response to ingested antigens, | Arizona State University | New findings from Arizona State University reveal that a specific gut immune pathway, previously unrecognized, plays a significant role in severe food allergies. This pathway, driven by leukotrienes instead of histamine, opens new avenues for treatment, with existing asthma medications potentially serving to prevent dangerous allergic reactions. | Hidden Gut Cells Drive Deadly Food AllergiesUntil recently, scientists had little insight into why food allergens can provoke such a dangerous chain reaction in the body. A new study has uncovered an unexpected source: immune cells in the gut that release potent chemical signals capable of setting off anaphylaxis. Credit: Jason Drees, The Biodesign Institute at ASU -- Food allergies affect more than half a billion people worldwide. In severe cases, even a small bite of the wrong food can trigger anaphylaxis -- a rapid, body-wide allergic reaction that can cause difficulty breathing, a dangerous drop in blood pressure and even death. -- Scientists have long understood how injected allergens -- like those in lab tests or insect stings -- trigger anaphylaxis. But researchers have puzzled over how anaphylaxis begins in the gut after eating a food allergen. -- Now, Arizona State University researchers, in collaboration with a team led by Yale University and other partners, have pinpointed a surprising culprit: specialized immune cells in the intestine that produce powerful chemical messengers. -- These chemical messengers can cause muscles in the airways and gut to contract, increase mucus production and boost inflammation. They're already known to play a role in asthma attacks. This study shows they are also key drivers of severe food allergy reactions that start in the gut. -- The findings, published in the current issue of Science, reveal that reactions to allergens in the gut are fundamentally different from reactions to allergens entering the bloodstream directly. -- "Until now, we assumed that anaphylaxis followed the same pathway regardless of where allergens entered the body, with histamine from mast cells as the main driver," says ASU researcher Esther Borges Florsheim. "Our study shows that when allergens are ingested, a specialized set of mast cells in the gut don't release histamine -- instead, they produce lipid-based molecules called leukotrienes. These molecules, rather than histamine, trigger anaphylaxis in the gastrointestinal tract." -- Florsheim is a researcher with the Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes and assistant professor with the School of Life Sciences at ASU. -- Different path to the same dangerous outcome -- In both food and systemic allergies, immune cells called mast cells play a central role. When these cells detect an allergen via antibodies called immunoglobulin E, or IgE, they burst open, releasing chemicals that cause swelling, low blood pressure and other symptoms. | 647 |
| This Simple Diet Could Help Protect Memory, Even With Alzheimer’s Genes | Mediterranean Diet Benefits: Could Simple Changes Protect Memory Even with Genetic Risks? | Interplay of genetic predisposition, plasma metabolome and Mediterranean diet in dementia risk and cognitive function, | Mass General Brigham | A Mediterranean-style diet has been linked to a reduced risk of dementia, particularly among individuals with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease. This research indicates that dietary choices can influence metabolic pathways that protect cognitive function, suggesting that certain eating patterns can mitigate genetic risks associated with dementia. | This Simple Diet Could Help Protect MemoryA simple eating pattern may help shield the brain from Alzheimer’s, even for those most at genetic risk. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers found dietary changes may help improve cognitive health and stave off dementia. -- A new study led by investigators from Mass General Brigham, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard suggests that a Mediterranean-style diet may help reduce dementia risk. The study, published in Nature Medicine, found that people at the highest genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease benefited more from following a Mediterranean-style diet, showing a greater reduction in dementia risk compared to those at lower genetic risk. -- "One reason we wanted to study the Mediterranean diet is because it is the only dietary pattern that has been causally linked to cognitive benefits in a randomized trial," said study first author Yuxi Liu, PhD, a research fellow in the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, and a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard Chan School and Broad. "We wanted to see whether this benefit might be different in people with varying genetic backgrounds, and to examine the role of blood metabolites, the small molecules that reflect how the body processes food and carries out normal functions." -- Over the last few decades, researchers have learned more about the genetic and metabolic basis of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. These are among the most common causes of cognitive decline in older adults. Alzheimer's disease is known to have a strong genetic component, with heritability estimated at up to 80%. -- One gene in particular, apolipoprotein E (APOE), has emerged as the strongest genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer's disease -- the more common type develops later in life and is not directly inherited in a predictable pattern. People who carry one copy of the APOE4 variant have a 3-to-4-fold higher risk of developing Alzheimer's. People with two copies of the APOE4 variant (called APOE4 homozygous) have a 12-fold higher risk of Alzheimer's than those without. -- To explore how the Mediterranean diet may reduce dementia risk and influence blood metabolites linked to cognitive health, the team analyzed data from 4,215 women in the Nurses' Health Study, following participants from 1989 to 2023 (average age 57 at baseline). To validate their findings, the researchers analyzed similar data from 1,490 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, followed from 1993 to 2023. -- Researchers evaluated long-term dietary patterns using food frequency questionnaires and examined participants' blood samples for a broad range of metabolites. Genetic data were used to assess each participant's inherited risk for Alzheimer's disease. Participants were then followed over time for new cases of dementia. A subset of 1,037 women underwent regular telephone-based cognitive testing. -- They found that the people following a more Mediterranean-style diet had a lower risk of developing dementia and showed slower cognitive decline. The protective effect of the diet was strongest in the high-risk group with two copies of the APOE4 gene variant, suggesting that diet may help offset genetic risk. -- "These findings suggest that dietary strategies, specifically the Mediterranean diet, could help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and stave off dementia by broadly influencing key metabolic pathways," Liu said. "This recommendation applies broadly, but it may be even more important for individuals at a higher genetic risk, such as those carrying two copies of the APOE4 genetic variant." | 648 |
| Seven Blood Molecules That Could Explain Why You’re Always Sleepy | Daytime Sleepiness Explained: Seven Blood Molecules Linked to Grogginess and Health Risks | Steroid hormone biosynthesis and dietary related metabolites associated with excessive daytime sleepiness, | Brigham and Women's Hospital | A study from Mass General Brigham has identified key blood molecules associated with excessive daytime sleepiness, revealing that dietary and hormonal factors significantly influence this condition. These findings emphasize the importance of understanding the biological underpinnings of daytime drowsiness, which affects many individuals and can lead to serious health issues like obesity and heart disease. | 7 Blood Molecules Linked to Daytime SleepinessResearchers found seven blood molecules tied to excessive daytime sleepiness, with diet and hormones playing major roles. Credit: Shutterstock -- Mass General Brigham researchers identified seven molecules in the blood linked to excessive daytime sleepiness, including factors related to diet and hormones. -- Approximately one in three Americans reports experiencing overwhelming drowsiness during the day -- a condition known as excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). EDS is linked to an increased risk of serious conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. A new study led by investigators from Mass General Brigham and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center identifies several molecules in the blood, known as metabolites, that are linked to EDS. Findings suggest that risk of the condition may be influenced by both internal body processes, such as hormone levels, and external factors such as diet. Results are published in Lancet eBioMedicine. -- "Our study suggests diet and genetics may play an important role in EDS," said lead author Tariq Faquih, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. "As we learn what's happening biologically, we are beginning to understand how and why EDS occurs, the early signs that someone might have it, and what we can do to help patients." -- Researchers collected data on 877 metabolites, naturally occurring molecules in the body influenced by diet and hormones. The team used blood samples from 6,000 participants in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. The team also used data from a questionnaire that assesses how often a person dozes off during the day in various scenarios. The team replicated the findings in The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) study and studies in the UK and Finland. -- They identified seven metabolites associated with EDS. An additional three metabolites were identified that varied by sex. The team found that omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are commonly found in foods that make up Mediterranean-like diets, were associated with lower risk of EDS. Other metabolites, such as tyramine, which is found in fermented and overripe foods, were associated with increased daytime sleepiness, particularly in men. Sex steroid metabolites, such as progesterone, were associated with sleep-related processes such as melatonin production. -- Researchers note that the results suggest potential treatment targets for EDS and that dietary changes or medications may lead to better treatment. They also note some limitations to the study, including difficulty in interpreting exact values of metabolites and using a sleep questionnaire instead of bringing participants into a sleep lab for tests. -- Future directions could include conducting a clinical trial to see if dietary changes or supplements can help reduce daytime sleepiness. Additionally, the authors identified some unknown metabolites that they plan to explore further. -- "Conducting a clinical trial would be a big next step and could help us understand if omega-3s and omega-6s obtained from diet could help lower risk of EDS," said Faquih. -- Authorship: In addition to Faquih, MGB authors include Kaitlin S. Potts, Pavithra Nagarajan, Hanna M. Ollila, Tianyi Huang, Clary B. Clish, Susan Redline, Tamar Sofer, and Heming Wang. | 649 |
| Scientists Uncover Surprising Link Between Diet And Nearsightedness | Diet Impacts Vision: Omega-3s Found to Protect Against Myopia While Saturated Fats Harm | Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids as a protective factor of myopia: the Hong Kong Children Eye Study, | BMJ Group | Research focusing on children's eye health highlights the protective effects of omega-3 fatty acids against myopia, contrasting with the risks associated with high saturated fat intake. This study suggests that dietary choices significantly impact eye development, providing insights into potential preventative measures against the growing prevalence of nearsightedness. | Surprising Link Between Diet & NearsightednessResearchers studying over 1,000 children found that omega-3 fatty acids may help protect against nearsightedness. Credit: Shutterstock -- A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, found predominantly in fish oils, may help ward off the development of nearsightedness (myopia) in children, while a high intake of saturated fats, found in foods such as butter, palm oil, and red meat, may boost the risk of the condition, finds research published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. -- The global prevalence of myopia is rising, especially in East Asia, and it's predicted that around half of the world's population will be affected by 2050, note the researchers. -- Risk factors are thought to include excessive screen time and too little time spent outdoors, as well as inherited susceptibility, they explain. -- Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs), which can only be obtained from the diet, are thought to improve/prevent several chronic eye conditions, including dry eye disease and age-related macular degeneration. But whether they can help ward off myopia isn't clear as studies to date have been experimental and haven't included people. -- To explore this further, the researchers drew on 1005 Chinese 6-8 year olds, randomly recruited from the population based Hong Kong Children Eye Study, which is tracking the development of eye conditions and potential risk factors. -- The children's eyesight was assessed and their regular diet measured by a food frequency questionnaire, completed with the help of their parents. This included 280 food items categorized into 10 groups: bread/cereals/pasta/rice/noodles; vegetables and legumes; fruit; meat; fish; eggs; milk and dairy products; drinks; dim sum/snacks/fats/oils; and soups. -- Intakes of energy, carbohydrate, proteins, total fat, saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, PUFAs, cholesterol, iron, calcium, vitamins A and C, fiber, starch, sugar and nutrients were then calculated, based on the questionnaire responses. -- The amount of time the children spent outdoors in leisure and during sports activities, reading and writing, and on screens during weekdays and at the weekend was calculated from validated questionnaire responses. -- In all, around a quarter of the children (276; 27.5%) had myopia. Higher dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids was associated with a lower risk of the condition. | 650 |
| Mapping The Secret Escape Routes Of Deadly Brain Tumors | Mapping Glioblastoma: New MRI Technique Targets Hidden Cancer Cells for Better Treatment | Interstitial fluid transport dynamics predict glioblastoma invasion and progression, | Virginia Tech | Researchers at Virginia Tech have developed a groundbreaking method to map glioblastoma's hidden pathways using MRI and fluid dynamics. This innovative approach aims to enhance surgical precision and improve treatment outcomes for one of the most aggressive brain cancers, potentially revolutionizing how surgeons address glioblastoma tumors. | Secret Escape Routes of Deadly Brain TumorsUsing MRI scans and fluid dynamics, researchers at Virginia Tech have found a way to predict glioblastoma’s hidden pathways. The approach could help surgeons fight back against one of the most aggressive brain cancers. Credit: Shutterstock -- Glioblastoma is a devastatingly effective brain cancer. Doctors can cut it out or blast it with radiation, but that only buys time. The cancer has an insidious ability to hide enough tumor cells in tissue around the tumor to allow it to return as deadly as ever. -- Patients diagnosed with glioblastoma survive for an average of 15 months. -- What's needed is a better way of identifying those hidden cancer cells and predicting where the tumor might grow next. Jennifer Munson believes she and her research team at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC have developed a tool to do just that. -- Their method, described recently in npj Biomedical Innovations, combines magnetic resonance imaging, Munson's in-depth knowledge of how fluid moves through human tissues, and an algorithm Munson's team developed to identify and predict where the cancer might reappear. -- "If you can't find the tumor cells, you can't kill the tumor cells, whether that's by cutting them out, hitting them with radiation therapy, or getting drugs to them," said Munson, professor and director of the FBRI Cancer Research Center -- Roanoke. "This is a method that now we believe can allow us to find those tumor cells." -- Currently, doctors plan surgeries to remove glioblastoma tumors based on radiological scans, but that only provides a view of the area just outside the cancer's edge. During surgery, fluorescent dyes highlight cancer cells, but the dyes don't penetrate deeply and the cells have to be visible to the eye. -- "Those methods are not going to see a cell that has migrated or invaded further into the tissue, which is something that we think we can do with this method," said Munson, who also holds an appointment in Virginia Tech's Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics. -- Munson's research focuses primarily on interstitial fluid flow -- the movement of fluid through the spaces between cells in tissues. The flow behaves differently in different diseases. -- In studying glioblastoma, Munson's lab found that faster flows predict where tumor cells are invading. More random motion of the fluid, or diffusion, however, correlates with less invasion by the cancer cells. | 651 |
| Blocked Blood Flow Makes Cancer Grow Faster | Blood Flow Restriction Boosts Cancer Growth: Research Reveals Surprising Link to Immune Weakness | Cancer Development in Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, | NYU Langone Health / NYU Grossman School of Medicine | A study by NYU Langone Health has uncovered that restricted blood flow can accelerate cancer growth by weakening the immune system and mimicking aging effects. The findings suggest that improving blood circulation may be crucial for cancer treatment strategies, particularly for patients suffering from conditions like peripheral artery disease. | Blocked Blood Flow Makes Cancer Grow FasterWhen blood flow is cut off, the immune system shifts into an aged, cancer-tolerant state that doubles tumor growth in mice. This discovery may pave the way for new screening and therapies for patients with peripheral artery disease. Credit: Shutterstock -- Cutting off blood flow can prematurely age the bone marrow, weakening the immune system's ability to fight cancer, according to a new study from NYU Langone Health. -- Published online August 19 in JACC-CardioOncology, the study showed that peripheral ischemia-restricted blood flow in the arteries in the legs-caused breast tumors in mice to grow at double the rate seen in mice without restricted flow. These findings build on a 2020 study from the same team that found ischemia during a heart attack to have the same effect. -- Ischemia occurs when fatty deposits, such as cholesterol, accumulate in artery walls, leading to inflammation and clotting that restrict the flow of oxygen-rich blood. When this happens in the legs, it causes peripheral artery disease, which affects millions of Americans, and can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. -- "Our study shows that impaired blood flow drives cancer growth regardless of where it happens in the body," says corresponding author Kathryn J. Moore, PhD, the Jean and David Blechman Professor of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine, Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine. "This link between peripheral artery disease and breast cancer growth underscores the critical importance of addressing metabolic and vascular risk factors as part of a comprehensive cancer treatment strategy." -- Importantly, the research team found that restricted blood flow triggers a shift toward immune cell populations that cannot efficiently fight infections and cancer, mirroring changes seen with aging. -- Systemic Skewing -- To examine the mechanisms behind the link between cardiovascular disease and cancer growth, the study authors developed a mouse model with breast tumors and induced temporary ischemia in one hind limb. The team then compared cancer growth in mice with and without impaired blood flow. -- Their findings build on the nature of the immune system, which evolved to attack invading bacteria and viruses, and under normal conditions, to detect and eliminate cancer cells. These protective functions rely on stem cell reserves in the bone marrow, which can be activated as needed to produce key white blood cell populations throughout life. -- Normally, the immune system responds to injury or infection by ramping up inflammation to eliminate threats, then scaling back to avoid harm to healthy tissue. This balance is maintained by a mix of immune cells that either activate or suppress inflammation. The researchers found that reduced blood flow disrupts this equilibrium. It reprograms stem cells in the bone marrow to favor the production of "myeloid" immune cells (monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils) that dampen immune responses, while reducing output of lymphocytes like T cells that help to mount strong anti-tumor responses. | 652 |
| Scientists Build Micromotors Smaller Than A Human Hair | Light-Powered Micromotors: Tiny Machines May Transform Medical Technology at Cellular Scale | Microscopic geared metamachines, | University of Gothenburg | Scientists at the University of Gothenburg have created micrometer-scale gears powered by laser light, a breakthrough that could lead to revolutionary advancements in medical technology. This innovation offers the potential for developing tiny machines capable of operating at the cellular level, marking a significant step in the field of micro-engineering. | Micromotors Smaller Than a Human HairThe third gear from the right has an optical metamaterial that react to laserlight and makes the gear move. All gears are made in silica directly on a chip. Each gear is about 0.016 mm in diameter. Credit: Gan Wang -- Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have made light-powered gears on a micrometer scale. This paves the way for the smallest on-chip motors in history, which can fit inside a strand of hair. -- Gears are everywhere - from clocks and cars to robots and wind turbines. For more than 30 years, researchers have been trying to create even smaller gears in order to construct micro-engines. But progress stalled at 0.1 millimeters, as it was not possible to build the drive trains needed to make them move any smaller. -- Researchers from Gothenburg University, among others, have now broken through this barrier by ditching traditional mechanical drive trains and instead using laser light to set the gears in motion directly. -- Gears powered by light -- In their new study, the researchers shows that microscopic machines can be driven by optical metamaterials - small, patterned structures that can capture and control light on a nanoscale. Using traditional lithography, gears with an optical metamaterial are manufactured with silicon directly on a microchip, with the gear having a diameter of a few tens of micrometers. By shining a laser on the metamaterial, the researchers can make the gear wheel spin. The intensity of the laser light controls the speed, and it is also possible to change the direction of the gear wheel by changing the polarization of the light. -- The researchers are thus close to creating micromotors. -- A new way of thinking -- "We have built a gear train in which a light-driven gear sets the entire chain in motion. The gears can also convert rotation into linear motion, perform periodic movements and control microscopic mirrors to deflect light," says the study's first author, Gan Wang, a researcher in soft matter physics at the University of Gothenburg. -- The ability to integrate such machines directly onto a chip and drive them with light opens up entirely new possibilities. Since laser light does not require any fixed contact with the machine and is easy to control, the micromotor can be scaled up to complex microsystems. | 653 |
| Brain Rhythms Reveal A Secret Switch Between Old Memories And New Adventures | Brain Communication Pathways: New Insights Into How Memories Are Processed and Retrieved | The role of feedforward and feedback inhibition in modulating theta-gamma cross-frequency interactions in neural circuits, | Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche | Research has revealed how the brain adapts its communication pathways based on whether it is recalling memories or processing new information. This flexibility, regulated by inhibitory circuits, could have implications for understanding cognitive functions and disorders, shedding light on how the brain balances memory retrieval with sensory integration. | Brain Rhythms Reveal a Secret SwitchCoupling between fast and slow brain activity frequencies. Warm-colored areas indicate stronger interaction, in this case between gamma-band frequencies (Y axis) and theta-band frequencies (X axis). Intracranially recorded brain activity is overlaid in white. Credit: Chalkiadakis, D., et al 2025.0Instituto de Neurociencias UMH CSIC -- When we recall something familiar or explore a new situation, the brain does not always use the same communication routes. An international study led by Claudio Mirasso at the Institute for Cross-Disciplinary Physics and Complex Systems (IFISC), a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), and Santiago Canals at the Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint center of the CSIC and the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) of Elche, has discovered how the brain flexibly changes its communication pathways by modulating the balance between two fundamental inhibitory circuits. -- These results, recently published in PLoS Computational Biology, show that this flexibility depends on the balance between two types of inhibitory mechanisms, which regulate the interaction between slow (theta) and fast (gamma) rhythms. Thanks to this mechanism, the brain can select different sources of information, such as sensory stimuli from the external environment or stored sensory experience from memory. -- To reach these conclusions, the researchers combined computational models with experimental recordings in the hippocampus, a brain region crucial for memory and navigation. They observed that in familiar environments, where sensory experiences are already known, neurons favor a direct communication mode that facilitates transmission from the entorhinal cortex to the hippocampus. In this mode, the reactivation of established memory is prioritized. By contrast, when facing novelty, the brain activates another mode that integrates memory reactivation with novel sensory inputs. In this mode, memory updating is prioritized. -- Until now, it was thought that the phase of slow brain rhythms organized the amplitude of faster activity; however, this study demonstrates that the relationship is bidirectional: "This work provides a mechanistic explanation of how the brain flexibly changes communication channels depending on the context," says Dimitrios Chalkiadakis, first author of the study. "By adjusting the balance between different types of inhibition, circuits define which inputs to prioritize, whether from memory-related pathways or from new sensory information," highlights the researcher. -- Through a theoretical framework integrating electrophysiological data from rats exploring new and familiar environments, the experts identified two modes of operation: in one, feedforward inhibition leads to gamma-to-theta interactions, while in the other, feedback inhibition produces theta-to-gamma interactions. Neuronal circuits in the brain naturally implement both modes of inhibitory connectivity. The study shows that the transition between them is continuous, and prioritizing one or the other depends solely on the strength of synaptic connections between neurons in the circuit. This allows the mode of operation to be flexibly adjusted to context and cognitive demands. -- Beyond memory -- The study suggests that this flexible form of coordination between brain rhythms could extend to other cognitive functions, such as attention. In fact, recent work in humans shows patterns consistent with the computational model. This points to a general principle of the brain: the balance between inhibitory circuits is key to directing information within its complex network of connections. -- "Our results help unify opposing views on how brain rhythms of different frequencies interact," explains Mirasso. "Rather than being purely local or inherited from earlier regions, these rhythms emerge from the interaction between external inputs and local inhibitory dynamics. This dual mechanism enables the brain to optimize information processing under different conditions," adds Canals. -- Beyond memory and navigation, the findings could extend to other cognitive functions. Looking ahead, the researchers intend to expand their model to include a greater diversity of neuronal types and architectures specific to each brain region. The aim is to better understand how this balance is altered in pathologies such as epilepsy, addiction, or Alzheimer's disease: "Studying these dynamics at a mechanistic level could ultimately inspire new therapeutic intervention strategies," both authors conclude. | 654 |
| Fatty Liver Breakthrough: A Safe, Cheap Vitamin Shows Promise | Vitamin B3 Shows Promise: New Treatment for Fatty Liver Disease Uncovered by Researchers | Hepatic miR-93 promotes the pathogenesis of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease by suppressing SIRT1, | Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) | A groundbreaking discovery has linked microRNA-93 to metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD), showing that vitamin B3 can suppress its effects. This finding suggests that niacin could be repurposed as a treatment option for millions suffering from this condition, offering a new avenue for therapeutic intervention in fatty liver disease management. | Simple Vitamin Shows Power Against Fatty LiverVitamin B3 could be the unexpected key to stopping fatty liver disease. Credit: Shutterstock -- Approximately 30% of the global population is affected by metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD), a condition that previously lacked targeted treatments. In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have identified a genetic factor that exacerbates the disease, and remarkably, the FDA-approved drug that most effectively targets this factor is vitamin B3. -- A collaborative research team led by Professor Jang Hyun Choi from the Department of Life Sciences at UNIST, in partnership with Professor Hwayoung Yun from the College of Pharmacy and Research Institute for Drug Development at Pusan National University (PNU), and Professor Neung Hwa Park from Ulsan University Hospital (UUH), has, for the first time globally, elucidated the role of microRNA-93 (miR-93), which is expressed in the liver, as a key genetic regulator in the development and progression of MASLD. -- MiR-93 is a specialized RNA molecule expressed in hepatocytes that functions to suppress the expression of specific target genes. The team observed abnormally elevated levels of miR-93 in both patients with fatty liver disease and animal models. Through molecular analysis, they demonstrated that miR-93 promotes lipid accumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis by inhibiting the expression of SIRT1, a gene involved in lipid metabolism within liver cells. -- In experiments utilizing gene editing techniques to eliminate miR-93 production in mice, researchers observed a marked reduction in hepatic fat accumulation, along with significant improvements in insulin sensitivity and liver function indicators. Conversely, mice with overexpressed miR-93 exhibited worsened hepatic metabolic function. -- Furthermore, screening 150 FDA-approved drugs revealed that niacin (vitamin B3) most effectively suppresses miR-93. Mice treated with niacin showed a significant decrease in hepatic miR-93 levels and a notable increase in SIRT1 activity. The activated SIRT1 restored disrupted lipid metabolism pathways, thereby normalizing liver lipid homeostasis. -- The research team explained, "This study precisely elucidates the molecular origin of MASLD and demonstrates the potential for repurposing an already approved vitamin compound to modulate this pathway, which has high translational clinical relevance." -- They added, "Given that niacin is a well-established and safe medication used to treat hyperlipidemia, it holds promise as a candidate for combination therapies targeting miRNA pathways in MASLD." -- This research was supported by various including the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) and the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB). The findings were published online in the prestigious biomedical journal, Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental. Participants include Dr. Yo Han Lee and Kieun Park from UNIST, along with Professor Joonho Jeong from Ulsan University Hospital and Jinyoung Lee from Pusan National University, as co-first authors. | 655 |
| Could Plastic In Your Food Be Fueling Azheimer’s? | Microplastics and Alzheimer’s: New Research Links Plastic Ingestion to Cognitive Decline Risks | Short-term exposure to polystyrene microplastics alters cognition, immune, and metabolic markers in an apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype and sex-dependent manner, | University of Rhode Island | Recent studies have revealed that microplastics can penetrate the brain, posing a significant risk for Alzheimer’s disease, particularly in individuals with the genetic APOE4 variant. Research on mice has shown that these tiny plastic particles may induce cognitive decline akin to that seen in human Alzheimer’s patients, underscoring the need for further exploration of lifestyle and environmental factors that could mitigate these risks. | Plastics in the Brain May Fuel Alzheimer’sMicroplastics have been shown to cross into the brain and accelerate Alzheimer’s-like changes in mice with genetic risk factors. Credit: Shutterstock -- Micro- and nanoplastics prevalent in the environment routinely enter the human body through water we drink, foods we eat, and even the air we breathe. Those plastic particles infiltrate all systems of the body, including the brain, where they can accumulate and trigger Alzheimer's-like conditions, according to a new study by researchers in the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy. -- After a previous study that showed how microplastics can infiltrate all systems of the body -- including the blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from harmful substances as small as viruses and bacteria -- URI pharmacy assistant professor Jaime Ross expanded the study to determine the brain health impacts of the plastic toxins. Her findings indicate that the accumulation of micro- and nanoplastics in the brain can lead to cognitive decline and even Alzheimer's disease, especially in those who carry genetic risk factors. -- Ross' latest study, published recently in the journal Environmental Research Communications, examined mice that had been genetically modified to include the naturally occurring gene APOE4, a strong indicator of Alzheimer's risk making people 3.5 times more likely to develop the disease than those who carry the APOE3 variant of the gene that is passed from parents to offspring. -- "In these mice, like in people, it's not a guarantee that you're going to see any changes in cognition. You could have identical twins both carrying APOE4, one totally cognitively healthy, and the other could develop Alzheimer's disease," Ross said. "So that tells us there's something about lifestyle, something about the environment going on. There are modifiable factors we're studying related to Alzheimer's-diet, exercise, vitamins, and especially environmental toxins like microplastics. If you carry the APOE4, and you happen to consume a lot of microplastics, will this contribute to Alzheimer's disease?" -- To find out, Ross and her team exposed two groups of mice -- one with the APOE4 variant and one with APOE3 -- to micro- and nanoplastics in their drinking water over a period of three weeks. The tiny particles from polystyrene -- among the most abundant plastics in the world, found in Styrofoam take-out containers, plastic cups and more -- infiltrated the mice' organs, including the brain, as expected. The research included a control group from each APOE designation did not receive microplastic exposure. -- Ross' team then ran the mice through a series of tests to examine their cognitive ability, beginning with an open-field test, in which researchers put a mouse in a chamber and allow it to explore at will for 90 minutes. Ordinarily, a mouse will hug the walls, naturally attempting to hide from potential predators. However, after microplastic exposure, the APOE4 mice -- especially the male mice -- tended to wander more in the middle of the chamber and spend time in open space, leaving themselves vulnerable to predators. -- To test their ability to recognize novel objects, Ross placed mice in an open chamber with two distinct objects. After having time to explore the objects, the mice were removed and returned later, this time with one of the objects replaced with a different shape. The female mice with APOE4 and microplastic exposure were slow to recognize the novel objects, if they did at all, a sign of cognitive decline affecting memory. -- "In the first test, you can see the males are spending more time and resting more in the center of the arena. In females, we saw changes in novel object recognition," Ross said. "In human Alzheimer's patients, men tend to experience more changes in apathy; they care less. Women experience more changes in memory. So the memory and the apathy connection are pretty clear: When you expose animals that are carrying the largest known risk factor in humans for developing Alzheimer's disease to micro- and nanopastics, lo and behold, their behavior changes in a sex-dependent manner similar to the sex-dependent differences we see with Alzheimer's patients." -- The results are concerning enough to warrant further study into the cognitive decline caused by exposure to micro- and nanoplastics, which are among the most prominent environmental toxins to which people are routinely exposed. (A separate URI study released in 2023 revealed of the extent to which microplastics accumulate in the environment, shockingly finding that the top two inches of the floor of Narragansett Bay contain more than 1,000 tons of microplastics.) | 656 |
| Sleepless Nights May Raise Dementia Risk By 40%, Mayo Clinic Reveals | Chronic Insomnia Accelerates Brain Aging: Study Links Sleep Issues to Increased Dementia Risk | Associations of Chronic Insomnia, Longitudinal Cognitive Outcomes, Amyloid-PET, and White Matter Changes in Cognitively Normal Older Adults, | American Academy of Neurology | Chronic insomnia is more than just an annoying sleep disturbance; it may also accelerate brain aging. A comprehensive study from the Mayo Clinic found that individuals suffering from prolonged sleep issues are 40% more likely to develop dementia or cognitive impairments. The brain scans indicated that poor sleep correlates with cognitive decline equivalent to aging an additional four years, especially in those with specific genetic predispositions. | Sleepless Nights May Raise Dementia Risk by 40%Struggling with insomnia might put the brain on a faster track to aging, dementia, and memory decline. Researchers found that poor sleep was tied to brain changes and test scores equivalent to years of extra aging. Credit: Shutterstock -- Highlights: -- Chronic insomnia -- trouble sleeping at least three days a week for three months or more -- could speed up brain aging. -- People with chronic insomnia were 40% more likely to develop dementia or mild cognitive issues than people without insomnia. -- Insomnia with perceived reduced sleep was associated with lower cognition comparable to being four years older. -- Better sleep isn't just beauty rest -- it might protect your brain health. -- People with chronic insomnia may experience faster declines in memory and thinking skills as they age -- along with brain changes that can be seen on imaging scans -- than people who do not have chronic insomnia, according to a study published in the September 10, 2025, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. -- The study found that people with chronic insomnia -- trouble sleeping at least three days a week for three months or more -- had a 40% higher risk of developing mild cognitive impairment or dementia than those without insomnia, which is the equivalent of 3.5 additional years of aging. The study does not prove that insomnia causes brain aging, it only shows an association. -- "Insomnia doesn't just affect how you feel the next day -- it may also impact your brain health over time," said study author Diego Z. Carvalho, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "We saw faster decline in thinking skills and changes in the brain that suggest chronic insomnia could be an early warning sign or even a contributor to future cognitive problems." -- The study tracked a group of cognitively healthy older adults -- 2,750 people with an average age of 70 -- for an average of 5.6 years. Of participants, 16% had chronic insomnia. | 657 |
| Blood Test Spots Hidden Mesothelioma That Scans Can’t See | Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma: New Approach Shows Promise for Challenging Cancer Treatment | Perioperative nivolumab or nivolumab plus ipilimumab in resectable diffuse pleural mesothelioma: a phase 2 trial and ctDNA analyses, | Georgetown University Medical Center | In a breakthrough for treating diffuse pleural mesothelioma, researchers have demonstrated that administering immunotherapy both before and after surgery may enhance outcomes for patients with resectable tumors. This promising approach was detailed in a phase II clinical trial and suggests that immunotherapy could significantly help patients facing this notoriously difficult cancer, which is often linked to asbestos exposure. | Blood Test Spots Hidden MesotheliomaImmunotherapy before surgery shows promise for mesothelioma patients with tumors that can be removed. Novel ctDNA blood testing may revolutionize how doctors decide who benefits most from treatment. Credit: Shutterstock -- People with operable diffuse pleural mesothelioma may benefit from immunotherapy before and after surgery, based on results of a clinical trial exploring the sequence of treatment and the role of surgery for this difficult to treat cancer. -- Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that affects the tissue that lines many organs of the body. Approximately 30,000 cases are diagnosed every year worldwide, most of them in the pleura, or lining of the lungs. It occurs most often in people who have been exposed to asbestos. -- "Mesothelioma is a difficult tumor to treat," said the study's lead author Joshua Reuss, MD, a thoracic medical oncologist with Georgetown's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. "Our study demonstrated the feasibility and safety of using immunotherapy before surgery for patients who have tumors that can potentially be removed surgically. -- "Immunotherapy is making substantial contributions to extending the lives of patients with lung cancer and many other solid tumors. This is an important step in identifying mesothelioma patients who could benefit from immunotherapy in the perioperative period, meaning right before or after their surgery and in choosing patients who are actually candidates for that surgery," said Reuss, who is also an attending physician at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. -- Reuss designed the clinical trial during fellowship training at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, the primary site where the study was conducted. He presented the results of the phase II study, Neoadjuvant Nivolumab or Nivolumab plus Ipililumab in Resectable Diffuse Pleural Mesothelioma, at the 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer in Barcelona, Spain on September 8 and is lead author of the study published concurrently in the journal Nature Medicine (DOI 10.1038/s41591-025-03958-3). -- Phase II clinical trials are designed to assess whether it is possible to deliver innovative treatments to specific patient populations, and whether the potential benefits of the therapy outweigh any adverse effects that patients experience. -- "When looking at patient outcomes to date, the issue of whether any mesothelioma is truly resectable is controversial," said Reuss. "Several major studies have not shown improvement in survival when surgery is incorporated into systemic therapy for mesothelioma. This study incorporates immunotherapy into the treatment of patients who might benefit from surgery. -- "Since they occur in the tissue that lines the lungs, mesotheliomas don't grow and spread like other cancers." Reuss said. "They don't typically form solid masses or nodules. These tumors are more fluid, or diffuse throughout the lining of the lung. That makes it more difficult to use our usual methods to determine how extensive a tumor is or to measure whether a treatment is effective by standard imaging assessments." -- In this study, the clinical team worked closely with scientists in the laboratory to test a novel approach studying circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in their patient's blood. Tumors frequently shed cancer DNA into the blood stream. Oncologists can test the blood to detect the presence of this ctDNA, but their role in clinical decision-making is an evolving area of interest. This is particularly challenging in mesothelioma, a tumor type that has a low number of cancer mutations that can be detected by traditional ctDNA techniques. | 658 |
| Scientists Just Found Out Forever Chemicals Are Shockingly Acidic | PFAS Acidity Unveiled: New Insights Make Tracking Forever Chemicals Easier Than Ever | Experimental Determination of pKa for 10 PFAS, Mono-, Di-, and Trifluoroacetic Acid by 19F-NMR, | University at Buffalo | A group of scientists has made alarming discoveries regarding PFAS, commonly known as "forever chemicals," finding they are even more acidic than previously thought. This new knowledge indicates that these substances can dissolve and spread through water more efficiently than expected, heightening concerns about their environmental impact and potential harm to human health due to their prevalence in our ecosystems. | Forever Chemicals Are Shockingly AcidicNew measurements reveal that PFAS, those infamous “forever chemicals,” are far more acidic than previously believed, helping explain why they spread so easily through water and the environment. Credit: Shutterstock -- One of the ways that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) earn their "forever chemical" nickname and persist in the environment is their acidity. -- Many of these toxic chemicals are highly acidic, meaning they easily give up their protons and become negatively charged. This allows them to dissolve and spread in water more easily. -- Now, new research has found that some PFAS are even more acidic than previously thought -- an insight critical for predicting their mobility in the environment and potential impacts on human health. -- It comes from a University at Buffalo-led team that introduced a new and rigorous experimental method to determine the acidity of 10 types of PFAS and three of their common breakdown products. -- Published last month in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, their measurements of these chemicals' acid dissociation constant, or pKa, were mostly lower, in some cases dramatically, than those reported in experimental studies and predicted by computational chemistry models. In one case, the pKa of GenX, a replacement for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in the manufacturing of Teflon, was found to be about one thousand times lower than the measurement listed in a previous study. -- The lower the pKa, the more likely a chemical is to give up a proton and exist in its charged form. -- "These findings suggest that previous measurements have underestimated PFAS' acidity. This means their ability to persist and spread in the environment has been mischaracterized, too," says the study's corresponding author, Alexander Hoepker, PhD, a senior research scientist with the UB RENEW Institute. -- More accurate pKa measurements help efforts to understand the behavior of PFAS in the environment. A chemical's pKa could mean the difference as to whether it remains dissolved in water, sticks to soil or a biological membrane or perhaps volatilizes into the air. -- "If we're going to understand how these concerning chemicals spread, it's very important we have a reliable method for the accurate determination of their pKa values," says Diana Aga, PhD, director of RENEW and SUNY Distinguished Professor and Henry M. Woodburn Chair in the UB Department of Chemistry. | 659 |
| One Daily Habit Could Save You From Chronic Back Pain | Walking Reduces Back Pain: Daily Habit Found to Significantly Lower Chronic Back Issues | Volume and Intensity of Walking and Risk of Chronic Low Back Pain, | Norwegian University of Science and Technology | Daily walking is emerging as a simple yet effective preventative measure against chronic lower back pain, with a new study showing that the frequency of walking, rather than the intensity, is crucial. Participants who walked more than 100 minutes daily exhibited a significantly lower risk of developing back issues, suggesting that even leisurely strolls can contribute positively to spinal health. | One Daily Habit Can Prevent Back PainDaily walking — even at a leisurely pace — significantly lowers the risk of chronic back pain. The study confirms that volume of walking is more important than intensity. Credit: Shutterstock -- A major study has investigated the relationship between walking and the risk of developing chronic lower back problems. The findings could save the healthcare system significant amounts of money while also alleviating many people's back pain - if we just follow the simple advice provided. -- The results are clear: People who walk a lot have less back pain than people who do not walk much - and the volume is what matters most, not the intensity.. It is better to walk a lot than to walk fast. -- "People who walk more than 100 minutes every day have a 23 per cent lower risk of lower back problems than those who walk 78 minutes or less," said Rayane Haddadj. -- He is a PhD candidate at the Department of Public Health and Nursing at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and is part of a research group that specifically studies musculoskeletal disorders. -- The results of the new study were published in the JAMA Network Open journal. The article has already received a lot of attention. -- Even leisurely strolls are beneficial -- It probably comes as no surprise that physical activity is good for your back, but until now we have not actually known whether the amount of low-intensity walking we do also helps. -- "Intensity also plays a role in the risk of long-term back problems, but not as much as the daily amount of walking," emphasized Haddadj. -- A total of 11,194 people participated in the study, which is part of the Trøndelag Health Study (The HUNT Study). What makes this study unique is that the volume and intensity of daily walking were measured using two sensors that participants wore on their thigh and back for up to a week. | 660 |
| Your Morning Coffee Could Secretly Be Weakening Antibiotics | Caffeine’s Hidden Impact: Everyday Ingredients May Alter Antibiotic Effectiveness Against Bacteria | Systematic screen uncovers regulator contributions to chemical cues in Escherichia coli, | University of Tübingen | A novel study has uncovered that everyday substances, like caffeine, can impact how bacteria respond to antibiotics, specifically influencing E. coli's ability to absorb antimicrobial drugs. The research suggests that certain compounds can alter bacterial gene expression, leading to decreased effectiveness of antibiotics like ciprofloxacin and highlighting the complex interactions between our diet and bacterial resistance. | Coffee Could Secretly Be Weakening AntibioticsCaffeine may secretly help bacteria resist antibiotics. Credit: Shutterstock -- Ingredients of our daily diet - including caffeine - can influence the resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. This has been shown in a new study by a team of researchers at the Universities of Tübingen and Würzburg led by Professor Ana Rita Brochado. They discovered bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) orchestrate complex regulatory cascades to react to chemical stimuli from their direct environment which can influence the effectiveness of antimicrobial drugs. -- In a systematic screening, Brochado's team investigated how 94 different substances - including antibiotics, prescription drugs, and food ingredients - influence the expression of key gene regulators and transport proteins of the bacterium E. coli, a potential pathogen. Transport proteins function as pores and pumps in the bacterial envelope and control which substances enter or leave the cell. A finely tuned balance of these mechanisms is crucial for the survival of bacteria. -- Researchers describe phenomenon as an 'antagonistic interaction' -- "Our data show that several substances can subtly but systematically influence gene regulation in bacteria," says PhD student Christoph Binsfeld, first author of the study. The findings suggest even everyday substances without a direct antimicrobial effect - e.g. caffeinated drinks - can impact certain gene regulators that control transport proteins, thereby changing what enters and leaves the bacterium. "Caffeine triggers a cascade of events starting with the gene regulator Rob and culminating in the change of several transport proteins in E. coli - which in turn leads to a reduced uptake of antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin," explains Ana Rita Brochado. This results in caffeine weakening the effect of this antibiotic. The researchers describe this phenomenon as an 'antagonistic interaction.' -- "Caffeine triggers a cascade of events starting with the gene regulator Rob and culminating in the change of several transport proteins in E. coli - which in turn leads to a reduced uptake of antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin." Ana Rita Brochado -- This weakening effect of certain antibiotics was not detectable in Salmonella enterica, a pathogen closely related to E. coli. This shows that even in similar bacterial species, the same environmental stimuli can lead to different reactions - possibly due to differences in transport pathways or their contribution to antibiotic uptake. President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. (Dōshisha) Karla Pollmann emphasizes: "Such fundamental research into the effect of substances consumed on a daily basis underscores the vital role of science in understanding and resolving real-world problems." -- The study, which has been published in the scientific journal PLOS Biology, makes an important contribution to the understanding of what is called 'low-level' antibiotic resistance, which is not due to classic resistance genes, but to regulation and environmental adaptation. This could have implications for future therapeutic approaches, including what is taken during treatment and in what amount, and whether another drug or food ingredient - should be given greater consideration. | 661 |
| Hidden Gut Molecule Found To Wreck Kidneys | Hidden Gut Molecule Linked To Kidney Damage Found By Scientists | Microbiota-derived corisin accelerates kidney fibrosis by promoting cellular aging, | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau | A molecule produced by gut bacteria, known as corisin, has been identified as a potential contributor to diabetic kidney fibrosis by traveling to the kidneys and instigating inflammation and scarring. By neutralizing corisin with targeted antibodies in animal studies, researchers found promising signs that this approach could lead to new treatment strategies, moving beyond conventional dialysis and transplants. | Hidden Gut Molecule Found to Wreck KidneysA gut microbe’s secret weapon may hold the key to stopping diabetic kidney failure. Credit: Shutterstock -- A molecule made by bacteria in the gut can hitch a ride to the kidneys, where it sets off a chain reaction of inflammation, scarring and fibrosis -- a serious complication of diabetes and a leading cause of kidney failure -- according to a new study from researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Mie University in Japan. -- After finding high levels of corisin -- a small peptide produced by Staphylococcus bacteria in the gut -- in the blood of patients with diabetic kidney fibrosis, the researchers used computer simulations and tissue and mouse experiments to track how corisin affects the kidneys, how it gets there from the gut, and a possible method of countering it with antibody treatment. -- "Our earlier studies showed corisin can damage cells and worsen tissue scarring and fibrosis in other organs, so we suspected it might be a hidden driver of kidney fibrosis," said Illinois animal sciences professor Isaac Cann, who led the study with Mie University immunology professor Dr. Esteban Gabazza. Cann and Gabazza are affiliates of the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at Illinois. "Our new findings suggest corisin is indeed a hidden culprit behind progressive kidney damage in diabetes, and that blocking it could offer a new way to protect kidney health in patients." -- The researchers published their findings in the journal Nature Communications. -- Diabetic kidney fibrosis is a major cause of kidney failure worldwide, yet the key drivers of it have remained a mystery, and no treatments can stop the process, said Dr. Taro Yasuma of Mie University, a medical doctor and the first author of the manuscript. -- "Many people with longstanding diabetes eventually develop kidney fibrosis, and once it progresses, there are limited options beyond dialysis or kidney transplantation. Current treatments mainly focus on controlling blood sugar and blood pressure, but there's no cure that stops or reverses the scarring or fibrotic process," Yasuma said. -- The researchers began by screening the blood and urine of patients with diabetic kidney disease. They found that patients had significantly more corisin than their healthy counterparts, and that the amount of corisin in the blood correlated with the extent of kidney damage. -- Upon seeing the same results in mice with kidney fibrosis, the researchers tracked what corisin was doing in the kidneys of the mice. They found that corisin speeds up aging in kidney cells, setting off a chain reaction from inflammation to cell death to a buildup of scar tissue, eventually resulting in the loss of kidney function and worsening fibrosis. -- But how was corisin getting from the gut to the kidneys? Cann and Gabazza's groups collaborated with U. of I. chemical and biomolecular engineering professor Diwakar Shukla's group to produce computer simulations and laboratory experiments to follow corisin's journey from the gut to the bloodstream. They found that corisin can attach to albumin, one of the most common proteins in blood, and ride it through the bloodstream. When it reaches the kidneys, corisin detaches from the albumin to attack the delicate structures that filter blood and urine. | 662 |
| Strange ‘Leopard Spots’ In A Mars Rock Could Be The Strongest Hint Of Life Yet | Mars Rock Sample Sparks Excitement With Potential Signs Of Ancient Life | Redox-driven mineral and organic associations in Jezero Crater, Mars, | Imperial College London | NASA’s Perseverance rover has made groundbreaking discoveries on Mars, unveiling a rock sample dubbed "Sapphire Canyon" that contains unusual mineral patterns potentially indicative of ancient microbial life. This finding marks a significant step in the search for extraterrestrial life, as these mineral fingerprints resemble those left by microbes on Earth, prompting further investigations into the planet's historical environment. | Mars Rock May Hold Clues of Ancient LifeNASA’s Perseverance Mars rover took this selfie, made up of 62 individual images, on July 23. A rock nicknamed “Cheyava Falls,” which has features that may bear on the question of whether the Red Planet was long ago home to microscopic life, is to the left of the rover near the center of the image. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS -- After a year's worth of scientific scrutiny, the 'Sapphire Canyon' rock sample remains the mission's best candidate for containing signs of ancient microbial life processes. -- A sample collected by NASA's Perseverance Mars rover from an ancient dry riverbed in Jezero Crater could preserve evidence of ancient microbial life. Taken from a rock named "Cheyava Falls" last year, the sample, called "Sapphire Canyon," contains potential biosignatures, according to a paper published in the journal Nature. -- A potential biosignature is a substance or structure that might have a biological origin but requires more data or further study before a conclusion can be reached about the absence or presence of life. -- "This finding by Perseverance, launched under President Trump in his first term, is the closest we have ever come to discovering life on Mars. The identification of a potential biosignature on the Red Planet is a groundbreaking discovery, and one that will advance our understanding of Mars," said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. "NASA's commitment to conducting Gold Standard Science will continue as we pursue our goal of putting American boots on Mars' rocky soil." -- Perseverance came upon Cheyava Falls in July 2024 while exploring the "Bright Angel" formation, a set of rocky outcrops on the northern and southern edges of Neretva Vallis, an ancient river valley measuring a quarter-mile (400 meters) wide that was carved by water rushing into Jezero Crater long ago. -- "This finding is the direct result of NASA's effort to strategically plan, develop, and execute a mission able to deliver exactly this type of science -- the identification of a potential biosignature on Mars," said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "With the publication of this peer-reviewed result, NASA makes this data available to the wider science community for further study to confirm or refute its biological potential." -- The rover's science instruments found that the formation's sedimentary rocks are composed of clay and silt, which, on Earth, are excellent preservers of past microbial life. They also are rich in organic carbon, sulfur, oxidized iron (rust), and phosphorous. -- "The combination of chemical compounds we found in the Bright Angel formation could have been a rich source of energy for microbial metabolisms," said Perseverance scientist Joel Hurowitz of Stony Brook University, New York and lead author of the paper. "But just because we saw all these compelling chemical signatures in the data didn't mean we had a potential biosignature. We needed to analyze what that data could mean." -- First to collect data on this rock were Perseverance's PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry) and SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals) instruments. While investigating Cheyava Falls, an arrowhead-shaped rock measuring 3.2 feet by 2 feet (1 meter by 0.6 meters), they found what appeared to be colorful spots. The spots on the rock could have been left behind by microbial life if it had used the raw ingredients, the organic carbon, sulfur, and phosphorus, in the rock as an energy source. | 663 |
| Central Asia’s Last Stable Glaciers Just Started To Collapse | Tajikistan's Glaciers Now Facing Instability Due To Snowfall Decline | Snowfall decrease in recent years undermines glacier health and meltwater resources in the Northwestern Pamirs, | Institute of Science and Technology Austria | A recent study in Tajikistan's Pamir Mountains has revealed that escalating snowfall shortages are destabilizing resilient glaciers, indicating a critical shift in the region's climate. Researchers utilized a monitoring station on Kyzylsu Glacier to track changes over several decades, concluding that the glacier's stability declined sharply around 2018, underscoring the urgent need for continued observation and data collection in this under-researched area. | Central Asia’s Resilient Glaciers Just CollapsedToward the glacier, September 2023: The field team walks toward the Kyzylsu Glacier on its true left side moraine. Northwestern Pamir mountains, central Tajikistan. Credit: © Jason Klimatsas/ISTA -- Too little snowfall is now also shaking the foundations of some of the world's most resilient 'water towers', a new study led by the Pellicciotti group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) shows. After establishing a monitoring network on a new benchmark glacier in central Tajikistan, the international team of researchers was able to model the entire catchment's behavior from 1999 to 2023. The results, showing decreasing glacier health, were published in Communications Earth & Environment. -- High-mountain Asia has been nicknamed the Third Pole due to its massive meltwater reserves, which are second only to the Arctic and Antarctic polar caps. In Central Asia, the northwestern Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan have been home to some of the last stable or growing glaciers outside the polar regions. However, between the collapse of the Soviet Union and the return of new monitoring networks, this region has also suffered from a dire lack of observational data for decades. -- Researchers from Professor Francesca Pellicciotti's group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) are contributing to an international effort to address this issue. They teamed up with local researchers in Tajikistan and collaborators in Switzerland, Austria, and France to establish their own climate station on a benchmark catchment and model the glacier's changes over more than two decades. Now, their first joint publication shows evidence that the glacier likely reached its tipping point in 2018. -- "Due to the general lack of data and robust future projections in the region, we can't tell yet whether this was truly the 'point of no return' for Pamir glaciers," says the study's first author, Achille Jouberton, a PhD student in the Pellicciotti group at ISTA. "We must keep in mind that this study only considers one specific catchment and extends from 1999 to 2023. However, it is the first study of its kind. Similar efforts will need to address these issues on a larger geographical scale." -- Understanding an anomalous state -- Climate change has had a substantial impact on glaciers worldwide. While those in the Alps, Andes, and elsewhere in the world have been melting at a disconcerting rate, some glaciers in the Central Asian Pamir and Karakoram mountains were found to be surprisingly stable, possibly even growing. This unexpected and counterintuitive behavior of the glaciers has been termed the Pamir-Karakoram Anomaly. "Central Asia is a semiarid region that is highly dependent on snow and ice melt for downstream water supply," says ISTA Professor Pellicciotti. "But we still do not fully understand the causes of this anomalous glacier state." Are these the last resilient glaciers in the face of climate change? -- The team chose to establish their monitoring site on Kyzylsu Glacier in the northwestern Pamir, in central Tajikistan. This climate station is situated at an elevation of just below 3400 meters above sea level in a country where half of the territory rises above 3000 meters. "Kyzylsu is becoming a benchmark monitoring site due to the various observational sites recently established on and around the glacier," explains Jouberton. There, the researchers aim to start to shed light on the glaciers' anomalous behavior in the region. -- "The challenge is that there is almost no data at all." -- Since setting up their monitoring network at the Kyzylsu catchment in 2021, the team has collected extensive data about snowfall and water resources in the area. Using these observations and climate reanalysis data as inputs to their computational models, they were able to simulate the glacier's behavior from 1999 to 2023. "We modeled the catchment's climate, its snowpack, the glacier mass balances, and the water movements," says Jouberton. "But whichever way we analyzed the model, we saw an important tipping point in 2018 at the latest. Since then, the decreased snowfall has changed the glacier's behavior and affected its health." | 664 |
| Scientists Fear The Atlantic’s Great Ocean Conveyor Could Shut Down | Scientists Warn Of Potential Shutdown Of Atlantic Ocean Currents By 2100 | Shutdown of northern Atlantic overturning after 2100 following deep mixing collapse in CMIP6 projections, | Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) | A new study warns that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which includes the Gulf Stream, could potentially collapse after 2100 due to high greenhouse gas emissions. This shutdown would drastically alter heat distribution, leading to severe winter weather in Europe and changes in tropical rainfall patterns, necessitating immediate action to mitigate emissions and prevent climate upheaval. | Atlantic’s Great Ocean Conveyor Could Shut DownScientists warn the AMOC could collapse after 2100, unleashing extreme winters, shifting rainfall, and climate upheaval. Early signals show the system weakening, making emission cuts vital to slow the risk. Credit: Shutterstock -- Under high-emission scenarios, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a key system of ocean currents that also includes the Gulf Stream, could shut down after the year 2100. This is the conclusion of a new study, with contributions by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). The shutdown would cut the ocean's northward heat supply, causing summer drying and severe winter extremes in northwestern Europe and shifts in tropical rainfall belts. -- "Most climate projections stop at 2100. But some of the standard models of the IPCC - the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - have now run centuries into the future and show very worrying results," says Sybren Drijfhout from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, the lead author of the study published in Environmental Research Letters. "The deep overturning in the northern Atlantic slows drastically by 2100 and completely shuts off thereafter in all high-emission scenarios, and even in some intermediate and low-emission scenarios. That shows the shutdown risk is more serious than many people realize." -- Collapse of deep convection in winter as the tipping point -- The AMOC carries sun-warmed tropical water northward near the surface and sends colder, denser water back south at depth. This ocean "conveyor belt" helps keep Europe relatively mild and influences weather patterns worldwide. In the simulations, the tipping point that triggers the AMOC shutdown is a collapse of deep convection in winter in the Labrador, Irminger and Nordic Seas. Global heating reduces winter heat loss from the ocean, because the atmosphere is not cool enough. This starts to weaken the vertical mixing of ocean waters: The sea surface stays warmer and lighter, making it less prone to sinking and mixing with deeper waters. This weakens the AMOC, resulting in less warm, salty water flowing northward. -- In northern regions, then, surface waters become cooler and less saline, and this reduced salinity makes the surface water even lighter and less likely to sink. This creates a self-reinforcing feedback loop, triggered by atmospheric warming but perpetuated by weakened currents and water desalination. -- "In the simulations, the tipping point in key North Atlantic seas typically occurs in the next few decades, which is very concerning," says Stefan Rahmstorf, Head of PIK's Earth System Analysis research department and co-author of the study. After the tipping point the shutdown of the AMOC becomes inevitable due to a self-amplifying feedback. The heat released by the far North Atlantic then drops to less than 20 percent of the present amount, in some models almost to zero, according to the study. -- Lead author Drijfhout adds that "recent observations in these deep convection regions already show a downward trend over the past five to ten years. It could be variability, but it is consistent with the models' projections." -- It is crucial to cut emissions fast -- To arrive at these results, the research team analyzed CMIP6 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) simulations, which were used in the latest IPCC Assessment Report, with extended time horizons to years from 2300 to 2500. In all nine high-emission simulations, the models evolve into a weak, shallow circulation state with the deep overturning shutting down; this result is produced in some intermediate and low-emission simulations as well. In every case, this change follows a mid-century collapse of the deep convection in North Atlantic seas. | 665 |
| Who Were The Mystery Humans Behind Indonesia’s Million-Year-Old Tools? | Ancient Stone Tools Found In Indonesia Raise Questions About Early Human Migration | Hominins on Sulawesi during the Early Pleistocene, | Griffith University | Archaeological findings on Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, suggest that early hominins may have crossed perilous seas over a million years ago, leaving behind stone tools that challenge previous timelines of human migration. While the identity of these ancient tool-makers remains unknown, this discovery enhances our understanding of human evolution and the effects of isolation on early hominins. | Million-Year-Old Tools Rewrite Human HistoryStone tools unearthed in Sulawesi show that early humans reached the island more than a million years ago, long before previously thought. While their identity remains unknown, the discovery raises tantalizing questions about evolution in isolation. Credit: Shutterstock -- Recent findings, made by Griffith University researchers, show that early hominins made a major deep-sea crossing to reach the Indonesian island of Sulawesi much earlier than previously established, based on the discovery of stone tools dating to at least 1.04 million years ago at the Early Pleistocene (or 'Ice Age') site of Calio. -- Budianto Hakim from the National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia (BRIN) and Professor Adam Brumm from the Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution at Griffith University led the research published recently in Nature. -- A field team led by Hakim excavated a total of seven stone artefacts from the sedimentary layers of a sandstone outcrop in a modern corn field at the southern Sulawesi location. -- In the Early Pleistocene, this would have been the site of hominin tool-making and other activities such as hunting, in the vicinity of a river channel. -- The Calio artefacts consist of small, sharp-edged fragments of stones (flakes) that the early human tool-makers struck from larger pebbles that had most likely been obtained from nearby riverbeds. -- The Griffith-led team used palaeomagnetic dating of the sandstone itself and direct-dating of an excavated pig fossil, to confirm an age of at least 1.04 million years for the artifacts. -- Previously, Professor Brumm's team had revealed evidence for hominin occupation in this archipelago, known as Wallacea, from at least 1.02 million years ago, based on the presence of stone tools at Wolo Sege on the island of Flores, and by around 194 thousand years ago at Talepu on Sulawesi. -- The island of Luzon in the Philippines, to the north of Wallacea, had also yielded evidence of hominins from around 700,000 years ago. -- "This discovery adds to our understanding of the movement of extinct humans across the Wallace Line, a transitional zone beyond which unique and often quite peculiar animal species evolved in isolation," Professor Brumm said. | 666 |
| Was Mars Once Warm, Wet, And Ready For Life | Was Mars Once A Warm, Habitable World With Liquid Water? | Volcanic emission of reduced sulfur species shaped the climate of early Mars, | University of Texas at Austin | New simulations hint that Mars could have been a warmer, more hospitable place billions of years ago due to volcanic eruptions releasing reactive sulfur gases that created greenhouse conditions. This research suggests that such an environment may have supported microbial life, presenting an intriguing possibility regarding Mars' ancient climate and its potential to sustain life. | Was Mars Once Warm, Wet, and Ready for LifeSulfur crystals found inside a rock after NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover happened to drive over it and crush it on May 30, 2024. This discovery supports new research led by scientists at The University of Texas at Austin on what types of sulfur would be present on Mars billions of years ago. Credit: NASA -- While the early Mars climate remains an open question, a new study suggests its atmosphere may have been hospitable to life due to volcanic activity which emitted sulfur gases that contributed to a greenhouse warming effect. -- This finding comes from a study published in Science Advances, led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin. -- Using data from the composition of Martian meteorites, the researchers ran more than 40 computer simulations with varied temperatures, concentrations, and chemistry to estimate how much carbon, nitrogen, and sulfide gases may have been emitted on early Mars. -- Instead of the high concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) that previous Mars climate models predicted, their research shows volcanic activity on Mars around 3-4 billion years ago may have led to high concentrations of a range of chemically "reduced" forms of sulfur - which are highly reactive. This includes sodium sulfide (H2S), disulfur (S2) and possibly sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) - an extremely potent greenhouse gas. -- According to lead author Lucia Bellino, a doctoral student at the UT Jackson School of Geosciences, this may have made for a unique Martian environment - one that may have been hospitable to certain forms of life. -- "The presence of reduced sulfur may have induced a hazy environment which led to the formation of greenhouse gases, such as SF6, that trap heat and liquid water," said Bellino. "The degassed sulfur species and redox conditions are also found in hydrothermal systems on Earth that sustain diverse microbial life." -- Previous Mars studies have researched how the release of gases at the surface, often through volcanic eruptions, may have impacted the planet's atmosphere. In contrast, this study simulated how sulfur changed as it moved throughout geologic processes, including how it separated from other minerals as it was incorporated into magma layers below the planet's crust. This is important because it gives a more realistic sense of the chemical state of the gas before it's released at the surface where it can shape the early climate conditions of Mars. -- The study also revealed that sulfur may have been frequently changing forms. While Martian meteorites have high concentrations of reduced sulfur, the Martian surface contains sulfur that's chemically bonded to oxygen. -- "This indicates that sulfur cycling - the transition of sulfur to different forms - may have been a dominant process occurring on early Mars," said Bellino. | 667 |
| Scientists Just Discovered How Octopuses Really Use Their Arms | Octopuses Use Their Arms With Incredible Precision And Strategy | Octopus arm flexibility facilitates complex behaviors in diverse natural environments, | Florida Atlantic University | A comprehensive study on octopus behavior reveals their remarkable ability to coordinate their eight arms with precision, utilizing specialized movements for exploration and locomotion. Researchers documented nearly 7,000 distinct arm deformations, providing insights into the sophisticated strategies octopuses employ in various habitats, which may also inspire advances in robotics and neuroscience. | How Octopuses Really Use Their ArmsOctopuses wield their arms like precision tools, with each capable of multiple movements yet subtly specialized. From stealth camouflage to cooperative hunting, their strategies reveal a stunning blend of adaptability and control. Credit: Shutterstock -- Octopuses are among the most neurologically complex invertebrates, famed for their extraordinary dexterity. Their eight arms allow them to capture hidden prey, communicate, explore, and even mate across varied habitats. -- Although octopus arms rank among some of the most flexible structures in nature, their full range of movement has rarely been studied in the wild - especially in a range of underwater habitats. -- A new study by Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, in collaboration with researchers from the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, provides a comprehensive look into how wild octopuses use their arms in natural habitats. By analyzing arm movements across diverse environments, this is the first study to relate arm movements to whole animal behaviors in complex, real-world settings. -- The findings, published this week in Scientific Reports, reveal that every arm is capable of performing all action types; however, there was a clear pattern of arm partitioning: front arms mainly use movements to aid in exploration, while back arms use movements that primarily support movement. -- -- Additionally, the octopuses demonstrated remarkable flexibility - single arms were shown to perform multiple arm movements simultaneously and different arm movements were coordinated across several arms, showcasing their complex motor control. -- "Observing them in the wild, we saw octopuses use different combinations of arm actions - sometimes just one arm for tasks like grabbing food, and other times multiple arms working together for behaviors like crawling or launching a parachute attack - a hunting technique they use to catch prey," said Chelsea O. Bennice, Ph.D., lead author and a research fellow at FAU's Marine Laboratory, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. -- Researchers quantified nearly 4,000 arm movements from 25 video recordings of three wild octopus species observed in six distinct shallow-water habitats - five located in the Caribbean and one in Spain. They identified 12 distinct arm actions across 15 behaviors, each involving one or more of four fundamental arm deformations: shortening (arm length decreases), elongating (arm length increases), bending (arm curves) and torsion (twisting). -- "When octopuses move across an open environment, they skillfully use multiple arms to stay camouflaged from predators, such as the moving rock trick or looking like floating seaweed," said Bennice. "Beyond foraging and locomotion, their arm strength and flexibility are essential for building dens, fending off predators, and competing with rival males during mating. These versatile abilities allow octopuses to thrive in a wide range of habitats." | 668 |
| NASA's Perseverance Rover Finds Clues To Ancient Mars Chemistry And Possible Life | Signs Of Ancient Water Chemistry Discovered On Mars By Perseverance Rover | Mystery Martian minerals hint at the planet’s complex geochemical past, | SETI Institute | Chemical reactions involving minerals and water in Mars' Jezero Crater suggest that ancient environments could have been rich in energy, potentially supporting life. Recent findings from the Perseverance rover highlight the significance of these reactions, as researchers analyze mineral compositions to better understand Martian chemistry and its implications for past biological activity. | Perseverance Reveals Mars’ Hidden ChemistryMineralogical map of Jezero crater explored by the Perseverance rover. This mineral map was created from near-infrared (1-2.6 µm) CRISM imagery (Parente et al., 2021) using recently developed technologies (Itoh et al., 2021; Saranathan et al., 2021) and overlain on High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE ) imagery. The basaltic rocks at the landing site are dominated by the minerals olivine (red) and pyroxene (tan). Further west, in regions called the Western Fan and Margin Unit, sedimentary rocks predominate. Smectite clay minerals rich in iron and magnesium (light to dark blue tones) and carbonate rich in magnesium and iron (green-yellow tones) were formed through aqueous processes. Unusual iron phosphate and iron sulfide minerals were found at the Bright Angel and Masonic Temple sites near Neretva Vallis (Hurowitz et al., 2025). Other iron phosphate minerals were observed at the Onahu site in the Western Fan region. Credit: M. Parente -- NASA's Perseverance Rover spent three years exploring the floor of Jezero Crater, located just north of the Martian equator. This close-up look at what had previously been seen only from orbit revealed evidence of chemical reactions that shaped the planet billions of years ago. SETI Institute Senior Research Scientist Janice Bishop and University of Massachusetts Engineering Professor Mario Parente analyzed orbital hyperspectral images from the Compact Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, producing a detailed mineral map at the tens of meters scale of the crater documenting deposits of clays and carbonates signaling abundant water on ancient Mars. In a new Nature News & Views article, Bishop and Parente explore how these findings, combined with Perseverance's confirmation of the minerals observed from orbit and discoveries of unusual minerals not detectable from orbit, suggest chemical reactions involving minerals, water, and possibly organic material could have created energy-rich environments on early Mars. -- "Coordinating mineral detections from orbit at Mars with in situ detections by the Perseverance rover gives us a detailed look at ancient chemical reactions for a few small areas and a broader view across kilometers of the surface," said Bishop. -- After landing, Perseverance headed west, analyzing surface materials with its suite of instruments and collecting samples of the most interesting ones for eventual return to Earth. Near the landing site, the rover identified basaltic rocks rich in olivine and pyroxene. Then, as it traveled toward a western delta, it found layers and clays and carbonates, confirming observations from orbit. Perseverance's instruments were able to examine these smectite clays and carbonates directly, at a much finer mm to cm scale than CRISM. -- Perseverance discovered unusual millimeter-scale nodules of iron phosphate and iron sulfide embedded in clay-rich mudstone near Neretva Vallis, at the Bright Angel and Masonic Temple sites (Hurowitz et al., 2025). The juxtaposition of the tiny, green-toned specks of chemically reduced iron against the reddish mudstone matrix prompted further study with the rover's instruments. Phosphates are significant because they play a key role in biology on Earth. Analyses revealed that the mudstone is primarily composed of smectite clays (such as montmorillonite and nontronite), ferric oxides and hydroxides (including hematite and goethite), and calcium sulfates (such as gypsum and bassanite). Interestingly, the reduced minerals appear more abundant where the surrounding mudstone is less oxidized and where organic compounds are more concentrated, based on Raman spectral data. This relationship suggests that organic material may have directly influenced these unusual redox reactions. -- "My group observed redox reactions in lab experiments where ferrihydrite containing oxidized iron was heated with organic compounds, including amino acids, to produce the mineral magnetite containing reduced iron," said Bishop. -- Redox reactions are chemical processes where minerals gain or lose electrons, creating energy that can sometimes be used by living organisms. Amino acids are the building blocks of life as we know it and may also have played a role in prebiotic chemistry through interactions with minerals. Data from Perseverance's SHERLOC instrument (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) suggest that organic compounds at Jezero Crater probably interacted with a variety of minerals on ancient Mars (Scheller et al., 2022). -- The greenish specks are likely the mineral vivianite, a phosphate that can change its chemistry when exposed to different environmental conditions. Perseverance also found phosphate minerals at another site, Onahu, where evidence suggests they were once vivianite that later oxidized, or "rusted." A separate study of Jezero crater sediments revealed alternating colored layers caused by shifts in iron chemistry, showing that Mars' environment changed over time in ways that could have influenced habitability. -- Identifying specific minerals on Mars is key to reconstructing the ancient geochemical environments that once shaped the planet. -- "Spectral analyses of pure minerals and mineral mixtures in the laboratory are necessary for interpreting the spectral data collected at Mars," said Bishop. | 669 |
| A Monster Seaweed Bloom Is Taking Over The Atlantic | The Great Atlantic Sargassum Bloom Is Reshaping Ecosystems And Economies | Productivity, growth, and biogeochemistry of pelagic Sargassum in a changing world, | Florida Atlantic University | The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt is expanding dramatically across the Atlantic, fueled by nutrient runoff and climate factors, reshaping coastal ecosystems and economies. A review tracing four decades of changes in sargassum distribution reveals its journey from the Sargasso Sea to a massive bloom that impacts various regions, emphasizing the importance of understanding its environmental effects. | Monster Seaweed Bloom Taking Over the AtlanticSargassum on a beach in Palm Beach County in 2021. Credit: Brian Lapointe, FAU Harbor Branch -- Researchers at Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute have released a landmark review tracing four decades of changes in pelagic sargassum - free-floating brown seaweed that plays a vital role in the Atlantic Ocean ecosystem. -- Once thought to be primarily confined to the nutrient-poor waters of the Sargasso Sea, sargassum is now recognized as a rapidly growing and widely distributed marine organism, whose expansion across the Atlantic is closely linked to both natural processes and human-induced nutrient enrichment. -- The review, published in the journal Harmful Algae, sheds new light on the origins and development of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, a massive recurring bloom of sargassum that stretches across the Atlantic Ocean from the coast of West Africa to the Gulf of America. -- Since its first appearance in 2011, this belt has formed nearly every year - except in 2013 - and in May, reached a new record biomass of 37.5 million tons. This does not include the baseline biomass of 7.3 million tons historically estimated in the Sargasso Sea. -- By combining historical oceanographic observations, modern satellite imagery, and advanced biogeochemical analyses, this review provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the dramatic changes in sargassum distribution, productivity and nutrient dynamics. It also highlights the broader implications of anthropogenic nutrient enrichment on ocean ecology and the need for coordinated international efforts to monitor and manage the impacts of these massive seaweed blooms. -- "Our review takes a deep dive into the changing story of sargassum - how it's growing, what's fueling that growth, and why we're seeing such a dramatic increase in biomass across the North Atlantic," said Brian Lapointe, Ph.D., lead author and a research professor at FAU Harbor Branch. "By examining shifts in its nutrient composition - particularly nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon - and how those elements vary over time and space, we're beginning to understand the larger environmental forces at play." -- Early in the review, Lapointe and co-authors Deanna F. Webber, research coordinator; and Rachel Brewton, Ph.D., an assistant research professor, both with FAU Harbor Branch, explain that early oceanographers charted the Sargasso Sea based on surface sightings of sargassum, believing the seaweed thrived in its warm, clear, but nutrient-poor waters. However, this notion created a paradox when mid-20th-century oceanographers described the region as a "biological desert." -- However, recent satellite observations, ocean circulation models, and field studies have resolved this paradox by tracing the seasonal transport of sargassum from nutrient-rich coastal areas, particularly the western Gulf of America, to the open ocean via the Loop Current and Gulf Stream. These findings support early theories by explorers who proposed that Gulf-originating sargassum could feed populations in the Sargasso Sea. -- Remote sensing technology played a pivotal role in these discoveries. In 2004 and 2005, satellites captured extensive sargassum windrows - long, narrow lines or bands of floating sargassum - in the western Gulf of America, a region experiencing increased nutrient loads from river systems such as the Mississippi and Atchafalaya. | 670 |
| Guava’s Secret Molecule Could Fight Liver Cancer | Guava Plant Molecule Offers Promise For Affordable Liver Cancer Treatments | Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (–)‐Psiguadial A, | University of Delaware | Researchers at the University of Delaware have made a significant breakthrough in creating low-cost liver cancer treatments by synthesizing powerful molecules found in guava plants. This innovative method not only has potential for global collaboration but also promises to enhance cancer treatment options, showcasing how nature can inspire modern medicine. The findings were published in Angewandte Chemie, a leading chemistry journal. | Guava’s Secret Molecule Could Fight CancerScientists have developed a synthetic pathway to produce guava plant molecules that combat liver cancer. This innovation could transform treatment options and inspire worldwide research partnerships. Credit: Shutterstock -- You may not be aware that most of the medicines that have been approved for treatment are rooted in nature. -- For example, the bark of willow trees has been called nature's aspirin because it contains a chemical called salicin. The human body converts salicin into salicylic acid, which relieves pain and fights fevers. -- New research by William Chain, associate professor in the University of Delaware's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and his lab, uses a molecule found in a tropical fruit to offer hope in the fight against liver-related cancers, one of the world's top causes of cancer deaths. -- Using a process called natural product total synthesis, Chain and his lab group have invented a pathway that uses widely available chemicals to create molecules found in a guava plant that are known to fight these deadly cancers. The work was published in one of the leading chemistry publications, the international journal Angewandte Chemie. -- The research provides scientists around the world with an easy and low cost method to create large amounts of the naturally-occurring molecules, and opens doors to more effective and cheaper treatments. -- "The majority of clinically approved medicines are either made from a natural product or are based on one," Chain said. "But there aren't enough natural resources to make enough treatments. Now chemists will be able to take our manuscripts and basically follow our 'recipe' and they can make it themselves." -- The discovery invites collaboration with scientists around the world. -- "We are the first ones to pave that road, and other people can repave it any which way. Find the shortcuts if they have to. But since we entered into that unknown territory, I think we helped shed light on this unknown pathway that can get us there. And I think that's the cool part," said Liam O'Grady, doctoral student in Chain's lab and the article's first author. -- The potential impact is enormous. The number of liver and bile duct cancer cases has grown dramatically in recent years, with one in 125 men and women globally projected to be diagnosed with hepatocellular cancer over the course of their lives. | 671 |
| Scientists Found A New Way To Turn Sunlight Into Fuel | New Sunlight-Driven Molecule Could Revolutionize Artificial Photosynthesis | Photoinduced double charge accumulation in a molecular compound, | University of Basel | A research team from the University of Basel has developed a plant-inspired molecule capable of storing electrical charges using dim light, a crucial advancement toward artificial photosynthesis. This new approach may lead to the creation of carbon-neutral fuels, mimicking the natural photosynthesis process in plants and providing environmentally friendly energy solutions for the future. | Capturing Sunshine in a Molecule for Clean FuelAs with natural photosynthesis, the new molecule temporarily stores two positive and two negative charges. Credit: Deyanira Geisnæs Schaad -- A research team from the University of Basel, Switzerland, has developed a new molecule modeled on plant photosynthesis: under the influence of light, it stores two positive and two negative charges at the same time. The aim is to convert sunlight into carbon-neutral fuels. -- Plants use the energy of sunlight to convert CO2 into energy-rich sugar molecules. This process is called photosynthesis and is the foundation of virtually all life: animals and humans can "burn" the carbohydrates produced in this way again and use the energy stored within them. This once more produces carbon dioxide, closing the cycle. -- This model could also be the key to environmentally friendly fuels, as researchers are working on imitating natural photosynthesis and using sunlight to produce high-energy compounds: solar fuels such as hydrogen, methanol and synthetic petrol. If burned, they would produce only as much carbon dioxide as was needed to produce the fuels. In other words, they would be carbon-neutral. -- A molecule with a special structure -- In the scientific journal Nature Chemistry, Professor Oliver Wenger and his doctoral student Mathis Brändlin have now reported on an important interim step toward achieving this vision of artificial photosynthesis: they have developed a special molecule that can store four charges simultaneously under light irradiation - two positive ones and two negative ones. -- The intermediate storage of multiple charges is an important prerequisite for converting sunlight into chemical energy: the charges can be used to drive reactions - for example, to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. -- The molecule consists of five parts that are linked in a series and each performs a specific task. One side of the molecule has two parts that release electrons and are positively charged in the process. Two on the other side pick up the electrons, which causes them to become negatively charged. In the middle, the chemists placed a component that captures sunlight and starts the reaction (electron transfer). -- Two steps using light -- In order to generate the four charges, the researchers took a stepwise approach using two flashes of light. The first flash of light hits the molecule and triggers a reaction in which a positive and a negative charge are generated. These charges travel outward to the opposite ends of the molecule. With the second flash of light, the same reaction occurs again, so that the molecule then contains two positive and two negative charges. | 672 |
| The Sweetpotato’s DNA Turned Out Stranger Than Anyone Expected | Sweetpotato’s Complex Genome Reveals Secrets Of Its Resilience And Adaptability | Phased chromosome-level assembly provides insight into the genome architecture of hexaploid sweetpotato, | Boyce Thompson Institute | After years of research, scientists have finally decoded the complex genome of sweetpotato, a vital crop for food security, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. This significant achievement reveals the plant's hybrid origins and equips breeders with powerful tools to develop more resilient and nutritious varieties, ultimately benefiting millions who rely on this crucial food source. | Sweetpotato DNA Secrets Finally Revealed‘Tanzania’ variety of sweetpotato. Credit: Benard Yada at National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), Uganda -- The sweetpotato feeds millions worldwide, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where its natural resilience to climate extremes makes it crucial for food security. But this humble root vegetable has guarded its genetic secrets for decades. Now, scientists have finally decoded its complex genome, revealing an intricate origin story and providing powerful tools to help improve this vital crop. -- Sweetpotato DNA is extraordinarily complex. While humans have two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent, sweetpotatoes have six. This condition, called hexaploidy, made deciphering their genetic code like trying to reconstruct six different, yet similar, sets of encyclopedias that have been shuffled together. -- A team led by Professor Zhangjun Fei at the Boyce Thompson Institute achieved a significant breakthrough, as reported in Nature Plants. Using cutting-edge DNA sequencing, along with other advanced techniques, they created the first complete genetic makeup of 'Tanzania' -- a sweetpotato variety prized in Africa for its disease resistance and high dry matter content. -- The central challenge was to untangle the plant's 90 chromosomes and organize them into their six original sets, called haplotypes. The team succeeded in fully separating, or 'phasing,' this complex genetic puzzle, something that had never been achieved before. -- "Having this complete, phased genome gives us an unprecedented level of clarity," explains Fei. "It allows us to read the sweetpotato's genetic story with incredible detail." -- The research revealed surprising complexity. The sweetpotato genome is a mosaic assembled from multiple wild ancestors, some of which have yet to be identified. About one-third comes from Ipomoea aequatoriensis, a wild species found in Ecuador that appears to be a direct descendant of a sweetpotato progenitor. Another significant portion resembles a wild Central American species called Ipomoea batatas 4x, though the actual donor may still remain undiscovered in the wild. -- "Unlike what we see in wheat, where ancestral contributions can be found in distinct genome sections," says Shan Wu, the study's first author, "in sweetpotato, the ancestral sequences are intertwined on the same chromosomes, creating a unique genomic architecture." -- This intertwined genetic heritage means that sweetpotato can be tentatively classified as a "segmental allopolyploid" -- essentially a hybrid that arose from different species but behaves genetically as if it came from a single one. This genomic merging and recombination gives sweetpotato its remarkable adaptability and disease resistance, traits crucial for subsistence farmers worldwide. -- "The sweetpotato's six sets of chromosomes also contribute to its enhanced resilience," adds Fei. "With multiple versions of important genes, the plant can maintain backup copies that help it survive drought, resist pests, and adapt to different environments -- a feature known as polyploid buffering." | 673 |
| Tiny Protein Pairs May Hold The Secret To Life’s Origin | Tiny Protein Fragments Could Unlock Mysteries Of Life’s Origins | Tracing the Origin of the Genetic Code and Thermostability to Dipeptide Sequences in Proteomes, | University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences | A study from the University of Illinois has uncovered intriguing connections between the genetic code and dipeptides, providing insights into the origins of life. By analyzing dipeptide sequences across various species, researchers revealed how these molecular pairs relate to genetic evolution, offering valuable implications for genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and a deeper understanding of life itself. | The Hidden Protein Code Behind Life’s OriginGustavo Caetano-Anollés. Credit: Photo illustration by Fred Zwicky -- Genes are the building blocks of life, and the genetic code provides the instructions for the complex processes that make organisms function. But how and why did it come to be the way it is? A recent study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign sheds new light on the origin and evolution of the genetic code, providing valuable insights for genetic engineering and bioinformatics. -- "We find the origin of the genetic code mysteriously linked to the dipeptide composition of a proteome, the collective of proteins in an organism," said corresponding author Gustavo Caetano-Anollés, professor in the Department of Crop Sciences, the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, and Biomedical and Translation Sciences of Carle Illinois College of Medicine at U. of I. -- Caetano-Anollés' work focuses on phylogenomics, which is the study of evolutionary relationships between the genomes of organisms. His research team previously built phylogenetic trees mapping the evolutionary timelines of protein domains (structural units in proteins) and transfer RNA (tRNA), an RNA molecule that delivers amino acids to the ribosome during protein synthesis. In this study, they explored the evolution of dipeptide sequences (basic modules of two amino acids linked by a peptide bond), finding the histories of domains, tRNA, and dipeptides all match. -- Life on Earth began 3.8 billion years ago, but genes and the genetic code did not emerge until 800,000 million years later, and there are competing theories about how it happened. -- Some scientists believe RNA-based enzymatic activity came first, while others suggest proteins first started working together. The research of Caetano-Anollés and his colleagues over the past decades supports the latter view, showing that ribosomal proteins and tRNA interactions appeared later in the evolutionary timeline. -- Life runs on two codes that work hand in hand, Caetano-Anollés explained. The genetic code stores instructions in nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), while the protein code tells enzymes and other molecules how to keep cells alive and running. Bridging the two is the ribosome, the cell's protein factory, which assembles amino acids carried by tRNA molecules into proteins. The enzymes that load the amino acids onto the tRNAs are called aminoacyl tRNA synthetases. These synthetase enzymes serve as guardians of the genetic code, monitoring that everything works properly. -- "Why does life rely on two languages - one for genes and one for proteins?" Caetano-Anollés asked. "We still don't know why this dual system exists or what drives the connection between the two. The drivers couldn't be in RNA, which is functionally clumsy. Proteins, on the other hand, are experts in operating the sophisticated molecular machinery of the cell." -- The proteome appeared to be a better fit to hold the early history of the genetic code, with dipeptides playing a particularly significant role as early structural modules of proteins. There are 400 possible dipeptide combinations whose abundances vary across different organisms. -- The research team analyzed a dataset of 4.3 billion dipeptide sequences across 1,561 proteomes representing organisms from the three superkingdoms of life: Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya. They used the information to construct a phylogenetic tree and a chronology of dipeptide evolution. They also mapped the dipeptides to a tree of protein structural domains to see if similar patterns arose. | 674 |
| Earthquakes Release Blistering Heat That Can Melt Rock In An Instant | MIT Research Reveals Earthquakes Produce Blistering Heat That Melts Rock | “Lab‐Quakes”: Quantifying the Complete Energy Budget of High‐Pressure Laboratory Failure, | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MIT scientists have recreated mini earthquakes in the lab to explore the hidden energy dynamics of real quakes. Their research shows that while only a fraction of a quake's energy contributes to surface shaking, the majority is dissipated as intense heat, with implications for assessing earthquake impacts and vulnerabilities in quake-prone regions. | Earthquakes Release Blistering HeatA scanning electron photomicrograph highlights a region of rock that slipped during a laboratory-induced earthquake. The "flowy" central area represents a portion of the rock that was melted and turned into glass due to intense frictional heating. Credit: Matěj Peč, Daniel Ortega-Arroyo -- The ground-shaking that an earthquake generates is only a fraction of the total energy that a quake releases. A quake can also generate a flash of heat, along with a domino-like fracturing of underground rocks. But exactly how much energy goes into each of these three processes is exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to measure in the field. -- Now MIT geologists have traced the energy that is released by "lab quakes" -- miniature analogs of natural earthquakes that are carefully triggered in a controlled laboratory setting. For the first time, they have quantified the complete energy budget of such quakes, in terms of the fraction of energy that goes into heat, shaking, and fracturing. -- They found that only about 10 percent of a lab quake's energy causes physical shaking. An even smaller fraction -- less than 1 percent -- goes into breaking up rock and creating new surfaces. The overwhelming portion of a quake's energy -- on average 80 percent -- goes into heating up the immediate region around a quake's epicenter. In fact, the researchers observed that a lab quake can produce a temperature spike hot enough to melt surrounding material and turn it briefly into liquid melt. -- The geologists also found that a quake's energy budget depends on a region's deformation history -- the degree to which rocks have been shifted and disturbed by previous tectonic motions. The fractions of quake energy that produce heat, shaking, and rock fracturing can shift depending on what the region has experienced in the past. -- "The deformation history -- essentially what the rock remembers -- really influences how destructive an earthquake could be," says Daniel Ortega-Arroyo, a graduate student in MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS). "That history affects a lot of the material properties in the rock, and it dictates to some degree how it is going to slip." -- The team's lab quakes are a simplified analog of what occurs during a natural earthquake. Down the road, their results could help seismologists predict the likelihood of earthquakes in regions that are prone to seismic events. For instance, if scientists have an idea of how much shaking a quake generated in the past, they might be able to estimate the degree to which the quake's energy also affected rocks deep underground by melting or breaking them apart. This in turn could reveal how much more or less vulnerable the region is to future quakes. -- "We could never reproduce the complexity of the Earth, so we have to isolate the physics of what is happening, in these lab quakes," says Matěj Peč, associate professor of geophysics at MIT. "We hope to understand these processes and try to extrapolate them to nature." -- Peč (pronounced "Peck") and Ortega-Arroyo reported their results in the journal AGU Advances. Their MIT co-authors are Hoagy O'Ghaffari and Camilla Cattania, along with Zheng Gong and Roger Fu at Harvard University and Markus Ohl and Oliver Plümper at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. -- Under the surface | 675 |
| Scientists Made Plastic That Eats Carbon | Chemists Turn Plastic Waste Into Effective Carbon Capture Solution | Repurposing polyethylene terephthalate plastic waste to capture carbon dioxide, | University of Copenhagen | Chemists at the University of Copenhagen have discovered a method to transform PET plastic waste into BAETA, a material that captures CO2 effectively. This innovative approach addresses two pressing global challenges—plastic waste and climate change—by turning discarded materials into valuable resources for sustainable carbon capture, showcasing a promising solution for environmental issues. | Scientists Made Plastic That Eats Carbonbaeta material made by upcycling pet plastic waste The BAETA material made by upcycling PET plastic waste. Credit: Max Emil Madsen, University of Copenhagen -- Scientists transform plastic waste into efficient CO2 capture materials From waste to valuable resource: Chemists at the University of Copenhagen have developed a method to convert plastic waste into a climate solution for efficient and sustainable CO2 capture. This is killing two birds with one stone as they address two of the world's biggest challenges: plastic pollution and the climate crisis. -- As CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere keep rising regardless of years of political intentions to limit emissions, the world's oceans are drowning in plastics, which threatens marine environments and ecosystems. -- The key global problems are often interconnected, and typically, the solution to one problem creates another one while the clock keeps ticking. But what if we could solve several problems at the same time? -- It's almost too good to be true, but a new cutting-edge invention promises to do just that. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed a method where one man's trash really does become another man's "treasure," when decomposed PET plastic becomes the main ingredient in efficient and sustainable CO2 capture. -- We know the material from plastic bottles, textiles, and many other uses: PET plastic is one of the most widely used types of plastic in the world, but when it has served its purpose, it becomes a pressing global environmental issue. This is because it ends up in landfills in many parts of the world, where it breaks down into polluting microplastics that spread to the air, soil and groundwater. A large portion also end up in the oceans. -- "The beauty of this method is that we solve a problem without creating a new one. By turning waste into a raw material that can actively reduce greenhouse gases, we make an environmental issue part of the solution to the climate crisis," says Margarita Poderyte from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Copenhagen, lead author of the research paper disclosing the invention. -- The solution is a potential win-win on a global scale, where plastic waste not only does not end up in nature but also becomes an active player in climate mitigation. -- With the new chemical technology, researchers can transform PET plastic waste that is overlooked by recyclers into a primary resource in a new form of CO2 sorbent they have developed. The process 'upcycles' it to a new material the researchers have named BAETA, which can absorb CO2 out of the atmosphere so efficiently that it easily compares with existing carbon capture technologies. -- Sustainable, flexible and scalable | 676 |
| Oceans Could Reach A Dangerous Tipping Point By 2050 | Human Impact On Oceans Projected To Double By 2050 | Cumulative impacts to global marine ecosystems projected to more than double by midcentury, | University of California - Santa Barbara | A study from UC Santa Barbara predicts that human impacts on oceans may double by 2050, driven by climate change and overexploitation. The research emphasizes the urgent need for action, as coastal regions will be especially affected, threatening food security and livelihoods globally. The report highlights the sobering reality of diminishing ocean health amidst ongoing human pressures. | Oceans Near Breaking Point by 2050By 2050, ocean impacts from climate change and overuse could double—unless urgent action is taken. Credit: Shutterstock -- The seas have long sustained human life, but a new UC Santa Barbara study shows that rising climate and human pressures are pushing the oceans toward a dangerous threshold. -- Vast and powerful, the oceans can seem limitless in their abundance and impervious to disturbances. For millennia, humans have supported their lives, livelihoods and lifestyles with the ocean, relying on its diverse ecosystems for food and material, but also for recreation, business, wellness and tourism. -- Yet the future of our oceans is worrying, according to researchers at UCSB's National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS). -- "Our cumulative impact on the oceans, which is already substantial, is going to double by 2050 -- in just 25 years," said marine ecologist and NCEAS director Ben Halpern, who led the effort to forecast the future state of marine environments as they bow under the combined pressures of human activities, which include ocean warming, fisheries biomass loss, sea level rise, acidification and nutrient pollution, among other impacts. "It's sobering. And it's unexpected, not because impacts will be increasing -- that is not surprising -- but because they will be increasing so much, so fast." -- The research team, which includes collaborators from Nelson Mandela University in South Africa, also finds that the tropics and the poles will experience the fastest changes in impacts, and that coastal areas will feel the brunt of the increased impacts. -- Their research, supported in large part by the National Science Foundation, is published in the journal Science. -- A comprehensive global model of human impacts -- As human activity on the ocean and along the coast has intensified, so have impacts on the marine environment. Halpern and a group of scientists first tackled the challenge of understanding how these pieces fit together to affect the ocean nearly 20 years ago, laying the groundwork for the current study. -- "People tracked one issue at a time, but not everything together," Halpern said. "More importantly, there was a pervasive sense that the ocean is so huge the human impacts couldn't possibly be that bad." | 677 |
| Even The Toughest Corals Are Shrinking In Warming Seas | Red Sea Corals Struggling To Survive Rising Global Temperatures | Thermally resistant coral Stylophora pistillata survives but does not thrive under chronic elevated baseline temperature, | Ohio State University | Research indicates that resilient corals in the Red Sea can withstand elevated ocean temperatures but may experience reduced growth and strength over time. While these corals can survive heat stress, the long-term rise in global temperatures poses a significant threat to their survival and the ecosystems dependent on these vital marine structures. | Even the Toughest Corals Are ShrinkingResilient Red Sea corals survive extreme heat but shrink and weaken, raising alarms about the future of marine life and reef-dependent communities. Credit: Shutterstock -- As coral reefs decline at unprecedented rates, new research has revealed that some coral species may be more resilient to warming temperatures than others. -- By studying how six months of elevated ocean temperatures would affect a species of coral from the northern Red Sea called Stylophora pistillata, scientists found that although these organisms can certainly survive in conditions that mimic future warming trends, they don't thrive. -- Stylophora pistillata tend to be tolerant of high ocean temperatures, but when continuously exposed to temperatures of 27.5 and 30 degrees Celsius (81.5 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit) -- baseline warming expected in tropical oceans by 2050 and 2100 -- scientists saw various changes in coral growth, metabolic rates, and even energy reserves. For instance, coral in 27.5 degrees Celsius waters survived, but were 30% smaller than their control group; those placed in 30 degrees Celsius waters wound up being 70% smaller. -- "In theory, if corals in the wild at these temperatures are smaller, reefs might not be as diverse and may not be able to support as much marine life," said Ann Marie Hulver, lead author of the study and a former graduate student and postdoctoral scholar in earth sciences at The Ohio State University. "This could have adverse effects on people that depend on the reef for tourism, fishing or food." -- Overall, the team's results suggest that even the most thermally tolerant coral species may suffer in their inability to overcome the consequences of warming seas. -- The study was published on September 3 in the journal Science of the Total Environment. -- While current predictions for coral reefs are dire, there is some good news. During the first 11 weeks of the experiment, researchers saw that corals were only minimally affected by elevated baseline temperatures. Instead, it was the cumulative impact of chronic high temperatures that compromised coral growth and caused them to experience a higher metabolic demand. -- The coral later recovered after being exposed for a month to 25 degree Celsius waters, but had a dark pigmentation compared to corals that were never heated. This discovery implies that despite facing ever longer periods of threat from high ocean temperatures in the summer months, resilient coral like S. pistillata can bounce back when waters cool in the winter, researchers say. -- Still, as ocean temperatures are expected to increase by 3 degrees Celsius by 2100, expecting coral reefs to predictably bend to projected climate models can be difficult, according to the researchers. | 678 |
| Seagrass Found To Be A Powerful Carbon Sponge With A Surprising Weakness | Seagrass: A Carbon Sponge Threatened By Excess Nitrogen | Nutrient Enrichment Increases Blue Carbon Potential of Subtropical Seagrass Beds, | University of Michigan | Seagrass has the potential to capture significant amounts of carbon, but its survival is jeopardized by excessive nitrogen pollution. Research shows that while moderate nutrient levels can enhance seagrass growth, too much nitrogen leads to harmful phytoplankton blooms that block sunlight, ultimately threatening the health of these vital coastal ecosystems. | Hidden Weakness of Nature’s Carbon SpongeSeagrass thrives when nutrients are balanced, locking carbon in its roots and blades—but an overload of nitrogen sparks phytoplankton blooms that block sunlight and kill it. Credit: Shutterstock -- Seagrass has the potential to be one of the world's most effective sponges at soaking up and storing carbon, but we don't yet know how nutrient pollution affects its ability to sequester carbon. -- In a pair of studies, U-M researchers evaluated the impact of nitrogen and phosphorus on seagrass, short, turf-like grasses that live in shallow, coastal areas. Examining data gathered from a plot of seagrass enriched with nutrients over a period of nine years, the scientists found that nutrients can increase seagrass's ability to store carbon. However, in a second study, they also found that an overload of nitrogen could lead to increased phytoplankton growth, which can shade out and kill seagrass. -- Both studies, published in Global Change Biology and Conservation Letters, respectively, were supported by the National Science Foundation and the David and Lucille Packard Foundation. -- Jacob Allgeier, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, studies fish and seagrass and coral ecology in bays of the Bahamas and Dominican Republic. He noticed that seagrasses growing in bays overloaded with nutrients, mostly from human wastewater, quickly died off. Light couldn't penetrate through the phytoplankton, which also proliferated under the high-nutrient conditions. -- However, in other bays that experienced nutrient runoff but didn't have light-shading phytoplankton, he saw that seagrass grew well. Coastal tropical areas are often nutrient-starved. When the seagrasses growing there are bathed in nutrients, their growth takes off as long as there is not too much phytoplankton blocking out light, Allgeier says. -- The researchers, led by recent U-M doctoral graduate Bridget Shayka, found that in relatively nutrient-poor beds of seagrass, phosphorus and nitrogen helped seagrass grow. As the seagrass grew, it first invested in its underground growth, or root systems, storing carbon in its roots. Then, the grass invested in above ground structures -- their blades. The end result was that the roots grew quickly but also died quickly, which shunted extra carbon into the sediment surrounding the roots and sequestered it at a higher rate. -- "People thought excess nutrients were killing seagrass," Allgeier said. "But we show that as long as there are not too many nutrients, which would also increase phytoplankton, the seagrass will just increase growth with excess nutrients." -- To study nutrient impacts, Shayka and Allgeier took samples of the seagrass from test plots in the Bahamas that had been treated with nutrients for nine years. Shayka and a raft of 17 undergraduates painstakingly untangled the seagrass, separating the grass into parts: the blades that grow above ground but under water, the sheath from which the blades emerge, the seagrass's roots and the seagrass's rhizomes -- basically an underground stem from which other seagrass plants can grow. -- They then freeze-dried each part, pulverized them and tested them for nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon. In addition to finding that increasing nutrients in the system increased carbon turnover in the plants, the researchers also found that nutrients supplied by human sources had a greater impact on the seagrasses than those supplied by fish. | 679 |
| The Flawed Carbon Math That Lets Major Polluters Off The Hook | New Climate Accountability Methods Target High Polluting Countries | Effect of discontinuous fair-share emissions allocations immediately based on equity, | Utrecht University | A new study reveals how flawed calculations have allowed high-polluting countries to evade accountability for climate action, imposing greater burdens on poorer nations. Researchers propose a method based on historical responsibility to ensure equitable emissions reductions and financial support, highlighting the growing role of courts in enforcing climate justice and equity among nations. | Flawed Climate Math Lets Big Polluters Off EasyThe figure shows how national climate pledges (NDCs) compare with global pathways that would limit warming to between 1.5°C and 4°C. Under the approach as proposed in the research, global emissions are divided up in a way that reflects fairness and equity. The colors show whether a country’s pledge is strong enough to match a 1.5°C pathway or instead lines up with weaker pathways (2°C, 3°C, or 4°C). Credit: Yann Robiou du Pont, et al., Nature Communications. -- Climate action is falling behind on the goals as stated in the Paris Agreement. To meet those goals, countries must act according to their 'fair share' targets. However, researchers from Utrecht University found a bias in how ambition and fairness assessments were calculated until now: "previous studies assessing countries climate ambition share a feature that rewards high emitters at the expense of the most vulnerable ones." This finding influences climate change mitigations globally. The research, led by Yann Robiou du Pont, was published on September 3 in Nature Communications. -- The researchers argue that previous fairness and ambition assessments were biased, as they start from shifting goalposts of rising emissions. Their proposed method avoids delaying the obligation to reduce emissions and calculates the immediate ambition gap that can be filled by climate measures and international finance. As negotiated climate targets are still insufficient, this work underscores the growing role of courts in ensuring that climate and human rights obligations are met. The study highlights that high-emitting countries, most notably G7 countries, Russia, and China, need to do more given the very different historical responsibility and financial capability of countries. -- An approach based on historical responsibility needed -- Fair-share emissions allocations distribute the global carbon budget among countries based on principles like historical responsibility, capability, and development needs, aiming to assign each country a 'fair share' of allowable emissions. Under the Paris Agreement, these allocations indicate what each country should commit to in order to collectively limit global warming to 1.5°C and staying well below 2°C. -- By calculating each ambition and fairness assessment from the present situation, we increasingly let major polluting countries off the hook. This pushes a heavier burden onto countries that have done the least to cause the crisis, or more realistically brings the world towards catastrophic levels of global warming. Therefore, the authors propose calculating fair-share emissions allocations immediately based on each country's historical contributions to climate change and their capacity to act. Accounting for immediate responsibilities sets a new baseline. It would cause some countries' emission paths to suddenly and drastically change instead of following a smooth decline. This approach would demand steep, immediate cuts mostly from wealthier, high-emitting countries. Since the cuts needed from these countries are too large to achieve locally, it requires substantial financial support for additional mitigation in poorer countries. Importantly, removing the systemic reward for inaction affects the ranking of countries' gap between their current pledges and fair emissions allocations, even within the group of high-income countries. Then, the USA, Australia, Canada, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have the greatest gap, requiring the most additional effort and finance. Much of equity discussions is about developed versus developing countries, but this paper is particularly relevant for developed countries being rewarded for inaction compared to other and more ambitious developed countries. -- Role in climate litigation -- Fair-share studies like this one are increasingly used in climate litigation, such as the KlimaSeniorinnen case before the European Court of Human Rights. The court recognised that insufficient national climate action constitutes a breach of human rights and that countries must justify how their climate pledges are a fair and ambitious contribution to the global objectives. Courts rely on these assessments to evaluate whether national emissions targets are sufficient and equitable. Biases in the assessments therefore have real-world impact: they can shape legal rulings, influence policy commitments, and inform public opinions. Courts are thus emerging as a key force in ensuring accountability and indirectly promoting cooperation when political and diplomatic negotiations fall short. In a landmark advisory opinion issued on July 23, 2025, the International Court of Justice affirmed that countries have a legal obligation under international law to prevent significant harm to the climate system, emphasising the duty to act collectively and urgently. "This strengthens and underscores the growing role of courts in enforcing climate justice," says Robiou du Pont. -- Paying the debt -- Solving the climate crisis is a moral imperative long identified by climate justice activists and scholars. Practically, we are observing that the lack of fair efforts by countries with the greatest capacity and responsibility to act and provide finance, results in insufficient action globally. A fairer allocation of effort is likely to results in more ambitious outcomes globally. This study explains how immediate climate efforts and finance are key to align with international agreements to limiting global warming. | 680 |
| Goodbye Colonoscopy? Simple Stool Test Detects 90% Of Colorectal Cancers | AI Breakthrough Enables Simple Stool Test To Detect Colorectal Cancer | Subspecies of the human gut microbiota carry implicit information for in-depth microbiome research, | Université de Genève | Scientists at the University of Geneva have developed a groundbreaking method for detecting colorectal cancer using AI-powered analysis of gut microbiota in stool samples. Achieving a detection rate comparable to colonoscopies, this non-invasive approach could revolutionize early cancer screening, reducing costs and discomfort while improving diagnostics and potentially extending to other cancers. | Stool Test Detects 90% of Colorectal CancersBy analyzing gut microbiota at the subspecies level with machine learning, scientists can now detect colorectal cancer with near-colonoscopy accuracy using only stool samples. Credit: Shutterstock -- Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. If detected early, it can be efficiently treated, but the cost and discomfort of colonoscopies -- the main diagnostic method currently in use -- often result in delayed diagnosis. Using machine learning algorithms, a team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) identified for the first time all human gut bacteria to a level of detail that makes it possible to understand the physiological importance of the different microbial subgroups. This inventory was then used to detect the presence of colorectal cancer according to the bacteria present in simple stool samples, a non-invasive and low-cost screening tool. The potential applications are vast, ranging from the diagnosis of other cancers to a better understanding of the links between gut microbiota and health. These findings are published in Cell Host & Microbe. -- Colorectal cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage when treatment options are limited. This underscores the need for simpler, less invasive diagnostic tools, particularly in the face of a still unexplained rise in cases among young adults. While it has long been known that gut microbiota plays a role in the development of colorectal cancer, translating these findings into clinical practice has proven challenging. This is because different strains of the same bacterial species can have opposite effects, with some promoting the disease and others having no effect. -- "Instead of relying on the analysis of the various species composing the microbiota, which does not capture all meaningful differences, or of bacterial strains, which vary greatly from one individual to another, we focused on an intermediate level of the microbiota, the subspecies," explains Mirko Trajkovski, full professor in the Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism and in the Diabetes Centre at the UNIGE Faculty of Medicine, who led this research. "The subspecies resolution is specific and can capture the differences in how bacteria function and contribute to diseases including cancer, while remaining general enough to detect these changes among different groups of individuals, populations, or countries." -- With the help of machine learning -- The first step was to analyse huge amounts of data. "As a bioinformatician, the challenge was to come up with an innovative approach for mass data analysis," recalls Matija Trickovic, PhD student in the laboratory of Mirko Trajkovski and first author of this study. "We successfully developed the first comprehensive catalogue of human gut microbiota subspecies, together with a precise and efficient method to use it both for research and in the clinic." -- By combining this catalogue with existing clinical data, the scientists developed a model that can predict the presence of colorectal cancer solely based on the bacteria present in stool samples. "Although we were confident in our strategy, the results were striking," enthuses Matija Trickovic. "Our method detected 90% of cancer cases, a result very close to the 94% detection rate achieved by colonoscopies and better than all current non-invasive detection methods." -- By integrating more clinical data, this model could become even more precise and match the accuracy of colonoscopy. It could become a routine screening tool and facilitate the early detection of colorectal cancer, which would then be confirmed by colonoscopy but only in a selected group of patients. -- A new world of applications -- A first clinical trial is being set up in collaboration with the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) to determine more precisely the cancer stages and the lesions that can be detected. However, the applications go beyond colorectal cancer. By studying the differences between subspecies from the same bacterial species, researchers can now identify the mechanisms of action by which the gut microbiota influences human health. "The same method could soon be used to develop non-invasive diagnostic tools for a wide range of diseases, all based on a single microbiota analysis," concludes Mirko Trajkovski. | 681 |
| Forgotten Royal Warship Sunk 500 Years Ago Reveals Surprising Secrets | Archaeological Find Reveals Secrets Of A Forgotten Royal Warship | Late Medieval Shipboard Artillery on a Northern European Carvel: Gribshunden (1495), | Lund University | Archaeologists have uncovered significant findings from the wreck of the Danish-Norwegian flagship Gribshunden, revealing its advanced artillery from the late Middle Ages. This discovery not only showcases a pivotal moment in naval technology but also provides insights into the ship's role in international diplomacy and military power during its time. | 500-Year-Old Shipwreck Reveals Its Arsenal(Left) Gun bed GH2021-A100 discovered in 2021, with gun bed 29704:237 positioned behind. Powder chamber 29704:7 lies under the measuring tape. (Right) Phillip Short and Brendan Foley recover a gun bed from the wreck of Gribshunden, 2021. Credit: Klas Malmberg -- Lund University archaeologists have revealed details of late medieval artillery from the wreck of the royal Danish-Norwegian flagship, Gribshunden. The shipwreck is the only known example of its kind from the medieval period -- as both ship and weapons are nearly identical to those of the early Spanish and Portuguese explorers. The new study tells the story of how early modern maritime adventurers were equipped to start the process of dominance and colonisation across the world. -- "Diving on this late medieval royal shipwreck is of course exciting. However, the greatest satisfaction is when we can actually put the pieces of the puzzle together later on; combining Martin's castle expertise with Kay's deep understanding of artillery," explains Brendan Foley, the marine archeologist behind the study, who worked closely with fellow LU archaeologist Martin Hansson and medieval artillery expert Kay Douglas Smith. -- Gribshunden, the flagship of the Danish-Norwegian King Hans, sank mysteriously in 1495 off the coast of Ronneby, Sweden. The wreck is internationally significant as the world's best-preserved ship from the Age of Exploration -- a proxy for the vessels of Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama. -- Ocean-going ships like Gribshunden and the artillery they carried were critical technologies for European explorers after 1492. The voyages to America and into the Indian Ocean via the Cape of Good Hope led to European colonization around the world. Gribshunden is a rare archaeological resource, as it is the most complete example yet discovered of a late medieval carvel warship. -- The ship carried 50 or more small calibre guns firing lead shot with an iron core. They were intended for anti-personnel use at close range, with tactics designed to injure or kill the enemy ships' personnel, followed by boarding to capture the vessel. Led by Lund University Professor Nicolo Dell'Unto, the Lund University team recreated the guns from 3D models of the artifacts -- A Danish 'floating castle' -- Gribshunden was built near Rotterdam between 1483-84. King Hans of Denmark and Norway had taken possession of the ship by spring 1486. The high cost of building and equipping these ships meant Gribshunden probably absorbed about 8% of the Danish national budget in 1485. -- Hans utilized his flagship differently from other monarchs; he personally sailed on it frequently, using it not for exploration, but to solidify his grasp on his kingdom. It was his floating castle, enabling royal travel to Sweden and all around the Danish realm including Gotland and especially Norway. The king used this vessel in ways similar to a terrestrial royal fortification. This included several soft power functions: economic, diplomatic, social, cultural, and administrative. Underpinning all of these was the obvious hard power of the ship's martial purpose embodied by the guns and other weapons carried aboard. -- Evidence of explosion | 682 |
| NASA's Webb Space Telescope Just Found Strange Red Dots That Shouldn’t Exist | Discoveries At Penn State Reveal Potential Black Hole Stars That Challenge Our Understanding | A remarkable ruby: Absorption in dense gas, rather than evolved stars, drives the extreme Balmer break of a little red dot at z = 3.5, | Penn State | Astronomers utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered mysterious “little red dots” that challenge previous notions of galaxy formation. These objects may represent a new class of celestial phenomena linked to black holes, prompting a reevaluation of how supermassive black holes evolved and offering new insights into the early universe. | Webb Found Strange Red Dots That Shouldn’t ExistArtist’s impression of a black hole star (not to scale). Mysterious tiny pinpoints of light discovered at the dawn of the universe may be giant spheres of hot gas that are so dense they look like the atmospheres of typical nuclear fusion-powered stars; however, instead of fusion, they are powered by supermassive black holes in their center that rapidly pull in matter, converting it into energy and giving off light. Credit: T. Müller/A. de Graaff/Max Planck Institute for Astronomy -- Tiny red objects spotted by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) are offering scientists new insights into the origins of galaxies in the universe -- and may represent an entirely new class of celestial object: a black hole swallowing massive amounts of matter and spitting out light. -- Using the first datasets released by the telescope in 2022, an international team of scientists including Penn State researchers discovered mysterious "little red dots." The researchers suggested the objects may be galaxies that were as mature as our current Milky Way, which is roughly 13.6 billion years old, just 500 to 700 million years after the Big Bang. -- Informally dubbed "universe breakers" by the team, the objects were originally thought to be galaxies far older than anyone expected in the infant universe -- calling into question what scientists previously understood about galaxy formation. -- Now, in a paper published on Sept. 12 in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, the international team of astronomers and physicists, including those at Penn State, suggest that the dots may not be galaxies but an entirely new type of object: a black hole star. -- They said their analysis indicates that the tiny pinpoints of light may be giant spheres of hot gas that are so dense they look like the atmospheres of typical nuclear fusion-powered stars; however, instead of fusion, they are powered by supermassive black holes in their center that rapidly pull in matter, converting it into energy and giving off light. -- "Basically, we looked at enough red dots until we saw one that had so much atmosphere that it couldn't be explained as typical stars we'd expect from a galaxy," said Joel Leja, the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Mid-Career Associate Professor of Astrophysics at Penn State and co-author on the paper. "It's an elegant answer really, because we thought it was a tiny galaxy full of many separate cold stars, but it's actually, effectively, one gigantic, very cold star." -- Cold stars emit little light due to their low temperatures compared to normal stars, Leja explained. Most stars in the universe are low-mass, colder stars, but they are typically harder to see as they are washed out by rarer, more luminous massive stars. Astronomers identify cold stars by their glow, which is primarily in the red optical or near-infrared spectrum, wavelengths of light that are no longer visible. While the gas around supermassive black holes is typically very hot, millions of degrees Celsius, the light from these "red dot" black holes was instead dominated by very cold gas, the researchers said, similar to the atmospheres of low-mass, cold stars, based on the wavelengths of light they were giving off. -- The most powerful telescope in space, JWST was designed to see the genesis of the cosmos with infrared-sensing instruments capable of detecting light that was emitted by the most ancient stars and galaxies. Essentially, the telescope allows scientists to see back in time roughly 13.5 billion years, near the beginning of the universe as we know it, Leja explained. -- From the moment the telescope turned on, researchers around the world began to spot "little red dots," objects that appeared far more massive than galaxy models predicted. At first, Leja said, he and his colleagues thought the objects were mature galaxies, which tend to get redder as the stars within them age. But the objects were too bright to be explained -- the stars would need to be packed in the galaxies with impossible density. | 683 |
| Hidden Star Systems In The Milky Way Could Unlock The Secrets Of Dark Matter | New Research Unveils Cosmic Bridges Between Star Clusters And Dwarf Galaxies | The emergence of globular clusters and globular-cluster-like dwarfs, | University of Surrey | A study has solved the long-standing mystery of globular clusters by using advanced simulations, revealing a new class of star systems called “globular cluster-like dwarfs.” These findings may offer new opportunities to understand dark matter and the universe’s earliest stars, suggesting that these newly identified objects could exist within our Milky Way galaxy. | Hidden Star Systems Could Unlock Dark MatterA globular cluster (white concentration of stars) naturally emerges in the high resolution EDGE simulations. These simulations also predict the existence of a new class of object: globular cluster-like dwarfs. These new objects form similarly to globular clusters but in their own dark matter halo. The nearby Reticulum II dwarf galaxy may be such an object that has been hiding in plain sight in our cosmic backyard. If so, it promises unprecedented constraints on the nature of dark matter and a new place to hunt for the first metal-free stars. Credit: University of Surrey, Matt Orkney, Andrew Pontzen & Ethan Taylor -- For centuries, astronomers have puzzled over the origins of one of the universe's oldest and densest stellar systems, known as globular clusters. Now, a University of Surrey-led study published in Nature has finally solved the mystery using detailed simulations - while also uncovering a new class of object that could already be in our own galaxy. -- Globular clusters are dense collections of hundreds of thousands to millions of stars found orbiting around galaxies, including the Milky Way. Unlike galaxies, they show no evidence of dark matter, and their stars are unusually uniform in age and chemical composition - traits that have left scientists debating their formation since their discovery in the 17th century. -- Surrey researchers used ultra-high-resolution simulations that can trace the Universe's 13.8-billion-year history in unprecedented detail, allowing them to watch globular clusters form in real-time within their virtual cosmos, called EDGE. The simulations find multiple pathways for their creation and, unexpectedly, the emergence of a new class of star system - "globular cluster-like dwarfs" - that sits between globular clusters and dwarf galaxies in terms of their properties. -- Dr Ethan Taylor, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Surrey's School of Mathematics and Physics and lead author of the study, said: -- "The formation of globular clusters has been a mystery for hundreds of years, so being able to add additional context surrounding how they form is amazing. We were able to do this in our EDGE simulations without having to add anything special to make them appear, and it just brings the simulations that extra level of realism. Additionally, being able to find a new class of object in the simulations is very exciting, especially since we have already identified a handful of candidates which exist in our very own Milky Way." -- Working in collaboration with Durham University, the University of Bath, the University of Hertfordshire, Carnegie Observatories and the American Museum of Natural History in the USA, Lund University in Sweden and the University of Barcelona in Spain, researchers used the UK's DiRAC National Supercomputer facility to run the EDGE simulations over several years. To put the scale into perspective, if the largest simulations were run on a standard or high-end laptop, they would take decades to complete. These simulations not only recreated realistic globular clusters and dwarf galaxies but also predicted a previously unknown class of object. -- Conventional dwarf galaxies are typically dominated by dark matter, with around a thousand times more of the mysterious substance than stars and gas combined. However, the newly identified 'globular cluster-like dwarfs' appear similar to regular star clusters when observed, yet still contain a significant amount of dark matter - meaning telescopes may have already found them in the real universe and classified them as regular globular clusters. This small difference would place them in a unique position to study both dark matter and cluster formation. -- Several known Milky Way satellites, such as the "ultra-faint" dwarf galaxy Reticulum II, are likely candidates. If confirmed, they could become prime sites for the search for pristine, metal-free stars born in the early Universe and new locations to test models for the ever-elusive "dark matter." -- Professor Justin Read, Chair of Astrophysics at the University of Surrey, said: | 684 |
| Physicists Just Found A Way To Make “Something From Nothing” | Scientists Mimic Schwinger Effect With Superfluid Helium, Unlocking Quantum Mysteries | Vacuum tunneling of vortices in two-dimensional 4 He superfluid films, | University of British Columbia | Researchers at UBC have made strides in understanding the elusive Schwinger effect by mimicking it with superfluid helium. Their work demonstrates how vortex pairs can spontaneously emerge, providing insights into quantum phenomena and deepening our understanding of vortices, superfluids, and quantum tunneling, while opening up new avenues for exploration in physics. | Physicists Make “Something From Nothing”By replacing the impossible electric fields of Schwinger’s theory with superfluid helium, physicists can watch vortex pairs appear spontaneously. The discovery opens new doors into both cosmic mysteries and the quantum behavior of real-world materials. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- In 1951, physicist Julian Schwinger theorized that by applying a uniform electrical field to a vacuum, electron-positron pairs would be spontaneously created out of nothing, through a phenomenon called quantum tunneling. -- The problem with turning the matter-out-of-nowhere theory into Star Trek replicators or transporters? Enormously high electric fields would be required -- far beyond the limits of any direct physical experiments. -- As a result, the aptly named Schwinger effect has never been seen. -- Now theoretical physicists at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have described a parallel effect in a more manageable system. In their model, they substitute a thin film of superfluid helium for the vacuum, and the background flow of the superfluid for the massive electrical field. -- "Superfluid Helium-4 is a wonder. At a few atomic layers thick it can be cooled very easily to a temperature where it's basically in a frictionless vacuum state," explains Dr. Philip Stamp, a theorist at UBC working on condensed matter and quantum gravity, and author of the new findings published on Sept. 2 in PNAS. -- "When we make that frictionless vacuum flow, instead of electron-positron pairs appearing, vortex/anti-vortex pairs will appear spontaneously, spinning in opposite directions to one another." -- In the paper, Dr. Stamp and UBC colleague Michael Desrochers outline the theory and the mathematics behind it -- mapping out a detailed approach to conducting a direct experiment. -- Vacuum tunneling is a process of keen interest in quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. In quantum theory, vacuums aren't empty, they're filled with fluctuating fields that can lead to the temporary appearance and disappearance of virtual particles. -- "We believe the Helium-4 film provides a nice analog to several cosmic phenomena," adds Dr. Stamp. "The vacuum in deep space, quantum black holes, even the very beginning of the Universe itself. And these are phenomena we can't ever approach in any direct experimental way." | 685 |
| Strange Steam Worlds Could Rewrite The Search For Life | Exploring Water-Rich Exoplanets Could Change How We Search For Extraterrestrial Life | Evolution of Steam Worlds: Energetic Aspects, | University of California - Santa Cruz | Scientists at UC Santa Cruz are studying water-rich exoplanets known as sub-Neptunes, which are characterized by thick vapor atmospheres. Their research focuses on how water behaves under extreme conditions on these planets, offering insights into exotic water phases and helping to refine the search for potentially habitable worlds beyond our solar system. | Strange Steam Worlds May Hold Clues to LifeAstronomers are modeling strange "steam worlds" where water exists in exotic states like supercritical fluids and superionic ice. Upcoming missions promise to test these predictions and expand the search for life. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- For astrobiologists, the search for life beyond our solar system could be likened to where one would look in a vast desert -- essentially, where there's water. And it turns out that one of the most common types of exoplanet observed in planetary systems beyond ours have a size and mass that indicate a water-rich interior. They are categorized as "sub-Neptunes" because their size and mass are between that of Earth and Neptune. -- But because these types of exoplanets tend to be much closer to their host star than Earth is to the Sun, sub-Neptunes are too hot to have liquid water on their surface and support life. Instead, they would have atmospheres made of steam, over layers of an exotic phase of water that behaves like neither gas nor liquid. Since the existence of these "steam worlds" were first predicted 20 years ago, interest in their exact makeup and evolution has grown. -- Now, astrobiologists and astronomers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have developed a more precise way to model these steam worlds to help better understand their composition, and ultimately, how they formed in the first place. "When we understand how the most commonly observed planets in the universe form, we can shift our focus to less common exoplanets that could actually be habitable," said Artem Aguichine, a postdoctoral researcher at UC Santa Cruz who led the development of the new model. -- The work is explained in a paper published on July 24 in The Astrophysical Journal and is co-authored by Professor Natalie Batalha, head of UC Santa Cruz's astrobiology initiative, along with Professor Jonathan Fortney, chair of the university's Astronomy and Astrophysics Department. -- More than icy moons -- For the first time in history, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) confirmed the presence of steam on a handful of sub-Neptunes. Astronomers expect JWST to observe dozens more, which is why such models are critical to connect what we see from the exoplanet's surface to what is inside of them. -- The models historically used to characterize sub-Neptunes were developed to study the icy moons in our solar system, such as Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus. Aguichine says sophisticated models can help interpret what space telescopes like JWST reveal about sub-Neptunes. -- Icy moons are small, condensed bodies with layered structures: icy crusts over liquid water oceans. Sub-Neptunes are much different. They are vastly more massive -- 10 to 100 times as much -- and, again, they orbit much closer to their stars. So they don't have icy crusts and liquid oceans like Europa or Enceladus. Instead, they develop thick steam atmospheres and layers of "supercritical water." -- This exotic, supercritical phase of water has been recreated and studied in laboratories on Earth, exhibiting behavior that is far more complex than simple liquid water or ice -- thus, making it difficult to model accurately. Some models even suggest that, under extreme pressure and temperature conditions inside sub-Neptunes, water may even transform into "superionic ice," a phase in which water molecules reorganize so hydrogen ions move freely through an oxygen lattice. | 686 |
| Alien Water Worlds Were Just A Mirage | New Study Reveals Sub-Neptunes May Not Be Water-Rich Like We Thought | Sub-Neptunes Are Drier than They Seem: Rethinking the Origins of Water-rich Worlds, | ETH Zurich | A recent study challenges previous assumptions about water-rich exoplanets like K2-18b, suggesting that these sub-Neptunes likely lose most of their water during formation, leaving only minimal amounts at the surface. This research indicates that instead of vast oceans, these planets may have conditions unfavorable for life, reshaping our understanding of their potential habitability. | Alien Water Worlds Were Just a MirageIllustration of exoplanet K2-18b. The planet is thought to have a thick gas envelope and no global ocean. Credit: ESA/Hubble, M. Kornmesser, CC BY 4.0 -- An exoplanet orbiting a dwarf star 124 light-years from Earth made headlines around the world in April 2025. Researchers at the University of Cambridge reported that planet K2-18b could be a marine world with a deep, global ocean teeming with life. However, a study now shows that so-called sub-Neptunes such as K2-18b are highly unlikely to be worlds dominated by water and that conditions there are far from conducive to life. "Water on planets is much more limited than previously believed," notes Caroline Dorn, professor of exoplanets at ETH Zurich. -- The study was conducted under the leadership of ETH Zurich, in collaboration with researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg and the University of California in Los Angeles. K2-18b is larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune, placing it in a class of planets that do not exist in our solar system. However, observations show that they are common in outer space. Some of these sub-Neptunes were probably formed far away from their central star, beyond the so-called snow line where water freezes into ice and later migrates inwards. -- Until now, it had been assumed that some of these planets were able to accumulate particularly large amounts of water during their formation and now harbour deep, global oceans beneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. Experts refer to these as Hycean planets: a combination of "hydrogen" and "ocean." -- Factoring in the chemistry -- "Our calculations show that this scenario is not possible," says Dorn. This is because a fundamental vulnerability of previous studies was that they ignored any chemical coupling between the atmosphere and the interior of the planet. "We have now factored in the interactions between the planet's interior and its atmosphere," explains Aaron Werlen, a researcher on Dorn's team and lead author of the study which was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. -- The researchers assume that, in an early stage of their formation, the sub-Neptunes went through a phase in which they were covered by a deep, hot magma ocean. A shell of hydrogen gas ensured that this phase was maintained for millions of years. -- "In our study, we investigated how the chemical interactions between magma oceans and atmospheres affect the water content of young sub-Neptune exoplanets," says Werlen. -- To do this, the researchers used an existing model that describes planetary evolution over a specific period of time. They combined this with a new model that calculates the chemical processes that take place between the gas in the atmosphere, and the metals and silicates in the magma. -- Water disappearing into the interior | 687 |
| Scientists Just Found The Hidden Cosmic Fingerprints Of Dark Matter | Cosmic Fingerprints Of Dark Matter Illuminate Galaxy Growth And Evolution Secrets | ODIN: Clustering Analysis of 14,000 Lyα-emitting Galaxies at z = 2.4, 3.1, and 4.5, | Rutgers University | Researchers at Rutgers have made a groundbreaking discovery regarding dark matter by studying over 100,000 Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies. Their work mapped dark matter concentrations across three eras post-Big Bang, revealing crucial “fingerprints” that illustrate how galaxies evolve, suggesting that this invisible matter plays a fundamental role in cosmic formation and growth. | The Hidden Cosmic Fingerprints of Dark MatterBy analyzing the clustering of Lyman-alpha galaxies, researchers uncovered dark matter “fingerprints” that shaped the early universe. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- A Rutgers-led team of scientists has uncovered evidence of how galaxies expand by tracing the invisible scaffolding of the universe created by a mysterious substance known as dark matter. -- In a newly published study in Astrophysical Journal Letters, researchers used what they said are the largest-ever samples of special galaxies called Lyman-alpha emitters to study how galaxies clumped together over billions of years. In doing so, they gained an improved understanding of how galaxies relate to the surrounding dark matter and how they evolve over time. -- "Analyzing these fingerprints gives us insight into the mass of dark matter surrounding the galaxies," said Eric Gawiser, a Distinguished Professor with the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences and an author of the study. "The dark matter masses revealed by this study are consistent with the idea that Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies evolved into present-day galaxies like our own Milky Way." -- The analysis, which assessed wide-field images across three different eras of the universe's history shortly after the Big Bang, revealed distinct patterns, akin to cosmic fingerprints. These patterns point to where dark matter is most concentrated, the researchers said. -- Dark matter, a mysterious substance that doesn't emit light or energy, cannot be seen, but makes up most of the matter in the universe, according to scientists. They know dark matter exists because its gravity affects how galaxies move and how these vast cosmic systems are arranged in space. -- The study, led by Rutgers doctoral student Dani Herrera, used data from the ODIN (One-hundred-square-degree DECam Imaging in Narrowbands) survey, which is a large astronomical project designed to analyze more than 100,000 Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies. -- The researchers focused on data taken from a region of the sky known as the Cosmic Evolution Survey Deep Field (COSMOS), in one of the largest deep-sky surveys ever conducted. Looking deep into space and into the distant past, they viewed three time periods, some 2.8 billion, 2.1 billion and 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang. During these periods, Lyman-alpha emitter galaxies were young and actively forming stars, making them ideal markers for study. They also contain hydrogen gas that emits a special glow, which allows scientists to discover large numbers of them in the distant universe. -- "We wanted to find the dark matter whose gravity drives galaxies to merge and grow," Herrera said. "Understanding where it is and how it has evolved helps us understand how the universe itself has evolved." -- Dark matter plays a crucial role in galaxy formation by acting as a gravitational "glue" that helps pull gas together to form galaxies, Herrera said. Its invisible mass creates deep wells in space where galaxies can grow, merge and evolve, forming the large-scale structure of the universe. | 688 |
| NASA’s Perseverance Just Found New Evidence That Mars Could Have Been Habitable | Mars’ Jezero Crater Reveals Evidence Of Past Water Activity That Could Support Life | Multiple Episodes of Fluid Alteration in Jezero Crater Indicated by MIST Mineral Identifications in PIXL XRF Data From the First 1100 Sols of the Mars 2020 Mission, | Rice University | NASA's Perseverance rover has significantly advanced our understanding of Mars' potential for life by examining Jezero Crater, where it uncovered evidence of three distinct stages of water activity. The rover's findings reveal past conditions that could have supported life, as geochemical data show interactions between volcanic rocks and liquid water, guiding future explorations for signs of ancient life. | New Evidence That Mars Could Have Been HabitableThis image is of Jezero Crater on Mars, the landing site for NASA's Mars 2020 mission. It was taken by instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), which regularly takes images of potential landing sites for future missions. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/JHU-APL -- New research using NASA's Perseverance rover has uncovered strong evidence that Mars' Jezero Crater experienced multiple episodes of fluid activity -- each with conditions that could have supported life. -- By analyzing high-resolution geochemical data from the rover, scientists have identified two dozen types of minerals, the building blocks of rocks, that help reveal a dynamic history of volcanic rocks that were altered during interactions with liquid water on Mars. The findings, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, provide important clues for the search for ancient life and help guide Perseverance's ongoing sampling campaign. -- The study was led by Rice University graduate student Eleanor Moreland and employed the Mineral Identification by Stoichiometry (MIST) algorithm -- a tool developed at Rice -- to interpret data from Perseverance's Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL). PIXL bombards Martian rocks with X-rays to reveal their chemical composition, offering the most detailed geochemical measurements ever collected on another planet, according to the study. -- "The minerals we find in Jezero using MIST support multiple, temporally distinct episodes of fluid alteration," Moreland said, "which indicates there were several times in Mars' history when these particular volcanic rocks interacted with liquid water and therefore more than one time when this location hosted environments potentially suitable for life." -- Minerals form under specific environmental conditions of temperature, pH and the chemical makeup of fluids, making them reliable storytellers of planetary history. In Jezero, the 24 mineral species reveal the volcanic nature of Mars' surface and its interactions with water over time. The water chemically weathers the rocks and creates salts or clay minerals, and the specific minerals that form depend on environmental conditions. The identified minerals in Jezero reveal three types of fluid interactions, each with different implications for habitability. -- The first suite of minerals -- including greenalite, hisingerite and ferroaluminoceladonite -- indicate localized high-temperature acidic fluids that were only found in rocks on the crater floor, which are interpreted as some of the oldest rocks included in this study. The water involved in this episode is considered the least habitable for life, since research on Earth has shown high temperatures and low pH can damage biological structures. -- "These hot, acidic conditions would be the most challenging for life," said co-author Kirsten Siebach, assistant professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Rice. "But on Earth, life can persist even in extreme environments like the acidic pools of water at Yellowstone, so it doesn't rule out habitability." -- The second suite of minerals reflects moderate, neutral fluids that support more favorable conditions for life and were present over a larger area. Minerals like minnesotaite and clinoptilolite formed at lower temperatures and neutral pH with minnesotaite detected in both the crater floor and the upper fan region, while clinoptilolite was restricted to the crater floor. -- Finally, the third category represents low-temperature, alkaline fluids and is considered quite habitable from our modern Earth perspective. Sepiolite, a common alteration mineral on Earth, formed under moderate temperatures and alkaline conditions and was found widely distributed across all units the rover has explored. The presence of sepiolite in all of these units reveals a widespread episode of liquid water creating habitable conditions in Jezero crater and infilling sediments. | 689 |
| White Dwarf Caught Devouring A Frozen Pluto-Like World | Astronomers Discover White Dwarf Consuming Frozen Planetary Fragments, Seeds Of Life Beyond | Chemical enrichment by collapsars as the origin of the unusually high [Ba/Fe] in a massive star cluster of the dwarf galaxy NGC 1569, | University of Warwick | Astronomers have detected the chemical signature of a water-rich planetary fragment being consumed by a white dwarf star, suggesting that icy bodies like comets may be common in exoplanetary systems. This discovery highlights the importance of such fragments for delivering essential ingredients for life, reinforcing the idea that similar materials may exist beyond our solar system. | White Dwarf Caught Devouring a Frozen WorldArtist's Impression of white dwarf WD 1647+375 accreting icy planetary fragments from a Pluto-like world, creating the chemical signature identified in this study. Credit: Snehalata Sahu/University of Warwick -- University of Warwick astronomers have uncovered the chemical fingerprint of a frozen, water-rich planetary fragment being consumed by a white dwarf star outside our Solar System. -- In our Solar System, it is thought that comets and icy planetesimals (small solid objects in space) were responsible for delivering water to Earth. The existence of these icy objects is a requirement for the development of life on other worlds, but it is incredibly difficult to identify them outside our Solar System as icy objects are small, faint and require chemical -- In a study published in MRNAS, astronomers from Warwick, Europe and the US have found strong evidence that icy, volatile-rich bodies -- capable of delivering water and the ingredients for life -- exist in planetary systems beyond our own. -- To make this discovery, the group used ultraviolet spectroscopy from the Hubble Space Telescope to study the chemical make-up of distant stars. One star, WD 1647+375, stood out as having 'volatiles' (chemical substances with low melting points) on the surface. White dwarf atmosphere is typically made up of hydrogen and helium, but WD 1647+375 had elements such as carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen. -- This volatile-rich atmosphere was the first clue that WD 1647+375 was different. -- Lead author Snehalata Sahu, Research Fellow, Department of Physics, University of Warwick said: "It is not unusual for white dwarfs to show signatures of calcium, iron and other metal from the material they are accreting (absorbing). This material comes from planets and asteroids that come too close to the star and are shredded and accreted. Analyzing the chemical make-up of this material gives us a window into how planetesimals outside the Solar System are composed. -- "In this way, white dwarfs act like cosmic crime scenes -- when a planetesimal falls in, its elements leave chemical fingerprints in the star's atmosphere, letting us reconstruct the identity of the 'victim'. Typically, we see evidence of rocky material being accreted, such as calcium and other metals, but finding volatile-rich debris has been confirmed in only a handful of cases." -- One volatile -- nitrogen -- is a particularly important chemical fingerprint of icy worlds. The ultraviolet spectroscopy in this study showed that the material gained by WD 1647+375 had a high percentage of its mass as nitrogen (~5%). This is the highest nitrogen abundance ever detected in a white dwarf's debris. The atmosphere of WD 1647+375 had also gained much more oxygen than would be expected if the object being absorbed was rock -- 84% more, both suggesting an icy object. -- The astronomers also had data to show that the debris had been feeding the star for at least the last 13 years, at a rate of 200,000 kg (the weight of an adult blue whale) per second. This meant that the icy object was at least 3km across (or comet sized), but this is a minimum size as accretion can take hundreds of thousands of years more than this 13-year snapshot, meaning the object could be closer to 50km in diameter and a quintillion kilograms. | 690 |
| Rare Einstein Cross With Extra Image Reveals Hidden Dark Matter | Einstein Cross Reveals Unprecedented Insights Into Distant Galaxies And Dark Matter Halos | HerS-3: An Exceptional Einstein Cross Reveals a Massive Dark Matter Halo, | Rutgers University | A rare Einstein Cross phenomenon with an additional fifth image has provided an unprecedented opportunity to investigate dark matter. Researchers employed advanced radio telescopes and computer simulations to reveal the presence of a massive dark matter halo, offering insights into both distant galaxies and the elusive structures that shape our universe. | Rare Einstein Cross Reveals Hidden Dark MatterA rare cosmic configuration: An Einstein Cross with five points of light, instead of the usual four, has been discovered by scientists. Credit: Nicolás Lira Turpaud (ALMA Observatory) & adapted from Cox et al. 2025 -- When Rutgers theoretical astrophysicist Charles Keeton first saw an unusual picture shared by his colleague, he was intrigued. -- "Have you ever seen an Einstein Cross with an image in the middle?" his colleague Andrew Baker asked, referring to a rarely seen cosmic configuration. -- Keeton hadn't. The implications were enormous. -- "I said, well, that's not supposed to happen," said Keeton, the Vice Provost for Experiential Learning at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. "You can't get a fifth image in the center unless something unusual is going on with the mass that's bending the light." -- An "Einstein Cross" is a rarely seen cosmic configuration, in which the light from a distant galaxy is bent by the gravity of galaxies in front of it, creating four images. But the extra image in this Einstein Cross pointed to "something unusual," which turned out to be a massive, hidden halo of dark matter. The existence of this invisible structure could only be inferred through careful computer modeling and analysis. -- The discovery, made by an international team that includes Keeton, Baker and Rutgers graduate student Lana Eid, is now being published in The Astrophysical Journal. -- Dark matter makes up most of the matter in the universe, but it can't be seen directly. "We only know it's there because of how it affects the things we can see, like the way it bends light from distant galaxies," said Baker, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the School of Arts and Sciences and a co-author of the study. "This discovery gives us a rare chance to study that invisible structure in detail." -- The first step toward that discovery was taken in France. -- "We were like, 'What the heck?'" said Pierre Cox, a French astronomer, Research Director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and the study's lead author, who first spotted the anomaly in data from the Northern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) of radio telescopes in the French Alps. | 691 |
| Shocking Study Exposes Widespread Math Research Fraud | Shocking Math Research Fraud Exposed: Trust In Science Is At Risk | How to Fight Fraudulent Publishing in the Mathematical Sciences: Joint Recommendations of the IMU and the ICIAM, | German Mathematical Society (DMV) | A major investigation into the integrity of mathematics publishing has uncovered widespread fraud, raising serious concerns about the reliability of research. The study, led by experts in the field, highlights the influence of commercial metrics on publication practices, urging reforms to restore trust and ensure quality in mathematical research. | Widespread Math Research Fraud ExposedFake science is spreading through mathematics publishing, threatening the credibility of research worldwide. -- An international team of authors led by Ilka Agricola, professor of mathematics at the University of Marburg, Germany, has investigated fraudulent practices in the publication of research results in mathematics on behalf of the German Mathematical Society (DMV) and the International Mathematical Union (IMU), documenting systematic fraud over many years. The results of the study were recently published on the preprint server arxiv.org and in the Notices of the American Mathematical Society (AMS) and have since caused a stir among mathematicians. -- To solve the problem, the study also provides recommendations for the publication of research results in mathematics. -- Nowadays, research quality is often no longer measured directly by the content of publications, but increasingly by commercial indicators such as the number of publications/citations by authors or the "reputation" (impact factor) of journals. These indicators are calculated in a non-transparent manner and without the involvement of the scientific community by commercial providers, who use them to boost sales of their databases worldwide. Fraudulent companies offer their services specifically to optimize these metrics. This is worthwhile for both individuals and institutions, because a higher ranking, e.g., in a university ranking, means better access to funding and (in an international context) the possibility of charging higher tuition fees and attracting more applicants. The collateral damage is a high percentage of publications whose sole purpose is to boost the indicators, but which no one reads because they contain no new scientific findings or are even flawed. -- The study cites some striking examples. For example, based on its database, the market leader for metrics, Clarivate Inc., calculated in 2019 that the university with the most world-class researchers in mathematics is a university in Taiwan -- where mathematics is not even offered as a subject. Megajournals, which print anything as long as the authors pay for it, now publish more articles per year than all reputable mathematics journals (which do not require payment) combined. Fraudsters anonymously offer everything that influences key figures for sale, from articles to citations, in exchange for payment. -- "'Fake science' is not only annoying, it is a danger to science and society," emphasizes IMU Secretary General Prof. Christoph Sorger. "Because you don't know what is valid and what is not. Targeted disinformation undermines trust in science and also makes it difficult for us mathematicians to decide which results can be used as a basis for further research." DMV President Prof. Jürg Kramer added: "The recommendations developed by the commission are a call to all of us to work toward a system change." | 692 |
| Strange Signals At Absolute Zero Hint At Dark Matter’s Secrets | QROCODILE Detects Incredible Dark Matter Signals, Opening Doors To New Discoveries | First Sub-MeV Dark Matter Search with the QROCODILE Experiment Using Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors, | The Hebrew University of Jerusalem | The QROCODILE experiment has set new sensitivity records in the search for dark matter, employing advanced superconducting detectors to measure interactions with ordinary matter. These promising results suggest a pathway to uncovering elusive dark matter particles, representing a significant step forward in resolving one of physics’ most enduring mysteries. | Strange Signals Hint at Dark Matter’s SecretsPhysicists have unveiled QROCODILE, a groundbreaking detector capable of probing ultralight dark matter with unprecedented precision. The results hint at unexplained signals and push science closer to solving one of its greatest mysteries. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- A new experiment called QROCODILE, led by the University of Zurich and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has achieved record sensitivity in the hunt for light dark matter. Using superconducting detectors cooled to near absolute zero, the team set world-leading limits on how dark matter interacts with ordinary matter -- opening the door to future breakthroughs in one of physics' greatest mysteries. -- [Hebrew University of Jerusalem]- Dark matter, the elusive substance that makes up about 85% of the universe's mass, remains one of the greatest mysteries in physics. Invisible and undetectable by ordinary means, it neither emits nor absorbs light, leaving scientists with only indirect evidence of its existence. For decades, researchers have tried in vain to catch a glimpse of these elusive particles. -- Now, an international collaboration of scientists has unveiled promising first results with a novel experiment called QROCODILE (Quantum Resolution-Optimized Cryogenic Observatory for Dark matter Incident at Low Energy). The project, led jointly by the University of Zurich and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, involving also Cornell University, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), and MIT, has demonstrated a new path in the search for "light" dark matter particles. -- At the heart of QROCODILE is a cutting-edge superconducting detector capable of measuring incredibly faint energy deposits -- down to just 0.11 electron-volts, millions of times smaller than the energies usually detected in particle physics experiments. This sensitivity opens an entirely new frontier: testing the existence of extremely light dark matter particles, with masses thousands of times smaller than those probed by previous experiments. -- In a science run lasting more than 400 hours at temperatures near absolute zero, the team recorded a small number of unexplained signals. While these events cannot yet be confirmed as dark matter -- they may stem from cosmic rays or natural background radiation -- they already allow researchers to set new world-leading limits on how light dark matter particles interact with electrons and atomic nuclei -- An additional strength of the experiment is its potential to detect the directionality of incoming signals. Since the Earth moves through the galactic halo, dark matter particles are expected to arrive from a preferred direction. Future upgrades could allow scientists to distinguish between true dark matter signals and random background noise, a crucial step toward a definitive discovery. -- Prof. Yonit Hochberg of the Racah Institute of Physics at the Hebrew University, one of the project's lead scientists, explains: "For the first time, we've placed new constraints on the existence of especially light dark matter. This is an important first step toward larger experiments that could ultimately achieve the long-sought direct detection." -- The next stage of the project, NILE QROCODILE, will further enhance the detector's sensitivity and move the experiment underground to shield it from cosmic rays. With improved shielding, larger detector arrays, and even lower energy thresholds, the researchers aim to push the boundaries of our understanding of the dark universe. | 693 |
| Harvard’s Salt Trick Could Turn Billions Of Tons Of Hair Into Eco-Friendly Materials | Harvard's Breakthrough Salt Method Turns Waste Hair Into Eco-Friendly Materials | Entropy-driven denaturation enables sustainable protein regeneration through rapid gel-solid transition, | Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | Scientists at Harvard have discovered a novel method for breaking down keratin-based materials such as hair and feathers using salts to alter water structures. This sustainable approach opens up new possibilities for recycling protein waste into valuable products, potentially replacing plastics and fostering new green industries. | Salt Trick Turns Hair Into Eco-Friendly MaterialsAn artist's depiction of hair, made out of keratin, denaturing when ions are present. Credit: Michael Rosnach -- Key Takeaways -- SEAS researchers have discovered the chemical mechanism by which certain salt compounds break down protein waste, like wool and feathers. -- The discovery enables a gentler and more sustainable protein recycling process. -- The textile and meat-processing industries produce billions of tons of waste annually in the form of feathers, wool and hair, all of which are rich in keratin - the strong, fibrous protein found in hair, skin and nails. -- Turning all that animal waste into useful products - from wound dressings to eco-friendly textiles to health extracts - would be a boon for the environment and for new, sustainable industries. But upcycling proteins is challenging: Breaking down, or de-naturing, proteins into their component parts typically requires corrosive chemicals in large, polluting facilities, keeping any cost-effective protocol out of reach. -- Researchers in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have uncovered key fundamental chemistry of how proteins like keratin de-nature in the presence of certain salt compounds - an insight that could take protein recycling to the next level. -- A team led by Kit Parker, the Tarr Family Professor of Bioengineering and Applied Physics at SEAS, combined experiments and molecular simulations to better illuminate the chemical mechanisms by which salts cause proteins to unfold. They've shown that a solution of concentrated lithium bromide, a salt compound known to break apart keratin, interacts with the protein molecules in a completely unexpected way - not by binding to the proteins directly, as was conventional wisdom, but by changing the structure of the surrounding water molecules to create a setting more favorable for spontaneous protein unfolding. -- This insight allowed the researchers to design a gentler, more sustainable keratin extraction process, separating the protein out of solution easily and without the need for harsh chemicals. The process can also be reversed with the same salt mixture, enabling recovery and reuse of lithium bromide denaturants. -- The research is published in Nature Communications and is also featured in a Behind the Paper blog post. | 694 |
| Scientists Crack A 50-Year Solar Mystery With A Scorching Discovery | Scientists Discover New Insights About Solar Flares And Solve Longstanding Mysteries | Solar Flare Ion Temperatures, | University of St. Andrews | Recent findings from the University of St Andrews reveal that solar flare ions can reach temperatures exceeding 60 million degrees, far hotter than previously believed. This discovery may resolve a long-standing mystery in solar physics regarding flare spectral lines, enhancing our understanding of solar behavior and its implications for Earth. | Scientists Crack a 50-Year Solar MysteryA solar limb flare with a comparatable scale of Earth. Credit: Created by Alexander Russell (University of Andrews) using the open-source SunPy Python package and data from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory space telescope via NASA EPIC Team -- New research from the University of St Andrews has proposed that particles in solar flares are 6.5 times hotter than previously thought and provided an unexpected solution to a 50-year-old mystery about our nearest star. -- Solar flares are sudden and huge releases of energy in the Sun's outer atmosphere that heat parts of it to greater than 10 million degrees. These dramatic events greatly increase the solar X-rays and radiation reaching Earth and are hazardous to spacecraft and astronauts, as well as affecting our planet's upper atmosphere. -- The research, published on Sept. 3 in Astrophysical Journal Letters, looked at evidence of how flares heat solar plasma to greater than 10 million degrees. This solar plasma is made up of ions and electrons. The new research argues that solar flare ions, positively charged particles that make up half of the plasma, can reach over 60 million degrees. -- Looking at data from other research areas, the team, led by Dr Alexander Russell, Senior Lecturer in Solar Theory from the School of Mathematics and Statistics, realized that solar flares are very likely to heat the ions more strongly than the electrons. -- Dr Russell, said: "We were excited by recent discoveries that a process called magnetic reconnection heats ions 6.5 times as much as electrons. This appears to be a universal law, and it has been confirmed in near-Earth space, the solar wind and computer simulations. However, nobody had previously connected work in those fields to solar flares." -- "Solar physics has historically assumed that ions and electrons must have the same temperature. However, redoing calculations with modern data, we found that ion and electron temperature differences can last for as long as tens of minutes in important parts of solar flares, opening the way to consider super-hot ions for the first time." -- "What's more," he added, is that the new ion temperature fits well with the width of flare spectral lines, potentially solving an astrophysics mystery that has stood for nearly half a century." -- There has been a long-standing question since the 1970s about why flare spectral lines, bright enhancements in the solar radiation at specific "colors" in extreme-ultraviolet and X-ray light, are broader than expected. Historically, it was believed that this could only be due to turbulent motions, but that interpretation has come under pressure as scientists have tried to identify the nature of the turbulence. After nearly 50 years, the new work argues for a paradigm shift where the ion temperature can make a large contribution to explaining the enigmatic line widths of solar flare spectra. | 695 |
| Scientists Just Created Spacetime Crystals Made Of Knotted Light | New Method Creates Spacetime Crystals By Weaving Knotted Light Structures | Space-Time Optical Hopfion Crystals, | Light Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS | Researchers from Singapore and Japan have developed a blueprint for creating hopfions, unique knot-like light structures that can be arranged into repeating spacetime crystals. This innovative approach has the potential to revolutionize information processing and photonic storage by harnessing the unique properties of these complex light patterns. | Spacetime Crystals Made of Knotted LightConcept of a 3D space-time hopfion crystal. Credit: Y. Shen et al. -- An internationally joint research group between Singapore and Japan has unveiled a blueprint for arranging exotic, knot-like patterns of light into repeatable crystals that extend across both space and time. The work lays out how to build and control "hopfion" lattices using structured beams at two different colors, pointing to future systems for dense, robust information processing in photonics. -- Hopfions are three-dimensional topological textures whose internal "spin" patterns weave into closed, interlinked loops. They have been observed or theorized in magnets and light fields, but previously they were mainly produced as isolated objects. The authors show how to assemble them into ordered arrays that repeat periodically, much like atoms in a crystal, only here the pattern repeats in time as well as in space. -- The key is a two-color, or bichromatic, light field whose electric vector traces a changing polarization state over time. By carefully superimposing beams with different spatial modes and opposite circular polarizations, the team defines a "pseudospin" that evolves in a controlled rhythm. When the two colors are set to a simple ratio, the field beats with a fixed period, creating a chain of hopfions that recur every cycle. -- Starting from this one-dimensional chain, the researchers then describe how to sculpt higher-order versions whose topological strength can be dialed up or down. In their scheme, one can tune an integer that counts how many times the internal loops wind and even flip its sign by swapping the two wavelengths. In simulations, the resulting fields show near-ideal topological quality when integrated over a full period. -- Beyond time-only repetition, the paper outlines a route to true three-dimensional hopfion crystals: a far-field lattice formed by an array of tiny emitters with tailored phase and polarization, all driven at two close colors. The lattice naturally divides into subcells with opposite local topology, yet preserves a clean, alternating pattern across the whole structure. The authors sketch practical layouts using dipole arrays, grating couplers, or microwave antennas to realize the source arrangement. -- Unlike earlier optical hopfions that relied on beam diffraction along the propagation axis, this design works in the joint spacetime domain at a fixed plane, with periodic beating doing the heavy lifting. The team also discusses when the structures can "fly" some distance while maintaining their topology, and when diffraction undermines their integrity. -- Why it matters: topological textures like skyrmions have already reshaped ideas for dense, low-error data storage and signal routing. Extending that toolkit to hopfion crystals in light could unlock high-dimensional encoding schemes, resilient communications, atom trapping strategies, and new light-matter interactions. "The birth of spacetime hopfion crystals," the authors write, opens a path to condensed, robust topological information processing across optical, terahertz, and microwave domains. | 696 |
| Tiny Hologram Inside A Fiber Lets Scientists Control Light With Incredible Precision | Metafiber Revolutionizes Light Control Inside Fibers, Enhancing Precision And Efficiency | Tunable metafibers: remote spatial focus control using 3D nanoprinted holograms on dual-core fibers, | Light Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS | A team in Germany has engineered the Metafiber, a cutting-edge optical device that enables ultra-precise control of light focus within a fiber, utilizing a nanoprinted hologram instead of bulky mechanisms. This innovation could significantly enhance optical technologies, allowing for rapid and compact adjustments in light direction and focus. | Tiny Hologram for Ultraprecise Light ControlFigure 1. Illustration of the Tunable Metafiber concept. Credit: Sun, J., Huang, W., Lorenz, A. et al. | 697 |
| This Tiny Iron Catalyst Could Transform The Future Of Clean Energy | Revolutionary Iron Catalyst Could Make Hydrogen Fuel Cells More Affordable And Efficient | Acidic oxygen reduction by single-atom Fe catalysts on curved supports, | Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters | Researchers have developed an iron-based catalyst that could rival platinum in hydrogen fuel cells, enhancing efficiency and durability while reducing harmful byproducts. This breakthrough design, which incorporates an “inner activation, outer protection” principle, promises to make hydrogen energy cleaner and more economically viable for widespread use. | High-Performance Iron Catalyst for Fuel CellsScientists have created a powerful iron-based fuel cell catalyst that challenges platinum, offering cleaner, longer-lasting hydrogen power. (Construction of CS Fe/N-C.) Credit: Yasong Zhao | 698 |
| A Strange Quantum Effect Could Power Future Electronics | Flat Electronic Bands In Superconductors Could Transform Future Quantum Technology | Spin excitations and flat electronic bands in a Cr-based kagome superconductor, | Rice University | Findings from Rice University demonstrate that active flat electronic bands in kagome superconductors directly influence their superconductivity and magnetism. This significant discovery could guide the engineering of new quantum materials, potentially leading to advancements in technologies based on quantum mechanics and novel electronic applications. | Quantum Effect Could Power Future ElectronicsActive flat bands in kagome superconductors have been experimentally proven, opening the door to engineering powerful new quantum materials for future electronics. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Researchers at Rice University and collaborating institutions have discovered direct evidence of active flat electronic bands in a kagome superconductor. This breakthrough could pave the way for new methods to design quantum materials -- including superconductors, topological insulators and spin-based electronics -- that could power future electronics and computing technologies. The study, published in Nature Communications Aug. 14, centers on the chromium-based kagome metal CsCr₃Sb₅, which becomes superconducting under pressure. -- Kagome metals, characterized by their two-dimensional lattices of corner-sharing triangles, have recently been predicted to host compact molecular orbitals, or standing-wave patterns of electrons that could potentially facilitate unconventional superconductivity and novel magnetic orders that can be made active by electron correlation effects. In most materials, these flat bands remain too far from active energy levels to have any significant impact; however, in CsCr₃Sb₅, they are actively involved and directly influence the material's properties. -- Pengcheng Dai, Ming Yi and Qimiao Si of Rice's Department of Physics and Astronomy and Smalley-Curl Institute, along with Di-Jing Huang of Taiwan's National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, led the study. -- "Our results confirm a surprising theoretical prediction and establish a pathway for engineering exotic superconductivity through chemical and structural control," said Dai, the Sam and Helen Worden Professor of Physics and Astronomy. -- The finding provides experimental proof for ideas that had only existed in theoretical models. It also shows how the intricate geometry of kagome lattices can be used as a design tool for controlling the behavior of electrons in solids. -- "By identifying active flat bands, we've demonstrated a direct connection between lattice geometry and emergent quantum states," said Yi, an associate professor of physics and astronomy. -- The research team employed two advanced synchrotron techniques alongside theoretical modeling to investigate the presence of active standing-wave electron modes. They used angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) to map electrons emitted under synchrotron light, revealing distinct signatures associated with compact molecular orbitals. Resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) measured magnetic excitations linked to these electronic modes. -- "The ARPES and RIXS results of our collaborative team give a consistent picture that flat bands here are not passive spectators but active participants in shaping the magnetic and electronic landscape," said Si, the Harry C. and Olga K. Wiess Professor of Physics and Astronomy, "This is amazing to see given that, until now, we were only able to see such features in abstract theoretical models." -- Theoretical support was provided by analyzing the effect of strong correlations starting from a custom-built electronic lattice model, which replicated the observed features and guided the interpretation of results. Fang Xie, a Rice Academy Junior Fellow and co-first author, led that portion of the study. | 699 |
| Scientists Finally Solve A Century-Old Quantum Mystery | Vermont Team Solves Century-Old Quantum Puzzle With New Measurement Techniques | Quantum Lamb model, | University of Vermont | A Vermont research team has solved a decades-old puzzle by creating a quantum version of the damped harmonic oscillator. This breakthrough allows for a comprehensive description of atomic vibrations while adhering to quantum uncertainty principles, paving the way for the development of highly precise measurement tools. | After 90 Years, Quantum Vibrations ExplainedScientists finally solved a century-old quantum puzzle, paving the way for revolutionary precision technologies. Credit: Shutterstock -- A plucked guitar string can vibrate for seconds before falling silent. A playground swing, emptied of its passenger, will gradually come to rest. These are what physicists call "damped harmonic oscillators" and are well understood in terms of Newton's laws of motion. -- But in the tiny world of atoms, things are strange -- and operate under the bizarre laws of quantum physics. University of Vermont professor Dennis Clougherty and his student Nam Dinh wondered if there are systems in the atomic world that behave like the vibrating motion of a guitar string in the Newtonian world. "If so, can we construct a quantum theory of the damped harmonic oscillator?" Clougherty wondered. -- In a study published on July 7, 2025, in the journal Physical Review Research, he and Dinh did just that: found an exact solution to a model that behaves as a "damped quantum harmonic oscillator," they write -- a guitar-string type of motion at the scale of atoms. -- It turns out that for roughly 90 years, theorists have tried to describe these damped harmonic systems using quantum physics -- but with limited success. "The difficulty involves preserving Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, a foundational tenet of quantum physics," says Clougherty, a professor of physics at UVM since 1992. Unlike the human-scale world of, say, bouncing balls or arcing rockets, the famed Heisenberg uncertainty principle shows that there is a fundamental limit to the precision with which the position and momentum of a particle can be known simultaneously. At the scale of an atom, the more accurately one property is measured, the less accurately the other can be known. -- Lamb Chopped -- The model studied by the UVM physicists was originally constructed by British physicist Horace Lamb in 1900, before Werner Heisenberg was born, and well before the development of quantum physics. Lamb was interested in describing how a vibrating particle in a solid could lose energy to the solid. Using Newton's laws of motion, Lamb showed that elastic waves created by the particle's motion feed back on the particle itself and cause it to damp -- that is, to vibrate with less and less energy over time. -- "In classical physics, it is known that when objects vibrate or oscillate, they lose energy due to friction, air resistance, and so on," says Dinh. "But this is not so obvious in the quantum regime." -- Clougherty and Dinh (who graduated from UVM in 2024 with a BS in physics, in 2025 with a master's degree, and is now pursuing a PhD in mathematics at UVM) -- with support from the National Science Foundation and NASA -- reformulated Lamb's model for the quantum world and found its solution. "To preserve the uncertainty principle, it is necessary to include in detail the interaction of the atom with all the other atoms in the solid," Clougherty explains, "it's a so-called many-body problem." -- Tiny Tools? | 700 |
| Caltech Breakthrough Makes Quantum Memory Last 30 Times Longer | Caltech Develops Sound-Powered Quantum Memory That Lasts 30 Times Longer | A mechanical quantum memory for microwave photons, | California Institute of Technology | Caltech researchers have made strides in quantum memory technology by converting quantum information into sound waves, effectively extending storage times for qubit data up to 30 times longer than current methods. This innovation represents a significant leap toward practical and scalable quantum computing solutions. | Caltech Breakthrough Extends Quantum Memory 30xCaltech scientists have created a hybrid quantum memory that turns qubit data into sound, allowing it to last up to 30 times longer than with current superconducting systems. Credit: Shutterstock -- While conventional computers store information in the form of bits, fundamental pieces of logic that take a value of either 0 or 1, quantum computers are based on qubits. These can have a state that is simultaneously both 0 and 1. This odd property, a quirk of quantum physics known as superposition, lies at the heart of quantum computing's promise to ultimately solve problems that are intractable for classical computers. -- Many existing quantum computers are based on superconducting electronic systems in which electrons flow without resistance at extremely low temperatures. In these systems, the quantum mechanical nature of electrons flowing through carefully designed resonators creates superconducting qubits. These qubits are excellent at quickly performing the logical operations needed for computing. However, storing information -- in this case quantum states, mathematical descriptors of particular quantum systems -- is not their strong suit. Quantum engineers have been seeking a way to boost the storage times of quantum states by constructing so-called "quantum memories" for superconducting qubits. -- Now a team of Caltech scientists has used a hybrid approach for quantum memories, effectively translating electrical information into sound so that quantum states from superconducting qubits can survive in storage for a period up to 30 times longer than in other techniques. -- The new work, led by Caltech graduate students Alkim Bozkurt and Omid Golami, supervised by Mohammad Mirhosseini, assistant professor of electrical engineering and applied physics, appears in a paper published in the journal Nature Physics. -- "Once you have a quantum state, you might not want to do anything with it immediately," Mirhosseini says. "You need to have a way to come back to it when you do want to do a logical operation. For that, you need a quantum memory." -- Previously, Mirhosseini's group showed that sound, specifically phonons, which are individual particles of vibration (in the way that photons are individual particles of light) could provide a convenient method for storing quantum information. The devices they tested in classical experiments seemed ideal for pairing with superconducting qubits because they worked at the same extremely high gigahertz frequencies (humans hear at hertz and kilohertz frequencies that are at least a million times slower). They also performed well at the low temperatures needed to preserve quantum states with superconducting qubits and had long lifetimes. -- Now Mirhosseini and his colleagues have fabricated a superconducting qubit on a chip and connected it to a tiny device that scientists call a mechanical oscillator. Essentially a miniature tuning fork, the oscillator consists of flexible plates that are vibrated by sound waves at gigahertz frequencies. When an electric charge is placed on those plates, the plates can interact with electrical signals carrying quantum information. This allows information to be piped into the device for storage as a "memory" and be piped out, or "remembered," later. -- The researchers carefully measured how long it took for the oscillator to lose its valuable quantum content once information entered the device. "It turns out that these oscillators have a lifetime about 30 times longer than the best superconducting qubits out there," Mirhosseini says. -- This method of constructing a quantum memory offers several advantages over previous strategies. Acoustic waves travel much slower than electromagnetic waves, enabling much more compact devices. Moreover, mechanical vibrations, unlike electromagnetic waves, do not propagate in free space, which means that energy does not leak out of the system. This allows for extended storage times and mitigates undesirable energy exchange between nearby devices. These advantages point to the possibility that many such tuning forks could be included in a single chip, providing a potentially scalable way of making quantum memories. | 701 |
| Tiny “Talking” Robots Form Shape-Shifting Swarms That Heal Themselves | New Microrobots Communicate Via Sound To Form Self-Healing Acoustic Swarms | Acoustic Signaling Enables Collective Perception and Control in Active Matter Systems, | Penn State | Scientists have designed microscopic robots that communicate using sound waves to create self-organizing “acoustic swarms.” These innovative micromachines can adapt to their environment and perform complex tasks, opening up new possibilities for applications in pollution cleanup, medical treatments, and exploration of hazardous areas. | Tiny “Talking” Robots Form Shape-Shifting SwarmsA new study led by Penn State researchers shows for the first time how sound waves could function as a means of controlling micro-sized robots. Credit: Igor Aronson / Penn State -- Animals like bats, whales and insects have long used acoustic signals for communication and navigation. Now, an international team of scientists have taken a page from nature's playbook to model micro-sized robots that use sound waves to coordinate into large swarms that exhibit intelligent-like behavior. The robot groups could one day carry out complex tasks like exploring disaster zones, cleaning up pollution, or performing medical treatments from inside the body, according to team lead Igor Aronson, Huck Chair Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, and Mathematics at Penn State. -- "Picture swarms of bees or midges," Aronson said. "They move, that creates sound, and the sound keeps them cohesive, many individuals acting as one." -- The researchers published their work on August 12 in the journal Physical Review X. -- Since the miniature, sound-broadcasting swarms of micromachines are self-organizing, they can navigate tight spaces and even re-form themselves if deformed. The swarms' collective -- or emergent -- intelligence could one day be harnessed to carry out tasks like cleaning up pollution in contaminated environments, Aronson explained. -- Beyond the environment, the robot swarms could potentially work inside the body, delivering drugs directly to a problem area, for example. Their collective sensing also helps in detecting changes in surroundings, and their ability to "self-heal" means they can keep functioning as a collective unit even after breaking apart, which could be especially useful for threat detection and sensor applications, Aronson said. -- "This represents a significant leap toward creating smarter, more resilient and, ultimately, more useful microrobots with minimal complexity that could tackle some of our world's toughest problems," he said. "The insights from this research are crucial for designing the next generation of microrobots, capable of performing complex tasks and responding to external cues in challenging environments." -- For the study, the team developed a computer model to track the movements of tiny robots, each equipped with an acoustic emitter and a detector. They found that acoustic communication allowed the individual robotic agents to work together seamlessly, adapting their shape and behavior to their environment, much like a school of fish or a flock of birds. -- While the robots in the paper were computational agents within a theoretical -- or agent-based -- model, rather than physical devices that were manufactured, the simulations observed the emergence of collective intelligence that would likely appear in any experimental study with the same design, Aronson said. -- "We never expected our models to show such a high level of cohesion and intelligence from such simple robots," Aronson said. "These are very simple electronic circuits. Each robot can move along in some direction, has a motor, a tiny microphone, speaker and an oscillator. That's it, but nonetheless it's capable of collective intelligence. It synchronizes its own oscillator to the frequency of the swarm's acoustic field and migrates toward the strongest signal." | 702 |
| Scientists May Have Finally Found The Universe’s Missing Sulfur | Researchers May Have Discovered The Universe's Missing Sulfur In Icy Dust Grains | Missing interstellar sulfur in inventories of polysulfanes and molecular octasulfur crowns, | University of Mississippi | In a recent study, scientists have proposed that the mysterious scarcity of sulfur in space could be due to its presence in icy dust grains, forming unusual molecular structures. This finding helps clarify the long-standing mystery surrounding sulfur's absence and could shed light on its role as a vital component for life in the universe. | Scientists Found the Universe’s Missing SulfurClouds of cosmic dust and gas contain many of the building blocks needed for life, but sulfur is mysteriously rare. One of the most common forms of sulfur is S8, a ring of sulfur atoms that form a crown-like structure. A team of astrochemists, including an Ole Miss researcher, has discovered that the crowns may help point scientists in the right direction. Credit: John McCustion/University Marketing and Communications -- For decades, astrochemists have been looking for sulfur atoms in space and finding surprisingly little of the element that is a key ingredient to life. A new study could point to where it has been hiding. -- An international team of researchers including Ryan Fortenberry, an astrochemist at the University of Mississippi, and Ralf Kaiser, professor of chemistry at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and Samer Gozem, computational chemist at Georgia State University, published their research in the journal Nature Communications. -- "Hydrogen sulfide is everywhere: it's a product of coal-fired power plants, it has an effect on acid rain, it changes the pH levels of oceans and it comes out of volcanoes," Fortenberry said. "If we gain a better understanding of what the chemistry of sulfur can do, the technological commercialization that can come from that can only be realized with a foundation of fundamental knowledge." -- Sulfur is the 10th most abundant element in the universe and is considered a vital chemical element for planets, stars and life. The lack of molecular sulfur in space has been a mystery for years. -- "The observed amount of sulfur in dense molecular clouds is less - compared to predicted gas-phase abundances- by three orders of magnitude," Kaiser said. -- The answer might lie in interstellar ice. -- In cold regions of space, sulfur can form two distinct, stable configurations: octasulfur crowns, which are a group of eight sulfur atoms configured in ring-like crowns, and polysulfanes, chains of sulfur atoms that are bonded by hydrogen. These molecules can form on icy dust grains, locking sulfur into solid forms. -- "If you use, for instance, the James Webb Space Telescope, you get a specific signature at specific wavelengths for oxygen and carbon and nitrogen and so forth," Fortenberry said. "But when you do that for sulfur, it's out of whack, and we don't know why there isn't enough molecular sulfur. -- "What this work is showing is that the most common forms of sulfur that we already know about are probably where the sulfur is hiding." | 703 |
| The Hidden Group That Loses COVID Protection Fast | Why Do Some People Lose Vaccine Protection Faster Than Others | Longitudinal antibody titers measured after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination can identify individuals at risk for subsequent infection. | Nagoya University | A Japanese study has identified a group of individuals who lose their COVID-19 vaccine protection more rapidly than others, despite initially having stronger antibody levels. Researchers observed four immune response patterns over 18 months in over 2,500 people. The "rapid-decliners" lost antibodies quickly, highlighting the need for monitoring immune response changes after vaccination to help identify those at higher risk for infection. | The Hidden Group That Loses COVID ProtectionHow COVID-19 vaccine responses change across individuals. Credit: Kyoko Kojima -- Two healthcare workers get COVID-19 vaccinations on the same day. Both show strong antibody responses initially, but six months later one stays healthy while the other contracts the virus. A new study published in Science Translational Medicine could help explain this difference. -- Researchers tracked individuals' antibody levels after vaccinations and identified four distinct patterns of immune response after the first booster vaccination. Notably, the group that started with the highest antibody levels but experienced a faster decline were infected earlier. People with lower blood levels of IgA(S) antibodies, which protect the nose and throat, were also at higher risk. The findings suggest that monitoring how antibody levels change over time could assist in identifying individuals at greater risk of infection. -- Led by scientists from Nagoya University in Japan, the research team measured antibody levels in 2,526 people over 18 months to see how vaccine responses changed between the first vaccination and later booster shots. They developed a mathematical classification system for COVID-19 vaccine responses using long-term tracking and AI-based computer analysis, becoming the first to systematically identify and characterize the "rapid-decliner" group. -- The researchers found that immune responses fell into four clear patterns: some people maintained high antibody levels over time (durable responders), others started with strong levels but lost them quickly (rapid-decliners), a third group produced few antibodies that also declined rapidly (vulnerable responders), and the rest fell in between (intermediate responders). -- Immunity that peaks early and then drops -- According to Shingo Iwami, senior author and professor at Nagoya University's Graduate School of Science, the results for the rapid-decliner group were surprising. "In spite of their impressive initial immune response, they caught COVID-19 sooner than other groups, while durable responders maintained protection for longer periods. One-time blood tests for IgG antibodies, the antibody type we used for classification, couldn't detect this risk. Only by tracking changes over months did we see the pattern," he explained. -- A breakthrough or subsequent infection refers to infections that occur after vaccination because the virus overcomes the immune protection that vaccines provide. The researchers found that people whose antibodies declined faster, either because they started low or dropped quickly (vulnerable responders and rapid-decliners), were slightly more likely to get breakthrough infections earlier. -- After booster vaccinations, 29% of participants fell into the durable responder category, 28% were vulnerable responders, and 19% were rapid-decliners. The remaining participants showed intermediate patterns. The differences in breakthrough infection rates between groups were modest -- 5.2% for durable responders and 6% for vulnerable and rapid-decliners. -- Breakthrough infections linked to IgA(S) antibody levels | 704 |
| Scientists Reverse Stroke Damage With Stem Cells | Stem Cell Breakthrough: A New Hope For Stroke Recovery | Neural xenografts contribute to long-term recovery in stroke via molecular graft-host crosstalk. | University of Zurich | Researchers at the University of Zurich have found that stem cell transplants can effectively reverse stroke damage in mice by regenerating neurons and restoring motor functions, as well as repairing blood vessels. This significant breakthrough not only offers hope for treating strokes in humans but also indicates potential advancements in therapies for brain disorders associated with stroke-related impairments. | Stem Cells Spark Brain Repair After StrokeThis image shows a coronal section through the mouse brain after stroke and neural stem cell transplantation. The dashed circle indicates the stroke area. The neurite projections of the transplanted human cells are stained in dark brown. Neurites extend locally into the cortex (CX) but also via the corpus callosum (CC) into the other brain hemisphere. Credit: University of Zurich -- Stem cell transplantation can reverse stroke damage, researchers at the University of Zurich report. Its beneficial effects include regeneration of neurons and restoration of motor functions, marking a milestone in the treatment of brain disorders. -- One in four adults suffer a stroke in their lifetime, leaving around half of them with residual damage such as paralysis or speech impairment because internal bleeding or a lack of oxygen supply kill brain cells irreversibly. No therapies currently exist to repair this kind of damage. "That's why it is essential to pursue new therapeutic approaches to potential brain regeneration after diseases or accidents," says Christian Tackenberg, the Scientific Head of Division in the Neurodegeneration Group at the University of Zurich (UZH) Institute for Regenerative Medicine. -- Neural stem cells have the potential to regenerate brain tissue, as a team led by Tackenberg and postdoctoral researcher Rebecca Weber has now compellingly shown in two studies that were conducted in collaboration with a group headed by Ruslan Rust from the University of Southern California. "Our findings show that neural stem cells not only form new neurons, but also induce other regeneration processes," Tackenberg says. -- New neurons from stem cells -- The studies employed human neural stem cells, from which different cell types of the nervous system can form. The stem cells were derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, which in turn can be manufactured from normal human somatic cells. For their investigation, the researchers induced a permanent stroke in mice, the characteristics of which closely resemble manifestation of stroke in humans. The animals were genetically modified so that they would not reject the human stem cells. -- One week after stroke induction, the research team transplanted neural stem cells into the injured brain region and observed subsequent developments using a variety of imaging and biochemical methods. "We found that the stem cells survived for the full analysis period of five weeks and that most of them transformed into neurons, which actually even communicated with the already existing brain cells," Tackenberg says. -- Brain regenerates itself -- The researchers also found other markers of regeneration: new formation of blood vessels, an attenuation of inflammatory response processes and improved blood-brain barrier integrity. "Our analysis goes far beyond the scope of other studies, which focused on the immediate effects right after transplantation," Tackenberg explains. Fortunately, stem cell transplantation in mice also reversed motor impairments caused by stroke. Proof of that was delivered in part by an AI-assisted mouse gait analysis. -- Clinical application moving closer to reality | 705 |
| Stanford Scientists Reveal Simple Shift That Could Prevent Strokes And Obesity Nationwide | Permanent Standard Time Could Help Save Lives And Improve Health | Circadian-informed modeling predicts regional variation in obesity and stroke outcomes under different permanent US time policies. | Stanford Medicine | A study by Stanford scientists emphasizes that maintaining permanent standard time could significantly reduce health risks linked to biannual clock changes, such as obesity and strokes. Their analysis reveals that permanent standard time would benefit public health more than permanent daylight saving time, potentially preventing approximately 300,000 stroke cases and significantly decreasing obesity rates across the nation. | Simple Shift Could Prevent Strokes and ObesityStanford researchers show that America’s biannual clock changes take a heavy toll on health, from obesity to strokes. Credit: Shutterstock -- Every spring, Americans dutifully adjust their clocks forward to daylight saving time, and every fall, back to standard time -- but no one seems very happy about it. The biannual time shift is not only inconvenient, it's also known to be acutely bad for our health. The collective loss of an hour of sleep on the second Sunday in March has been linked to more heart attacks and fatal traffic accidents in the ensuing days. -- Now, a study by Stanford Medicine researchers finds there are longer-term hazards as well -- and better alternatives. -- The researchers compared how three different time policies -- permanent standard time, permanent daylight saving time and biannual shifting -- could affect people's circadian rhythms, and, in turn, their health throughout the country. Circadian rhythm is the body's innate, roughly 24-hour clock, which regulates many physiological processes. -- The team found that, from a circadian perspective, we've made the worst choice. Either permanent standard time or permanent daylight saving time would be healthier than our seasonal waffling, with permanent standard time benefitting the most people. -- Indeed, by modeling light exposure, circadian impacts and health characteristics county by county, the researchers estimate that permanent standard time would prevent some 300,000 cases of stroke per year and result in 2.6 million fewer people having obesity. Permanent daylight saving time would achieve about two-thirds of the same effect. -- "We found that staying in standard time or staying in daylight saving time is definitely better than switching twice a year," said Jamie Zeitzer, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and senior author of the study to publish Sept. 15 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The lead author is Lara Weed, a graduate student in bioengineering. -- A theory lacking data -- Even among people who want to end seasonal time shifts, there's disagreement over which time policy to adopt. -- "You have people who are passionate on both sides of this, and they have very different arguments," Zeitzer said. | 706 |
| Ozempic, Wegovy And Mounjaro Makes Food Taste Sweeter And Saltier, And That May Quiet Cravings | How Ozempic, Wegovy, And Mounjaro Affect Taste Perception And Appetite | Real‐world insights into incretin‐based therapy: Associations between changes in taste perception and appetite regulation in individuals with obesity and overweight: A cross‐sectional study. | European Association for the Study of Diabetes | German and Austrian researchers have linked changes in taste perception experienced by patients taking Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro to reduced appetite and increased feelings of fullness. In a study of over 400 patients, about one in five reported heightened taste sensitivity, suggesting these medications may help control appetite and cravings, thereby enhancing long-term weight management strategies. | Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro Makes Food SweeterPatients on Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro often report food tasting sweeter or saltier, a change linked to lower appetite and fewer cravings, though not directly to weight loss. Credit: Shutterstock -- New research being presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria (September 15-19) shows that some individuals who are taking Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro find that foods taste sweeter or saltier than before. -- About one in five of those participating in the real-word study, published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, perceived sweetness more intensely and a similar number were more sensitive to salt - and these changes were linked to a reduction in appetite. -- "Incretin-based therapies such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are widely used for weight management but their effect on taste perception has been unclear," says Othmar Moser, of University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany, who led the research. -- "If changes in taste are linked to greater appetite control and weight loss, this could help clinicians better select therapies, provide more tailored dietary advice and improve long-term treatment outcomes for patients." -- To find out more, Professor Moser and colleagues from the Medical University of Vienna surveyed hundreds of individuals with overweight and obesity who were taking Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro for weight loss about their sense of taste and appetite. -- Of the 411 participants (69.6% female), 148 were on Ozempic, 217 were on Wegovy and 46 were taking Mounjaro. -- Median duration of treatment was similar for the three groups (Ozempic: 43 weeks; Wegovy: 40 weeks; and Mounjaro: 47 weeks), with all of the participants receiving treatment for at least three consecutive months. The average BMI before starting treatment was 34.7 kg/m2 (Ozempic), 35.6 kg/m2 (Wegovy) and 36.2 kg/m2 (Mounjaro). -- The participants, who were recruited online, were asked if their sense of taste (perception of sweetness, saltiness, sourness and bitterness) had changed since starting treatment. -- They were also asked about changes to appetite, satiety and food cravings, as well changes to lifestyle factors, such as smoking, and for self-reported data on height and weight before and during treatment. | 707 |
| Semaglutide May Silence The Food Noise In Your Head | Semaglutide May Reduce Food Obsessions And Improve Mental Health | Real‐world insights into incretin‐based therapy: Associations between changes in taste perception and appetite regulation in individuals with obesity and overweight: A cross‐sectional study. | European Association for the Study of Diabetes | New research presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes indicates that individuals taking semaglutide experience a notable decrease in "food noise," the obsessive thoughts about food that can hinder healthy lifestyle choices. This reduction in cravings and improvements in mental health may help those with obesity better adhere to diets and exercise regimens, enhancing overall treatment outcomes. | Semaglutide May Silence Food NoiseSemaglutide not only helps with weight loss but may also silence food noise, the constant cravings that undermine healthy living. Credit: Shutterstock -- New research being presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria (September 15-19) shows that individuals who are taking semaglutide for weight loss experience less food noise than before. -- Food noise refers to obsessive and intrusive thoughts about food and eating. This preoccupation with food can hinder healthy lifestyle implementation and lead to overeating, making weight loss difficult. -- Previous research has found that 57% of people who have living with overweight or obesity have experienced food noise, although few are familiar with the term. Many of those affected said that food noise made it more difficult to make healthy food choices or stick to an exercise plan. -- Some people also report that food noise affects their quality of life and their well-being. -- Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists such as semaglutide (brand names Wegovy and Ozempic) are highly effective at helping people who are living with obesity lose weight. By mimicking the action of a hormone called GLP-1, they reduce appetite and feelings of hunger, slow the release of food from the stomach and increase feelings of fullness after eating. -- However, little is known about how semaglutide, which was developed by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk A/S, affects food noise. -- To find out more, researchers from Novo Nordisk and Market Track LLC, a market research company, conducted a survey of 550 people in the US (average age 53 years, 86% female) who were taking semaglutide for weight loss. -- Some 81% (447) of the participants said they had been taking semaglutide for at least four months and 86% of the participants reported weighing at least 92kg (14st 7lb) before starting treatment. -- The participants were asked how food noise was currently affecting them and to recall how it had affected them before starting treatment. | 708 |
| Eating Mediterranean Could Be The Secret To Healthy Gums | Mediterranean Diet: A Possible Key To Healthier Gums | Relationship between Mediterranean diet and periodontal inflammation in a UK population: A cross‐sectional study. | King's College London | A King’s College London study suggests that a Mediterranean-style diet, rich in vegetables, legumes, fruits, and olive oil, may not only support heart health but also improve gum health by reducing inflammation markers. The research highlights a correlation between adherence to this diet and lower levels of gum disease, particularly in patients who consume less red meat. | Mediterranean Diet Linked to Healthier GumsA Mediterranean diet may be the secret to healthier gums and less inflammation. Credit: Shutterstock -- People living in the UK and following a diet close to the Mediterranean diet are more likely to have better gum health, with potentially lower amounts of gum disease and inflammation. -- Findings from a King's College London study indicate that people not following a Mediterranean - style diet tended to have more severe gum disease, especially if they consumed red meat frequently. -- In these patients, the researchers observed higher levels of circulating inflammatory markers, such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP). -- However, patients whose diets were rich in plant-based food which are typical of a Mediterranean diet, such as legumes, vegetables, fruits and olive oil, showed lower levels of various inflammatory markers. -- The research, published on September 15 in the Journal of Periodontology, evaluated 200 hospital patients enrolled in the King's College London Oral, Dental and Craniofacial Biobank by performing dental exams, taking blood samples, and asking them about their diets through questionnaires. -- The Mediterranean diet is known for its emphasis on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. It has been associated with a lower risk of developing major diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and certain cancers. -- There is substantial evidence showing that diet might play a role on human health by affecting the immune system and moderating inflammation. This depends on the composition of molecules in the diet, which include macronutrients, micronutrients and phytochemicals. Plant-based diets can contain more of these molecules which can lead to lower inflammation. -- Dr Giuseppe Mainas, first author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at King's College London, said: "Our findings suggest that a balanced, Mediterranean-type diet could potentially reduce gum disease and systemic inflammation. -- "We observed that there may be a connection between periodontal disease severity, diet, and inflammation. These aspects should be holistically considered when assessing the treatment for periodontitis in patients. Our research offers an important starting point that can lead to more research to better understand the relationship between foods intake and gum disease." | 709 |
| Stress Measured In Hair Could Predict Depression And Anxiety In Children | Long-Term Stress In Kids With Chronic Illnesses: A Mental Health Warning | Association Between Hair Cortisol and Psychopathology in Children With a Chronic Physical Illness. | University of Waterloo | A study from the University of Waterloo reveals that measuring long-term stress through hair samples can provide early indicators of mental health risks in children with chronic physical illnesses. High cortisol levels in hair samples are associated with increased anxiety and behavioral issues, underscoring the need for early intervention strategies to support emotional health in these vulnerable children. | Hair Test Reveals Kids’ Mental Health RisksHigh levels of hair cortisol reveal hidden mental health risks in children with chronic illnesses, offering doctors a non-invasive tool to predict and prevent future emotional challenges. Credit: Shutterstock -- Long-term stress levels, measured through hair samples, may provide important clues about mental health risks in children with chronic physical illnesses (CPI), according to new research from the University of Waterloo. -- The study highlights how high hair cortisol, a type of steroid hormone, acts as a powerful early warning sign that could help identify children who live with CPI and who could be most at risk of mental health challenges, helping guide prevention and treatment strategies to better support their health and well-being. -- An estimated 40 percent of children in Canada live with a CPI -- a number that has been rising steadily for decades. These children face a much higher risk of developing mental health problems than their healthy peers, putting them at greater risk for poor quality of life, suicidal thoughts and increased reliance on health-care services. -- "Living with a chronic illness means facing daily challenges such as taking medications, missing school and adjusting activities, all of which can take a serious emotional toll," said Emma Littler, a Waterloo PhD candidate in Public Health Sciences and lead author of the study. -- "Our findings suggest that chronically high stress, measured through hair samples, could help identify children with CPI at the highest risk for developing mental health problems. This opens the door to earlier and more targeted support." -- The study followed 244 Canadian children with chronic physical illnesses over four years, measuring stress using hair cortisol -- a biological marker that reflects stress levels over time. Researchers found that more than two-thirds of these children had persistently high cortisol levels. Those children were also more likely to show symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other mental health concerns compared to peers whose cortisol levels decreased over time. -- When the researchers compared these patterns to reports of emotional and behavioral difficulties, they found that children whose cortisol levels declined over time showed fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression and behavior problems than those whose cortisol levels stayed high. -- "Identifying these risk factors early could help doctors and families intervene before emotional and behavioral difficulties take hold," said Dr. Mark Ferro, a professor in Waterloo's School of Public Health Sciences and co-author of the study. -- "Hair cortisol offers a non-invasive, easy-to-collect biomarker that could one day be used to screen children and track whether treatments or support programs are helping to reduce stress." | 710 |
| Rogue DNA Rings May Be The Secret Spark Driving Deadly Brain Cancer | Can Rogue DNA Rings Unlock Glioblastoma's Mystery? | Extrachromosomal DNA–Driven Oncogene Spatial Heterogeneity and Evolution in Glioblastoma. | Queen Mary University of London | Researchers have discovered that rogue DNA known as ecDNA plays a pivotal role in glioblastoma’s early development, potentially aiding early detection and intervention. This groundbreaking finding indicates that ecDNA rings, which emerge before tumors fully form, drive glioblastoma's growth and adaptability, offering new avenues for precise treatment strategies for this aggressive brain cancer. | Hidden DNA Rings Could Drive Brain CancerResearchers discovered that ecDNA rings carrying cancer genes often appear in glioblastoma’s earliest stages, shaping its deadly growth. This breakthrough could enable earlier detection and more precise treatments. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- An international team of scientists has revealed how rogue rings of DNA that float outside of our chromosomes -- known as extrachromosomal DNA, or ecDNA -- can drive the growth of a large proportion of glioblastomas, the most common and aggressive adult brain cancer. The discovery could open the door to much-needed new approaches to diagnose glioblastoma early, track its progress and treat it more effectively. -- The findings, published on September 8 in Cancer Discovery, are the first to suggest that ecDNA rings containing cancer-driving genes often appear in the earliest stages of glioblastoma's development -- and in some cases, even before the tumour has fully formed. This early arrival may set the stage for the cancer's rapid growth, adaptability and resistance to treatment. -- The study was led by Dr Benjamin Werner at Queen Mary University of London and Professor Paul Mischel at Stanford University, both part of Cancer Grand Challenges' team eDyNAmiC, as well as Professor Charlie Swanton at The Francis Crick Institute. -- Tackling cancer's toughest challenges -- Glioblastoma is one of the most challenging cancers to treat, with median survival remaining at around 14 months and little improvement in recent decades. New approaches for earlier detection and more effective treatment are urgently needed. -- ecDNA is emerging as a potentially important player in many adult and paediatric cancers, including glioblastoma, but its role is complex and mysterious. The Cancer Grand Challenges initiative -- founded by Cancer Research UK and the National Cancer Institute in the US -- identified understanding ecDNA as one of the toughest challenges facing the field today. In 2022, they funded team eDyNAmiC -- a $25m international, cross-disciplinary consortium of experts in cancer, clinical research, evolutionary biology, computer science and mathematics -- to decipher ecDNA's role and identify ways to target it. The current study marks an important advance in team eDyNAmiC's work. -- Excavating a tumor's past -- In their new study, team eDyNAmiC and their collaborators integrated genomic and imaging data from patients with glioblastoma with advanced computational modelling of the evolution of ecDNAs in space and time. -- "We studied the tumours much like an archaeologist would. Rather than taking a single sample, we excavated multiple sites around the tumour, allowing us to build computational models describing how they evolved. We simulated millions of different scenarios to reconstruct how the earliest ecDNAs emerged, spread, and drove tumour aggressiveness, giving us a clearer picture of the tumour's origins and progression," explains senior author Dr Benjamin Werner, a group leader at the Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London. | 711 |
| Millions Have Diabetes Without Knowing It | Nearly Half Of Diabetes Cases Go Undetected, Especially In Young Adults | Global, regional, and national cascades of diabetes care, 2000–23: a systematic review and modelling analysis using findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study. | Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation | A global study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology reveals that nearly half of individuals with diabetes are unaware of their condition, especially among young adults. Despite most diagnosed individuals receiving treatment, only a fraction achieves optimal blood sugar control, indicating the urgent need for improved screening and healthcare access to prevent a looming diabetes crisis. | Millions Have Diabetes Without Knowing ItNearly half of diabetes cases remain undiagnosed, and even among those treated, only a fraction achieve proper control. Without stronger screening and better access to care, the world faces a fast-approaching diabetes crisis. Credit: Shutterstock -- A large portion of the global population with diabetes remains undiagnosed or is not receiving optimal care, according to a new study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine and a global network of collaborators conducted the analysis of the diabetes care cascade for all ages, both sexes, and 204 countries and territories from 2000 to 2023. -- In 2023, an estimated 44% of people aged 15 and older with diabetes are unaware of their condition. Underdiagnosis was greatest among young adults -- despite facing higher risks for long-term complications. -- Among those who were diagnosed, 91% were on some form of pharmacological treatment. However, of those receiving treatment, only 42% had their blood sugar levels managed optimally. This translates to just 21% of all people with diabetes globally having their condition under optimal management. -- Despite improvements over two decades, the research also found substantial regional diagnosis and treatment disparities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. High-income North America had the highest rates of diagnosis, while high-income Asia Pacific showed the highest rates of treatment among diagnosed individuals. Southern Latin America had the highest rates of optimal blood sugar management among those treated. In contrast, Central sub-Saharan Africa faced the largest gaps in diagnosis, with less than 20% of people with diabetes being aware of their condition. -- "By 2050, 1.3 billion people are expected to be living with diabetes, and if nearly half don't know they have a serious and potentially deadly health condition, it could easily become a silent epidemic," said Lauryn Stafford, first author and researcher at IHME. -- Given the pace at which cases are rapidly rising, the research underscores the urgent need for investment in screening programs for younger populations and access to medications and glucose-monitoring tools, especially in underserved regions. In 2022, the WHO set a target to have 80% of people with diabetes clinically diagnosed by 2030. -- The study was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. | 712 |
| Why So Many Young Kids With ADHD Are Getting The Wrong Treatment | ADHD Treatment Guidelines Often Ignored For Preschoolers | ADHD Diagnosis and Timing of Medication Initiation Among Children Aged 3 to 5 Years. | Stanford Medicine | A study led by Stanford Medicine shows that preschoolers diagnosed with ADHD often receive medication immediately, contrary to guidelines recommending behavioral therapy first. This early prescribing trend raises concerns about potential side effects and diminished therapy benefits, highlighting the challenges pediatricians face in adhering to recommended treatment approaches for young children with ADHD. | ADHD Drugs Rushed to Young Kids, Study FindsDoctors are prescribing ADHD medication to preschoolers too soon, raising concerns about side effects and missed therapy benefits. Credit: Shutterstock -- Young children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder often receive medication just after being diagnosed, which contravenes treatment guidelines endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, a Stanford Medicine-led study has found. -- The finding, published on Aug. 29 in JAMA Network Open, highlights a gap in medical care for 4- and 5-year-olds with ADHD. Treatment guidelines recommend that these young children and their families try six months of behavior therapy before starting ADHD medication. -- But pediatricians often prescribe medication immediately upon diagnosis, according to an analysis of medical records from nearly 10,000 young children with ADHD who received care in eight pediatric health networks in the United States. -- "We found that many young children are being prescribed medications very soon after their diagnosis of ADHD is documented," said the study's lead author, Yair Bannett, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics. "That's concerning, because we know starting ADHD treatment with a behavioral approach is beneficial; it has a big positive effect on the child as well as on the family." -- In addition, stimulant medications prescribed for the condition cause more side effects in young patients than they do in older children, Bannett said. Before age 6, children's bodies don't fully metabolize the drugs. -- "We don't have concerns about the toxicity of the medications for 4- and 5-year-olds, but we do know that there is a high likelihood of treatment failure, because many families decide the side effects outweigh the benefits," he said. Stimulant medication can make young children more irritable, emotional and aggressive. -- ADHD is a developmental disorder characterized by hyperactivity, difficulty paying attention and impulsive behavior. -- "It's important to catch it early because we know these kids are at higher risk for having academic problems and not completing school," Bannett said. Early identification and effective treatment for ADHD improve children's academic performance. Research has shown that good treatment also helps prepare individuals with ADHD for many aspects of adulthood, such as maintaining employment, having successful relationships and avoiding trouble with the law. -- Complementary treatments | 713 |
| New Drug Could Be First To Stop Deadly Fatty Liver Disease | Promising New Drug Could Transform Fatty Liver Disease Treatment | Antisense oligonucleotide DGAT-2 inhibitor, ION224, for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (ION224-CS2): results of a 51-week, multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial. | University of California - San Diego | Researchers at UC San Diego have identified an investigational drug, ION224, that could effectively treat MASH, a serious form of fatty liver disease linked to obesity and diabetes. By blocking a key liver enzyme, this drug has shown promise in reducing fat and inflammation in a clinical trial, potentially transforming treatment for millions at risk of liver damage. | New Drug May Stop Deadly Fatty Liver DiseaseA groundbreaking new drug may finally stop fatty liver disease before it turns deadly. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have identified a new investigational drug that shows promise in treating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a serious form of fatty liver disease linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes that can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, and even liver cancer. -- The study, published in the August 23, 2025 online edition of The Lancet, found that the medication, ION224, targets a liver enzyme called DGAT2, which plays a key role in how the liver produces and stores fat. By blocking this enzyme, the drug helps reduce fat buildup and inflammation, two major drivers of liver damage in MASH. -- "This study marks a pivotal advance in the fight against MASH," said Rohit Loomba, MD, principal investigator of the study and chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "By blocking DGAT2, we're interrupting the disease process at its root cause, stopping fat accumulation and inflammation right in the liver." -- The multicenter, Phase IIb clinical trial involved 160 adults with MASH and early to moderate fibrosis across the United States. Participants received monthly injections of the drug at different doses or a placebo over the course of one year. At the highest dose, 60% showed notable improvements in their liver health compared to the placebo group. These benefits occurred regardless of weight change, suggesting the drug could be used alongside other therapies. The medicine showed no serious side effects linked to the treatment. -- MASH, formally known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), affects people with metabolic conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes. It is often called a "silent" disease because it can progress for years without symptoms. -- More than 100 million people have some form of fatty liver disease in the U.S. and as many as 1 in 4 adults worldwide may be affected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If left untreated, MASH can progress to liver failure and often may require a transplant. -- "This is the first drug of its kind to show real biological impact in MASH," Loomba said. "If these findings are confirmed in Phase III trials, we may finally be able to offer patients a targeted therapy that halts and potentially reverses liver damage before it progresses to life-threatening stages." -- Loomba, who is also director of the metabolic-dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) research center at UC San Diego School of Medicine, and a gastroenterologist and hepatologist at UC San Diego Health, adds that for patients and families affected by this serious condition, these results bring new hope for better care and outcomes. He emphasizes that early intervention and targeted therapies may also help reduce the burden on health care systems by preventing costly and complex liver disease down the line. -- Next steps include a larger clinical trial to move closer to making this treatment widely available. | 714 |
| Wildfire Smoke Could Kill 70,000 Americans A Year By 2050 | Wildfire Smoke: A Growing Health Crisis Fueled By Climate Change | Wildfire smoke exposure and mortality burden in the US under climate change. | Stanford University | New research indicates that wildfire smoke is becoming a severe health crisis in the U.S., with climate change exacerbating the situation. As smoke from wildfires lingers longer and spreads further, estimates predict an alarming increase in deaths by mid-century, highlighting the urgent need to address this underestimated threat linked to climate change. | Wildfire Smoke Could Kill 70,000 a YearWildfire smoke is emerging as the deadliest climate threat in America, linked to tens of thousands of annual deaths. Researchers warn the burden will grow sharply even with major emission cuts. Credit: Shutterstock -- Wildfires burning across Canada and the Western United States are spewing smoke over millions of Americans - the latest examples of ashy haze becoming a regular experience, with health impacts far greater than scientists previously estimated. -- Although wildfires have long been part of life in the Western U.S., warmer, drier conditions are fueling bigger blazes that occur more often and for longer. Smoke from these blazes is spreading farther and lingering longer than in the past. In a Sept. 18 study in Nature, Stanford University researchers estimate that continued global warming could lead to about 30,000 additional deaths each year nationwide by 2050, as climate-driven increases in fire activity generate more smoke pollution across North America. -- "There's a broad understanding that wildfire activity and wildfire smoke exposure are changing quickly. This is a lived experience, unfortunately, for folks on the West Coast over the last decade and folks on the East Coast in the last few years," said senior study author Marshall Burke, a professor of environmental social sciences in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. "Our paper puts some numbers on what that change in exposure means for health outcomes, both now and in the future as the climate warms." -- The researchers found no U.S. community is safe from smoke exposure. When monetized, deaths related to wildfire smoke could reach $608 billion in annual damages by 2050 under a business-as-usual emissions scenario where global temperatures rise about 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. That estimated toll surpasses current estimates of economic costs from all other climate-driven damages in the U.S. combined, including temperature-related deaths, agricultural losses, and storm damage. -- "What we see, and this is consistent with what others find, is a nationwide increase in wildfire smoke," said lead study author Minghao Qiu, an assistant professor at Stony Brook University who worked on the study as a postdoctoral researcher in Burke's lab. "There are larger increases on the West Coast, but there's also long-range transport of wildfire smoke across the country, including massive recent smoke events in the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. from Canadian fires." -- Uniquely dangerous pollution -- Deaths from wildfire smoke result from inhaling a complex mix of chemicals. Wildfires can expose large numbers of people to these toxic pollutants for days or weeks at a time, contributing to deaths up to three years after the initial exposure, according to the new study. -- Within wildfire smoke pollution, researchers often focus on fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, which penetrates the lungs and enters the bloodstream. While the health effects of PM2.5 from other sources are well studied, less is known about the specific dangers of PM2.5 from wildfire smoke. Some recent research shows that wildfire smoke can contain a range of toxic chemicals harmful to human health. Qiu, Burke, and colleagues used U.S. death records to assess these additional risks from smoke. -- The researchers combined county-level data on all recorded U.S. deaths from 2006 to 2019 with measurements of ground-level smoke emissions, wind variation, and the movement of airborne particulate matter, using machine learning to predict how wildfire emissions changes in one area affected smoke concentrations in another. They linked changes in smoke concentrations to variation in historical mortality and used global climate models to project future fire activity, smoke levels, and health impacts under different warming scenarios through 2050. | 715 |
| Scientists Discover Microplastics Deep Inside Human Bones | Microplastics Found Inside Human Bones Raise Concerns About Health | Effects of microplastics on the bones: a comprehensive review. | Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo | Recent studies reveal that microplastics are infiltrating human bodies, including deep within bone tissue, raising concerns about their potential health impacts. These plastic particles may contribute to metabolic bone diseases like osteoporosis, particularly as fractures are projected to rise sharply, necessitating further investigation into their effects on skeletal health. | Microplastics Found Deep Inside Human BonesScientists are uncovering how microplastics infiltrate bone tissue, impairing cell function and weakening skeletal structures. This hidden threat could play a role in the alarming global rise of osteoporosis. Credit: Shutterstock -- The production and use of over 400 million tons of plastic each year has polluted beaches, rivers, and even the deepest parts of the ocean, reaching depths of up to 11,000 meters. In addition to visible environmental impacts, plastic contributes to climate change. It is estimated that plastic production generates 1.8 billion tons of greenhouse gases per year. Scientific evidence also suggests that using plastic materials in everyday life has impacted human health. -- A large number of plastic particles detach from curtains, furniture, clothing, and other plastic objects. These particles remain suspended in the air, dissolve in drinking water, adhere to food, and can be inhaled, ingested, or come into contact with people's skin. Consequently, scientists have found microplastics in blood, the brain, the placenta, breast milk, and human bones. -- A study linked to a research project supported by FAPESP and published in the journal Osteoporosis International reviewed 62 scientific articles and found that microplastics have also been harming bone health in various ways. One notable example is their ability to impair the function of bone marrow stem cells by promoting the formation of osteoclasts, which are multinucleated cells that degrade tissue through a process known as bone resorption. -- "The potential impact of microplastics on bones is the subject of scientific studies and isn't negligible. For example, in vitro studies with bone tissue cells have shown that microplastics impair cell viability, accelerate cell aging, and alter cell differentiation, in addition to promoting inflammation," says Rodrigo Bueno de Oliveira, coordinator of the Laboratory for Mineral and Bone Studies in Nephrology (LEMON) at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (FCM-UNICAMP), in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. -- Oliveira reports that studies on animals have found that accelerated osteoclast senescence can compromise bone microstructure, causing dysplasia. This can lead to bone weakening, deformities, and potentially pathological fractures. "In this study, the adverse effects observed culminated, worryingly, in the interruption of the animals' skeletal growth," says the researcher. -- Oliveira further explains that, although the effects of these particles on bone mechanics are not yet fully understood, the data suggest that the presence of the material in the bloodstream, for example, may compromise bone health. "Most strikingly, a significant body of research suggests that microplastics can reach deep into bone tissue, such as bone marrow, and potentially cause disturbances in its metabolism," he says. -- Connection -- Not surprisingly, Oliveira's team is starting a research project to verify in practice what seems perfectly possible in theory: the relationship between exposure to microplastics and the worsening of metabolic bone diseases. Using animal models, the scientists will study the impact of microplastics on the strength of rodent femurs. -- According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), the prevalence of osteoporosis-related fractures is increasing worldwide due to the aging population. It is estimated that there will be a 32% increase in osteoporosis-related fractures by 2050. | 716 |
| Doctors Warn Of A Stealth Opioid 20x More Potent Than Fentanyl | The Dangers Of Nitazenes: A Stealth Opioid Threat | Nitazenes: Are Pain Physicians Aware of the Risks? | Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nitazenes, a potent class of synthetic opioids, are contributing significantly to the overdose crisis, being over 20 times stronger than fentanyl and often undetectable in routine drug tests. Recent cases in Tennessee highlight a disturbing trend of these drugs mixed into counterfeit pills, underscoring the urgent need for awareness and detection strategies to combat their dangerous prevalence. | Stealth Opioid 20x More Potent Than FentanylNitazenes are ultra-potent synthetic opioids now linked to rising overdose deaths and often disguised in counterfeit pills. Credit: Shutterstock -- Nitazenes -- a class of highly potent synthetic opioids -- are rapidly emerging as a major contributor to the overdose crisis, according to a Pain Medicine review published on Sept 14 by authors from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. -- Originally developed in the 1950s but never approved for clinical use, these substances are over 20 times more potent than fentanyl and hundreds to thousands of times more potent than morphine. -- They can come in liquid, pills or powder form and have been found in substances sold via social media and on the illicit drug market since 2019. -- Created as a potential pain reliever but never approved for medical use in humans or studied in a clinical trial, nitazenes are an illegal Schedule I drug that can be difficult to detect with standard drug tests and are often mixed into counterfeit pills or other street drugs. -- "For patients, especially those with opioid use disorder or those exposed to illicit substances, nitazenes pose a serious and often hidden threat," said co-author Shravani Durbhakula, MD, associate professor of Anesthesiology, Division of Pain Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. -- "Because these drugs may not show up on routine toxicology screens, clinicians could miss a critical piece of the diagnosis during overdose treatment. Patients may also need higher or repeated doses of naloxone to reverse their effects," she said. -- The Tennessee State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (TN SUDORS) identified a total of 92 nitazene-involved fatal drug overdoses among Tennessee residents from 2019-2023. -- In Tennessee, naloxone was administered in only one in three deaths involving nitazenes, and in all nitazene-involved deaths the drug was laced with other substances, most commonly fentanyl and methamphetamine. -- "Many people consuming nitazenes don't even know they're taking them," Durbhakula said. "These substances are often adulterants in pills sold as other opioids, making public education more important than ever. | 717 |
| Scientists Finally Reveal The Hidden Mechanism Linking Alcohol To Fatty Liver | Discovering How Alcohol Triggers Fatty Liver Disease | An ethanol-induced loss of the lipid droplet–associated segregase VCP/p97 leads to hepatic steatosis. | Mayo Clinic | Mayo Clinic researchers have uncovered how excessive alcohol consumption leads to fatty liver disease by disrupting the valosin-containing protein (VCP), which prevents harmful fat buildup in the liver. This breakthrough could pave the way for new therapeutic approaches targeting the underlying causes of fatty liver disease, offering hope for those affected. | Fatty Liver’s Secret Culprit Finally ExposedResearchers found alcohol interferes with an enzyme that prevents fat buildup in the liver. This breakthrough could lead to new therapies for fatty liver disease. Credit: Shutterstock -- Mayo Clinic researchers have pinpointed how excessive alcohol consumption contributes to fatty liver disease, a condition that affects more than one in three people in the U.S. Also known as Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease, it is a long-lasting disease that can lead to type 2 diabetes and even liver cancer. Excessive alcohol can contribute to this fatty disease as well -- and Mayo Clinic researchers recently discovered a reason why. -- The researchers found that exposure to excessive alcohol alters an important enzyme that recycles damaged proteins. -- How the liver works -- The liver is the primary filter for everything you ingest. Liver cells, or hepatocytes, support this organ's giant job by releasing dozens of various proteins while collecting, sorting, degrading and recycling nearly everything that passes through this massive, sieve-like organ. Fat coming from the gut, for example, is absorbed then stored in hepatocytes as lipid droplets, which are globular structures that store fat. The body can use these lipid droplets as an energy source, especially during periods of fasting. However, too many lipid droplets can lead to fatty liver disease. -- The researchers found the key lies with an important enzyme called the valosin-containing protein (VCP). VCP plays a role in many important processes including recycling unwanted proteins and is found in cells throughout the body. -- "We were surprised to see VCP removing a specific protein from the surface of the lipid droplet. When that particular protein called HSD17β13 accumulates, the fat content in liver cells balloons and contributes to fatty liver disease," says Mark McNiven, Ph.D., senior author on the study, which was published and highlighted in the Journal of Cell Biology. -- In people without fatty liver disease, the enzyme, VCP, appears to keep the protein, HSD17β13, in check to prevent lipid droplets from over-accumulating in the liver cells. -- However, the researchers found that exposure to excessive alcohol removes VCP almost completely from the lipid droplet surface, allowing HSD17β13 to significantly accumulate. -- The researchers also saw and captured the elaborate recycling mechanism of VCP. They witnessed VCP working with a chaperone protein to deliver damaged proteins to an organelle called a lysosome, which then broke apart the unwanted proteins. | 718 |
| Alcohol’s Hidden Shortcut Lets Gut Bacteria Wreck The Liver | New Insights Into Alcohol's Impact On Gut Bacteria And Liver Damage | mAChR4 suppresses liver disease via GAP-induced antimicrobial immunity. | University of California - San Diego | Researchers at UC San Diego have discovered a new mechanism driving alcoholic liver disease, revealing how chronic alcohol use blocks a crucial protein that normally prevents gut bacteria from leaking into the liver. This finding suggests that restoring this protein's function may help mitigate liver damage and could aid in treating alcohol addiction. | Alcohol’s Hidden Shortcut to Liver DamageThis micrograph shows a small intestine organoid, a miniature model of mouse intestinal tissue. Experiments in these organoids helped UC San Diego researchers reveal a new underlying mechanism driving alcoholic liver disease. Credit: UC San Diego Health Sciences -- Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a major cause of liver transplantation and death worldwide, and its impact is only growing. In 2022, the annual cost of ALD in the United States was $31 billion. By 2040, this number could be as high as $66 billion. ALD has limited therapeutic options, so scientists are looking for new ways to target the molecular biology of ALD to help prevent its occurrence or reduce its severity. -- Now, scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have found that chronic alcohol use impairs the production of a key cellular signaling protein that helps keep gut bacteria within the gut. Without this guardrail in place, bacteria from the gut can more easily migrate to the liver, exacerbating liver damage caused by alcohol. Targeting this mechanism with existing drugs could provide one approach to minimizing the liver damage from alcohol use and reducing the burden of ALD. -- Studying a combination of human liver biopsies and mouse models of ALD, the researchers found: -- Chronic alcohol use reduced the expression of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M4 (mAChR4), a key cellular communication protein in the gut. -- Reduced mAChR4 expression hindered the formation of goblet cell-associated antigen passages (GAPs), specialized structures that teach the immune system to promote antimicrobial immunity, thereby preventing harmful bacteria from migrating to the liver. -- Restoring mAChR4 function, either by chemically activating mAChR4 or by targeting related signaling pathways allowed GAPs to form and conferred resistance to ALD. -- While the researchers focused on the role of mAChR4 in the gut, this cellular signaling protein is also known to play a critical role in sections of the brain that regulate habits, learning and addiction. This treatment approach may also have wider implications for alcohol-related disorders, because the expression of mAChR4 is known to be lower in the brains of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Drugs that target mAChR4 are currently in clinical trials for schizophrenia, and the researchers suggest that these drugs could be readily repurposed for ALD and AUD. However, further research is required to demonstrate this potential. -- The study, published in the journal Nature, was led by Cristina Llorente, Ph.D., Michael Karin, Ph.D., and Bernd Schnabl, M.D., at UC San Diego School of Medicine. The study was funded, in part, by the National Institutes of Health (grants R01 AA029106, R21 AA030654, P30 AR073761, D34 HP31027, P50 AA011999) and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (award 8998GA). Bernd Schnabl has consulted for Ferring Research Institute, HOST Therabiomics, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Mabwell Therapeutics, Patara Pharmaceuticals, Surrozen, and Takeda. He is also the founder of Nterica Bio. | 719 |
| Stopping Time In Cells Exposes Life’s Fastest Secrets | Groundbreaking Microscopy Technique Captures Life’s Fastest Biological Moments | Time-deterministic cryo-optical microscopy. | The University of Osaka | Scientists from The University of Osaka have developed a groundbreaking cryo-optical microscopy technique that freezes cells with millisecond precision, allowing for high-resolution visualization of dynamic cellular processes. This innovative approach captures ultra-detailed snapshots of transient biological events, providing new insights into cellular mechanics and advancing research in cell biology. | Scientists Freeze Living Cells in ActionA new cryo-optical microscopy technique freezes cells in motion, allowing scientists to capture ultra-detailed snapshots of fast biological processes with unprecedented accuracy. Credit: 2025, Kosuke Tsuji, Masahito Yamanaka et al., Time-deterministic cryo-optical microscopy, Light: Science&Applications -- Optical microscopy is a key technique for understanding dynamic biological processes in cells, but observing these high-speed cellular dynamics accurately, at high spatial resolution, has long been a formidable task. -- Now, in an article published in Light: Science & Applications, researchers from The University of Osaka, together with collaborating institutions, have unveiled a cryo-optical microscopy technique that take a high-resolution, quantitatively accurate snapshot at a precisely selected timepoint in dynamic cellular activity. Capturing fast dynamic cellular events with spatial detail and quantifiability has been a major challenge owing to a fundamental trade-off between temporal resolution and the 'photon budget', that is, how much light can be collected for the image. With limited photons and only dim, noisy images, important features in both space and time become lost in the noise. -- "Instead of chasing speed in imaging, we decided to freeze the entire scene," explains one of the lead authors Kosuke Tsuji. "We developed a special sample-freezing chamber to combine the advantages of live-cell and cryo-fixation microscopy. By rapidly freezing live cells under the optical microscope, we could observe a frozen snapshot of the cellular dynamics at high resolutions." -- For instance, the team froze calcium ion wave propagation in live heart-muscle cells. The intricately detailed frozen wave was then observed in three dimensions using a super-resolution technique that cannot normally observe fast cellular dynamics due to its slow imaging acquisition speed. -- "This research began with a bold shift in perspective: to arrest dynamic cellular processes during optical imaging rather than struggle to track them in motion. We believe this will serve as a powerful foundational technique, offering new insights across life-science and medical research," says senior author Katsumasa Fujita. One of the lead authors, Masahito Yamanaka, adds "Our technique preserves both spatial and temporal features of live cells with instantaneous freezing, making it possible to observe their states in detail. While cells are immobilized, we can take the opportunity to perform highly accurate quantitative measurements with a variety of optical microscopy tools." -- The researchers also demonstrated how this technique improves quantification accuracy. By freezing cells labeled with a fluorescent calcium ion probe, they were able to use exposure times 1000 times longer than practical in live-cell imaging, substantially increasing the measurement accuracy. -- To capture transient biological events at precisely defined moments, the researcher integrated an electrically triggered cryogen injection system. With UV light stimulation to induce calcium ion waves, this system enabled freezing of the calcium ion waves at a specific time point after the initiation of the event, with 10 ms precision. This allowed the team to arrest transient biological processes with unprecedented temporal accuracy. -- Finally, the team tuned their attention to combining different imaging techniques, which are often difficult to align in time. By the near-instantaneous freezing of samples, multiple imaging modalities can now be applied sequentially without worrying about temporal mismatch. In their study, the team combined spontaneous Raman microscopy and super-resolution fluorescence microscopy on the same cryofixed cells. This allowed them to view intricate cellular information from a number of perspectives at the exact same point in time. -- This innovation opens new avenues for observing fast, transient cellular events, providing researchers with a powerful tool to explore the mechanisms underlying dynamic biological processes. | 720 |
| Tiny Protein Dismantles The Toxic Clumps Behind Alzheimer’s | Tiny Protein Reveals Potential To Halt Alzheimer's Toxic Clumps | Midkine attenuates amyloid-β fibril assembly and plaque formation. | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have identified that midkine protein plays a protective role against Alzheimer's disease by inhibiting the harmful clumping of amyloid beta. This discovery highlights midkine's potential as a therapeutic target, opening new pathways for drug development aimed at preventing or mitigating Alzheimer's progression. | Protein Could Stop Alzheimer’s Before It StartsMidkine protein may be a natural defense against Alzheimer’s, offering hope for new therapies. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital demonstrated for the first time that the protein midkine plays a preventative role against Alzheimer's disease. Midkine is known to accumulate in Alzheimer's disease patients. Now, researchers have connected it with amyloid beta, a protein that accumulates in the brain, causing assemblies that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's. -- In work published on August 21 in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, the researchers revealed that midkine prevents amyloid beta from sticking together, and, consequently, Alzheimer's disease models lacking midkine show more amyloid beta accumulation. The findings lay the groundwork to better understand the disease-preventing mechanism of midkine and subsequent drug discovery pathways. -- Midkine blocks Alzheimer's amyloid assembly growth -- Midkine is a small, multifunctional growth factor protein found abundantly during embryonic development but also involved in normal cell growth. Its role in cell growth means that midkine is often overexpressed in cancer, making it a valuable biomarker. However, beyond some preliminary studies showing its increase in Alzheimer's, midkine's link to the neurodegenerative disease has been poorly understood. -- Corresponding author Junmin Peng, PhD, Departments of Structural Biology and Developmental Neurobiology, and his team utilized fluorescence assays, circular dichroism, electron microscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance with disease models that replicate amyloid beta accumulation to investigate the role of midkine in Alzheimer's thoroughly. They found that midkine and amyloid beta have a similar pattern at the protein level. -- "We know that correlation is not causative, so we wanted to demonstrate convincingly that real interactions are occurring between the two proteins," Peng explained. -- The researchers used a fluorescent sensor for amyloid beta assemblies, called thioflavin T, to show that the assemblies were broken up in the presence of midkine. Modeling of those data revealed that midkine inhibits amyloid beta elongation and secondary nucleation, two specific phases during assembly formation. Nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed this finding. -- "Once the amyloid beta assemblies grow, the signal becomes weaker and broader until it disappears because the technique can only analyze small molecules," said Peng. "But when we add in midkine, the signal returns, showing that it inhibits the large assemblies." -- Additionally, the researchers used Alzheimer's disease mouse models that have increased amyloid beta and demonstrated that removing the midkine gene resulted in even higher levels of amyloid beta assemblies. These results point to the protective role the protein has against Alzheimer's disease. | 721 |
| A Startling Omega-3 Deficiency May Explain Women’s Alzheimer’s Risk | Omega-3 Deficiency May Contribute To Women’s Alzheimer’s Risk | Lipid profiling reveals unsaturated lipid reduction in women with Alzheimer\'s disease. | King's College London | A recent study has found significant differences in how Alzheimer’s disease affects women compared to men, particularly regarding omega fatty acid levels in the blood. Women with Alzheimer’s showed a marked loss of protective omega fats, suggesting that omega-rich diets may play a crucial role in addressing sex-specific risks associated with the disease. | Omega-3 Deficiency Tied to Alzheimer’s in WomenAlzheimer’s impacts women differently than men, with a marked drop in protective omega fats found in female patients. This could explain why women are diagnosed more often. Credit: Shutterstock -- Omega fatty acids could protect against Alzheimer's disease in women, new research has found. -- Analysis of lipids - fat molecules that perform many essential functions in the body - in the blood found there was a noticeable loss of unsaturated fats, such as those that contain omega fatty acids, in the blood of women with Alzheimer's disease compared to healthy women. -- Scientists found no significant difference in the same lipid molecule composition in men with Alzheimer's disease compared to healthy men, which suggests that those lipids have a different role in the disease according to sex. Fats perform important roles in maintaining a healthy brain, so this study could indicate why more women are diagnosed with the disease. -- The study, published on August 20 in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association by scientists from King's College London and Queen Mary University London, is the first to reveal the important role lipids could have in the risk for Alzheimer's between the sexes. -- Senior author Dr Cristina Legido-Quigley, from King's College London, said: "Women are disproportionately impacted by Alzheimer's Disease and are more often diagnosed with the disease than men after the age of 80. One of the most surprising things we saw when looking at the different sexes was that there was no difference in these lipids in healthy and cognitively impaired men, but for women this picture was completely different. The study reveals that Alzheimer's lipid biology is different between the sexes, opening new avenues for research." -- The scientists took plasma samples from 841 participants who had Alzheimer's Disease, mild cognitive impairment and cognitively health controls and and were measured for brain inflammation and damage. -- They used mass spectrometry to analyze the 700 individual lipids in the blood. Lipids are a group of many molecules. Saturated lipids are generally considered as 'unhealthy' or 'bad' lipids, while unsaturated lipid, which sometime contains omega fatty acids, are generally considered 'healthy'. -- Scientists saw a steep increase in lipids with saturation - the 'unhealthy lipids' - in women with Alzheimer's compared to the healthy group. The lipids with attached omega fatty acids were the most decreased in the Alzheimer's group. -- Now, the scientists say there is a statistical indication that there is a causal link between Alzheimer's Disease and fatty acids. But a clinical trial is necessary to confirm the link. | 722 |
| Hidden Venom Divide In Australia’s Deadliest Snake Raises Urgent Treatment Questions | Australia’s Eastern Brown Snake Venom: A Hidden Treatment Challenge | X Marks the Clot: Evolutionary and Clinical Implications of Divergences in Procoagulant Australian Elapid Snake Venoms. | University of Queensland | A groundbreaking study from the University of Queensland reveals a significant difference in the venom of Australia’s Eastern Brown Snake, with southern snakes causing solid blood clots and northern snakes producing fragile ones. This variation raises concerns about the effectiveness of current antivenoms, which may not account for the distinct types of venom found across the species’ range, necessitating a reevaluation of treatment protocols. | Venom Divide in Australia’s Deadliest SnakeEastern Brown Snake venom isn’t uniform. Southern snakes produce strong clots, northern ones fragile webs, raising serious questions about whether existing antivenoms are truly effective. Credit: Shutterstock -- A University of Queensland study suggests the antivenom given to people bitten by Eastern Brown Snakes may not be as effective as it could be, prompting a review of hospital cases. -- Professor Bryan Fry from UQ's School of the Environment led a team which assessed the blood-clotting toxins in venoms from every Australian brown snake species. -- "We discovered not all brown-snake venoms are the same - meaning that lifesaving antivenom may need an urgent upgrade," Professor Fry said. -- "Some venoms formed a rock-solid clot in blood, while others spun up a rapid but flimsy web of clots that shredded almost instantly. -- "Both venoms can kill but they do it in completely different ways." -- The team used a process called thromboelastography, which assesses blood coagulation, and showed Eastern Brown Snakes (Pseudonaja textilis) from southern Australia have a 'taipan-like' venom that builds a strong, stable blood clot. -- Venom from northern populations of Eastern Brown Snake, as well as all other brown snake species, triggered fragile blood clots, but lightning fast. -- "Our data shows the effect on blood of an Eastern Brown Snake bite in northern areas and a bite in southern Australia are chalk and cheese," Professor Fry said. -- "Currently Australia's brown-snake antivenom is produced using a pool of venom of unstated geographic origin. | 723 |
| Why Some People Age Faster. And The 400 Genes Behind It | Uncovering 400 Genes Linked To Accelerated Aging | Uncovering the multivariate genetic architecture of frailty with genomic structural equation modeling. | University of Colorado at Boulder | Research from the University of Colorado Boulder has identified over 400 genes associated with unhealthy aging, shedding light on why aging varies among individuals. This study uncovers distinct pathways of frailty, which could lead to targeted therapies aimed at slowing the aging process and addressing the multiple chronic illnesses that accompany it, in line with the "geroscience hypothesis." | Scientists Reveal Why Some People Age FasterScientists have uncovered more than 400 genes linked to different forms of unhealthy aging, shedding light on why some people thrive into their 90s while others struggle decades earlier. Credit: Shutterstock -- It's a fact of life: Some people age better than others. -- Some ease into their 90s with mind and body intact, while others battle diabetes, Alzheimer's or mobility issues decades earlier. Some can withstand a bad fall or bout of the flu with ease, while others never leave the hospital again. -- New University of Colorado Boulder-led research, published this month in the journal Nature Genetics, sheds light on why that is. -- In it, an international team of co-authors identify more than 400 genes associated with accelerated aging across seven different sub-types. The study reveals that different groups of genes underlie different kinds of disordered aging, a.k.a. frailty, ranging from cognitive decline to mobility issues to social isolation. -- The findings lend support to what is known as the "geroscience hypothesis" -- the idea that to treat the multiple chronic illnesses that come with aging, we must treat aging itself. -- "To be able to identify treatments to stop or reverse accelerated biological aging, you need to know what the underlying biology is," said Isabelle Foote, first author on the paper and a postdoctoral researcher at CU's Institute for Behavioral Genetics. "This is the largest study yet to use genetics to try to do that." -- Redefining 'frailty' -- The study centers around "frailty," a catch-all term for the "multisystem physiological decline" that often comes with aging. -- More than 40% of U.S. adults over age 65 are considered frail. | 724 |
| Scientists Just Found A Protein That Reverses Brain Aging | New Protein Discovery Offers Hope For Reversing Brain Aging | Targeting iron-associated protein Ftl1 in the brain of old mice improves age-related cognitive impairment. | University of California - San Francisco | Scientists at UCSF have identified a protein called FTL1 that plays a crucial role in brain aging. Excessive levels of this protein in mice resulted in cognitive decline, but blocking FTL1 restored youthful brain function. This finding suggests that targeting FTL1 might open avenues for reversing cognitive decline rather than just slowing it down, marking a significant step in age-related research. | Protein That Reverses Brain AgingScientists identified FTL1 as the protein behind brain aging, and found that lowering it can actually reverse memory loss. Credit: Shutterstock -- Aging is particularly harsh on the hippocampus -- the brain region responsible for learning and memory. -- Now, researchers at UC San Francisco have identified a protein that's at the center of this decline. -- They looked at how the genes and proteins in the hippocampus changed over time in mice and found just one that differed between old and young animals. It's called FTL1. -- Old mice had more FTL1, as well as fewer connections between brain cells in the hippocampus and diminished cognitive abilities. -- When the researchers artificially increased FTL1 levels in young mice, their brains and behavior began to resemble that of old mice. -- In experiments in petri dishes, nerve cells engineered to make lots of FTL1 grew simple, one-armed neurites -- rather than the branching neurites that normal cells create. -- But once the scientists reduced the amount of FTL1 in the hippocampus of the old mice, they regained their youth. They had more connections between nerve cells, and the mice did better on memory tests. -- "It is truly a reversal of impairments," said Saul Villeda, PhD, associate director of the UCSF Bakar Aging Research Institute and senior author of the paper, which appears in Nature Aging on Aug. 19. "It's much more than merely delaying or preventing symptoms." -- In old mice, FTL1 also slowed down metabolism in the cells of the hippocampus. But treating the cells with a compound that stimulates metabolism prevented these effects. | 725 |
| Why Listening May Be The Most Powerful Medicine | The Transformative Power Of Listening In Healthcare | The Value — and the Values — of Listening. | Texas A&M University | In an era where healthcare often prioritizes speed over empathy, researchers emphasize the transformative power of listening in medical settings. Through values-driven listening, characterized by presence and compassion, both patients and providers can experience improved trust and care, potentially reshaping the healthcare landscape for better outcomes and stronger relationships. | Why Listening May Be the Most Powerful MedicineListening in health care is more than politeness—it’s healing. Researchers describe “values-driven listening,” where curiosity, presence, and compassion lead to stronger trust and better care. Credit: Shutterstock -- When you visit a doctor, you expect them to listen. But in today's fast-paced health care system, real listening -- the kind that makes you feel seen, heard and understood -- can be the first thing to go. -- A new article, co-authored by Dr. Leonard Berry of Texas A&M University's Mays Business School, argues that listening isn't just a nice gesture, it's a powerful tool that can improve your care and even help heal the health care system itself. -- Berry and colleagues at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Boston and Henry Ford Health Detroit published their findings in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. -- The Case Of The Norwegian Nurse -- The team identified what it calls "values-driven listening." It's about more than asking questions, it's about asking the right questions, being present and showing genuine curiosity and compassion. -- "Listening is the gateway to healing," Berry said. "It's how we connect, understand and ultimately serve better." -- One story in the article shows just how transformative listening can be. A nurse in a Norwegian nursing home asked a patient, "What would make a good day for you?" -- The patient responded: "I want to wear my blue shirt." -- "Why the blue one?" the nurse asked. | 726 |
| Mushrooms Evolved Psychedelics Twice, Baffling Scientists | Mushrooms Use Unique Pathways To Create Psilocybin: Nature’s Ingenious Mystery Unveiled | Dissimilar Reactions and Enzymes for Psilocybin Biosynthesis in Inocybe and Psilocybe Mushrooms. | Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute - | A recent study reveals that different mushroom species evolved distinct methods for producing psilocybin, a psychoactive compound. Magic mushrooms and fiber caps, while converging on the same outcome, utilized unique biochemical pathways for production. Though the evolutionary reasoning remains unclear, this discovery offers new tools for biotechnology, potentially enhancing the creation of psilocybin-based treatments for various medical conditions. | Mushrooms Evolved Psychedelics TwiceTwo distinct mushroom groups invented psilocybin independently, each with unique enzymes but the same outcome. The finding could revolutionize biotech production of psychedelic-based antidepressants while leaving nature’s motive unsolved. Credit: Shutterstock -- "This concerns the biosynthesis of a molecule that has a very long history with humans," explains Prof. Dirk Hoffmeister, head of the research group Pharmaceutical Microbiology at Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI). "We are referring to psilocybin, a substance found in so-called 'magic mushrooms', which our body converts into psilocin - a compound that can profoundly alter consciousness. However, psilocybin not only triggers psychedelic experiences, but is also considered a promising active compound in the treatment of therapy-resistant depression," says Hoffmeister. -- Two paths, one molecule -- The study, which was conducted within the Cluster of Excellence 'Balance of the Microverse', shows for the first time that fungi have developed the ability to produce psilocybin at least twice independently of each other. While Psilocybe species use a known enzyme toolkit for this purpose, fiber cap mushrooms employ a completely different biochemical arsenal - and yet arrive at the same molecule. This finding is considered an example of convergent evolution: different species have independently developed a similar trait, but the 'magic mushrooms' have gone their own way in doing so. -- Searching for clues in fungal genomes -- Tim Schäfer, lead author of the study and doctoral researcher in Hoffmeister's team, explains: "It was like looking at two different workshops, but both ultimately delivering the same product. In the fiber caps, we found a unique set of enzymes that have nothing to do with those found in Psilocybe mushrooms. Nevertheless, they all catalyze the steps necessary to form psilocybin." -- The researchers analyzed the enzymes in the laboratory. Protein models created by Innsbruck chemist Bernhard Rupp confirmed that the sequence of reactions differs significantly from that known in Psilocybe. "Here, nature has actually invented the same active compound twice," says Schäfer. -- However, why two such different groups of fungi produce the same active compound remains unclear. "The real answer is: we don't know," emphasizes Hoffmeister. "Nature does nothing without reason. So there must be an advantage to both fiber cap mushrooms in the forest and Psilocybe species on manure or wood mulch producing this molecule - we just don't know what it is yet." -- "One possible reason could be that psilocybin is intended to deter predators. Even the smallest injuries cause Psilocybe mushrooms to turn blue through a chemical chain reaction, revealing the breakdown products of psilocybin. Perhaps the molecule is a type of chemical defense mechanism," says Hoffmeister. -- More tools for biotechnology | 727 |
| Dogs Can Tell How Toys Work Without Any Training | Dogs Categorize Toys By Function, Showcasing Their Impressive Cognitive Skills | Dogs extend verbal labels for functional classification of objects. | Cell Press | A groundbreaking study indicates that dogs can categorize toys by their intended function, rather than by appearance alone. In playful tests, dogs linked verbal labels to toys they had never encountered before, suggesting a deeper understanding of language and object concepts akin to humans. This finding points to sophisticated cognitive abilities in dogs, broadening our understanding of their intelligence and communication skills. | Dogs Can Tell How Toys Work Without TrainingDogs can group objects by how they’re used, not just how they look. This discovery reveals that their understanding of words may be richer and more flexible than previously thought. Credit: Shutterstock -- As infants, humans naturally learn new words and their associations -- like the fact that forks are related to bowls because both are used to consume food. In a study published in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on September 18, a team of animal behavior experts demonstrate that dogs can categorize objects by function, too. In a series of playful interactions with their owners, a group of Gifted Word Learner (GWL) dogs were able to distinguish between toys used for tugging versus fetching, even when the toys in question didn't share any obvious physical similarities -- and then could remember those categorizations for long periods of time, all with no prior training. -- "We discovered that these Gifted Word Learner dogs can extend labels to items that have the same function or that are used in the same way," says author Claudia Fugazza of Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary. It's like a person calling both a traditional hammer and a rock by the same name, says Fugazza. -- "The rock and the hammer look physically different, but they can be used for the same function," she says. "So now it turns out that these dogs can do the same." -- The studies took place in the dogs' natural home environments with their human owners. At the beginning, the dogs spent time getting familiar with verbal labels for two functional groups of objects: pull and fetch. Their owners used these words with specific toys and played with them accordingly even though the toys didn't share any similar physical features. -- Next, the dogs were tested to see if they had learned to connect the functional labels to the correct group of toys before playing with more novel toys in the two distinct categories. However, this time, their owners didn't use the "pull" and "fetch" labels for the dogs. -- The team found that the dogs were able to extend the functional labels they'd learned previously to the new toys based on their experience playing with them. In the final test, the dogs showed that they could successfully apply the verbal labels to the toys by either pulling or fetching accordingly, even when their owners hadn't named them. -- "For these new toys, they've never heard the name, but they have played either pull or fetch, and so the dog has to choose which toy was used to play which game," Fugazza says. "This was done in a natural setup, with no extensive training. It's just owners playing for a week with the toys. So, it's a natural type of interaction." -- The authors note that the dogs' ability to connect verbal labels to objects based on their functional classifications and apart from the toys' physical attributes suggests that they form a mental representation of the objects based on their experience with their functions, which they can later recall. These findings provide insight into the evolution of basic skills related to language and their relationship to other cognitive abilities, including memory, the researchers say. -- More research is needed to understand the scope and flexibility of dogs' language categorization abilities. The researchers suggest future studies to explore whether dogs that don't learn object labels may nevertheless have an ability to classify objects based on their functions. | 728 |
| Scientists Uncover Exercise’s Secret Hunger-Busting Molecule | Exercise Reveals Molecule That Suppresses Appetite, Offering Hope For Obesity Treatments | Lac-Phe induces hypophagia by inhibiting AgRP neurons in mice. | Baylor College of Medicine | Research has uncovered a surprising molecular pathway that explains how exercise suppresses appetite. The compound Lac-Phe, produced during intense physical activity, has been shown to reduce hunger signals in the brain. This discovery not only highlights the biological mechanisms linking exercise to decreased appetite but also opens up potential new avenues for developing treatments aimed at combating obesity in humans. | Exercise’s Secret Hunger-Busting MoleculeExercise triggers Lac-Phe, a natural hunger-blocker that could revolutionize weight loss therapies. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers at Baylor College ofMedicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine and collaborating institutions provide new insights into how exercise helps lose weight. The researchers discovered a mechanism by which the compound Lac-Phe, which is produced during exercise, reduces appetite in mice, leading to weight loss. The findings appeared in Nature Metabolism. -- "Regular exercise is considered a powerful way to lose weight and to protect from obesity-associated diseases, such as diabetes or heart conditions," said co-corresponding author Dr. Yang He, assistant professor of pediatrics - neurology at Baylor and investigator at the Duncan NRI. "Exercise helps lose weight by increasing the amount of energy the body uses; however, it is likely that other mechanisms are also involved." -- The researchers previously discovered that Lac-Phe is the most increased metabolite - a product of the body's metabolism - in blood after intense exercise, not just in mice but also in humans and racehorses. The team's previous work showed that giving Lac-Phe to obese mice reduced how much they ate and helped them lose weight without negative side effects. But until now, scientists didn't fully understand how Lac-Phe works to suppress appetite. -- "Understanding how Lac-Phe works is important for developing it or similar compounds into treatments that may help people lose weight," He said. "We looked into the brain as it regulates appetite and feeding behaviors." -- The researchers studied two types of brain cells in mice. One type was AgRP neurons, which stimulate hunger and are in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. The other type was PVH neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. These neurons help suppress hunger. -- AgRP and PVH neurons work together. Normally, AgRP neurons send signals that inhibit PVH neurons, making you feel hungry. But when AgRP neurons are turned off, PVH neurons become more active, reducing appetite. -- He lab members and colleagues discovered that Lac-Phe directly inhibits AgRP neurons, which in turn activates PVH neurons. This chain of events resulted in mice eating less. The animals' behavior remained normal, suggesting that Lac-Phe doesn't cause unpleasant side effects. -- In addition, the team investigated how Lac-Phe inhibits AgRP neurons. "We found that Lac-Phe acts on a protein on AgRP neurons called KATP channel, which helps regulate cell activity. "When Lac-Phe activates these channels in AgRP neurons, the cells become less active," He said. "When we blocked the KATP channels using drugs or genetic tools, Lac-Phe no longer suppressed appetite. This confirmed that the KATP channel is essential for Lac-Phe's effects." -- This research helps explain how exercise can naturally reduce appetite and improve metabolism. "The results also suggest the exciting possibility of targeting this newly discovered mechanism for weight management," said co-corresponding author Dr. Yong Xu, currently at the University of South Florida. | 729 |
| New Breath Sensor Detects Diabetes Quickly And Easily | Quick Breath Sensor Detects Diabetes In Minutes, Revolutionizing Diagnosis For Millions | ZnO/LIG nanocomposites to detect acetone gas at room temperature with high sensitivity and low detection limit. | Penn State | Scientists have developed an innovative breath sensor designed to quickly diagnose diabetes and prediabetes by measuring acetone levels in exhaled breath. This rapid, non-invasive method offers a significant improvement over traditional lab tests, which can be costly and time-consuming. With this breakthrough, diagnosing diabetes may soon become as simple as breathing, potentially transforming how the disease is detected and managed. | A Breath Test That Detects DiabetesA team led by a researcher at Penn State has developed a sensor that can help diagnose diabetes and prediabetes on-site in a few minutes using just a breath sample. Credit: Larry Cheng/Penn State -- In the U.S., one in five of the 37 million adults who has diabetes doesn't know it. Current methods of diagnosing diabetes and prediabetes usually require a visit to a doctor's office or lab work, both of which can be expensive and time-consuming. Now, diagnosing diabetes and prediabetes may be as simple as breathing. -- A research team led by Huanyu "Larry" Cheng, James L. Henderson, Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State, has developed a sensor that can help diagnose diabetes and prediabetes on-site in a few minutes using just a breath sample. Their results were published in Chemical Engineering Journal. -- Previous diagnostic methods often used glucose found in blood or sweat, but this sensor detects acetone levels in the breath. While everyone's breath contains acetone as a byproduct of burning fat, acetone levels above a threshold of about 1.8 parts per million indicate diabetes. -- "While we have sensors that can detect glucose in sweat, these require that we induce sweat through exercise, chemicals or a sauna, which are not always practical or convenient," Cheng said. "This sensor only requires that you exhale into a bag, dip the sensor in and wait a few minutes for results." -- Cheng said there have been other breath analysis sensors, but they detected biomarkers that required lab analysis. Acetone can be detected and read on-site, making the new sensors cost-effective and convenient. -- In addition to using acetone as the biomarker, Cheng said another novelty of the sensor came down to design and materials -- primarily laser-induced graphene. To create this material, the CO2 laser is used to burn the carbon-containing materials, such as the polyimide film in this work, to create patterned porous graphene with large defects desirable for sensing. -- "This is similar to toasting bread to carbon black if toasted too long," Cheng said. "By tuning the laser parameters such as power and speed, we can toast polyimide into few-layered, porous graphene form." -- The researchers used laser-induced graphene because it is highly porous, meaning it lets gas through. This quality leads to a greater chance of capturing the gas molecule, since breath exhalation contains a relatively high concentration of moisture. However, by itself, the laser-induced graphene was not selective enough of acetone over other gases and needed to be combined with zinc oxide. -- "A junction formed between these two materials that allowed for greater selective detection of acetone as opposed to other molecules," Cheng said. | 730 |
| Smoking’s Hidden Gut Bacteria Trick May Lead To New Colitis Treatments | Smoking Alters Gut Bacteria, Offering Insights For New Ulcerative Colitis Treatments | Smoking affects gut immune system of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases by modulating metabolomic profiles and mucosal microbiota. | RIKEN | Researchers have unveiled why smoking exacerbates Crohn’s disease while providing unexpected protection against ulcerative colitis. The study found that smoking generates metabolites that encourage certain mouth bacteria to thrive in the gut, triggering immune responses that reduce inflammation in colitis but worsen Crohn’s. This insight may lead to new probiotic therapies that mimic the protective effects of smoking without its harmful health risks. | Why Smoking Helps Colitis but Hurts Crohn’sResearchers discovered that smoking fuels mouth bacteria to grow in the gut, easing inflammation in ulcerative colitis while aggravating Crohn’s disease. The breakthrough points to safer treatments using probiotics or smoking-related metabolites. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers led by Hiroshi Ohno at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) in Japan have discovered why smoking tobacco helps people suffering from ulcerative colitis, a chronic disease typified by inflammation of the large intestine. Published in the scientific journal Gut, the study shows that smoking produces metabolites that encourage bacteria from the mouth to grow in the large intestines where they trigger an immune response. These findings imply that protection against ulcerative colitis can be achieved through prebiotics like hydroquinone or probiotic therapy with bacteria like Streptococcus mitis, thus eliminating the need to smoke and all the associated risks for other diseases. -- Inflammatory bowel disease comes in two main varieties, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Although both cause chronic abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue and weight loss, their causes and the exact type and location of the inflammation differ. Along with these differences is a mystery that has puzzled doctors and scientists for over 40 years; smoking increases the risk of Crohn's disease but somehow protects against ulcerative colitis. As both diseases are related to gut inflammation -- which is an immune response -- and gut immunity depends in part on the types of bacteria in the gut, Ohno and his team at RIKEN IMS set out to investigate whether the differential effects of smoking on these diseases can be explained by gut bacteria. -- The researchers used a combination of human clinical data and experiments with mice to reach their conclusions. Among those with ulcerative colitis, they found that smokers had certain bacteria usually found in the mouth, such as Streptococcus, growing in the gut, specifically in the colonic mucosa that cover the inner lining of the intestines. This phenomenon did not occur in ex-smokers. Thus, while these bacteria normally pass all the way through the digestive system as we swallow saliva throughout the day, smoking somehow allows them to settle down in the gut mucosa. -- The next question was why? The researchers also examined gut metabolites -- small substances produced in the gut when food is broken down and processed by the body and gut bacteria. They found that levels of several gut metabolites were higher in smokers with ulcerative colitis than in ex-smokers with colitis. In mice, the researchers found that one of these metabolites, called hydroquinone, promoted the growth of Streptococcus in the gut mucosa. So, smoking-related metabolites like hydroquinone allow mouth bacteria like Streptococcus to flourish in the mucus layer that covers the inner lining of the intestines. But how do these bacteria help reduce inflammation? And why don't they help in Crohn's disease? -- The researchers then went back to the oral bacteria that they had discovered was growing in the gut mucosa of smokers with ulcerative colitis, and isolated 10 strains from the saliva of smokers. When they treated mouse models of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis with each of these 10 strains for five days, they found that giving the mice Streptococcusmitis had almost the same effect as smoking. Inflammation was reduced in mice with ulcerative colitis and exacerbated in mice with Crohn's disease. -- Analysis showed that S. mitis triggered the emergence of helper Th1 cells, which are an important part of the gut's immune response to invaders. In Crohn's disease this likely worsens the condition because the original inflammation is actually caused by these same helper Th1 cells. But in colitis, the Th1 cells fight against an initial Th2-immune response, and this ends up reducing inflammation. -- As smoking poses high risks for cancer, heart disease, and many other illnesses, it is not a sustainable treatment for ulcerative colitis. "Our results indicate the relocation of bacteria from the mouth to the gut, particularly those of the Streptococcus genus, and the subsequent immune response in the gut, is the mechanism through which smoking helps protect against the disease," says Ohno. "Logically, direct treatment with this kind of bacteria, or indirect treatment with hydroquinone, is thus likely to mimic the beneficial effects of smoking but avoid all the negative effects." | 731 |
| Scientists Discover Cancer’s Hidden Power To Accelerate Aging | Lymphoma Accelerates Aging, But Scientists Discover Ways To Reverse Its Effects | Lymphoma accelerates T cell and tissue aging. | H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute | A new study reveals that lymphoma accelerates the aging process within the body, particularly affecting the immune system. Researchers found that lymphoma can induce aging-like changes in immune cells and vital organs, independent of cancer treatments. These findings challenge traditional views of aging in cancer patients, suggesting that the disease itself can hasten biological aging and could inform new therapeutic approaches. | Lymphoma Speeds Up the Body’s Aging ClockLymphoma doesn’t just fuel tumor growth—it triggers body-wide aging, from immune cells to vital organs. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study led by a team of researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center reveals that lymphoma can accelerate the biological aging of the immune system and other tissues, providing new insight into how cancer reshapes the body beyond tumor growth. -- The study, published in Cancer Cell, shows that B cell lymphoma rapidly transforms young T cells, which are key immune fighters, into a state resembling those of T cells in much older individuals. These changes included increased inflammation, impaired protein balance and altered iron regulation. The effects were not limited to immune cells. Markers of aging also appeared in the blood vessels, kidneys and intestines. -- "Cancer doesn't just grow in isolation; it has widespread effects on patients. We found that lymphoma alone, without treatment, is enough to provoke systemic signs of aging," said John Cleveland, Ph.D., senior author and chief scientific officer at Moffitt. "This helps explain why many cancer patients experience symptoms typically associated with aging." -- The findings challenge the long-held belief that accelerated aging in cancer patients is primarily caused by treatments like chemotherapy or radiation. While those therapies are known to age cells, this study shows that the cancer itself can push immune and tissue systems into an aged state. -- "Our results also suggest there may be opportunities to reverse some cancer-driven aging effects," said Rebecca Hesterberg, Ph.D., the study's lead author and a researcher in Moffitt's Department of Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis. "By understanding the biology, we can begin to think about interventions that not only treat the cancer but also protect or even restore healthy immune function." -- Researchers discovered that lymphoma-exposed T cells accumulated excess iron, making them resistant to a type of cell death called ferroptosis. They also exhibited defects in protein quality control, a hallmark of aging. Some of these changes were reversible when tumors were eliminated in animal models, pointing to new therapeutic opportunities. -- With the global population aging and cancer risk rising with age, the study underscores the importance of understanding how cancer interacts with aging biology. -- The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (CA241713, CA244328, P01-CA250984, CA267032, AG063543, P30-CA076292 and CA233399), the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Florida Department of Health (23L10). | 732 |
| Clear Skin In A Week With This Breakthrough Acne Patch | Innovative Acne Patch Vanishes Pimples In Just A Week With Groundbreaking Technology | Dual-Phase Antibacterial and Anti-inflammatory Self-Locking Microarray Patches for the Effective Treatment of Acne Vulgaris. | American Chemical Society | Researchers have developed a two-stage acne patch featuring tiny spikes that deliver healing compounds directly into the skin. Clinical trials demonstrated impressive results, with pimples disappearing within a week of treatment. This innovative technology not only promises a rapid solution for acne but may also have broader applications for treating various skin conditions, marking a significant advancement in dermatological care. | Clear Skin in a Week With New Acne PatchThis new pimple patch features a specialized array of tiny spikes to help deliver acne-busting compounds under the skin. Credit: Adapted from ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2025, DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5c07718 -- Waking up with a pimple is no longer cause for panic, thanks to pimple patches -- small, sticker-like bandages that cover and help heal the unwanted zit. A team of researchers publishing in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces has designed a two-stage pimple patch set with an array of tiny spikes that grabs onto the pimple and delivers antibacterial or anti-inflammatory compounds. Human clinical trials confirmed that the pimples completely disappeared after seven days of treatment. -- Also called acne stickers, pimple patches are made of polymers that absorb excess moisture and oil. Some versions contain medications that reduce inflammation or fight infection. These medicated stickers often use microarrays (rows of teensy spikes) that penetrate the skin's outermost layer and deliver compounds underneath. But microarrays may shift during wear and irritate the skin. So, Shayan Fakhraei Lahiji, Yong-Hee Kim and colleagues wanted to design a medicated acne patch system with a microarray platform that stays put. -- To create their patch, the researchers first printed a microarray of arrowhead-shaped spikes using a specialized 3D printer. This unique shape helped the patch lock in place when attached to the skin. The patch's backbone is made of hyaluronic acid -- a gooey polymer that's a common skincare ingredient -- that was mixed with either antibacterial agents (including salicylic acid and Cannabis sativa extract) or anti-inflammatory agents (including niacinamide and chamomile extract). -- These patches were clinically tested on 20 participants. On the first day, the participants applied the antibacterial patch, and for the next six days, they applied a new anti-inflammatory patch. The hyaluronic acid-based microarray dissolved into the skin within 30 to 90 minutes, with no pain or irritation. After three days, participants noted an 81% reduction in acne lesions in the treated areas compared to untreated pimples, and after seven days, the treated pimples were gone altogether. Additionally, researchers noted a significant reduction in sebum -- an oily substance that causes acne. Around 95% of participants report that they were satisfied with the results of the treatment. -- The researchers plan to make their new patch available for purchase in fall 2025, in both South Korea and the United States. In addition, the technology could be reformulated to deliver other therapies, beyond just acne-fighting compounds. -- "Our work highlights the potential of microarray patches as a platform for applications beyond acne treatment, ranging from skin disorders to obesity therapies and vaccine delivery," explains Kim. -- The authors acknowledge funding from the Technology Development Program of the Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups; the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute; and the Korean Ministry of Health & Welfare. -- The authors are employees of Cursus Bio Inc., a company focusing on microarray-based technologies. | 733 |
| Protected Seas Help Kelp Forests Bounce Back From Heatwaves | Marine Protected Areas Enhance Kelp Forest Resilience | Marine protected areas enhance climate resilience to severe marine heatwaves for kelp forests. | British Ecological Society | A study by UCLA reveals that kelp forests recover more effectively from marine heatwaves when located within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The research indicates that fishing restrictions and protection from predators enhance ecosystem resilience, particularly after climate disturbances, emphasizing the importance of localized protections in combating global climate pressures on marine environments. | Protected Seas Help Kelp Forests Bounce BackMarine Protected Areas give kelp forests a recovery edge after heatwaves, showing that local protections can buffer global climate pressures. Credit: Shutterstock -- New research finds that Marine Protected Areas can boost the recovery of globally important kelp forests following marine heatwaves. The findings are published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology. -- Using four decades of satellite images, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers have looked at impacts Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are having on kelp forests along the coast of California. -- They found that although the overall effect of MPAs on kelp forest cover was modest, the benefits became clear in the aftermath of marine heatwaves in 2014-2016, when kelp forests within MPAs were able recover more quickly, particularly in southern California. -- "We found that kelp forests inside MPAs showed better recovery after a major climate disturbance compared to similar unprotected areas." Explained Emelly Ortiz-Villa, lead author of the study and a PhD researcher at UCLA Department of Geography. -- "Places where fishing is restricted and important predators like lobsters and sheephead are protected saw stronger kelp regrowth. This suggests that MPAs can support ecosystem resilience to climate events like marine heatwaves." -- Professor Rick Stafford, Chair of the British Ecological Society Policy Committee, who was not involved in the study said: "It's great to see these results and they clearly show that local action to protect biodiversity and ecosystem function can help prevent changes caused by global pressures such as climate change. -- "However, it also demonstrates the need for effective MPAs. In this study, all the MPAs examined regulated fishing activity, and this is not the case for many sites which are designated as MPAs worldwide - including many in the UK." -- Kelp forests: a globally important and threatened ecosystem -- Kelp forests our found around coastlines all over the world, particularly in cool, temperate waters such as the pacific coast of North America, The UK, South Africa, and Australia. | 734 |
| Scientists Turn Grapevine Waste Into Clear, Strong Films That Vanish In Days | Scientists Turn Grape Waste Into Biodegradable Plastic Alternative | Valorization of grapevine agricultural waste into transparent and high-strength biodegradable films for sustainable packaging. | South Dakota State University | Researchers from South Dakota State University have developed an eco-friendly packaging material from grapevine canes, which is both stronger than traditional plastic and decomposes in just 17 days. This innovative approach addresses the urgent plastic waste crisis by transforming agricultural byproducts into biodegradable alternatives, proposing a sustainable solution to reduce long-lasting environmental impacts. | Stronger Than Plastic, Gone in 17 DaysBy extracting cellulose from grapevine canes, researchers have produced eco-friendly films that are stronger than plastic bags and fully biodegrade in 17 days. Credit: Shutterstock -- The need for biodegradable packaging material has never been higher. -- Currently, most packaging is "single use" and is made with plastic materials, derived from nonrenewable sources like crude oil that take hundreds of years to decompose in the environment. On top of this, only 9% of plastic is recycled. This has resulted in the formation of floating piles of plastic garbage in the ocean, called the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch." -- But maybe even more concerning is the discovery of micro- and nano-plastics in the environment. Research has found that plastic breaks down into tiny particles, which are being ingested or inhaled by both humans and animals, and are found literally everywhere, including in the human body -- according to recent research studies. Worse, little is known about the long-term health effects of microplastics. -- Srinivas Janaswamy is an associate professor in South Dakota State University's Department of Dairy and Food Science. His research has focused on developing value-added products through biowaste and agricultural byproducts. One of the overarching goals of Janaswamy's research is to tackle the plastic waste crisis. -- Perhaps the biggest contributor to plastic waste, at least in the United States, is plastic bags, the kind found at most retail stores. These bags, while sometimes recycled, are often only used once and can be found littered throughout the environment. -- To address this problem, Janaswamy is working toward developing a plastic-like bag that will decompose in the environment. -- "That is my dream," Janaswamy said. -- The key ingredient to Janaswamy's work? Cellulose. This biopolymer is the most abundant organic substance on Earth and is found, primarily, in the cell walls of plants. Cellulose, thanks to strong hydrogen bonds and a chain of glucose molecules, gives plants structural strength and rigidity along with other biopolymers such as mannan, xylose, hemicellulose and lignin. -- Humans have long used cellulose to create products. Cotton, the material used to make a majority of the world's clothing, is primarily composed of cellulose. Wood is rich in cellulose as well. | 735 |
| The Surprising Way Metabolism Controls Embryo Growth | Metabolism: The Surprising Pacemaker Of Embryo Development | A noncanonical role of glycolytic metabolites controlling the timing of mouse embryo segmentation. | European Molecular Biology Laboratory | A study from EMBL has uncovered that metabolism acts as a biological pacemaker in embryonic development. The research found that a specific sugar molecule regulates the pace of spine formation, suggesting that metabolic activity not only provides energy but also influences the timing of developmental processes, potentially reshaping our understanding of embryonic growth. | The Hidden Clock That Shapes Embryo GrowthEMBL scientists discovered that metabolism can regulate embryonic development by controlling the segmentation clock, not just providing energy. Credit: Shutterstock -- Pregnant women rely on a balanced diet and supplements to deliver proper nutrients to their babies, to ensure they grow healthfully. Such nutrients contribute to fueling development and providing cellular building blocks that lead to healthy brains, bones, organs, and immune systems. -- While this kind of nutritional preparation helps during pregnancy, EMBL scientists found that metabolism - the way cells break down food into energy - during embryonic development does more than just provide energy and cellular building blocks for proper embryonic development. Metabolism has a surprising signalling element. And by modulating metabolism in a tailored fashion, they could identify a signalling metabolite controlling the tempo of development. -- "What we noticed was that as metabolism got faster, a particular developmental clock slowed down," said Hidenobu Miyazawa, one of the new study's first authors and a research staff scientist in the Aulehla Group at EMBL. "The observation hinted that the role of metabolism is not just providing energy and biomass to fuel the biological processes." -- Miyazawa, along with two other first authors and Aulehla group members at the time, Nicole Prior and Jona Rada, plus other EMBL researchers discovered that metabolism also has a signalling component. The scientists studied mouse embryos while they formed repeating body segments that ultimately develop into spines. The signalling role of metabolism became clear when they discovered that even tiny amounts of certain metabolites - not enough to actually fuel cells - could still keep the embryo's 'biological clock' for segment formation ticking. This clock is referred to as the segmentation clock. -- The scientists found an inverse relationship between metabolic activity and the tempo of the segmentation clock. This means the higher the metabolic activity in the cells, the slower the segmentation clock. Surprisingly, they could reverse this 'slow clock' phenotype by restoring cellular signalling, without modulating metabolism per se. This led them to conclude that metabolic activity impacted cell signaling. -- To identify which key metabolites control the clock rhythm, the scientists turned to an experimental approach based on synchronisation theory. As your internal body rhythm follows external day-night cycles, the embryo's segmentation clock can also adapt to an external signalling cue when provided periodically. "In this project, we asked whether a metabolite can serve as a signalling cue to control the segmentation clock," Miyazawa explained. -- Using this unique approach, the scientists found that a specific sugar molecule, FBP, was the key metabolite regulating the segmentation clock. FBP affects the rhythm of the segmentation clock through an important signaling pathway called Wnt signalling. -- Additionally, Miyazawa explained that as the research team tracked the changes, the molecular oscillations associated with the segmentation clock could change the spatial patterns of the embryo's body segments. -- While this scientific finding is an important one in fundamental research, it may have bearing on what scientists can understand and control in the future. This signalling role of metabolism might reflect how organisms respond to their environment, e.g. by adjusting development based on available food. | 736 |
| Stunning Fossil From The Gobi Desert Rewrites Dinosaur History | New Fossil Discovery In Mongolia Redefines Dinosaur Evolution | A domed pachycephalosaur from the early Cretaceous of Mongolia. | North Carolina State University | A newly discovered fossil in Mongolia, named Zavacephale rinpoche, represents the oldest and most complete example of a pachycephalosaur, dating back 108 million years. This juvenile specimen offers valuable insights into the early evolution of these dome-headed dinosaurs, pushing back the group’s fossil record and enhancing our understanding of their history. | Stunning Fossil Rewrites Dinosaur HistoryZ. rinpoche skull. Credit: Tsogtbaatar Chinzorig -- A "teenaged" pachycephalosaur from Mongolia's Gobi Desert may provide answers to lingering questions around the dinosaur group, according to new research published on September 17 in the journal Nature. The fossil represents a new species of pachycephalosaur and is both the oldest and most complete skeleton of this dinosaur group found to date. -- "Pachycephalosaurs are iconic dinosaurs, but they're also rare and mysterious," says Lindsay Zanno, associate research professor at North Carolina State University, head of paleontology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and corresponding author of the work. -- The specimen was discovered in the Khuren Dukh locality of the Eastern Gobi Basin by Tsogtbaatar Chinzorig from the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, who is the lead author of the paper and currently a research assistant at NC State. -- The new species is called Zavacephale rinpoche, which is the combination of zava, meaning "root" or "origin" in Tibetan, and cephal, meaning "head" in Latin. The specific name, "rinpoche," or "precious one" in Tibetan, refers to the domed skull discovered exposed on a cliff like a cabochon jewel. -- Z. rinpoche lived around 108 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period in what is now Mongolia's Gobi Desert. At the time, the area was a valley dotted with lakes and surrounded by cliffs or escarpments. Pachycephalosaurs were plant eaters, and adults could grow to around 14 feet long (4.3 meters) and seven feet tall (2.1 meters), weighing 800 -- 900 pounds (363 - 410 kilograms). -- "Z. rinpoche predates all known pachycephalosaur fossils to date by about 15 million years," Chinzorig says. "It was a small animal - about three feet or less than one meter long - and the most skeletally complete specimen yet found." -- The Z. rinpoche specimen the team discovered was not fully grown when it died. However, it already sported a fully formed dome, though without much of the additional ornamentation found on other pachycephalosaur fossils. -- "Z. rinpoche is an important specimen for understanding the cranial dome development of pachycephalosaurs, which has been debated for a long time due to the absence of early diverging or pre-Late Cretaceous species and the fragmentary nature of nearly all pachycephalosaurian fossils," Chinzorig says. -- How to tell whether two skulls that look different belong to two distinct species or just different growth stages of the same species is a long-standing debate for paleontologists who study this group, and that's where Z. rinpoche comes in. | 737 |
| Hidden For 125 Years, A Welsh Fossil Turns Out To Be A Dinosaur | A Century-Old Fossil Turns Out To Be A New Dinosaur Species | Re-assessment of a large archosaur dentary from the Late Triassic of South Wales, United Kingdom. | University of Bristol | A fossil discovered in South Wales, initially reported over 125 years ago, has been identified as a new species of predatory dinosaur named Newtonsaurus. Using modern digital scanning techniques, researchers reconstructed the fossilized jawbone, revealing unique features that differentiate it from other species, highlighting the advances in paleontological methods and the importance of historical specimens. | Forgotten Fossil Reveals a New Dinosaur in WalesUsing modern digital scanning techniques, the researchers were able to shed new light on the fossil jawbone, which has been known since 1899 and has been on display in the National Museum of Wales for many years. Credit: Owain Evans -- Paleontologists at the University of Bristol have officially identified a new species of dinosaur from Triassic fossil beds in South Wales, near Penarth - more than 125 years after the specimen was initially reported. -- Using modern digital scanning techniques the researchers were able to shed new light on the fossil jawbone, which has been known since 1899 and been on display in the National Museum of Wales for many years, but was not correctly identified until now. -- The fossil consists of natural molds of the jawbone in the rock and all the original bone has disappeared. So, using photo scanning, paleontology student Owain Evans was able to make a perfect 3D digital reconstruction to enable detailed study. -- Owain Evans said: "This specimen has been referred to many times in scientific papers, but had yet to be successfully identified - we were not even sure whether it was dinosaur. It was named Zanclodon cambrensis by Edwin Tully Newton in 1899, but we knew the name Zanclodon had been abandoned as referring to a broad variety of early reptiles. Therefore, we name it after Newton, calling it Newtonsaurus. It is different from all other dinosaurs from around that time, and requires a distinctive name." -- Professor Michael J Benton, who is the senior author on the paper, said: "The natural molds of the inner and outer faces of the jawbone show amazing detail - every groove, ridge, tooth, and even the serrations along the edges of the teeth. We decided to use digital photography to make a 3D model. We began by surface scanning the fossil using photogrammetry. Once we had our digital scan, we then inverted it - essentially giving us a digital negative of the mold. It was then a simple case of fusing the two sides together and analyzing the anatomy from there. The digital reconstruction we have extracted from the specimen gives a much better idea of what the original structure of the bone would have looked like." -- Now that the fossil could be studied, the team was able to use its anatomy to piece together its position in the reptile family tree - and most crucially - whether it was a dinosaur or not. -- Owain Evans said: "We can now confirm that this specimen very likely belonged to a large predatory theropod dinosaur, that roamed the shores of South Wales during the latest Triassic. It has some definite unique dinosaur features in the emplacement of the teeth, and it is a theropod -- a predatory, flesh-eating dinosaur. Otherwise, it sits near the origins of both major divisions of Theropoda, the Coelophysoidea and the Averostra. -- "Most unexpected is the size of the animal. The preserved jawbone is 28 cm long, and that is just the front half, so originally the jawbone was 60 cm long, corresponding to a dinosaur with a body length of 5-7 meters. This is unusually large for a Triassic theropod, most of which were half the size or smaller." -- Cindy Howells at the National Museum of Wales said: "These historical specimens are vitally important in paleontology and often yield new and exciting results - even if they have been sitting in collections for years. The Victorians were fascinated by the fossil record and prospected all across the UK for fossils. On top of this, the re-description of Newtonsaurus cambrensis once again highlights the significance of Wales in paleontological research. These Triassic beds are rare worldwide, and yet there are several across Wales. There might very well be another dinosaur waiting to be discovered." | 738 |
| Could These Strange Rocks Be The First True Evidence Of Life On Mars? | Could Rocks Found On Mars Hint At Past Microbial Life? | Redox-driven mineral and organic associations in Jezero Crater, Mars. | Texas A&M University | NASA's Perseverance rover has found rocks in Jezero Crater that contain organic molecules, hinting at possible biosignatures linked to ancient microbial life on Mars. The arrangement of these materials suggests redox reactions similar to Earth's life-supporting chemistry, marking a significant step toward understanding Mars' past and its potential to harbor life. | First True Evidence of Life on Mars?Perseverance rover reached the Bright Angel site on Mars by navigating through a dune field, bypassing large boulders. The rover is now investigating this area’s unique geological features to understand Mars’ past environmental conditions and support future human exploration. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech -- A new study co-authored by Texas A&M University geologist Dr. Michael Tice has revealed potential chemical signatures of ancient Martian microbial life in rocks examined by NASA's Perseverance rover. -- The findings, published by a large international team of scientists, focus on a region of Jezero Crater known as the Bright Angel formation -- a name chosen from locations in Grand Canyon National Park because of the light-colored Martian rocks. This area in Mars' Neretva Vallis channel contains fine-grained mudstones rich in oxidized iron (rust), phosphorus, sulfur and -- most notably -- organic carbon. Although organic carbon, potentially from non-living sources like meteorites, has been found on Mars before, this combination of materials could have been a rich source of energy for early microorganisms. -- "When the rover entered Bright Angel and started measuring the compositions of the local rocks, the team was immediately struck by how different they were from what we had seen before," said Tice, a geobiologist and astrobiologist in the Department of Geology and Geophysics. "They showed evidence of chemical cycling that organisms on Earth can take advantage of to produce energy. And when we looked even closer, we saw things that are easy to explain with early Martian life but very difficult to explain with only geological processes." -- Tice went on to explain that "living things do chemistry that generally occurs in nature anyway given enough time and the right circumstances. To the best of our current knowledge, some of the chemistry that shaped these rocks required either high temperatures or life, and we do not see evidence of high temperatures here. However, these findings require experiments and ultimately laboratory study of the sample here on Earth in order to completely rule out explanations without life." -- The team published its findings in Nature. -- A window into Mars' watery past -- The Bright Angel formation is composed of sedimentary rocks deposited by water, including mudstones (fine-grained sedimentary rocks made of silt and clay)and layered beds that suggest a dynamic environment of flowing rivers and standing water. Using Perseverance's suite of instruments, including the SHERLOC and PIXL spectrometers, scientists detected organic molecules and small arrangements of minerals that appear to have formed through "redox reactions," chemical processes involving the transfer of electrons. On Earth, those processes are often driven by biological activity. -- Among the most striking features are tiny nodules and "reaction fronts" -- nicknamed "poppy seeds" and "leopard spots" by the rover team -- enriched in ferrous iron phosphate (likely vivianite) and iron sulfide (likely greigite). These minerals commonly form in low-temperature, water-rich environments and are often associated with microbial metabolisms. -- "It's not just the minerals, it's how they are arranged in these structures that suggests that they formed through the redox cycling of iron and sulfur," Tice said. "On Earth, things like these sometimes form in sediments where microbes are eating organic matter and 'breathing' rust and sulfate. Their presence on Mars raises the question: could similar processes have occurred there?" | 739 |
| Antarctica’s Frozen Heart Is Warming Fast, And Models Missed It | East Antarctica's Interior Is Warming Faster Than Expected | Summer warming in the East Antarctic interior triggered by southern Indian Ocean warming. | Nagoya University | New research reveals that East Antarctica's interior is warming faster than its coasts, driven by warm air from the Southern Indian Ocean. This finding, based on 30 years of weather station data, highlights a climate driver overlooked in current models and suggests that the world's largest ice reservoir may be more vulnerable to climate change than previously thought. | Antarctica’s Frozen Heart Is Warming FastScientists discovered that East Antarctica’s interior is warming faster than its coasts due to warm air flows from the Southern Indian Ocean. Current climate models don’t capture this effect, suggesting ice loss could be underestimated. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists have confirmed that East Antarctica's interior is warming faster than its coastal areas and identified the cause. A 30-year study, published in Nature Communications and led by Nagoya University's Naoyuki Kurita, has traced this warming to increased warm air flow triggered by temperature changes in the Southern Indian Ocean. Previously considered an observation "blind spot," East Antarctica contains most of the world's glacial ice. This newly identified warming mechanism indicates that current predictions may underestimate the rate of future Antarctic ice loss. -- Collecting data in Earth's most extreme environment -- Antarctica, the world's coldest, driest, and windiest continent, contains about 70% of Earth's freshwater frozen in its massive ice sheets. Climate change in the region has been studied using data from manned stations located mostly in coastal areas. However, the Antarctic interior has only four manned stations, with long-term climate data available for just two: Amundsen-Scott Station (South Pole) and Vostok Station (East Antarctic Interior). Therefore, the actual state of climate change in the vast interior remained largely undocumented. -- The research group collected observation data from three unmanned weather stations in East Antarctica where observations have continued since the 1990s: Dome Fuji Station, Relay Station, and Mizuho Station. They created a monthly average temperature dataset spanning 30 years, from 1993 to 2022. -- Annual average temperature changes showed that all three locations experienced temperature increases at a rate of 0.45-0.72°C per decade, faster than the global average. The researchers analyzed meteorological and oceanic data and traced this temperature rise to changes in the Southern Indian Ocean that alter atmospheric circulation patterns and transport warm air toward Antarctica's interior. -- Current climate models do not capture this warming process, so future projections of temperature for Antarctica may be underestimated. "While interior regions show rapid warming, coastal stations have not yet experienced statistically significant warming trends," Professor Naoyuki Kurita from the Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research at Nagoya University said. "However, the intensified warm air flow over 30 years suggests that detectable warming and surface melting could reach coastal areas like Syowa Station soon." -- The Southern Indian Ocean-East Antarctica climate connection -- Ocean fronts -- areas where warm and cold ocean waters meet -- create sharp temperature boundaries in the Southern Indian Ocean. Because global warming heats ocean waters unevenly, it intensifies these temperature differences: stronger oceanic fronts lead to more storm activity and atmospheric changes that create a "dipole" pattern, with low pressure systems in mid-latitudes and high pressure over Antarctica. The high-pressure system over Antarctica pulls warm air southward and carries it deep into the continent. -- Now, for the first time, scientists have comprehensive weather station data demonstrating that East Antarctica's interior is warming faster than its coasts and have identified the major cause of this change. The study provides important insights into how quickly the world's largest ice reservoir will respond to continued global warmin | 740 |
| Panama’s Ocean Lifeline Vanishes For The First Time In 40 Years | Panama's Vital Upwelling Disappears For The First Time In 40 Years | Unprecedented suppression of Panama’s Pacific upwelling in 2025. | Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute | A critical seasonal upwelling event that supports fisheries and coral reefs along Panama’s Pacific coast went missing in 2025 for the first time in decades, likely due to weakened trade winds linked to climate change. This unprecedented event has raised concerns over the ecological and socioeconomic impacts, emphasizing the need for better monitoring of tropical oceanic processes. | Panama’s Ocean Lifeline VanishesUpwelling events support highly productive fisheries and help protect coral reefs from thermal stress. Credit: Natasha Hinojosa -- During the dry season in Central America (generally between December and April), northern trade winds generate upwelling events in the ocean waters of the Gulf of Panama. Upwelling is a process that allows cold, nutrient-rich waters from the depths of the ocean to rise to the surface. This dynamic supports highly productive fisheries and helps protect coral reefs from thermal stress. Thanks to this movement of water, the sea along Panama's Pacific beaches remains cooler during the "summer" vacation season. -- Scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) have studied this phenomenon and their records show that this seasonal upwelling, which occurs from January to April, has been a consistent and predictable feature of the gulf for at least 40 years. However, researchers recently recorded that in 2025, this vital oceanographic process did not occur for the first time. As a result, the typical drops in temperature and spikes in productivity during this time of year were diminished. In the recently published article in the journal PNAS, scientists suggest that a significant reduction in wind patterns was the cause of this unprecedented event, revealing how climate disruption can quickly alter fundamental oceanic processes that have sustained coastal fishing communities for thousands of years. Still, further research is needed to determine a more precise cause and its potential consequences for fisheries. -- This finding highlights the growing vulnerability of tropical upwelling systems, which, despite their enormous ecological and socioeconomic importance, remain poorly monitored. It also underscores the urgency of strengthening ocean-climate observation and prediction capabilities in the planet's tropical regions. -- This result marks one of the first major outcomes of the collaboration between the S/Y Eugen Seibold research vessel from the Max Planck Institute and STRI. | 741 |
| Student’s Pinkie-Sized Fossil Reveals A New Croc Species | Meet Elton: A New Croc Species Discovered By An Aspiring Paleontologist | A new, diminutive, heterodont neosuchian from the Vaughn Member of the Blackleaf Formation (Cenomanian), southwest Montana, and implications for the paleoecology of heterodont neosuchians. | Montana State University | A 95-million-year-old crocodyliform fossil nicknamed Elton was discovered in Montana, leading to the identification of a new species named Thikarisuchus xenodentes. This find, which reveals insights into croc evolution and fossil preservation, emerged from a student's keen observation during a dig and signifies the importance of educational opportunities in paleontology. | Pinkie-Sized Fossil Reveals a New Croc SpeciesAn artistic rendering of Thikarisuchus xenodentes, an extinct crocodyliform from the Cretaceous of Montana. Credit: Dane Johnson/Museum of the Rockies, edited -- About 95 million years ago, a juvenile crocodyliform nicknamed Elton lived in what is now southwest Montana at the edge of the Western Interior Seaway. -- Measuring no more than 2 feet long from nose to tip of tail, young Elton was about the size of a big lizard, according to Montana State University professor of paleontology David Varricchio. Had it lived to be full grown, Elton would have measured no longer than 3 feet, far smaller than most members of the Neosuchia clade to which it and its distant relatives belong. The clade includes modern crocodilians and their closest extinct relatives, almost all of them semiaquatic or marine carnivores with simple, conical teeth. -- Elton, by contrast, lived on the land, probably feasting on both plants and insects or small animals with its assortment of differently shaped and specialized teeth. Its unique anatomy reveals that it was part of a new, previously unrecognized family of crocodyliforms endemic to the Cretaceous of North America. -- If not for the sharp eye of Harrison Allen, a 2023 graduate of MSU's Department of Earth Sciences in the College of Letters and Science, Elton's ancient remains may never have been discovered. But during a dig in the summer of 2021 in the Blackleaf geological formation on U.S. Forest Service land near Dillon, Allen - then a student in Varricchio's field paleontology course - noticed a fossil the size of the tip of his pinkie with a "weird texture on it." -- "I brought it to Dr. Varricchio and knew it must be something good, because he said, 'Take me to where you found this,'" said Allen, who is now studying croc paleontology as a doctoral student at Stony Brook University in New York. -- It was an exciting moment for Allen, originally from Kentucky, who chose MSU because it offers a paleontology track for undergraduates majoring in earth sciences. Four years and hundreds of hours of study later, he is the lead author of a paper published this week in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology that describes the morphology and scientific significance of the creature whose remains he found in the Blackleaf Formation. -- "After the dig, Dr. Varricchio told me why he was so excited the day I found the initial specimen. It had so much visible anatomy to explore, and he could see it was a tiny, tiny croc skull, fully articulated and preserved - it was a special thing," Allen said. "We have found dinosaurs (in the Blackleaf) before, but this was the second known vertebrate animal we'd ever found in this formation." -- The extinct animal, which Allen and the paper's co-authors later named Thikarisuchus xenodentes for its strange, sheathed teeth, has provided new information about the paleoecology of the Blackleaf ecosystem and about patterns of evolution in the croc family tree. -- It also provided the ultimate undergraduate research project for Allen, who delved into the painstaking process of excavating, sifting and reconstructing the Thikarisuchus remains with the help of some fellow students. | 742 |
| Why Some Plants Are Taking Over The World | Plants Flourish Globally Thanks To Their Unique Traits And Human Influence | Many plants naturalized as aliens abroad have also become more common within their native regions. | University of Konstanz | A recent study shows that the rapid spread of plant species globally is driven by traits that also make them successful in their native habitats. Researchers found that tall, adaptable, nutrient-loving species dominate both local and foreign ecosystems, indicating that similar characteristics may underpin their success as naturalized aliens and invasive species. | Why Some Plants Are Taking Over the WorldCytisus scoparius, native to Europe, has now established itself in many parts of the world. Credit: Mark van Kleunen -- The spread of species beyond their native habitat is a human-made environmental change on a global scale. Among vascular plants, over 16,000 species have now permanently settled in foreign countries. The majority of these "naturalizations" has taken place since the 1950s and predominantly in regions with considerable human influence. -- Naturalized alien plants, also known as neophytes, can have major impacts on the affected regions' ecosystems. This is particularly evident in the case of invasive plants, which are spreading rapidly in new regions and outcompete the native flora. But what makes these plants so successful? Is it because they are exploiting an "ecological gap" in the foreign ecosystem, allowing them to thrive so easily? Or are they simply "naturally" good at expanding their range? In other words: Do plant species that are on the rise in their native habitats also become globally widespread as naturalized aliens? -- Led by the University of Konstanz, an international research team found clear evidence supporting this theory. Their study compared the spread of 3,920 native plant species in ten European countries with how widely these species are naturalized globally. Europe is one of the world's "main exporters" of naturalized plants. "Our results show that many of the European plant species that successfully naturalize in foreign ecosystems are species that have expanded rapidly in their European home regions as well," explains Konstanz biologist Mark van Kleunen, who led the study. "Plants that are declining in their natural range, on the other hand, rarely succeed in settling in foreign areas." -- The results of the study indicate that it could be the same characteristics that make plants successful both in their homelands and in foreign regions. The researchers identified common characteristics of these species: "In general, they are tall, ecologically versatile generalists that are highly competitive and prefer nutrient-rich habitats," summarizes Rashmi Paudel, first author of the study. -- "If the plant species that are widespread and on the rise within their native habitats are essentially the same as those that spread successfully - and sometimes become invasive - in other regions of the world, then it stands to reason that both processes are at least based on similar biological mechanisms," concludes Paudel. "This could reflect that the selective pressures that have made certain species common in their native regions also have preadapted them for success as invaders. This could also reflect that such common species were more likely to be picked up, transported and introduced elsewhere." Observing the dynamics of the spread of native plants at home can thus provide valuable indications for assessing the likelihood of their establishment in new territories. | 743 |
| The Ocean’s Most Abundant Microbe Is Near Its Breaking Point | Tiny Ocean Microbes Are Struggling As Warming Seas Threaten Their Survival | Future ocean warming may cause large reductions in Prochlorococcus biomass and productivity. | University of Washington | Tiny ocean microbes known as Prochlorococcus, vital to marine ecosystems, may face population declines due to rising sea temperatures. Research indicates that these cyanobacteria thrive within a narrow temperature range, and warming waters could reduce their numbers by up to 50%, threatening the marine food web and global carbon cycling. | The Ocean’s Most Abundant Microbe Faces CollapseSunset aboard the Thomas G. Thompson, a University of Washington-operated research vessel equipped for ocean voyages. The instrument visible on the left is a water sampler that can collect from different depths, the SeaFlow flow cytometer was also aboard, but not pictured here. Credit: Kathy Newer/University of Washington -- Among the tiniest living things in the ocean are a group of single celled microbes called Prochlorococcus. They are cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, and they supply nutrients for animals all the way up the food chain. Over 75% of surface waters teem with Prochlorococcus, but as ocean temperatures rise, researchers fear that the water might be getting too warm to support the population. -- Prochlorococcus is the most abundant photosynthesizing organism in the ocean, accounting for 5% of global photosynthesis. Because Prochlorococcus thrive in the tropics, researchers predicted that they would adapt well to global warming. Instead, a new study finds that Prochlorococcus prefers water between 66 and 86 degrees and doesn't tolerate water much warmer. Climate models predict that subtropical and tropical ocean temperatures will exceed that threshold in the next 75 years. -- "For a long time, scientists thought Prochlorococcus was going to do great in the future, but in the warmest regions, they aren't doing that well, which means that there is going to be less carbon -- less food -- for the rest of the marine food web," said François Ribalet, a University of Washington research associate professor of oceanography, who led the study. -- Their results were published in Nature Microbiology on Sept. 8. -- In the past 10 years, Ribalet and colleagues have embarked on close to 100 research cruises to study Prochlorococcus. His team has analyzed approximately 800 billion Prochlorococcus-sized cells across 150,000 miles around the world to figure out how they are doing and whether they can adapt. -- "I had really basic questions," Ribalet said. "Are they happy when it's warm? Or are they not happy when it's warm?" Most of the data comes from cells grown in culture, in a lab setting, but Ribalet wanted to observe them in their natural ocean environment. Using a continuous flow cytometer -- called SeaFlow -- they fired a laser through the water to measure cell type and size. They then built a statistical model to monitor cell growth in real time, without disturbing the microbes. -- Results showed that the rate of cell division varies with latitude, possibly due to the amount of nutrients available, sunlight or temperature. The researchers ruled out nutrient levels and sunlight before zeroing in on temperature. Prochlorococcus multiply most efficiently in water that is between 66 and 84 degrees, but above 86, rates of cell division plummeted, falling to just one-third of the rate observed at 66 degrees. Cell abundance followed the same trend. -- In the ocean, mixing transports most nutrients to the surface from the deep. This occurs more slowly in warm water, and surface waters in the warmest regions of the ocean are nutrient-scarce. Cyanobacteria are one of the few microbes that have adapted to live in these conditions. -- "Offshore in the tropics, the water is this bright beautiful blue because there's very little in it, aside from Prochlorococcus," Ribalet said. The microbes can survive in these areas because they require very little food, being so small. Their activity supports most of the marine food chain, from small aquatic herbivores to whales. | 744 |
| Spiders Turn Fireflies Into Glowing Traps | Clever Spiders Use Fireflies As Lures To Attract More Prey | Prey bioluminescence‐mediated visual luring in a sit and wait predator. | British Ecological Society | Researchers in Taiwan have discovered that the sheet web spider Psechrus clavis employs a unique hunting strategy by using captured fireflies as bioluminescent bait to attract additional prey. This remarkable behavior showcases the spider's ability to exploit its environment creatively, enhancing its hunting success significantly compared to traditional methods. | Spiders Turn Fireflies Into Glowing TrapsSheet web spider with fireflies caught in web. Credit: Tunghai University -- Ecologists have observed a species of nocturnal spider attracting prey to its web using the bioluminescent beacons of already trapped fireflies. This rare example of a predator exploiting its prey's mating signal for its own gain is documented in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Animal Ecology. -- Researchers at Tunghai University, Taiwan have observed sheet web spiders Psechrus clavis capturing fireflies in their webs and leaving them there while they emitted bioluminescent light for up to an hour. The researchers even observed the spiders going to check on the captured fireflies from time to time. -- Intrigued by this unusual behavior the researchers set up an experiment to test whether this was a strategy used by the spiders to increase their hunting success. In the experiment, they placed LEDs that resembled fireflies, in real sheet spider webs and left other webs clear as controls. -- They found three times the amount of prey was attracted to webs with the LEDs compared to the control webs. This increased to ten times more prey when they only looked at fireflies being captured. -- The findings confirm that captured fireflies left as bait increase the hunting success rate of the spiders. The researchers also noticed that the majority of captured fireflies were male, who were likely mistaking the glow for potential mates. -- Dr I-Min Tso, the lead author of the study said: "Our findings highlight a previously undocumented interaction where firefly signals, intended for sexual communication, are also beneficial to spiders. -- "This study sheds new light on the ways that nocturnal sit-and-wait predators can rise to the challenges of attracting prey and provides a unique perspective on the complexity of predator-prey interactions." -- The researchers suggest that this behavior could have developed in sheet web spiders to avoid costly investment in their own bioluminescence like other sit-and-wait predators, such as anglerfish. Instead, the spiders are able to outsource prey attraction to their prey's own signals. -- The sheet web spider Psechrus clavis is a nocturnal sit and wait predator found in subtropical forests of East Asia. It's main source of prey, the winter firefly Diaphanes lampyroides, uses continuous, non-flashing bioluminescence to attract mates. | 745 |
| Scientists Just Cracked A 60-Million-Year-Old Volcanic Mystery | Scientists Unravel A 60-Million-Year-Old Mystery Behind Iceland’s Volcanic Activity | Volcanism and long-term seismicity controlled by plume-induced plate thinning. | University of Cambridge | A new study from Cambridge reveals that thinner zones in Earth’s tectonic plates helped to distribute Iceland's volcanic activity across the North Atlantic. These geological features acted like conduits for molten rock, furthering our understanding of past volcanic events and their influence on current seismic activity and geothermal resources. | 60-Million-Year-Old Volcanic Mystery CrackedSixty million years ago, a powerful mantle plume beneath Iceland triggered colossal volcanic activity across the North Atlantic, shaping landscapes from Greenland to Ireland. Cambridge researchers now show that thinner patches of Earth’s tectonic plates acted like volcanic “funnels,” spreading molten rock far and wide. Credit: University of Cambridge -- What do the rumblings of Iceland's volcanoes have in common with the now peaceful volcanic islands off Scotland's western coast and the spectacular basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland? -- About sixty million years ago, the Icelandic mantle plume -- a fountain of hot rock that rises from Earth's core-mantle boundary -- unleashed volcanic activity across a vast area of the North Atlantic, extending from Scotland and Ireland to Greenland. -- For decades, scientists have puzzled over why this burst of volcanism was so extensive. Now, research led by the University of Cambridge has found that differences in the thickness of tectonic plates around the North Atlantic might explain the widespread volcanism. -- The researchers compiled seismic and temperature maps of Earth's interior, finding that patches of thinner tectonic plate acted like conduits, funneling the plume's molten rock over a wide area. -- Iceland, which is one of the most volcanically active places on Earth, owes its origin largely to the mantle plume. Beyond volcanism, the Iceland Plume's influence even extends to shaping the seafloor and ocean circulation in the North Atlantic and, in turn, climate through time. Despite its global significance, many aspects of the plume's behavior and history remain elusive. -- "Scientists have a lot of unanswered questions about the Iceland plume," said Raffaele Bonadio, a geophysicist at Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences and lead author of the study. -- Bonadio set out to explain why the plume's volcanic imprint was much more widespread sixty million years ago -- before the Atlantic opened -- forming volcanoes and lava outpourings stretching over thousands of kilometers. The pattern could be explained by the mantle plume spreading outward in a branched, flowing formation, Bonadio explained, "but evidence for such flow has been scarce." -- In search of answers, Bonadio focused on a segment of the North Atlantic Igneous Province to better understand the complex distribution of volcanoes in Scotland and Ireland. He wanted to know if the structure of Earth's tectonic plates played a role in the surface expression of volcanism. -- Using seismic data extracted from earthquakes, Bonadio created a computer-generated image of Earth's interior beneath Britain and Ireland. This method, known as seismic tomography, works similarly to a medical CT scan, revealing hidden structures deep within the planet. Bonadio coupled this with seismic thermography measurements -- a new method developed by the team -- which reveal variations in the temperature and thickness of the tectonic plate. | 746 |
| 70-Million-Year-Old Crocodile Relative With Dinosaur-Crushing Jaws Found In Argentina | Meet Kostensuchus Atrox: A Dinosaur-Era Predator With Crushing Jaws | A new large hypercarnivorous crocodyliform from the Maastrichtian of Southern Patagonia, Argentina. | PLOS | The discovery of Kostensuchus atrox, a large predatory crocodyliform from Patagonia, provides insights into the ecosystem just before the dinosaurs' extinction. This well-preserved fossil, featuring powerful jaws capable of preying on medium-sized dinosaurs, enriches our understanding of prehistoric life and highlights the importance of fossil finds in reconstructing ancient environments. | Croc Relative With Dinosaur-Crushing JawsKostensuchus atrox – life restoration, 3 meters long. Credit Gabriel Diaz Yanten -- A newly-discovered species of a large, crocodile-relative predator has been described via a remarkably well-preserved fossil from Argentina, according to a study published August 27, 2025, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Fernando Novas from Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia," Argentina, and colleagues. -- The Chorrillo Formation formed around 70 million years ago, during the Maastrichtian age at the very end of the Cretaceous period. At this time, southern Patagonia was a warm, seasonally humid landscape of freshwater floodplains, home to creatures like dinosaurs, turtles, frogs, and various mammals. -- The new fossil unearthed in this formation is largely intact, including a skull and jaws with visible details, as well as multiple bones from the body. This crocodile-like apex predator may have reached around 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) long and weighed around 250 kilograms (551 pounds), with a wide, powerful jaw and big teeth capable of devouring large prey -- likely including medium-sized dinosaurs. The researchers named the species Kostensuchus atrox, referring to the Patagonian wind known in the Tehuelche native language as the Kosten and the Egyptian crocodile-headed god known as Souchos, with atrox meaning "fierce" or "harsh." -- K. atrox itself is not a dinosaur, but rather a peirosaurid crocodyliform, an extinct group of reptiles related to modern crocodiles and alligators. This species is the second-largest predator known to scientists from the Maastrichtian Chorrillo Formation, and the researchers believe it was likely one of the top predators in the region. K. atrox is also the first crocodyliform fossil found in the Chorrillo Formation, and one of the most intact peirosaurid crocodyliforms ever found, giving scientists unique new insight into these prehistoric animals and their ecosystem. -- Funding: DP 9282-R-22 National Geographic Society. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. ISC Faperj E-26/200.998/2024 Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. ISC CNPq 303596/2016-3 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. | 747 |
| Living Night Lights: Succulents That Store Sunlight And Shine For Hours | Glow-In-The-Dark Succulents Are Here: Recharge With Sunlight And Shine Bright | Sunlight-powered multicolor and uniform luminescence in material-engineered living plants. | Cell Press | Scientists have created glowing succulents by injecting them with phosphor particles, allowing them to absorb sunlight and emit colorful light. This innovative method presents a sustainable alternative to traditional lighting and could pave the way for plant-based illumination systems, making it possible to envision a world where glowing plants enhance our environments. | Glowing Succulents Recharge in SunlightSucculents glow in shades of red, green, blue, and more after being infused with afterglow phosphor particles that absorb and slowly release light. Credit: Liu et al., Matter -- From mushrooms that cast a soft green glow to plankton that glimmers sparkling blue, glowing plants are nothing new for nature. Now, scientists are bringing that light to houseplants. -- Reporting in the Cell Press journal Matter on August 27, researchers crafted glow-in-the-dark succulents that recharge in sunlight. Injected with light-emitting compounds, the plants can shine in various colors and rival a small night light at their brightest. The simple, low-cost method may help lay the foundation for sustainable, plant-based lighting systems. -- "Picture the world of Avatar, where glowing plants light up an entire ecosystem," says first author Shuting Liu of South China Agricultural University. "We wanted to make that vision possible using materials we already work with in the lab. Imagine glowing trees replacing streetlights." -- Glowing greenery isn't a new idea. Past studies have designed similar plants using genetic engineering. But the glow is often faint and is typically only available in green. The methods were also complex and costly. -- Instead of coaxing cells to glow through genetic modification, the team used afterglow phosphor particles -- materials similar to those found in glow-in-the-dark toys. These compounds absorb light and release it slowly over time. -- For the particles to travel through leaf tissues, the researchers had to get the size just right: around 7 micrometers, roughly the width of a red blood cell. -- "Smaller, nano-sized particles move easily within the plant but are dimmer," says Liu. "Larger particles glowed brighter but couldn't travel far inside the plant." -- The team then injected the particles into several plant species, including succulents and non-succulents like golden pothos and bok choy. But only the succulents produced a strong glow, thanks to the narrow, uniform, and evenly distributed channels within the leaf that helped to disperse the particles more effectively. After a couple of minutes of exposure to sunlight or indoor LED light, the modified plants glowed for up to two hours. -- "It was really unexpected," says Liu, noting that she initially thought plants with airy tissue structures would perform better. "The particles diffused in just seconds, and the entire succulent leaf glowed." | 748 |
| Scientists Recreate Life’s First Step: Linking Amino Acids To RNA | Scientists Link Amino Acids To RNA, Shedding Light On Life’s Origins | Thioester-mediated RNA aminoacylation and peptidyl-RNA synthesis in water. | University College London | Research at UCL has demonstrated that amino acids can spontaneously bond with RNA under conditions resembling early Earth, providing insight into the origins of protein synthesis. This discovery bridges the gap between the “RNA world” and “thioester world” theories, revealing potential pathways for the formation of life's first proteins and the emergence of biological complexity. | Scientists Recreate Life’s First StepUCL chemists showed amino acids can link to RNA in simple water chemistry, potentially explaining how life’s first proteins began to form. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Chemists at UCL have shown how two of biology's most fundamental ingredients, RNA (ribonucleic acid) and amino acids, could have spontaneously joined together at the origin of life four billion years ago. -- Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, the "workhorses" of life essential to nearly every living process. But proteins cannot replicate or produce themselves -- they require instructions. These instructions are provided by RNA, a close chemical cousin of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). -- In a new study, published in Nature, researchers chemically linked life's amino acids to RNA in conditions that could have occurred on the early Earth -- an achievement that has eluded scientists since the early 1970s. -- Senior author Professor Matthew Powner, based at UCL's Department of Chemistry, said: "Life relies on the ability to synthesize proteins -- they are life's key functional molecules. Understanding the origin of protein synthesis is fundamental to understanding where life came from. -- "Our study is a big step towards this goal, showing how RNA might have first come to control protein synthesis. -- "Life today uses an immensely complex molecular machine, the ribosome, to synthesize proteins. This machine requires chemical instructions written in messenger RNA, which carries a gene's sequence from a cell's DNA to the ribosome. The ribosome then, like a factory assembly line, reads this RNA and links together amino acids, one by one, to create a protein. -- "We have achieved the first part of that complex process, using very simple chemistry in water at neutral pH to link amino acids to RNA. The chemistry is spontaneous, selective and could have occurred on the early Earth." -- Previous attempts to attach amino acids to RNA used highly reactive molecules, but these broke down in water and caused the amino acids to react with each other, rather than become linked to RNA. -- For the new study, the researchers took inspiration from biology, using a gentler method to convert life's amino acids into a reactive form. This activation involved a thioester, a high-energy chemical compound important in many of life's biochemical processes and that has already been theorized to play a role at the start of life*. | 749 |
| The Bright Yellow Worm That Turns Ocean Poison Into Golden Survival Crystals | The Bright Yellow Worm Thrives In Toxic Waters By Creating Golden Survival Crystals | A deep-sea hydrothermal vent worm detoxifies arsenic and sulfur by intracellular biomineralization of orpiment (As2S3). | PLOS | A deep-sea worm, Paralvinella hessleri, survives in toxic hydrothermal vents by transforming harmful arsenic and sulfide into a less toxic mineral. This unique detoxification method underscores the resilience of life in extreme environments and offers new perspectives on how organisms adapt to and thrive amidst severe environmental challenges. | Worm Turns Ocean Poison Into Golden CrystalsImage of the alvinellid worm, Paralvinella hessleri. A P. hessleri specimen with buccal tentacles extroverted, lateral view. Note that the animal has a bright yellow color. Credit: Wang H, et al., 2025, PLOS Biology, CC-BY 4.0 -- A deep sea worm that inhabits hydrothermal vents survives the high levels of toxic arsenic and sulfide in its environment by combining them in its cells to form a less hazardous mineral. Chaolun Li of the Institute of Oceanology, CAS, China, and colleagues report these findings in a new study published August 26th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology. -- The worm, named Paralvinella hessleri, is the only animal to inhabit the hottest part of deep sea hydrothermal vents in the west Pacific, where hot, mineral-rich water spews from the seafloor. These fluids can contain high levels of sulfide, as well as arsenic, which builds up in the tissues of P. hessleri, sometimes making up more than 1% of the worm's body weight. -- Li and his team investigated how P. hessleri can tolerate the high levels of arsenic and sulfide in the vent fluids. They used advanced microscopy, and DNA, protein and chemical analyses to identify a previously unknown detoxification process. The worm accumulates particles of arsenic in its skin cells, which then react with sulfide from the hydrothermal vent fluids to form small clumps of a yellow mineral called orpiment. -- The study provides new insights into the novel detoxification strategy that P. hessleri uses for "fighting poison with poison," which enables it to live in an extremely toxic environment. Previous studies have found that related worms living in other parts of the world, as well as some snail species in the west Pacific, also accumulate high levels of arsenic, and may use this same strategy. -- Coauthor Dr. Hao Wang adds, "This was my first deep-sea expedition, and I was stunned by what I saw on the ROV monitor -- the bright yellow Paralvinella hessleri worms were unlike anything I had ever seen, standing out vividly against the white biofilm and dark hydrothermal vent landscape. It was hard to believe that any animal could survive, let alone thrive, in such an extreme and toxic environment." -- Dr. Wang says, "What makes this finding even more fascinating is that orpiment -- the same toxic, golden mineral produced by this worm -- was once prized by medieval and Renaissance painters. It's a curious convergence of biology and art history, unfolding in the depths of the ocean." -- The authors note, "We were puzzled for a long time by the nature of the yellow intracellular granules, which had a vibrant color and nearly perfect spherical shape. It took us a combination of microscopy, spectroscopy, and Raman analysis to identify them as orpiment minerals -- a surprising finding." -- The authors conclude, "We hope that this 'fighting poison with poison' model will encourage scientists to rethink how marine invertebrates interact with and possibly harness toxic elements in their environment." -- Funding: This work was supported by grants from Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42476133 to H.W.), Science and Technology Innovation Project of Laoshan Laboratory (Project Number No. LSKJ202203104 to H.W.), National Key RandD Program of China (Project Number 2018YFC0310702 to H.W.), Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 42030407 to C.Li), and the NSFC Innovative Group Grant (No. 42221005 to M.X.W.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. | 750 |
| Bumble Bees Balance Their Diets With Surprising Precision | Bumble Bees Are Master Dieticians, Skillfully Balancing Their Nutritional Needs | Nutrient niche dynamics among wild pollinators. | Northwestern University | Wild bumble bees are surprisingly strategic foragers, acting like nutritionists to optimize their diets by carefully selecting pollen from various flowers to balance protein, fats, and carbohydrates. A study in the Colorado Rockies revealed that different bee species specialize in different nutrient niches based on their tongue length, and their dietary preferences adapt to seasonal changes and colony needs, ultimately fostering cooperation and reducing competition within ecosystems. | Bumble Bees Balance Their Diets with PrecisionA wild bumble bee (Bombus appositus) visiting a flower (Delphinium barbeyi) — both species were included in the study. Credit: Paul CaraDonna -- Move over gym rats. Bumble bees are now the true masters of macros. -- In the first long-term, community-level field study of wild bumble bee nutrition, a team of ecologists led by Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden discovered that wild bees aren't just flitting from flower to flower, collecting pollen at random. Instead, they are strategically targeting flowers that enable them to carefully balance their protein, fat and carbs. -- Focusing on pollen consumption, the study revealed that coexisting bee species occupy two distinct nutrient niches. Larger bodied bees with longer tongues prefer pollen that's high in protein but lower in sugars and fats. Bees with shorter tongues, however, tend to gather pollen that's richer in carbs and fats. The scientists also found individual bees adjust their diets as their colonies grow and develop, reflecting changing nutritional needs throughout the season. -- By dividing up nutritional resources, wild bumble bees can avoid competition, thrive together and keep their colonies buzzing strong all season long. -- The study was published on Aug. 26 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. -- "Despite the general importance of wild pollinators, especially bees, we know very little about their nutritional needs," said Northwestern's Paul CaraDonna, the study's senior author. "Given widespread pollinator declines that have been observed around the globe, this knowledge gap is surprising and concerning. Our research provides some of the best information yet on the availability of nutritional resources found in wildflowers and how pollinators use these resources. We can incorporate this work into our thinking about garden design, so we can select the right flowers that best support the nutritional needs of wild pollinators." -- An expert on plant-pollinator interactions, CaraDonna is an adjunct associate professor in the Program in Plant Biology and Conservation, a partnership between Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and the Chicago Botanic Garden. Justin Bain, a recent Ph.D. graduate from CaraDonna's lab group, is the study's first author. This work was a part of Bain's dissertation. -- In the dark about diet -- In the wild, bumble bees mainly consume two floral-based foods: sweet, syrupy nectar and fat- and protein-packed pollen. While adult bees sip nectar for a quick burst of energy, they also collect pollen for their babies, or larvae, to help them grow. Worker bees gather pollen from various flowers, pack it into special "baskets" on their hind legs and ferry it home to feed their young. | 751 |
| Satellites Confirm 1990s Sea-Level Predictions Were Shockingly Accurate | Satellite Data Confirms 1990s Predictions On Sea-Level Rise With Surprising Accuracy | Evaluating IPCC Projections of Global Sea‐Level Change From the Pre‐Satellite Era. | Tulane University | Recent satellite data confirms that sea-level rise is progressing as projected by 1990s climate models, with the notable exception of ice sheet melting being underestimated. Researchers emphasize the need for localized projections as rising sea levels pose increasing risks. The findings highlight the importance of using historical climate data to improve current and future forecasting for coastal communities, particularly as the rate of sea-level rise accelerates. | 1990s Sea-Level Predictions Shockingly Accurate1990s climate projections nailed sea-level rise, but underestimated ice-sheet melt. Now, with accelerating seas, scientists warn of regional risks and the slim chance of catastrophic collapse. Credit: Shutterstock -- Global sea-level change has now been measured by satellites for more than 30 years, and a comparison with climate projections from the mid-1990s shows that they were remarkably accurate, according to two Tulane University researchers whose findings were published in Earth's Future, an open-access journal published by the American Geophysical Union. -- "The ultimate test of climate projections is to compare them with what has played out since they were made, but this requires patience - it takes decades of observations," said lead author Torbjörn Törnqvist, Vokes Geology Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. -- "We were quite amazed how good those early projections were, especially when you think about how crude the models were back then, compared to what is available now," Törnqvist said. "For anyone who questions the role of humans in changing our climate, here is some of the best proof that we have understood for decades what is really happening, and that we can make credible projections." -- Co-author Sönke Dangendorf, David and Jane Flowerree Associate Professor in the Department of River-Coastal Science and Engineering, said that while it is encouraging to see the quality of early projections, today's challenge is to translate global information into projections tailored to the specific needs of stakeholders in places like south Louisiana. -- "Sea level doesn't rise uniformly - it varies widely. Our recent study of this regional variability and the processes behind it relies heavily on data from NASA's satellite missions and NOAA's ocean monitoring programs," he said. "Continuing these efforts is more important than ever, and essential for informed decision-making to benefit the people living along the coast." -- A new era of monitoring global sea-level change took off when satellites were launched in the early 1990s to measure the height of the ocean surface. This showed that the rate of global sea-level rise since that time has averaged about one eighth of an inch per year. Only more recently, it became possible to detect that the rate of global sea-level rise is accelerating. -- When NASA researchers demonstrated in October 2024 that the rate has doubled during this 30-year period, the time was right to compare this finding with projections that were made during the mid-1990s, independent of the satellite measurements. -- In 1996, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published an assessment report soon after the satellite-based sea-level measurements had started. It projected that the most likely amount of global sea-level rise over the next 30 years would be almost 8 cm (three inches), remarkably close to the 9 cm that has occurred. But it also underestimated the role of melting ice sheets by more than 2 cm (about one inch). -- At the time, little was known about the role of warming ocean waters and how that could destabilize marine sectors of the Antarctic Ice Sheet from below. Ice flow from the Greenland Ice Sheet into the ocean has also been faster than foreseen. | 752 |
| Extinct Human Relatives Left A Genetic Gift That Helped People Thrive In The Americas | Ancient Gene From Denisovans Helps Indigenous People Thrive In The Americas | The MUC19 gene: An evolutionary history of recurrent introgression and natural selection. | Brown University | A groundbreaking study reveals that a gene inherited from archaic humans, known as MUC19, has given Indigenous people of the Americas an adaptive advantage. This gene, passed down from Denisovans, may have enhanced the immune systems of early migrants into the Americas, allowing them to thrive in new environments. This research demonstrates how interbreeding with ancient human species enriched genetic diversity and has implications for understanding modern human adaptations. | Ancient DNA Still Shapes Human SurvivalInterbreeding with Denisovans introduced the MUC19 gene, likely aiding Indigenous ancestors’ survival in the Americas. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study provides fresh evidence that ancient interbreeding with archaic human species may have provided modern humans with genetic variation that helped them adapt to new environments as they dispersed across the globe. -- The study, published in Science, focused on a gene known as MUC19, which is involved in the production of proteins that form saliva and mucosal barriers in the respiratory and digestive tracts. The researchers show that a variant of that gene derived from Denisovans, an enigmatic species of archaic humans, is present in modern Latin Americans with Indigenous American ancestry, as well as in DNA collected from individuals excavated at archeological sites across North and South America. -- The frequency at which the gene appears in modern human populations suggests the gene was under significant natural selection, meaning it provided a survival or reproductive advantage to those who carried it. It's not clear exactly what that advantage might have been, but given the gene's involvement in immune processes, it may have helped populations to fight off pathogens encountered as they migrated into the Americas thousands of years ago. -- "From an evolutionary standpoint, this finding shows how ancient interbreeding can have effects that we still see today," said study author Emilia Huerta-Sánchez, a professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology at Brown University. "From a biological standpoint, we identify a gene that appears to be adaptive, but whose function hasn't yet been characterized. We hope that leads to additional study of what this gene is actually doing." -- Huerta-Sanchez co-authored the study with Fernando Villanea, a former post-doctoral researcher at Brown who is now at University of Colorado, Boulder; David Peede, a graduate student at Brown; and an international team of collaborators. -- Not much is known about the Denisovans, who lived in Asia between 300,000 and 30,000 years ago, aside from a few small fossils from Denisova cave in Siberia, two jaw bones found in Tibet and Taiwan, and a nearly complete skull from China found this year. The finger fossil from Siberia contained ancient DNA, which enables scientists to look for common genes between Denisovans and modern humans. Prior research led by Huerta-Sánchez found that a version of a gene called EPAS1 acquired from Denisovans may have helped Sherpas and other Tibetans to adapt to high altitudes. -- For this study, the researchers compared Denisovan DNA with modern genomes collected through the 1,000 Genomes Project, a survey of worldwide genetic variation. The researchers found that the Denisovan-derived MUC19 gene is present in high frequencies in Latino populations who harbor Indigenous American genetic ancestry. The researchers also looked for the gene in the DNA of 23 individuals collected from archeological sites in Alaska, California, Mexico and elsewhere in the Americas. The Denisovan-derived variant was present at high frequency in these ancient individuals as well. -- The team used several independent statistical tests to show that the Denisovan MUC19 gene variant rose to unusually high frequencies in ancient Indigenous American populations and present-day people of Indigenous descent, and that the gene sits on an unusually long stretch of archaic DNA -- both signs that natural selection had boosted its prevalence. The research also revealed that the gene was likely passed through interbreeding from Denisovans to another archaic population, the Neanderthals, who then interbred with modern humans. -- Huerta-Sánchez said the findings demonstrate the importance that interbreeding had in introducing new and potentially useful genetic variation in the human lineage. | 753 |
| Scientists Found The Missing Nutrients Bees Need — Colonies Grew 15-Fold | New Supplement Boosts Honeybee Reproduction By Providing Essential Nutritional Ingredients | Engineered yeast provides rare but essential pollen sterols for honeybees. | University of Oxford | Researchers have engineered a revolutionary food supplement that could significantly bolster honeybee populations by mimicking the nutritional profile of natural pollen. The supplement, developed through yeast modification, addresses a critical dietary gap caused by declining floral diversity. Trials showed that this innovative approach can enhance bee reproduction by up to 15-fold, providing a sustainable solution to combat the alarming decline in honeybee populations crucial for global ecosystems. | The New Superfood That Could Save PollinatorsWorker bees feeding in the lab, Oxford Bee Lab. Credit: Caroline Wood -- A new study led by the University of Oxford in collaboration with Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, University of Greenwich, and the Technical University of Denmark could provide a cost-effective and sustainable solution to help tackle the devastating decline in honeybees. An engineered food supplement, designed to provide essential compounds found in plant pollen, was found to significantly enhance colony reproduction. The results were published on August 20 in the journal Nature. -- The challenge: addressing a critical nutrient deficiency -- Climate change and agricultural intensification have increasingly deprived honeybees of the floral diversity they need to thrive. Pollen, the major component of their diet, contains specific lipids called sterols necessary for their development. Increasingly, beekeepers are feeding artificial pollen substitutes to their bees due to insufficient natural pollen. However, these commercial supplements -- made of protein flour, sugars, and oils -- lack the right sterol compounds, making them nutritionally incomplete. -- In the new study, the research team succeeded in engineering the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica to produce a precise mixture of six key sterols that bees need. This was then incorporated into diets fed to bee colonies during three-month feeding trials. These took place in enclosed glasshouses to ensure the bees only fed on the treatment diets. -- Key findings: -- By the end of the study period, colonies fed with the sterol-enriched yeast had reared up to 15 times more larvae to the viable pupal stage, compared with colonies fed control diets. -- Colonies fed with the enriched diet were more likely to continue rearing brood up to the end of the three-month period, whereas colonies on sterol-deficient diets ceased brood production after 90 days. -- Notably, the sterol profile of larvae in colonies fed the engineered yeast matched that found in naturally foraged colonies, suggesting that bees selectively transfer only the most biologically important sterols to their young. -- Senior author Professor Geraldine Wright (Department of Biology, University of Oxford), said: "Our study demonstrates how we can harness synthetic biology to solve real-world ecological challenges. Most of the pollen sterols used by bees are not available naturally in quantities that could be harvested on a commercial scale, making it otherwise impossible to create a nutritionally complete feed that is a substitute for pollen." | 754 |
| 140,000-Year-Old Skeleton Shows Earliest Interbreeding Between Humans And Neanderthals | 140,000-Year-Old Fossil Reveals Neanderthal And Human Interbreeding Timeline | A new analysis of the neurocranium and mandible of the Skhūl I child: Taxonomic conclusions and cultural implications. | Tel-Aviv University | The discovery of a 140,000-year-old fossil child in Israel’s Skhul Cave reveals the earliest known hybridization between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, challenging previous timelines of interbreeding. This fossil showcases a blend of physical traits from both species, shedding light on their complex relationships. Researchers emphasize that the findings reshape our understanding of human ancestry, illustrating that Neanderthals and modern humans coexisted and interacted much earlier than once thought. | World’s Oldest Human Hybrid Found in IsraelThe skull of Skhul I child showing cranial curvature typical of Homo sapiens. Credit: Tel Aviv University -- Research team: "This discovery reveals the world's earliest known human fossil showing morphological traits of both of these human groups, which until recently were considered two separate human species. The current study shows that the five-year-old child's skeleton is the result of continuous genetic infiltration from the local -- and older -- Neanderthal population into the Homo sapiens population." -- An international study led by researchers from Tel Aviv University and the French National Centre for Scientific Research provides the first scientific evidence that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens had biological and social relations, and even interbred for the first time, in the Land of Israel. The research team found a combination of Neanderthal and Homo sapiens traits in the skeleton of a five-year-old child discovered about 90 years ago in the Skhul Cave on Mount Carmel. The fossil, estimated to be about 140,000 years old, is the earliest human fossil in the world to display morphological features of both of these human groups, which until recently were considered two separate species. The study was led by Prof. Israel Hershkovitz of the Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at Tel Aviv University and Anne Dambricourt-Malassé of the French National Centre for Scientific Research. The findings of this historic discovery were published in the journal l'Anthropologie. -- "Genetic studies over the past decade have shown that these two groups exchanged genes," explains Prof. Hershkovitz. "Even today, 40,000 years after the last Neanderthals disappeared, part of our genome -- 2 to 6 percent -- is of Neanderthal origin. But these gene exchanges took place much later, between 60,000 to 40,000 years ago. Here, we are dealing with a human fossil that is 140,000 years old. In our study, we show that the child's skull, which in its overall shape resembles that of Homo sapiens -- especially in the curvature of the skull vault -- has an intracranial blood supply system, a lower jaw, and an inner ear structure typical of Neanderthals." -- For years, Neanderthals were thought to be a group that evolved in Europe, migrating to the Land of Israel only about 70,000 years ago, following the advance of European glaciers. In a groundbreaking 2021 study published in the prestigious journal Science, Prof. Hershkovitz and his colleagues showed that early Neanderthals lived in the Land of Israel as early as 400,000 years ago. This human type, which Prof. Hershkovitz called "Nesher Ramla Homo" (after the archaeological site near the Nesher Ramla factory where it was found), encountered Homo sapiens groups that began leaving Africa about 200,000 years ago -- and, according to the current study's findings, interbred with them. The child from the Skhul Cave is the earliest fossil evidence in the world of the social and biological ties forged between these two populations over thousands of years. The local Neanderthals eventually disappeared when they were absorbed into the Homo sapiens population, much like the later European Neanderthals. -- The researchers reached these conclusions after conducting a series of advanced tests on the fossil. First, they scanned the skull and jaw using micro-CT technology at the Shmunis Family Anthropology Institute at Tel Aviv University, creating an accurate three-dimensional model from the scans. This enabled them to perform a complex morphological analysis of the anatomical structures (including non-visible structures such as the inner ear) and compare them to various hominid populations. To study the structure of the blood vessels surrounding the brain, they also created an accurate 3D reconstruction of the inside of the skull. -- "The fossil we studied is the earliest known physical evidence of mating between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens," says Prof. Hershkovitz. "In 1998, a skeleton of a child was discovered in Portugal that showed traits of both of these human groups. But that skeleton, nicknamed the 'Lapedo Valley Child,' dates back to 28,000 years ago -- more than 100,000 years after the Skhul child. Traditionally, anthropologists have attributed the fossils discovered in the Skhul Cave, along with fossils from the Qafzeh Cave near Nazareth, to an early group of Homo sapiens. The current study reveals that at least some of the fossils from the Skhul Cave are the result of continuous genetic infiltration from the local -- and older -- Neanderthal population into the Homo sapiens population." | 755 |
| Scientists Finally Crack The Secret To Perfect Chocolate Flavor | Researchers Decipher Cacao Fermentation Process To Improve Chocolate Flavor | A defined microbial community reproduces attributes of fine flavour chocolate fermentation. | University of Nottingham | Scientists have made significant strides in understanding cacao fermentation, identifying the microbial and environmental factors that influence chocolate flavor. By recreating this fermentation process in a controlled lab environment, researchers found ways to consistently produce high-quality chocolate. Their work highlights how microbial interactions and specific conditions during fermentation can enhance flavor complexity and reduce bitterness, paving the way for improved chocolate production practices. | The Secret to Perfect Chocolate FlavorResearchers have unlocked how microbes, pH, and temperature drive cacao fermentation, creating a lab-based method for reliably producing fine-flavor chocolate. Credit: Mimi Chu Leung -- Researchers have identified key factors that influence the flavor of chocolate during the cocoa bean fermentation process, a discovery that could offer chocolate producers a powerful tool to craft consistently high-quality, flavor-rich chocolate. -- Scientists from the University of Nottingham's School of Biosciences examined how cacao bean temperature, pH, and microbial communities interact during fermentation and how these factors shape chocolate flavor. The team identified key microbial species and metabolic traits associated with fine-flavor chocolate and found that both abiotic factors (such as temperature and pH) and biotic factors (the microbial communities) are strong,consistent indicators of flavor development. The study was published on August 18 in Nature Microbiology. -- The quality and flavor of chocolate begin with the cacao bean, which is profoundly influenced by both pre- and post-harvest factors. Among these, fermentation is the first, and one of the most critical steps after harvest. It lays the foundation for aroma development, flavor complexity, and the reduction of bitterness in the final chocolate product. -- Dr David Gopaulchan, the first author of the paper, from the School of Biosciences explains: "Fermentation is a natural, microbe-driven process that typically takes place directly on cocoa farms, where harvested beans are piled in boxes, heaps, or baskets. In these settings, naturally occurring bacteria and fungi from the surrounding environment break down the beans, producing key chemical compounds that underpin chocolate's final taste and aroma. However, this spontaneous fermentation is largely uncontrolled. Farmers have little influence over which microbes dominate or how the fermentation process unfolds. As a result, fermentation, and thus the flavor and quality of the beans, varies widely between harvests, farms, regions, and countries." -- The researchers wanted to find out whether this unstable, natural process could be replicated and controlled in the lab. Working with Colombian farmers during the fermentation process they identified the factors that influence flavor. They were then able to use this knowledge to create a lab fermentation process and developed a defined microbial community, a curated mix of bacteria and fungi, capable of replicating the key chemical and sensory outcomes of traditional fermentations. This synthetic community successfully mimicked the dynamics of on-farm fermentations and produced chocolate with the same fine-flavor characteristics. -- Dr David Gopaulchan adds: "The discoveries we have made are really important for helping chocolate producers to be able to consistently maximize their cocoa crops as we have shown they can rely on measurable markers such as specific pH, temperature, and microbial dynamics, to reliably predict and achieve consistent flavor outcomes. This research signals a shift from spontaneous, uncontrolled fermentations to a standardized, science-driven process. Just as starter cultures revolutionized beer and cheese production, cocoa fermentation is poised for its own transformation, powered by microbes, guided by data, and tailored for flavor excellence. By effectively domesticating the fermentation process, this work lays the foundation for a new era in chocolate production, where defined starter cultures can standardize fermentation, unlock novel flavor possibilities, and elevate chocolate quality on a global scale." | 756 |
| Scientists Unlock The Gene That Lets Bearded Dragons Switch Sex | Discovering Genes That Allow Central Bearded Dragons To Change Sex | A near telomere-to-telomere phased genome assembly and annotation for the Australian central bearded dragon Pogona vitticeps. | GigaScience | Two independent research teams have made a significant breakthrough in understanding the genetic basis of sex determination in central bearded dragons, a species capable of changing sex based on temperature and chromosomes. By sequencing their genomes, researchers identified critical genetic regions that govern these transformations, offering new insights into the complexities of sex determination and how environmental factors play a role in reptilian biology. | The Gene That Lets Bearded Dragons Switch SexScientists may have finally found the bearded dragon’s master sex gene, revealed through cutting-edge genome sequencing. Credit: Shutterstock -- August 19 marks the publication by two different studies presenting the near-complete reference genomes of the central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps), a widely distributed species of dragon lizard common in central eastern Australia and popular as pets in Europe, Asia, and North America. This species has an unusual trait for an animal species: whether this lizard grows up to be a male or a female depends not only on genetics but also on the temperature of its nest. This has long made it a useful model to study the biological basis of sex determination, and the advent of huge technological improvements in genomics has finally found a region of the genome and a potential master sex determination gene likely central to male sexual differentiation. The independent verification of this by two different groups using two different approaches making this a much stronger finding. -- Bearded dragons have an unusual sex determination system which is influenced by both genetics and environmental factors, specifically temperature. Unlike most animals where sex is solely determined by chromosomes, bearded dragons can have their sex reversed from male to female by high incubation temperatures. Meaning a lizard with male chromosomes can develop into a reproductively functional female if the egg is incubated at a warm enough temperature. -- Like birds and many reptiles, this species has a ZZ/ZW sex chromosome system where females have a pair of dissimilar ZW chromosomes, and males have two similar ZZ chromosomes. Sex determination in this species is complicated further, as ZZ genotypic males can change to phenotypic females at high incubation temperatures without the help of W chromosome or W-linked genes. New ultra-long nanopore sequencing technology now allows us to generate telomere-to-telomere (T2T) assemblies of the sex chromosomes and identify the non-recombining regions to help narrow the field of candidate sex determining genes in species with chromosomal sex determination. The ability of this technology to better separate out the maternal and paternal halves of the genome now allows much easier comparisons of the Z and W sequences to gauge potential loss or difference in function of key sex gene candidates. -- The first paper from researchers from BGI, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Zhejiang University, uses DNBSEQ short-reads combined with long-reads from the new CycloneSEQ nanopore sequencer, this being the first animal genome published using this technology. Generation of the second genome was led by researchers from the University of Canberra with funding from Bioplatforms Australia, the Australian Research Council and PacBio Singapore, and with contributions to analyses from researchers of the Australian National University, Garvan Institute for Medical Research, University of New South Wales and CSIRO alongside Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) in Spain. This assembly uses PacBio HiFi, ONT ultralong reads and Hi-C sequencing. Having reference genomes published using these two different technologies allows a like-for-like comparison between the ONT and CycloneSEQ technologies for the first time. Both technologies also complement each other by investigating the sex determination question using different approaches. The first genome sequenced a ZZ male central bearded dragon to characterize the whole Z sex chromosome for the first time while the second assembled the genome of a female ZW individual. The new nanopore sequencer also enabled the recovery of around 124 million base pairs of previously undescribed and missing sequences (nearly 7% of the genome), which included numerous genes and regulatory elements to better elucidate the complicated sex determination system. -- Both projects assembled 1.75 Gbp genome assemblies of exceptionally high quality to assemble all but one of the telomeres, and only a few gaps remained mostly located in the microchromosomes. Using this data showed the Z and W specific sex chromosomes were assembled into single scaffolds, and a "pseudo-autosomal region" (PAR) where the sex chromosomes pair and recombine was also detected on chromosome 16. The sequencing of the male dragon by the BGI team looked for genes specific to Z but not the W chromosomes, and Amh and Amhr2 (the Anti-Müllerian hormone gene and its receptor) plus Bmpr1a were determined as strong candidates for the sex determining genes in this species. The sequencing of the female dragon by the Australian-led team pinpointed to the same candidate Sex Determination Region (SDR) of their dragon genome, and also highlighted Amh and Amhr2 as the likely candidate genes. Studying the expression in different developmental stages found Amh had significant male-biased expression patterns making it the most likely candidate as the master sex-determining gene. The differential expression of another sex-related gene Nr5a1 in the PAR suggests that the story may be more complicated, as Nr5a1 encodes a transcription factor with binding sites on the Amh promoter region. Unlike many fish that enlist Amh-like genes in sex determination, the autosomal copies of Amh and its receptor gene Amhr2 remain intact and functional. It could be that sex is determined by some form of caucus among genes on the sex chromosomes of the bearded dragon moderated by their residual autosomal copies. -- The main highlight of these assemblies is therefore the discovery of genetic elements central to male sexual differentiation in vertebrates, on the sex chromosomes. The genes Amh and that coding its receptor AMHR2 have been copied to the Z chromosome in the non-recombining region, and so are obvious candidates for the master sex determining gene working via a dosage-based mechanism in this species, a discovery that has eluded discovery for so many years. No master sex determining gene akin to Sry in mammals or Dmrt1 in birds has to date been discovered in any reptile species. This new work provides a clear candidate in Amh, which is present in double dose in the ZZ male and single dose in the ZW female. -- Arthur Georges from University of Canberra and senior author on the second paper says on the utility of this work: "We anticipate accelerated research in other areas arising from these newly available assemblies, such as cranial development, brain development, behavioral studies, gene-gene and gene-environment interactions in comparative studies of vertebrate sex determination and in many other areas looking for a well-supported squamate model against which to compare with their model species be it mouse, human or bird." -- "I never cease to be amazed by the rapidity of progress of Chinese science. In relatively few years, BGI and its companion enterprises have developed sequencing technologies that deliver outcomes as good, and throughput and cost effectiveness that is better, than competing technologies on the market. These genome assemblies are testimony to that level of achievement." -- Qiye Li from BGI and senior author on the first paper Lead author of the Chinese project explains their rationale for using this approach: "We decided to start working on the bearded dragon genome last year as the first animal genome for this new sequencer because it was the Year of the Dragon in China. Benefiting from the unbiased long-reads provided by the CycloneSEQ sequencer, we readily obtained a highly contiguous genome assembly and resolved highly repetitive and high-GC regions that were traditionally challenging for assembly. The two reference genomes, derived from opposite sex and generated by different technologies, are indeed complementary to each other. I am excited that both genomes pinpoint the key role of AMH signaling in sex determination in this species. But how did the sex chromosomes arise? We anticipate that additional high-quality genomes from related species will further elucidate the evolutionary origin of the ZW system and complete the story." | 757 |
| Earth’s Safe Zones Are Vanishing Fast | Humanity Has Pushed Earth’s Land Beyond Safe Biosphere Limits | Breaching planetary boundaries: Over half of global land area suffers critical losses in functional biosphere integrity. | Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) | A recent study highlights that human activities have pushed 60% of Earth's land beyond its safe biosphere limits, with significant ecological disruptions observed particularly in Europe, Asia, and North America. By analyzing centuries of data, researchers emphasize the urgent need for sustainable practices to protect natural ecosystems, as ongoing agriculture and resource demands exacerbate risks to biodiversity and ecological integrity. | Earth’s Safe Zones Are Vanishing FastHuman activity has pushed most of Earth’s land beyond safe biosphere limits, destabilizing ecosystems since as early as 1600. With agriculture and biomass use accelerating risk, researchers warn that protecting natural processes must become central to climate action. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study maps the planetary boundary of "functional biosphere integrity" in spatial detail and over centuries. It finds that 60 percent of global land areas are now already outside the locally defined safe zone, and 38 percent are even in the high-risk zone. The study was led by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) together with BOKU University in Vienna and published in the renowned journal One Earth. -- Functional biosphere integrity refers to the plant world's ability to co-regulate the state of the Earth system. This requires that the plant world is able to acquire enough energy through photosynthesis to maintain the material flows of carbon, water and nitrogen that support the ecosystems and their many networked processes, despite today's massive human interference. Together with biodiversity loss and climate change, functional integrity forms the core of the Planetary Boundaries analytical framework for a safe operating space for humanity. -- "There is an enormous need for civilization to utilize the biosphere - for food, raw materials and, in future, also for climate protection," says Fabian Stenzel, lead author of the study and member of the PIK research group Terrestrial Safe Operating Space. "After all, human demand for biomass continues to grow - and on top of that, the cultivation of fast-growing grasses or trees for producing bioenergy with carbon capture and storage is considered by many to be an important supporting strategy for stabilizing climate. It is therefore becoming even more important to quantify the strain we're already putting on the biosphere - in a regionally differentiated manner and over time - to identify overloads. Our research is paving the way for this." -- Two indicators to measure the strain and the risk -- The study builds on the latest update of the Planetary Boundaries framework published in 2023. "The framework now squarely puts energy flows from photosynthesis in the world's vegetation at the center of those processes that co-regulate planetary stability," explains Wolfgang Lucht, head of PIK's Earth System Analysis department and coordinator of the study. "These energy flows drive all of life - but humans are now diverting a sizeable fraction of them to their own purposes, disturbing nature's dynamic processes." -- The stress this causes in the Earth system can be measured by the proportion of natural biomass productivity that humanity channels into its own uses - through harvested crops, residues and timber - but also the reduction in photosynthetic activity caused by land cultivation and sealing. The study added to this measure a second powerful indicator of biosphere integrity: An indicator of risk of ecosystem destabilization records complex structural changes in vegetation and in the biosphere's water, carbon and nitrogen balances. -- Europe, Asia and North America particularly affected -- Based on the global biosphere model LPJmL, which simulates water, carbon and nitrogen flows on a daily basis at a resolution of half a degree of longitude/latitude, the study provides a detailed inventory for each individual year since the 1600, based on changes in climate and human land use. The research team not only computed, mapped and compared the two indicators for functional integrity of the biosphere, but also evaluated them by conducting a mathematical comparison with other measures from the literature for which "critical thresholds" are known. This resulted in each area being assigned a status based on local tolerance limits of ecosystem change: Safe Operating Space, Zone of Increasing Risk or High Risk Zone. -- The model calculation shows that worrying developments began as early as 1600 in the mid- latitudes. By 1900, the proportion of global land area where ecosystem changes went beyond the locally defined safe zone, or were even in the high-risk zone, was 37 and 14 percent respectively, compared to the 60 and 38 percent we see today. Industrialization was beginning to take its toll; land use affected the state of the Earth system much earlier than climate warming. At present, this biosphere boundary has been transgressed on almost all land surface - primarily in Europe, Asia and North America - that underwent strong land cover conversion, mainly due to agriculture. | 758 |
| Trojan Horse Bacteria Sneak Cancer-Killing Viruses Into Tumors | Trojan Horse Bacteria Deliver Cancer-Killing Viruses Directly To Tumors | Engineered bacteria launch and control an oncolytic virus. | Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science | A groundbreaking cancer therapy combining engineered bacteria and viruses shows promise for safely targeting tumors. By using bacteria as vehicles to deliver therapeutic viruses directly into cancer cells, researchers have created a targeted approach that minimizes immune system interference. This innovative method enhances treatment efficiency while ensuring safety by preventing viral spread beyond tumor sites, opening up new avenues for cancer treatment. | Sneaking Cancer-Killing Viruses into TumorsResearchers have combined bacteria and viruses into a cooperative cancer-fighting team that can slip past immune defenses, target tumors, and destroy cancer cells safely. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers at Columbia Engineering have built a cancer therapy that makes bacteria and viruses work as a team. In a study published recently in Nature Biomedical Engineering, the Synthetic Biological Systems Lab shows how their system hides a virus inside a tumor-seeking bacterium, smuggles it past the immune system, and unleashes it inside cancerous tumors. -- The new platform combines the bacteria's tendency to find and attack tumors with the virus's natural preference for infecting and killing cancerous cells. Tal Danino, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia Engineering, led the team's effort to create the system, which is called CAPPSID (short for Coordinated Activity of Prokaryote and Picornavirus for Safe Intracellular Delivery). Charles M. Rice, an expert in virology at The Rockefeller University, collaborated with the Columbia team. -- "We aimed to enhance bacterial cancer therapy by enabling the bacteria to deliver and activate a therapeutic virus directly inside tumor cells, while engineering safeguards to limit viral spread outside the tumor," says co-lead author Jonathan Pabón, an MD/PhD candidate at Columbia. -- The researchers believe that this technology -- validated in mice -- represents the first example of directly engineered cooperation between bacteria and cancer-targeting viruses. -- The approach combines the bacteria's instinct for homing in on tumors with a virus's knack for infecting and killing cancer cells. "By bridging bacterial engineering with synthetic virology, our goal is to open a path toward multi-organism therapies that can accomplish far more than any single microbe could achieve alone," says Zakary S. Singer, a co-lead author and former postdoctoral researcher in Tal Danino's lab. -- "This is probably our most technically advanced and novel platform to date," says Danino, who is also affiliated with the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Columbia's Data Science Institute. -- Sneaking past the immune system -- One of the biggest hurdles in oncolytic virus therapy is the body's own defense system. If a patient has antibodies against the virus -- from a prior infection or vaccination -- those antibodies can neutralize it before it reaches a tumor. The Columbia team sidestepped that problem by tucking the virus inside tumor-seeking bacteria. -- "The bacteria act as an invisibility cloak, hiding the virus from circulating antibodies, and ferrying the virus to where it is needed," Singer says. | 759 |
| Scientists Uncover The Lost Shelduck That Chose Walking Over Flight | Scientists Find Lost Shelduck That Adapted To Life On Land | Ancient DNA and morphometrics reveal a new species of extinct insular shelduck from Rēkohu Chatham Islands. | University of Otago | An extinct shelduck species from the Chatham Islands has been discovered, showcasing evolutionary adaptations to a predator-free environment. Researchers found that the bird had evolved shorter wings and stronger legs, favoring walking over flying. This fascinating case illustrates how environmental conditions can shape animal physical traits, providing insights into the evolutionary processes that occur in isolated ecosystems. | Lost Shelduck Chose Walking Over FlightArtistic reconstruction of a female Rēkohu shelduck (Tadorna rekohu) showing the darker plumage common in birds isolated on islands. Credit: Sasha Votyakova, © Te Papa CC BY 4.0, edited -- The discovery of yet another unique animal species from Rēkohu Chatham Islands illustrates how the physical qualities of an animal are influenced by its surroundings. -- New research led by the University of Otago - Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka describes a new, extinct shelduck whose ancestors arrived on the islands 390,000 years ago. -- While this may seem like a short period of time, co-lead author Associate Professor Nic Rawlence, Director of the Otago Palaeogenetics Laboratory, says it is long enough to impact the species. -- "In that time the Rēkohu shelduck evolved shorter, more robust wings and longer leg bones indicating it was going down the pathway towards flightlessness," he says. -- These changes were due to a range of factors, such as an abundance of food, lack of ground-dwelling predators, and windy conditions, so flying was not the preferred option. -- Co-lead author Dr Pascale Lubbe, also of the Otago Palaeogenetics Laboratory, says in a case of "use it or lose it, the wings start to reduce." -- "Flight is energetically expensive, so if you don't have to fly, why bother," she says. -- "The longer leg bones are more robust to support more muscle and create increased force for take-off - necessary when you have smaller wings." -- Researchers used ancient DNA and analysed the shape of the bones to determine the Rēkohu shelduck is most closely related to the pūtangitangi paradise shelduck from Aotearoa New Zealand. | 760 |
| The Surprising Way Rising CO2 Could Supercharge Space Storms | Rising CO₂ Levels Could Dramatically Alter Geomagnetic Storm Effects On Satellites | Impact of Increasing Greenhouse Gases on the Ionosphere and Thermosphere Response to a May 2024‐Like Geomagnetic Superstorm. | National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research | Rising carbon dioxide levels are set to impact the upper atmosphere, altering the effects of geomagnetic storms on satellites. New research indicates that while overall atmospheric density will decrease, the intensity of storms could result in sharper density spikes, increasing the challenges for satellite operations. This research underscores the need for adapting satellite designs to account for these changing atmospheric conditions. | Rising CO2 Could Supercharge Space StormsFuture storms will pack a proportionally bigger punch in a thinner atmosphere, reshaping satellite risks. Credit: Shutterstock -- Rising concentrations of carbon dioxide in the upper atmosphere will change the way geomagnetic storms impact Earth, with potential implications for thousands of orbiting satellites, according to new research led by scientists at the US. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR). -- Geomagnetic storms, caused by massive eruptions of charged particles from the surface of the Sun that buffet Earth's atmosphere, are a growing challenge for our technologically dependent society. The storms temporarily increase the density of the upper atmosphere and therefore the drag on satellites, which impacts their speed, altitude, and how long they remain operational. -- The new study used an advanced computer model to determine that the upper atmosphere's density will be lower during a future geomagnetic storm compared with a present-day storm of the same intensity. That's because the baseline density will be lower, and future storms won't increase it to levels as high as what occurs with storms currently. -- However, the relative magnitude of the density increase -- the rise from baseline to peak during a multiday storm -- will be greater with future storms. -- "The way that energy from the Sun affects the atmosphere will change in the future because the background density of the atmosphere is different and that creates a different response," said NSF NCAR scientist Nicolas Pedatella, the lead author. "For the satellite industry, this is an especially important question because of the need to design satellites for specific atmospheric conditions." -- The study, a collaboration with Japan's Kyushu University, was published in Geophysical Research Letters. -- Colder and thinner air -- Earth's upper atmosphere has become increasingly important in recent decades because of society's dependence on advanced navigation systems, online data transmission, national security applications, and other technologies that rely on satellite operations. -- Unlike the lower atmosphere, which warms with emissions of carbon dioxide, the upper atmosphere becomes colder. This has to do with the varying impacts of carbon dioxide: instead of absorbing and reemitting heat to nearby molecules in the relatively dense air near Earth's surface, carbon dioxide reemits the heat out into space at high altitudes where the air is much thinner. | 761 |
| One Gene Completely Changed How These Flies Fall In Love | A Single Gene Switch Changes How Fruit Flies Express Courtship Behavior | Cross-species implementation of an innate courtship behavior by manipulation of the sex-determinant gene. | Nagoya University | Researchers have successfully transferred a unique courtship behavior between fruit fly species by manipulating a single gene. This groundbreaking study shows that activating a gene involved in insulin production allows one species to adopt the gift-giving courtship behavior of another, highlighting the potential for small genetic changes to drive significant behavioral evolution and offering insights into the neural connections involved. | One Gene Changed How Flies Fall in LoveDrosophila subobscura males regurgitate food and offer it as a gift to females during courtship. Credit: Tanaka et al., 2025 -- Researchers in Japan have genetically transferred a unique courtship behavior from one fruit fly species to another. By turning on a single gene in insulin-producing neurons, the team successfully made a species of fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) perform a gift-giving ritual it had never done before. The study, published in the journal Science, represents the first example of manipulating a single gene to create new neural connections and transfer behavior between species. -- In nature, most male fruit flies court mates by rapidly vibrating their wings to create sound patterns or "courtship songs." However, Drosophila subobscura has evolved a very different strategy: males regurgitate food and offer it as a gift to females during courtship. This behavior does not exist in closely related species such as D. melanogaster. -- These two fruit fly species diverged about 30-35 million years ago. Both have a gene called "fruitless" or "fru" that controls courtship behavior in males, but they use different strategies -- one species sings and the other gives gifts. The researchers found the reason for this difference: in gift-giving flies (D. subobscura) insulin-producing neurons are connected to the courtship control center in the brain, while in singing flies (D. melanogaster) these cells remain disconnected. -- "When we activated the fru gene in insulin-producing neurons of singing flies to produce FruM proteins, the cells grew long neural projections and connected to the courtship center in the brain, creating new brain circuits that produce gift-giving behavior in D. melanogaster for the first time," Dr. Ryoya Tanaka, co-lead author and lecturer at Nagoya University's Graduate School of Science, explained. -- The researchers inserted DNA into D. subobscura embryos to create flies with heat-activated proteins in specific brain cells. They used heat to activate groups of these cells and compared the brains of flies that did and did not regurgitate food. They identified 16-18 insulin-producing neurons that make the male-specific protein FruM, clustered in a part of the brain called the pars intercerebralis. -- "Our findings indicate that the evolution of novel behaviors does not necessarily require the emergence of new neurons; instead, small-scale genetic rewiring in a few preexisting neurons can lead to behavioral diversification and, ultimately, contribute to species differentiation," Dr. Yusuke Hara, co-lead author from the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), noted. -- "We've shown how we can trace complex behaviors like nuptial gift-giving back to their genetic roots to understand how evolution creates entirely new strategies that help species survive and reproduce," senior author Dr. Daisuke Yamamoto from NICT said. -- The study, "Cross-species implementation of an innate courtship behavior by manipulation of the sex-determinant gene" was published in the journal Science, on August 14, 2025, at DOI: 10.1126/science.adp5831. It represents the result of collaborative efforts led by Drs. Yusuke Hara and Daisuke Yamamoto at the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), in partnership with researchers at Nagoya University. -- Funding: | 762 |
| New Fossils Reveal A Hidden Branch In Human Evolution | New Fossils From Ethiopia Reveal Complex Path Of Human Evolution | New discoveries of Australopithecus and Homo from Ledi-Geraru, Ethiopia. | University of Nevada, Las Vegas | Fossils discovered in Ethiopia provide new insights into human evolution, revealing a previously unknown species of Australopithecus that coexisted with early Homo specimens nearly 2.8 million years ago. This finding challenges the traditional linear model of evolution, instead suggesting a branching tree where multiple human-like species existed simultaneously, highlighting the complex paths of human ancestry. | A Hidden Branch in Human Evolution RevealedTeeth found in Ethiopia point to a new Australopithecus species that coexisted with early Homo, proving human evolution was more like a tree than a ladder. Credit: Shutterstock -- The discovery of new fossils and a new species of ancient ancestor may help shift the perception of human evolution from linear evolution to that of a tree with many branches, new UNLV research published on August 13 in the journal Nature shows. -- UNLV anthropologist Brian Villmoare and a team of international scientists discovered new fossils at a field site in Ethiopia that indicate Australopithecus, and the oldest specimens of Homo, coexisted between 2.6 and 2.8 million years ago at the same place in Africa. -- The scientists found 13 teeth at the Ledi-Geraru site and determined that, although some belong to the genus Homo, a set of upper and lower teeth belong to a new species of the genus Australopithecus. This new species is distinct from the well-known Australopithecus afarensis (the famous 'Lucy'), which last appears at roughly 2.95 million years ago and was discovered in nearby Hadar. -- The presence of both species in the same location shows that human evolution is less linear and more tree-like, said Villmoare, associate professor of anthropology and lead author of the paper. -- "We used to think of human evolution as fairly linear, with a steady march from an ape-like ancestor to modern Homo sapiens. Instead, humans have branched out multiple times into different niches. Our pattern of evolution is not particularly unusual, and what has happened to humans has happened to every other tree of life," he said. -- "This is what we should be finding in the human fossil record," Villmoare said. "Nature experimented with different ways to be a human as the climate became drier in East Africa, and earlier more ape-like species went extinct." -- The Ledi-Geraru site is the same field site where a team of researchers discovered the jaw of the earliest Homo specimen ever found at 2.8 million years old. Villmoare has worked with the Ledi-Geraru Research Project and scientists at the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University since 2002. -- "The new finds of Homo teeth from 2.6-2.8 million-year-old sediments -- reported in this paper -- confirms the antiquity of our lineage," he said. -- "We know what the teeth and mandible of the earliest Homo look like, but that's it. This emphasizes the critical importance of finding additional fossils to understand the differences between Australopithecus and Homo, and potentially how they were able to overlap in the fossil record at the same location." | 763 |
| Ancient Fossil Discovery In Ethiopia Rewrites Human Origins | Ancient Fossils Challenge Evolutionary Ladder Concept And Reveal New Human Relatives | New discoveries of Australopithecus and Homo from Ledi-Geraru, Ethiopia. | Arizona State University | The recent discovery of fossils in Ethiopia indicates that early Homo species lived alongside a newly identified Australopithecus species nearly three million years ago. This significant finding complicates our understanding of human evolution, reinforcing the idea that it is not a linear progression but rather a complex web of interrelated species that coexisted and evolved over time. | Fossil Discovery Rewrites Human OriginsNewly discovered teeth in Ethiopia show that early humans and a mysterious Australopithecus species lived together nearly three million years ago, complicating the timeline of our origins. Credit: Shutterstock -- A team of international scientists has discovered new fossils at a field site in Africa that indicate Australopithecus, and the oldest specimens of Homo, coexisted at the same place in Africa at the same time -- between 2.6 and 2.8 million years ago. The paleoanthropologists discovered a new species of Australopithecus that has never been found anywhere. -- The Ledi-Geraru Research Project is led by scientists at Arizona State University and the site has revealed the oldest member of the genus Homo and the earliest Oldowan stone tools on the planet. -- The research team concluded that the Ledi-Geraru Australopithecus teeth are a new species, rather than belonging to Australopithecus afarensis (the famous 'Lucy'), confirming that there is still no evidence of Lucy's kind younger than 2.95 million years ago. -- "This new research shows that the image many of us have in our minds of an ape to a Neanderthal to a modern human is not correct -- evolution doesn't work like that," said ASU paleoecologist Kaye Reed. "Here we have two hominin species that are together. And human evolution is not linear, it's a bushy tree, there are life forms that go extinct." -- Reed is a Research Scientist at the Institute of Human Origins and President's Professor Emerita at the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at ASU. She has been co-director of the Ledi-Geraru Research Project since 2002. -- Ledi-Geraru -- What fossils did they find to help them tell this story? Teeth, 13 of them to be exact. -- This field site has been famous before. In 2013 a team led by Reed discovered the jaw of the earliest Homo specimen ever found at 2.8 million years old. This new paper details new teeth found at the site that belong to both the genus Homo and a new species of the genus Australopithecus. -- "The new finds of Homo teeth from 2.6 - 2.8 million year old sediments -- reported in this paper -- confirms the antiquity of our lineage," said Brian Villmoare, lead author and ASU alumnus. | 764 |
| Tiny Microbes May Secretly Rewire The Brain Before Birth | Tiny Microbes Begin Shaping The Brain Even Before Birth | The microbiota shapes the development of the mouse hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. | Michigan State University | A new study reveals that microbes influence brain development even before birth, suggesting that modern birth practices may have unintended effects on this process. Researchers found that the presence of microbes during pregnancy plays a critical role in shaping brain structure and function, emphasizing the importance of understanding microbial interactions in early life stages for long-term health. | Tiny Microbes Shape Brain DevelopmentMicrobes may secretly help build the brain, starting in the womb and continuing at birth. Credit: Shutterstock -- Why this matters: -- Microbes, or microorganisms, are all around us and play an important role in bodily functions. MSU researchers found that microbes can also impact brain development. -- This work is significant because modern obstetric practices like peripartum antibiotic use and Cesarean delivery disturb the microbiome of mothers and newborns. -- New research from Michigan State University finds that microbes play an important role in shaping early brain development, specifically in a key brain region that controls stress, social behavior, and vital body functions. -- The study, published in Hormones and Behavior, used a mouse model to highlight how natural microbial exposure not only impacts brain structure immediately after birth but may even begin influencing development while still in the womb. A mouse model was chosen because mice share significant biological and behavioral similarities with humans and there are no other alternatives to study the role of microbes on brain development. -- This work is of significance because modern obstetric practices, like peripartum antibiotic use and Cesarean delivery, disrupt maternal microbes. In the United States alone, 40% of women receive antibiotics around childbirth and one-third of all births occur via Cesarean section. -- "At birth, a newborn body is colonized by microbes as it travels through the birth canal. Birth also coincides with important developmental events that shape the brain. We wanted to further explore how the arrival of these microbes may affect brain development," said Alexandra Castillo Ruiz, lead author of the study and assistant professor in the MSU Department of Psychology. -- The research team focused on a brain region called the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), which plays a central role in regulating stress, blood pressure, water balance, and even social behavior. Their previous work had shown that mice raised without microbes, or germ-free mice, had more dying neurons in the PVN during early development. The new study set out to determine whether this increased cell death translated to changes in neuron number in the long run, and if any effects could be caused by the arrival of microbes at birth or if they began in the womb via signals from maternal microbes. -- To find out, the researchers used a cross-fostering approach. Germ-free newborn mice were placed with mothers that had microbes and compared them to control groups. When the brains of these mice were examined just three days after birth, results were striking: All mice gestated by germ-free mothers had fewer neurons in the PVN, regardless of whether they received microbes after birth. They also found that germ-free adult mice had fewer neurons in the PVN. | 765 |
| This Vibrant Moth Fooled Scientists For Generations | This Stunning Moth Was Mistaken For Another Species For Over A Century | The supposedly unmistakable mistaken: Carcina ingridmariae sp. | Pensoft Publishers | A newly identified moth species, Carcina ingridmariae, has been recognized after DNA analysis revealed it is distinct from a common European counterpart. This vibrant moth, mistaken for over a century, was named in honor of the entomologist's wife, marking a blend of scientific discovery and personal sentiment. The findings highlight the importance of advanced genetic techniques in uncovering hidden biodiversity. | Vibrant Moth Fooled Scientists for GenerationsAdult female of Ingrid-Maria's carcina. Credit: P. Huemer/Ferdinandeum -- A beautiful, colorful moth, previously mistaken for over a century, has been revealed as a new species by entomologist Dr Peter Huemer of the Tyrolean State Museum Ferdinandeum in Innsbruck, Austria. -- Described in the open-access journal Alpine Entomology, the new species, now officially named Carcina ingridmariae, had long been overlooked due to its close resemblance to the widespread oak carcina (Carcina quercana), a moth familiar across Europe and first described in 1775. -- Despite its vibrant pink and yellow hues, Carcina ingridmariae escaped detection until advances in DNA barcoding revealed significant genetic differences of more than 6% from its lookalike relative. Subsequent analysis of the insects' sexual organs confirmed the molecular findings, leading to the revelation that two distinct species have been hiding in plain sight. -- The new species has a wingspan of about 2 cm, and is found across the eastern Mediterranean, from Croatia and Greece to Cyprus and Turkey. Its larvae likely feed on various oak species, similar to its counterpart. However, dedicated studies on its biology and distribution remain ongoing. -- In recognition of enduring support throughout his career, Dr Huemer dedicated the discovery to his wife, Ingrid Maria, naming the moth after her on their 42nd wedding anniversary. -- Huemer, who has described more than 200 species from Europe over 35 years said: "It is without doubt the prettiest species I have encountered in my long scientific career, even though it is still unnamed." It was therefore "obvious" to Huemer that the new species should be given his wife's name. | 766 |
| Scientists Warn Ocean Could Soon Reach Rapa Nui’s Sacred Moai | Scientists Warn Rapa Nui’s Cultural Treasures May Soon Be Underwater | Impacts of sea-level rise and wave inundation in the Tongariki Complex, Rapa Nui. | University of Hawaii at Manoa | A study forecasts that rising sea levels could threaten Rapa Nui's Ahu Tongariki and numerous cultural sites by 2080, necessitating immediate preservation efforts. Researchers utilized advanced modeling to assess the risks of coastal flooding to significant cultural heritage, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to protect the island's identity and tourism-dependent economy. | Rising Seas Threaten Rapa Nui’s Iconic MoaiSea level rise could threaten Rapa Nui’s Ahu Tongariki and dozens of cultural sites by 2080, prompting calls for urgent preservation efforts grounded in both science and community engagement. Credit: Shutterstock -- Rising sea levels could cause seasonal waves to reach Ahu Tongariki, the iconic ceremonial platform that is part of the Rapa Nui National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site by 2080, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Cultural Heritage by a team of researchers from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. This coastal flooding also threatens to impact up to 51 cultural assets in the area, including Rapa Nui's world renowned moai statues. -- "This research reveals a critical threat to the living culture and livelihood of Rapa Nui," said Noah Paoa, lead author of the study and doctoral student in the Department of Earth Sciences in the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). "For the community, these sites are an essential part of reaffirming identity and support the revitalization of traditions. Economically, they are the backbone of the island's tourism industry. Failure to address this threat could ultimately endanger the island's UNESCO world heritage site status." -- "As we work to understand the impacts of future sea level rise, we provide information that not only enables us to maintain safe, functional spaces and infrastructure, but also to support thriving communities," said Chip Fletcher, co-author of the study and dean of SOEST. "That means we must document threats to culturally significant places and assets, and develop plans to preserve and protect what matters to communities." -- Computer simulations reveal vulnerabilities -- Paoa and his team built a detailed digital twin of the study site and used advanced computer models to simulate the wave environment along the coastline. They then mapped the projected flooding caused by waves under future sea level rise scenarios. The flood extent was then overlaid on geospatial layers containing the location of cultural assets provided to the team by local partners, which allowed the researchers to identify the cultural assets that will be flooded. -- "Unfortunately, from a scientific standpoint, the findings are not surprising," said Paoa. "We know that sea level rise poses a direct threat to coastlines globally. The critical question was not if the site would be impacted, but how soon and how severely. Our work aimed to set potential timelines by which we could expect the impacts to happen. Finding that waves could reach Ahu Tongariki by 2080 provides the specific, urgent data needed to incentivize community discussion and planning for the future." -- The challenges facing Rapa Nui mirror those in other coastal areas of the world, including Hawaiʻi. -- "While Hawaiʻi is invested in protecting coastal infrastructure from sea level rise, the irreplaceable coastal cultural heritage sites in Hawai'i and across the Pacific face the same urgent threat," Paoa added. "Our research in Rapa Nui serves as a vital blueprint, demonstrating how we can use science to forecast risks to sacred places, such as coastal heiau and ancestral burial sites. By developing and applying these methods we hope we can help protect what is precious to the people of Hawaiʻi -- provided such work is guided by, and deemed appropriate by, the Native Hawaiian community." -- Paoa is now using available data on coastal flooding to examine potential sea level rise impacts on cultural assets in Hawai'i. In the future, he and the research team, in collaboration with local partners in Rapa Nui, plan to further investigate potential impacts of sea level rise on the island's coastal cultural assets and examine adaptation and mitigation efforts to safeguard the cultural heritage. | 767 |
| Hidden Bacterial Molecules In The Brain Reveal New Secrets Of Sleep | Bacterial Molecules In The Brain Challenge Conventional Understanding Of Sleep | Bacterial peptidoglycan levels have brain area, time of day, and sleep loss-induced fluctuations. | Washington State University | New research suggests that peptidoglycan, a bacterial molecule found in the brain, may play a critical role in regulating sleep patterns. This challenges the traditional view of sleep as a solely brain-driven process, highlighting the interplay between our microbiomes and sleep regulation. The findings suggest a complex relationship between microbes, sleep, cognition, and behavior, offering fresh perspectives on evolutionary biology. | Hidden Brain Molecules Could Unlock SleepWSU researchers found that bacterial cell wall molecules may help regulate sleep, bridging the gap between brain-centered and microbe-driven models of slumber. The work suggests that our microbes could be as important to sleep as neurons themselves. Credit: Shutterstock -- What causes us to sleep? The answer may lie not only in our brains, but in their complex interplay with the micro-organisms spawned in our intestines. -- New research from Washington State University suggests a new paradigm in understanding sleep, demonstrating that a substance in the mesh-like walls of bacteria, known as peptidoglycan, is naturally present in the brains of mice and closely aligned with the sleep cycle. -- Those findings serve to update a broader hypothesis that has been in development at WSU for years -- proposing that sleep arises from communication between the body's sleep regulatory systems and the multitude of microbes living inside us. -- "This added a new dimension to what we already know," said Erika English, a PhD candidate at WSU and lead author on two recently published scientific papers introducing the findings. -- This view of sleep as arising from that "holobiont condition" joins a growing body of evidence suggesting that our gut microbiomes play an important role in cognition, appetite, sex drive and other activity -- a view that turns traditional brain-centric models of cognition upside-down and has implications for our understanding of evolution and free will, as well as the development of future treatments for sleep disorders. -- The recent findings regarding peptidoglycan, or PG, lend weight to that hypothesis and point to a possible regulatory role for bacterial cell wall products in sleep. PG is known to promote sleep when injected in animals, but until recently, the conventional view held that it did not naturally migrate to the brain. -- English found that PG, along with its receptor molecules involved in PG signaling and communication, was present in different locations within the brain, at levels that changed with the time of day and sleep deprivation. -- The findings were reported in July in Frontiers in Neuroscience; longtime WSU sleep researcher and Regents Professor James Krueger co-authored the paper. English is also lead author of a recent paper with Krueger in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews that proposes the "holobiont condition" hypothesis of sleep. -- That paper combines two prevailing views. One posits that sleep is regulated by the brain and neurological systems. Another focuses on "local sleep," which frames slumber as the result of an accumulation of sleep-like states among small cellular networks throughout the body. Such sleep-like states have been observed among cells in vitro, known as the "sleep in a dish" model. | 768 |
| Breakthrough Wetsuits Slash Shark Attack Injuries And Save Lives | New Wetsuit Materials Reduce Shark Bite Injuries, Enhancing Safety For Swimmers | Effectiveness of bite-resistant materials to reduce injuries from white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) and tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) bites. | Flinders University | A study on innovative wetsuit materials shows promise in reducing shark-bite injuries. While not foolproof, these bite-resistant suits can significantly mitigate trauma and blood loss, representing an important development in personal safety for ocean enthusiasts. The research highlights the need for improved protective measures as shark attacks, though rare, can have serious implications for coastal communities and tourism. | Bite-Resistant Suits Slash Shark Attack InjuriesA shark takes a bite at one of the materials used in the research. Credit: Flinders University -- Australian shark experts have tested four bite-resistant materials to assess their ability to reduce injuries and blood loss. -- While internal and crushing injuries may still occur, bite-resistant wetsuits can now be added to the 'toolkit' of measures available to reduce shark-bite risk and resulting injuries, say researchers from Flinders University's Southern Shark Ecology Group. -- Shark bites on humans are uncommon but can severely impact local coastal communities and businesses, especially where water-based tourism and recreation are common, often prompting pressure for better bather protection strategies. -- Governments are often focused on area-based protection, but as recent studies have shown there is also increasing focus on personal deterrents and/or other personal mitigative measures, such as bite-resistant wetsuits -- Funded by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Shark Management Program, the study tested the efficacy of four bite-resistant wetsuit materials (Aqua Armour, Shark Stop, ActionTX-S and Brewster material) to reduce damage incurred from white and tiger shark bites. -- Traditional chainmail suits were protective but too inflexible and heavy for activities like surfing or diving. New wetsuits that incorporate strong and light fibre often used in sailing rope, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, offer both flexibility and protection, making them more suitable for recreational use. -- Dr Tom Clarke, Professor Charlie Huveneers, and experts from New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development assessed each material's potential in reducing injuries from white and tiger sharks by quantifying the amount of bite damage across four categories of increasing severity (ranging from 'superficial' to 'critical') and comparing it to damage on standard neoprene. -- "While there were small differences between the four tested materials, they all reduced the amount of substantial and critical damage, which would typically be associated with severe hemorrhaging and tissue or limb loss," says Dr Clarke, from the College of Science and Engineering at Flinders University. -- White and tiger sharks are responsible for the most unprovoked bites and are two of the top three species with the highest rate of fatal bites. Interactions between humans and sharks continue to rise in frequency globally, with expanding coastal populations and rising popularity of marine activities. | 769 |
| This Flower Smells Like Dying Ants, And Flies Can’t Resist It | Flower Mimics Smell Of Injured Ants To Attract Flies For Pollination | Olfactory floral mimicry of injured ants mediates the attraction of kleptoparasitic fly pollinators. | School of Science, The University of Tokyo | A newly identified dogbane species, Vincetoxicum nakaianum, cleverly mimics the scent of injured ants to attract flies for pollination. This unique strategy expands our understanding of floral deception and highlights the complex relationships between plants and pollinators. Researchers discovered this phenomenon while observing flies clustering around the flowers, marking the first known case of ant odor mimicry in plants. | Flower Smells Like Dying Ants to Attract FliesThe grass fly visiting the flowers (A) and kleptoparasiting spider hunting ant (B). Credit: Mochizuki 2025 -- Ko Mochizuki of the University of Tokyo has discovered that Vincetoxicum nakaianum, a dogbane species native to Japan described for the first time by Mochizuki and his collaborators only a year ago, mimics the smell of ants attacked by spiders to attract flies that feed on such attacked insects, and in the process pollinate the flowers. This is the first case of a plant mimicking the odor of ants, revealing that the scope of floral mimicry is more diverse than previously imagined. The findings are published in the journal Current Biology. -- The smell of warm, freshly baked bread has surely attracted many a customer to enter the shop as they pass by. Grass flies are no different: they are also attracted to the smell of their daily bread, injured ants. As they move from flower to flower in search of already injured prey, they also do flowers a great service: they pollinate them. Because ants are one of the most widespread species, and ant mimicry has independently evolved in many invertebrate species, it stands to reason that plants could have also evolved to mimic ants in one way or another. However, such cases had never been reported. -- "I was working on another research project," says Ko Mochizuki, "and originally collected this species only as a 'reference' for comparison. By chance, I noticed chloropid flies gathering around its flowers in the nursery in the Koishikawa Botanical Gardens, and immediately realized that the flowers might be imitating dead insects." -- This recognition was thanks to a string of thus far unrelated experiences. His participation in an intensive training course in 2019 helped him recognize the fly species swarming the flower. He also happened to be familiar with some previous studies that described plants pollinated by chloropid flies emitting odors resembling those of insects. -- Following his hunch, Mochizuki set out to methodically observe the visitors on these flowers and compare the odors released by the flowers to odors released by various kinds of insects. He found that the smell of ants being attacked by spiders was the closest match. However, his hypothesis of ant mimicry was standing on frail legs: there had not been any official publications of chloropid flies, or any other similar fly species, targeting ants hunted and injured by other animals, such as spiders. So, Mochizuki turned to social media for more unconventional evidence. There, he found many amateur naturalists documenting what he had suspected: ants attacked by spiders, which then attracted kleptoparasitic (organisms that steal food from another) flies. This gave him confidence to test the hypothesis behaviorally and confirm whether chloropid flies were indeed more attracted to the smell of ants attacked by spiders than to other smells. -- "That moment, when I saw the flies on the flowers, was truly one of inspiration," Mochizuki remembers, "a hypothesis suddenly taking shape. This experience taught me that unexpected discoveries often emerge from a combination of preparation and chance." -- Talking of preparation… Mochizuki is already preparing for the next project. -- "I would like to investigate the evolutionary background of ant mimicry by comparing the pollination systems, evolutionary history, and genetic makeup of Vincetoxicum nakaianum and its close relatives. In addition, since this study suggests that many forms of floral mimicry may remain hidden, I plan to explore other species, both within Vincetoxicum and in unrelated plant groups, to uncover further examples of potential mimicry." | 770 |
| Diamonds Reveal Hidden Chemistry Deep Inside Earth | Diamonds Offer Insights Into Earth’s Mantle Chemistry, Revealing Secrets Of Our Planet | Redox state of the deep upper mantle recorded by nickel-rich diamond inclusions. | The Hebrew University of Jerusalem | Research on South African diamonds has uncovered nickel-rich inclusions, providing direct evidence of reactions occurring deep within the Earth’s mantle. This study sheds light on the processes that lead to diamond formation and their link to volcanic activity. By capturing these reactions in diamonds, scientists have gained insights into the chemical dynamics of the Earth's interior and its impact on geological phenomena. | Diamonds Reveal Chemistry Deep Inside EarthScientists found nickel-rich alloys inside South African diamonds, confirming long-predicted mantle reactions. These tiny inclusions show how deep-Earth processes shape magmas and even the diamonds themselves. Credit: Shutterstock -- Diamonds from South Africa's Voorspoed mine have revealed the first natural evidence of nickel-rich metallic alloys forming deep in Earth's mantle, between 280-470 km (174-292 miles). A new study reveals that these inclusions coexist with nickel-rich carbonates, capturing a rare snapshot of a "redox-freezing" reaction whereby oxidized melts infiltrate reduced mantle rock. The growing diamond trapped both reactants and products of a diamond-forming reaction. This finding not only confirms long-standing predictions about mantle redox conditions but also highlights how such processes may fuel diamond formation of volatile-rich magmas that erupt from hundreds of kilometers and bring the diamond to the surface. -- The Earth's mantle is a restless, enigmatic engine that powers volcanism, recycles crust, and regulates the long-term evolution of the planet. But one of its most elusive characteristics -- the redox state, or the balance of oxidized and reduced chemical species -- remains difficult to measure directly. A new study led by Yael Kempe and Yaakov Weiss, from the Hebrew University's Institute of Earth Sciences, offers a rare glimpse into these deep processes, captured within nano- and micro-inclusions in diamonds from South Africa's Voorspoed mine. -- A Rare Discovery in the Depths -- For decades, models and high-pressure experiments have suggested that nickel-rich metallic alloys should stabilize in the mantle at depths of roughly 250-300 km. Yet, natural samples confirming these predictions have been vanishingly scarce. -- Working with colleagues from the University of Nevada, the University of Cambridge, and the Nanocenter at the Hebrew University, Weiss's team has now identified nickel-iron metallic nanoinclusions and nickel-rich carbonate microinclusions preserved inside diamonds that formed between 280-470 km below Earth's surface. These inclusions represent the first direct evidence of nickel-rich alloys at their predicted depth -- a long-sought validation of mantle redox models. -- The diamonds' mineral cargo also includes coesite, K-rich aluminous phases, and molecular solid nitrogen inclusions, providing multiple pressure markers that firmly constrain their origin to the deep upper mantle and shallow transition zone. -- Redox Snapshots Frozen in Carbon -- The significance of the find goes beyond simple confirmation of theoretical models. The coexistence of nickel-iron alloy and nickel-rich carbonate points to a metasomatic redox-freezing reaction -- a dynamic interaction in which an oxidized carbonatitic-silicic melt infiltrated reduced, metal-bearing peridotite. It joins earlier evidence from shallower depths that this is the main mode of formation of natural diamonds. -- In this environment, preferential oxidation of iron relative to nickel drove enrichment of the residual alloy in nickel. At the same time, nickel-rich carbonates and diamonds crystallized from the melt. In effect, the diamonds froze a fleeting geochemical moment: the conversion of a reduced mantle rock into a more oxidized, volatile-rich domain and the reduction of carbonates to form diamonds. | 771 |
| Stressed Koalas Are Facing A Deadly Epidemic | Koalas At Risk: Stress And Virus Link To Chlamydia Epidemic | Temporal dynamics of koala retrovirus plasma RNA load in relation to faecal glucocorticoid metabolites and Chlamydia infection. | University of Queensland | A study has established a link between high levels of retrovirus in koalas and increased susceptibility to chlamydia, especially under stress. This relationship underscores the impact of environmental stressors on vulnerable populations. Researchers are now focusing on habitat conservation, selective breeding, and antiviral treatments as potential strategies for improving the health and survival of koalas facing epidemic threats. | Stressed Koalas Face Deadly EpidemicKoalas with high retrovirus levels are more prone to deadly chlamydial infections, especially when stressed by habitat loss. Scientists are turning to habitat conservation, selective breeding, and antivirals to protect vulnerable populations. Credit: Shutterstock -- Australian researchers have revealed a clear relationship between stress and increased disease risk in koalas in South East Queensland and on the New South Wales North Coast. -- A study led by Dr Michaela Blyton at The University of Queensland measured and tracked the level of koala retrovirus (KoRV) in groups of captive and wild koalas. -- "We wanted to see what happened to their KoRV loads over time and how it related to chlamydial infection and levels of the stress hormones cortisol and corticosterone in their feces," Dr Blyton said. -- "Virus load likely weakens the immune system, so those with a higher KoRV load are more at risk of diseases such as Chlamydia which can cause blindness, infertility and death. -- "Poor quality or disappearing habitat may increase stress and the koalas with higher average cortisol levels had higher average KoRV loads. -- "We have confirmed the biggest threats faced by koalas of habitat loss and disease are connected - this is very important to know to improve support for remaining koala populations." -- The 67 koalas in the study included wild koalas being treated for Chlamydia before being released, others in a Chlamydia vaccine trial and a small number of animals kept in captivity because of injury or ill health. -- "Our study showed KoRV loads within individual animals were very stable over time," Dr Blyton said. -- "Even when a koala with Chlamydia was successfully treated for that infection, their KoRV load did not decrease. | 772 |
| Fish Love Songs Recorded For 12 Years Reveal A Surprising Shift | Long-Term Study Of Fish Sounds Reveals Surprising Changes In Spawning Behavior | Assessing red hind (Epinephelus guttatus) spawning aggregation changes from long-term relative variations in call types associated with reproductive behaviors. | Florida Atlantic University | Long-term acoustic monitoring of grouper sounds reveals significant changes in spawning behavior over 12 years. Researchers found a shift from courtship calls to increased territorial sounds, indicating alterations in population dynamics. This innovative approach, utilizing machine learning for data analysis, offers new insights into fish behavior and highlights the importance of sound in monitoring and conserving marine ecosystems. | Fish Love Songs Reveal Hidden Ocean ShiftsUnderwater microphones revealed dramatic shifts in grouper spawning behavior over more than a decade. The study shows sound can unlock early warning signs of population stress and help safeguard marine ecosystems. Credit: Shutterstock -- More than a decade of acoustic recordings of grouper grunts are providing new insight into how sound can be used to monitor and manage vulnerable fish populations. The research by Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute focused on the red hind (Epinephelus guttatus), a commercially important Caribbean grouper species. -- Red hind are protogynous hermaphrodites, starting life as females and later becoming males. Each winter, they travel more than 30 kilometers to offshore sites to spawn under the full moon in large gatherings. Males use rhythmic, low-frequency sounds to attract mates and to defend territory. This predictable behavior makes them especially vulnerable to overfishing during spawning season. -- Rather than traditional survey methods, FAU Harbor Branch and FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science researchers, in collaboration with HJR Reefscaping, the University of the Virgin Islands, and the University of Puerto Rico, turned to passive acoustic monitoring. This technique enables continuous, long-term monitoring of reproductive behavior, even in remote or hard-to-access areas, without disrupting the animals or their habitat. -- To examine how red hind reproductive behavior has changed over time, researchers analyzed more than 2,000 hours of underwater recordings from a single spawning site off Puerto Rico's west coast, continuously monitored since 2007. -- Unlike most acoustic studies that track general sound levels, this research focused on specific mating calls tied to distinct behaviors. Red hind produce two primary sound types - one for courtship and another for territorial defense. Tracking these sounds over time allowed researchers to detect subtle shifts in spawning behavior and population dynamics. -- The result, published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science, is one of the most extensive and uninterrupted acoustic datasets ever assembled for a reef fish species. -- The analysis confirmed a consistent seasonal pattern in red hind spawning activity, closely aligned with lunar cycles. However, one of the most striking findings was a notable shift in the balance of call types over the 12-year period. Between 2011 and 2017, calls linked to courtship were more common. But starting in 2018, calls linked to competition and territorial behavior became dominant - nearly tripling over the study period. -- "This shift could indicate changes in the population, such as an increase in the number of older or more dominant males, changes in sex ratios, or even a shift in the core spawning area," said Laurent Chérubin, Ph.D., lead author and a research professor at FAU Harbor Branch. -- Researchers also observed more frequent and multiple peaks in sound production in recent years, suggesting that spawning may now be spread over more days in each lunar cycle than in the past. These changes could be responses to environmental or population shifts. | 773 |
| Hungry Flathead Catfish Are Changing Everything In The Susquehanna | Invasive Flathead Catfish Force Native Species To Adapt Their Diets And Habitats | Invasive predatory fish occupies highest trophic position leading to expansion of isotopic niches in a riverine food web. | Penn State | Research indicates that the introduction of flathead catfish into the Susquehanna River has forced native species, such as smallmouth bass and channel catfish, to alter their diets to avoid competition and predation. This invasive species has rapidly ascended the food chain, disrupting existing ecosystems. The study highlights the cascading ecological effects that can result from a single invasive species and its impact on local food webs. | Flathead Catfish Take Over the SusquehannaFlatheads grow fast in this river system, attain large body sizes and can eat a variety of prey. Because adult flatheads have few natural predators, they can exert strong control over the ecosystem. Credit: Penn State -- Flathead catfish, opportunistic predators native to the Mississippi River basin, have the potential to decimate native and recreational fisheries, disrupting ecosystems in rivers where they become established after their introduction or invasion from a nearby river drainage. That concern led a team of researchers from Penn State, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to assess how flatheads are affecting the food web and energy flow in the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, where they were first detected in 1991. Their population has grown rapidly in the decades since. -- "Flatheads grow fast in this river system, attain large body sizes and can eat a variety of prey," said study first author Olivia Hodgson, a master's degree student in Penn State's Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology. "Because adult flatheads have few natural predators, flathead catfish can exert strong control over the ecosystem." -- Hodgson is working with Tyler Wagner, a scientist with the USGS Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Program and a Penn State affiliate professor of fisheries ecology. He is senior author on the study. In findings published Sept. 4 in Ecology, the researchers reported that flathead catfish are apex predators. -- Flatheads had the highest trophic position -- the level an organism occupies in a food web, based on its feeding relationships -- even higher than resident top predators such as smallmouth bass and channel catfish. Channel catfish had a lower trophic position in areas with flathead catfish. This means they now eat lower on the food chain, likely because they are being outcompeted by flatheads or avoiding them, the researchers explained. In areas with flathead catfish, they found, all species showed broader and overlapping diets. -- "This suggests that resident species are changing what they eat to avoid competing with or being eaten by the invader," Hodgson said. "These findings support the 'trophic disruption hypothesis,' that says when a new predator enters an ecosystem, it forces existing species to alter their behavior, diets and roles in the food web. This can destabilize ecosystems over time. Our study highlights how an invasive species can do more than just reduce native populations -- it can reshape entire foodwebs and change how energy moves through ecosystems." -- Although the predatory effects of invasive catfishes on native fish communities have been documented -- such as in a recent study on the Susquehanna River led by researchers at Penn State -- the impacts of invasion on riverine food webs are poorly understood, Hodgson noted. This study quantified the effects of invasive flathead catfish on the food web in the Susquehanna by comparing uninvaded river sections to invaded sections, focusing on several key species: flathead catfish -- invader, channel catfish and smallmouth bass -- resident predators, and crayfish and minnows -- prey. -- In addition to evaluating trophic position, the researchers analyzed the isotopic niche occupied by the fish species -- the range of carbon and nitrogen markers found within the tissues of an organism, reflecting its diet and habitat, providing insights into its ecological role. -- To reach their conclusions, the researchers employed stable isotope analysis, a widely used tool that can explain patterns within a food web, highlighting links between trophic positions, as well as the breadth and overlap of trophic niches. Stable isotope analysis is especially useful for studying invasion ecology, such as investigating trophic reorganization and trophic overlap between introduced and resident species. -- When fish eat, their bodies incorporate the isotopic signature of their food. By sampling their tissues, scientists can measure nitrogen isotopes and determine their diet, carbon isotopes to determine habitat use, and compare isotopic signatures across regions to deduce fish migration or habitat shifts. For this study, channel catfish, smallmouth bass, minnows and crayfish were selected as focal species because a previous diet analysis conducted in collaboration with Penn State, USGS, and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission researchers within the Susquehanna River, showed that these species are important prey for flathead catfish. | 774 |
| Tiny Skaters Beneath The Arctic Ice Rewrite The Limits Of Life | Arctic Diatoms Thriving In Extreme Conditions Challenge Our Understanding Of Life | Ice gliding diatoms establish record-low temperature limits for motility in a eukaryotic cell. | Stanford University | Recent research from Stanford reveals that Arctic diatoms, tiny glass-walled algae long thought to be dormant in polar ice, are surprisingly active and capable of gliding through icy channels at temperatures as low as -15°C. This remarkable resilience not only challenges previous assumptions about life in extreme conditions but also emphasizes the pressing need to study and protect fragile polar ecosystems that are rapidly disappearing. | Arctic Skaters Rewrite Limits of SurvivalImage of an Arctic diatom, showing the actin filaments that run down its middle and enable its skating motion. Credit: Prakash Lab -- If you pull an ice core from the outer edges of the Arctic polar cap, you might spot what looks like a faint line of dirt. Those are diatoms - single-celled algae with outer walls made of glass. Their presence in ice isn't new, but because they seemed trapped and dormant, few bothered to study them. -- But new research from Stanford, published Sept. 9 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, revealed Arctic diatoms aren't immobile or entombed. They're not just surviving either - they're gliding into the record books. -- "This is not 1980s-movie cryobiology. The diatoms are as active as we can imagine until temperatures drop all the way down to -15 C, which is super surprising," said Manu Prakash, associate professor of bioengineering in the Schools of Engineering and Medicine and senior author of the paper. -- That temperature (5 F) is the lowest ever recorded for movement by a eukaryotic cell - the type of complex cells in plants, animals, fungi, and more, defined by having a nucleus inside a membrane. -- "You can see the diatoms actually gliding, like they are skating on the ice," said lead author and Stanford postdoctoral scholar Qing Zhang, who collected the samples during an Arctic research expedition. She and her colleagues demonstrated not only motility at such low temperatures, but also that their gliding - or skating - relies on a combination of mucus and molecular motors. -- Navigating a bustling 'berg -- The diatoms featured in this research resulted from a 45-day Arctic expedition in the Chukchi Sea aboard the research vessel Sikuliaq, which is owned by the National Science Foundation and operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Researchers from the Prakash Lab and the lab of Kevin Arrigo, professor of Earth system science in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, collected ice cores from 12 stations throughout the summer of 2023. Using a range of on-ship microscopes that the Prakash Lab has been developing for years, the team was able to image inside ice and document the secret lives of these incredible arctic diatoms. -- Back in the lab, the team extracted diatoms from the ice cores and recreated their environments in a petri dish containing a thin layer of frozen freshwater and a layer of very cold saltwater. When ice forms in the Arctic, it kicks out salt, leaving freshwater ice with small microfluidic channels in it - so the lab also made channels in their ice, using their own hair. -- Even as they lowered the temperatures of a special sub-zero microscope below freezing, the diatoms slipped through the strand-sized highways. Further experiments, using gels seeded with fluorescent beads, tracked their movements like footprints in sand. | 775 |
| Scientists Finally Solve The Mystery Of Ghostly Halos On The Ocean Floor | Mystery Of Ocean Floor Halos Solved: Barrels Leak Toxic Alkaline Waste | Extremophile hotspots linked to containerized industrial waste dumping in a deep-sea basin. | University of California - San Diego | A study has uncovered that barrels dumped off Southern California decades ago contain caustic alkaline waste, rather than the expected DDT pesticide. This finding transforms parts of the seafloor into toxic environments, revealing the long-term consequences of industrial dumping. The research highlights the urgent need to understand and address how such waste impacts marine ecosystems, especially considering the potential for specialized bacteria to thrive in these extreme conditions. | Scientists Solve the Mystery of Ghostly HalosA discarded barrel on the seafloor off the coast of Los Angeles. The image was taken during a survey in July 2021 by remotely operated vehicle SuBastian. Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute -- In 2020, haunting images of corroded metal barrels in the deep ocean off Los Angeles leapt into the public consciousness. Initially linked to the toxic pesticide DDT, some barrels were encircled by ghostly halos in the sediment. It was unclear whether the barrels contained DDT waste, leaving the barrels' contents and the eerie halos unexplained. -- Now, new research from UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography reveals that the barrels with halos contained caustic alkaline waste, which created the halos as it leaked out. Though the study's findings can't identify which specific chemicals were present in the barrels, DDT manufacturing did produce alkaline as well as acidic waste. Other major industries in the region such as oil refining also generated significant alkaline waste. -- "One of the main waste streams from DDT production was acid and they didn't put that into barrels," said Johanna Gutleben, a Scripps postdoctoral scholar and the study's first author. "It makes you wonder: What was worse than DDT acid waste to deserve being put into barrels?" -- The study also found that the caustic waste from these barrels transformed portions of the seafloor into extreme environments mirroring natural hydrothermal vents -- complete with specialized bacteria that thrive where most life cannot survive. The study authors said the severity and extent of this alkaline waste's impacts on the marine environment depend on how many of these barrels are sitting on the seafloor and the specific chemicals they contained. -- Despite these unknowns, Paul Jensen, emeritus marine microbiologist at Scripps and senior author of the study, said that he would have expected the alkaline waste to quickly dissipate in seawater. Instead, it has persisted for more than half a century, suggesting this alkaline waste "can now join the ranks of DDT as a persistent pollutant with long-term environmental impacts." -- The study, published on September 9 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Nexus and supported by NOAA and the University of Southern California's Sea Grant program, continues Scripps' leadership role in unspooling the toxic legacy of once-legal ocean dumping off the coast of Southern California. The findings also provide a way of visually identifying barrels that formerly contained this caustic alkaline waste. -- "DDT was not the only thing that was dumped in this part of the ocean and we have only a very fragmented idea of what else was dumped there," said Gutleben. "We only find what we are looking for and up to this point we have mostly been looking for DDT. Nobody was thinking about alkaline waste before this and we may have to start looking for other things as well." -- From the 1930s until the early 1970s, 14 deep-water dump sites off the coast of Southern California received "refinery wastes, filter cakes and oil drilling wastes, chemical wastes, refuse and garbage, military explosives and radioactive wastes," according to the EPA. A pair of Scripps-led seafloor surveys in 2021 and 2023 identified thousands of objects, including hundreds of discarded military munitions. The number of barrels on the seafloor remains unknown. Sediments in the area are heavily contaminated with the pesticide DDT, a chemical banned in 1972 now known to harm humans and wildlife. Scant records from this time period suggest DDT waste was largely pumped directly into the ocean. -- Gutleben said she and her co-authors didn't initially set out to solve the halo mystery. In 2021, aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's Research Vessel Falkor, she and other researchers collected sediment samples to better understand the contamination near Catalina. Using the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SuBastian, the team collected sediment samples at precise distances from five barrels, three of which had white halos. | 776 |
| Sneezing From Cats Or Dust? Safe UV Light May Neutralize Allergens In Minutes | UV Light Technology Could Revolutionize Allergy Prevention At Home | Far UV Exposure (UV222) Decreases Immune-Based Recognition of Common Airborne Allergens. | University of Colorado at Boulder | Emerging research suggests that a safe UV light treatment may effectively neutralize airborne allergens, providing a potential solution for allergy sufferers. By altering allergen proteins, this innovative approach could drastically reduce allergic reactions in various environments, leading to the development of portable devices that enhance indoor air quality and improve life for those with allergies. | Safe UV Light May Neutralize AllergensA safe UV light could revolutionize allergy relief by disabling airborne allergens in minutes. Credit: Shutterstock -- Cats. Dust mites. Mold. Trees. -- For people with allergies, even a brief whiff of the airborne allergens these organisms produce can lead to swollen eyes, itchy skin and impaired breathing. -- Such allergens can persist indoors for months after the original source is gone, and repeated exposure can exacerbate, and even lead to, asthma. -- What if you could just flip a switch and disable them? You can, according to new University of Colorado Boulder research. -- "We have found that we can use a passive, generally safe ultraviolet light treatment to quickly inactivate airborne allergens," said study author Tess Eidem, a senior research associate in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering. -- "We believe this could be another tool for helping people fight allergens in their home, schools or other places where allergens accumulate indoors." -- The findings were published in August in the journal ACS ES&T Air. -- Why you can't kill an allergen -- Walk into a room with a cat and, if you sneeze, it's not actually the cat you are reacting to. It's likely airborne flecks of a protein called Fel d1 produced in their saliva. The protein spreads when they lick themselves and ends up in microscopic flakes of dead skin floating in the air, a.k.a. dander. When we inhale these particles, our immune system produces antibodies that bind to the protein's unique 3D structure, kicking off an allergic reaction. | 777 |
| The Shocking Reason Arctic Rivers Are Turning Rusty Orange | Ice Fuels Unexpected Chemical Reactions, Changing Arctic Rivers' Appearance | Ice as a kinetic and mechanistic driver of oxalate-promoted iron oxyhydroxide dissolution. | Umea University | Researchers have discovered that ice can actively drive chemical reactions that potentially turn Arctic rivers rusty as the climate warms. The study reveals that ice dissolves iron minerals more effectively than liquid water, especially during freeze-thaw cycles, emphasizing the need to understand these chemical processes as Arctic ecosystems undergo significant changes due to climate change. | Why Arctic Rivers Are Turning Rusty OrangeAn aerial view of the rust-colored Kutuk River in Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska. Thawing permafrost is exposing minerals to weathering, increasing the acidity of the water, which releases metals like iron, zinc, and copper. Credit: Ken Hill / National Park Service -- Ice can dissolve iron minerals more effectively than liquid water, according to a new study from Umeå University. The discovery could help explain why many Arctic rivers are now turning rusty orange as permafrost thaws in a warming climate. -- The study, recently published in the scientific journal PNAS, shows that ice at minus ten degrees Celsius releases more iron from common minerals than liquid water at four degrees Celsius. This challenges the long-held belief that frozen environments slow down chemical reactions. -- "It may sound counterintuitive, but ice is not a passive frozen block," says Jean-François Boily, Professor at Umeå University and co-author of the study. "Freezing creates microscopic pockets of liquid water between ice crystals. These act like chemical reactors, where compounds become concentrated and extremely acidic. This means they can react with iron minerals even at temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius." -- To understand the process, the researchers studied goethite - a widespread iron oxide mineral - together with a naturally occurring organic acid, using advanced microscopy and experiments. -- They discovered that repeated freeze-thaw cycles make iron dissolve more efficiently. As the ice freezes and thaws, organic compounds that were previously trapped in the ice are released, fuelling further chemical reactions. Salinity also plays a crucial role: fresh and brackish water increase dissolution, while seawater can suppress it. -- The findings apply mainly to acidic environments, such as mine drainage sites, frozen dust in the atmosphere, acid sulfate soils along the Baltic Sea coast, or in any acidic frozen environment where iron minerals interact with organics. The next step is to find out if the same is true for all iron-bearing ice. This is what ongoing research in the Boily laboratory will soon reveal. -- "As the climate warms, freeze-thaw cycles become more frequent," says Angelo Pio Sebaaly, doctoral student and first author of the study. "Each cycle releases iron from soils and permafrost into the water. This can affect water quality and aquatic ecosystems across vast areas." -- The findings show that ice is not a passive storage medium, but an active player. As freezing and thawing increase in polar and mountain regions, for the impact on ecosystems. and the natural cycling of elements could be significant. | 778 |
| Your Nose Could Detect Alzheimer’s Years Before Memory Loss | Smell Tests Could Reveal Early Signs Of Alzheimer’s Disease Before Memory Loss | Early Locus Coeruleus noradrenergic axon loss drives olfactory dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease. | DZNE - German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases | A new study highlights that a diminished sense of smell could be an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease, driven by the brain's immune cells mistakenly destroying connections crucial for olfactory function. This research suggests that monitoring olfactory changes could lead to earlier diagnoses and interventions for Alzheimer's, providing a new avenue for understanding the disease's progression. | Smell Loss Could Be Alzheimer’s First WarningAlzheimer’s may start with a failing sense of smell as the brain’s immune system mistakenly attacks scent-related nerve fibers. Studies in humans and mice show this process begins early, opening the door to earlier diagnosis and treatment. Credit: Shutterstock -- A fading sense of smell can be one of the earliest signs of Alzheimer's disease even before cognitive impairments manifest. Research by scientists at DZNE and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) sheds new light on this phenomenon, pointing to a significant role for the brain's immune response, which seems to fatally attack neuronal fibers crucial for the perception of odors. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, is based on observations in mice and humans, including analysis of brain tissue and so-called PET scanning. These findings may help to devise ways for early diagnosis and, consequently, early treatment. -- The researchers come to the conclusion that these olfactory dysfunctions arise because immune cells of the brain called "microglia" remove connections between two brain regions, namely the olfactory bulb and the locus coeruleus. The olfactory bulb, located in the forebrain, analyzes sensory information from the nose's scent receptors. The locus coeruleus, a region of the brainstem, influences this processing by means of long nerve fibers originating from neurons in the locus coeruleus and extending all the way to the olfactory bulb. "The locus coeruleus regulates a variety physiological mechanisms. These include, for example, cerebral blood flow, sleep-wake cycles, and sensory processing. The latter applies, in particular, also to the sense of smell," says Dr. Lars Paeger, a scientist at DZNE and LMU. "Our study suggests that in early Alzheimer's disease, changes occur in the nerve fibers linking the locus coeruleus to the olfactory bulb. These alterations signal to the microglia that affected fibers are defective or superfluous. Consequently, the microglia break them down." -- Alterations in the membrane -- Specifically, the team of Dr. Lars Paeger and Prof. Dr. Jochen Herms, who is a co-author of the current publication, found evidence of changes in the composition of the membranes of the affected nerve fibers: Phosphatidylserine, a fatty acid that usually occurs inside a neuron's membrane, had been moved to the outside. "Presence of phosphatidylserine at the outer site of the cell membrane is known to be an "eat-me" signal for microglia. In the olfactory bulb, this is usually associated with a process called synaptic pruning, which serves to remove unnecessary or dysfunctional neuronal connections," explains Paeger. "In our situation, we assume that the shift in membrane composition is triggered by hyperactivity of the affected neurons due to Alzheimer's disease. That is, these neurons exhibit abnormal firing." -- A wide range of data -- The findings of Paeger and colleagues are based on a plethora of observations. These include studies on mice with features of Alzheimer's disease, analysis of brain samples from deceased Alzheimer's patients, and positron emission tomography (PET) scans of the brains of individuals with Alzheimer's or mild cognitive impairment. "Smell issues in Alzheimer's disease and damage to the associated nerves have been discussed for some time. However, the causes were unclear until yet. Now, our findings point to an immunological mechanism as cause for such dysfunctions - and, in particular, that such events already arise in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease," says Joachim Herms, a research group leader at DZNE and LMU as well as a member of the Munich-based "SyNergy" Cluster of Excellence. -- Perspectives for early diagnosis -- So-called amyloid-beta antibodies have recently become available for the treatment of Alzheimer's. For this novel therapy to be effective, it needs to be applied at an early stage of the disease, and this is precisely where the current research could be significant. "Our findings could pave the way for the early identification of patients at risk of developing Alzheimer's, enabling them to undergo comprehensive testing to confirm the diagnosis before cognitive problems arise. This would allow earlier intervention with amyloid-beta antibodies, increasing the probability of a positive response," says Herms. | 779 |
| Scientists Finally Capture Water’s Hidden State That’s Both Solid And Liquid | Discovering Water’s New Premelting State: Solid Position Meets Liquid Motion | Solid-State 2H NMR Analysis for Hierarchical Water Clusters Confined to Quasi-One-Dimensional Molecular Nanoporous Crystals. | Tokyo University of Science | Japanese researchers have identified a "premelting" phase of water, where it exhibits both liquid and solid characteristics when confined to nanoscale spaces. This discovery sheds light on the unique behaviors of water under specific conditions, with implications for understanding processes in various natural and technological systems, revealing that water is more complex than previously understood. | Water’s Hidden State That’s Solid and LiquidScientists in Japan discovered a new phase of confined water called the “premelting state.” Credit: Shutterstock -- Despite being one of the most familiar substances on Earth, water holds many secrets that scientists are still working to understand. When confined to extremely small spaces -- such as within certain proteins, minerals, or artificial nanomaterials -- water behaves in ways that are drastically different from its bulk liquid form. These confinement effects are critical for many natural and technological processes, including regulating the flow of ions through cell membranes and the properties of nanofluidic systems. -- One intriguing yet poorly understood state of confined water is called the 'premelting state.' In this unique phase, water behaves as if it were on the cusp of freezing and melting at the same time, thus defying simple liquid or solid classifications. However, it has proven difficult to study the premelting state and other confined water dynamics in detail. While techniques such as diffraction methods (example: X-ray analysis) are useful for pinpointing the positions of atoms other than hydrogen, they are not sensitive enough to capture the picosecond-scale rotational motion of hydrogen and the motion of individual water molecules. -- In a recent study, a research team led by Professor Makoto Tadokoro alongside Lecturer Fumiya Kobayashi and first-year PhD student Mr. Tomoya Namiki, from the Department of Chemistry, Tokyo University of Science, Japan, shed new light on the mysteries of confined water. Their paper, published online in the Journal of the American Chemical Society on August 27, 2025, reports how they used static solid-state deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to observe the hierarchical dynamics of water confined within the hydrophilic nanopores of a molecular crystal and characterized the premelting state, which is a new phase observed in water. -- To perform their experiments, the team produced hexagonal rod-like crystals, with quasi-one-dimensional channels containing a nanopore approximately 1.6 nm in diameter and filled them with heavy water (D2O). By measuring the NMR spectra of a single crystal of {[Co(D2bim)3](TMA).20D2O}n at room temperature, the researchers were able to confirm the existence of a hierarchical, three-layered structure in the contained water molecules. The unique peaks observed in the spectra corresponded to every layered structures with distinct movements and hydrogen-bonding interactions with one another of the confined water, providing clear evidence of multi-layered organization. Furthermore, water confined in the nanopores freezes in a different structure from bulk ice and first melts through a distorted hydrogen-bonded structure, leading to the formation of a premelting state. -- To gain insights into the premelting state, the researchers heated the crystal gradually from low temperature to get the water from a frozen state to a liquid state. They observed distinct changes in the NMR spectra that confirmed a phase transition into the premelting state, and their measurements revealed the presence of two seemingly contradictory states. "The premelting state involves the melting of incompletely hydrogen-bonded H2O before the completely frozen ice structure starts melting during the heating process. It essentially constitutes a novel phase of water in which frozen H2O layers and slowly moving H2O coexist," explains Prof. Tadokoro. -- The researchers measured the spin-lattice relaxation time to quantify the rotational mobility of the heavy water molecules in this new phase. While the activation energy for the premelting state was far from that of bulk ice, the correlation time was remarkably close to that of bulk liquid water. Simply put, this means that while the water molecules' positions were relatively fixed as one would expect of a solid, their rotational motions were extremely fast and liquid-like. -- Taken together, these findings build toward a more comprehensive understanding of how water behaves in extreme confinement. They clarify crucial structural and dynamic aspects, which are important for understanding how water and ions permeate through biological proteins and membranes. Looking ahead, these insights could also lead to practical innovations. "By creating new ice network structures, it may be possible to store energetic gases such as hydrogen and methane and develop water-based materials such as artificial gas hydrates," says Prof. Tadokoro. Controlling the freezing properties of water based on the structure of ice could lead to the creation of new, inexpensive, and safe hydrosphere materials. -- Overall, this study ultimately demonstrates that even a substance as common as water still holds fundamental secrets waiting to be unlocked. -- This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) JP23K26672 and JSPS KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists JP23K13767 from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan. | 780 |
| Neutrinos May Be The Hidden Force Behind Gold And Platinum | Neutrinos: The Secret Architects of Gold and Platinum from Neutron Star Collisions | Neutrino Flavor Transformation in Neutron Star Mergers. | Penn State | New simulations from Penn State and the University of Tennessee Knoxville suggest that neutrinos play a pivotal role in nucleosynthesis during neutron star collisions, impacting the creation of heavy elements like gold and platinum. By exploring how neutrinos change flavors during these cataclysmic events, researchers are unraveling mysteries about the origins of metals and providing insights into extreme astrophysical processes. | Neutrinos May Control the Birth of GoldNew simulations of neutron star mergers reveal that the mixing and changing of tiny particles called neutrinos impacts how the merger unfolds, including the composition and structure of the merger remnant as well as the resulting emissions. This image depicts the density of neutrinos within the remnant as varying textures, and the colors represent energy densities of different neutrino flavors. Credit: David Radice research group / Penn State -- The collision and merger of two neutron stars -- the incredibly dense remnants of collapsed stars -- are some of the most energetic events in the universe, producing a variety of signals that can be observed on Earth. New simulations of neutron star mergers by a team from Penn State and the University of Tennessee Knoxville reveal that the mixing and changing of tiny particles called neutrinos that can travel astronomical distances undisturbed impacts how the merger unfolds, as well as the resulting emissions. The findings have implications for longstanding questions about the origins of metals and rare earth elements as well as understanding physics in extreme environments, the researchers said. -- The paper, published in the journal Physical Review Letters, is the first to simulate the transformation of neutrino "flavors" in neutron star mergers. Neutrinos are fundamental particles that interact weakly with other matter, and come in three flavors, named for the other particles they associate with: electron, muon and tau. Under specific conditions, including the inside of a neutron star, neutrinos can theoretically change flavors, which can change the types of particles with which they interact. -- "Previous simulations of binary neutron star mergers have not included the transformation of neutrino flavor," said Yi Qiu, graduate student in physics in the Penn State Eberly College of Science and first author of the paper. "This is partly because this process happens on a nanosecond timescale and is very difficult to capture and partly because, until recently, we didn't know enough about the theoretical physics underlying these transformations, which falls outside of the standard model of physics. In our new simulations, we found that the extent and location of neutrinos mixing and transforming impacts the matter that is ejected from the merger, the structure and composition of what remains after the merger -- the remnant -- as well as the material around it." -- The researchers built a computer simulation of a neutron star merger from the ground up, incorporating a variety of physical processes, including gravity, general relativity, hydrodynamics and the neutrino mixing. They also accounted for the transformation of electron flavor neutrinos to muon flavor, which the researchers said is the most relevant neutrino transformation in this environment. They modeled several scenarios, varying the timing and location of the mixing as well as the density of the surrounding material. -- The researchers found that all of these factors influenced the composition and structure of the merger remnant, including the type and quantities of elements created during the merger. During a collision, the neutrons in a neutron star can be launched at other atoms in the debris, which can capture the neutrons and ultimately decay into heavier elements, such as heavy metals like gold and platinum as well as rare earth elements that are used on Earth in smart phones, electric vehicle batteries and other devices. -- "A neutrino's flavor changes how it interacts with other matter," said David Radice, Knerr Early Career Professor of Physics and associate professor astronomy and astrophysics in the Penn State Eberly College of Science and an author of the paper. "Electron type neutrinos can take a neutron, one of the three basic parts of an atom, and transform it into the other two, a proton and electron. But muon type neutrinos cannot do this. So, the conversion of neutrino flavors can alter how many neutrons are available in the system, which directly impacts the creation of heavy metals and rare earth elements. There are still many lingering questions about the cosmic origin of these important elements, and we found that accounting for neutrino mixing could increase element production by as much as a factor of 10." -- Neutrino mixing during the merger also influenced the amount and composition of matter ejected from the merger, which the researchers said could alter the emissions detectable from Earth. These emissions typically include gravitational waves -- ripples in space time -- as well as electromagnetic radiation like X-rays or gamma rays. -- "In our simulations, neutrino mixing impacted the electromagnetic emissions from neutron star mergers and possibly the gravitational waves as well," Radice said. "With cutting-edge detectors like LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA and their next generation counterparts, such as the proposed Cosmic Explorer observatory that could start operations in the 2030s, astronomers are poised to detect gravitational waves more often than we have before. Better understanding how these emissions are created from neutron star mergers will help us interpret future observations." -- The researchers said modeling the mixing processes was similar to a pendulum being turned upside down. Initially, many changes occurred on an incredibly rapid timescale, but eventually the pendulum settles to a stable equilibrium. But much of this, they said, is an assumption. | 781 |
| Tiny Gold Quantum Needles With Astonishing Powers Discovered | Gold Quantum Needles: Tiny Innovations for Biomedical Imaging and Energy Conversion | X-ray Crystallographic Visualization of a Nucleation and Anisotropic Growth in Thiolate-Protected Gold Clusters: Toward Targeted Synthesis of Gold Quantum Needles. | School of Science, The University of Tokyo | Scientists at the University of Tokyo have introduced "gold quantum needles," an innovative nanostructure generated through unique synthesis conditions. These elongated gold formations, which behave differently under near-infrared light compared to typical clusters, hold potential for advanced applications in biomedical imaging and energy conversion. Their research offers insights into the structural evolution of nanoclusters, enhancing understanding of their synthesis and properties. | Strange “Gold Quantum Needles” DiscoveredStructural evolution of gold nanoclusters: From anisotropic nucleation to growth into gold quantum needles. The structures were determined by X-ray crystallography. Organic residues of the surface ligands were omitted for clarity. Color code: Au (gold): yellow; S: red. Credit: Takano et al 2025 -- Researchers Shinjiro Takano, Yuya Hamasaki, and Tatsuya Tsukuda of the University of Tokyo have successfully visualized the geometric structure of growing gold nanoclusters in their earliest stages. During this process, they also successfully "grew" a novel structure of elongated nanoclusters, which they named "gold quantum needles." Thanks to their responsiveness to light in the near-infrared range, these "needles" could enable much higher-resolution biomedical imaging and more efficient light-energy conversion. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. -- Although gold might conjure up images of pomp and luxury, it is also an essential element of modern nanotechnology due to its unique structures and properties at the nanoscale. Gold nanoclusters composed of fewer than 100 atoms are typically synthesized by reducing, that is, adding electrons, gold precursor ions in the presence of protective ligands. However, synthesizing gold nanoclusters of the desired size, shape, and composition is still a challenge. -- "Over the past years," says Tsukuda, the principal investigator, "much effort has been devoted to understanding the correlation between the structure and physicochemical properties of the nanoclusters. However, the formation process is regarded as a black box. We initiated this project with the belief that understanding the initial stages of cluster formation will lead to the development of new, targeted synthesis methods for desired structures." -- The researchers thus set out to determine the geometric structures of gold nanoclusters at the initial stages of their formation. They used slightly unusual synthesis conditions to trap the nanoclusters in the very first stages of growth. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, an X-ray for chemical compounds, if you will, revealed that gold nanoclusters grew anisotropically, at a different rate in different directions. Moreover, the analysis revealed an entirely new structure: pencil-shaped nanoclusters composed of triangular trimers and tetrahedral tetramers. The researchers named them "gold quantum needles" because the electrons confined in these nanoclusters demonstrated quantized behavior, a quantum phenomenon in which electrons can take only specific potential energies. -- "We could retroactively explain the formation processes of a series of small gold nanoclusters under our unusual synthetic conditions," Tsukuda explains. "However, the formation of needles with a base of a triangle of three gold atoms instead of a nearly spherical cluster is a serendipitous finding that was far beyond our imagination." -- The structural snapshots the researchers acquired of the stepwise growth of gold nanoclusters greatly contribute to our understanding of the formation mechanism. However, Tsukuda is already thinking about the next steps. -- "We would like to explore synthesizing other, unique nanoclusters by refining the synthesis conditions further. We would also like to collaborate with other experts to promote the application of gold quantum needles, leveraging their exceptional optical properties." | 782 |
| These Clear Windows Can Secretly Produce Solar Power | Transform Your Windows: Transparent Solar Coating That Generates Clean Energy | Colorless and unidirectional diffractive-type solar concentrators compatible with existing windows. | Chinese Society for Optical Engineering | A team led by Nanjing University has developed a transparent solar coating that transforms ordinary windows into efficient energy generators while maintaining visual clarity. By utilizing cholesteric liquid crystal technology, this innovative coating redirects sunlight to photovoltaic cells at the edges of windows, promising a significant increase in solar energy collection without compromising aesthetics. | Clear Windows Can Secretly Produce Solar PowerA new transparent solar coating turns windows into power generators, combining efficiency, clarity, and scalability for sustainable cities. Credit: Shutterstock -- A research team led by Nanjing University has introduced a transparent, colorless, and unidirectional solar concentrator that can be directly coated onto standard window glass. Utilizing cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) multilayers with submicron lateral periodicities, this diffractive-type solar concentrator (CUSC) selectively guides sunlight toward the edge of the window where photovoltaic cells are installed. The study appears in PhotoniX. -- Unlike conventional luminescent or scattering-based concentrators, which often suffer from visual distortion, low efficiency, and poor scalability, the new CUSC achieves broadband polarization-selective diffraction and waveguiding without compromising clarity. The device maintains a high average visible transmittance (64.2%) and color rendering index (91.3), enabling clean energy generation without altering the appearance of the window. -- "By engineering the structure of cholesteric liquid crystal films, we create a system that selectively diffracts circularly polarized light, guiding it into the glass waveguide at steep angles," said Dr. Dewei Zhang, co-first author. "This allows up to 38.1% of incident green light energy to be collected at the edge." -- Experiments showed that a 1-inch-diameter prototype could directly power a 10-mW fan under sunlight. Modeling suggests a typical 2-meter-wide CUSC window could concentrate sunlight by 50 times, significantly reducing the number of photovoltaic cells required by up to 75%. The system supports integration with high-performance PV cells such as gallium arsenide for enhanced power conversion. -- The multilayered CLC films are fabricated via photoalignment and polymerization techniques and are scalable via roll-to-roll manufacturing. The design remains stable under long-term exposure and can be retrofitted onto existing windows for sustainable urban upgrades. -- "The CUSC design is a step forward in integrating solar technology into the built environment without sacrificing aesthetics," said Professor Wei Hu. "It represents a practical and scalable strategy for carbon reduction and energy self-sufficiency." -- Future work will focus on enhancing broadband efficiency, polarization control, and adapting the technology for agricultural greenhouses and transparent solar displays. Their vision: to turn passive glass into active, energy-generating surfaces worldwide. | 783 |
| AI Has No Idea What It’s Doing, But It’s Threatening Us All | AI's Rapid Evolution: A Challenge to Our Human Rights and Dignity | Human dignity in the age of Artificial Intelligence: an overview of legal issues and regulatory regimes. | Charles Darwin University | Dr. Maria Randazzo from Charles Darwin University warns that the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence poses threats to essential human rights, including privacy and autonomy. The study highlights a "black box problem," making it difficult to trace AI decision-making and protect individuals from potential harm, underscoring the urgent need for global regulations prioritizing human dignity in the AI era. | AI Has No Idea What It’s DoingAI’s rapid rise risks undermining dignity and rights, warns Dr. Randazzo. Without global, human-centered regulation, humanity risks being reduced to data. Credit: Shutterstock -- The age of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed our interactions, but threatens human dignity on a worldwide scale, according to a study led by Charles Darwin University (CDU). -- Study lead author Dr Maria Randazzo, an academic from CDU's School of Law, found the technology was reshaping Western legal and ethical landscapes at unprecedented speed but was undermining democratic values and deepening systemic biases. -- Dr Randazzo said current regulation failed to prioritize fundamental human rights and freedoms such as privacy, anti-discrimination, user autonomy, and intellectual property rights - mainly thanks to the untraceable nature of many algorithmic models. -- Calling this lack of transparency a "black box problem," Dr Randazzo said decisions made by deep-learning or machine-learning processes were impossible for humans to trace, making it difficult for users to determine if and why an AI model has violated their rights and dignity and seek justice where necessary. -- "This is a very significant issue that is only going to get worse without adequate regulation," Dr Randazzo said. -- "AI is not intelligent in any human sense at all. It is a triumph in engineering, not in cognitive behavior. -- "It has no clue what it's doing or why - there's no thought process as a human would understand it, just pattern recognition stripped of embodiment, memory, empathy, or wisdom." -- Currently, the world's three dominant digital powers - the United States, China, and the European Union - are taking markedly different approaches to AI, leaning on market-centric, state-centric, and human-centric models respectively. -- Dr Randazzo said the EU's human-centric approach is the preferred path to protect human dignity but without a global commitment to this goal, even that approach falls short. | 784 |
| Scientists Just Found A Hidden Quantum Geometry That Warps Electrons | Hidden Quantum Geometry Finally Observed: A Breakthrough for Electronics and Superconductivity | The quantum metric of electrons with spin-momentum locking. | Université de Genève | Researchers from the University of Geneva have observed a hidden quantum geometry affecting electron paths in materials, a concept once only theoretical. This discovery, indicating that quantum metrics can bend electron trajectories, could pave the way for advancements in electronics and superconductivity, revolutionizing our understanding of quantum materials and their applications in technology. | A Hidden Quantum Geometry Warps ElectronsA glimpse into how hidden geometry shapes the motion of electrons in quantum materials. Electrons flowing upstream feel an extra resistance that reveals the quantum metric. Credit: © Xavier Ravinet – UNIG -- How can data be processed at lightning speed, or electricity conducted without loss? To achieve this, scientists and industry alike are turning to quantum materials, governed by the laws of the infinitesimal. Designing such materials requires a detailed understanding of atomic phenomena, much of which remains unexplored. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with the University of Salerno and the CNR-SPIN Institute (Italy), has taken a major step forward by uncovering a hidden geometry -- until now purely theoretical -- that distorts the trajectories of electrons in much the same way gravity bends the path of light. This work, published in Science, opens new avenues for quantum electronics. -- Future technologies depend on high-performance materials with unprecedented properties, rooted in quantum physics. At the heart of this revolution lies the study of matter at the microscopic scale -- the very essence of quantum physics. In the past century, exploring atoms, electrons and photons within materials gave rise to transistors and, ultimately, to modern computing. -- New quantum phenomena that defy established models are still being discovered today. Recent studies suggest the possible emergence of a geometry within certain materials when vast numbers of particles are observed. This geometry appears to distort the trajectories of electrons in these materials -- much like Einstein's gravity bends the path of light. -- Known as quantum metric, this geometry reflects the curvature of the quantum space in which electrons move. It plays a crucial role in many phenomena at the microscopic scale of matter. Yet detecting its presence and effects remains a major challenge. -- ''The concept of quantum metric dates back about 20 years, but for a long time it was regarded purely as a theoretical construct. Only in recent years have scientists begun to explore its tangible effects on the properties of matter,'' explains Andrea Caviglia, full professor and director of the Department of Quantum Matter Physics at the UNIGE Faculty of Science. -- Thanks to recent work, the team led by the UNIGE researcher, in collaboration with Carmine Ortix, associate professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Salerno, has detected quantum metric at the interface between two oxides -- strontium titanate and lanthanum aluminate -- a well-known quantum material. ''Its presence can be revealed by observing how electron trajectories are distorted under the combined influence of quantum metric and intense magnetic fields applied to solids,'' explains Giacomo Sala, research associate in the Department of Quantum Matter Physics at the UNIGE Faculty of Science and lead author of the study. -- Unlocking Future Technologies -- Observing this phenomenon makes it possible to characterise a material's optical, electronic and transport properties with greater precision. The research team also demonstrates that quantum metric is an intrinsic property of many materials -- contrary to previous assumptions. -- ''These discoveries open up new avenues for exploring and harnessing quantum geometry in a wide range of materials, with major implications for future electronics operating at terahertz frequencies (a trillion hertz), as well as for superconductivity and light-matter interactions,'' concludes Andrea Caviglia. | 785 |
| Astronomers Capture Breathtaking First Look At A Planet Being Born | Witness the Birth of a Planet: Stunning Images of WISPIT 2b Formation | WIde Separation Planets In Time (WISPIT): A Gap-clearing Planet in a Multi-ringed Disk around the Young Solar-type Star WISPIT 2. | University of Galway | An international team of astronomers has successfully imaged a forming gas giant named WISPIT 2b around a young Sun-like star, using advanced telescopes. This discovery provides a unique opportunity to study planetary formation, revealing insights into the birth and evolution of gas giants, similar to Jupiter but significantly larger. | Rare Glimpse of a World Still FormingImage of a dusty disk around a young star. Among the multiple concentric rings we see a small dot of light (indicated by a white circle). This is an image of a new-born planet, likely a gas giant similar to Jupiter in our own solar system but about 5 times more massive. These observations were taken with the ESO Very Large Telescope in near-infrared light. Credit: C. Ginski/R. van Capelleveen et al. -- An international team of astronomers, co-led by researchers at University of Galway, has made the unexpected discovery of a new planet. -- Detected at an early stage of formation around a young analog of our own Sun, the planet is estimated to be about 5 million years-old and most likely a gas giant of similar size to Jupiter. -- The study, which was led by Leiden University, University of Galway and University of Arizona, has been published in the international journal Astrophysical Journal Letters. -- The ground-breaking discovery was made using one of the world's most advanced observatories -- the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT) in the Atacama Desert in Chile. -- To coincide with the research being published, the European Southern Observatory -- the world's foremost international astronomy organization -- has released a stunning image of the discovery as their picture of the week. View images here. -- The new planet has been named WISPIT 2b. -- Dr Christian Ginski, lecturer at the School of Natural Sciences, University of Galway and second author of the study, said: "We used these really short snapshot observations of many young stars -- only a few minutes per object -- to determine if we could see a little dot of light next to them that is caused by a planet. However, in the case of this star, we instead detected a completely unexpected and exceptionally beautiful multi-ringed dust disk. -- "When we saw this multi-ringed disk for the first time, we knew we had to try and see if we could detect a planet within it, so we quickly asked for follow-up observations." -- It is only the second time a confirmed planet has been detected at this early evolutionary stage around a young version of our Sun. The first one was discovered in 2018, by a research team also involving Dr Ginski. | 786 |
| Light-Powered Chip Makes AI 100 Times More Efficient | Revolutionizing AI Efficiency: Light-Powered Chip Cuts Energy Use by 100 Times | Near-energy-free photonic Fourier transformation for convolution operation acceleration. | SPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics | Researchers at the University of Florida have engineered a silicon chip that uses light instead of electricity for AI convolution operations, significantly enhancing energy efficiency and performance. This innovation could revolutionize AI processing, achieving near-perfect accuracy while drastically reducing energy consumption, marking a significant progression in the field of machine learning. | Light-Powered Chip Makes AI 100x More EfficientA newly developed silicon photonic chip turns light-encoded data into instant convolution results. Credit: H. Yang (University of Florida) -- Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are increasingly central to technology, powering everything from facial recognition to language translation. But as AI models grow more complex, they consume vast amounts of electricity -- posing challenges for energy efficiency and sustainability. A new chip developed by researchers at the University of Florida could help address this issue by using light, rather than just electricity, to perform one of AI's most power-hungry tasks. Their research is reported in Advanced Photonics. -- The chip is designed to carry out convolution operations, a core function in machine learning that enables AI systems to detect patterns in images, video, and text. These operations typically require significant computing power. By integrating optical components directly onto a silicon chip, the researchers have created a system that performs convolutions using laser light and microscopic lenses -- dramatically reducing energy consumption and speeding up processing. -- "Performing a key machine learning computation at near zero energy is a leap forward for future AI systems," said study leader Volker J. Sorger, the Rhines Endowed Professor in Semiconductor Photonics at the University of Florida. "This is critical to keep scaling up AI capabilities in years to come." -- In tests, the prototype chip classified handwritten digits with about 98 percent accuracy, comparable to traditional electronic chips. The system uses two sets of miniature Fresnel lenses -- flat, ultrathin versions of the lenses found in lighthouses -- fabricated using standard semiconductor manufacturing techniques. These lenses are narrower than a human hair and are etched directly onto the chip. -- To perform a convolution, machine learning data is first converted into laser light on the chip. The light passes through the Fresnel lenses, which carry out the mathematical transformation. The result is then converted back into a digital signal to complete the AI task. -- "This is the first time anyone has put this type of optical computation on a chip and applied it to an AI neural network," said Hangbo Yang, a research associate professor in Sorger's group at UF and co-author of the study. -- The team also demonstrated that the chip could process multiple data streams simultaneously by using lasers of different colors -- a technique known as wavelength multiplexing. "We can have multiple wavelengths, or colors, of light passing through the lens at the same time," Yang said. "That's a key advantage of photonics." -- The research was conducted in collaboration with the Florida Semiconductor Institute, UCLA, and George Washington University. Sorger noted that chip manufacturers such as NVIDIA already use optical elements in some parts of their AI systems, which could make it easier to integrate this new technology. -- "In the near future, chip-based optics will become a key part of every AI chip we use daily," Sorger said. "And optical AI computing is next." | 787 |
| The Universe’s First Magnetic Fields Were Shockingly Weak, But Changed Everything | Weak Primordial Magnetic Fields Shaped Our Universe: New Insights from Simulations | Constraints on Primordial Magnetic Fields from the Lyman-α Forest. | Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati | A comprehensive study reveals that primordial magnetic fields, although extremely weak, have left lasting imprints on the universe's cosmic web. By running extensive simulations and validating with observational data, researchers have established upper limits on these fields' strength, shedding light on their role in the formation of the universe's earliest stars and galaxies. | Ancient Magnetic Fields Shaped the UniverseScientists found that the faint magnetic fields born in the early Universe still influence the cosmic web today. Their findings, backed by massive simulations, redefine the strength of these fields and their role in cosmic evolution. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- The magnetic fields that formed in the very early stages of the Universe, may have been billions of times weaker than a small fridge magnet, with strengths comparable to magnetism generated by neurons in the human brain. Yet, despite such weakness, quantifiable traces of their existence still remain in the cosmic web, the visible cosmic structures connected throughout the Universe. These conclusions emerge from a study using around a quarter of a million computer simulations, conducted by a team from SISSA (the International School for Advanced Studies based in Trieste) in collaboration with the Universities of Hertfordshire, Cambridge, Nottingham, Stanford, and Potsdam. Observational data were subsequently used to validate these findings. The research, recently published in Physical Review Letters, specifies both possible and maximum values for the strengths of primordial magnetic fields. It also offers the possibility of refining our knowledge of the early Universe and the formation of the first stars and galaxies. -- A magnetic cosmic web -- "The cosmic web, of which much remains to be discovered, is a filamentary structure connecting the galaxies that permeates the Universe. One of its many unsolved mysteries is why it is magnetized, not only near galaxies, where this might be expected, but also in distant regions that are sparsely populated and constitute the bulk of the cosmic web. This is harder to explain." These comments come from Mak Pavičević, a SISSA PhD student and lead author of the research, and Matteo Viel, his supervisor and co-author of the study. "Our hypothesis was that this could be a legacy of events occurring in cosmic epochs during the birth of the Universe, and that magnetism was linked essentially to physical processes in the primordial Universe. For example, the filaments would have become magnetized during the inflation process before the so-called "Big Bang" or through events in later epochs, called phase transitions. This is what we sought to ascertain with our work. We also wished to assess the magnitude of these primordial magnetic fields through our investigations, establishing an upper limit and attempting to measure their strengths." -- At the origin of the Universe with a quarter of a million simulations -- The international team used over 250,000 computer simulations to study the cosmic web and better understand the influence of primordial magnetic fields. Vid Iršič from University of Hertfordshire, and a co-author of the study, emphasizes that "these are the most realistic and largest suite state-of-the-art simulations of the influence of primordial magnetic field on the intergalactic cosmic web." Pavičević and Viel explain: "By comparing these simulations with observational data, we saw that our hypotheses were correct. When the influence of primordial fields is included in the picture, the cosmic web looks different and more in agreement with observed data. In particular, we can say that a standard model of the Universe with a very weak magnetic field of around 0.2 nano-gauss actually fits experimental data much better." -- The magnitude of primordial magnetic fields: a new upper limit -- The scientists have derived a particularly low value for the magnitude of the primordial magnetic fields, establishing a new upper limit several times lower than previously estimated. Pavičević and Viel continue: "Our research thus places strict limits on the intensity of magnetic fields formed in the very early moments of the Universe and is consistent with recent results obtained in independent data and studies on the cosmic microwave background. The two scientists explain: "This evidence will help us to improve our understanding of events in the early Universe. The magnetic field would have increased the density of the cosmic web, in turn accelerating the process of star and galaxy formation. It will be possible to further validate our results through observations made by the James Webb Space Telescope." Vid Iršič concludes: "Not only will these new limits help us understand the impact of the primordial magnetic fields on the evolution of the Cosmo, but they also hold important implications for other theoretical models that enhance structure formation." | 788 |
| Butterfly Nebula Reveals Sparkling Gems, Fiery Dust, And The Ingredients Of Life | The Butterfly Nebula: A Treasure Trove of Gems and Ingredients for Life | The JWST/MIRI view of the planetary nebula NGC 6302 – I. A UV-irradiated torus and a hot bubble triggering PAH formation. | Royal Astronomical Society | The James Webb Space Telescope has uncovered complex organic materials and dust within the Butterfly Nebula, enhancing our understanding of the building blocks of planets and life. This groundbreaking discovery suggests that the nebula may provide crucial insights into the chemical processes that contribute to planet formation and the origins of life itself. | Butterfly Nebula Reveals the Ingredients of LifeThis image set showcases two views of the Butterfly Nebula, featuring an optical view from Hubble (left) and the latest Webb/ALMA image. Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, M. Matsuura, J. Kastner, K. Noll, ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), N. Hirano, J. Kastner, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb) -- Clues about how worlds like Earth may have formed have been found buried at the heart of a spectacular 'cosmic butterfly'. -- With the help of the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers say they have made a big leap forward in our understanding of how the raw material of rocky planets comes together. -- This cosmic dust - tiny particles of minerals and organic material which include ingredients linked to the origins of life - was studied at the core of the Butterfly Nebula, NGC 6302, which is located about 3,400 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius. -- From the dense, dusty torus that surrounds the star hidden at the center of the nebula to its outflowing jets, the Webb observations reveal many new discoveries that paint a never-before-seen portrait of a dynamic and structured planetary nebula. -- They have been published on August 27 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. -- Most cosmic dust has an amorphous, or randomly oriented-atomic structure, like soot. But some of it forms beautiful, crystalline shapes, more like tiny gemstones. -- "For years, scientists have debated how cosmic dust forms in space. But now, with the help of the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, we may finally have a clearer picture," said lead researcher Dr Mikako Matsuura, of Cardiff University. -- "We were able to see both cool gemstones formed in calm, long-lasting zones and fiery grime created in violent, fast-moving parts of space, all within a single object. -- "This discovery is a big step forward in understanding how the basic materials of planets, come together." | 789 |
| Scientists Finally Pinpoint Jupiter’s Birth Using “Molten Rock Raindrops” | Tracing Planet Formation: Ancient Droplets Reveal Jupiter’s Birth Timeline | Chondrule formation by collisions of planetesimals containing volatiles triggered by Jupiter’s formation. | Nagoya University | New findings regarding chondrules, tiny molten droplets found in meteorites, reveal crucial details about Jupiter's formation and the early solar system. Researchers propose that water vapor explosions from planetesimal impacts explain the origin of these droplets, supporting a revised timeline for Jupiter's birth and providing a method to trace planetary formation across the solar system. | “Molten Rock Raindrops” Reveal Jupiter’s BirthRound chondrules visible in a thin section of the Allende meteorite under microscopic view. Credit: Akira Miyake, Kyoto University -- Four and a half billion years ago Jupiter rapidly grew to its massive size. Its powerful gravitational pull disrupted the orbits of small rocky and icy bodies similar to modern asteroids and comets, called planetesimals. This caused them to smash into each other at such high speeds that the rocks and dust they contained melted on impact and created floating molten rock droplets, or chondrules, that we find preserved in meteorites today. -- Now, researchers at Nagoya University in Japan and the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) have for the first time determined how these droplets formed and accurately dated the formation of Jupiter based on their findings. Their study, published in Scientific Reports, shows how the characteristics of chondrules, particularly their sizes and the rate at which they cooled in space, are determined by the water contained in the impacting planetesimals. This explains what we observe in meteorite samples and proves that chondrule formation was a result of planet formation. -- Time capsules from 4.6 billion years ago -- Chondrules, small spheres approximately 0.1-2 millimeters wide, were incorporated into asteroids as the solar system formed. Billions of years later, pieces of these asteroids would break off and fall to Earth as meteorites. How chondrules came to have their round shape has puzzled scientists for decades. -- "When planetesimals collided with each other, water instantly vaporized into expanding steam. This acted like tiny explosions and broke apart the molten silicate rock into the tiny droplets we see in meteorites today," co-lead author Professor Sin-iti Sirono from Nagoya University's Graduate School of Earth and Environmental Sciences explained. -- "Previous formation theories couldn't explain chondrule characteristics without requiring very specific conditions, while this model requires conditions that naturally occurred in the early solar system when Jupiter was born." -- The researchers developed computer simulations of Jupiter's growth and tracked how its gravity caused high-speed collisions between rocky and water-rich planetesimals in the early solar system. -- "We compared the characteristics and abundance of simulated chondrules to meteorite data and found that the model spontaneously generated realistic chondrules. The model also shows that chondrule production coincides with Jupiter's intense accumulation of nebular gas to reach its massive size. As meteorite data tell us that peak chondrule formation took place 1.8 million years after the solar system began, this is also the time at which Jupiter was born," Dr. Diego Turrini, co-lead author and senior researcher at the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) said. -- A new way to date when planets form | 790 |
| Stunning New Images: The Sun’s Smallest Loops Ever Seen | Unveiling the Sun's Secrets: The Smallest Coronal Loops Ever Imaged | Unveiling Unprecedented Fine Structure in Coronal Flare Loops with the DKIST. | Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) | The Inouye Solar Telescope has captured unprecedented images of an X-class solar flare, revealing the smallest coronal loops ever observed. This groundbreaking discovery enhances our understanding of solar phenomena and could significantly improve space weather forecasting by detailing the fundamental structures that drive solar storms and their impacts on Earth. | The Sun’s Smallest Loops Ever SeenA high-resolution image of the flare from the Inouye Solar Telescope, taken on August 8, 2024, at 20:12 UT. The image is about 4 Earth diameters wide. Credit: NSF/NSO/AURA -- The highest-resolution images of a solar flare captured at the H-alpha wavelength (656.28 nm) may reshape how we understand the Sun's magnetic architecture -- and improve space weather forecasting. Using the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, built and operated by the NSF National Solar Observatory (NSO), astronomers captured dark coronal loop strands with unprecedented clarity during the decay phase of an X1.3-class flare on August 8, 2024, at 20:12 UT. The loops averaged 48.2 km in width -- perhaps as thin as 21 km -- the smallest coronal loops ever imaged. This marks a potential breakthrough in resolving the fundamental scale of solar coronal loops and pushing the limits of flare modeling into an entirely new realm. -- Coronal loops are arches of plasma that follow the Sun's magnetic field lines, often preceding solar flares that trigger sudden releases of energy associated with some of these magnetic field lines twisting and snapping. This burst of energy fuels solar storms that can impact Earth's critical infrastructure. Astronomers at the Inouye observe sunlight at the H-alpha wavelength (656.28 nm) to view specific features of the Sun, revealing details not visible in other types of solar observations. -- "This is the first time the Inouye Solar Telescope has ever observed an X-class flare," says Cole Tamburri, the study's lead author who is supported by the Inouye Solar Telescope Ambassador Program while completing his Ph.D. at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU). The program is funded by the NSF and is designed to support Ph.D. students as they create a well-networked cohort of early-career scientists at U.S. Universities, who will bring their expertise in Inouye data reduction and analysis to the broader solar community. "These flares are among the most energetic events our star produces, and we were fortunate to catch this one under perfect observing conditions." -- The team -- which includes scientists from the NSO, the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), and CU -- focused on the razor-thin magnetic field loops (hundreds of them) woven above the flare ribbons. On average, the loops measured about 48 km across, but some were right at the telescope's resolution limit. "Before Inouye, we could only imagine what this scale looked like," Tamburri explains. "Now we can see it directly. These are the smallest coronal loops ever imaged on the Sun." -- The Inouye's Visible Broadband Imager (VBI) instrument, tuned to the H-alpha filter, can resolve features down to ~24 km. That is over two and a half times sharper than the next-best solar telescope, and it is that leap in resolution that made this discovery possible. "Knowing a telescope can theoretically do something is one thing," Maria Kazachenko, a co-author in the study and NSO scientist, notes. "Actually watching it perform at that limit is exhilarating." -- While the original research plan involved studying chromospheric spectral line dynamics with the Inouye's Visible Spectropolarimeter (ViSP) instrument, the VBI data revealed something unexpected treasures -- ultra-fine coronal structures that can directly inform flare models built with complex radiative-hydrodynamic codes. "We went in looking for one thing and stumbled across something even more intriguing," Kazachenko admits. -- Theories have long suggested coronal loops could be anywhere from 10 to 100 km in width, but confirming this range observationally has been impossible -- until now. "We're finally peering into the spatial scales we've been speculating about for years," says Tamburri. "This opens the door to studying not just their size, but their shapes, their evolution, and even the scales where magnetic reconnection -- the engine behind flares -- occurs." -- Perhaps most tantalizing is the idea that these loops might be elementary structures -- the fundamental building blocks of flare architecture. "If that's the case, we're not just resolving bundles of loops; we're resolving individual loops for the first time," Tamburri adds. "It's like going from seeing a forest to suddenly seeing every single tree." -- The imagery itself is breathtaking: dark, threadlike loops arching in a glowing arcade, bright flare ribbons etched in almost impossibly sharp relief -- a compact triangular one near the center, and a sweeping arc-shaped one across the top. Even a casual viewer, Tamburri suggests, would immediately recognize the complexity. "It's a landmark moment in solar science," he concludes. "We're finally seeing the Sun at the scales it works on." Something made only possible by the NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope's unprecedented capabilities. | 791 |
| Are We Accidentally Broadcasting Our Location To Alien Civilizations? | Are We Unknowingly Broadcasting Our Existence to Alien Civilizations? | Detecting Extraterrestrial Civilizations that Employ an Earth-level Deep Space Network. | Penn State | A new analysis suggests that Earth may be unintentionally transmitting signals to extraterrestrial civilizations. Researchers found that deep-space communications directed towards Mars and interplanetary spacecraft could spill over into space, indicating potential detection points for alien observers. This insight could guide future efforts to enhance searches for extraterrestrial intelligence. | Earth May Already Be Broadcasting to AliensIn a new study, researchers from Penn State and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory analyzed human deep space communications and found that human transmissions are frequently directed toward our own spacecrafts near Mars (lower left), the Sun, and other planets. Because planets like Mars do not block the entire signal, an extraterrestrial intelligence positioned along the path of interplanetary communications—when the planets align form their perspective—could potentially detect the spillover. This suggests that humans should look to planetary alignments outside of the solar system when searching for signatures of extraterrestrial communications. Credit: Zayna Sheikh -- If an extraterrestrial intelligence were looking for signs of human communications, when and where should they look? In a new study, researchers at Penn State and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California analyzed when and where human deep space transmissions would be most detectable by an observer outside our solar system and suggest that the patterns they see could be used to guide our own search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). -- "Humans are predominantly communicating with the spacecraft and probes we have sent to study other planets like Mars," said Pinchen Fan, graduate student in astronomy and astrophysics in the Penn State Eberly College of Science, science principal investigator of the NASA grant supporting this research and first author of the paper. "But a planet like Mars does not block the entire transmission, so a distant spacecraft or planet positioned along the path of these interplanetary communications could potentially detect the spillover; that would occur when Earth and another solar system planet align from their perspective. This suggests that we should look for alignment of planets outside of our solar system when searching for extraterrestrial communications." -- A paper describing the research was published on August 21 in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. -- "SETI researchers often search the universe for signs of past or present technology, called technosignatures, as evidence of intelligent life," Fan said. "Considering the direction and frequency of our most common signals gives insights into where we should be looking to improve our chances of detecting alien technosignatures." -- The researchers analyzed logs from NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN), a system of ground-based facilities that permits two-way radio communications with human-made objects in space, acting as a relay to send commands to spacecraft and receive information they send back. The research team carefully matched up DSN logs with information about spacecraft locations to determine the timing and directionality of radio communications from Earth. Although several countries have their own deep-space networks, the researchers said that the NASA-run DSN should be representative of the types of communications coming from Earth, in part because NASA has led most deep-space missions to date. -- "NASA's Deep Space Network provides the crucial link between Earth and its interplanetary missions like the New Horizons spacecraft, which is now outbound from the Solar System, and the James Webb Space Telescope," said Joseph Lazio, project scientist at JPL and an author of the paper. "It sends some of humanity's strongest and most persistent radio signals into space, and the public logs of its transmissions allowed our team to establish the temporal and spatial patterns of those transmissions for the past 20 years." -- For this study, the researchers focused on transmissions to deep space, including transmissions to telescopes in space as well as interplanetary spacecraft, instead of transmissions intended for spacecraft or satellites in low-Earth orbit, which are relatively low power and would be difficult to detect from a distance. -- The researchers found that deep space radio signals were predominantly directed toward spacecraft near Mars. Other common transmissions were directed toward other planets and to telescopes at Sun-Earth Lagrange points -- points in space where the gravity of the Sun and Earth keep the telescopes in a relatively fixed position as viewed from Earth. -- "Based on data from the last 20 years, we found that if an extraterrestrial intelligence were in a location that could observe the alignment of Earth and Mars, there's a 77% chance that they would be in the path of one of our transmissions -- orders of magnitude more likely than being in a random position at a random time, Fan said. "If they could view an alignment with another solar-system planet, there is a 12% chance they would be in the path of our transmissions. When not observing a planet alignment, however, these chances are minuscule." | 792 |
| Closest And Brightest Fast Radio Burst Ever Detected By Astronomers | Astronomers Capture the Brightest Fast Radio Burst Yet: A Glimpse into the Cosmos | FRB 20250316A: A Brilliant and Nearby One-off Fast Radio Burst Localized to 13 pc Precision. | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Astronomers have recorded the brightest and closest fast radio burst, called RBFLOAT, allowing unprecedented study of these enigmatic cosmic phenomena. The burst's proximity provides a unique chance to explore the environmental conditions surrounding fast radio bursts, enhancing our understanding of their origins and the mechanics underlying these mysterious signals. | Closest and Brightest Fast Radio Burst EverThe dazzling “RBFLOAT” radio burst, originating nearby in the Ursa Major constellation, offers the clearest view yet of the environment around these mysterious flashes. Credit: Danielle Futselaar -- A fast radio burst is an immense flash of radio emission that lasts for just a few milliseconds, during which it can momentarily outshine every other radio source in its galaxy. These flares can be so bright that their light can be seen from halfway across the universe, several billion light years away. -- The sources of these brief and dazzling signals are unknown. But scientists now have a chance to study a fast radio burst (FRB) in unprecedented detail. An international team of scientists including physicists at MIT have detected a near and ultrabright fast radio burst some 130 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major. It is one of the closest FRBs detected to date. It is also the brightest -- so bright that the signal has garnered the informal moniker, RBFLOAT, for "radio brightest flash of all time." -- The burst's brightness, paired with its proximity, is giving scientists the closest look yet at FRBs and the environments from which they emerge. -- "Cosmically speaking, this fast radio burst is just in our neighborhood," says Kiyoshi Masui, associate professor of physics and affiliate of MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. "This means we get this chance to study a pretty normal FRB in exquisite detail." -- Masui and his colleagues reported their findings on August 21 in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. -- Diverse bursts -- The clarity of the new detection is thanks to a significant upgrade to The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME), a large array of halfpipe-shaped antennae based in British Columbia. CHIME was originally designed to detect and map the distribution of hydrogen across the universe. The telescope is also sensitive to ultrafast and bright radio emissions. Since it started observations in 2018, CHIME has detected about 4,000 fast radio bursts, from all parts of the sky. But the telescope had not been able to precisely pinpoint the location of each fast radio burst, until now. -- CHIME recently got a significant boost in precision, in the form of CHIME Outriggers -- three miniature versions of CHIME, each sited in different parts of North America. Together, the telescopes work as one continent-sized system that can focus in on any bright flash that CHIME detects, to pin down its location in the sky with extreme precision. -- "Imagine we are in New York and there's a firefly in Florida that is bright for a thousandth of a second, which is usually how quick FRBs are," says MIT Kavli graduate student Shion Andrew. "Localizing an FRB to a specific part of its host galaxy is analogous to figuring out not just what tree the firefly came from, but which branch it's sitting on." | 793 |
| Jupiter’s Core Isn’t What We Thought | Rethinking Jupiter's Core: A Gradual Formation, Not a Collision | No dilute core produced in simulations of giant impacts on to Jupiter. | Royal Astronomical Society | Recent research challenges the long-held belief that Jupiter's unique core structure was formed through a massive impact. Instead, scientists suggest it gradually developed by absorbing various elements during its formation. This new understanding of Jupiter's core formation could reshape existing theories about gas giants and their internal structures. | Jupiter’s Core Isn’t What We ThoughtAn impacting planet collides with Jupiter's core in the simulations, triggering shock waves and turbulent mixing. Credit: Thomas Sandnes -- The mystery at Jupiter's heart has taken a fresh twist - as new research suggests a giant impact may not have been responsible for the formation of its core. -- It had been thought that a colossal collision with an early planet containing half of Jupiter's core material could have mixed up the central region of the gas giant, enough to explain its interior today. -- But a new study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society suggests its make-up is actually down to how the growing planet absorbed heavy and light materials as it formed and evolved. -- Unlike what scientists once expected, the core of the largest planet in our solar system doesn't have a sharp boundary but instead gradually blends into the surrounding layers of mostly hydrogen - a structure known as a dilute core. -- How this dilute core formed has been a key question among scientists and astronomers ever since NASA's Juno spacecraft first revealed its existence. -- Using cutting-edge supercomputer simulations of planetary impacts, with a new method to improve the simulation's treatment of mixing between materials, researchers from Durham University, in collaboration with scientists from NASA, SETI, and CENSSS, University of Oslo, tested whether a massive collision could have created Jupiter's dilute core. -- The simulations were run on the DiRAC COSMA supercomputer hosted at Durham University using the state-of-the-art SWIFT open-source software. -- The study found that a stable dilute core structure was not produced in any of the simulations conducted, even in those involving impacts under extreme conditions. -- Instead, the simulations demonstrate that the dense rock and ice core material displaced by an impact would quickly re-settle, leaving a distinct boundary with the outer layers of hydrogen and helium, rather than forming a smooth transition zone between the two regions. | 794 |
| Scientists Just Cracked The Quantum Code Hidden In A Single Atom | Breakthrough Quantum Logic Gate Achieves Efficiency With Fewer Qubits | Universal quantum gate set for Gottesman–Kitaev–Preskill logical qubits. | University of Sydney | Researchers at the University of Sydney have developed a quantum logic gate that significantly reduces the number of physical qubits needed for operation by utilizing the GKP error-correction code. This breakthrough enables more efficient quantum computing, allowing for enhanced error correction, scalability, and the potential for practical quantum applications. | Scientists Unlock Quantum Power in a Single AtomArtist's impression of the entangled logic gate built by University of Sydney quantum scientists. Credit: Emma Hyde/University of Sydney -- To build a large-scale quantum computer that works, scientists and engineers need to overcome the spontaneous errors that quantum bits, or qubits, create as they operate. -- Scientists encode these building blocks of quantum information to suppress errors in other qubits so that a minority can operate in a way that produces useful outcomes. -- As the number of useful (or logical) qubits grows, the number of physical qubits required grows even further. As this scales up, the sheer number of qubits needed to create a useful quantum machine becomes an engineering nightmare. -- Now, for the first time, quantum scientists at the Quantum Control Laboratory at the University of Sydney Nano Institute have demonstrated a type of quantum logic gate that drastically reduces the number physical qubits needed for its operation. -- To do this, they built an entangling logic gate on a single atom using an error-correcting code nicknamed the 'Rosetta stone' of quantum computing. It earns that name because it translates smooth, continuous quantum oscillations into clean, digital-like discrete states, making errors easier to spot and fix, and importantly, allowing a highly compact way to encode logical qubits. -- GKP Codes: A Rosetta Stone for Quantum Computing -- This curiously named Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill (GKP) code has for many years offered a theoretical possibility for significantly reducing the physical number of qubits needed to produce a functioning 'logical qubit'. Albeit by trading efficiency for complexity, making the codes very difficult to control. -- Research published on August 21 in Nature Physics demonstrates this as a physical reality, tapping into the natural oscillations of a trapped ion (a charged atom of ytterbium) to store GKP codes and, for the first time, realizing quantum entangling gates between them. -- Led by Sydney Horizon Fellow Dr Tingrei Tan at the University of Sydney Nano Institute, scientists have used their exquisite control over the harmonic motion of a trapped ion to bridge the coding complexity of GKP qubits, allowing a demonstration of their entanglement. | 795 |
| Tiny Reactor Boosts Fusion With A Sponge-Like Trick | Room-Temperature Reactor Boosts Fusion: A Sponge-Like Deuterium Trick | Electrochemical loading enhances deuterium fusion rates in a metal target. | University of British Columbia | Scientists from the University of British Columbia have demonstrated that a small bench-top reactor can enhance nuclear fusion rates by electrochemically loading a metal with deuterium. This innovative method, achieved at room temperature, offers a new approach to nuclear fusion research, potentially paving the way for cleaner energy solutions in the future. | Tiny Reactor Surprises With Fusion BoostThe Thunderbird Reactor is a custom-made, bench-top-sized particle accelerator and electrochemical reactor built by an interdisciplinary team at the University of British Columbia. Credit: niversity of British Columbia, Berlinguette Lab. -- Using a small bench-top reactor, researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have demonstrated that electrochemically loading a solid metal target with deuterium fuel can boost nuclear fusion rates. -- Large-scale magnetic confinement fusion -- which puts plasmas under extreme temperatures and pressure -- is being widely explored as a method for clean energy generation. The experiment published on August 20 in Nature takes an entirely different approach -- with a more accessible, room-temperature reactor used to study the effect of electrochemical loading on nuclear fusion reaction rates. -- The team loaded a metal target made of palladium with high concentrations of deuterium fuel -- on one side of the target, using a plasma field to load the fuel, and on the other, using an additional electrochemical cell to load the fuel. -- "The goal is to increase fuel density and the probability of deuterium-deuterium collisions, and as a result, fusion events," explains Professor Curtis P. Berlinguette, corresponding author of the paper and Distinguished University Scholar at UBC. -- "Using electrochemistry, we loaded much more deuterium into the metal -- like squeezing fuel into a sponge. One volt of electricity achieved what normally requires 800 atmospheres of pressure. While we didn't achieve net energy gain, the approach boosted fusion rates in a way other researchers can reproduce and build on." -- The electrochemical loading of deuterium into the palladium target increased deuterium-deuterium fusion rates by an average of 15 per cent compared to loading the target palladium using the plasma field alone. -- While the performance boost is modest, it's the first demonstration of deuterium-deuterium nuclear fusion using these techniques -- plasma immersion ion implantation and electrochemical loading. The experiment still used more energy than it created. -- "We hope this work helps bring fusion science out of the giant national labs and onto the lab bench," adds Professor Berlinguette. "Our approach brings together nuclear fusion, materials science, and electrochemistry to create a platform where both fuel-loading methods and target materials can be systematically tuned. We see this as a starting point -- one that invites the community to iterate, refine, and build upon in the spirit of open and rigorous inquiry." -- Nuclear fusion -- energy released from combining atomic nuclei, as occurs in the sun -- is more powerful than fission (splitting nuclei) and creates less dangerous radioactive waste. | 796 |
| These Asteroids Share A Strange Fingerprint From Billions Of Years Ago | Asteroids Linked by Dusty Coating: A Glimpse into Our Solar System's Past | The Mineralogical Connection between M- and K-type Asteroids as Indicated by Polarimetry. | Caltech IPAC | A study has revealed that two distinct types of asteroids share a unique dust coating of troilite, suggesting they may originate from the same parent body. Using light polarization techniques, researchers uncovered this unexpected connection, offering new insights into the chaotic history of our early solar system. | These Asteroids Share a Strange FingerprintThis animation shows how an asteroid would appear during different phases depending on its location relative to the Sun, similar to how the Moon has phases. Credit: Caltech/IPAC/K. Miller -- Approximately 4.6 billion years ago our solar system formed from a huge disk of gas and dust orbiting our Sun. The asteroids we see today are some of the most complete artifacts of this formation left for us to observe, like the screws, offcuts, and other debris leftover at a construction site. Scientists can study these floating time capsules and examine their composition, shape, and surface makeup to infer what our solar system was like when it was born. -- Asteroids are organized by researchers into categories based on similar characteristics, and a recent paper published in The Planetary Science Journal, led by IPAC scientist Joe Masiero, shares evidence that two distinct types of asteroids may have actually shared the same harsh past. -- "Asteroids offer us the chance to look at what was going on in the early solar system like a freeze frame of the conditions that existed when the first solid objects formed," said Masiero. -- Using data from Caltech's Palomar Observatory, Masiero's research focuses on two categories of asteroids, one that is metal-rich and another made of a mix of silicates and other materials. While they have completely different compositions, the two share a unique dusty layer of a material made of both iron and sulfur, called troilite. -- "Troilite is very uncommon, so we can use it as a fingerprint that links these two different types of objects to each other," said Masiero. -- It's just a phase -- Asteroids are separated into different classes based on the spectrum of light reflected off of their surface, denoted by letters such as M, K, C, and more. The spectra can show the presence of carbon, silicates, or metals in the regolith, or surface dirt, of the asteroid. -- In this study, Masiero looked at M- and K-type asteroids. M-types are metal-rich, while K-types are composed of silicates and other materials and thought to be linked to an ancient giant collision between asteroids. About 95 percent of Earth's crust and mantle are made up of silicates. -- But the same materials on asteroids can appear differently depending on the shape of the asteroid, the size of the regolith (dust, pebbles, boulders), and the phase angle of the asteroid relative to the Sun. | 797 |
| What Came Before The Big Bang? Supercomputers May Hold The Answer | Supercomputers Offer Answers to Cosmic Mysteries Before the Big Bang | Cosmology using numerical relativity. | Foundational Questions Institute, FQXi | Researchers are using advanced numerical relativity simulations to explore deep cosmic mysteries, including conditions preceding the Big Bang. This innovative approach allows scientists to investigate scenarios previously deemed unapproachable, which could unveil answers about the universe's origins and its broader structure, such as multiverse theories and cyclic models. | What Came Before the Big Bang?Complex computational methods could solve cosmic mysteries. Credit: Gabriel Fitzpatrick for FQxI, © FQxI (2025) -- We're often told it is "unscientific" or "meaningless" to ask what happened before the Big Bang. But a new paper by FQxI cosmologist Eugene Lim, of King's College London, UK, and astrophysicists Katy Clough, of Queen Mary University of London, UK, and Josu Aurrekoetxea, at Oxford University, UK, published in Living Reviews in Relativity, in June 2025, proposes a way forward: using complex computer simulations to numerically (rather than exactly) solve Einstein's equations for gravity in extreme situations. The team argues that numerical relativity should be applied increasingly in cosmology to probe some of the universe's biggest questions-including what happened before the Big Bang, whether we live in a multiverse, if our universe has collided with a neighboring cosmos, or whether our universe cycled through a series of bangs and crunches. -- Einstein's equations of general relativity describe gravity and the motion of cosmic objects. But wind the clock back far enough and you'll typically encounter a singularity-a state of infinite density and temperature-where the laws of physics collapse. Cosmologists simply cannot solve Einstein's equations in such extreme environments-their normal simplifying assumptions no longer hold. And the same impasse applies to objects involving singularities or extreme gravity, such as black holes. -- One issue might be what cosmologists take for granted. They normally assume that the universe is 'isotropic' and 'homogeneous'-looking the same in every direction to every observer. This is a very good approximation for the universe we see around us, and one that makes it possible to easily solve Einstein's equations in most cosmic scenarios. But is this a good approximation for the universe during the Big Bang? -- "You can search around the lamppost, but you can't go far beyond the lamppost, where it's dark-you just can't solve those equations," explains Lim. "Numerical relativity allows you to explore regions away from the lamppost." -- Beyond the Lamppost -- Numerical relativity was first suggested in the 1960s and 1970s to try to work out what kinds of gravitational waves (ripples in the fabric of spacetime) would be emitted if black holes collided and merged. This is an extreme scenario for which it is impossible to solve Einstein's equations with paper and pen alone-sophisticated computer code and numerical approximations are required. Its development received renewed focus when the LIGO experiment was proposed in the 80s, although the problem was only solved in this way in 2005, raising hopes that the method could also be successfully applied to other puzzles. -- "You can search around the lamppost, but you can't go far beyond the lamppost, where it's dark-you just can't solve those equations. Numerical relativity allows you to explore regions away from the lamppost," says Eugene Lim. -- One longstanding puzzle that Lim is particularly excited about is cosmic inflation, a period of extremely rapid expansion in the early universe. Inflation was initially proposed to explain why the universe looks the way it does today, stretching out an initially small patch, so that the universe looks similar across a vast expanse. "If you don't have inflation, a lot of things fall apart," explains Lim. But while inflation helps explain the state of the universe today, nobody has been able to explain how or why the baby universe had this sudden short-lived growth spurt. -- The trouble is, to probe this using Einstein's equations, cosmologists have to assume that the universe was homogeneous and isotropic in the first place-something which inflation was meant to explain. If you instead assume it started out in another state, then "you don't have the symmetry to write down your equations easily," explains Lim. | 798 |
| Scientists Discover Crystal That Breathes Oxygen Like Lungs | A Crystal That Breathes Oxygen: Revolutionizing Energy and Electronics | Selective reduction in epitaxial SrFe0.5Co0.5O2.5 and its reversibility. | Pusan National University | A novel crystal developed by scientists can absorb and release oxygen like lungs, showing potential for applications in clean energy and electronics. This stable material operates under mild conditions and can repeatedly cycle through oxygen absorption and release, representing a significant advance in smart material technology. | Crystal That Breathes Oxygen Like LungsScientists developed a special type of crystal with oxygen-breathing abilities, which could be used in clean energy technologies and next-generation electronics. Credit: Prof. Hyoungjeen Jeen from Pusan National University, Korea -- A team of scientists from Korea and Japan has discovered a new type of crystal that can "breathe" -- releasing and absorbing oxygen repeatedly at relatively low temperatures. This unique ability could transform the way we develop clean energy technologies, including fuel cells, energy-saving windows, and smart thermal devices. -- The newly developed material is a special kind of metal oxide made of strontium, iron, and cobalt. What makes it extraordinary is that it can release oxygen when heated in a simple gas environment and then take it back in, all without falling apart. This process can be repeated many times, making it ideal for real-world applications. -- This remarkable study has been led by Professor Hyoungjeen Jeen from the Department of Physics, Pusan National University, Korea, and co-authored by Professor Hiromichi Ohta from the Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Japan. Their findings have been published in the journal Nature Communications on August 15, 2025. "It is like giving the crystal lungs and it can inhale and exhale oxygen on command," says Prof. Jeen. Controlling oxygen in materials is crucial for technologies like solid oxide fuel cells, which produce electricity from hydrogen with minimal emissions. It also plays a role in thermal transistors -- devices that can direct heat like electrical switches -- and in smart windows that adjust their heat flow depending on the weather. -- Until now, most materials that could do this kind of oxygen control were too fragile or operated only at the harsh conditions like extremely high temperatures. This new material works under milder conditions and remains stable. "This finding is striking in two ways: only cobalt ions are reduced, and the process leads to the formation of an entirely new but stable crystal structure," explains Prof. Jeen. They also showed that the material could return to its original form when oxygen was reintroduced, proving that the process is fully reversible. "This is a major step towards the realization of smart materials that can adjust themselves in real time," says Prof. Ohta. "The potential applications range from clean energy to electronics and even eco-friendly building materials." -- Funding: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (RS-2025-00558200). Also, this work was partially supported under the framework of international cooperation program managed by the NRF (NRF-2022K2A9A1A01098180). H.O. is supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research A (22H00253) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). Part of this work was supported by the Crossover Alliance to Create the Future with People, Intelligence and Materials, and by the Network Joint Research Center for Materials and Devices. H. J. acknowledges the support of Korea Basic Science Institute (National research Facilities and Equipment Center) grant funded by the Ministry of Education (grant No. RS-2024-00435344). S. P. and S. Y. acknowledge support from the Nano & Material Technology Development Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (RS-2024-00460372). | 799 |
| Astronomers Uncover Enormous Bubble Bigger Than Our Solar System | Enormous Bubble Around DFK 52: Clues to Massive Star Evolution | Stephenson 2 DFK 52: Discovery of an exotic red supergiant in the massive stellar cluster RSGC2. | Chalmers University of Technology | Astronomers have discovered a vast bubble of gas surrounding the red supergiant star DFK 52, likely formed from a powerful eruption 4,000 years ago. The observation raises questions about how the star survived without going supernova, suggesting a hidden companion star may provide insight into the life cycles of massive stars. | Supergiant’s Enormous Bubble Baffles AstronomersRed supergiant DFK 52 and its surroundings as seen by ALMA. The vast, complex bubble blown by this extreme star is about 1.4 light-years across, thousands of times wider than our Solar System. ALMA measures light invisible to our eyes, with wavelength around 1.3 millimetres, emitted by molecules of carbon monoxide and silicon monoxide. Thanks to the Doppler effect, the team has measured how fast the gas is moving along our sightline towards the star. In this image, parts of the bubble moving away from us relative to the star are shown in red, and material moving towards us in blue. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/M. Siebert et al -- Astronomers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have discovered a vast and expanding bubble of gas and dust surrounding a red supergiant star - the largest structure of its kind ever seen in the Milky Way. The bubble, which contains as much mass as the Sun, was blown out in a mysterious stellar eruption around 4000 years ago. Why the star survived such a powerful event is a puzzle, the scientists say. -- The new results are published in the scientific journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, and the team was led by Mark Siebert, Chalmers, Sweden. Using the ALMA radio telescope in Chile, the researchers observed the star DFK 52 - a red supergiant similar to the well-known star Betelgeuse. -- "We got a big surprise when we saw what ALMA was showing us. The star is more or less a twin of Betelgeuse, but it's surrounded by a vast, messy bubble of material," says Mark Siebert at Chalmers. -- The bubble, a complex of clouds of gas and dust, weighs as much as the Sun, and extends out 1.4 light years from the star. That's thousands of times wider than our own solar system. -- If the star was as close to us as Betelgeuse is, the bubble would appear to span a third of the full Moon's width in the sky. -- ALMA's radio observations let astronomers measure the motion of molecules in the cloud, revealing that the bubble is expanding. They believe it was formed when the star suddenly ejected part of its outer layers in a powerful explosion just a few thousand years ago. -- "The bubble is made of material that used to be part of the star. It must have been ejected in a dramatic event, an explosion, that happened about four thousand years ago. In cosmic terms, that's just a moment ago," says Elvire De Beck, astronomer at Chalmers. -- The galaxy's next supernova? -- Why DFK 52 shed so much mass without exploding as a supernova is still unclear. One possibility is that the star has a hidden companion that helped it cast off its outer layers. | 800 |
| Astronomers Stunned By The Strangest Supernova Ever Seen | Stripped Supernova Reveals Heavier Elements: Challenging Stellar Death Theories | Extremely stripped supernova reveals a silicon and sulfur formation site. | Northwestern University | A newly identified supernova, SN2021yfj, has revealed a unique chemical composition with heavy elements like silicon and sulfur, challenging existing theories of stellar death. This discovery provides direct evidence of the layered structure of massive stars and suggests they may explode in more complex ways than previously understood. | The Strangest Supernova Ever SeenA bizarre supernova, stripped to its silicon-rich core, has given astronomers a rare look inside a massive star’s hidden layers, rewriting ideas about stellar death. Credit: W.M. Keck Observatory/Adam Makarenko -- An international team of scientists, led by Northwestern University astrophysicists, has detected a never-before-seen type of exploding star, or supernova, that is rich with silicon, sulfur and argon. -- When massive stars explode, astrophysicists typically find strong signatures of light elements, such as hydrogen and helium. But the newly discovered supernova, dubbed SN2021yfj, displayed a startling different chemical signature. -- Astronomers long have theorized that massive stars have a layered structure, similar to an onion. The outermost layers predominantly comprise the lightest elements. As the layers move inward, the elements become heavier and heavier until reaching the innermost iron core. -- The observations of SN2021yfj suggest the massive star somehow lost its outer hydrogen, helium and carbon layers -- exposing the inner silicon and sulfur-rich layers -- before exploding. This finding offers direct evidence of the long-theorized inner layered structure of stellar giants and provides an unprecedented glimpse inside a massive star's deep interior -- moments before its explosive death. -- The study was published on Aug. 20 in the journal Nature. -- "This is the first time we have seen a star that was essentially stripped to the bone," said Northwestern's Steve Schulze, who led the study. "It shows us how stars are structured and proves that stars can lose a lot of material before they explode. Not only can they lose their outermost layers, but they can be completely stripped all the way down and still produce a brilliant explosion that we can observe from very, very far distances." -- "This event quite literally looks like nothing anyone has ever seen before," added Northwestern's Adam Miller, a senior author on the study. "It was almost so weird that we thought maybe we didn't observe the correct object. This star is telling us that our ideas and theories for how stars evolve are too narrow. It's not that our textbooks are incorrect, but they clearly do not fully capture everything produced in nature. There must be more exotic pathways for a massive star to end its life that we hadn't considered." -- An expert on astronomy's most extreme transient objects, Schulze is a research associate at Northwestern's Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA). Miller is an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and a leading member of CIERA and the NSF-Simons AI Institute for the Sky. -- A hot, burning onion | 801 |
| Scientists Build Quantum Computers That Snap Together Like LEGO Bricks | Modular Superconducting Qubits: Building Quantum Computers Like LEGO | A high-efficiency elementary network of interchangeable superconducting qubit devices. | University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering | Researchers have created modular superconducting qubits that can connect with high fidelity, resembling LEGO in function. This modularity allows for easier upgrades and scalability, representing a significant advance toward building fault-tolerant quantum computers capable of handling larger and more complex computational tasks efficiently. | Quantum Computers That Snap Together Like LEGOEngineers have built modular quantum components that connect with near-perfect fidelity, unlocking scalable and reconfigurable quantum systems. Credit: Shutterstock -- What do children's building blocks and quantum computing have in common? The answer is modularity. It is difficult for scientists to build quantum computers monolithically - that is, as a single large unit. Quantum computing relies on the manipulation of millions of information units called qubits, but these qubits are difficult to assemble. The solution? Finding modular ways to construct quantum computers. Like plastic children's bricks that lock together to create larger, more intricate structures, scientists can build smaller, higher quality modules and string them together to form a comprehensive system. -- Recognizing the potential of these modular systems, researchers from The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have presented an enhanced approach to scalable quantum computing by demonstrating a viable and high-performance modular architecture for superconducting quantum processors. Their work, published in Nature Electronics, expands on previous modular designs and paves the way toward scalable, fault-tolerant and reconfigurable quantum computing systems. -- Monolithic superconducting quantum systems are limited in size and fidelity, which predicts scientists' rate of success in performing logical operations. A fidelity of one signifies no mistakes; as such, researchers want to achieve a fidelity as close to one as possible. Compared to these limited monolithic systems, modularity enables system scalability, hardware upgrades, and tolerance to variability, making it a more attractive option for building system networks. -- "We've created an engineering-friendly way of achieving modularity with superconducting qubits," said Wolfgang Pfaff, an assistant professor of physics and the senior author of the paper. "Can I build a system that I can bring together, allowing me to manipulate two qubits jointly so as to create entanglement or gate operations between them? Can we do that at a very high quality? And can we also have it such that we can take it apart and put it back together? Typically, we only find out that something went wrong after putting it together. So we would really like to have the ability to reconfigure the system later." -- By constructing a system where two devices are connected with superconducting coaxial cables to link qubits across modules, Pfaff's team demonstrated ~99% SWAP gate fidelity, representing less than 1% loss. Their ability to connect and reconfigure separate devices with a cable while retaining high quality provides novel insight to the field in designing communication protocols. -- "Finding an approach that works has taken a while for our field," Pfaff said. "Many groups have figured out that what we really want is this ability to stitch bigger and bigger things together through cables, and at the same time reach numbers that are good enough to justify scaling. The problem was just finding the right combination of tools." -- Moving forward, the Grainger engineers will turn their focus toward scalability, attempting to connect more than two devices together while retaining the ability to check for errors. -- "We have good performance," Pfaff said. "Now we need to put it to the test and say, is it really going forward? Does it really make sense?" | 802 |
| Ancient Solar System Crash May Explain Bennu And Ryugu’s Origin | Polana’s Spectral Match: A Clue to Near-Earth Asteroids’ Origins | JWST Spectroscopy of (142) Polana: Connection to NEAs (101955) Bennu and (162173) Ryugu. | Southwest Research Institute | A study reveals that near-Earth asteroids Bennu and Ryugu may share a common origin with the main belt asteroid Polana, based on spectral similarities. By analyzing data from the James Webb Space Telescope in conjunction with samples collected from these asteroids, scientists are uncovering the history of ancient cosmic collisions that shaped our solar system. | Bennu and Ryugu Traced to Cosmic CollisionSwRI scientists reviewed spectral data of sample material taken from near-Earth asteroids Ryugu (left) and Bennu (right) and compared them with spectral data of main belt asteroid Polana from the James Webb Space Telescope and found that they closely match. Credit: NASA -- A Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) review of data collected from near-Earth asteroids Bennu and Ryugu supports the hypothesis that they were originally part of the Polana collisional family in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. -- The study compared spectroscopy data from Polana with spacecraft and laboratory data from Bennu and Ryugu samples, discovering similarities in their near-infrared spectrum sufficient to support the theory that they originate from the same parent asteroid. -- "Very early in the formation of the solar system, we believe large asteroids collided and broke into pieces to form an 'asteroid family' with Polana as the largest remaining body," said SwRI's Dr. Anicia Arredondo, lead author of the study. "Theories suggest that remnants of that collision not only created Polana, but also Bennu and Ryugu as well. To test that theory, we started looking at spectra of all three bodies and comparing them to one another." -- Arredondo and her team applied for time on the James Webb Space Telescope to observe Polana using two different spectral instruments focusing on the near-infrared and mid-infrared wavelengths. She then compared that data with the spectral data from physical samples of Ryugu and Bennu collected by two different space missions. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Hayabusa2 spacecraft rendezvoused with Ryugu in 2018 and collected samples returned to Earth in late 2020. NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft encountered Bennu in 2020 and collected samples returned to Earth in late 2023. -- Bennu and Ryugu are considered near-Earth asteroids because they orbit the Sun within the orbit of Mars; however, they are not considered a danger to Earth, having a closest approach of about 1.9 and 1 million miles, respectively. Both Bennu and Ryugu are relatively small compared to Polana. Bennu is about one third of a mile in diameter, or about the size of the Empire State Building. Ryugu is twice as large, but Polana dwarfs them both, measuring roughly 33 miles wide. Scientists believe Jupiter's gravity pushed Bennu and Ryugu out of their orbit close to Polana. -- "They are similar enough that we feel confident that all three asteroids could have come from the same parent body," Arredondo said. -- The team noted that the spectral data from the asteroids had variances and differences, but not enough to disprove the hypothesis that they all share a common origin. -- "Polana, Bennu and Ryugu have all had their own journeys through our solar system since the impact that may have formed them," said SwRI's Dr. Tracy Becker, a co-author of the paper. "Bennu and Ryugu are now much closer to the Sun than Polana, so their surfaces may be more affected by solar radiation and solar particles. -- "Likewise, Polana is possibly older than Bennu and Ryugu and thus would have been exposed to micrometeoroid impacts for a longer period," Becker added. "That could also change aspects of its surface, including its composition." | 803 |
| Scientists Finally Tame The Impossible 48-Atom Carbon Ring | Taming the Elusive 48-Atom Carbon Ring: A Scientific Breakthrough | Solution-phase stabilization of a cyclocarbon by catenane formation. | University of Oxford | Scientists have successfully synthesized a stable cyclo[48]carbon, a unique 48-carbon ring, that can be studied in solution at room temperature for the first time. This achievement represents a significant advancement in the field of chemistry, allowing for further exploration of novel carbon allotropes and their potential applications. | Scientists Tame the Impossible Carbon RingLeft: Chemical structure of the cyclo[48]carbon [4]catenane. Right: Space-filling representation. Credit: Harry Anderson -- In a new study led by Oxford University's Department of Chemistry, chemists have demonstrated the synthesis of a cyclocarbon that is stable enough for spectroscopic characterisation in solution at room temperature. -- nough to be studied in liquid solution form at room temperature. -- The study - only the second example of a new type of molecular carbon allotrope that can be studied under normal laboratory conditions - was published on August 14 in Science. -- In a new study led by Oxford University's Department of Chemistry, chemists have demonstrated the synthesis of a cyclocarbon that is stable enough for spectroscopic characterisation in solution at room temperature. -- The synthesis of a new type of molecular carbon allotrope that can be studied under normal laboratory conditions is a rare achievement. The only previous example was the synthesis of fullerenes by Krätschmer et al. in 1990 (Nature 1990). -- In the new study, the molecule cyclo[48]carbon was synthesised as a [4]catenane, i.e. with the C48 ring threaded through three other macrocycles. These threaded macrocycles increase the stability of C48 by preventing access to the protected cyclocarbon. -- Previously, molecular rings consisting purely of carbon atoms have only been studied in the gas phase or at very low temperatures (4 to 10 K). Now, the team have synthesised a cyclocarbon that is stable in solution at 20°C (half-life 92 hours). This has been achieved by using threaded macrocycles, choosing a large cyclocarbon with a low level of strain, and developing mild reaction conditions for the unmasking step in the reaction (where a precursor molecule is transformed into the final product). -- The cyclocarbon catenane was characterised by mass spectrometry, NMR, UV-visible and Raman spectroscopy. The observation of a single intense 13C NMR resonance for all 48 sp1 carbon atoms indicates that all of the carbons are in equivalent environments, which provides strong evidence for the cyclocarbon catenane structure. -- Lead author Dr Yueze Gao (Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford) said: "Achieving stable cyclocarbons in a vial at ambient conditions is a fundamental step. This will make it easier to study their reactivity and properties under normal laboratory conditions." | 804 |
| Scientists Crack The Explosive Secret Of How Diamonds Reach The Surface | Diamonds Erupt To The Surface Through Explosive Magmas: A Scientific Breakthrough | Buoyancy of volatile-rich kimberlite melts, magma ascent, and xenolith transport. | Geological Society of America | New simulations have revealed that volatile compounds like carbon dioxide and water are key to explosive kimberlite eruptions that bring diamonds to the Earth's surface. This study sheds light on the mechanics of kimberlite eruptions, which occur at depths exceeding 150 kilometers and are crucial for understanding the journey of diamonds. By quantifying the influence of these volatile compounds on eruption dynamics, researchers are advancing our comprehension of Earth's geological processes. | How Diamonds Reach the SurfaceDiamonds don’t just appear on the surface; they ride explosive kimberlite eruptions from deep within Earth’s mantle. Credit: Shutterstock -- If you've ever held or beheld a diamond, there's a good chance it came from a kimberlite. Over 70% of the world's diamonds are mined from these unique volcanic structures. Yet despite decades of study, scientists are still working to understand how exactly kimberlites erupt from deep in Earth's mantle to the surface. -- Kimberlites -- carrot-shaped volcanic pipes that erupt from mantle depths greater than 150 km -- have long fascinated geologists as windows into the deep Earth. Their mantle-derived melt ascends rapidly through the mantle and crust, with some estimates suggesting ascent rates of up to 80 miles per hour before kimberlites erupt violently at the surface. Along the way, the magma captures xenoliths and xenocrysts, fragments of the rocks encountered on its path. -- "They're very interesting and still very enigmatic rocks," despite being well-studied, says Ana Anzulović, a doctoral research fellow at the University of Oslo's Centre for Planetary Habitability. -- In a study published this month in the journal Geology, Anzulović and colleagues from the University of Oslo have taken a major step toward solving the puzzle. By modelling how volatile compounds like carbon dioxide and water influence the buoyancy of proto-kimberlite melt relative to surrounding materials, they quantified for the first time what it takes to erupt a kimberlite. -- Diamonds make it to the surface in kimberlites because their rapid ascent prevents them from reverting to graphite, which is more stable at shallow pressures and temperatures. But the composition of the kimberlite's original melt -- and how it rises so fast -- has remained mysterious. -- "They start off as something that we cannot measure directly," says Anzulović. "So we don't know what a proto-kimberlite, or parental, melt would be like. We know approximately but everything we know basically comes from the very altered rocks that get emplaced." -- To constrain the composition of these parental melts, the team focused on the Jericho kimberlite, which erupted into the Slave craton of far northwest Canada. Using chemical modelling, they tested different original mixtures of carbon dioxide and water. -- "Our idea was, well, let's try to create a chemical model of a kimberlite, then vary CO2 and H2O," says Anzulović. "Think of it as trying to sample a kimberlite as it ascends at different pressure and temperature points." -- The researchers used molecular dynamics software to simulate atomic forces and track how atoms in a kimberlite melt move under varying depths. From these calculations, they determined the density of the melt at different conditions and whether it remained buoyant enough to rise. | 805 |
| This New AI Can Spot Solar Storms Days Before They Strike | New AI Models Predict Solar Storms Days Before They Occur, Protecting Technology | A Multimodal Encoder–Decoder Neural Network for Forecasting Solar Wind Speed at L1. | New York University | Scientists at NYU Abu Dhabi have developed an innovative AI model that can predict solar wind days in advance with significantly greater accuracy than existing techniques. By analyzing high-resolution ultraviolet images of the sun, this system offers a promising solution to protect satellites and power grids from space weather disruptions. This breakthrough could enhance our ability to safeguard critical technologies as our dependence on them continues to grow in an increasingly interconnected world. | New AI Can Spot Solar Storms in AdvanceNYU Abu Dhabi scientists developed an AI system that forecasts solar wind with 45% better accuracy than current models. This breakthrough strengthens defenses against space weather that threatens satellites and critical infrastructure. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that can forecast solar wind speeds up to four days in advance, significantly more accurately than current methods. The study is published in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. -- Solar wind is a continuous stream of charged particles released by the Sun. When these particles speed up, they can cause "space weather" events that disrupt Earth's atmosphere and drag satellites out of orbit, damage their electrons, and interfere with power grids. In 2022, a strong solar wind event caused SpaceX to lose 40 Starlink satellites, showing the urgent need for better forecasting. -- The NYUAD team, led by Postdoctoral Associate Dattaraj Dhuri and Co-Principal Investigator at the Center for Space Science (CASS) Shravan Hanasoge, trained their AI model using high-resolution ultraviolet (UV) images from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, combined with historical records of solar wind. Instead of analyzing text, like today's popular AI language models, the system analyzes images of the Sun to identify patterns linked to solar wind changes. The result is a 45 percent improvement in forecast accuracy compared to current operational models, and a 20 percent improvement over previous AI-based approaches. -- "This is a major step forward in protecting the satellites, navigation systems, and power infrastructure that modern life depends on," said Dhuri, lead author of the study. "By combining advanced AI with solar observations, we can give early warnings that help safeguard critical technology on Earth and in space." -- The breakthrough demonstrates how AI can solve one of space science's toughest challenges: predicting the solar wind. With more reliable forecasts, scientists and engineers can better prepare for space weather events, strengthening resilience against disruptions to critical infrastructure. -- NYU Abu Dhabi has established more than 90 faculty labs and projects, producing over 9,200 internationally recognized research publications. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the world's top 35 universities, making NYUAD the highest globally ranked university in the UAE | 806 |
| Strange Signals At Absolute Zero Hint At Dark Matter’s Secrets | Dark Matter Search Achieves Record Sensitivity, Hinting At Hidden Universe Secrets | First Sub-MeV Dark Matter Search with the QROCODILE Experiment Using Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors. | The Hebrew University of Jerusalem | The QROCODILE experiment has set new records in sensitivity for detecting dark matter, utilizing superconducting detectors to probe ultra-light dark matter interactions. By pushing the boundaries of previous research, QROCODILE opens up fresh avenues for capturing direct evidence of dark matter, which constitutes a significant portion of the universe's mass. Scientists are hopeful that these groundbreaking findings will lead to a deeper understanding of one of physics' most enigmatic challenges. | Strange Signals Hint at Dark Matter’s SecretsPhysicists have unveiled QROCODILE, a groundbreaking detector capable of probing ultralight dark matter with unprecedented precision. The results hint at unexplained signals and push science closer to solving one of its greatest mysteries. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- A new experiment called QROCODILE, led by the University of Zurich and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has achieved record sensitivity in the hunt for light dark matter. Using superconducting detectors cooled to near absolute zero, the team set world-leading limits on how dark matter interacts with ordinary matter -- opening the door to future breakthroughs in one of physics' greatest mysteries. -- [Hebrew University of Jerusalem]- Dark matter, the elusive substance that makes up about 85% of the universe's mass, remains one of the greatest mysteries in physics. Invisible and undetectable by ordinary means, it neither emits nor absorbs light, leaving scientists with only indirect evidence of its existence. For decades, researchers have tried in vain to catch a glimpse of these elusive particles. -- Now, an international collaboration of scientists has unveiled promising first results with a novel experiment called QROCODILE (Quantum Resolution-Optimized Cryogenic Observatory for Dark matter Incident at Low Energy). The project, led jointly by the University of Zurich and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, involving also Cornell University, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), and MIT, has demonstrated a new path in the search for "light" dark matter particles. -- At the heart of QROCODILE is a cutting-edge superconducting detector capable of measuring incredibly faint energy deposits -- down to just 0.11 electron-volts, millions of times smaller than the energies usually detected in particle physics experiments. This sensitivity opens an entirely new frontier: testing the existence of extremely light dark matter particles, with masses thousands of times smaller than those probed by previous experiments. -- In a science run lasting more than 400 hours at temperatures near absolute zero, the team recorded a small number of unexplained signals. While these events cannot yet be confirmed as dark matter -- they may stem from cosmic rays or natural background radiation -- they already allow researchers to set new world-leading limits on how light dark matter particles interact with electrons and atomic nuclei -- An additional strength of the experiment is its potential to detect the directionality of incoming signals. Since the Earth moves through the galactic halo, dark matter particles are expected to arrive from a preferred direction. Future upgrades could allow scientists to distinguish between true dark matter signals and random background noise, a crucial step toward a definitive discovery. -- Prof. Yonit Hochberg of the Racah Institute of Physics at the Hebrew University, one of the project's lead scientists, explains: "For the first time, we've placed new constraints on the existence of especially light dark matter. This is an important first step toward larger experiments that could ultimately achieve the long-sought direct detection." -- The next stage of the project, NILE QROCODILE, will further enhance the detector's sensitivity and move the experiment underground to shield it from cosmic rays. With improved shielding, larger detector arrays, and even lower energy thresholds, the researchers aim to push the boundaries of our understanding of the dark universe. | 807 |
| The Phantom Heat Of Empty Space Might Soon Be Detectable | Detecting The Unruh Effect: A Breakthrough In Fundamental Physics | Circular-Motion Fulling-Davies-Unruh Effect in Coupled Annular Josephson Junctions. | Hiroshima University | Researchers at Hiroshima University have developed a practical method for detecting the Unruh effect, where acceleration transforms quantum vacuum fluctuations into observable particles. This breakthrough involves using superconducting Josephson junctions to create extreme accelerations, allowing the measurement of voltage jumps indicative of the effect. If confirmed experimentally, this discovery could bridge the gap between general relativity and quantum mechanics, leading to significant advancements in fundamental physics and quantum technologies. | The Phantom Heat of Empty SpaceScientists may have found the first practical way to catch a glimpse of quantum warmth from empty space. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- Researchers at Hiroshima University have developed a realistic, highly sensitive method to detect the Unruh effect -- a long-predicted phenomenon at the crossroads of relativity and quantum theory. Their novel approach opens new possibilities for exploring fundamental physics and for developing advanced technologies. -- The work was recently published in Physical Review Letters. -- The Fulling-Davies-Unruh effect, or simply the Unruh effect, is a striking theoretical prediction at the profound intersection of Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity and Quantum Theory. "In quantum theory, even the vacuum seethes with tiny energy fluctuations, where particles and antiparticles briefly appear and vanish. Remarkably, the Unruh effect shows how these 'vacuum ripples' are perceived depends on the observer's motion. A stationary observer sees nothing, but an observer undergoing acceleration perceives them as real particles with a thermal energy distribution -- a 'quantum warmth'," said Noriyuki Hatakenaka, professor emeritus at Hiroshima University. -- The counterintuitive result emphasizes the important connection between these two pillars of modern physics. If scientists could experimentally verify the Unruh effect, it would not only bridge the gap between general relativity and quantum mechanics but also provide profound insights into the nature of spacetime itself. Yet the experimental verification of the Unruh effect has been a long-standing and significant challenge in fundamental physics. -- "The core problem has been the extraordinarily large accelerations -- on the order of 1020 m/s2 -- required to make this effect detectable, rendering its observation practically impossible with current technology at least in linear acceleration systems," said Haruna Katayama, assistant professor at Hiroshima University. -- The researchers at Hiroshima University have proposed a promising approach to observe the Unruh effect. "Our work aims to overcome this fundamental hurdle by proposing a novel and feasible experimental method. We utilize the circular motion of metastable fluxon-antifluxon pairs within coupled annular Josephson junctions," said Hatakenaka. Advances in superconducting microfabrication allow the creation of circuits with extremely small radii, enabling immensely high effective accelerations and producing an Unruh temperature of a few kelvin -- high enough to be experimentally detectable with current technology. -- "We have proposed a realistic, highly sensitive, and unambiguous method to detect the elusive Unruh effect. Our proposed system offers a clear pathway to experimentally observe this 'phantom heat' of acceleration for the first time," said Katayama. In their innovative setup, the "quantum warmth" induced by the circular acceleration causes fluctuations that trigger the splitting of the metastable fluxon-antifluxon pairs. Crucially, this splitting event manifests as a clear, macroscopic voltage jump across the superconducting circuit. This voltage jump serves as an undeniable and easily measurable signal, providing a direct and robust signature of the Unruh effect's presence. By statistically analyzing the distribution of these voltage jumps, the researchers can precisely measure the Unruh temperature with high accuracy. -- "One of the most surprising aspects is that microscopic quantum fluctuations can induce sudden, macroscopic voltage jumps, making the elusive Unruh effect directly observable. Even more striking, the switching distribution shifts solely with acceleration while all other parameters remain fixed -- a clear statistical fingerprint of the Unruh effect itself," said Hatakenaka. -- Looking ahead, Katayama said, "Our immediate next step is to conduct a detailed analysis of the decay processes of the fluxon-antifluxon pairs. This includes thoroughly investigating the role of macroscopic quantum tunneling, a quantum-mechanical phenomenon where particles can pass through potential barriers, which was not extensively explored in this initial work. Understanding these intricate decay mechanisms will be crucial for refining the experimental detection of the Unruh effect." | 808 |
| Johns Hopkins Breakthrough Could Make Microchips Smaller Than Ever | Revolutionary Microchip Manufacturing Process Could Make Chips Smaller Than Ever | Spin-on deposition of amorphous zeolitic imidazolate framework films for lithography applications. | Johns Hopkins University | A team of researchers from Johns Hopkins University has made a significant breakthrough in microchip manufacturing by developing a new material and deposition process. This innovation allows for the creation of ultra-small circuits that are invisible to the naked eye, utilizing metal-organic materials and advanced light beams. Their findings could revolutionize electronics, leading to faster, smaller, and more cost-effective microchips that will shape the future of technology across various industries. | Breakthrough Shrinks Microchips Beyond LimitsA global research team has discovered a new way to engineer ultra-small circuits using metal-organic chemistry and advanced light beams, paving the way for next-generation microchips. Credit: Shutterstock -- Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered new materials and a new process that could advance the ever-escalating quest to make smaller, faster and affordable microchips used across modern electronics -- in everything from cellphones to cars, appliances to airplanes. -- The team of scientists has discovered how to create circuits that are so small they're invisible to the naked eye using a process that is both precise and economical for manufacturing. -- The findings are published on September 11 in the journal Nature Chemical Engineering. -- "Companies have their roadmaps of where they want to be in 10 to 20 years and beyond," said Michael Tsapatsis, a Bloomberg Distinguish Professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Johns Hopkins University. "One hurdle has been finding a process for making smaller features in a production line where you irradiate materials quickly and with absolute precision to make the process economical." -- The advanced lasers required for imprinting on the miniscule formats already exist, Tsapatsis added, but researchers needed new materials and new processes to accommodate ever smaller microchips. -- Microchips are flat pieces of silicon with imprinted circuitries that execute basic functions. During production, manufacturers coat silicon wafers with a radiation-sensitive material to create a very fine coating called a "resist." When a beam of radiation is pointed at the resist, it sparks a chemical reaction that burns details into the wafer, drawing patterns and circuitry. -- However, the higher-powered radiation beams that are needed to carve out ever-smaller details on chips do not interact strongly enough with traditional resists. -- Previously, researchers from Tsapatsis's lab and the Fairbrother Research Group at Johns Hopkins found that resists made of a new class of metal-organics can accommodate that higher-powered radiation process, called "beyond extreme ultraviolet radiation" (B-EUV), which has the potential to make details smaller than the current standard size of 10 nanometers. Metals like zinc absorb the B-EUV light and generate electrons that cause chemical transformations needed to imprint circuit patterns on an organic material called imidazole. -- This research marks one of the first times scientists have been able to deposit these imidazole-based metal-organic resists from solution at silicon-wafer scale, controlling their thickness with nanometer precision. To develop the chemistry needed to coat the silicon wafer with the metal-organic materials, the team combined experiments and models from Johns Hopkins University, East China University of Science and Technology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Soochow University, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The new methodology, which they call chemical liquid deposition (CLD), can be precisely engineered and lets researchers quickly explore various combinations of metals and imidazoles. | 809 |
| A Rogue Black Hole Is Beaming Energy From A Nearby Dwarf Galaxy | Distant Black Hole Challenges Cosmic Evolution Theories By Feeding Outside Core | A jetted wandering massive black hole candidate in a dwarf galaxy. | Chinese Academy of Sciences | A research team has identified a black hole located nearly a kiloparsec away from the center of a dwarf galaxy, challenging traditional concepts of black hole positioning. This black hole is actively consuming material and emitting radio jets, providing compelling evidence that black holes can influence galaxy formation even when not centrally located. The discovery offers new insights into cosmic evolution and the dynamics of supermassive black holes in the universe. | Rogue Black Hole Lurking Surprisingly NearbyA wandering black hole discovered in a dwarf galaxy is actively accreting and firing jets, providing rare evidence that not all black holes live at galactic centers. Credit: Shutterstock -- Traditionally, black holes are usually thought to "reside" at the centers of galaxies. However, a research team led by Dr. AN Tao from the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has discovered a wandering black hole in a dwarf galaxy located about 230 million light-years away (redshift z = 0.017). -- Unlike typical black holes, this one is not located at the galactic center, but rather, it is offset by nearly one kiloparsec and is launching radio jets. This off-nuclear, in-situ, accreting black hole with jets, found in a nearby dwarf galaxy, is one of the closest and most convincing cases confirmed thus far. -- The discovery, published online in Science Bulletin on September 4, strengthens the idea that black hole growth is not limited to galactic centers, offering a new perspective on how supermassive black holes could have grown so rapidly in the early universe. -- Black Holes Are Not Always in Galactic Centers -- In the common picture of the cosmos, black holes are often regarded as the "hearts" of galaxies. However, an increasing number of observations show that some black holes do not remain obediently at the galactic center. Instead, they are displaced, roaming through the galactic disk or outskirts. These displaced black holes are called wandering black holes, like lost travelers drifting across the universe. -- Why look for them in dwarf galaxies? Dwarf galaxies have smaller masses and relatively simpler evolutionary histories. They act as "cosmic fossils" that preserve clues about the early growth of black holes. Theory predicts that gravitational recoil after galaxy mergers, or interactions involving multiple bodies, can easily kick black holes out of the shallow gravitational wells of dwarf galaxies, leaving them wandering thousands of light-years away. Some simulations even suggest that a considerable fraction of dwarf-galaxy black holes may be displaced by nearly a kiloparsec (about 3,000 light-years). Yet for a long time, direct and unambiguous observational evidence has been lacking. -- New Discovery: A "Radio-loud Wandering Black Hole" in a Dwarf Galaxy -- The researcher led by Dr. AN focused on a dwarf galaxy named MaNGA 12772-12704, located only about 230 million light-years away (z ≈ 0.017) from the Earth. Using integral field unit data from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey, they found that this galaxy exhibits weak active galactic nucleus (AGN) signatures. Although its overall morphology is regular and shows no obvious signs of merging or a double AGN, one key feature stood out: the associated radio emission is offset from the geometric center of the galaxy by nearly one kiloparsec (kpc). -- Follow-up observations with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 1.6 and 4.9 GHz revealed that the source lies 2.68 arcseconds away from the galactic center (corresponding to 0.94 kpc), with a radio core brightness temperature exceeding one billion kelvins. At 1.6 GHz, they detected a jet structure extending about 2.2 parsec (7.2 light-years) southeastward. These are typical AGN features. | 810 |
| How Hidden Cosmic Highways Feed The Universe’s Biggest Stars | Cosmic Gas Streams Aid Rapid Formation Of Massive Stars, Changing Stellar Growth | Massive extended streamers feed high-mass young stars. | Kyoto University | Recent observations from ALMA suggest that massive stars might form rapidly not just through conventional accretion disks but also by being fueled by large streams of gas. Researchers propose that these colossal gas “streamers” transport matter across vast distances, potentially overcoming the strong feedback effects that usually impede stellar growth. This revelation could reshape our understanding of how high-mass stars develop and maintain their rapid growth in the cosmos. | Feeding Monster Stars with Cosmic HighwaysThe dust emission of the high-mass star forming region G336.018-00.827 ALMA1 at radio wavelengths. The star symbol indicates the protostellar position. The gas is rotating and falling along the red and blue arrows. The gas flow (streamer) indicated by the blue arrow transports gas from the molecular cloud core to the high-density region in the vicinity of the protostar. Credit: KyotoU / Fernando Olguin -- The size of our universe and the bodies within it is incomprehensible for us lowly humans. The sun has a mass that is more than 330,000 that of our Earth, and yet there are stars in the universe that completely dwarf our sun. -- Stars with masses more than eight times that of the sun are considered high mass stars. These form rapidly in a process that gives off stellar wind and radiation, which could not result in stars of such high mass without somehow overcoming this loss of mass, or feedback. Something is feeding these stars, but how exactly they can accumulate so much mass so quickly has remained a mystery. -- Observations of enormous disk-like structures that form around a star -- accretion disks -- had been proposed as the chief way of rapidly feeding young stars. However, a team of researchers from several institutions including Kyoto University and the University of Tokyo, has discovered another possibility. -- "Our work seems to show that these structures are being fed by streamers, which are flows of gas that bring matter from scales larger than a thousand astronomical units, essentially acting as massive gas highways," says corresponding author Fernando Olguin. -- Following on previous research, the team required a higher angular resolution to observe this system in detail, since regions forming high-mass stars are more distant than those with lower mass. The researchers utilized the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, or ALMA, a powerful telescope in Chile composed of an array of antennae that can observe dust and molecular line emissions at millimeter wavelengths. -- Their observations revealed a young star feeding from potentially two streamers. One such streamer was connected to the central region of the star, with a velocity gradient indicative of rotation and possibly infall. This suggests that the streamer carries enough matter at a high rate to quench feedback effects from the young star, eventually contributing to the overly dense region observed around the central massive star. -- The research team expected to see a dust disk or torus of several hundreds astronomical units in size, but they did not expect the spiral arms to reach far closer to the central source. -- "We found streamers feeding what at that time was thought to be a disk, but to our surprise, there is either no disk or it is extremely small," says Olguin. -- These results suggest that, independent of the presence of a disk around the central star, streamers can transport large amounts of gas to feed star-forming regions, even in the presence of feedback from the central star. | 811 |
| Biochar’s Secret Power Could Change Clean Water Forever | Biochar Acts As An Electron-Powered Pollutant Destroyer For Cleaner Water | Structure-performance relationship of biochar for direct degradation of organic pollutants. | Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University | Scientists have discovered that biochar does more than just filter pollutants; it actively degrades them through direct electron transfer. This newfound capability, accounting for a significant portion of its pollutant removal effectiveness, opens up possibilities for more sustainable and efficient water treatment technologies. The research highlights biochar's potential to revolutionize clean water solutions globally, emphasizing its role as both a cleansing agent and an active pollutant destroyer. | Biochar’s Could Change Clean Water ForeverBiochar isn’t just a sponge that traps pollutants. It’s an active powerhouse capable of breaking them down on its own. Credit: Shutterstock -- We've all heard the story: biochar cleans water by adsorbing pollutants -- trapping them like a sponge. Or, in fancier setups, it acts as a catalyst to help oxidants like hydrogen peroxide break down toxins. But Dr. Gao's team asked a bold question: What if biochar can degrade pollutants all by itself? Turns out -- it can. And it's been doing it quietly all along. -- The Electron Ninja: Biochar's Secret Power -- The secret lies in electron transfer -- a natural ability of biochar that's been overlooked for years. Think of it like this: instead of just catching a bad guy (adsorption), biochar can now take them down on its own (direct degradation). Using advanced electrochemical tests, quantification methods, and correlation analysis, the team proved that biochar actively breaks down organic pollutants through direct electron transfer -- without needing extra chemicals. In their experiments, direct degradation accounted for up to 40% ± 10% of the total pollutant removal. That's almost half the cleaning power coming straight from the biochar itself! -- What Makes Biochar So Electric? -- Not all biochar is created equal. The team discovered that three key features supercharge its electron power: -- C-O and O-H functional groups - the "handholds" for electron transfer -- Graphitic carbon structure - the "highway" for electrons to travel fast The better the structure, the more electrons flow, and the faster pollutants vanish. -- Even after five reuse cycles, the biochar kept its direct degradation power -- nearly 100% stable. That's sustainability with stamina. -- Why This Changes Everything | 812 |
| Toxic Waste Could Become The Next Clean Energy Breakthrough | Transforming Toxic Bio-Tar Into Bio-Carbon: A Clean Energy Revolution | Preparation of bio-carbon by polymerization of bio-tar: a critical review on mechanisms, processes, and applications. | Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University | New research suggests that toxic bio-tar, traditionally viewed as waste from renewable energy production, can be converted into valuable bio-carbon. This transformation not only resolves environmental concerns associated with bio-tar but also presents opportunities for clean energy applications and economic benefits. Researchers argue that this innovative approach could significantly contribute to sustainability efforts by reducing emissions while creating valuable materials for various industries. | Toxic Waste: The Next Clean Energy Breakthrough?What was once considered a sticky, toxic nuisance may become a cornerstone of clean energy innovation. Credit: Shutterstock -- A sticky, toxic by-product that has long plagued renewable energy production may soon become a valuable resource, according to a new review published in Biochar. -- When biomass such as crop residues, wood, or other organic matter is heated to produce clean energy and biochar, it also generates a thick liquid known as bio-tar. This tar easily clogs pipelines, damages equipment, and poses environmental risks if released into the atmosphere. For decades, researchers have sought ways to eliminate or neutralize it. -- Now, a team led by scientists at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences argues that instead of being treated as waste, bio-tar can be converted into "bio-carbon" -- a novel material with applications ranging from water purification to clean energy storage. -- "Our review highlights how turning bio-tar into bio-carbon not only solves a technical problem for the bioenergy industry, but also opens the door to producing advanced carbon materials with high economic value," said senior author Dr. Zonglu Yao. -- The review examines how chemical reactions inside bio-tar, particularly those involving oxygen-rich compounds like carbonyls and furans, naturally promote polymerization -- processes where small molecules link together to form larger, more stable carbon structures. By carefully adjusting temperature, reaction time, and additives, researchers can harness this process to produce bio-carbon with tailored properties. -- The resulting material, the authors note, is distinct from ordinary biochar. Bio-carbon typically has higher carbon content, lower ash, and unique structural features that make it especially suited for advanced uses. Early studies suggest that bio-carbon could serve as: -- Adsorbents to clean polluted water and air by trapping heavy metals and organic contaminants. -- Electrode materials for next-generation supercapacitors, which are vital for renewable energy storage. -- Catalysts that speed up industrial chemical reactions more sustainably than traditional fossil-based options. | 813 |
| The Surprising New Particle That Could Finally Explain Dark Matter | Charged Gravitinos: A New Dark Matter Candidate That Could Change Everything | Signatures of supermassive charged gravitinos in liquid scintillator detectors. | University of Warsaw, Faculty of Physics | Physicists are exploring the potential of charged gravitinos, stable particles from supergravity theory, as candidates for dark matter. These ultra-heavy particles, despite being electrically charged, are rare enough to remain undetectable. With advancements in detectors like JUNO and DUNE, researchers hope to find unique signals from gravitinos, paving the way for a deeper understanding of dark matter and the unification of particle physics with gravitational theories. | Surprising Particle Could Explain Dark MatterSuperheavy charged gravitinos may finally crack the Dark Matter mystery—and bring us closer to unifying the forces of nature. Credit: Shutterstock -- Dark Matter remains one of the biggest mysteries in fundamental physics. Many theoretical proposals (axions, WIMPs) and 40 years of extensive experimental search failed to provide any explanation of the nature of Dark Matter. Several years ago, in a theory unifying particle physics and gravity, new, radically different Dark Matter candidates were proposed, superheavy charged gravitinos. Very recent paper in Physical Review Research by scientists from the University of Warsaw and Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, shows how new underground detectors, in particular JUNO detector starting soon to take data, even though designed for neutrino physics, are also extremely well suited to eventually detect charged Dark Matter gravitinos. The simulations combining two fields, elementary particle physics and very advanced quantum chemistry, show that the gravitino signal in the detector should be unique and unambiguous. -- In 1981 Murray Gell-Mann, Nobel Prize laureate for the introduction of quarks as fundamental constituents of matter, noticed the intriguing fact that the particles of the Standard Model, quarks and leptons, are contained in a theory formulated purely mathematically 2 years earlier, N=8 supergravity, distinguished by its maximal symmetry. N=8 supergravity contains, besides Standard Model matter particles of spin 1/2, also gravitational part: graviton (of spin 2) and 8 gravitinos of spin 3/2. If the Standard Model is indeed related to N=8 supergravity, the relation may possibly point to a path to solve the most difficult problem of fundamental theoretical physics -- unifying gravity with particle physics. N=8 supergravity in the spin ½ sector contains exactly 6 quarks (u,d,c,s,t,b) and 6 leptons (electron, muon, taon and neutrinos) and forbids the presence of any other matter particles. After 40 years of intensive accelerator research failing to discover any new matter particles the N=8 supergravity matter content is not only consistent with our knowledge but remains the only known theoretical explanation of the number of quarks and leptons in the Standard Model! However, direct connection of N=8 supergravity with the Standard Model had several drawbacks, the main one being that the electric charges of quarks and leptons were shifted by ±1/6 with respect to the known values, for example electron had charge -5/6 instead of -1. Several years ago Krzysztof Meissner from the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw, Poland and Hermann Nicolai from the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute/AEI), Potsdam, Germany returned to the Gell-Mann's idea and were able to go beyond N=8 supergravity and modify the original proposal obtaining correct electric charges of the Standard Model matter particles. The modification is very far reaching pointing to an infinite symmetry K(E10), little known mathematically and replacing the usual symmetries of the Standard Model. -- One of the surprising outcomes of the modification, described in papers in Physical Review Letters and Physical Review, is the fact that the gravitinos, presumably of the extremely large mass close to the Planck scale i.e. billion billion proton masses, are electrically charged: 6 of them have charge ±1/3 and 2 of them ±2/3. The gravitinos, even though they are extremally massive, cannot decay since there are no particles they could decay into. Meissner and Nicolai proposed therefore that 2 gravitinos of charge ±2/3 (the other 6 have much lower abundance) could be Dark Matter particles of very different kind than anything proposed so far. Namely, the widely advertized usual candidates, either extremely light like axions or intermediate (proton) mass like WIMPs (weakly interacting massive particles) were electrically neutral, in compatibility with the name 'Dark Matter'. However, after more than 40 years of intensive search by many different methods and devices no new particles beyond the Standard Model were detected. -- However, gravitinos present a new alternative. Even though they are electrically charged, they can be Dark Matter candidates because being so massive they are extremely rare and therefore observationally 'do not shine on the sky' and avoid the very tight constraints on the charge of Dark Matter constituents. Moreover, the electric charge of gravitinos suggested a completely different way of trying to prove their existence. The original paper in 2024 in Eur. Phys. J. by Meissner and Nicolai pointed out that neutrino detectors, based on scintillators different from water, could be suitable for the detection of Dark Matter gravitinos. However, the search is made enormously difficult by their extreme rarity (presumably only one gravitino per 10,000 km3 in the Solar System), which is why there is no prospect of detection with currently available detectors. However, new giant, oil or liquid argon underground detectors, are either constructed or planned and realistic possibilities for searching for these particles are now opening up. -- Among all detectors, the Chinese Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) now under construction, seems predestined for such a search. It aims to determine the properties of neutrinos (actually antineutrinos) but since neutrinos interact extremely weakly with matter the detectors must have very large volumes. In the case of the JUNO detector, this means 20,000 tons of an organic, synthetic oil-like liquid, commonly used in chemical industry, with special additions, in a spherical vessel with a diameter of approximately 40 meters with more than 17 thousand photomultipliers around the sphere. JUNO is scheduled to begin measurements in the second half of 2025. -- The recently published paper in Physical Review Research by Meissner and Nicolai, with collaborators Adrianna Kruk and Michal Lesiuk from the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Warsaw, presents a detailed analysis of the specific signatures that events caused by gravitinos could produce at JUNO and in future liquid argon detectors such as the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) in the United States. The paper describes not only the theoretical background both on the physics and chemistry sides but also very detailed simulation of the possible signatures as a function of the velocity and track of a gravitino traveling through the oil vessel. It required very advanced knowledge of quantum chemistry and intensive CPU-time consuming calculations. The simulations had to take into account many possible backgrounds - decay of radioactive C14 present in the oil, dark count rate and efficiency of photomultipliers, absorption of photons in oil etc. The simulations show that, with the appropriate software, passage of a gravitino through the detector will leave a unique signal impossible to be wrongly identified with a passage of any of the presently known particles. The analysis sets new standards in terms of interdisciplinarity by combining two different areas of research: theoretical and experimental elementary particle physics on one hand and very advanced methods of modern quantum chemistry on the other. -- The detection of the superheavy gravitinos would be a major step forward in the search for a unified theory of gravity and particles. Since gravitinos are predicted to have masses on the order of the Planck mass, their detection would be the first direct indication of physics near the Planck scale and could thus provide valuable experimental evidence for a unification of all forces of nature. | 814 |
| Lasers Just Made Atoms Dance, Unlocking The Future Of Electronics | Lasers Make Atoms Dance, Unlocking New Frontiers In Electronics Technology | Terahertz field control of surface topology probed with subatomic resolution. | Michigan State University | Cutting-edge research conducted by Michigan State University scientists reveals a groundbreaking method for manipulating atoms in exotic materials using ultrafast lasers. This innovative technique has the potential to lead to smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient electronic devices, such as smartphones and quantum computers, by temporarily altering the electronic properties of materials like tungsten ditelluride. The team’s collaboration of experimental and theoretical quantum mechanics pushes the limits of material capabilities, promising significant advancements in technology. | Wiggling Atoms Could Transform ElectronicsUsing lasers and advanced microscopes, scientists managed to shift atoms in tungsten ditelluride and change its electronic properties. This breakthrough could pave the way for the next generation of powerful, efficient technologies. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers at Michigan State University have figured out how to use a fast laser to wiggle atoms in a way that temporarily changes the behavior of their host material. Their novel approach could lead to smaller, and more efficient electronics -- like smartphones -- in the future. -- Tyler Cocker, an associate professor in the College of Natural Science, and Jose L. Mendoza-Cortes, an assistant professor in the colleges of Engineering and Natural Science, have combined the experimental and theoretical sides of quantum mechanics -- the study of the strange ways atoms behave at a very small scale -- to push the boundaries of what materials can do to improve electronic technologies we use every day. -- "This experience has been a reminder of what science is really like because we found materials that are working in ways that we didn't expect," said Cocker. "Now, we want to look at something that is going to be technologically interesting for people in the future." -- Using a material called tungsten ditelluride, or WTe2,which is made up of a layer of tungsten, or W atoms, sandwiched between two layers of tellurium, or Te atoms, Cocker's team conducted a series of experiments where they placed this material under a specialized microscope they built. While microscopes are typically used to look at things that are hard for the human eye to see, like individual cells, Cocker's scanning tunneling microscope can show individual atoms on the surface of a material. It does this by moving an extremely sharp metal tip over the surface, "feeling" atoms through an electrical signal, like reading braille. While looking at the atoms on the surface of WTe2, Cocker and his team used a super-fast laser to create terahertz pulses of light that were moving at speeds of hundreds of trillions of times per second. These terahertz pulses were focused onto the tip. At the tip, the strength of the pulses was increased enormously, allowing the researchers to wiggle the top layer of atoms directly beneath the tip and gently nudge that layer out of alignment from the remaining layers underneath it. Think of it like a stack of papers with the top sheet slightly crooked. -- While the laser pulses illuminated the tip and WTe2,the top layer of the material behaved differently, exhibiting new electronic properties not observed when the laser was turned off. Cocker and his team realized the terahertz pulses together with the tip could be used like a nanoscale switch to temporarily change the electrical properties of WTe2 to upscale the next generation of devices. Cocker's microscope could even see the atoms moving during this process and photograph the unique "on" and "off" states of the switch they had created. -- When Cocker and Mendoza-Cortes realized that they were working on similar projects from different perspectives, Cocker's experimental side joined with Mendoza's theoretical side of quantum mechanics. Mendoza-Cortes' research focuses on creating computer simulations. By comparing the results of Mendoza's quantum calculations to Cocker's experiments, both labs yielded the same results -- independently and by using different tools. -- "Our research is complementary; it's the same observations but through different lenses," said Mendoza-Cortes. "When our model matched the same answers and conclusions they found in their experiments, we have a better picture of what is going on." -- The Mendoza lab computationally found that the layers of WTe2 shift by 7 picometers while they are wiggling, which is hard to observe by the specialized microscope alone. Also, they were able to confirm that the frequencies at which the atoms wiggle match between the experiment and theory, but the quantum calculations can tell which way they wiggle and by how much. -- "The movement only occurs on the topmost layer, so it is very localized," said Daniel Maldonado-Lopez, a fourth-year graduate student in Mendoza's lab. "This can potentially be applied in building faster and smaller electronics." | 815 |
| Long Commutes And Small Homes Are Wrecking Sleep | Long Commutes And Small Homes Are Stealing Your Sleep Quality | Commuting time, residential floor area, and their associations with insomnia and daytime sleepiness among residents of the Tokyo metropolitan area: a cross-sectional study. | Osaka Metropolitan University | Sleep Quality in Tokyo: Tokyo residents are struggling with sleep quality due to the trade-off between commute time and home size. A new study reveals that longer commutes and smaller living spaces increase insomnia and daytime sleepiness, even with average-sized homes. Researchers suggest improved urban planning could enhance sleep health and overall quality of life. | Long Commutes Are Wrecking SleepResearchers found that long commutes and small housing sizes significantly increase insomnia among Tokyo residents. The study highlights a trade-off between space and time that shapes sleep health. Credit: Shutterstock -- One-third of our lives is spent sleeping, yet 30 to 40 percent of adults are reported to experience some form of insomnia. Japan in particular has the lowest sleep duration among the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, falling at one hour below average. -- Public health research has identified long commutes, noise, and light pollution from densely populated living environments as factors that impair sleep. While such metropolitan housing offers advantages in commuting time, its livability is far less than the suburbs. To find a balance between convenience and sleep, urban architecture research, which examines the relationship between housing location, size, and sleep health, could help answer the question of "Where and what size home should one have for better sleep?" -- Seeking this answer, a research group led by Professor Daisuke Matsushita at Osaka Metropolitan University's Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology investigated whether commuting time and residence predict insomnia and daytime sleepiness among residents of the Tokyo metropolitan area. -- Based on an online survey using stratified random sampling, commute time was calculated using a route search system derived from the mode of transportation and postal codes of participants' homes and workplaces. Insomnia and daytime sleepiness were assessed using the Athens Insomnia Scale and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. The team also examined whether these relationships persist after adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic factors. -- Data analysis revealed that even after adjusting for covariates, longer commutes predicted insomnia and daytime sleepiness, while smaller housing size predicted insomnia. Further, a trade-off was observed between commuting time and floor area in cases of insomnia. For housing units meeting the urban-oriented residential area standard of 95 m² for a four-person household, commuting times exceeding 52 minutes reached the insomnia cutoff value. -- "Housing choices and supply that consider the trade-off between location and size may help improve the sleep health of commuters and reduce sleep-related economic losses in metropolitan areas," said Professor Matsushita. -- The findings were published in the Journal of Transport and Health. | 816 |
| How The Brain Decides Which Moments You’ll Never Forget | Emotional Events Can Strengthen Your Memories Of Ordinary Moments | Salient experiences enhance mundane memories through graded prioritization. | Boston University | Memory and Emotion Connection: A recent Boston University study uncovers how mundane memories can gain strength when tied to emotionally charged events. The research highlights the brain's ability to prioritize fragile memories when they are linked to significant experiences, potentially offering new strategies for enhancing memory retention and treating memory disorders. | What Makes Certain Memories Last Forever?A BU study shows that emotional experiences can retroactively and proactively boost memory for ordinary moments. Credit: Shutterstock -- Some memories are easy to recall -- lush with detail, fresh as the moment itself. Others are more tenuous, like faded sketches, and the most stubborn ones can refuse to resurface at all. Why do our brains enshrine some memories so indelibly, and let others slip away? -- A new Boston University study has a potential answer, suggesting that memories of mundane moments are given extra sticking power if they become connected to a significant event -- something surprising, rewarding, or carrying an emotional punch. Watch your Powerball numbers cash in, for example, and you're likely to remember what you were doing in the moments before, however unremarkable and unmemorable they might have otherwise been. The findings, published in Science Advances, could potentially lead to improved treatments for people with memory problems or even help students retain tricky concepts. -- "Memory isn't just a passive recording device: Our brains decide what matters, and emotional events can reach back in time to stabilize fragile memories," says Robert M.G. Reinhart, a BU College of Arts & Sciences associate professor of psychological and brain sciences. "Developing strategies to strengthen useful memories, or weaken harmful ones, is a longstanding goal in cognitive neuroscience. Our study suggests that emotional salience could be harnessed in precise ways to achieve those goals." -- In their paper, he and his colleagues give the example of someone hiking through Yellowstone National Park and stumbling across a herd of majestic bison. The wow of that moment, they discovered, would not just cement the one magical experience in the mind, but lots of little, more run-of-the-mill events leading up to and away from it -- a rock spotted on the path, a small animal darting into the undergrowth. -- "The question is, What are the mechanisms for that?" says Reinhart, who's also a College of Engineering associate professor of biomedical engineering and a faculty member at the BU Center for Systems Neuroscience. "That's what we tried to uncover, how the brain selectively strengthens those fragile memories." -- How the Brain Selects Which Memories to Preserve -- While most of us know that special moments get a revered spot in our memory banks, researchers have been divided on concepts known as retroactive and proactive memory enhancement -- the prioritization of memories immediately before or after a big, or salient, event. Previous studies have disagreed on whether or not weaker memories are stabilized, or made easier to recall, by attachment to a more prominent one. -- Reinhart says the latest project, which included close to 650 participants, ten individual studies, and the use of artificial intelligence to analyze a broader set of data, is the first to definitively show that memory enhancement does happen. One major difference with past studies: they found the brain uses a sliding scale to decide which memories to preserve. Many of the team's experiments involved showing participants dozens of images -- connected to different levels of rewards -- then giving them a surprise memory test the next day. -- With things that occurred after an event, proactive memories, the strength of recall seemed to depend on the emotional impact of the big moment itself -- the more enduring the salient event, the more likely everything after it was to be remembered. That didn't apply when reaching back to the things that happened in the runup, the retroactive memories. They were more likely to be cemented if they had similarities -- perhaps a visual cue, like a matching color -- that connected them to the pivotal event. According to Reinhart, it's the first validation in humans of "graded prioritization, a new principle of how the brain consolidates everyday experiences." | 817 |
| AI-Powered Smart Bandage Heals Wounds 25% Faster | Meet A-Heal: Your Smart Bandage For Faster Wound Recovery | Towards adaptive bioelectronic wound therapy with integrated real-time diagnostics and machine learning–driven closed-loop control. | University of California - Santa Cruz | Innovative Wound Healing Device: Researchers have developed a wearable device called a-Heal that uses AI and imaging technology to monitor and treat wounds. By adapting treatments in real-time, the device has shown promising preclinical results, demonstrating a 25% faster healing rate compared to traditional methods, especially beneficial for chronic wounds. | Smart Bandage Heals Wounds Faster With AIThe AI-powered a-Heal device adapts treatment in real time to accelerate wound closure. Preclinical results suggest it could revolutionize healing, particularly for chronic wounds. Credit: Shutterstock -- As a wound heals, it goes through several stages: clotting to stop bleeding, immune system response, scabbing, and scarring. -- A wearable device called "a-Heal," designed by engineers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, aims to optimize each stage of the process. The system uses a tiny camera and AI to detect the stage of healing and deliver a treatment in the form of medication or an electric field. The system responds to the unique healing process of the patient, offering personalized treatment. -- The portable, wireless device could make wound therapy more accessible to patients in remote areas or with limited mobility. Initial preclinical results, published in the journal npj Biomedical Innovations, show the device successfully speeds up the healing process. -- Designing a-Heal -- A team of UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis researchers, sponsored by the DARPA-BETR program and led by UC Santa Cruz Baskin Engineering Endowed Chair and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Marco Rolandi, designed a device that combines a camera, bioelectronics, and AI for faster wound healing. The integration in one device makes it a "closed-loop system" -- one of the firsts of its kind for wound healing as far as the researchers are aware. -- "Our system takes all the cues from the body, and with external interventions, it optimizes the healing progress," Rolandi said. -- The device uses an onboard camera, developed by fellow Associate Professor of ECE Mircea Teodorescu and described in a Communications Biology study, to take photos of the wound every two hours. The photos are fed into a machine learning (ML) model, developed by Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics Marcella Gomez, which the researchers call the "AI physician" running on a nearby computer. -- "It's essentially a microscope in a bandage," Teodorescu said. "Individual images say little, but over time, continuous imaging lets AI spot trends, wound healing stages, flag issues, and suggest treatments." -- The AI physician uses the image to diagnose the wound stage and compares that to where the wound should be along a timeline of optimal wound healing. If the image reveals a lag, the ML model applies a treatment: either medicine, delivered via bioelectronics; or an electric field, which can enhance cell migration toward wound closure. | 818 |
| AI Breakthrough Finds Life-Saving Insights In Everyday Bloodwork | Routine Blood Tests May Reveal Spinal Injury Recovery Insights | Modeling trajectories of routine blood tests as dynamic biomarkers for outcome in spinal cord injury. | University of Waterloo | Blood Tests Predicting Spinal Injury Outcomes: A study from the University of Waterloo reveals that routine blood samples can provide crucial insights into spinal cord injury severity and patient survival. Utilizing AI, researchers found that analyzing blood tests can help predict recovery trajectories, making this method a potentially valuable tool in emergency settings. | Life-Saving Insights in Everyday BloodworkRoutine blood tests, boosted by AI, may hold the key to predicting spinal cord injury outcomes early and accurately. Credit: Shutterstock -- Routine blood samples, such as those taken daily at any hospital and tracked over time, could help predict the severity of an injury and even provide insights into mortality after spinal cord damage, according to a recent University of Waterloo study. -- The research team utilized advanced analytics and machine learning, a type of artificial intelligence, to assess whether routine blood tests could serve as early warning signs for spinal cord injury patient outcomes. -- More than 20 million people worldwide were affected by spinal cord injury in 2019, with 930,000 new cases each year, according to the World Health Organization. Traumatic spinal cord injury often requires intensive care and is characterized by variable clinical presentations and recovery trajectories, complicating diagnosis and prognosis, especially in emergency departments and intensive care units. -- "Routine blood tests could offer doctors important and affordable information to help predict risk of death, the presence of an injury and how severe it might be," said Dr. Abel Torres Espín, a professor in Waterloo's School of Public Health Sciences. -- The researchers sampled hospital data from more than 2,600 patients in the U.S. They used machine learning to analyze millions of data points and discover hidden patterns in common blood measurements, such as electrolytes and immune cells, taken during the first three weeks after a spinal cord injury. -- They found that these patterns could help forecast recovery and injury severity, even without early neurological exams, which are not always reliable as they depend on a patient's responsiveness. -- "While a single biomarker measured at a single time point can have predictive power, the broader story lies in multiple biomarkers and the changes they show over time," said Dr. Marzieh Mussavi Rizi, a postdoctoral scholar in Torres Espín's lab at Waterloo. -- The models, which do not rely on early neurological assessment, were accurate in predicting mortality and the severity of injury as early as one to three days after admission to the hospital, compared to standard non-specific severity measures that are often performed during the first day of arrival to intensive care. -- The research also found that accuracy increased over time as more blood tests became available. Although other measures, such as MRI and fluid omics-based biomarkers, can also provide objective data, they are not always readily accessible across medical settings. Routine blood tests, on the other hand, are economical, easy to obtain, and available in every hospital. | 819 |
| Childhood Plastic Exposure Could Be Fueling Obesity, Infertility, And Asthma | Everyday Plastic Exposure Could Lead To Serious Health Risks | The effects of plastic exposures on children's health and urgent opportunities for prevention. | NYU Langone Health / NYU Grossman School of Medicine | Health Risks of Plastic Exposure: NYU Langone Health conducted a comprehensive review showing that childhood exposure to plastics has lasting health risks, contributing to conditions like heart disease and infertility. The findings underline the urgent need for both personal changes and global policies to reduce plastic usage and protect health. | Childhood Plastics May Harm Health for LifePlastic chemicals tied to hormone disruption, inflammation, and brain development issues may fuel chronic diseases that begin in childhood. Experts call for both personal lifestyle changes and sweeping global policies to reduce unnecessary plastic use. Credit: Shutterstock -- Childhood exposure to chemicals used to make plastic household items presents growing health risks that can extend long into adulthood, experts from NYU Langone Health report. -- This is the main conclusion after a review of hundreds of the latest studies on the topic, publishing online Sept. 21 in the journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. -- The article is being released to coincide with a gathering of experts the same week in New York City to discuss the global impact of plastics on human health. -- In their report, the authors outline decades of evidence that substances often added to industrial and household goods may contribute to disease and disability, particularly when they are encountered early in life. The review focuses on three classes of chemical -- phthalates used to make plastic flexible, bisphenols, which provide rigidity, and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which help materials resist heat and repel water. -- The results of the studies, which together assessed thousands of pregnant mothers, fetuses, and children, tied these toxins to a wide range of long-term health concerns, including heart disease, obesity, infertility, and asthma. -- "Our findings point to plastic's role in the early origins of many chronic diseases that reverberate into adolescence and adulthood," said study lead author and pediatrician Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP. "If we want kids to stay healthy and live longer, then we need to get serious about limiting the use of these materials," added Trasande, the Jim G. Hendrick, MD, Professor of Pediatrics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. -- The chemicals are found in a range of items, such as food packaging, cosmetics, and paper receipts, notes Trasande, who is also a professor in the Department of Population Health. Experts have found that as plastics are used, heated, or chemically treated, microplastic and nanoparticles are released and become ingested. -- Chemicals used in plastic materials have been shown to prompt an overactive immune response (inflammation) throughout the body's tissues as well as disrupt the function of hormones that influence many bodily processes. The substances are also believed to affect brain development, with numerous studies linking early-life exposure to IQ loss and neurodevelopmental issues such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. -- The Lancet review also explored strategies to reduce the use of plastic and to help safeguard human health. | 820 |
| Your Pancreas May Be Making Its Own Version Of Ozempic | Your Pancreas Might Be Producing Its Own Diabetes Medication | α cells use both PC1/3 and PC2 to process proglucagon peptides and control insulin secretion. | Duke University | Pancreatic Cells and Blood Sugar Regulation: Research from Duke University has revealed that pancreatic alpha cells can produce GLP-1, a hormone crucial for blood sugar control, alongside glucagon. This discovery suggests these cells have a backup system for regulating glucose and could lead to novel diabetes treatments by enhancing insulin release. | Your Pancreas May Be Making OzempicYour pancreas may be hiding its own Ozempic-like trick. Researchers found that certain cells can switch roles and naturally release GLP-1, the hormone behind the blockbuster drug. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study from Duke University School of Medicine is challenging long-standing views on blood sugar regulation -- and pointing to a surprising new ally in the fight against type 2 diabetes. -- Published Sept. 19 in Science Advances, the research reveals that pancreatic alpha cells, once thought to only produce glucagon -- a hormone that raises blood sugar to maintain energy when fasting or exercising -- also generate GLP-1, a powerful hormone that boosts insulin and helps regulate glucose. GLP-1 is the same hormone mimicked by blockbuster drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro. -- Using mass spectrometry, Duke researchers found that human alpha cells may naturally produce far more bioactive GLP-1 than previously believed. -- Led by Duke scientist Jonathan Campbell, PhD, the team of obesity and diabetes researchers analyzed pancreatic tissue from both mice and humans across a range of ages, body weights, and diabetes statuses. They found that human pancreatic tissue produces much higher levels of bioactive GLP-1 and that this production is directly linked to insulin secretion. -- "This research shows that alpha cells are more flexible than we imagined," said Campbell, an associate professor in the Division of Endocrinology in the Department of Medicine and a member of the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute. "They can adjust their hormone output to support beta cells and maintain blood sugar balance." -- This flexibility could change how we think about treating type 2 diabetes, where beta cells in the pancreas can't make enough insulin to keep blood sugar at a healthy level. By boosting the body's own GLP-1 production, it may offer a more natural way to support insulin and manage blood sugar. -- Switching gears -- In mouse studies, when scientists blocked glucagon production, they expected insulin levels to drop. Instead, alpha cells switched gears -- ramping up GLP-1 production, improving glucose control, and triggering stronger insulin release. -- "We thought that removing glucagon would impair insulin secretion by disrupting alpha-to-beta cell signaling," Campbell said. "Instead, it improved it. GLP-1 took over, and it turns out, it's an even better stimulator of insulin than glucagon." | 821 |
| Four Strange Secrets Scientists Just Found In Beer And Wine | Surprising Discoveries About Beer And Wine You Never Knew | Yeast RNA–Protein Interactions Generate Beer Haze. | American Chemical Society | New Discoveries in Beer and Wine: Recent research has unveiled fascinating insights into beer and wine, highlighting how yeast extracts can create haze in lagers and how gluten can be detected easily. These findings not only enhance our understanding of these beverages but also hint at broader health implications and brewing innovations. | Four Strange Secrets in Beer and WineBeer and wine still hold mysteries despite their ancient origins. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists regularly uncork fresh insights into beer and wine -- even though they were invented thousands of years ago. Four recent discoveries go beyond buzz and bouquet, diving into the haziness and gluten content of beer as well as the astringent taste and potential health impacts of wine. Sip back and learn more about research published in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. -- 1. Yeast extracts add haze to lager beer. -- Hazy beer styles are becoming more popular, and their namesake characteristic usually comes from tiny particles made of barley proteins and hop polyphenols. Alternatively, to produce haziness, researchers have added yeast extracts to two brands of clear lager. The additions made both beverages extremely cloudy because of interactions between ribonucleic acids (RNA) in the extract and proteins in the beer. The researchers say that yeast RNA extracts could be another way to create desirable haziness levels. -- 2. Lateral flow test detects gluten in beer, food. -- People who want or need to avoid gluten should know whether their drinks are safe to consume. A new lateral flow strip detects this protein in food and drinks, and it is sensitive to concentrations from 0 to more than 20 parts per million (ppm). The strip's three lines indicate four ranges below the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's gluten-free limit (20 ppm), showing results in less than three minutes with 98% accuracy. Researchers demonstrated the device's effectiveness using real-world samples, including foods labeled gluten-free and a gluten-containing beer. -- 3. Tannins in red wine make you pucker. -- A recent small-scale study examined why red wine has an astringent taste, often described as drying or lip-puckering. Trained tasting panelists rated red wines with higher tannin content as more astringent. The researchers found that tannins act like a lid for the tiny aquaporin channels in the tongue and salivary glands, letting water exit more than it enters. They say this discovery helps explain red wine's drying mouthfeel and enhances the understanding of beverages' perceived characteristics. -- 4. Wine sulfites change the gut microbiome. -- Sulfites help wine last longer but can cause headaches or digestive issues for some people. So, researchers studied in lab tests how sulfites added to wine and an ethanol-containing liquid affect gut bacteria. They passed the samples through a three-stage process meant to mimic human digestion. After digestion, samples with sulfites contained lower amounts of some beneficial bacteria and greater amounts of bacteria related to negative health effects than before digestion. However, the changes were less in the real wine samples, which the researchers say suggests compounds, such as polyphenols, in wine offered slight protection | 822 |
| Breakthrough Method Could Dramatically Cut Prescription Drug Prices | New Method Reduces Medicine Production Costs By Using Renewable Glucose | Production of biorenewable, enantiopure (S)-3-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactone for pharmaceutical applications. | University of Maine | Sustainable Drug Production Process: Researchers at the University of Maine have developed a glucose-based method to produce a critical ingredient for drugs, potentially lowering production costs and emissions. This sustainable approach could revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry and promote the creation of renewable consumer products. | Breakthrough Could Cut Prescription Drug PricesA new glucose-based method could dramatically lower the cost of producing vital drugs while slashing emissions. The breakthrough also opens doors for renewable plastics and consumer products. Credit: Shutterstock -- One of the main factors driving prices in pharmaceuticals, such as cholesterol-lowering drugs and antibiotics, is the cost of production and materials. Researchers at the University of Maine Forest Bioproducts Research Institute (FBRI) have discovered a sustainable method to produce the key ingredient in a broad range of pharmaceuticals, which could help address high prescription drug costs in the U.S. -- Among some of the most expensive medications are those that require a chiral center ― a property in which a molecule cannot be superimposed with its mirror image, like right and left hands. Chirality can direct a drug's biological effects including efficacy, side effects and metabolization. The price of chiral drugs is greatly contributed to the building blocks used during synthesis, which are costly to produce due to complex reaction and purification pathways. -- In a new study recently published in Chem, FBRI researchers explore a new, cost-reducing pathway to produce one of these crucial building blocks, (S)-3-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactone (HBL), from glucose at high concentrations and yields. -- According to researchers, HBL is a chiral species used for the synthesis of an array of crucial drugs such as statins, antibiotics and HIV inhibitors. Because glucose can be derived from any lignocellulosic feedstock ― such as wood chips, sawdust, tree branches or other woody biomass ― this process opens a new door for the sustainable production of HBL. This approach could also potentially be used to produce other types of important consumer products. -- "If we use other kinds of wood sugars, like xylose that is an unneeded byproduct from making pulp and paper, we expect that we could produce new chemicals and building blocks, like green cleaning products or new renewable, recyclable plastics," said Thomas Schwartz, associate director of FBRI and associate professor in the Maine College of Engineering and Computing who was a lead author for the paper. -- In addition to its use as a chiral species, HBL has been identified as a highly valuable precursor to a variety of chemicals and plastics by the U.S. Department of Energy. Previous attempts to produce HBL sustainably achieved only limited success due to safety issues, ineffectiveness or a lack of cost-efficiency. -- "The competing processes either lead to low yields, use hazardous starting materials or are just generally costly because of the chosen production scheme and low output," said Schwartz. "The commercial process is expensive because you have to add the chiral center to the molecule, which doesn't occur naturally with most petrochemicals." -- Not only does this new approach result in significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions, but the production costs are also reduced by more than 60% compared to current methods that use petroleum-derived feedstocks. The process can also yield other commercially important chemicals, such as glycolic acid (GA), which presents additional economic opportunities. -- The research included work from students in the UMaine Catalysis Group led by Schwartz and was conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Products Laboratory and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Funding for the project was provided by the USDA, U.S. Forest Service and the National Science Foundation. | 823 |
| Scientists Reveal The Everyday Habits That May Shield You From Dementia | Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Delay Or Prevent Cognitive Decline | Prospects for Clinicians to Reduce Cognitive Decline in Elderly Patients. | Florida Atlantic University | Preventing Cognitive Decline through Lifestyle Changes: Experts emphasize that lifestyle modifications—like exercise and healthy eating—can significantly slow or prevent cognitive decline associated with dementia. These low-cost interventions could transform dementia care and reduce the growing burden of this public health crisis. | Everyday Habits May Shield You From DementiaAlzheimer’s is on the rise, but evidence shows lifestyle interventions can significantly preserve memory and cognition. Prevention may hold the key to reducing the massive global burden of dementia. Credit: Shutterstock -- An estimated 7.2 million Americans over age 65 currently live with Alzheimer's disease (AD). That number is expected to nearly double to 13.8 million by 2060. These increases reflect more than demographic shifts; they point to a growing public health crisis that requires a new, proactive approach. While chronological age is the strongest known risk factor for cognitive decline, losing cognitive function is not an inevitable part of aging. -- As AD and other forms of cognitive decline continue to rise at an alarming rate, researchers from Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, highlight a powerful and untapped path to prevention. -- In a commentary published in The American Journal of Medicine, the researchers urge clinicians, public health professionals and policymakers to implement coordinated efforts to support lifestyle-based interventions that can help reduce the growing burden of cognitive decline in the United States and worldwide. -- "While deaths from cardiovascular disease have declined since 2000, deaths from Alzheimer's disease have surged by more than 140%," said Charles H. Hennekens, M.D., FACPM, FACC, co-author, the First Sir Richard Doll Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine, and senior academic advisor, Schmidt College of Medicine. "At the same time, it is estimated that up to 45% of dementia risk could be attributed to modifiable lifestyle and environmental factors." -- Lifestyle risk factors like physical inactivity, poor diet, obesity, alcohol use, and conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, and social or intellectual isolation are believed to contribute to cognitive decline. The authors point out that the same therapeutic lifestyle changes proven effective for reducing risks of cardiovascular and other major diseases may also help reduce cognitive decline - potentially with additive effects when multiple risk factors are present. -- The commentary highlights the recently published results from POINTER, the first large-scale U.S-based randomized trial to test whether intensive lifestyle changes can improve cognitive outcomes in older adults at high risk of decline. In this trial, participants who were assigned at random to a structured, team-based lifestyle intervention showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in global cognition over two years. These gains were especially notable in executive functions such as memory, attention, planning and decision-making. The intervention emphasized regular physical activity, a combination of Mediterranean and DASH-style diets, cognitive stimulation and social engagement - reinforced through ongoing professional guidance and group support. -- These findings are similar to an earlier Finnish trial, the FINGER trial, in which participants with elevated cardiovascular risk scores assigned at random to a multidomain lifestyle approach experienced cognitive benefits. -- "The data from both these landmark, large scale randomized trials demonstrate that lifestyle changes - previously shown to reduce heart disease and cancer - also hold transformative potential for brain health," Hennekens said. -- The researchers also speculated about biological mechanisms that may underlie these benefits. Physical activity, for example, increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which supports hippocampal growth, while also improving blood flow and reducing inflammation. Healthy dietary patterns like the Mediterranean and DASH diets can lower oxidative stress and improve insulin sensitivity as well as risks of cardiovascular disease. Quitting smoking may help preserve brain structure and white matter integrity, and regular social and cognitive engagement promotes neuroplasticity and mental resilience. | 824 |
| Hidden Brain Signal Reveals Alzheimer’s Years Before Symptoms | Early Protein Signals Could Warn Us About Alzheimer’s Risk | Amyloid-β plaque-associated microglia drive TSPO upregulation in Alzheimer’s disease. | Florida International University | Early Detection of Alzheimer’s through TSPO Protein: A study highlights the potential of TSPO, a protein linked to brain inflammation, as an early biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease. Early detection through TSPO levels could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment options, highlighting its importance in understanding the disease’s progression. | Brain Protein Signals Alzheimer’s in AdvanceTSPO, a brain protein linked to inflammation, shows up long before Alzheimer’s symptoms emerge. This breakthrough could lead to earlier detection and targeted therapies. Credit: Shutterstock -- TSPO, a key biomarker of brain inflammation, could help detect Alzheimer's disease years before memory loss and other symptoms set in - potentially leading to advances in how the disease is diagnosed and treated, according to a study published in Acta Neuropathologica. -- "This is the first study to really examine how early this biomarker increases and where it begins rising in the brain," said Tomás R. Guilarte, lead researcher and dean of FIU's Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work. "If we can use this information to help delay Alzheimer's progression by even five years, it can drastically improve patients' lives and reduce disease prevalence." -- Guilarte, an internationally established expert on TSPO (or translocator protein 18 kDa) has studied the protein for more than three decades. His work helped establish it as a reliable imaging biomarker used in diagnosing neuroinflammation in various neurodegenerative, neurological and psychiatric disorders. -- For this study, Guilarte and his team used advanced imaging software to track TSPO levels in genetically engineered mouse models of familial Alzheimer's and confirmed their findings using human brain tissue donated by members of the world's largest group of individuals with early-onset familial Alzheimer's, located in Antioquia, Colombia. -- These families carry the "paisa" mutation, identified by the late Dr. Francisco Lopera, one of the authors of the study, who remained dedicated to finding ways to prevent Alzheimer's disease. For carriers of this mutation, symptoms typically begin in their 30s to 40s; they die in their 50s. -- In the mouse model, researchers detected elevated TSPO levels in the subiculum - a critical part of the hippocampus - as early as six weeks of age, roughly equivalent to age 18-20 in humans. Microglia, the brain's main immune cells, specifically those clustered around amyloid plaques, had the highest levels of TSPO. Notably, female mice had higher TSPO levels, mirroring real-world statistics: two-thirds of Alzheimer's patients are women. -- The brain tissue samples from the Colombian patients with the paisa mutation showed the same pattern. Even in late-stage Alzheimer's, TSPO remained high in microglia near plaques. These results raise new questions about TSPO's function - whether it contributes to damage or protects the brain - and whether blocking or enhancing it could halt disease progression. -- The team is now working with a specially developed Alzheimer's mouse model lacking TSPO to explore these questions further. They're also expanding the study to include sporadic, late-onset Alzheimer's cases, the form that accounts for over 90% of all diagnoses. -- "The more we understand these processes," said Daniel Martínez Pérez, first author and Ph.D. candidate in Guilarte's lab, "the closer we get to tailoring treatments that can truly help - before it's too late." | 825 |
| A Hormone That Silences The Immune System May Unlock New Cancer Treatments | A Hidden Hormone Could Pave The Way For Cancer Treatments | Secretogranin 2 binds LILRB4 resulting in immunosuppression. | UT Southwestern Medical Center | Cancer's Hidden Hormonal Defense Mechanism: Researchers have discovered how cancer utilizes a hidden hormone to evade the immune system, allowing tumor growth. By blocking this signal, they aim to restore the immune response, paving the way for innovative cancer therapies and potential treatments for autoimmune diseases. | Cancer’s Hidden Hormone ExposedScientists revealed how cancer uses a hidden hormone to hide from the immune system. Stopping this signal may lead to breakthrough treatments for cancer and beyond. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered how a hormone interacts with a receptor on the surface of immune cells to shield cancer cells from the body's natural defenses. The findings, published in Nature Immunology, could lead to new immunotherapy approaches for treating cancer as well as potential treatments for inflammatory disorders and neurologic diseases. -- "Myeloid cells are among the first group of immune cells recruited to tumors, but very quickly these tumor-fighting cells turn into tumor-supporting cells. Our study suggests that receptors on these myeloid cells get stimulated by this hormone and end up suppressing the immune system," said Cheng Cheng "Alec" Zhang, Ph.D., Professor of Physiology and a member of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern. Dr. Zhang co-led the study with first author Xing Yang, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in the Zhang Lab. -- Current immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, are effective for only about 20%-30% of cancer patients, Dr. Zhang said, suggesting that there are multiple ways that cancers evade attack from the immune system. -- Several years ago, researchers in the Zhang Lab studying cancer-fighting immune cells called myeloid cells identified an inhibitory receptor called LILRB4. Stimulating this receptor blocked the myeloid cells' ability to attack tumors. -- Dr. Zhang, Dr. Yang, and their colleagues then did a genome-wide screen of all proteins that might interact with LILRB4. A promising hit was a hormone called SCG2. Although researchers have suggested that SCG2 plays a role in immune response, its function and receptor were unknown. Laboratory experiments confirmed that SCG2 binds to LILRB4, kicking off a signaling cascade that turned off the cancer-fighting abilities of myeloid cells and inhibited their ability to recruit cancer-fighting T cells to tumors. -- In mice genetically altered to express the human form of LILRB4, injected cancer cells that produced SCG2 grew rapidly as tumors. Treating these mice with an antibody that blocks LILRB4 significantly slowed cancer growth, as did artificially ridding the animals' bodies of SCG2. -- Together, these experiments suggest that interactions between LILRB4 and SCG2 allow cancer to grow unchecked by myeloid cells, T cells, and potentially other immune cell types. Dr. Zhang suggested that disrupting this interaction could someday offer a new immunotherapy option to treat cancer. Conversely, because this interaction neutralizes myeloid cells' immune activity, delivering extra SCG2 could be a promising treatment for autoimmune or inflammatory disorders spurred by myeloid cells. Dr. Zhang and his colleagues plan to investigate both ideas in future studies. -- Other UTSW researchers who contributed to this study include Xuewu Zhang, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology and Biophysics; Cheryl Lewis, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Simmons Cancer Center and of Pathology; Lin Xu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health and of Pediatrics; Jingjing Xie, Ph.D., Instructor of Physiology; Qi Lou, Ph.D., Assistant Instructor of Physiology; Lei Guo, Ph.D., Computational Biologist; and Meng Fang, Ph.D., Chengcheng Zhang, Ph.D., Ankit Gupta, Ph.D., and Lianqi Chen, Ph.D., postdoctoral researchers. -- Dr. Alec Zhang holds the Hortense L. and Morton H. Sanger Professorship in Oncology and is a Michael L. Rosenberg Scholar in Medical Research. Dr. Xuewu Zhang and Dr. Xu are members of the Simmons Cancer Center. | 826 |
| Want A Younger Brain? Harvard Researchers Say Eat Like This | Want To Slow Brain Aging? Try A Green-Mediterranean Diet | Serum Galectin-9 and Decorin in relation to brain aging and the green-Mediterranean diet: A secondary analysis of the DIRECT PLUS randomized trial. | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health | Brain Aging and the Green-Mediterranean Diet: A green-Mediterranean diet rich in green tea and Mankai has been linked to slower brain aging, according to recent research. The study indicates that the anti-inflammatory properties of this diet may be instrumental in preserving cognitive function and protecting against decline. | Want a Younger Brain? Try Eating Like ThisA green-Mediterranean diet rich in green tea and Mankai slowed markers of brain aging in a major study. Researchers believe its anti-inflammatory effects help protect against cognitive decline. Credit: Shutterstock -- Following a green-Mediterranean diet -- which includes green tea and the aquatic plant Mankai -- is associated with slower brain aging, according to a study. -- The study, published recently in the journal Clinical Nutrition, was co-authored by researchers at Ben-Gurion University, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the University of Leipzig. -- Workday -- AI for Finance Creativity -- Sponsored By Workday -- See More -- Neurological conditions, including mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, have been associated with a higher brain age gap -- a brain that's "older" than would be predicted given a person's chronological age. To evaluate the impact of diet on brain age, researchers analyzed data from around 300 participants in the DIRECT PLUS trial, one of the longest-running studies on the link between brain and diet. Over the course of 18 months, the participants consumed one of three diets: a standard healthy diet; a traditional calorie-restricted Mediterranean diet, which was low in simple carbohydrates, rich in vegetables, and replaced red meat with poultry and fish; and the green-Mediterranean diet, which additionally included green tea and Mankai. -- When the researchers measured protein levels in the participants' blood, they found that higher levels of certain proteins were associated with accelerated brain aging. Further, they found that those protein levels decreased in participants who followed the green-Mediterranean diet. The researchers hypothesized that the protective effect of the diet could be a result of the anti-inflammatory molecules contained in green tea and Mankai. -- "Studying the circulating proteins in blood allows us to observe, in a real-life setting, how the brain's aging processes are influenced by lifestyle and dietary changes," said Anat Meir, postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Chan School, who co-led the study. "This approach gives us a dynamic window into brain health, helping to reveal biological changes long before symptoms may appear. By mapping these protein signatures, we gain powerful new insight into how interventions, such as diet, may help preserve cognitive function as we age." | 827 |
| Why Alcohol Blocks The Liver From Healing, Even After You Quit | Alcohol Hinders Liver Healing Even After Quitting: Here’s Why | Dysregulated RNA splicing impairs regeneration in alcohol-associated liver disease. | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Alcohol’s Impact on Liver Healing: New findings reveal that alcohol consumption locks liver cells in a dysfunctional state, inhibiting their ability to heal even after quitting drinking. This research points to inflammation as a key factor, suggesting new treatment avenues beyond traditional liver transplants. | Why Alcohol Blocks the Liver From HealingResearchers have discovered why alcohol leaves such lasting scars on the liver. Credit: Shutterstock -- Excessive alcohol consumption can disrupt the liver's unique regenerative abilities by trapping cells in limbo between their functional and regenerative states, even after a patient stops drinking, researchers at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and collaborators at Duke University and the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago describe in a new study. -- This in-between state is a result of inflammation disrupting how RNA is spliced during the protein-making process, the researchers found, providing scientists with new treatment pathways to explore for the deadly disease. The researchers published their findings in the journal Nature Communications. -- The liver has a remarkable ability to regenerate itself after damage or partial removal. However, it loses that ability in patients with alcohol-associated liver disease -- the leading cause of liver-related mortality worldwide, resulting in roughly 3 million deaths annually. -- "We knew that the liver stops functioning and stops regenerating in patients with alcohol-related hepatitis and cirrhosis, even when a patient has discontinued consuming alcohol, but we didn't know why," said U. of I. biochemistry professor Auinash Kalsotra, who co-led the study with Duke University School of Medicine professor Anna Mae Diehl. "The only real life-saving treatment option once a patient reaches the liver failure stage in those diseases is transplantation. But if we understood why these livers were failing, maybe we could intervene." -- Both the Kalsotra and Diehl labs havestudied the molecular and cellular underpinnings of liver regeneration. Over the last five years, they found that in order to regenerate, liver cells reprogram their gene expression to revert to fetal-like progenitor cells, multiply and then reverse the process back to become mature functioning cells again. Armed with this knowledge, the group turned to the question of how those mechanisms were disrupted in alcohol-associated liver disease. -- The researchers compared samples of healthy livers and samples of livers with alcohol-associated hepatitis or cirrhosis obtained from Johns Hopkins University Hospital through an initiative supported by the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health. -- The first thing the researchers noticed in diseased livers was that, although damaged cells had begun the process of reverting to the regenerative state, they did not complete the process and instead remained in transitional limbo. -- "They are neither functional adult cells nor proliferative progenitor cells. Since they are not functioning, more pressure builds on the remaining cells. So they try to regenerate, and they're all ending up in this unproductive quasi-progenitor state, and that's what is causing liver failure," said U. of I. graduate students Ullas Chembazhi and Sushant Bangru, the co-first authors of the study. -- To figure out why the cells were getting stuck in this state, the team investigated which proteins were being made by the liver cells and, in turn, the RNA molecules carrying the instructions for those proteins from the DNA to the cell's protein-building machinery. | 828 |
| What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Too Many Ultra-Processed Foods | Ultra-Processed Foods Linked To Inflammation And Health Risks | Ultra-processed foods and increased high sensitivity C-reactive protein. | Florida Atlantic University | Ultra-Processed Foods and Inflammation: Research links a high intake of ultra-processed foods to increased inflammation, a known risk factor for serious health issues like heart disease and cancer. The study highlights the urgent need for stronger health policies to mitigate the risks posed by these products. | The Hidden Danger of Ultra-Processed FoodsEating ultra-processed foods greatly increases inflammation in the body, raising risks of heart disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions. Credit: Shutterstock -- Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are industrially altered products - like soda, snacks and processed meats - packed with additives and stripped of nutrients. Hundreds of new ingredients, previously unknown to the human body, now make up nearly 60% of the average adult's diet and almost 70% of children's diets in the United States. -- These products reduce nutritional value, extend shelf life, and tend to increase how much people consume. In the U.S., UPFs account for about 60% of daily calorie intake. High consumption of these foods has been linked to greater risks of obesity, cancer, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, mental health issues, and even premature death. -- New research from Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine shows that people who consume the most UPFs have significantly higher levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a sensitive marker of inflammation and a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease. -- Until now, there have been limited data from nationally representative U.S. populations on the link between UPF intake and hs-CRP levels. -- Results of the study, published in The American Journal of Medicine, show that participants consumed a median of 35% of their daily calories from UPFs, ranging from just 0% to 19% in the lowest group to 60% to 79% in the highest. After accounting for factors like age, gender, smoking, physical activity and other health indicators, researchers found that individuals in the highest UPF intake group (60% to 79% of daily calories) had an 11% higher likelihood of elevated hs-CRP levels compared to those in the lowest intake group. Even moderate UPF consumers (40% to 59%) showed a 14% increase in likelihood. Those with 20% to 39% intake had a smaller, nonsignificant 7% increase. -- The likelihood was especially high in certain groups. Adults aged 50 to 59 had a 26% higher risk of elevated inflammatory markers compared to those aged 18 to 29. Obesity contributed to an 80% higher risk compared to people with a healthy weight. Current smokers also had a higher risk (17%) than people who never smoked. Interestingly, individuals who reported no physical activity did not have a statistically significant increase in risk compared to those who met activity guidelines. -- "These findings, based on a large and nationally representative sample of U.S. adults, clearly show that people who consume the highest amounts of ultra-processed foods have significantly higher levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, a key marker of inflammation," said Allison H. Ferris, M.D., FACP, senior author, professor and chair of the FAU Department of Medicine. "These results carry important implications not only for clinical practice and public health strategies but also for future research aimed at understanding and reducing the health risks associated with ultra-processed food consumption." -- Researchers analyzed data from 9,254 U.S. adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, including diet, hs-CRP and other health factors. UPF intake was measured as a percentage of total calories and grouped into four levels. They used statistical methods, including logistic regression, to examine the link between UPF consumption and inflammation. -- "C-reactive protein is produced by the liver, and the hs-CRP protein test is a simple, affordable and highly sensitive measure of inflammation as well as a reliable predictor of future cardiovascular disease," said Charles H. Hennekens, M.D., FACPM, FACC, co-author, the First Sir Richard Doll Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine, and senior academic advisor, Schmidt College of Medicine. "We believe that health care professionals may wish to consider actively engaging with their patients about the risks of UPFs and benefits of increasing whole food consumption." | 829 |
| New Crystal Camera Lets Doctors See Inside The Body Like Never Before | Revolutionary Detector Enhances Nuclear Medicine Imaging For Better Diagnoses | Single photon γ-ray imaging with high energy and spatial resolution perovskite semiconductor for nuclear medicine. | Northwestern University | Breakthrough in Nuclear Medicine Imaging: A novel perovskite-based gamma-ray detector has been developed, promising to improve nuclear medicine imaging with higher resolution and lower costs. This advancement could enhance diagnostic capabilities and make high-quality imaging more accessible globally. | Crystal Camera Lets Doctors See Inside the BodyA new perovskite gamma-ray detector is set to revolutionize nuclear medicine imaging with unmatched clarity and lower costs. It could shorten scan times, cut radiation doses, and make advanced diagnostics more accessible. Credit: Shutterstock -- Physicians rely on nuclear medicine scans, like SPECT scans, to watch the heart pump, track blood flow and detect diseases hidden deep inside the body. But today's scanners depend on expensive detectors that are difficult to make. -- Now, scientists led by Northwestern University and Soochow University in China have built the first perovskite-based detector that can capture individual gamma rays for SPECT imaging with record-breaking precision. The new tool could make common types of nuclear medicine imaging sharper, faster, cheaper and safer. -- For patients, that could mean shorter scan times, clearer results and lower doses of radiation. -- The study was published on Aug. 30 in the journal Nature Communications. -- "Perovskites are a family of crystals best known for transforming the field of solar energy," said Northwestern's Mercouri Kanatzidis, the study's senior author. "Now, they are poised to do the same for nuclear medicine. This is the first clear proof that perovskite detectors can produce the kind of sharp, reliable images that doctors need to provide the best care for their patients." -- "Our approach not only improves the performance of detectors but also could lower costs," said co-corresponding author Yihui He, a professor at Soochow University. "That means more hospitals and clinics eventually could have access to the best imaging technologies." -- Kanatzidis is a Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and a senior scientist at Argonne National Laboratory. Yihui He is a former postdoctoral fellow from Kanatzidis' laboratory. -- Nuclear medicine, like SPECT (single-photon emission computing tomography) imaging, works like an invisible camera. Physicians implant a tiny, safe, short-lived radiotracer in a specific part of a patient's body. The tracer emits gamma rays, which pass outward through tissues and eventually hit a detector outside of the body. Each gamma ray is like a pixel of light. After collecting millions of these pixels, computers can construct a 3D image of working organs. -- Today's detectors, which are either made from cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) or sodium iodide (NaI), have several disadvantages. CZT detectors are incredibly expensive, sometimes reaching into the price range of hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars for a whole camera. Because CZT crystals are brittle and prone to cracking, these detectors also are difficult to manufacture. While cheaper than CZT detectors, NaI detectors are bulky and produce blurrier images -- like taking a photo through a foggy window. | 830 |
| When Cancer Cells Feel Squeezed, They Become More Dangerous | Cancer Cells Adapt To Stress, Becoming More Dangerous | Mechanical confinement governs phenotypic plasticity in melanoma. | Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research | Cancer Cells Adapt to Stress: New research reveals that cancer cells can adapt and become more aggressive when subjected to physical stress. The protein HMGB2 plays a critical role in this transformation, highlighting how the tumor environment influences cancer progression and treatment resistance. | Cancer Cells Get Deadlier Under PressurePressure inside tumors can make cancer cells switch into aggressive escape mode. This transformation helps them spread more easily and resist treatment. Credit: Shutterstock -- Cancer cells are notoriously flexible, taking on new features as they move around the body. Many of these changes are due to epigenetic modifications, which influence how DNA is packaged, and not due to mutations in the DNA itself. Such modifications are difficult to target for cancer therapy because they are reversible and can flip on and off. -- Epigenetic changes have traditionally been thought to arise from internal cellular processes that result in the chemical tagging of DNA and its histone protein packaging -- such as histone methylation or DNA acetylation. But now a new study led by Ludwig Oxford's Richard White and Miranda Hunter of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and reported in the current issue of Nature shows that the physical environment in which these cells land is also a key instigator of epigenetic transformation. -- Using a zebrafish model of melanoma, White, Hunter and their colleagues show that when tumor cells are tightly confined by surrounding tissues, they undergo structural and functional changes. Rather than continuing to divide rapidly, the cells activate a program of 'neuronal invasion', enabling them to migrate and spread into the surrounding tissue. -- At the center of this transformation is HMGB2: a DNA-bending protein. The study demonstrates that HMGB2 responds to the mechanical stress of confinement by binding to chromatin, altering how genetic material is packaged. This exposes regions of the genome linked to invasiveness, making them newly available for gene expression. As a result, cells with high levels of HMGB2 become less proliferative but more invasive and resistant to treatment. -- The team also found that melanoma cells adapt to this external pressure by remodeling their internal skeleton, forming a cage-like structure around the nucleus. This protective shield involves the LINC complex, a molecular bridge that connects the cell's skeleton to the nuclear envelope, helping to protect the nucleus from rupture and DNA damage caused by confinement-induced stress. -- "Cancer cells can rapidly switch between different states, depending on cues within their environment," White explained. "Our study has shown that this switch can be triggered by mechanical forces within the tumor microenvironment. This flexibility poses a major challenge for treatment, as therapies targeting rapidly dividing cells may miss those that have transitioned to an invasive, drug-resistant phenotype. By identifying the factors that are involved in this switch, we hope to able to develop therapies that prevent or even reverse the invasive transformation." -- The findings highlight the role of the tumor microenvironment in shaping cancer cell behavior, showing how physical cues can drive cells to reorganize their cytoskeleton, nucleus and the architecture of their genomic packaging to shift between states of growth and invasion. -- Most notably, however, the study also demonstrates how physical stress can act as a potent -- and underappreciated -- driver of epigenetic change. -- This study was supported by the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, the Cancer Research Society, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Melanoma Research Alliance, The Debra and Leon Black Family Foundation, the Pershing Square Sohn Foundation, The Mark Foundation, The Alan and Sandra Gerry Metastasis Research Initiative at MSKCC, The Harry J. Lloyd Foundation, Consano, the Starr Cancer Consortium and the American Cancer Society. | 831 |
| How Dehydration Secretly Fuels Anxiety And Health Problems | Dehydration May Intensify Stress Responses: Stay Hydrated | Habitual fluid intake and hydration status influence cortisol reactivity to acute psychosocial stress. | Liverpool John Moores University | Hydration’s Role in Stress Management: A study indicates that dehydration can exacerbate stress responses by elevating cortisol levels. Maintaining proper hydration may help individuals manage stress more effectively, thereby protecting against associated health risks. | Dehydration Supercharges StressUnder-hydration boosts cortisol, the stress hormone, raising risks for chronic conditions. Staying well-hydrated may help the body handle stress more effectively. Credit: Shutterstock -- Drinking too little water could increase our vulnerability to stress-related health issues, according to a new study from scientists at LJMU. -- People who drink less than the recommended daily fluid intake experience a greater stress hormone response, which is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and depression. -- A new study, published recently in the Journal of Applied Physiology, found that individuals who drank less than 1.5 liters of fluid – or seven cups of tea – per day had a cortisol response to stress that was over 50% higher than those who met daily water intake recommendations. -- Study lead Professor Neil Walsh, a physiologist in LJMU's School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, said: "Cortisol is the body's primary stress hormone and exaggerated cortisol reactivity to stress is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and depression." -- "If you know you have a looming deadline or a speech to make, keeping a water bottle close could be a good habit with potential benefits for your long-term health." -- Poor long-term health -- With the project funded by Danone R&I, Neil and his team divided healthy young adults into two equally sized groups, representing the lowest and highest 25% for daily fluid intake. The 'low fluid' group consisted of individuals who typically drank less than 1.5 liters of fluid per day (water, hot drinks etc.). The 'high fluid' group included individuals who regularly met the daily water intake recommendations – 2 liters for women and 2.5 liters for men. Both groups were matched for key factors known to influence stress responses such as psychological characteristics and sleep. -- Participants maintained their usual drinking habits for one week, during which hydration levels were monitored in blood and urine samples. Then participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test, widely used to simulate real-world stress through a mock job interview and a mental arithmetic task. -- Dr Daniel Kashi, a member of the study team, said: "Both groups felt equally anxious and experienced similar increases in heart rate during the stress test. However, only the 'low fluid' group showed a significant increase in saliva cortisol in response to the stress test." | 832 |
| New Breath Sensor Detects Diabetes Quickly And Easily | Quick Breath Sensor Can Detect Diabetes In Minutes | ZnO/LIG nanocomposites to detect acetone gas at room temperature with high sensitivity and low detection limit. | Penn State | Breath Sensor for Diabetes Detection: Scientists at Penn State developed a breath sensor capable of diagnosing diabetes and prediabetes in minutes by measuring acetone levels. This innovative device offers a quick, non-invasive alternative to traditional testing methods, facilitating easier detection of the disease. | A Breath Test That Detects DiabetesA team led by a researcher at Penn State has developed a sensor that can help diagnose diabetes and prediabetes on-site in a few minutes using just a breath sample. Credit: Larry Cheng/Penn State -- In the U.S., one in five of the 37 million adults who has diabetes doesn't know it. Current methods of diagnosing diabetes and prediabetes usually require a visit to a doctor's office or lab work, both of which can be expensive and time-consuming. Now, diagnosing diabetes and prediabetes may be as simple as breathing. -- A research team led by Huanyu "Larry" Cheng, James L. Henderson, Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State, has developed a sensor that can help diagnose diabetes and prediabetes on-site in a few minutes using just a breath sample. Their results were published in Chemical Engineering Journal. -- Previous diagnostic methods often used glucose found in blood or sweat, but this sensor detects acetone levels in the breath. While everyone's breath contains acetone as a byproduct of burning fat, acetone levels above a threshold of about 1.8 parts per million indicate diabetes. -- "While we have sensors that can detect glucose in sweat, these require that we induce sweat through exercise, chemicals or a sauna, which are not always practical or convenient," Cheng said. "This sensor only requires that you exhale into a bag, dip the sensor in and wait a few minutes for results." -- Cheng said there have been other breath analysis sensors, but they detected biomarkers that required lab analysis. Acetone can be detected and read on-site, making the new sensors cost-effective and convenient. -- In addition to using acetone as the biomarker, Cheng said another novelty of the sensor came down to design and materials -- primarily laser-induced graphene. To create this material, the CO2 laser is used to burn the carbon-containing materials, such as the polyimide film in this work, to create patterned porous graphene with large defects desirable for sensing. -- "This is similar to toasting bread to carbon black if toasted too long," Cheng said. "By tuning the laser parameters such as power and speed, we can toast polyimide into few-layered, porous graphene form." -- The researchers used laser-induced graphene because it is highly porous, meaning it lets gas through. This quality leads to a greater chance of capturing the gas molecule, since breath exhalation contains a relatively high concentration of moisture. However, by itself, the laser-induced graphene was not selective enough of acetone over other gases and needed to be combined with zinc oxide. -- "A junction formed between these two materials that allowed for greater selective detection of acetone as opposed to other molecules," Cheng said. | 833 |
| Why Gen X Women Can’t Stop Eating Ultra-Processed Foods | Why Are Gen X Women So Drawn To Ultra-Processed Foods? | Ultra‐processed food addiction in a nationally representative sample of older adults in the USA. | Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan | The rising addiction to ultra-processed foods among middle-aged adults, especially women, poses a significant concern for future generations. Research highlights that 21% of women and 10% of men in this demographic show signs of addiction, a phenomenon linked to marketing strategies from the 1980s. This alarming trend suggests that children today could face even higher addiction rates, with potential long-term implications including health problems and social isolation. | Gen X Can’t Stop Eating Ultra-Processed FoodsMiddle-aged Americans, particularly women, show strikingly high rates of ultra-processed food addiction compared to older generations. Credit: Shutterstock -- They were the first generation of Americans to grow up with ultra-processed foods all around them - products typically loaded with extra fat, salt, sugar and flavorings. They were children and young adults at a time when such products, designed to maximize their appeal, proliferated. -- Now, a study shows, 21% of women and 10% of men in Generation X and the tail end of the Baby Boom generation, now in their 50s and early 60s, meet criteria for addiction to these ultra-processed foods. -- That rate is far higher than it is among adults who grew up just a decade or two earlier, and only encountered ultra-processed foods in adulthood. Among adults age 65 to 80, just 12% of women and 4% of men meet criteria for ultra-processed food addiction. -- The study, published in the journal Addiction by a team from the University of Michigan, is based on nationally representative data from more than 2,000 older Americans surveyed by the U-M National Poll on Healthy Aging. -- The poll is based at the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation and supported by Michigan Medicine, U-M's academic medical center. The new paper builds on a previous poll report by diving deeper into generational differences and correlations with health. -- Measuring food addiction in an under-studied group -- The researchers used the modified Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (mYFAS 2.0), a standardized tool adapted from the criteria used to diagnose substance use disorders. The scale asks about 13 experiences with ultraprocessed foods and drinks that define addiction, such as strong cravings, repeated unsuccessful attempts to cut down, withdrawal symptoms, and avoiding social activities because of fear of overeating. -- In this case, the "substance" is not alcohol or nicotine, but highly rewarding ultra-processed foods such as sweets, fast food, and sugary beverages. By applying clinical addiction criteria to ultra-processed foods, the study highlights the ways in which such foods can "hook" people. -- "We hope this study fills a gap in knowledge about addiction to ultra-processed foods among older adults, as measured by a well-studied and standardized scale," said Lucy K. Loch, a graduate student in the U-M Department of Psychology. "Today's older adults were in a key developmental period when our nation's food environment changed. With other research showing clear links between consumption of these foods and risk of chronic disease and premature death, it's important to study addiction to ultra-processed foods in this age group." | 834 |
| Simple Blood Test Predicts Liver Disease Years Before Symptoms | New Blood Test Could Predict Liver Diseases With Unmatched Accuracy | Use of new CORE risk score to predict 10 year risk of liver cirrhosis in general population: population based cohort study. | Karolinska Institutet | A revolutionary blood test model developed by researchers in Sweden and Finland, called CORE, successfully predicts liver disease risk with remarkable precision. Unlike traditional methods, this simple test can be used in everyday medical settings and offers the potential for earlier detection of critical conditions like cirrhosis and liver cancer. The CORE model utilizes routine blood tests, validating its effectiveness across multiple countries through a web-based tool designed for broader accessibility. | Simple Blood Test Predicts Liver DiseaseA new predictive tool, the CORE model, can forecast liver disease risk using just routine blood tests and patient information. It has proven more accurate than existing methods and is already accessible through a web-based calculator. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the scientific journal The BMJ, shows how a simple blood analysis can predict the risk of developing severe liver disease. The method may already start to be applied in primary care to enable the earlier detection of cirrhosis and cancer of the liver. -- "These are diseases that are growing increasingly common and that have a poor prognosis if detected late," says Rickard Strandberg, affiliated researcher at Karolinska Institutet's Department of Medicine in Huddinge, who has developed the test with his departmental colleague Hannes Hagström. "Our method can predict the risk of severe liver disease within 10 years and is based on three simple routine blood tests." -- For the study, the researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and their colleagues in Finland evaluated how well the method can estimate the risk of severe liver disease. The model, which is called CORE, was produced with advanced statistical methods and is based on five factors: age, sex and levels of three common liver enzymes (AST, ALT and GGT), which are commonly measured during regular health checks. -- A web-based calculator -- Their aim has been to produce a tool that is easy to use in primary care, where most patients first seek medical attention. A web-based calculator is already available for doctors and nurses at www.core-model.com. -- "This is an important step towards being able to offer early screening for liver disease in primary care," says principal investigator Hannes Hagström, adjunct professor at Karolinska Institutet's Department of Medicine in Huddinge, and senior consultant at Karolinska University Hospital. "Drug treatment is now available, soon hopefully also in Sweden, for treating people at a high risk of developing liver diseases such as cirrhosis or liver cancer." -- The study is based on data from over 480,000 people in Stockholm who underwent health checks between 1985 and 1996. On following the participants for up to 30 years, the researchers could see that some 1.5 per cent developed severe liver disease, such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, or required a liver transplant. -- Highly accurate risk prediction -- The CORE model proved highly accurate and was able to differentiate between people who either did or did not develop the disease in 88 per cent of cases, which is an improvement on the currently recommended FIB-4 method. | 835 |
| New Inhaler Halves Childhood Asthma Attacks | Revolutionary Inhaler Cuts Childhood Asthma Attacks By Almost 50% | Budesonide–formoterol versus salbutamol as reliever therapy in children with mild asthma (CARE): a 52-week, open-label, multicentre, superiority, randomised controlled trial. | Imperial College London | A significant international trial has demonstrated that a 2-in-1 budesonide-formoterol inhaler is nearly twice as effective as the standard salbutamol inhaler in reducing asthma attacks in children. Conducted by a team from New Zealand, the study reveals that this new inhaler can slash asthma attacks by an impressive 45%, which could change treatment protocols and improve health outcomes for millions of children suffering from asthma. | New Inhaler Halves Childhood Asthma AttacksA New Zealand-led trial proved that a 2-in-1 asthma inhaler slashes children’s asthma attacks nearly in half compared to salbutamol. The findings could revolutionize global guidelines and improve outcomes for millions of children. Credit: Shutterstock -- Findings from a trial comparing the real-world effectiveness of asthma inhalers could reshape how children with asthma are treated. -- In the first randomized controlled trial to investigate the use of a 2-in-1 inhaler as the sole reliever therapy for children aged 5 to 15, an international team found the combined treatment to be more effective than salbutamol, the current standard for asthma symptom relief in children, with no additional safety concerns. -- The results show that using a single 2-in-1 anti-inflammatory reliever inhaler - which combines the inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) budesonide and the fast-acting bronchodilator formoterol - reduced children's asthma attacks by an average of 45%, compared to the widely-used salbutamol inhaler. -- Asthma attacks in children may be life-threatening and reducing their frequency and severity is a public health priority. -- The 2-in-1 budesonide-formoterol inhaler is widely recommended as the preferred reliever treatment for adults, but children are still usually prescribed salbutamol. -- Researchers say the findings, published on Sept. 27 in The Lancet, provide the evidence needed to bring children's global asthma guidelines into line with adults', which could benefit millions of children around the world with mild-to-moderate asthma. -- The CARE study (Children's Anti-inflammatory REliever) was designed and led by the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ), in collaboration with Imperial College London, University of Otago Wellington, Starship Children's Hospital, and the University of Auckland. It recruited 360 children across New Zealand who were then randomly assigned to receive either budesonide-formoterol or salbutamol for on-demand symptom relief. -- The trial lasted a year and the budesonide-formoterol reliever resulted in a lower rate of asthma attacks than salbutamol reliever, with rates of 0.23 versus 0.41 per participant per year. This means that for every 100 children with mild asthma who are switched from salbutamol to a 2-in-1 budesonide-formoterol inhaler, there would be 18 fewer asthma attacks per year.Importantly, the study also confirmed the safety of the combined-inhaler approach, with no significant differences in children's growth, lung function, or asthma control between the two groups. -- Dr Lee Hatter, lead author of the study and Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the MRINZ, said: "This is a key step in addressing the evidence gap that exists between asthma management in adults and children. For the first time, we have demonstrated that the budesonide-formoterol 2-in-1 inhaler, used as needed for symptom relief, can significantly reduce asthma attacks in children with mild asthma. This evidence-based treatment could lead to improved asthma outcomes for children worldwide." | 836 |
| How Gaslighting Tricks The Brain Into Questioning Reality | Gaslighting: A Brain Trick That Undermines Your Reality | A Theoretical Framework for Studying the Phenomenon of Gaslighting. | McGill University | Researchers at McGill University and the University of Toronto have redefined gaslighting as a learning process influenced by how the brain processes predictions and surprises, rather than merely a form of manipulation. This new perspective suggests that those who trust the wrong individuals are more susceptible to gaslighting, emphasizing the exploitation of close relationships and the need for a deeper understanding of this psychological phenomenon from a scientific standpoint. | How Gaslighting Tricks the BrainGaslighting works by exploiting trust and manipulating the brain’s natural learning processes. New research suggests anyone can fall victim, especially when they rely on the wrong person. Credit: Shutterstock -- Gaslighting could happen to anyone who trusts the wrong person, a McGill University researcher says. -- Willis Klein, a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology, was part of a team from McGill and the University of Toronto that developed a new theoretical model with which to understand how manipulators are able to make their targets question their sense of reality over a period of time. -- Though gaslighting has been a popular topic of discussion in the public sphere for the last few years, it has not been thoroughly investigated from a scientific point of view, according to the researcher. -- Klein is lead author of a paper that suggests gaslighting can be viewed as a learning process, using the concept of prediction error minimization (PEM). PEM describes how the mind maps out the input it receives from the world, and strives, based on this information, to predict the future, adjust its expectations and respond to the environment. Up to now, gaslighting has mostly been examined through a psychodynamic lens, but that analytical framework is no longer widely used in North American scientific psychology, he said. -- Klein conducted this work as a member of the McGill Laboratory of Affiliation and Prosociality led by Professor Jennifer Bartz. Suzanne Wood of the University of Toronto also was part of the research team. The three are co-authors of the paper. -- Gaslighting as a learning process -- "When you trust or you love somebody, you expect them to behave in a particular way. Gaslighters, in our view, are behaving in an atypical way, one that is somewhat surprising, and they're making use of that surprise to direct the learning of the people they target," explained Klein. -- In addition to behaving in a way that violates your expectations, a gaslighter will, according to the researcher, suggest that the cause of your surprise has something to do with your general grip of reality, making you feel what he calls "epistemically incompetent." -- "This is repeated over and over, until the target has really integrated the idea that they don't actually have a good grasp on reality," said Klein. | 837 |
| Scientists Finally Explain The Real Reason Pregnant Women Get Morning Sickness | Morning Sickness: Nature’s Defense Mechanism For Healthy Pregnancies | Of scents and cytokines: How olfactory and food aversions relate to nausea and immunomodulation in early pregnancy. | University of California - Los Angeles | New findings from UCLA indicate that morning sickness serves as an evolutionary biological defense mechanism during pregnancy. The study reveals that symptoms like nausea and food aversions are linked to a woman's immune response, which helps protect both mother and fetus by avoiding potentially harmful substances. This research supports the idea that such symptoms, often stigmatized, are actually indicators of a healthy pregnancy, warranting greater awareness and workplace accommodations. | The Real Reason for Morning SicknessUCLA’s latest findings show how a woman’s healthy inflammatory response during pregnancy is linked with unpleasant early-stage symptoms. Credit: Shutterstock -- Key takeaways -- A UCLA study has found that "morning sickness" symptoms, including nausea, vomiting and aversions to certain foods and smells, are linked to the body's natural, but complex, immune response during pregnancy. -- In the early stages of pregnancy, a unique mix of inflammatory responses alongside behavioral mechanisms that researchers believe are adaptive, like nausea, achieves a delicate balance, allowing the mother to tolerate and nourish the half-foreign fetus while also avoiding potentially harmful foods. -- The study could have workplace implications for pregnant women, helping to widen recognition that these symptoms are healthy and normal, both reducing stigma and paving the way for common-sense workplace accommodations. -- UCLA researchers have uncovered a link between "morning sickness" symptoms and the body's natural, but complex, inflammatory response to biological and bodily changes during pregnancy. -- According to the National Institutes of Health, up to 80% of early-stage pregnant mothers experience some nausea, vomiting and aversions to certain foods and smells. While uncomfortable, these symptoms are not typically a sign that anything is wrong with the health of the mother or the developing fetus, but rather an indication of a delicate balance unique to pregnant women. -- "During pregnancy, a mother's immune system faces a tricky challenge: it has to protect both her and the fetus from infection, but without accidentally attacking the fetus, whose genetic identity is half-foreign because it is half derived from the father. Normally, the immune system attacks anything that seems foreign, so in pregnancy, it has to carefully adjust to keep the fetus safe while still defending against infection," said UCLA anthropology professor Molly Fox. -- Fox is the corresponding author of the study "Of scents and cytokines: How olfactory and food aversions relate to nausea and immunomodulation in early pregnancy," recently published in the journal Evolution, Medicine and Public Health. -- The researchers believe that this delicate balance, which protects mother and fetus, is achieved by a unique mix of inflammatory responses. They function to prevent the mother's body from rejecting the fetus, alongside adaptive behavioral mechanisms, like nausea, that encourage the mother to avoid foods that are potentially harmful, especially in the first and second trimesters when the fetus is most vulnerable. | 838 |
| The Hidden Iron Switch That Makes Cancer Cells Self-Destruct | Hidden Enzyme Switch Could Make Cancer Cells Self-Destruct | Targeting STK17B kinase activates ferroptosis and suppresses drug resistance in multiple myeloma. | Duke University | Researchers at Duke University have discovered that inhibiting the enzyme STK17B can trigger an iron-driven death in multiple myeloma cancer cells, enhancing the effectiveness of current therapies. This groundbreaking study suggests a novel therapeutic approach by using iron as a weapon against cancer, with promising early results observed in mouse models that could pave the way for new treatments for this challenging disease. | The Iron Switch That Makes Cancer Self-DestructBlocking a single enzyme could turn iron against cancer, offering a powerful new way to fight multiple myeloma. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers at Duke University have shown that blocking an enzyme involved in iron regulation not only kills multiple myeloma cancer cells, but also increases the effectiveness of current therapies against the disease. -- The research appeared September 12 in the journal Blood. -- Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable cancer of plasma, a type of white blood cell that normally makes antibodies to fight infection. MM cells build up in the bone marrow, crowding out healthy blood-forming cells, and produce large amounts of abnormal antibodies. This buildup can weaken the immune system, damage the kidneys and other organs, and cause painful bone disease. MM accounts for nearly 10 percent of all blood cancer diagnoses, and while there are targeted treatments to manage the disease, incidences of symptom relapse and drug-resistant multiple myeloma are increasing. -- Although it's unclear what causes multiple myeloma, researchers have observed that MM is often associated with the suppression of ferroptosis, a natural process of cell death associated with excess iron accumulation. Ferroptosis causes oxidative damage to the lipids in the cellular membrane, triggering the cell to break apart. But when that process is suppressed, cell death doesn't occur. -- "Cancer cells live like there is no tomorrow," said Mikhail Nikiforov, professor of pathology and biomedical engineering at Duke. "They accumulate iron at levels that would normally be toxic and tear cells apart, but that wasn't what we observed. Instead, these cancer cells adapted to resist the type of cell death triggered by iron overload, and the mechanisms behind this suppression were largely unknown." -- But Nikiforov and a team of collaborators across Duke have finally answered this long-standing question by identifying kinase STK17B as a key enzyme responsible for suppressing ferroptosis in MM cells. Typically involved in cell death and T-cell activation, the researchers observed that STK17B was also critical at maintaining the balance of iron in the cell by regulating pro- and anti-ferroptotic proteins. -- "Elevated levels of STK17B are associated with poor overall survival in MM patients," said Nikiforov. "STK17B expression is also especially pronounced in relapsed cases of the disease, underscoring its role in therapy resistance." -- Using a compound developed by Timothy Willson, the Harold Kohn Distinguished Professor in Open Science Drug Discovery at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, the team was able to inhibit STK17B's control over iron buildup in the cell, reactivating ferroptosis. They also observed that inhibiting STK17B made cancer cells more sensitive to conventional MM therapies. -- As a proof of concept, Nikiforov's team administered an oral version of the inhibitor to MM mouse models. They observed that the compound both induced ferroptosis by increasing the iron uptake of cancer cells and significantly reduced tumor growth in the mouse models. | 839 |
| Miscarriages, Down Syndrome, And Infertility All Linked To This Hidden DNA Process | Early DNA Insights Might Transform Fertility Treatments | Protecting double Holliday junctions ensures crossing over during meiosis. | University of California - Davis | A significant discovery by researchers at UC Davis reveals how specific protein networks protect chromosomes during the formation of eggs and sperm, impacting fertility. By studying yeast, they uncovered mechanisms that prevent errors linked to infertility or miscarriage, highlighting the crucial role of genetic stability across generations. This research sheds light on reproductive failures and could lead to improved fertility treatments based on a deeper understanding of chromosomal safeguarding. | Hidden DNA Process Behind InfertilityNeil Hunter, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, has discovered a crucial step in how chromosomes stay connected during the development for egg cells and sperm, helping to prevent fertility problems. Photo shows paired chromosomes with crossovers in a mouse oocyte. Credit: Hunter lab/UC Davis -- When a woman becomes pregnant, the outcome of that pregnancy depends on many things -- including a crucial event that happened while she was still growing inside her own mother's womb. It depends on the quality of the egg cells that were already forming inside her fetal ovaries. The DNA-containing chromosomes in those cells must be cut, spliced and sorted perfectly. In males, the same process produces sperm in the testes but occurs only after puberty. -- "If that goes wrong, then you end up with the wrong number of chromosomes in the eggs or sperm," said Neil Hunter, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the University of California, Davis. "This can result in infertility, miscarriage or the birth of children with genetic diseases." -- In a paper published Sept. 24 in the journal Nature, Hunter's team reports a major new discovery about a process that helps safeguard against these mistakes. He has pieced together the choreography of proteins that connect matching chromosome pairs -- ensuring that they are sorted correctly as egg and sperm cells develop and divide. -- Hunter's discoveries required methods to watch the molecular events of chromosome recombination unfold with unprecedented detail. This involved genetic engineering in budding yeast -- a model organism that has been used for decades to discover how fundamental cellular processes work. -- "The chromosome structures that we studied have changed very little across evolution," Hunter said. "Every protein that we looked at in yeast has a direct counterpart in humans." His findings could improve our understanding of fertility problems and how they are diagnosed and treated in humans. -- Forming chromosome crossovers for strong connections -- Humans have 46 chromosomes in each of our cells, made up of 23 pairs of matching, "homologous" chromosomes, with one of each pair inherited from each parent. Early in the process of making sperm or eggs, those chromosome pairs line up, and the parental chromosomes break and rejoin to each other. These chromosome exchanges, called "crossovers," serve two important functions. -- First, they help ensure that each chromosome that is passed on to the offspring contains a unique mixture of genes from both parents. Crossovers also keep the chromosomes connected in matching pairs. These connections guide the distribution of chromosomes when cells divide to produce eggs and sperm. Maintaining crossover connections is especially crucial in females, Hunter said. -- As chromosomes pair up in developing egg or sperm cells, matching DNA strands are exchanged and twined together over a short distance to form a structure called a "double Holliday junction." DNA strands of this structure are then cut to join the chromosomes forming a crossover. | 840 |
| Scientists Build Micromotors Smaller Than A Human Hair | Tiny Light-Powered Gears Could Change Medicine Forever | Microscopic geared metamachines. | University of Gothenburg | Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have developed light-powered micro-gears that could revolutionize medical technology by enabling tiny machines to operate at the scale of human cells. These innovative gears, made from silica and activated by laser light, represent a major advancement in micro-engineering, potentially leading to breakthroughs in on-chip motors and applications in medicine and beyond. | Micromotors Smaller Than a Human HairThe third gear from the right has an optical metamaterial that react to laserlight and makes the gear move. All gears are made in silica directly on a chip. Each gear is about 0.016 mm in diameter. Credit: Gan Wang -- Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have made light-powered gears on a micrometer scale. This paves the way for the smallest on-chip motors in history, which can fit inside a strand of hair. -- Gears are everywhere - from clocks and cars to robots and wind turbines. For more than 30 years, researchers have been trying to create even smaller gears in order to construct micro-engines. But progress stalled at 0.1 millimeters, as it was not possible to build the drive trains needed to make them move any smaller. -- Researchers from Gothenburg University, among others, have now broken through this barrier by ditching traditional mechanical drive trains and instead using laser light to set the gears in motion directly. -- Gears powered by light -- In their new study, the researchers shows that microscopic machines can be driven by optical metamaterials - small, patterned structures that can capture and control light on a nanoscale. Using traditional lithography, gears with an optical metamaterial are manufactured with silicon directly on a microchip, with the gear having a diameter of a few tens of micrometers. By shining a laser on the metamaterial, the researchers can make the gear wheel spin. The intensity of the laser light controls the speed, and it is also possible to change the direction of the gear wheel by changing the polarization of the light. -- The researchers are thus close to creating micromotors. -- A new way of thinking -- "We have built a gear train in which a light-driven gear sets the entire chain in motion. The gears can also convert rotation into linear motion, perform periodic movements and control microscopic mirrors to deflect light," says the study's first author, Gan Wang, a researcher in soft matter physics at the University of Gothenburg. -- The ability to integrate such machines directly onto a chip and drive them with light opens up entirely new possibilities. Since laser light does not require any fixed contact with the machine and is easy to control, the micromotor can be scaled up to complex microsystems. | 841 |
| Doctors Tested A Common Drug On COVID. The Results Are Stunning | Inhaled Drug Shows Promise As A Game-Changer For COVID-19 | Efficacy of inhaled nebulised unfractionated heparin to prevent intubation or death in hospitalised patients with COVID-19: an investigator-initiated international meta-trial of randomised clinical studies. | King's College London | A groundbreaking study has found that inhaled heparin can significantly lower the risk of death and the need for ventilation in COVID-19 patients, offering a promising and affordable treatment option. Conducted across multiple countries, the research highlights inhaled heparin's unique benefits, including its anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties, suggesting it could also be effective against other serious respiratory infections like pneumonia. | Inhaled Heparin Slashes COVID Death RiskA team of international researchers has discovered that inhaled heparin, an inexpensive and widely available drug, dramatically improves outcomes for severely ill COVID-19 patients. Credit: Shutterstock -- A widely available and affordable drug has been shown to be effective in treating seriously ill COVID-19 patients, according to a new international study led by researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) in collaboration with King's College London. -- The study analyzed data from almost 500 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 across six countries. Patients who inhaled heparin were half as likely to require ventilation and had a significantly lower risk of dying compared with those receiving standard care. -- Heparin, a drug traditionally injected to treat blood clots, was tested in this study in an inhaled form, targeting the lungs directly. As well as acting as an anticoagulant, heparin has anti-inflammatory and pan-antiviral properties. Earlier research results showed breathing and oxygen levels improved in COVID-19 patients after they inhaled a course of heparin. -- The researchers believe the drug could also be useful in fighting other serious respiratory infections such as pneumonia. -- Professor Clive Page, Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology at King's who co-led the international study with ANU's Professor van Haren, said: "Inhaled heparin is anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-coagulant. There's no other drug that has that unique combination. We know it's only a matter of time until the next pandemic, and there are still COVID-19 patients who get very sick. This is a great weapon to have up our sleeve." -- While the findings highlight the potential of inhaled heparin, further development is required before the treatment can be routinely adopted. The researchers believe the drug could also be useful in fighting other serious respiratory infections such as pneumonia, which can be caused by a range of viruses and bacteria. -- According to Professor van Haren, the drug would also be helpful for those with a compromised immune system, such as cancer patients, when they experience a respiratory infection. -- Professor Frank van Haren, lead author, ANU and Director of the Intensive Care Unit at the St George Hospital in Sydney, said: "It doesn't matter what kind of respiratory infection the patient is dealing with, the drug -- when inhaled -- will stop it from infecting the patient and from damaging the lungs. We're aiming to conduct another trial in Europe to confirm its effectiveness in fighting other common respiratory infections such as influenza and RSV. And because it's inexpensive, it's much more accessible for those from low-income countries" -- The researchers are now also developing an improved formulation of heparin, specifically designed to be given by inhalation. | 842 |
| Scientists Uncover How To Block Pain Without Side Effects | New Discovery Enables Pain Relief Without Harmful Side Effects | Targeting prostaglandin E2 receptor 2 in Schwann cells inhibits inflammatory pain but not inflammation. | New York University | NYU researchers have identified a specific receptor involved in pain that, when blocked, allows the body to heal naturally while alleviating pain. This discovery could lead to the development of new pain relief medications that do not carry the harmful side effects typically associated with common painkillers like ibuprofen and aspirin. By focusing on this "pain switch," the research opens the door to safer pain management strategies. | How to Block Pain Without Side EffectsScientists discovered how to switch off pain while letting the body heal naturally. This finding could lead to safer, more effective pain treatments. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists at the NYU Pain Research Center have identified which receptor in prostaglandins -- the hormone-like substance targeted by common painkillers -- causes pain but not inflammation. The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, may help researchers to develop more selective drugs to treat pain with fewer side effects. -- "Inflammation and pain are usually thought to go hand in hand. But being able to block pain and allow inflammation -- which promotes healing -- to proceed is an important step in improved treatment of pain," said study author Nigel Bunnett, professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Pathobiology at NYU College of Dentistry and a faculty member in the NYU Pain Research Center. -- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, are among the most commonly taken medicines in the world, with an estimated 30 billion doses each year in the US alone. The drugs are available both over the counter (e.g., ibuprofen or aspirin) and as prescription medications. Unfortunately, long-term use of most NSAIDs carries serious risks, including damage to the lining of the stomach, increased bleeding, and issues with the heart, kidneys, and liver. -- NSAIDs work by blocking enzymes that produce prostaglandins, reducing the level of prostaglandins, inflammation, and pain. Scientists commonly believe that getting rid of inflammation is what treats the pain. However, inflammation -- the immune system's response to injury or infection -- can be protective. -- "Inflammation can be good for you -- it repairs and restores normal function," said study author Pierangelo Geppetti, an adjunct professor at the NYU Pain Research Center, professor emeritus at the University of Florence, and former director of the Headache Center of Careggi University Hospital. "Inhibiting inflammation with NSAIDs may delay healing and could delay recovery from pain. A better strategy to treat prostaglandin-mediated pain would be to selectively reduce the pain without affecting inflammation's protective actions." -- In their study, the researchers focused on prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which is considered a main mediator of inflammatory pain, in Schwann cells. Schwann cells are found outside the brain in the peripheral nervous system and play an important role in migraine and other forms of pain. -- PGE2 has four different receptors. Geppetti's prior studies point to the EP4 receptor for PGE2 as the main receptor involved in producing inflammatory pain. However, in the Nature Communications study, the researchers used a more targeted approach and found that a different receptor -- EP2 -- was largely responsible for pain. Delivering drugs locally to silence only the EP2 receptor in Schwann cells removed pain responses in mice without affecting inflammation. -- "To our great surprise, blocking the EP2 receptor in Schwann cells abolished prostaglandin-mediated pain but the inflammation took its normal course. We effectively decoupled the inflammation from the pain," said Geppetti. -- In additional studies in human and mouse Schwann cells, activating the EP2 receptor evoked a signal that sustained pain responses through a pathway independent from inflammatory responses, confirming the role of EP2 in pain but not inflammation. | 843 |
| This High-Sugar Fruit May Actually Lower Diabetes Risk | Surprising Benefits Of Mangos For Prediabetics Revealed | Daily Mango Intake Improves Glycemic and Body Composition Outcomes in Adults with Prediabetes: A Randomized Controlled Study. | George Mason University | A recent study from George Mason University challenges the perception of mangos as unhealthy due to their sugar content, showing they may actually help regulate blood sugar and reduce body fat in prediabetic individuals. The research indicates that the nutritional context of foods, including fiber and other nutrients in whole fruits, plays a crucial role in health outcomes, suggesting mangos could be beneficial despite their higher sugar levels. | Mangos May Actually Lower Diabetes RiskDespite their high sugar content, mangos may lower diabetes risk. A clinical trial showed daily mango intake improved blood sugar regulation and reduced body fat compared to a low-sugar granola bar. Credit: Shutterstock -- If presented with two snacks, one containing seven grams of sugar and another with over 30 grams of sugar, choosing the healthier option should be a no-brainer, correct? Well, maybe not. Less sugar is not automatically healthier. -- For the nearly 100 million adults in the United States who are currently living with prediabetes, a tropical fruit that can reduce the risk of diabetes sounds too good to be true. Tropical fruits contain anywhere between ten to 50 grams of sugar, with mangos on the high end of the spectrum, making them seem a poor snack choice based on that alone. But research by clinical nutrition researcher Raedeh Basiri indicates that mangos, despite having more sugar than many low-sugar snacks, may offer protective factors for adults with prediabetes. -- "It is not just the sugar content that matters, but the overall food context that matters," said Basiri, assistant professor in George Mason's Department of Nutrition and Food Studies. This study is the first long-term clinical trial to demonstrate both metabolic and body composition benefits of mangoes in prediabetes. -- Simply put, it's more than the sugar in the food; it's about the whole food. The sugars naturally found in mangos, and other fruits, are complemented by fiber and other vitamins and nutrients that offer additional health benefits. Food with added sugar, such as breakfast cereals, and even low-sugar snack options, may not have the same nutritional value and can even increase diabetes risk. -- "The goal is to encourage people to include whole fruits, like mango, as part of healthy eating behaviors and practical dietary strategies for diabetes prevention," said Basiri. "Individuals at high risk of diabetes should not only focus on the sugar content of foods, but on how sugars are delivered." -- Basiri and her team split study participants into two groups; one group received a fresh mango daily, while the other group was given a low-sugar granola bar each day. Over six months, researchers measured participants' blood glucose levels, bodily responses to insulin, and body fat. -- At the conclusion of the study, findings revealed that the high-sugar mango (32 grams of sugar) proved more beneficial than a low-sugar granola bar (11 grams of sugar). The group that consumed the daily mango showed improved blood glucose control, enhanced insulin sensitivity, and reduced body fat. -- "Daily Mango Intake Improves Glycemic and Body Composition Outcomes in Adults with Prediabetes: A Randomized Controlled Study" was published in Foods in August 2025. -- This study was funded by the National Mango Board. The authors declare no other potential conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study, in the collection, analysis, interpretation of data, or the decision to publish results. | 844 |
| Hidden Alzheimer’s Warning Signs Found In Parkinson’s Patients Without Dementia | Unexpected Alzheimer’s Signs Found In Older Parkinson’s Patients | Age-related trends in amyloid positivity in Parkinson’s disease without dementia. | Impact Journals LLC | Researchers in Japan have found that older Parkinson's patients without dementia exhibit higher rates of amyloid buildup, typically associated with Alzheimer’s disease, indicating a possible link between the two conditions. This study highlights the potential for early screening for Alzheimer's-related brain changes in older Parkinson's patients, suggesting that cognitive decline could be accelerated in this population. | Hidden Alzheimer’s Warning Signs in Parkinson’sOlder Parkinson’s patients face higher rates of Alzheimer’s-linked brain changes, even before dementia appears. The findings suggest Parkinson’s may accelerate cognitive decline in unexpected ways. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new research paper was published in Aging-US, titled "Age-related trends in amyloid positivity in Parkinson's disease without dementia." -- In this study, led by first author Keiko Hatano and corresponding author Masashi Kameyama from the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology in Japan, researchers found that patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) diagnosed in their 80s showed a significantly higher rate of amyloid positivity -- an indicator associated with Alzheimer's disease -- compared to those diagnosed at a younger age. Importantly, none of the participants had dementia. These findings suggest that older patients with PD may face a greater risk of future cognitive decline and could benefit from early screening for Alzheimer's-related brain changes. -- Amyloid-beta is considered a key marker of cognitive decline. While it is known that amyloid accumulation contributes to PD with dementia, its role in patients who have not developed cognitive problems remains less understood. This study aimed to explore how age influences amyloid buildup in people with PD who do not yet show signs of dementia. -- The researchers analyzed data from 89 individuals with PD and no signs of dementia. Participants were divided into two age-based groups: those diagnosed before age 73 (LOW group) and those diagnosed at age 73 or older (HIGH group). Using cerebrospinal fluid samples, they measured levels of amyloid-beta, a standard method for detecting early Alzheimer's-related changes. The findings revealed that 30.6% of the older group tested positive for amyloid, compared to just 10.0% in the younger group. -- "[…] we elucidated the prevalence of amyloid positivity in patients with PD without dementia, whose mean age at diagnosis was 80.2 years, using CSF Aβ42 levels." -- Interestingly, both age groups of Parkinson's patients had a lower rate of amyloid positivity than cognitively normal individuals of the same age in the general population. This unexpected result suggests that PD may alter how amyloid accumulates in the brain, possibly shortening the phase in which amyloid builds up silently before symptoms appear. The authors suggest that amyloid buildup could accelerate the transition from healthy cognition to dementia in patients with PD. The study also observed age-related associations with other biological markers of Alzheimer's disease, such as tau protein levels. -- As the global population continues to age and the number of older adults diagnosed with PD grows, identifying early warning signs of cognitive decline becomes increasingly important. These findings may help inform future screening approaches and support the development of therapies aimed at delaying or preventing dementia in people with Parkinson's disease. | 845 |
| Brain Fat, Not Just Plaques, May Be The Hidden Driver Of Alzheimer’s | Brain Fat Could Be Key To Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease | Amyloid-β induces lipid droplet-mediated microglial dysfunction via the enzyme DGAT2 in Alzheimer’s disease. | Purdue University | Purdue University's latest research reveals that fat buildup in brain immune cells, rather than just protein plaques, could be a significant driver of Alzheimer’s disease. By restoring the function of these fat-clogged cells, researchers propose a new therapeutic avenue that focuses on lipid biology, enhancing the brain's ability to fight off neurodegenerative diseases and challenging long-held beliefs about the causes of Alzheimer's. | Brain Fat May Be the Hidden Driver of Alzheimer’sNew research shows that fat buildup in brain cells may be fueling Alzheimer’s. These fat-choked cells lose their ability to protect the brain, making it harder to fight off damage. Scientists discovered that breaking down this fat restores the brain’s defenses. The findings could point to a fresh path for future treatments. Credit: Shutterstock -- It was long thought that fat in the brain played no role in neurodegenerative diseases, but Purdue University researchers are challenging that assumption. -- The research findings, published in Immunity, show that excess fat in the brain's resident immune cells, called microglia, impairs their ability to combat disease. This insight opens a path to lipid biology-based neuroimmune therapies that could treat diseases like Alzheimer's by enhancing microglial function and neuronal health. This work was led by Gaurav Chopra, the James Tarpo Jr. and Margaret Tarpo Professor of Chemistry and (by courtesy) of Computer Science at Purdue. -- While most Alzheimer's drug development targets the primary pathologies of the disease -- plaques of a misfolded protein called amyloid beta and tangles of the protein tau -- Chopra is focused on the abnormally fat-rich cells surrounding diseased regions of the brain. In earlier work published in Nature, Chopra and collaborators showed that, in the presence of disease, astrocytes -- another type of cells that support neurons -- release a fatty acid that is toxic to brain cells. Another collaborative work with the University of Pennsylvania, published last year in Nature, also linked mitochondrial dysfunction in neurons with fat deposits in glial cells during aging -- a major risk factor for neurodegeneration. -- "In our view, directly targeting plaques or tangles will not solve the problem; we need to restore function of immune cells in the brain," Chopra said. "We're finding that reducing accumulation of fat in the diseased brain is the key, as accumulated fat makes it harder for the immune system to do its job and maintain balance. By targeting these pathways, we can restore the ability of immune cells like microglia to fight disease and keep the brain in balance, which is what they're meant to do." -- Chopra's team worked in collaboration with researchers at Cleveland Clinic led by Dimitrios Davalos, assistant professor of molecular medicine. Chopra is also the director of Merck-Purdue Center and a member of the Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience; the Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery; the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease; and the Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering. -- Chopra's work is part of Purdue's presidential One Health initiative, which brings together research on human, animal and plant health. His research supports the initiative's focus on advanced chemistry, where Purdue faculty study complex chemical systems and develop new techniques and applications. -- More than 100 years ago, Alois Alzheimer identified abnormalities in the brain of a woman with the disease that now bears his name, including plaques, tangles and cells filled with droplets of fatty compounds called lipids. Until recently, these lipid droplets were dismissed as by-products of disease. -- But the links that Chopra and his team have found between neurodegenerative disease and fats in microglia and astrocytes -- both types of glial cells that support neurons in the brain -- strongly suggest otherwise. Chopra says this research lays the foundation for a "new lipid model of neurodegeneration." He likes to call these fat accumulations "lipid plaques," as they don't resemble spherical droplets. -- "It is not the lipid droplets that are pathogenic, but the accumulation of these droplets is bad. We think the composition of lipid molecules that accumulate within brain cells is one of the major drivers of neuroinflammation, leading to different pathologies, such as aging, Alzheimer's disease and other conditions related to inflammatory insults in the brain. The specific composition of these lipid plaques may define particular brain diseases," Chopra said. | 846 |
| Scientists Reveal Pill That Helps Shed 20% Of Body Weight | Experimental Pill Helps Patients Lose Significant Weight Easily | Orforglipron, an Oral Small-Molecule GLP-1 Receptor Agonist for Obesity Treatment. | European Association for the Study of Diabetes | An international trial has unveiled that the oral obesity drug orforglipron can lead to substantial weight loss in patients, with many shedding over 10% of their body weight. Unlike traditional injectable treatments, this once-daily pill presents a more accessible and affordable option for managing obesity, potentially transforming the landscape of weight-loss therapies by proving effective without the need for injections. | New Pill Helps Shed 20% of Body WeightAn international trial of the oral drug orforglipron produced striking weight-loss results, with many patients achieving reductions beyond 15–20%. The pill also improved key health markers, offering a promising alternative to injectable treatments. Credit: Shutterstock -- New research presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Vienna, Austria (Sept 15-19) and simultaneously published in NEJM shows that daily treatment with the new once-daily GLP-1 agonist orforglipron results in substantial weight loss in people living with obesity that do not have type 2 diabetes. The study is by Dr Sean Wharton, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada and Wharton Weight Management Clinic, Burlington, ON, Canada, and colleagues. The study is sponsored by Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of orforglipron. -- Orforglipron is a small-molecule, oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. In this phase 3, multinational, randomised, double-blind trial, the authors examined the safety and efficacy of once-daily orforglipron at doses of 6 mg, 12 mg, or 36 mg, as compared with placebo (assigned in a 3:3:3:4 ratio) as an adjunct to healthy diet and physical activity for 72 weeks. All the patients had obesity but not diabetes. The primary end point was the percent change in body weight from baseline to week 72. -- A total of 3127 patients in 9 countries / jurisdictions (USA, China, Brazil, India, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Slovakia and Taiwan) underwent randomisation. The mean relative change in body weight from baseline to week 72 was −7.5% with 6 mg of orforglipron, −8.4% with 12 mg of orforglipron, and −11.2% with 36 mg of orforglipron, as compared with −2.1% with placebo. -- Among the patients in the orforglipron 36 mg group, 54.6% had reduction of 10% or more of body weight, 36.0% had a reduction of 15% or more, and 18.4% had a reduction of 20% or more, as compared with 12.9%, 5.9%, and 2.8% of the patients, respectively, in the placebo group. -- Other outcomes such as waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, triglyceride levels, and non-HDL cholesterol levels significantly improved with orforglipron treatment (see table 3 full paper). Adverse events (see table 4) resulted in treatment discontinuation in 5.3% to 10.3% of the patients in the orforglipron groups and in 2.7% of those in the placebo group. The most common adverse events with orforglipron were gastrointestinal effects, which were mostly mild to moderate, consistent with the GLP-1 class of medications. -- The authors note that the use of medications such as GLP-1 receptor agonists (such as semaglutide) are reported to result in mean weight reductions of approximately 15% to above 20% and have shown additional health benefits, including decreased cardiovascular risk. However, most available GLP-1 based medications are administered as a subcutaneous injection, which may limit treatment initiation and adherence. -- The authors say: “After 72 weeks of treatment, all the patients in the three orforglipron groups had a significant and clinically meaningful dose-dependent reduction in body weight. The patients who received the highest dose of orforglipron had an average 11.2% weight reduction; more than one third had a reduction of at least 15%, and nearly one fifth had a reduction of at least 20%. All measured cardiometabolic levels improved with orforglipron treatment as compared with placebo… A weight reduction of 10% or more is a recognised therapeutic threshold, one that has been linked to meaningful cardiometabolic benefits. In our current trial, patients who received orforglipron had a mean weight reduction of as much as 11.2%, and such reductions were associated with improvements in levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as blood fats, blood sugar profiles, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein – a marker of systemic inflammation.” -- The authors note the trial’s limitations include the lack of comparison with currently approved obesity-management medications, the use of cutoffs for BMI inclusion criteria that have been developed in White populations and that exclude patients with lower BMI values who may also have adiposity-related risks, and the increasing availability of obesity-management medications, which could have an effect on treatment adherence and efficacy results. The strengths of the trial include a highly diverse, large population from nine countries and jurisdictions on four continents - including more than 35% enrolment of men. -- They conclude: “In patients with obesity, the use of orforglipron resulted in statistically and clinically significant weight reductions and an adverse-event profile that was consistent with findings regarding other GLP-1 receptor agonists.” | 847 |
| Autism May Be The Price Of Human Intelligence | Autism’s Connection To Human Brain Evolution Explored | A General Principle of Neuronal Evolution Reveals a Human-Accelerated Neuron Type Potentially Underlying the High Prevalence of Autism in Humans. | Oxford University Press USA | Recent research suggests that the prevalence of autism is linked to rapid neuron evolution in the human brain, with certain genes undergoing natural selection that may have contributed to human cognitive advancements. This evolutionary perspective posits autism as a trade-off, highlighting the complexities of neurodiversity and suggesting a deeper relationship between genetic changes and cognitive development in humans. | Autism May Be the Price of Human IntelligenceAutism-linked genes evolved rapidly in humans, shaping unique brain development and language abilities. This genetic trade-off may have fueled both neurodiversity and the rise of complex human thought. Credit: Shutterstock -- A new paper in Molecular Biology and Evolution, published by Oxford University Press, finds that the relatively high rate of Autism-spectrum disorders in humans is likely due to how humans evolved in the past. -- About one in 31 (3.2%) children in the United States has been identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that around one in 100 children have autism. From an evolutionary perspective, many scientist believe that autism and schizophrenia may be unique to humans. It is very rare to find behaviors associated with the disorders in non-human primates. In addition, behaviors associated with those disorders generally involve cognitive traits like speech production and comprehension that are either unique to or much more sophisticated in humans. -- With the development of single cell RNA-sequencing, it became possible to define specific cell types across the brain. As investigators published more large-scale datasets, it became clear that the mammalian brain contains a staggering array of neuronal cell types. In addition, large-scale sequencing studies have identified extensive genetic changes in the brain unique to Homo sapiens -- genomic elements that did not change much in mammalian evolution in general but evolved rapidly in humans. -- While previous investigations found that some cell types have remained more consistent throughout evolution than others, the factors driving these differences in evolutionary rate remain unknown. Researchers here investigated recently published cross-species single-nucleus RNA sequencing datasets from three distinct regions of the mammalian brain. They found that the most abundant type of outer-layer brain neurons, L2/3 IT neurons, evolved exceptionally quickly in the human lineage compared to other apes. Surprisingly, this accelerated evolution was accompanied by dramatic changes in autism-associated genes, which was likely driven by natural selection specific to the human lineage. The researchers here explain that although the results strongly suggest natural selection for Autism Spectrum Disorder-associated genes, the reason why this conferred fitness benefits to human ancestors is unclear. -- Answering this is difficult because we do not know what human-specific features of cognition, brain anatomy, and neuronal wiring gave human ancestors a fitness advantage, but the investigators here speculate that many of these genes are associated with developmental delay, so their evolution could have contributed to the slower postnatal brain development in humans compared to chimpanzees. Furthermore, the capacity for speech production and comprehension unique to humans is often affected by autism and schizophrenia. -- It's possible that the rapid evolution of autism-linked genes conferred a fitness advantage by slowing postnatal brain development or increasing the capacity for language; the lengthier brain development time in early childhood was beneficial to human evolution because it led to more complex thinking. -- "Our results suggest that some of the same genetic changes that make the human brain unique also made humans more neurodiverse," said the paper's lead author, Alexander L. Starr. | 848 |
| Cambridge Scientists Created A Gel That Could End Arthritis Pain | Smart Gel Could Revolutionize Arthritis Treatment | Kinetic Locking of pH-Sensitive Complexes for Mechanically Responsive Polymer Networks. | University of Cambridge | Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a smart gel that can detect slight chemical changes in the body, such as acidity during arthritis flare-ups, and release medication precisely where needed. By mimicking cartilage, this innovative material aims to provide continuous pain relief and reduce side effects for arthritis patients, representing a significant advancement in chronic disease management and drug delivery technologies. | A Gel That Could End Arthritis PainA smart gel that “feels” arthritis flare-ups could transform drug delivery and chronic disease care. Credit: Shutterstock -- Researchers have developed a material that can sense tiny changes within the body, such as during an arthritis flare-up, and release drugs exactly where and when they are needed. -- The squishy material can be loaded with anti-inflammatory drugs that are released in response to small changes in pH in the body. During an arthritis flare-up, a joint becomes inflamed and slightly more acidic than the surrounding tissue. -- The material, developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, has been designed to respond to this natural change in pH. As acidity increases, the material becomes softer and more jelly-like, triggering the release of drug molecules that can be encapsulated within its structure. -- Since the material is designed to respond only within a narrow pH range, the team say that drugs could be released precisely where and when they are needed, potentially reducing side effects. -- If used as an artificial cartilage in arthritic joints, this approach could allow for the continuous treatment of arthritis, improving the efficacy of drugs to relieve pain and fight inflammation. Arthritis affects more than 10 million people in the UK, costing the NHS an estimated £10.2 billion annually. Worldwide it is estimated to affect over 600 million people. -- While extensive clinical trials are needed before the material can be used in patients, the researchers say their approach could improve outcomes for people with arthritis, and for those with other conditions including cancer. Their results are reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. -- The material developed by the Cambridge team uses specially engineered and reversible crosslinks within a polymer network. The sensitivity of these links to changes in acidity levels gives the material highly responsive mechanical properties. -- The material was developed in Professor Oren Scherman's research group in Cambridge's Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry. The group specializes in designing and building these unique materials for a range of potential applications. -- "For a while now, we've been interested in using these materials in joints, since their properties can mimic those of cartilage," said Scherman, who is Professor of Supramolecular and Polymer Chemistry and Director of the Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis. "But to combine that with highly targeted drug delivery is a really exciting prospect." | 849 |
| Why Ultra-Processed Diets Make You Gain Fat Even Without Extra Calories | Ultra-Processed Foods Linked To Unexplained Weight Gain In Men | Effect of ultra-processed food consumption on male reproductive and metabolic health. | University of Copenhagen | A recent human study has highlighted the adverse effects of ultra-processed foods, linking them to weight gain, hormone disruption, and the introduction of harmful substances that negatively affect sperm quality. Men consuming these foods gained more fat despite similar caloric intake, prompting researchers to conclude that the food processing method itself is detrimental to metabolic health, not just overeating. | Why Ultra-Processed Diets Make You Gain FatUltra-processed diets cause weight gain, lower testosterone, and introduce toxic pollutants—effects seen even when calorie counts are identical. Credit: Shutterstock -- Over the past 50 years, rates of obesity and type-2 diabetes have soared, while sperm quality has plummeted. Driving these changes could be the increasing popularity of ultra-processed foods, which have been linked to a range of poor health outcomes. However, scientists still aren't sure whether it's the industrial nature of the ingredients themselves, the processing of the foods, or whether it's because they lead people to eat more than they should. -- An international team of scientists has now discovered that people gain more weight on an ultra-processed diet compared to a minimally processed diet, even when they eat the same number of calories. The study in humans also revealed a diet high in ultra-processed foods introduces higher levels of pollutants that are known to affect sperm quality. The findings were published in the journal Cell Metabolism. -- "Our results prove that ultra-processed foods harm our reproductive and metabolic health, even if they're not eaten in excess. This indicates that it is the processed nature of these foods that makes them harmful," says Jessica Preston, lead author of the study, who carried out the research during her PhD at the University of Copenhagen's NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR). -- Same calories, different outcomes -- To get the best possible data, the scientists compared the health impact of unprocessed and ultra-processed diets on the same person. They recruited 43 men aged 20 to 35, who spent three weeks on each of the two diets, with three months 'washout' in between. Half started on the ultra-processed and half started on the unprocessed diet. Half of the men also received a high-calorie diet with an extra 500 daily calories, while half received the normal amount of calories for their size, age and physical activity levels. They were not told which diet they were on. Both the unprocessed and ultra-processed diets had the same amount of calories, protein, carbs and fats. -- Men gained around 1 kg more of fat mass while on the ultra-processed diet compared to the unprocessed diet, regardless of whether they were on the normal or excess calorie diet. Several other markers of cardiovascular health were also affected. -- Ultra-processed foods polluted with endocrine disruptors -- The scientists also discovered a worrying increase in the level of the hormone-disrupting phthalate cxMINP, a substance used in plastics, in men on the ultra-processed diet. Men on this diet also saw decreases in their levels of testosterone and follicle-stimulating hormone, which are crucial for sperm production. -- "We were shocked by how many body functions were disrupted by ultra-processed foods, even in healthy young men. The long-term implications are alarming and highlight the need to revise nutritional guidelines to better protect against chronic disease." says the study's senior author Professor Romain Barrès from the University of Copenhagen's NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research, and the Université Côte d'Azur. | 850 |
| Black Mamba Venom Has A Deadly Hidden Second Strike | Black Mamba Venom Has A Hidden Danger That Antivenoms Can’t Address | Neurotoxic Sleight of Fang: Differential Antivenom Efficacy Against Mamba (Dendroaspis spp.) Venom Spastic-Paralysis Presynaptic/Synaptic vs. Flaccid-Paralysis Postsynaptic Effects. | University of Queensland | Complexities of Black Mamba Venom: Researchers have uncovered a dual attack mechanism in Black Mamba venom, revealing its intricate neurological effects. This discovery could inform better antivenom development, enhancing treatment for mamba snake bites and contributing to global medical advancements. | The Hidden Second Strike of Black Mamba VenomBlack Mamba venom doesn’t just paralyze, it strikes twice, revealing hidden toxicity after treatment. New research shows this could change how antivenoms are developed worldwide. Credit: Shutterstock -- A breakthrough study at The University of Queensland has discovered a hidden dangerous feature in the Black Mamba one of the most venomous snakes in the world. -- Professor Bryan Fry from UQ's School of the Environment said the study revealed the venoms of three species of mamba were far more neurologically complex than previously thought, explaining why antivenoms were sometimes ineffective. -- "The Black Mamba, Western Green Mamba and Jamesons Mamba snakes aren't just using one form of chemical weapon, they're launching a coordinated attack at 2 different points in the nervous system," Professor Fry said. -- "If you're bitten by 3 out of 4 mamba species, you will experience flaccid or limp paralysis caused by postsynaptic neurotoxicity. -- "Current antivenoms can treat the flaccid paralysis but this study found the venoms of these three species are then able to attack another part of the nervous system causing spastic paralysis by presynaptic toxicity, -- "We previously thought the fourth species of mamba, the Eastern Green Mamba, was the only one capable of causing spastic paralysis. -- "This finding resolves a long-standing clinical mystery of why some patients bitten by mambas seem to initially improve with antivenom and regain muscle tone and movement only to start having painful, uncontrolled spasms. -- "The venom first blocks nerve signals from reaching the muscles but after the antivenom is administered, it then overstimulates the muscles. -- "It's like treating one disease and suddenly revealing another." | 851 |
| Pollen Holds A Secret That Could Save Honeybees | Honeybee Pollen Contains Natural Antimicrobials To Protect Against Disease | Endophytic Streptomyces from honeybee hives inhibit plant and honeybee pathogens. | Frontiers | Honeybee Health and Pollen: Scientists have discovered that pollen collected by honeybees harbors beneficial bacteria that produce antimicrobial compounds, which help protect the hive from diseases. This natural defense mechanism not only supports bee health but also offers potential sustainable solutions for safeguarding crops, highlighting the ecological importance of these pollinators. | The Secret in Pollen That Keeps Bees HealthyPollen carries beneficial bacteria that bees bring back to their hives, where they help defend against dangerous infections. These natural antibiotics could inspire new ecofriendly treatments for both agriculture and beekeeping. Credit: Shutterstock -- A honeybee hive, with its large stores of pollen, wax, and honey, is like a fortress guarding treasure: with strong defenses, but a bonanza for enemies that can overcome those. More than 30 parasites of honeybees are known, spanning protists, viruses, bacteria, fungi, and arthropods - and this number keeps growing. As a result, beekeepers are always on the lookout for new ways to protect their precious hives. -- A team of researchers from the US suspected that a rich new source of ecofriendly treatments for bee diseases might be hiding in plain sight: in the pollen gathered by bees. They reasoned that so-called endophytes, symbiotic bacteria and fungi living inside most plant tissues, should benefit when their hosts are pollinated. This could be an incentive for these microbes to evolve compounds that keep their host's pollinators healthy. -- And now, they have shown their hunch to be correct. -- "We found that the same beneficial bacteria occur in pollen stores of honeybee colonies and on pollen of nearby plants," said Dr Daniel May, a faculty member at Washington College in Maryland, US, and the corresponding author of a study in Frontiers in Microbiology. -- "We also show that these bacteria produced similar antimicrobial compounds that kill pathogens of bees and plants, making them a great starting point for new treatments of crops and hives." -- Precious pollen -- May and colleagues homed in on bacteria from the phylum actinobacteria, the source of two-thirds of the antibiotics currently in clinical use. Between April and June 2021, they collected pollen from 10 native plant species in the Lakeshore Nature Preserve at the University of Wisconsin -- Madison. They also collected pollen from the stores of a nearby honeybee hive. -- The authors isolated 16 strains of actinobacteria from plants, and 18 strains from pollen stores inside the hive. DNA barcoding and genome sequencing revealed that the same or closely related species occurred in both types of samples. The majority (72%) belonged to the genus Streptomyces, the source of many compounds used in medicine and agriculture, for example as antibiotics or as anticancer and antiparasitic drugs. Some of the closest relatives of the Streptomyces species found here are currently under study elsewhere as potential sources of compounds against diseases of crop plants. -- The authors then conducted 'competition assays', where known pathogens were grown together with the Streptomyces isolated here. Nearly all of these proved to be effective inhibitors of the mold Aspergillus niger, which can cause a honeybee disease called stonebrood. Individual strains also proved moderately to strongly active against two bacterial pathogens of honeybees, Paenibacillus larvae and Serratia marcescens, and against three pathogens of crops, Erwinia amylavora, Pseudomonas syringae, and Ralstonia solanaceum. | 852 |
| Stunning Images Reveal How Antibiotics Shatter Bacterial Defenses | Polymyxins Force Bacteria To Shed Armor, Revealing New Treatment Strategies For Infections | Polymyxin B lethality requires energy-dependent outer membrane disruption. | University College London | Polymyxins and Bacterial Defense: New research reveals how polymyxins, last-resort antibiotics, dismantle the protective layers of harmful bacteria, effectively targeting active cells while leaving dormant ones unharmed. This understanding may pave the way for novel treatment strategies that could awaken dormant bacteria, potentially addressing recurring infections and enhancing antibiotic efficacy. | How Antibiotics Shatter Bacterial DefensesComposite image of E. coli exposed to the polymyxin antibiotic – the images show the changes to the outer layer of armor over time. From left to right: bacterium untreated by the antibiotic; bacterium after 15 minutes; after 30 minutes; after 60 minutes; after 90 minutes. The white scale bar is 250 nanometers across. Credit: Carolina Borrelli, Edward Douglas et al. / Nature Microbiology -- A team led by UCL (University College London) and Imperial College London researchers has shown for the first time how life-saving antibiotics called polymyxins pierce the armor of harmful bacteria. -- The findings, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, could lead to new treatments for bacterial infections - especially urgent since drug-resistant infections already kill more than a million people a year. -- Polymyxins were discovered more than 80 years ago and are used as a last-resort treatment for infections caused by "Gram negative" bacteria. These bacteria have an outer surface layer that acts like armor and prevents certain antibiotics from penetrating the cell. Polymyxins are known to target this outer layer, but how they disrupt it and then kill bacteria is still not understood. -- In the new study, the research team revealed in high-resolution images and biochemical experiments how the antibiotic Polymyxin B rapidly caused bumps and bulges to break out on the surface of an E. coli bacterial cell. -- These protrusions, which appeared within minutes, were followed by the bacterium rapidly shedding its outer armor. -- The antibiotic, the researchers concluded, had triggered the cell to produce and shed its armor. The more the cell tried to make new amor, the more it lost the amor it was making, at such a rate that it left gaps in its defenses, allowing the antibiotic to enter the cell and kill it. -- However, the team found that this process - protrusions, fast production and shedding of armor, and cell death - only occurred when the cell was active. In dormant (sleeping) bacteria, armor production is switched off, making the antibiotic ineffective. -- Co-senior author Dr Andrew Edwards, from Imperial, said: "For decades we've assumed that antibiotics that target bacterial armor were able to kill the microbes in any state, whether they're actively replicating or they were dormant. But this isn't the case. Through capturing these incredible images of single cells, we've been able to show that this class of antibiotics only work with help from the bacterium, and if the cells go into a hibernation-like state, the drugs no longer work -- which is very surprising." -- Becoming dormant allows bacteria to survive unfavorable conditions such as a lack of food. They can stay dormant for many years and "wake up" when conditions become more favorable. This can allow bacteria to survive against antibiotics, for instance, and reawaken to cause recurrent infections in the body. | 853 |
| Fossils In Germany Reveal A Jurassic Sea Monster With A Swordfish Snout | New Ichthyosaur Species Found In Germany Highlights Jurassic Sea Monster's Unique Features | A new Eurhinosaurus (Ichthyosauria) species from the Lower Jurassic (Toarcian) of Mistelgau (Bavaria, Southern Germany). | Pensoft Publishers | New Ichthyosaur Discovery: An international team has introduced a new species of ichthyosaur, Eurhinosaurus mistelgauensis, based on fossils from Mistelgau, Germany. This remarkable marine reptile features a distinct overbite and unique skeletal traits, underscoring the significance of Mistelgau as a key site for Jurassic fossils and prompting further exploration into these ancient creatures' lifestyles. | A Jurassic Sea Monster With a Swordfish SnoutA commissioned artwork illustrates Eurhinosaurus mistelgauensis on a belemnite battleground. Credit: Andrey Atuchin -- An international research team from Switzerland and Germany, led by Gaël Spicher (JURASSICA Museum, Porrentruy, Switzerland), has described a new ichthyosaur species based on fossils curated at the Urwelt-Museum Oberfranken (Bayreuth, Germany). The study was published in Museum für Naturkunde Berlin's open-access journal Fossil Record. -- The new species was named Eurhinosaurus mistelgauensis, in reference to the clay pit of Mistelgau in Upper Franconia - a fossil site that has yielded numerous important finds. "We wanted to highlight the scientific importance of the Mistelgau locality," explains lead author and doctoral student Gaël Spicher. -- Excavations in the clay pit have been conducted regularly since 1998 by the Urwelt-Museum Oberfranken, which recovered and prepared the fossils prior to their scientific study. One specimen originates from a so-called "belemnite battleground" - dense accumulations of Jurassic cephalopod remains that are characteristic of the site. -- Ichthyosaurs - marine reptiles that lived during the time of the dinosaurs - show striking similarities in body shape to dolphins or tuna. The newly described species shares the elongation of the upper jaw typical for eurhinosaurs, producing a pronounced "overbite" similar to that of modern swordfish. Eurhinosaurus mistelgauensis differs from previously known species by its notably robust ribs and special features in the joint connecting the skull and the neck. -- "The naming of a new species emphasizes the significance of the Urwelt-Museum Oberfranken's fossil collections for understanding Jurassic marine ecosystems," says museum director Dr. Serjoscha Evers, who was not involved in the study. "The Mistelgau site continues to provide rare insights into a time period that is otherwise scarcely documented worldwide." -- Further studies on the Mistelgau material are in preparation. These include analyses of injuries preserved in the ichthyosaur skeletons, which may shed light on the ecology and life history of these ancient marine reptiles. | 854 |
| The Accidental Discovery That Forged The Iron Age | Ancient Curiosity Led To The Accidental Birth Of The Iron Age | Iron in copper metallurgy at the dawn of the Iron Age: Insights on iron invention from a mining and smelting site in the Caucasus. | Cranfield University | Copper Smelting and Iron Age: Research indicates that ancient copper smelters in Georgia may have inadvertently initiated the Iron Age by experimenting with iron oxide to enhance copper production. This accidental discovery emphasizes the role of curiosity in technological advancements, suggesting that it transformed iron from a rare metal into a foundational material for civilizations. | Accidental Discovery That Forged the Iron AgeCopper smelters experimenting with iron-rich rocks may have unlocked the secret of iron production. Credit: Shutterstock -- Research from Cranfield University sheds new light onto the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age, showing how experimentation with iron-rich rocks by copper smelters may have sparked the invention of iron. -- The work reanalyzed metallurgical remains from a site in southern Georgia: a 3000-year-old smelting workshop called Kvemo Bolnisi. During the original analysis in the 1950s, piles of hematite (an iron oxide mineral) and slag (a waste product of the metal production) were found in the workshop. Finding those iron oxides, the original excavators thought the workshop was an early iron smelting site. -- However, new research shows that those assumptions were wrong. Rather than iron, workers at Kvemo Bolnisi were smelting copper using iron oxide as a flux -- a substance added into the furnace to increase the resulting copper yield. -- These discoveries give weight to a long-discussed theory that iron was invented by copper smelters. This evidence shows that ancient copper metalworkers experimented with iron-bearing materials in a metallurgical furnace, which was a crucial step towards iron smelting. -- The importance of iron -- While the Iron Age marked the beginnings of widespread iron production, the metal itself wasn't a new discovery. Iron artifacts have been found dating from the Bronze Age, most famously an iron dagger with a gold and rock crystal hilt from the tomb of Egyptian king Tutankhamun. But the earliest iron objects were forged from naturally occurring metallic iron found in meteorites, not extracted from iron ore through smelting. That rarity meant iron was, at that point in history, more valuable than gold. -- The development of extractive iron metallurgy changed all this. Iron is one of the most abundant elements on Earth, even though naturally occurring iron metal is very rare. The ability to extract iron from iron ore and work it into useful materials such as tools or weapons is one of the defining technological transformations in human history. The transition into the Iron Age was far from instantaneous, but it gave rise to the iron-wielding armies of Assyria and Rome and later the railroads and steel-frame buildings of the industrial revolution. -- Dr Nathaniel Erb-Satullo, Visiting Fellow in Archaeological Science at Cranfield University, said: "Iron is the world's quintessential industrial metal, but the lack of written records, iron's tendency to rust, and a lack of research on iron production sites has made the search for its origins challenging. -- "That's what makes this site at Kvemo Bolnisi so exciting. It's evidence of intentional use of iron in the copper smelting process. That shows that these metalworkers understood iron oxide -- the geological compounds that would eventually be used as ore for iron smelting -- as a separate material and experimented with its properties within the furnace. Its use here suggests that this kind of experimentation by copper-workers was crucial to development of iron metallurgy. | 855 |
| Miscarriages, down syndrome, and infertility all linked to this hidden DNA process | Breakthrough Discovery Reveals Molecular Complexities Behind Human Fertility And Miscarriages | Protecting double Holliday junctions ensures crossing over during meiosis. | University of California - Davis | Fertility and Chromosome Safety: A study from UC Davis uncovers vital protein networks that protect chromosome integrity during the formation of eggs and sperm. This discovery sheds light on the molecular mechanisms behind reproductive health, potentially leading to improved fertility treatments and a better understanding of genetic stability across generations. | Hidden DNA Process Behind InfertilityNeil Hunter, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, has discovered a crucial step in how chromosomes stay connected during the development for egg cells and sperm, helping to prevent fertility problems. Photo shows paired chromosomes with crossovers in a mouse oocyte. Credit: Hunter lab/UC Davis -- When a woman becomes pregnant, the outcome of that pregnancy depends on many things -- including a crucial event that happened while she was still growing inside her own mother's womb. It depends on the quality of the egg cells that were already forming inside her fetal ovaries. The DNA-containing chromosomes in those cells must be cut, spliced and sorted perfectly. In males, the same process produces sperm in the testes but occurs only after puberty. -- "If that goes wrong, then you end up with the wrong number of chromosomes in the eggs or sperm," said Neil Hunter, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the University of California, Davis. "This can result in infertility, miscarriage or the birth of children with genetic diseases." -- In a paper published Sept. 24 in the journal Nature, Hunter's team reports a major new discovery about a process that helps safeguard against these mistakes. He has pieced together the choreography of proteins that connect matching chromosome pairs -- ensuring that they are sorted correctly as egg and sperm cells develop and divide. -- Hunter's discoveries required methods to watch the molecular events of chromosome recombination unfold with unprecedented detail. This involved genetic engineering in budding yeast -- a model organism that has been used for decades to discover how fundamental cellular processes work. -- "The chromosome structures that we studied have changed very little across evolution," Hunter said. "Every protein that we looked at in yeast has a direct counterpart in humans." His findings could improve our understanding of fertility problems and how they are diagnosed and treated in humans. -- Forming chromosome crossovers for strong connections -- Humans have 46 chromosomes in each of our cells, made up of 23 pairs of matching, "homologous" chromosomes, with one of each pair inherited from each parent. Early in the process of making sperm or eggs, those chromosome pairs line up, and the parental chromosomes break and rejoin to each other. These chromosome exchanges, called "crossovers," serve two important functions. -- First, they help ensure that each chromosome that is passed on to the offspring contains a unique mixture of genes from both parents. Crossovers also keep the chromosomes connected in matching pairs. These connections guide the distribution of chromosomes when cells divide to produce eggs and sperm. Maintaining crossover connections is especially crucial in females, Hunter said. -- As chromosomes pair up in developing egg or sperm cells, matching DNA strands are exchanged and twined together over a short distance to form a structure called a "double Holliday junction." DNA strands of this structure are then cut to join the chromosomes forming a crossover. | 856 |
| First Living Cochlea Outside The Body Shows How Hearing Really Works | Living Cochlea Outside The Body Unveils Secrets Of How We Hear | Amplification through local critical behavior in the mammalian cochlea. | Rockefeller University | Cochlea and Hearing Mechanisms: Researchers have successfully maintained a small section of cochlea alive outside the body, enabling real-time observation of hair cells amplifying sound. This breakthrough not only confirms crucial principles of hearing but also provides insights that could lead to new treatments for hearing loss, aligning with decades of research into auditory mechanisms. | Living Cochlea Shows How Hearing Really WorksA specially designed chamber that helps imitate the living environment of the cochlea. Credit: Chris Taggart/The Rockefeller University -- Shortly before his death in August 2025, A. James Hudspeth and his team in the Laboratory of Sensory Neuroscience at The Rockefeller University achieved a groundbreaking technological advancement: the ability to keep a tiny sliver of the cochlea alive and functional outside of the body for the first time. Their new device allowed them to capture the live biomechanics of the cochlea's remarkable auditory powers, including exceptional sensitivity, sharp frequency tuning, and the ability to encode a broad range of sound intensities. -- "We can now observe the first steps of the hearing process in a controlled way that was previously impossible," says co-first author Francesco Gianoli, a postdoctoral fellow in the Hudspeth lab. -- Described in two recent papers (in PNAS and Hearing Research, respectively), the innovation is a product of Hudspeth's five decades of work illuminating the molecular and neural mechanisms of hearing -- insights that have illuminated new paths to preventing or reversing hearing loss. -- With this advance, the researchers have also provided direct evidence of a unifying biophysical principle that governs hearing across the animal kingdom, a subject Hudspeth investigated for more than a quarter-century. -- "This study is a masterpiece," says biophysicist Marcelo Magnasco, head of the Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience at Rockefeller, who collaborated with Hudspeth on some of his seminal findings. "In the field of biophysics, it's one of the most impressive experiments of the last five years." -- The mechanics of hearing -- Though the cochlea is a marvel of evolutionary engineering, some of its fundamental mechanisms have long remained hidden. The organ's fragility and inaccessibility -- embedded as it is in the densest bone in the body -- have made it difficult to study in action. -- These challenges have long frustrated hearing researchers, because most hearing loss results from damage to sensory receptors called hair cells that line the cochlea. The organ has some 16,000 of these hair cells, so-called because each one is topped by a few hundred fine "feelers," or stereocilia, that early microscopists likened to hair. Each bundle is a tuned machine that amplifies and converts sound vibrations into electrical responses that the brain can then interpret. -- It's well documented that in insects and non-vertebrate animals -- such as the bullfrogs studied in Hudspeth's lab -- a biophysical phenomenon known as a Hopf bifurcation is key to the hearing process. The Hopf bifurcation describes a kind of mechanical instability, a tipping point between complete stillness and oscillations. At this knife-edge, even the faintest sound tips the system into movement, allowing it to amplify weak signals far beyond what would otherwise register. | 857 |
| This Tiny Butterfly Has The Most Chromosomes Of Any Animal On Earth | Atlas Blue Butterfly Is A Unique Marvel With The Most Chromosomes On Earth | Constraints on chromosome evolution revealed by the 229 chromosome pairs of the Atlas blue butterfly. | Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute | Atlas Blue Butterfly Genetics: The Atlas blue butterfly has been confirmed as the species with the highest number of chromosomes, boasting 229 pairs. This unique genetic structure, which diverges from typical patterns seen in related species, provides important insights into evolution, conservation, and could have implications for understanding chromosome behaviors related to cancer. | The Creature With the World’s Most ChromosomesPhotograph of the Atlas blue butterfly, taken by Roger Vila, senior author on this paper. Credit: Dr Roger Vila / The Institute of Evolutionary Biology -- The Atlas blue butterfly, also known as Polyommatus atlantica, has been genetically confirmed as having the highest number of chromosomes out of all multicellular animals in the world. -- This insect boasts 229 pairs of chromosomes, while many of its close relatives have only 23 or 24 pairs. Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE: CSIC-UPF), Barcelona, have revealed that these chromosomes have been broken up over time, instead of duplicated. -- The first genomic study of this butterfly, published on September 10 in Current Biology, allows experts to begin to explore the evolutionary reasons behind this extreme number of chromosomes. Chromosome changes are also seen in human cancer cells, and therefore, understanding this process in different species could help inform cancer research. -- This is the first time that the Atlas blue butterfly has been sequenced. From this, experts have produced a gold-standard reference genome for this species, allowing researchers to compare this extreme genome to other butterflies and moths to understand more about how species form and change over time. -- Evolution and the development of new species happen over millions of years, making it hard to study practically. Instead, experts can use the DNA of a species and compare this to others in the same family to understand which genes and traits have been kept and which have been lost and then make informed guesses as to why. -- Having the genetic story of a species also allows us to understand how the next chapter might go. For example, we might be able to understand how a species could respond to the increasing global temperature and if they have any genes or mechanisms that might protect them. This could inform conservation efforts as well as research into producing more resilient crops. -- The Atlas blue butterfly is found in the mountain ranges of Morocco and northeast Algeria. While it had been suspected to have the most chromosome pairs in the animal kingdom, this is the first time experts have sequenced the butterfly genome to confirm1. For comparison, a close relative found widely in the UK, the Common blue butterfly, has 24 chromosomes. -- Changes in chromosome numbers are thought to contribute to the process of new species forming and help species adapt to their environment. The group to which the Atlas blue butterfly belongs contains many closely related species that evolved over a short period of time. -- In this new research, the team found that the chromosomes had been spilt up at points where the DNA is less tightly wound. This means there was roughly the same amount of genetic information, but it was packaged in smaller sections. All of the chromosomes, apart from the sex chromosomes, were cut up, and the researchers estimate that this caused the chromosome number to go from 24 to 229 over roughly three million years -- a relatively short amount of time by evolutionary standards. | 858 |
| A Pink Bumpy Snailfish Was Just Discovered Miles Beneath The Ocean | New Deep-Sea Snailfish Discoveries Showcase Nature's Adaptations Under Extreme Conditions | Descriptions of Three Newly Discovered Abyssal Snailfishes (Liparidae) from the Eastern Pacific Ocean. | Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute | Deep-Sea Snailfish Discoveries: Scientists have identified three new species of deep-sea snailfish, including the strikingly pink "bumpy snailfish," using advanced underwater technology. Found at great depths off the California coast, these unique fish exhibit remarkable adaptations to their extreme environment, further enriching our understanding of deep-sea biodiversity. | New Fish Discovered Miles Beneath the OceanSUNY Geneseo researchers and their collaborators have described three new snailfishes, including the bumpy snailfish (Careproctus colliculi) discovered using MBARI’s remotely operated vehicle Doc Ricketts. Credit: © 2019 MBARI -- The bumpy snailfish is one of three new species of deep-sea snailfish described by MBARI collaborators at SUNY Geneseo. -- MBARI's advanced underwater technology is revealing the remarkable species that thrive in the deep sea. In 2019, MBARI researchers encountered an unfamiliar pink snailfish swimming just above the seafloor. New research from MBARI collaborators has confirmed this individual represents a species previously unknown to science: the bumpy snailfish (Careproctus colliculi). -- A team of researchers from the State University of New York at Geneseo (SUNY Geneseo), with scientists from the University of Montana and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, published their findings in the scientific journal Ichthyology and Herpetology, describing the bumpy snailfish observed by MBARI researchers alongside two other snailfishes from the abyssal seafloor offshore of California. -- "MBARI seeks to make ocean exploration more accessible by sharing our data and technology with our peers in the science community. We welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with researchers from SUNY Geneseo to expand our understanding of life in the deep ocean, especially since documenting deep-sea biodiversity is critical to detecting any changes that may be occurring in this environment," said MBARI Senior Scientist Steven Haddock, who led the research expedition that encountered the bumpy snailfish. -- Uncovering secrets to survival in extreme environments -- Snailfishes belong to the family Liparidae. They typically have a large head, jelly-like body covered in loose skin, and narrow tail. Many snailfish species have a disk on their belly that allows them to grip the seafloor or hitchhike on larger animals, such as deep-sea crabs. Shallow-water snailfishes often cling to rocks and seaweed, curling up like a snail. -- Scientists have described more than 400 different species of snailfish worldwide. These fishes make their homes in a variety of ocean habitats, from shallow tide pools to deep-sea trenches. In fact, a snailfish holds the record for the deepest-dwelling fish. -- SUNY Geneseo Associate Professor Mackenzie Gerringer studies deep-sea physiology and ecology and has conducted extensive research on deep-sea snailfishes. Her research uses comparative techniques in taxonomy, functional morphology, and physiology to understand how fishes are adapted to life under crushing pressure, frigid cold, and perpetual darkness in the ocean's depths. -- "The deep sea is home to an incredible diversity of organisms and a truly beautiful array of adaptations. Our discovery of not one, but three, new species of snailfishes is a reminder of how much we have yet to learn about life on Earth and of the power of curiosity and exploration," said Gerringer. | 859 |
| Earth’s Inner Core Exists Only Because Of Carbon | Carbon's Role Was Crucial In Forming Earth’s Inner Core And Stabilizing Life | Constraining Earth’s core composition from inner core nucleation. | University of Oxford | Carbon’s Role in Earth's Core: A new study reveals that carbon was instrumental in the solidification of Earth’s molten core, crucial for stabilizing its magnetic field. This finding suggests that carbon may be more prevalent in the core than previously thought, providing valuable insights into the planet's geological history and the conditions essential for life. | Earth’s Inner Core Exists Only Because of CarbonCartoon of the Earth with cutaway showing the mantle and inner and outer core. Magnetic field lines produced by the geodynamo extend into space and interact with the solar wind. -- A new study by researchers at the University of Oxford, University of Leeds, and University College London has identified a new constraint on the chemistry of Earth's core, by showing how it was able to crystallize millions of years ago. The study was published today (September 4) in Nature Communications. -- The researchers showed that the core would need to be made of 3.8% carbon for it to have begun crystallizing. This result indicates that carbon may be more abundant in Earth's core than previously thought, and that this element could have played a key role in how it froze, offering a rare glimpse into the processes occurring at the heart of our planet. -- Earth's inner core, the solid iron-rich mass at the center of our planet, is slowly growing as the surrounding molten outer core cools and freezes. But this process has been a source of debate amongst scientists for decades. -- Inner core formation is not just a matter of determining when the core cooled to its freezing point, but instead involves the process of crystallization which depends on its exact chemical composition. Like water droplets in clouds, which can cool to -30 °C before forming hail, molten iron must be supercooled (cooled to below its melting point) before it can freeze. -- Previous calculations have suggested that 800-1000 °C of supercooling would be needed to initiate freezing of the core if it were made of pure iron. -- However, if the core is supercooled to this degree, researchers have shown that the inner core would grow massively, and the Earth's magnetic field would fail. But neither of these outcomes have occurred during our planet's history. Instead, scientists believe that in the past, the core could have cooled to no more than about 250 °C below its melting point. -- This new research aimed to understand how the inner core exists as observed today with such limited supercooling in the past. Without direct access to the Earth's deep interior, the research team needed to rely on computer simulations of the freezing process. -- They looked at the presence of other elements, specifically silicon, sulphur, oxygen, and carbon, and how these might affect the freezing process. -- "Each of these elements exist in the overlying mantle and could therefore have been dissolved into the core during Earth's history," explained co-author Associate Professor Andrew Walker (Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford). "As a result, these could explain why we have a solid inner core with relatively little supercooling at this depth. The presence of one or more of these elements could also rationalise why the core is less dense than pure iron, a key observation from seismology." | 860 |
| Scientists Just Found Hidden Parasitic Wasps Spreading Across The U. S. | Hidden Parasitic Wasp Species Spark New Questions About Biodiversity And Ecological Balance | Discovery of two Palearctic Bootanomyia Girault (Hymenoptera, Megastigmidae) parasitic wasp species introduced to North America. | Binghamton University | New Parasitic Wasp Species: Researchers have identified two new species of parasitic wasps in North America, tracing their origins to Europe. This discovery raises important questions about biodiversity and ecological balance, highlighting the role of citizen science in tracking and understanding the spread of new species. | Parasitic Wasps Spreading Across the U.S.Two species of Bootanomyia dorsalis wasps introduced to North America from Europe. C a male B. dorsalis sp. 1 collected from New York D a female B. dorsalis sp. 2 from the Pacific coast of North America. Body coloration of both C and D wasps are representative of their respective species regardless of sex. Credit: Journal of Hymenoptera Research -- A research team including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York have identified two previously unknown species of parasitic wasps living in the United States.A research team including facutly at Binghamton University, State University of New York have identified two previously unknown species of parasitic wasps living in the United States. -- Oak gall wasps and their predators don't have the panache of butterflies, but they're attracting growing interest among both scientists and naturalists. -- Only 1 to 8 millimeters long, these small insects create the tumor-like plant growths known as "galls." Small as a pinhead or large as an apple, galls can take striking shapes, with some resembling sea urchins or saucers, explained Binghamton University Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Kirsten Prior, who also co-leads Binghamton's Natural Global Environmental Change Center. -- And if these wasps are a mascot for anything, it's biodiversity. North America has around 90 different species of oak trees, and around 800 species of oak gall wasps that live upon them. Parasitic wasps lay their eggs in the galls and go on to devour the entire oak gall wasp. -- But how many species of parasitoid wasps are out there? That's a question that scientists -- both academic researchers traveling the globe and everyday citizens in their own backyard -- are working to answer. -- A recent article in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research, "Discovery of two Palearctic Bootanomyia Girault (Hymenoptera, Megastigmidae) parasitic wasp species introduced to North America," gives insight into a previously unknown level of species diversity. In addition to Prior, co-authors include current graduate student Kathy Fridrich and former graduate student Dylan G. Jones, as well as Guerin Brown, Corey Lewis, Christian Weinrich, MaKella Steffensen and Andrew Forbes of the University of Iowa, and Elijah Goodwin of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Tarrytown, N.Y. -- This discovery is part of a larger research effort. In 2024, the National Science Foundation awarded a $305,209 grant to Binghamton University for research into the diversity of oak gall wasps and parasitoids throughout North America. The project is a collaboration between Prior, Forbes at the University of Iowa, Glen Hood at Wayne State University and Adam Kranz, one of the creators behind the website Gallformers.org, which helps people learn about and identify galls on North American plants. -- The NSF grant investigates a core question: How do gall-forming insects escape diverse and evolving clades of parasitic wasps -- and how do parasites catch up? To answer that question, researchers are collecting oak gall wasps around North America and using genetic sequencing to determine which parasitic wasps emerge from the galls. Among them are Fridrich and fellow Binghamton graduate student Zachary Prete, who spent the summer on a gall- and parasitoid-collection trip from New York to Florida. -- "We are interested in how oak gall characteristics act as defenses against parasites and affect the evolutionary trajectories of both oak gall wasps and the parasites they host. The scale of this study will make it the most extensive cophylogenetic study of its kind," Prior said. "Only when we have a large, concerted effort to search for biodiversity can we uncover surprises -- like new or introduced species." | 861 |
| Before They Sucked Blood, Leeches Were Ocean Hunters | Ancient Leeches Were Predators Long Before They Became Bloodsuckers | The first leech body fossil predates estimated hirudinidan origins by 200 million years. | University of California - Riverside | An ancient fossil uncovered in Scotland, dating back 430 million years, has reshaped our understanding of leech evolution. This find indicates that leeches are much older than previously thought and reveals that their ancestors were marine hunters with a tail sucker, diverging from the bloodsucking behavior seen in modern leeches. | Before Bloodsucking, Leeches Hunted the SeaA 430-million-year-old fossil reveals leeches began as ocean hunters long before they evolved into bloodsuckers. Credit: Shutterstock -- A newly described fossil reveals that leeches are at least 200 million years older than scientists previously thought, and that their earliest ancestors may have feasted not on blood, but on smaller marine creatures. -- "This is the only body fossil we've ever found of this entire group," said Karma Nanglu, a paleontologist with the University of California, Riverside. He collaborated with researchers from the University of Toronto, University of São Paulo, and Ohio State University on a paper describing the fossil, which is now published in PeerJ. -- Roughly 430 million years old, the fossil includes a large tail sucker -- a feature still found in modern leeches -- along with a segmented, teardrop-shaped body. But one important feature isn't found in this fossil: the forward sucker that many of today's leeches use to pierce skin and draw blood. -- This absence, along with the fossil's marine origin, suggests a very different early lifestyle for the group known as Hirudinida. Rather than sucking blood from mammals, reptiles, and other vertebrates, the earliest leeches may have roamed the oceans, consuming soft-bodied invertebrates whole or feeding on their internal fluids. -- "Blood feeding takes a lot of specialized machinery," Nanglu said. "Anticoagulants, mouthparts, and digestive enzymes are complex adaptations. It makes more sense that early leeches were swallowing prey whole or maybe drinking the internal fluids of small, soft-bodied marine animals." -- Previously, scientists believed leeches emerged about 150-200 million years ago. That timeline has now been pushed back by at least 200 million years, thanks to the fossil found in the Waukesha biota, a geological formation in Wisconsin known for preserving the bodies of soft tissue animals that usually decay before fossilization. -- Preserving a leech fossil is no small feat. Leeches lack bones, shells, or exoskeletons that are most easily preserved over millions of years. Fossils like this require exceptional circumstances to preserve, often involving near-immediate burial, a low-oxygen environment, and unusual geochemical conditions. -- "A rare animal and just the right environment to fossilize it -- it's like hitting the lottery twice," Nanglu said. -- The fossil came to light during a broader study of the Waukesha site by researchers at Ohio State University, who are co-authors on this paper. Though initially unrecognized for what it was, the specimen caught Nanglu's eye during the early pandemic years. | 862 |
| Saturn’s Icy Moon Enceladus Just Revealed Stunning New Clues To Life | New Data Suggests Enceladus May Harbor Life | Detection of organic compounds in freshly ejected ice grains from Enceladus’s ocean. | European Space Agency | Analysis of data collected by the Cassini spacecraft has uncovered complex organic molecules in ice grains from Saturn's moon Enceladus, suggesting it may harbor conditions akin to those that support life on Earth. These findings bolster the case for a future European mission aimed at further exploring Enceladus's surface and potential habitability. | Enceladus Reveals Stunning New Clues to LifeThis artist’s impression depicts thermal jets venting through the icy surface at the southern polar region of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Credit: ESA/Science Office -- Scientists digging through data collected by the Cassini spacecraft have found new complex organic molecules spewing from Saturn's moon Enceladus. This is a clear sign that complex chemical reactions are taking place within its underground ocean. Some of these reactions could be part of chains that lead to even more complex, potentially biologically relevant molecules. -- Published on October 1 in Nature Astronomy, this discovery further strengthens the case for a dedicated European Space Agency (ESA) mission to orbit and land on Enceladus. -- In 2005, Cassini found the first evidence that Enceladus has a hidden ocean beneath its icy surface. Jets of water burst from cracks close to the moon's south pole, shooting ice grains into space. Smaller than grains of sand, some of the tiny pieces of ice fall back onto the moon's surface, whilst others escape and form a ring around Saturn that traces Enceladus's orbit. -- Lead author Nozair Khawaja explains what we already knew: "Cassini was detecting samples from Enceladus all the time as it flew through Saturn's E ring. We had already found many organic molecules in these ice grains, including precursors for amino acids. -- The ice grains in the ring can be hundreds of years old. As they have aged, they may have been 'weathered' and therefore altered by intense space radiation. Scientists wanted to investigate fresh grains ejected much more recently to get a better idea of what exactly is going on in Enceladus's ocean. -- Fortunately, we already had the data. Back in 2008, Cassini flew straight through the icy spray. Pristine grains ejected only minutes before hit the spacecraft's Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) instrument at about 18 km/s. These were not only the freshest ice grains Cassini had ever detected, but also the fastest. -- The speed mattered. Nozair explains why: -- "The ice grains contain not just frozen water, but also other molecules, including organics. At lower impact speeds, the ice shatters, and the signal from clusters of water molecules can hide the signal from certain organic molecules. But when the ice grains hit CDA fast, water molecules don't cluster, and we have a chance to see these previously hidden signals." -- It took years to build up knowledge from previous flybys and then apply it to decipher this data. But now, Nozair's team has revealed what kind of molecules were present inside the fresh ice grains. | 863 |
| A Plant Compound Might Be The Secret Weapon Against Gum Disease | Plant Compound Could Be A New Ally Against Gum Disease | Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial evaluation of morin. | Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo | Researchers have developed a powdered form of morin, a compound derived from guava leaves and other plants, which shows promise as an alternative to antibiotics in treating gum disease. By encapsulating morin in polymers, they aim to deliver its antimicrobial properties effectively, potentially improving oral health without the side effects associated with conventional antibiotics. | Plant Powder Could Change Gum Disease TreatmentA plant compound called morin may soon revolutionize gum disease treatment with a safe, natural alternative to antibiotics. Credit: Shutterstock -- A powder based on morin, a natural compound extracted from plants such as guava leaves, apple and fig peels, certain teas, and almonds, has shown antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects against bacteria that cause periodontal disease. It is expected that the substance, released in a controlled manner through polymers, will help with nonsurgical treatments as an alternative to antibiotics for controlling microorganisms. -- In in vitro laboratory studies, researchers at the Araraquara School of Dentistry at São Paulo State University (FOAr-UNESP) in Brazil tested morin on a multispecies biofilm formed by various species of bacteria that simulated the effects of the disease on patients' gums. -- The results were published in the Archives of Oral Biology. The study was conducted by Luciana Solera Sales during her doctoral studies at FOAr-UNESP, under the supervision of Fernanda Lourenção Brighenti. FAPESP supported the study through a doctorate and a research internship abroad. -- Other researchers involved in the study included Andréia Bagliotti Meneguin from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Araraquara (FCFAr) at UNESP; Hernane da Silva Barud from the University of Araraquara (UNIARA); and Michael Robert Milward from the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Birmingham in England. -- "At the moment, we have a fine powder obtained through spray drying - which is the same equipment used to make powdered milk - that can be used to make various types of oral hygiene products. The idea is to provide a platform that acts as an adjunct and can be useful, for example, for people with reduced motor skills who are unable to brush their teeth properly, such as older adults and patients with special needs," says Brighenti. -- Morin was chosen because it is a natural, inexpensive, and easily accessible compound. -- "Morin is a flavonoid that can be obtained from various fruits. But simply eating it isn't enough; the substance needs to be processed. The idea is to take advantage of this natural compound, its benefits, and its advantages, and transform it all so that it can be used to prevent and treat tooth decay and periodontal disease," Sales points out. -- Within the research group, Brighenti has been working with other researchers to develop what she calls platforms that allow different types of substances to act on the diseases currently being studied. According to Brighenti, this is necessary because natural products generally do not dissolve well in water. -- "We have a constant flow of saliva. We produce, on average, 1 milliliter of saliva per minute. Anything we put in our mouths is quickly removed by saliva, especially because it has a smell and taste, which stimulates salivary flow. When we have something that sticks to the mucous membrane of the mouth, the inside of our cheeks, and our teeth, it gives us an additional advantage. This controlled release also helps us control the toxicity and stability of the substance," the professor explains. | 864 |
| A Volcano Erased An Island’s Plants. Their DNA Revealed How Life Starts Over | Volcano Reveals Genetic Secrets Of Early Ecosystem Development | Origin of populations of Portulaca oleracea on Nishinoshima, an active volcanic oceanic island. | Tokyo Metropolitan University | The study of an extinct plant population on the volcanic island of Nishinoshima has revealed fascinating insights into how ecosystems develop. The genetic analysis traced the lineage of this plant to a nearby island, exposing genetic quirks influenced by environmental resets, thus enhancing our understanding of plant resilience and ecosystem evolution in extreme conditions. | Extinct Island Plant Reveals Life’s SecretOn a volcanic island that periodically resets its ecosystem, scientists uncovered the genetic story of an extinct plant. Their findings reveal how chance, limited seed arrivals, and natural disasters shaped its evolution. Credit: Shutterstock -- Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have determined the genetic lineage of a now extinct plant population from Nishinoshima, a volcanic island whose frequent eruptions periodically "reset" the vegetation. While they traced the lineage to a nearby island, they discovered distinct genetic quirks due to the rarity of seeds making it there, including a "founder's effect." Their findings offer a rare glimpse into the very earliest stages of ecosystem development in an isolated environment. -- Nishinoshima, a part of the Ogasawara Island chain, lies approximately 1000 kilometers south of mainland Tokyo. It is home to regular volcanic activity; a recent series of major eruptions in 2013 destroyed nearly all its vegetation. As devastating as this is for plant life, these periodic "resets" and the sheer remoteness of the island afford scientists a rare glimpse into the early development of ecosystems, as newly arrived genetic material struggles to create a foothold. -- A team led by Professor Koji Takayama of Tokyo Metropolitan University, formerly affiliated with Kyoto University, has been investigating samples of common purslane, Portulaca oleracea, recovered from the island in 2019, just before an eruption destroyed virtually all flora on the island. While the species itself is found across temperate and tropical climates worldwide, the population on Nishinoshima is now considered extinct. Genetic analysis was carried out on these rare samples, one of 254 individual samples taken from a total of 51 separate populations sampled from all over Japan and Guam. -- Through careful comparison, the team began to uncover where the population in Nishinoshima came from, and where they lay in the "family tree" (phylogenetic tree) of the species Portulaca oleracea. They looked at both chloroplast DNA and a genome-wide survey of nuclear DNA, assigning families based on genetic similarities. It was found that they were most closely related to populations found in nearby Chichijima, another volcanic island. However, it also became clear that individuals from Nishinoshima had distinct genetic traits. Importantly, they seemed to derive from very few individuals, leading to a strong skew in subsequent genetic divergence. This is known as a founder's effect. -- Seeds of common purslane are flat, oblate, and less than a millimeter in size, making it easy for them to disperse via wind, birds, and ocean currents. The team's analysis, however, showed that opportunities for the plant to survive on the island must have been very limited; the founder's effect observed in the genetic makeup of the samples was very strong. They also found evidence for genetic drift, where isolated events such as typhoons and volcanic eruptions, not natural selection, are responsible for changes in genetics. -- The team's work is a first glimpse into the phylogenetics of a now extinct population. The unique environment of the islands gives scientists a glimpse into the nascent stages of genetic evolution in isolated island environments, from how populations are established via the transport of seeds, to how they survive and thrive. This may also lead to insights into how plant populations are reestablished in the aftermath of natural disasters. -- This work was supported by KAKENHI (JP23K23945, JP23K20303, JP21KK0131) Grants-in-Aid from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund (JPMEERF20204006) of the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency of Japan, Environmental Surveys by the Ministry of the Environment, and the Eco-LOGIC-al Network Project of The Tokyo Metropolitan Government. | 865 |
| Scientists Just Found The Strongest Signs Of Life On Mars Yet | Mars Samples May Provide Evidence Of Ancient Microbial Life | Redox-driven mineral and organic associations in Jezero Crater, Mars. | Imperial College London | Findings from Jezero Crater suggest that Mars may have once supported microbial life, as data from the Perseverance rover indicates it contained a lake that left behind minerals linked to organic activity. However, scientists caution that definitive proof of life will rely on analyses performed on samples returned to Earth. | Strongest Signs of Ancient Life on Mars YetThis illustration shows Jezero Crater, the landing site of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, as it may have looked billions of years go on Mars, when it was a lake. An inlet and outlet are also visible on either side of the lake. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech -- A new study suggests a habitable past and signs of ancient microbial processes on Mars -- and Imperial scientists provided crucial context. -- Led by NASA and featuring key analysis from Imperial College London, the work has uncovered a range of minerals and organic matter in Martian rocks that point to an ancient history of habitable conditions and potential biological processes on the Red Planet. -- An international team, including researchers from the Department of Earth Science and Engineering (ESE) at Imperial, propose that these geological features within the so-called Bright Angel formation in Mars's Jezero Crater are closely connected to organic carbon, and could be a compelling potential biosignature of past life. -- Professor Sanjeev Gupta, Professor of Earth Science in ESE, and Academic Co-director of Imperial Global India, said: "This is a very exciting discovery of a potential biosignature but it does not mean we have discovered life on Mars. We now need to analyze this rock sample on Earth to truly confirm if biological processes were involved or not." -- Promising signs -- A core component of NASA's Mars 2020 mission, the Perseverance Rover has been exploring the 45-kilometre-wide Jezero Crater since 2021, a site chosen because it once held a huge lake and a river delta - environments that are considered prime targets in the search for signs of past life. Its key goal is to collect and store the first set of selected rock and soil samples that will be brought back to Earth for detailed analysis. -- The new study, published in Nature, focuses on a distinctly light-toned outcrop in the crater, dubbed 'Bright Angel', located within an ancient river valley which provided water to the Jezero lake. -- While driving through the valley, called Neretva Vallis, Perseverance came across a thick succession of fine-grained mudstones and muddy conglomerates. Here, it conducted a detailed analysis of these rocks, using instruments such as the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) and Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (SHERLOC). -- An unexpected lake | 866 |
| Scientists Finally Solve The Mystery Of Ghostly Halos On The Ocean Floor | Mystery Of Toxic Barrels Off California’s Coast Finally Uncovered | Extremophile hotspots linked to containerized industrial waste dumping in a deep-sea basin. | University of California - San Diego | Research into barrels dumped off the Southern California coast has unveiled a troubling secret: some contained caustic alkaline waste, not just DDT. This discovery exposes the ongoing legacy of industrial waste in marine ecosystems and its impact on seabed environments, prompting a call for greater scrutiny and environmental monitoring. | Scientists Solve the Mystery of Ghostly HalosA discarded barrel on the seafloor off the coast of Los Angeles. The image was taken during a survey in July 2021 by remotely operated vehicle SuBastian. Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute -- In 2020, haunting images of corroded metal barrels in the deep ocean off Los Angeles leapt into the public consciousness. Initially linked to the toxic pesticide DDT, some barrels were encircled by ghostly halos in the sediment. It was unclear whether the barrels contained DDT waste, leaving the barrels' contents and the eerie halos unexplained. -- Now, new research from UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography reveals that the barrels with halos contained caustic alkaline waste, which created the halos as it leaked out. Though the study's findings can't identify which specific chemicals were present in the barrels, DDT manufacturing did produce alkaline as well as acidic waste. Other major industries in the region such as oil refining also generated significant alkaline waste. -- "One of the main waste streams from DDT production was acid and they didn't put that into barrels," said Johanna Gutleben, a Scripps postdoctoral scholar and the study's first author. "It makes you wonder: What was worse than DDT acid waste to deserve being put into barrels?" -- The study also found that the caustic waste from these barrels transformed portions of the seafloor into extreme environments mirroring natural hydrothermal vents -- complete with specialized bacteria that thrive where most life cannot survive. The study authors said the severity and extent of this alkaline waste's impacts on the marine environment depend on how many of these barrels are sitting on the seafloor and the specific chemicals they contained. -- Despite these unknowns, Paul Jensen, emeritus marine microbiologist at Scripps and senior author of the study, said that he would have expected the alkaline waste to quickly dissipate in seawater. Instead, it has persisted for more than half a century, suggesting this alkaline waste "can now join the ranks of DDT as a persistent pollutant with long-term environmental impacts." -- The study, published on September 9 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Nexus and supported by NOAA and the University of Southern California's Sea Grant program, continues Scripps' leadership role in unspooling the toxic legacy of once-legal ocean dumping off the coast of Southern California. The findings also provide a way of visually identifying barrels that formerly contained this caustic alkaline waste. -- "DDT was not the only thing that was dumped in this part of the ocean and we have only a very fragmented idea of what else was dumped there," said Gutleben. "We only find what we are looking for and up to this point we have mostly been looking for DDT. Nobody was thinking about alkaline waste before this and we may have to start looking for other things as well." -- From the 1930s until the early 1970s, 14 deep-water dump sites off the coast of Southern California received "refinery wastes, filter cakes and oil drilling wastes, chemical wastes, refuse and garbage, military explosives and radioactive wastes," according to the EPA. A pair of Scripps-led seafloor surveys in 2021 and 2023 identified thousands of objects, including hundreds of discarded military munitions. The number of barrels on the seafloor remains unknown. Sediments in the area are heavily contaminated with the pesticide DDT, a chemical banned in 1972 now known to harm humans and wildlife. Scant records from this time period suggest DDT waste was largely pumped directly into the ocean. -- Gutleben said she and her co-authors didn't initially set out to solve the halo mystery. In 2021, aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's Research Vessel Falkor, she and other researchers collected sediment samples to better understand the contamination near Catalina. Using the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SuBastian, the team collected sediment samples at precise distances from five barrels, three of which had white halos. | 867 |
| Scientists Uncover A Mysterious Jurassic Lizard With Snake-Like Jaws | Jurassic Lizard Challenges Our Understanding Of Snake Evolution | Mosaic anatomy in an early fossil squamate. | American Museum of Natural History | A remarkable discovery on Scotland's Isle of Skye has unearthed a Jurassic lizard that possesses both snake-like and lizard-like features, challenging notions about snake evolution. This unique fossil, named Breugnathair elgolensis, provides crucial insights into the lineage of squamates, indicating that traits once thought exclusive to snakes may have evolved independently. | A Jurassic Lizard With Snake-Like JawsA reconstruction of Breugnathair elgolensis. Credit: National Museums Scotland © Brennan Stokkermans -- New research has uncovered a species of hook-toothed lizard that lived about 167 million years ago and has a confusing set of features seen in snakes and geckos -- two very distant relatives. One of the oldest relatively complete fossil lizards yet discovered, the Jurassic specimen is described in a study, published on October 1 in the journal Nature, from a multinational collaboration between the American Museum of Natural History and scientists in the United Kingdom, including University College London and the National Museums Scotland, France, and South Africa. -- The species was given the Gaelic name Breugnathair elgolensis meaning "false snake of Elgol," referencing the area in Scotland's Isle of Skye where it was discovered. Breugnathair had snake-like jaws and hook-like, curved teeth similar to those of modern-day pythons, paired with the short body and fully-formed limbs of a lizard. -- "Snakes are remarkable animals that evolved long, limbless bodies from lizard-like ancestors," said the study's lead author Roger Benson, Macaulay Curator in the American Museum of Natural History's Division of Paleontology. "Breugnathair has snake-like features of the teeth and jaws, but in other ways, it is surprisingly primitive. This might be telling us that snake ancestors were very different to what we expected, or it could instead be evidence that snake-like predatory habits evolved separately in a primitive, extinct group." -- Lizards and snakes together form a group called squamates. Breugnathair has been placed in a new group of extinct, predatory squamates called Parviraptoridae, which was previously known only from more fragmentary fossils. Earlier studies reported snake-like tooth-bearing bones that were found in close proximity with bones that had gecko-like features. But because these seemed so drastically different, some researchers believed they belonged to two different animals. The new work on Breugnathair rejects those earlier findings, showing that both snake-like and gecko-like features exist together in a single animal. -- Breugnathair was discovered in 2016 by Stig Walsh from the National Museums Scotland while on an expedition with Benson and others on the Isle of Skye. The researchers have spent almost 10 years since then preparing the specimen, imaging it with computed tomography as well as with high-powered x-rays at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France, and analyzing the results. -- "The Jurassic fossil deposits on the Isle of Skye are of world importance for our understanding of the early evolution of many living groups, including lizards, which were beginning their diversification at around this time," said Susan Evans from University College London, who co-led the study. "I first described parviraptorids some 30 years ago based on more fragmentary material, so it's a bit like finding the top of the jigsaw box many years after you puzzled out the original picture from a handful of pieces. The mosaic of primitive and specialized features we find in parviraptorids, as demonstrated by this new specimen, is an important reminder that evolutionary paths can be unpredictable." -- Nearly 16 inches long from head to tail, Breugnathair was one of the largest lizards in its ecosystem, where it likely preyed on smaller lizards, early mammals, and other vertebrates, like young dinosaurs. But is it a lizard-like ancestor of snakes? Because it has such an unusual mixture of features, and because other fossils that shed light on early squamate evolution are rare, the researchers did not arrive at a conclusive answer. Another possibility is that Breugnathair could be a stem-squamate, a predecessor of all lizards and snakes, that independently evolved snake-like teeth and jaws. -- "This fossil gets us quite far, but it doesn't get us all of the way," Benson said. "However, it makes us even more excited about the possibility of figuring out where snakes come from." -- Other study authors include Zoe Kulik from the American Museum of Natural History, Elizabeth Griffiths Jason Head from the University of Cambridge, Jennifer Botha from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and Vincent Fernandez from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. | 868 |
| Scientists Just Found The Shocking Reason Chile’s Quake Shook So Hard | Chile’s Deep Quake Raises Questions About Earthquake Predictions | Deep intra-slab rupture and mechanism transition of the 2024 Mw 7.4 Calama earthquake. | University of Texas at Austin | A deep earthquake near Calama, Chile, surprised scientists with its unusual depth and intensity, prompting a reevaluation of existing seismic theories. Researchers have identified a “thermal runaway” mechanism responsible for its strength, indicating that future monitoring and preparedness strategies must adapt to accommodate these unforeseen seismic threats. | The Shocking Reason Chile’s Quake Shook So HardA Chilean quake shattered scientific assumptions, revealing a hidden runaway force beneath the Earth. Credit: Shutterstock -- In July 2024, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Calama, Chile, damaging buildings and causing power outages. -- The country has endured violent earthquakes, including the most powerful recorded in history: a 9.5-magnitude "megathrust" event that struck central Chile in 1960, causing a tsunami and killing between 1,000 to 6,000 people. However, the Calama quake was different from the megathrust quakes that are usually associated with the most destructive events in Chile and around the world. -- Megathrust earthquakes occur at relatively shallow depths. But the Calama quake occurred much deeper underground, at 125 kilometers beneath the Earth's surface and within the tectonic slab itself. -- Earthquakes this deep usually produce much more subdued shaking on the surface. But in the case of Calama, a sequence of events, discovered by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, helped supercharge its strength. In a recent study in Nature Communications the researchers describe a newly-discovered chain of events that was responsible for increasing the earthquake's intensity. -- In addition to helping explain the tectonic forces behind the powerful quake, the findings have implications for future earthquake hazard assessments. -- "These Chilean events are causing more shaking than is normally expected from intermediate-depth earthquakes, and can be quite destructive," said the study's lead author Zhe Jia, a research assistant professor at the UT Jackson School of Geosciences. "Our goal is to learn more about how these earthquakes occur, so our research could support emergency response and long-term planning." -- Intermediate-depth earthquakes, such as the one in Calama, were long thought to occur due to pressure building up as the rock dried out - a phenomenon called "dehydration embrittlement." This process happens when a subducting tectonic plate dives toward the Earth's hot interior, and the increased heat and pressure forces water out of the minerals within the rock. The dehydrated rocks are weakened and fractured, which can lead them to rupture - triggering an earthquake in the slab. -- This dehydration process is typically thought to stop where temperatures exceed 650 degrees Celsius. But according to the researchers, the Calama quake was so powerful because it breached this limit - going 50 kilometers deeper into hotter zones through a second mechanism called "thermal runway." This involves immense friction from the initial slip generating a large amount of heat at the tip of the rupture, which helps weaken material around it and propels the rupture forward. -- "It's the first time we saw an intermediate-depth earthquake break assumptions, rupturing from a cold zone into a really hot one, and traveling at much faster speeds," said Jia, who is part of the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG), a research unit of the Jackson School. "That indicates the mechanism changed from dehydration embrittlement to thermal runaway." | 869 |
| Soil Warming Experiments Challenge Assumptions About Climate Change | Soil Microbes Need More Than Heat To Release CO2 | Decoding the hidden mechanisms of soil carbon cycling in response to climate change in a substrate-limited forested ecosystem. | North Carolina State University | Recent research has shown that rising temperatures do not directly lead to increased carbon dioxide emissions from soil microbes; instead, additional nutrients and carbon are required for heightened microbial activity. This finding significantly alters the understanding of climate change impacts on soil emissions, revealing a complex interplay between temperature and nutrient availability. | Soil’s Secret Defense Against Rising CO2Study co-author Paul Frankson of the University of Georgia looks over the soil-warming controls. Credit: Debjani Sihi, NC State University -- A study examining the effects of higher temperatures on soil shows that warming alone does not increase levels of carbon dioxide emitted from the soil. Instead, higher temperatures combined with more added carbon - and more nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus - led to higher carbon dioxide levels released from the soil. -- The findings provide another piece of the puzzle reflecting the role nature plays in the delicate balancing act between carbon storage in soil and carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. -- Much of the carbon dioxide emissions from soil come from microbes, tiny organisms like bacteria, fungi, viruses and others, that live in soil and "breathe out" carbon dioxide - just like people. -- "When things warm up, there is more plant photosynthesis, more 'food' for microbes to metabolize on, more activity for microbes," said Debjani Sihi, an assistant professor with joint appointments in NC State's Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and Department of Crop and Soil Sciences and corresponding author of a paper describing the research. -- "The question here is whether warming was enough to cause more carbon dioxide release from soil. The findings show that if you don't have the carbon and nutrients in easily available forms that soil microbes need to grow and thrive, then heating alone will not increase the loss of carbon." -- Sihi added that adding heat and nutrients alone also did not increase carbon dioxide emissions from the studied soil, which came from a long-term field-warming experimental site in the southeastern United States. Soil carbon in an easily available form was required for carbon dioxide levels from soil to increase. -- Until recently, warming studies have mostly been conducted in cold (e.g., Arctic, boreal or temperate) climates, Sihi said, as researchers attempt to understand the effects in places where a little bit of warming might lead to large changes. -- This study, in contrast, examined infertile soil from a subtropical climate - Athens, Georgia, home to one of the longest-running soil-warming facilities on the planet. -- "This study occurs in former cotton fields converted to forest land, not in native forest land," Sihi said. "Cotton is an exhaustive crop, so the soil doesn't contain many nutrients or carbon; the soil is not fertile or healthy." | 870 |
| Scientists Just Found The “Master Switch” For Plant Growth | Scientists Discover Key Regulators For Enhanced Plant Growth | Large-scale single-cell profiling of stem cells identifies redundant regulators of shoot development and yield trait variation. | Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory | Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have mapped key genetic factors that regulate plant stem cells, unlocking new avenues for crop improvement. By utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing, they identified genes linked to plant size and productivity, offering a valuable resource for breeding more resilient and high-yield crops in the future. | The “Master Switch” for Plant GrowthA thin section of a maize ear at a very early stage of development (about 3 millimeters long). Each color represents the expression of a different gene in stem cells and associated cells. Credit: Jackson lab/CSHL -- Plant stem cells are crucial for the world's food supply, animal feed, and fuel production. They lay the foundation for how plants grow. Yet, much about these mysterious building blocks remains unknown. Previous analyses have failed to locate many of the important genes that regulate how these cells function. -- Now, for the first time, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) plant biologists have mapped two known stem cell regulators across thousands of maize and Arabidopsis shoot cells. Their research also uncovered new stem cell regulators in both species and linked some to size variations in maize. This method for recovering rare stem cells could be used across the plant kingdom. CSHL Professor David Jackson explains: "Ideally, we would like to know how to make a stem cell. It would enable us to regenerate plants better. It would allow us to understand plant diversity. One thing people are very excited about is breeding new crops that are more resilient or more productive. We don't yet have a full list of regulators -- the genes we need to do that." -- Jackson and his colleagues first focused on two well-known stem cell regulators called CLAVATA3 and WUSCHEL. A former postdoc in Jackson's lab, Xiaosa Xu, delicately dissected a small piece of maize and Arabidopsis shoots containing stem cells. Then, the team used a "microfluidics" machine to separate each cell, convert its RNA into DNA, and label it with a tag that identifies which cell it came from. -- The process, called single-cell RNA sequencing, allows researchers to see how genes are expressed in thousands of cells at once. "The great thing is that you have this atlas of gene expression," Jackson says. "When we publish that, the whole community can use it. Other people interested in maize or Arabidopsis stem cells don't have to repeat the experiment. They will be able to use our data." -- Single-cell RNA sequencing allowed the team to recover about 5,000 CLAVATA3 and 1,000 WUSCHEL-expressing cells. Next, they identified hundreds of genes that were preferentially expressed in both maize and Arabidopsis stem cells, suggesting they may be evolutionarily important across many plant species. From there, they were able to link certain stem cell regulators to productivity in maize. Such links could someday help breeders select specific strains for food, animal feed, or fuel production. -- "It's foundational knowledge that could guide research for the next decade," Jackson says. "It can be used not only by developmental biologists, but physiologists, who think about how corn ears grow and how to improve productivity, and then breeders." | 871 |
| Astronomers Stunned As Fiery Auroras Blaze On A Planet Without A Star | Rogue Planet Displays Alien Weather Phenomena, Captivating Astronomers And Expanding Our Knowledge | The JWST weather report: Retrieving temperature variations, auroral heating, and static cloud coverage on SIMP-0136. | Trinity College Dublin | Alien Weather on Rogue Planet: The James Webb Telescope has unveiled dynamic weather phenomena on the rogue planet SIMP-0136, including fierce auroras and storms. These observations provide unprecedented insights into extraterrestrial atmospheres and challenge existing knowledge about weather patterns beyond our solar system. | Fiery Auroras Blaze Across a Rogue PlanetAn artistic impression of SIMP-0136. Credit: Dr Evert Nasedkin -- Strong Northern Lights-like activity is the standout feature of today’s weather report, which is coming at you from a strange, extrasolar world, instead of a standard TV studio. That is thanks to astronomers from Trinity College Dublin, who used the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to take a close look at the weather of a toasty nearby rogue planet, SIMP-0136. -- The exquisite sensitivity of the instruments on board the space-based telescope enabled the team to see minute changes in brightness of the planet as it rotated, which were used to track changes in temperature, cloud cover and chemistry. -- Surprisingly, these observations also illuminated SIMP-0136’s strong auroral activity, similar to the Northern Lights here on Earth or the powerful aurora on Jupiter, which heat up its upper atmosphere. -- “These are some of the most precise measurements of the atmosphere of any extra-solar object to date, and the first time that changes in the atmospheric properties have been directly measured,” said Dr Evert Nasedkin, a Postdoctoral Fellow in Trinity College Dublin’s School of Physics, who is the lead author of the research article just published in leading international journal, Astronomy & Astrophysics. -- “And at over 1,500 °C, SIMP-0136 makes this summer’s heat wave look mild,” he continued. “The precise observations we made meant we could accurately record temperature changes smaller than 5 °C. These changes in temperature were related to subtle changes in the chemical composition of this free-floating planet, which is suggestive of storms – similar to Jupiter’s Great Red Spot – rotating into view.” -- Another surprise finding was the lack of variability of the clouds on SIMP-0136. One might expect changes in the cloud coverage to lead to changes in the atmosphere, similar to observing patches of clouds and blue sky here on Earth. Instead, the team found that the cloud coverage was constant over the surface of SIMP-0136. At the temperatures of SIMP-0136 these clouds are unlike those on earth, instead composed of silicate grains, similar to sand on a beach. -- This is the first publication from the new ‘Exo-Aimsir’ group led by Prof. Johanna Vos in Trinity’s School of Physics, and includes contributions from all the group members, including PhD candidates Merle Schrader, Madeline Lam and Cian O’Toole. -- These data were initially published by a similar team led by Allison McCarthy at Boston University, but the new analysis has revealed more details about the atmosphere. -- “Different wavelengths of light are related to different atmospheric features. Similar to observing the changes in colour over the surface of the earth, the changes in the colour of SIMP-0136 are driven by changes in the atmospheric properties,” added Dr. Nasedkin. “So by using cutting-edge models, we could infer the temperature of the atmosphere, the chemical composition, and the position of the clouds.” | 872 |
| Heisenberg Said It Was Impossible. Scientists Just Proved Otherwise | Researchers Challenge Heisenberg’s Principle, Paving The Way For Advanced Quantum Sensors | Quantum-enhanced multiparameter sensing in a single mode. | University of Sydney | Revising Quantum Uncertainty: Researchers have achieved a breakthrough in quantum physics by reshaping Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, allowing for precise measurement of position and momentum simultaneously. This advancement has significant implications for developing ultra-sensitive sensors and enhancing our understanding of quantum mechanics. | Breaking Heisenberg’s Quantum LimitScientists have experimentally reshaped quantum uncertainty, achieving precision once thought impossible under Heisenberg’s principle. This breakthrough could fuel ultra-sensitive sensors for navigation, medicine, and astronomy. Credit: Shutterstock -- Physicists in Australia and Britain have reshaped quantum uncertainty to sidestep the restriction imposed by the famous Heisenberg uncertainty principle - a result that could underpin future ultra-precise sensor technology used in navigation, medicine and astronomy. -- The Heisenberg uncertainty principle, introduced in 1927, says that you can't know certain pairs of properties - such as a particle's position and momentum - with unlimited precision at the same time. In other words, there is always a trade-off in uncertainty: the more closely one property is pinned down, the less certainty there is about the other. -- In research published Sept. 24 in Science Advances, a team led by Dr Tingrei Tan from the University of Sydney Nano Institute and School of Physics has shown how to engineer a different trade-off to precisely measure position and momentum at the same time. -- "Think of uncertainty like air in a balloon," said Dr Tan, a Sydney Horizon Fellow in the Faculty of Science. "You can't remove it without popping the balloon, but you can squeeze it around to shift it. That's effectively what we've done. We push the unavoidable quantum uncertainty to places we don't care about (big, coarse jumps in position and momentum) so the fine details we do care about can be measured more precisely." -- The researchers also use the analogy of a clock to explain their findings (see image). Think of a normal clock with two hands: the hour hand and the minute hand. Now imagine the clock only has one hand. If it's the hour hand, you can tell what hour it is and roughly what minute, but the minute reading will be very imprecise. If the clock only has the minute hand, you can read the minutes very precisely, but you lose track of the larger context - specifically, which hour you're in. This 'modular' measurement sacrifices some global information in exchange for much finer detail. -- "By applying this strategy in quantum systems, we can measure the changes in both position and momentum of a particle far more precisely," said first author Dr Christophe Valahu from the Quantum Control Laboratory team at the University of Sydney. "We give up global information but gain the ability to detect tiny changes with unprecedented sensitivity." -- Quantum computing tools for a new sensing protocol -- This strategy was outlined theoretically in 2017. Here, Dr Tan's team performed the first experimental demonstration by using a technological approach they had previously developed for error-corrected quantum computers, a result recently published in Nature Physics. -- "It's a neat crossover from quantum computing to sensing," said co-author Professor Nicolas Menicucci, a theorist from RMIT University. "Ideas first designed for robust quantum computers can be repurposed so that sensors pick up weaker signals without being drowned out by quantum noise. | 873 |
| Scientists Just Made Atoms Talk To Each Other Inside Silicon Chips | Atomic Nuclei Communicate Inside Silicon Chips, Bringing Us Closer To Quantum Computing | Scalable entanglement of nuclear spins mediated by electron exchange. | University of New South Wales | Atomic Communication in Quantum Computing: Engineers at UNSW have enabled atomic nuclei to communicate within silicon chips, facilitating scalable quantum computing. This development marks a significant step toward realizing practical quantum technologies, leveraging existing manufacturing processes to create advanced quantum devices. | Scientists Just Made Atoms Talk to Each OtherArtist’s impression of two nuclear spins, remotely entangled via the geometric gate applied via the electron. Credit: Tony Melov / UNSW Sydney -- UNSW engineers have made a significant advance in quantum computing: they created 'quantum entangled states' - where two separate particles become so deeply linked they no longer behave independently - using the spins of two atomic nuclei. Such states of entanglement are the key resource that gives quantum computers their edge over conventional ones. -- The research was published on Sept. 18 in the journal Science, and is an important step towards building large-scale quantum computers - one of the most exciting scientific and technological challenges of the 21st century. -- Lead author Dr Holly Stemp says the achievement unlocks the potential to build the future microchips needed for quantum computing using existing technology and manufacturing processes. -- "We succeeded in making the cleanest, most isolated quantum objects talk to each other, at the scale at which standard silicon electronic devices are currently fabricated," she says. -- The challenge facing quantum computer engineers has been to balance two opposing needs: shielding the computing elements from external interference and noise, while still enabling them to interact to perform meaningful computations. This is why there are so many different types of hardware still in the race to be the first operating quantum computer: some are very good for performing fast operations, but suffer from noise; others are well shielded from noise, but difficult to operate and scale up. -- The UNSW team has invested on a platform that - until today - could be placed in the second camp. They have used the nuclear spin of phosphorus atoms, implanted in a silicon chip, to encode quantum information. -- "The spin of an atomic nucleus is the cleanest, most isolated quantum object one can find in the solid state," says Scientia Professor Andrea Morello, UNSW School of Electrical Engineering & Telecommunications. -- "Over the last 15 years, our group has pioneered all the breakthroughs that made this technology a real contender in the quantum computing race. We already demonstrated that we could hold quantum information for over 30 seconds - an eternity, in the quantum world - and perform quantum logic operations with less than 1% errors. -- "We were the first in the world to achieve this in a silicon device, but it all came at a price: the same isolation that makes atomic nuclei so clean, makes it hard to connect them together in a large-scale quantum processor." | 874 |
| Black Hole Discovery Confirms Einstein And Hawking Were Right | Black Hole Merger Confirms Key Predictions By Einstein And Hawking, Revealing Cosmic Secrets | GW250114: Testing Hawking’s Area Law and the Kerr Nature of Black Holes. | Simons Foundation | Black Hole Merger Observations: A recent black hole merger detection has confirmed predictions made by Einstein and Hawking regarding black holes. The findings provide deeper insights into the properties of black holes and their fundamental connection to the laws of gravity and thermodynamics. | Black Hole Ringing Confirms Einstein and HawkingWhen two black holes collide and merge, they release gravitational waves. These waves can be detected by sensitive instruments on Earth, allowing scientists to determine the mass and spin of the black holes. The clearest black hole merger signal yet, named GW250114 and recorded by LIGO in January 2025, offers new insights into these mysterious objects. Credit: Maggie Chiang for Simons Foundation -- A decade ago, scientists first detected ripples in the fabric of space-time, called gravitational waves, from the collision of two black holes. Now, thanks to improved technology and a bit of luck, a newly detected black hole merger is providing the clearest evidence yet of how black holes work -- and, in the process, offering long-sought confirmation of fundamental predictions by Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. -- The new measurements were made by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), with analyses led by astrophysicists Maximiliano Isi and Will Farr of the Flatiron Institute's Center for Computational Astrophysics in New York City. The results reveal insights into the properties of black holes and the fundamental nature of space-time, hinting at how quantum physics and Einstein's general relativity fit together. -- "This is the clearest view yet of the nature of black holes," says Isi, who is also an assistant professor at Columbia University. "We've found some of the strongest evidence yet that astrophysical black holes are the black holes predicted from Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity." -- The results were reported in a paper published September 10 in Physical Review Letters by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration. -- For massive stars, black holes are the final stage in their evolution. Black holes are so dense that even light cannot escape their gravity. When two black holes collide, the event distorts space itself, creating ripples in space-time that fan out across the universe, like sound waves ringing out from a struck bell. -- Those space-deforming ripples, called gravitational waves, can tell scientists a great deal about the objects that created them. Just as a large iron bell makes different sounds than a smaller aluminum bell, the "sound" a black hole merger makes is specific to the properties of the black holes involved. -- Scientists can detect gravitational waves with special instruments at observatories such as LIGO in the United States, Virgo in Italy and KAGRA in Japan. These instruments carefully measure how long it takes a laser to travel a given path. As gravitational waves stretch and compress space-time, the length of the instrument, and thus the light's travel time, changes minutely. By measuring those tiny changes with great precision, scientists can use them to determine the black holes' characteristics. -- The newly reported gravitational waves were found to be created by a merger that formed a black hole with the mass of 63 suns and spinning at 100 revolutions per second. The findings come 10 years after LIGO made the first black hole merger detection. Since that landmark discovery, improvements in equipment and techniques have enabled scientists to get a much clearer look at these space-shaking events. -- "The new pair of black holes are almost twins to the historic first detection in 2015," Isi says. "But the instruments are much better, so we're able to analyze the signal in ways that just weren't possible 10 years ago." | 875 |
| Google's Quantum Computer Creates Exotic State Once Thought Impossible | Groundbreaking Quantum Research Creates Exotic States Previously Thought Impossible | Probing non-equilibrium topological order on a quantum processor. | Technical University of Munich (TUM) | New Quantum Phase Observation: Using a 58-qubit quantum computer, physicists have successfully observed a long-theorized quantum phase of matter, the Floquet topologically ordered state. This landmark achievement demonstrates the potential of quantum computers to explore previously uncharted physical phenomena and deepen our understanding of quantum mechanics. | Google's Quantum Computer Creates Exotic StateResearchers created a never-before-seen quantum phase on a 58-qubit processor, confirming theories about Floquet topological states. The work paves the way for quantum computers to act as experimental platforms for exploring unknown realms of physics. Credit: Shutterstock -- Unlike conventional phases of matter, the so-called non-equilibrium quantum phases are defined by their dynamical and time-evolving properties -- a behavior that cannot be captured by traditional equilibrium thermodynamics. One particularly rich class of non-equilibrium states arises in Floquet systems -- quantum systems that are periodically driven in time. This rhythmic driving can give rise to entirely new forms of order that cannot exist under any equilibrium conditions, revealing phenomena that are fundamentally beyond the reach of conventional phases of matter. -- Using a 58 superconducting qubit quantum processor, the team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Princeton University, and Google Quantum AI realized a Floquet topologically ordered state, a phase that had been theoretically proposed but never before observed. They directly imaged the characteristic directed motions at the edge and developed a novel interferometric algorithm to probe the system's underlying topological properties. This allowed them to witness the dynamical "transmutation" of exotic particles - a hallmark that has been theoretically predicted for these exotic quantum states. -- Quantum computer as a laboratory -- "Highly entangled non-equilibrium phases are notoriously hard to simulate with classical computers," said the first author Melissa Will, PhD student at the Physics Department of the TUM School of Natural Sciences. "Our results show that quantum processors are not just computational devices - they are powerful experimental platforms for discovering and probing entirely new states of matter." -- This work opens the door to a new era of quantum simulation, where quantum computers become laboratories for studying the vast and largely unexplored landscape of out-of-equilibrium quantum matter. The insights gained from these studies could have far-reaching implications, from understanding fundamental physics to designing next-generation quantum technologies. | 876 |
| Scientists Just Built A Detector That Could Finally Catch Dark Matter | New Superconducting Detector Could Uncover Dark Matter Particles Smaller Than Electrons | First Sub-MeV Dark Matter Search with the QROCODILE Experiment Using Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors. | University of Zurich | Dark Matter Detection Advances: By developing a highly sensitive superconducting detector, researchers are now able to search for dark matter particles below electron mass. This innovation represents a significant leap in exploring the elusive nature of dark matter, potentially uncovering new insights into the universe's composition. | A Detector That Could Finally Catch Dark MatterUsing the improved superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD), researchers are searching for very light dark matter. Credit: UZH -- About 80 percent of the universe's mass is thought to consist of dark matter. And yet, little is known about the composition and structure of the particles that make up dark matter, presenting physicists with some fundamental questions. To explore this elusive matter, researchers are attempting to capture photons, or light particles, which are produced when dark matter particles collide with the visible matter we are familiar with. -- Most experiments to date have focused on dark matter particles with masses that more or less overlap with those of known elementary particles. If the particles are lighter than an electron, however, it is unlikely they would be detectable with the current standard, namely detectors based on liquid xenon. So far, no experiment has succeeded in directly detecting dark matter. Yet this in itself is an important finding, as it shows that dark matter particles do not exist within the mass range and interaction strength tested. -- New device sensitive to lower-energy events -- An international team led by Laura Baudis, Titus Neupert, Björn Penning and Andreas Schilling from UZH's Department of Physics has now been able to probe the existence of dark matter particles across a wide mass range below one mega electron volt (MeV). Using an improved superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD), the researchers reached a sensitivity threshold of about one-tenth the mass of an electron, above which dark matter particles are highly unlikely to exist. "This is the first time we've been able to search for dark matter particles in such a low mass range, made possible by a new detector technology," says first author Laura Baudis. -- In a 2022 proof of concept, the researchers had tested the first SNSPD device that's highly sensitive to lower-energy photons. When a photon strikes the nanowire, it heats it up slightly and causes it to instantly lose its superconductivity. The wire briefly becomes a regular conductor, and the resulting increase in electrical resistance can be measured. -- Detecting smallest dark matter particles -- For their latest experiment, the UZH scientists optimized their SNSPD for dark matter detection. In particular, they equipped it with superconducting microwires instead of nanowires to maximize its cross section. They also gave it a thin, planar geometry that makes it highly sensitive to changes in direction. Scientists assume that the Earth passes through a "wind" of dark matter particles, and the particle's direction therefore shifts over the course of the year depending on relative velocity. A device capable of picking up directional changes can help to filter out non-dark-matter events. -- "Further technological improvements to the SNSPD could enable us to detect signals from dark matter particles with even smaller masses. We also want to deploy the system underground, where it will be better shielded from other sources of radiation," Titus Neupert says. Below the mass range of electrons, current models to describe dark matter face considerable astrophysical and cosmological constraints. | 877 |
| Ordinary Ice Found To Have Shocking Electrical Powers | Ordinary Ice Exhibits Surprising Electrical Properties, Opening New Technological Possibilities | Flexoelectricity and surface ferroelectricity of water ice. | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona | Ice's Electrical Properties: Scientists have discovered that ordinary ice can generate electricity when deformed, a property known as flexoelectricity. This finding not only enhances our understanding of natural processes, such as lightning formation but also opens avenues for new technologies utilizing ice as an active material in cold environments. | Ordinary Ice Has Shocking Electrical PowersIce can generate electricity when deformed, a property known as flexoelectricity, and at very low temperatures, it can also become ferroelectric. These findings may explain how lightning originates in thunderstorms and pave the way for new cold-environment electronic devices. Credit: Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona -- A study co-led by ICN2 reveals that ice is a flexoelectric material, meaning it can produce electricity when unevenly deformed. Published in Nature Physics, this discovery could have major technological implications while also shedding light on natural phenomena such as lightning. -- Frozen water is one of the most abundant substances on Earth. It is found in glaciers, on mountain peaks and in polar ice caps. Although it is a well-known material, studying its properties continues to yield fascinating results. -- An international study involving ICN2, at the UAB campus, Xi'an Jiaotong University (Xi'an) and Stony Brook University (New York), has shown for the first time that ordinary ice is a flexoelectric material. In other words, it can generate electricity when subjected to mechanical deformation. This discovery could have significant implications for the development of future technological devices and help to explain natural phenomena such as the formation of lightning in thunderstorms. -- The study, published in the journal Nature Physics, represents a significant step forward in our understanding of the electromechanical properties of ice. "We discovered that ice generates electric charge in response to mechanical stress at all temperatures. In addition, we identified a thin 'ferroelectric' layer at the surface at temperatures below -113ºC (160K). This means that the ice surface can develop a natural electric polarization, which can be reversed when an external electric field is applied -- similar to how the poles of a magnet can be flipped. The surface ferroelectricity is a cool discovery in its own right, as it means that ice may have not just one way to generate electricity but two: ferroelectricity at very low temperatures, and flexoelectricity at higher temperatures all the way to 0 °C " explains Dr Xin Wen, a member of the ICN2 Oxide Nanophysics Group and one of the study's lead researchers. This property places ice on a par with electroceramic materials such as titanium dioxide, which are currently used in advanced technologies like sensors and capacitors. -- Ice, flexoelectricity and thunderstorms -- One of the most surprising aspects of this discovery is its connection to nature. The results of the study suggest that the flexoelectricity of ice could play a role in the electrification of clouds during thunderstorms, and therefore in the origin of lightning. -- It is known that lightning forms when an electric potential builds up in clouds due to collisions between ice particles, which become electrically charged. This potential is then released as a lightning strike. However, the mechanism by which ice particles become electrically charged has remained unclear, since ice is not piezoelectric -- it cannot generate charge simply by being compressed during a collision. -- However, the study shows that ice can become electrically charged when it is subjected to inhomogeneous deformations, i.e. when it bends or deforms irregularly. "During our research, the electric potential generated by bending a slab of ice was measured. Specifically, the block was placed between two metal plates and connected to a measuring device. The results match those previously observed in ice-particle collisions in thunderstorms," explains ICREA Prof. Gustau Catalán, leader of the Oxide Nanophysics Group at ICN2. -- Thus, the results suggest that flexoelectricity could be one possible explanation for the generation of the electric potential that leads to lightning during storms. Future perspectives | 878 |
| Graphene Just Broke A Fundamental Law Of Physics | Graphene Electrons Flow Like Quantum Fluid, Challenging Traditional Physics Understanding | Universality in quantum critical flow of charge and heat in ultraclean graphene. | Indian Institute of Science (IISc) | Graphene as Quantum Fluid: In a groundbreaking study, scientists observed electrons in graphene behaving as a nearly perfect quantum fluid, challenging established physics principles. This discovery not only revolutionizes our understanding of quantum materials but also presents opportunities for exploring complex phenomena such as black holes and quantum entanglement. | Graphene Broke a Fundamental Law of PhysicsGraphene’s electrons just broke physics rules, flowing like a perfect, otherworldly quantum liquid. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com -- For several decades, a central puzzle in quantum physics has remained unsolved: Could electrons behave like a perfect, frictionless fluid with electrical properties described by a universal quantum number? This unique property of electrons has been extremely difficult to detect in any material so far because of the presence of atomic defects, impurities, and imperfections in the material. -- Researchers at the Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), along with collaborators from the National Institute for Materials Science, Japan, have now finally detected this quantum fluid of electrons in graphene - a material consisting of a single sheet of pure carbon atoms. The results, published in Nature Physics, open a new window into the quantum realm and establish graphene as a unique tabletop laboratory for exploring hitherto unseen quantum phenomena. -- "It is amazing that there is so much to do on just a single layer of graphene even after 20 years of discovery," says Arindam Ghosh, Professor at the Department of Physics, IISc, and one of the corresponding authors of the study. -- The team engineered exceptionally clean samples of graphene and tracked how these materials conduct electricity and heat simultaneously. To their surprise, they discovered an inverse relationship between the two properties: as one value (electrical conductivity) increased, the other (thermal conductivity) decreased, and vice versa. This remarkable phenomenon arises from the dramatic violation of a textbook principle for metals, the Wiedemann-Franz law, which dictates that the values of electrical and thermal conductivity should be directly proportional. -- In their graphene samples, the IISc team observed a strong deviation from this law by a factor of more than 200 at low temperatures, demonstrating the decoupling of charge and heat conduction mechanisms. This decoupling, however, is not a random event - it turns out that both charge and heat conduction in this case rely on a material-independent universal constant which is equal to the quantum of conductance, a fundamental value related to the movement of electrons. -- This exotic behavior emerges at the "Dirac point," a precise electronic tipping point - achieved by tweaking the number of electrons in the material - where graphene is neither a metal nor an insulator. In this state, electrons cease to act as individual particles and instead move together the way a liquid does, just like water but a hundred times less viscous. "Since this water-like behaviour is found near the Dirac point, it is called a Dirac fluid - an exotic state of matter which mimics the quark-gluon plasma, a soup of highly energetic subatomic particles observed in particle accelerators at CERN," says Aniket Majumdar, first author and PhD student at the Department of Physics. The team additionally measured the viscosity of this Dirac fluid and found it to be minimally viscous, the closest possible to a perfect fluid. -- The findings establish graphene as an ideal low-cost platform for investigating concepts from high-energy physics and astrophysics, such as black-hole thermodynamics and entanglement entropy scaling, in a laboratory setting. -- From a technological perspective, the presence of Dirac fluid in graphene also holds significant potential for use in quantum sensors capable of amplifying very weak electrical signals and detecting extremely weak magnetic fields. | 879 |
| Earth Was Born Dry Until A Cosmic Collision Made It A Blue Planet | Cosmic Collision Transformed Lifeless Earth Into A Habitable Blue Planet In Three Million Years | Time of proto-Earth reservoir formation and volatile element depletion from 53 Mn- 53 Cr chronometry. | University of Bern | Earth's Early Chemistry: Research indicates that Earth's basic chemistry was established within three million years of the Solar System's formation. This study highlights the significance of a colossal collision with Theia, which likely delivered essential elements for life, demonstrating that chance events can play a crucial role in planetary habitability. | Earth Was Born Dry Until a Cosmic CollisionEarth’s chemistry was set early, but it was too dry to support life. Only a later collision with Theia likely delivered the water and volatiles that made life possible. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech -- After the formation of the Solar System, it took a maximum of three million years for the chemical composition of the Earth's precursor to be completed. This is shown by a new study by the Institute of Geological Sciences at the University of Bern. At this time, however, there were hardly any elements necessary for life such as water or carbon compounds on the young planet. Only a later planetary collision probably brought water to Earth, paving the way for life. -- Earth is so far the only known planet on which life exists -- with liquid water and a stable atmosphere. However, the conditions were not conducive to life when it formed. The gas-dust cloud from which all the planets in the Solar System formed was rich in volatile elements essential for life, such as hydrogen, carbon and sulphur. However, in the inner Solar System -- the part closest to the Sun, where the four rocky planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars and the asteroid belt are located today -- these volatile elements could hardly exist: Due to the high temperature of the Sun, they did not condense and initially remained largely in the gas phase. As these gaseous substances were not incorporated into the solid rocky materials from which the planets were formed, the early precursor of the Earth, the so-called proto-Earth, also contained very little of these vital substances. Only celestial bodies that formed further away from the Sun in cooler regions were able to incorporate these components. When and how the Earth became a life-friendly planet is still not fully understood. -- In a new study, researchers from the Institute of Geological Sciences at the University of Bern have now been able to show for the first time that the chemical composition of the early Earth was complete no later than three million years after the formation of the Solar System -- and in a way that initially made the emergence of life impossible. Their results, recently published in the journal Science Advances, suggest that life on Earth was only made possible by a later event. Dr. Pascal Kruttasch is first author of the study, which was part of his dissertation at the Institute of Geological Sciences and was financially supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation. Kruttasch is now an SNSF Postdoc Mobility Fellow at Imperial College London. -- Using a precise clock to measure the history of the Earth's formation -- The research team used a combination of isotope and element data from meteorites and terrestrial rocks to reconstruct the process of the Earth's formation. Using model calculations, the researchers were able to narrow down in time how the chemical composition of the Earth developed in comparison to other planetary building blocks. -- Kruttasch explains: "A high-precision time measurement system based on the radioactive decay of manganese-53 was used to determine the precise age. This isotope was present in the early Solar System and decayed to chromium-53 with a half-life of around 3.8 million years." This method allowed ages to be determined with an accuracy of less than one million years for materials that are several billion years old. "These measurements were only possible because the University of Bern has internationally recognized expertise and infrastructure for the analysis of extraterrestrial materials and is a leader in the field of isotope geochemistry," says co-author Klaus Mezger, Professor Emeritus of Geochemistry at the Institute of Geological Sciences at the University of Bern. -- Life on Earth thanks to a cosmic coincidence? -- Using model calculations, the research team was able to show that the chemical signature of the proto-Earth, i.e. the unique pattern of chemical substances of which it is composed, was already complete less than three million years after the formation of the Solar System. Their study thus provides empirical data on the time of formation of the original material of the young Earth. "Our Solar System formed around 4,568 million years ago. Considering that it only took up to 3 million years to determine the chemical properties of the Earth, this is surprisingly fast," says first author Kruttasch. -- The results of the study thus support the assumption that a later collision with another planet -- Theia -- brought the decisive turning point and made the Earth a life-friendly planet. Theia probably formed further out in the Solar System, where volatile substances such as water accumulated. "Thanks to our results, we know that the proto-Earth was initially a dry rocky planet. It can therefore be assumed that it was only the collision with Theia that brought volatile elements to Earth and ultimately made life possible there," says Kruttasch. | 880 |
| New Quantum Breakthrough Could Transform Teleportation And Computing | Major Breakthrough In Quantum Physics Opens New Frontiers | Entangled measurement for W states. | Kyoto University | Researchers from Kyoto and Hiroshima Universities have made a breakthrough in identifying the elusive W state of quantum entanglement, overcoming a long-standing challenge in quantum physics. This development paves the way for advancements in quantum teleportation and computing, enhancing our understanding of this fundamental aspect of quantum mechanics. | Physicists Unlock the Elusive Quantum W StateAchieving the entanglement measurement of the W state. Credit: KyotoU / Takeuchi lab -- The concept of quantum entanglement is emblematic of the gap between classical and quantum physics. Referring to a situation in which it is impossible to describe the physics of each photon separately, this key characteristic of quantum mechanics defies the classical expectation that each particle should have a reality of its own, which gravely concerned Einstein. Understanding the potential of this concept is essential for the realization of powerful new quantum technologies. -- Developing such technologies will require the ability to freely generate a multi-photon quantum entangled state, and then to efficiently identify what kind of entangled state is present. However, when performing conventional quantum tomography, a method commonly used for state estimation, the number of measurements required grows exponentially with the number of photons, posing a significant data collection problem. -- If available, an entangled measurement can identify the entangled state with a one-shot approach. Such a measurement for the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger -- GHZ -- entangled quantum state has been realized, but for the W state, the other representative entangled multi-photon state, it has been neither proposed nor discovered experimentally. -- This motivated a team of researchers at Kyoto University and Hiroshima University to take on this challenge, ultimately succeeding in developing a new method of entangled measurement to identify the W state. -- "More than 25 years after the initial proposal concerning the entangled measurement for GHZ states, we have finally obtained the entangled measurement for the W state as well, with genuine experimental demonstration for 3-photon W states," says corresponding author Shigeki Takeuchi. -- The team focused on the characteristics of the W state's cyclic shift symmetry, and theoretically proposed a method to create an entangled measurement using a photonic quantum circuit that performs quantum Fourier transformation for the W state of any number of photons. -- They created a device to demonstrate the proposed method for three photons using high-stability optical quantum circuits, which allowed the device to operate stably without active control for an extended period of time. By inserting three single photons into the device in appropriate polarization states, the team was able to demonstrate that the device can distinguish different types of three-photon W states, each corresponding to a specific non-classical correlation between the three input photons. The researchers were able to evaluate the fidelity of the entangled measurement, which is equal to the probability of obtaining the correct result for a pure W-state input. -- This achievement opens the door for quantum teleportation, or the transfer of quantum information. It could also lead to new quantum communication protocols, the transfer of multi-photon quantum entangled states, and new methods for measurement-based quantum computing. -- "In order to accelerate the research and development of quantum technologies, it is crucial to deepen our understanding of basic concepts to come up with innovative ideas," says Takeuchi. | 881 |
| Webb Spots First Hints Of Atmosphere On A Potentially Habitable World | First Hints Of Atmosphere Found On Potentially Habitable Exoplanet | JWST-TST DREAMS: NIRSpec/PRISM Transmission Spectroscopy of the Habitable Zone Planet TRAPPIST-1 e. | University of Bristol | Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope suggest that the exoplanet TRAPPIST-1e may possess a secondary atmosphere capable of supporting liquid water. While the presence of an atmosphere remains uncertain, these findings fuel hopes that this Earth-sized planet could be potentially habitable and conducive to life. | Webb Spots Hints of Atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1eThe Earth-size exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 e, depicted at the lower right, is silhouetted as it passes in front of its flaring host star in this artist’s concept of the TRAPPIST-1 system. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Joseph Olmsted (STScI) -- University of Bristol astrophysicists are helping shed new light on an Earth-sized exoplanet 40 light years away where liquid water in the form of a global ocean or icy expanse might exist on its surface. -- That would only be possible if an atmosphere is present - a big mystery the scientists are attempting to unravel and now even closer to solving using the largest telescope in Space. -- Deploying NASA's JWST, the researchers have reached these discoveries as part of a major international project which is probing the atmosphere and surface of TRAPPIST-1e, also more simply known as planet e in the system, orbiting within the habitable zone of red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1. -- Exoplanets are highly varied planets which orbit stars outside the solar system. Planet e is of particular interest because the presence of liquid water - not too hot or cold - is theoretically viable, but only if the planet has an atmosphere. -- Researchers aimed JWST's powerful NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) instrument at the system as planet e passed in front of its star. Starlight passing through the planet's atmosphere, if there is one, will be partially absorbed and the corresponding dips in the light spectrum that reaches JWST tell astronomers what chemicals are found there. With each additional transit, the atmospheric contents become clearer. -- Initial results, published in two scientific papers in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters, indicate several potential scenarios, including the possibility of an atmosphere. -- Dr Hannah Wakeford, Associate Professor in Astrophysics at the University of Bristol, is a leading member of the JWST Transiting Exoplanet team who helped design the observational set-up for the telescope to ensure scientists obtain vital data. -- Dr Wakeford said: "What we have found with JWST in these first four observations helps refine the earlier Hubble measurements and reveals there might now be hints of an atmosphere, but we cannot yet rule out the possibility there is nothing to detect." -- "JWST's infrared instruments are providing unprecedented detail, helping us understand much more about what determines a planet's atmosphere and surface environment, and what they're composed of. It's incredibly exciting to be peeling back the curtain of these fascinating other worlds, measuring the details of starlight around Earth-sized planets to ascertain what it might be like, and if life could be possible. Through a careful process of elimination and comparison we're uncovering great new insights." | 882 |
| A Century-Old Piano Mystery Has Just Been Solved | How Pianists Use Touch To Shape Sound Perception | Motor origins of timbre in piano performance. | NeuroPiano Institute | A groundbreaking study has confirmed that pianists can manipulate piano timbre through their touch, resolving a long-standing artistic mystery. Using advanced sensors to track subtle key movements, researchers demonstrated the physical skills required for timbre alteration, suggesting significant implications for music education and neuroscience. | Century-Old Piano Mystery Has Been SolvedPianists’ touch has finally been proven to change timbre, turning an artistic mystery into scientific fact. Credit: Shutterstock -- A research group led by Dr. Shinichi Furuya of the NeuroPiano Institute and Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc. announced research findings that for the first time scientifically clarified how pianists' manipulations of keys alters piano timbre. -- Creativity in painting, music, and other arts is underpinned by the ability to create diverse perceptual experiences for audiences. However, whether timbre could actually be changed mid-instrumental performance, and what physical motor skills would be required to do so, remained unclear. -- The research group developed a unique sensor system that can measure piano key movements at a temporal resolution of 1,000 fps, and measured key movements when professional pianists expressed various timbres on the piano. The results revealed that listeners could distinguish the pianists' intended timbres, regardless of whether or not they had any piano performance training experience. The group further successfully identified the key movement features that produce these timbre differences. -- This discovery addresses the over century-old question, "Can pianists alter timbre through touch?" by demonstrating that timbre manipulation through touch cultivated by pianists is not a mere sensory metaphor but a scientifically backed skill. These findings open the possibility of visualizing and teaching specific movement features that produce timbre, which would lead to more efficient practice and prevention of mislearning. They also reveal that high-level body motor control shapes artistic perception, suggesting potential applications across various disciplines, including rehabilitation, skill transfer, and human interface design. -- These research findings were published in the international scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on September 22, 2025. -- These results were obtained through the following program, research area, and research theme: -- JST Strategic Basic Research Program (CREST) Research Area: Core Technologies for Trusted Quality AI Systems (Research Supervisor: Akiko Aizawa, Professor, Digital Content and Media Sciences Research Division, National Institute of Informatic, Research Organization of Information and Systems) Research Theme: Building a Trusted Explorable Recommendation Foundation Technology Research Director: Masataka Goto (Prime Senior Researcher, AIST) Research Period: October 2020 -- March 2026 -- Moonshot Research & Development Program (MOONSHOT) Research Area: Realization of a society in which human beings can be free from limitations of body, brain, space, and time by 2050 (Research Supervisor: Norihiro Hagita, Chair and Professor, Art Science Department, Osaka University of Arts) Research Theme: Liberation from Biological Limitations via Physical, Cognitive and Perceptual Augmentation Research Director: Ryota Kanai (Director, Corporate Planning & Innovation Co-Creation Unit, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR)) Research Period: October 2020 -- March 2026 -- Background and History of the Research | 883 |
| The Moon’s Far Side Is Hiding A Chilling Secret | New Lunar Findings Reveal Secrets Of The Moon’s Formation | A relatively cool lunar farside mantle inferred from Chang’e-6 basalts and remote sensing. | University College London | New lunar samples from the Moon's far side indicate it formed from cooler magma compared to the near side, suggesting a significant temperature differential within the Moon’s interior. This discovery sheds light on the Moon's formation and challenges existing theories surrounding its contrasting surfaces. | The Moon’s Far Side Is Hiding a Chilling SecretRock samples from the Moon’s far side show it cooled at lower temperatures than the near side, hinting at an ancient heat imbalance. The discovery deepens the mystery of why the Moon’s two faces are so different. Credit: Shutterstock -- The interior of the mysterious far side of the moon may be colder than the side constantly facing Earth, suggests a new analysis of rock samples co-led by a UCL (University College London) and Peking University researcher. -- The study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, looked at fragments of rock and soil scooped up by China's Chang'e 6 spacecraft last year from a vast crater on the far side of the moon. -- The research team confirmed previous findings that the rock sample was about 2.8 billion years old, and analysed the chemical make-up of its minerals to estimate that it formed from lava deep within the moon's interior at a temperature of about 1,100 degrees C - about 100 degrees C cooler than existing samples from the near side. -- Co-author Professor Yang Li, based at UCL's Department of Earth Sciences and Peking University, said: "The near side and far side of the moon are very different at the surface and potentially in the interior. It is one of the great mysteries of the moon. We call it the two-faced moon. A dramatic difference in temperature between the near and far side of the mantle has long been hypothesised, but our study provides the first evidence using real samples." -- Co-author Mr Xuelin Zhu, a PhD student at Peking University, said: "These findings take us a step closer to understanding the two faces of the moon. They show us that the differences between the near and far side are not only at the surface but go deep into the interior." -- The far side has a thicker crust, is more mountainous and cratered, and appears to have been less volcanic, with fewer dark patches of basalt formed from ancient lava. -- In their paper, the researchers noted that the far side of the interior may have been cooler due to having fewer heat-producing elements - elements such as uranium, thorium and potassium, which release heat due to radioactive decay. -- Previous studies have suggested that this uneven distribution of heat-producing elements might have occurred after a massive asteroid or planetary body smashed into the far side, shaking up the moon's interior and pushing denser materials containing more heat-producing elements across to the near side. -- Other theories are that the moon might have collided with a second, smaller moon early in its history, with near-side and far-side samples originating from two thermally different moonlets, or that the near side might be hotter due to the tug of Earth's gravity. | 884 |
| Scientists Just Recreated A Wildfire That Made Its Own Weather | Wildfires Now Recognized As Storm Creators With Climate Impact | Simulating Pyrocumulonimbus Clouds Using a Multiscale Wildfire Simulation Framework. | Desert Research Institute | Research has revealed that wildfires can generate their own weather systems, such as pyrocumulonimbus clouds, which can have profound effects on climate. A recent study successfully modeled these phenomena for the first time, enhancing understanding of their global implications and the need for improved climate modeling practices. | Recreating a Wildfire That Made Its Own WeatherA developing pyrocumulonimbus cloud above Oregon's Gulch Fire, part of the Beaver Complex Fire, in 2014. Credit: NASA -- On September 5, 2020, California's Creek Fire grew so severe that it began producing it's own weather system. The fire's extreme heat produced an explosive thunderhead that spewed lightning strikes and further fanned the roaring flames, making containment elusive and endangering the lives of firefighters on the ground. These wildfire-born storms have become a growing part of fire seasons across the West, with lasting impacts on air quality, weather, and climate. Until now, scientists have struggled to replicate them in Earth system models, hindering our ability to predict their occurrence and understand their impacts on the global climate. Now, a new study provides a breakthrough by developing a novel wildfire-Earth system modeling framework. -- The research, published September 25th in Geophysical Research Letters, represents the first successful simulation of these wildfire-induced storms, known as pyrocumulonimbus clouds, within an Earth system model. Led by DRI scientist Ziming Ke, the study successfully reproduced the observed timing, height, and strength of the Creek Fire's thunderhead - one of the largest known pyrocumulonimbus clouds seen in the U.S., according to NASA. The model also replicated multiple thunderstorms produced by the 2021 Dixie Fire, which occurred under very different conditions. Accounting for the way that cloud development is aided by moisture lofted into the higher reaches of the atmosphere by terrain and winds is key to their findings. -- "This work is a first-of-its-kind breakthrough in Earth system modeling," Ke said. "It not only demonstrates how extreme wildfire events can be studied within Earth system models, but also establishes DRI's growing capability in Earth system model development -- a core strength that positions the institute to lead future advances in wildfire-climate science." -- When a pyrocumulonimbus cloud forms, it injects smoke and moisture into the upper atmosphere at magnitudes comparable to those of small volcanic eruptions, impacting the way Earth's atmosphere receives and reflects sunlight. These fire aerosols can persist for months or longer, altering stratospheric composition. When transported to polar regions, they affect Antarctic ozone dynamics, modify clouds and albedo, and accelerate ice and snow melt, reshaping polar climate feedbacks. Scientists estimate that tens to hundreds of these storms occur globally each year, and that the trend of increasingly severe wildfires will only grow their numbers. Until now, failing to incorporate these storms into Earth system models has hindered our ability to understand this natural disturbance's impact on global climate. -- The research team also included scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, U.C. Irvine, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Their breakthrough leveraged the Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) to successfully capture the complex interplay between wildfires and the atmosphere. -- "Our team developed a novel wildfire-Earth system modeling framework that integrates high-resolution wildfire emissions, a one-dimensional plume-rise model, and fire-induced water vapor transport into DOE's cutting-edge Earth system model," Ke said. "This breakthrough advances high-resolution modeling of extreme hazards to improve national resilience and preparedness, and provides the framework for future exploration of these storms at regional and global scales within Earth system models." | 885 |
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