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Scientists discover tiny plant trick that could supercharge crop yields
Researchers have uncovered a molecular trick used by hornwort plants that could help future crops capture carbon dioxide more efficiently. A unique protein feature called RbcS-STAR causes the key photosynthesis enzyme Rubisco to cluster into dense compartments, helping it work more effectively. When scientists added this feature to other plants, Rubisco reorganized in the same way. The finding raises the possibility of engineering more efficient photosynthesis into major crops.
Ocean warming may supercharge a tiny microbe that controls marine nutrients
As deep-sea waters warm, scientists expected trouble for the microbes that help keep ocean chemistry in balance. Instead, researchers found that Nitrosopumilus maritimus can adapt to warmer, iron-limited conditions by using iron more efficiently. Because these microbes control key nitrogen reactions that support marine life, their adaptability could help sustain ocean productivity. In a warming world, they may play an even bigger role in shaping marine nutrient cycles.
Scientists control 'free-flowing' electric currents with light
By controlling magnetic fields using light, a team of researchers led by NTU scientists has solved a long-standing challenge to precisely direct electric currents produced by quantum materials. Their ...
A particle accelerator helped scientists create stunning 3D ants
Researchers have developed a high-tech system that rapidly scans ants and converts them into detailed 3D models. Using a synchrotron accelerator, X-ray imaging, robotics, and AI, the team scanned 2,000 specimens in just a week and produced models of 800 species. The images reveal microscopic anatomy that was previously difficult to study. The growing Antscan database could become a powerful digital library of biodiversity.
Daily Multivitamins Slow Aging, Clinical Trial Finds
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, March 10, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The health boost from daily multivitamins might actually extend to how quickly a person ages, a new study says. Researchers found slower “wear and tear” biological aging among seniors after two years on a multivitamin,
EQT Foundation opens applications for science grants to overcome the blood-brain barrier and transform CNS drug delivery
EQT Foundation is launching a new open call for proposals under its Science Grants program, focused on breakthrough innovations to cross or modulate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) for therapeutic delivery to the central nervous system. The program will award catalytic, non-dilutive grants of €25,000 to €100,000 to researchers developing high-risk, high-impact deeptech solutions with the potential to unlock a new era of Central Nervous System (CNS) medicine. Designed to accelerate bold scientific
More Kids Are in ERs for Tooth Pain. Trump Cuts and RFK Jr.’s Anti-Fluoride Fight Aren’t Helping.
Dentists, hygienists, and researchers say a shortage of rural dental care professionals and worsening oral hygiene since the covid-19 pandemic mean more kids are ending up in the emergency room for tooth decay.
Scientists looked beneath one of oldest trees on Earth. What they found is astounding
The researchers discovered a hidden world of life among the roots of Chile's ancient alerce trees. Here's why that's important.
Scientists may have discovered a brand-new mineral on Mars
Scientists studying Mars may have uncovered a brand-new mineral hidden in the planet’s ancient sulfate deposits. By combining laboratory experiments with orbital data, researchers identified an unusual iron sulfate—ferric hydroxysulfate—forming in layered deposits near the massive Valles Marineris canyon system. The mineral likely formed when sulfate-rich deposits left behind by ancient water were later heated by volcanic or geothermal activity, transforming their chemistry.
Scientists found a surprising way to make exercise work better
Exercise normally boosts the body’s ability to use oxygen, a key marker of health and longevity — but high blood sugar can block that benefit. Researchers found that a ketogenic diet helped mice normalize blood sugar and dramatically improved how their muscles responded to exercise. Their muscles became better at using oxygen and built more endurance fibers. The results suggest diet and exercise may work together in surprising ways to improve metabolic health.
Scientists detect a sudden acceleration in global warming
Global warming has picked up speed in the past decade, according to a new analysis from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). By removing short term natural influences such as El Niño, volcanic eruptions, and solar cycles from temperature records, researchers uncovered a clear acceleration in the planet’s long term warming trend beginning around 2015.
Viral Outbreaks Take a Common Path from Animals to People, Study Finds
Researchers have devised a new tool for discerning between naturally occurring viral outbreaks and those resulting from lab accidents.
What crocodile bones teach us about dinosaurs
Paleontologists have often determined how old a dinosaur was by counting the growth rings in its bones. Just like with trees, it was thought that each ring corresponded to a single year of age. But researchers who studied crocodiles at an outdoor recreation center near Cape Town appear to have poked a hole in that approach. In the crocodiles, which are some of the closest living relatives of dinosaurs, there was more than one growth ring laid down per year. The results contribute to a growing debate over the best way to age animals.Read more of freelance science reporter Ari Daniel’s story here.Interested in more on the future of science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
The Female Scientists Who Inspire Today’s Researchers
From pioneers of the past to modern leaders, researchers reflect on the female scientists who motivate them.
This Overlooked Health Condition Could Raise Your Risk of Death by 83%
A study following more than 5,000 participants for 12 years found that straightforward clinical measurements can help identify sarcopenic obesity without relying on complex imaging methods such as MRI and CT scans. Researchers from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in Brazil, working
Particles may not follow Einstein’s paths after all
Physicists have long struggled to unite quantum mechanics—the theory governing tiny particles—with Einstein’s theory of gravity, which explains the behavior of stars, planets, and the structure of the universe. Researchers at TU Wien have now taken a new step toward that goal by rethinking one of relativity’s core ideas: the paths particles follow through curved spacetime, known as geodesics. By creating a quantum version of these paths—called the q-desic equation—the team showed that particles moving through a “quantum” spacetime may deviate slightly from the paths predicted by classical relativity.
Making a 'digital twin' of yourself could revolutionize future surgeries, making medical procedures much more personal
Live Science spoke with Dr. John Pandolfino, a researcher who designed a "digital twin" to help guide surgery.
'More advanced' farming women married hunter-gatherer men in Europe thousands of years ago, ancient DNA reveals
Two researchers discuss how ancient DNA is used to track how people moved and lived during Britain's bronze age.
Engineers make magnets behave like graphene
Engineers have discovered an unexpected link between two very different realms of physics: the behavior of electrons in graphene and magnetic waves in specially engineered materials. By designing a thin magnetic film with a hexagonal pattern of holes—similar to graphene’s structure—the researchers showed that magnetic “spin waves” can follow the same mathematical rules as graphene’s famously unusual electrons. The surprising overlap reveals a deeper connection between electronic and magnetic systems and gives scientists a powerful new way to study complex magnetic materials.
Scientists say this simple diet change could transform your gut health
A growing trend called “fibermaxxing” is putting dietary fiber in the spotlight—and for good reason. Fiber plays a powerful role in keeping the body healthy, from supporting digestion and feeding beneficial gut microbes to helping regulate blood sugar and cholesterol. Researchers say getting enough fiber may even lower the risk of conditions like obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers.
Scientists say this simple diet change could transform your gut health
A growing trend called “fibermaxxing” is putting dietary fiber in the spotlight—and for good reason. Fiber plays a powerful role in keeping the body healthy, from supporting digestion and feeding beneficial gut microbes to helping regulate blood sugar and cholesterol. Researchers say getting enough fiber may even lower the risk of conditions like obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers.
Satellites are exposing weak bridges in America and around the world
Satellites are giving scientists a powerful new way to watch over the world’s bridges. Using radar imaging, researchers can detect millimeter-scale movements that may signal early structural problems long before inspectors notice them. The study found many bridges—especially in North America—are aging and increasingly vulnerable, but satellite monitoring could sharply reduce the number classified as high-risk. The approach could be especially valuable in regions where traditional monitoring barely exists.
Satellites are exposing weak bridges in America and around the world
Satellites are giving scientists a powerful new way to watch over the world’s bridges. Using radar imaging, researchers can detect millimeter-scale movements that may signal early structural problems long before inspectors notice them. The study found many bridges—especially in North America—are aging and increasingly vulnerable, but satellite monitoring could sharply reduce the number classified as high-risk. The approach could be especially valuable in regions where traditional monitoring barely exists.
Top FDA drug official is trying to hire a friend who’s seeking a warning about unproven side effects of antidepressants
The Food and Drug Administration’s top drug regulator, Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg, is working to hire a researcher and friend who wants the agency to add new warnings to antidepressants about unproven pregnancy risks, The Associated Press has learned.
Scientists discover a brain signal that may trigger autism’s domino effect
Researchers have uncovered a surprising molecular chain reaction in the brain that may play a role in some forms of autism. The study suggests that nitric oxide, a tiny signaling molecule normally involved in fine-tuning communication between brain cells, can sometimes trigger a cascade of changes inside neurons. When nitric oxide activity rises, it can alter a protective protein called TSC2, weakening an important cellular brake and allowing the mTOR pathway, which controls growth and protein production, to become overactive.
Scientists warn fake research is spreading faster than real science
A sweeping new study from Northwestern University reveals that scientific fraud is no longer just the work of a few rogue researchers—it has evolved into a global, organized enterprise. By analyzing massive datasets of publications, retractions, and editorial records, researchers uncovered networks involving “paper mills,” brokers, and compromised journals that systematically produce and sell fake research, authorship slots, and citations.
AI discovers the hidden signal of liquid-like ion flow in solid-state batteries
Solid-state batteries could be safer and more energy-dense than today’s lithium-ion technology, but finding materials that allow ions to move quickly through solid electrolytes has been difficult. Researchers developed a machine learning pipeline that predicts Raman spectra and identifies a distinctive low-frequency signal linked to liquid-like ion motion inside crystals. This signal appears when rapid ion movement temporarily disrupts a crystal’s symmetry. The approach could dramatically speed up the discovery of superionic materials for advanced batteries.
Scientists create cartilage scaffold that helps the body regrow bone
Researchers in Sweden have engineered a cell-free cartilage scaffold that can guide the body to rebuild damaged bone. By removing the cells but preserving the structure and natural growth signals, the material acts as a blueprint for the body’s own repair process. In animal studies, it helped regenerate bone without triggering strong immune reactions. The team now plans to scale up production and begin testing the approach in humans.
Scientists discover protein that triggers diabetic blindness
A newly identified protein may hold the key to preventing diabetic blindness. Researchers discovered that LRG1 triggers the earliest damage in diabetic retinopathy by constricting tiny retinal blood vessels and reducing oxygen supply. In mice, shutting down this protein stopped the damage before it could take hold. The finding could pave the way for treatments that protect vision before symptoms ever begin.
Can ‘Suggestion-Box Science’ Make Public Health More Useful? | Science Friday
Skepticism around public health policy, experts and institutions has left some researchers asking basic questions about their role and relationship with the public. Can public health ...
Antarctica has a strange gravity hole and scientists finally know why
Gravity may seem constant, but it actually varies across the planet—and one of the strangest places is Antarctica, where gravity is slightly weaker than expected. Scientists have traced this “gravity hole” to slow, deep movements of rock inside Earth that unfolded over tens of millions of years. Using earthquake data to essentially create a CT scan of the planet’s interior, researchers reconstructed how the anomaly evolved and discovered that it strengthened between about 50 and 30 million years ago.
Scientists Are On the Cusp of Releasing the First Universal Vaccine
Microbial threats against human health are only growing. Luckily, researchers are developing new vaccines that are up to the challenge.
Scientists Just Took One Big Step Toward an Unhackable Internet
A quantum internet is only as useful as its reach, and in a first, researchers created more than a million qubit pairs across 100 kilometers of fiber.
Scientists say most of what you do each day happens on autopilot
Most of our daily actions may happen without much thought. Researchers found that around 65% of everyday behaviors are triggered automatically by habit rather than conscious decisions. Many of these habits actually support our personal goals, helping us follow through on things like healthy routines. The key to lasting change, scientists say, is building new positive habits while disrupting the cues that trigger bad ones.
GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs Prove Effective Across Diverse Patient Groups
By Deanna Neff HealthDay ReporterFRIDAY, March 6, 2026 (HealthDay News) — As the popularity of medications like Ozempic and Trulicity for losing weight continues to soar, folks may wonder: "Will they work for me?" Researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health sought to shed light on ...
Algae is a 'little vacuum' for microplastics. Midwest scientists think it could clean up the problem
Tiny shards of plastic called microplastics are all over the environment and even inside human bodies. Researchers have found a type of bioengineered algae that can clean up these pesky particles.
Pittsburgh 'Stand Up for Science' rally to bring attention to impacts of immigration crackdowns
The National “Stand Up for Science” day of action returns to Pittsburgh tomorrow for the second year in a row to protest government actions and policies affecting scientific institutions, research and researchers. This year’s rally will be at Allegheny Landing Park on the North Shore.
How a Brazilian botanist uses Taylor Swift to teach plant science
A Brazilian researcher is using Taylor Swift's music videos to teach plant science, helping students overcome \
Electrons catapult across solar materials in just 18 femtoseconds
Electrons in solar materials can be launched across molecules almost as fast as nature allows, thanks to tiny atomic vibrations acting like a “molecular catapult.” In experiments lasting just 18 femtoseconds, researchers at the University of Cambridge observed electrons blasting across a boundary in a single burst, far faster than long-standing theories predicted. Instead of slow, random movement, the electron rides the natural vibrations of the molecule itself, challenging decades of design rules for solar materials.
(Half) Twisted Science: Researchers Build a Molecular Möbius Strip With Only Half the Twist
The Quantum Insider (TQI) is the leading online resource dedicated exclusively to Quantum Computing.
There is no magic formula for business success, Texas A&M researcher finds
Mays Business School professor highlights flexibility and learning from mistakes as essential for professional growth.
Chinese EV maker claims it's engineered the world’s first semi-solid-state EV battery with huge 620-mile range
The experimental manufacturing process could one day deliver a vehicle with a 1,000-plus mile range, researchers say.
Study Links Rising Cannabis Use to Poor Mental Health
By Deanna Neff HealthDay ReporterTHURSDAY, March 5, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For many, cannabis is a go-to for stress relief, but a large Canadian study suggests that for many, that fix may be closely tied to a worsening mental health crisis. Researchers have found that as cannabis use becomes more ...
Listen: What To Do When Health Insurance Slips Out of Reach
2026 has been a challenging year to buy health insurance. Contributing factors include changes to the Medicaid program and hikes to the cost of Obamacare plans. But doctors and researchers say there are ways people without insurance can find affordable care.
Scientists discover the protein that malaria parasites can’t live without
Scientists have uncovered a crucial weakness in the malaria parasite that could open the door to new treatments. Researchers identified a protein called Aurora-related kinase 1 (ARK1) that acts like a traffic controller during the parasite’s unusual cell division process, ensuring its genetic material is properly separated as it multiplies. When scientists switched off ARK1 in laboratory experiments, the parasite could no longer replicate correctly and failed to complete its life cycle in both humans and mosquitoes—effectively halting its ability to spread.
Researchers launch new climate health projects with Wellcome support | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Harvard Chan School researchers will begin new U.S. and India-based investigations into the health impacts of air pollution, heat, and climate change mitigation strategies, made possible by charitable foundation Wellcome.
How California Is Investing in School-Based Mental Health Services for Teens
Despite recent state investments in teen mental health, significant gaps still exist between the need for care and receipt of services. PPIC researchers discuss efforts to improve services, target funding, and meet teens where they are.
Sea Levels Are Higher Than Many Scientists Think, New Study Shows
Researchers found that a majority of studies on coastal sea levels underestimated how high water levels are, and hundreds of millions of people are closer to peril than previously thought.
Your Cells Can ‘Remember’—Meaning Your Entire Body Could Be Conscious, Some Researchers Suggest
A recent study suggests that memories aren’t just stored in the brain, raising important questions about cognition.
Popular fruits and vegetables linked to higher pesticide levels
A sweeping new study reveals that what’s on your plate may directly shape the pesticides circulating in your body. Researchers found that people who eat more fruits and vegetables known to carry higher pesticide residues—such as strawberries, spinach, and bell peppers—also have significantly higher levels of those chemicals in their urine. While produce remains a cornerstone of a healthy diet, the findings highlight how everyday food choices can drive real-world exposure to substances linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and developmental harm.
Scientists build a “periodic table” for AI
Choosing the right method for multimodal AI—systems that combine text, images, and more—has long been trial and error. Emory physicists created a unifying mathematical framework that shows many AI techniques rely on the same core idea: compress data while preserving what’s most predictive. Their “control knob” approach helps researchers design better algorithms, use less data, and avoid wasted computing power. The team believes it could pave the way for more accurate, efficient, and environmentally friendly AI.
What Your Phone Knows Could Help Scientists Understand Your Health
Stanford scientists have released an open-source platform that lets health researchers study the “screenome” – the digital traces of our daily lives – while protecting participants’ privacy.
The global fallout of RFK Jr's vaccine policies
In his role as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is changing how the United States approaches vaccines. But those changes aren’t limited to the United States. NPR global health correspondent Gabrielle Emanuel joins Short Wave to talk about two examples of how the global public health landscape may be shifting. First, the United States’ ultimatum to an international vaccine group. Second, the uncertain fate of a vaccine trial. Some researchers are calling the trial a “unique” opportunity, and others are calling it “unethical.” Read more of global health correspondent Gabrielle Emanuel’s work here.Interested in more global health? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
Chimpanzees Are Really Into Crystals
In an attempt to understand our own fascination with the shiny minerals, researchers gave some to chimps.
Cooking up science engagement, a fermentation experiment
By blending hands-on cooking with scientific experimentation, a study from a team at North Carolina State University demonstrates how culinary creation can spark scientific discovery and deepen public engagement with researchers.
A suite of government hacking tools targeting iPhones is now being used by cybercriminals
Security researchers say exploits used by governments to hack into Apple iPhones have been found used by cybercriminals. They warned of an emerging market for "second hand" exploits.
Digital health researcher talks AI benefits
There's not yet evidence that some of the sector's darlings are materially improving patient health.
ChatGPT Health 'under-triaged' half of medical emergencies in a new study
Researchers tested different medical scenarios with the chatbot. In more than half of cases where doctors would send a patient to the ER, the chatbot said it was OK to delay care.
Metformin treated diabetes for 60 years. Now scientists find it works in the brain too - Futura-Sciences
Doctors have prescribed metformin for type 2 diabetes since the 1950s. It works: reliably, cheaply, and with a safety record few drugs can match. What nobody fully understood, until now, was how. A study published in Science Advances on July 30, 2025, by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and...
Common Arthritis Drug Found To Lower Blood Pressure and Boost Heart Health
A widely used treatment for rheumatoid arthritis may offer an unexpected cardiovascular benefit. Methotrexate has been a staple treatment for rheumatoid arthritis for decades, valued for its ability to calm an overactive immune system and reduce painful joint inflammation. Now, researchers say it m
Scientists just found the brain’s hidden defense against Alzheimer’s
A new study has uncovered why some brain cells are more resistant to Alzheimer’s damage than others. Researchers found a natural cleanup system that helps remove toxic tau protein before it can form harmful clumps. The study also shows that cellular stress can produce a dangerous tau fragment linked to Alzheimer’s. Strengthening the brain’s natural defenses could point the way to new treatments.
Scientists find the genetic switch that makes pancreatic cancer resist chemotherapy
Scientists have identified a crucial molecular switch that decides whether pancreatic cancer cells resist chemotherapy or respond to it. The key player, a gene called GATA6, keeps tumours in a more structured and treatable form—but it gets shut down by an overactive KRAS-driven pathway. When researchers blocked that pathway, GATA6 levels rebounded and cancer cells became more sensitive to chemo. The discovery could help turn some of the toughest pancreatic tumours into ones doctors can better control.
Scientists make a pocket-sized AI brain with help from monkey neurons
A new study suggests AI systems could be a lot more efficient. Researchers were able to shrink an AI vision model to 1/1000th of its original size.
Are mental health apps like doctors, yogis, drugs or supplements?
Cornell researchers are recommending new guidelines for developing safe and responsible large language model-based mental well-being apps by consulting relevant experts and reviewing existing state and federal regulations.
Collaborating Through Data: Inside the PSI Users Group
The Physical Sciences Informatics (PSI) Users Group is a recurring Webex forum that brings together researchers, open-science practitioners, and collaborators
Painless skin patch offers new way to monitor immune health
Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), have developed the first bandage-like microneedle patch that can sample the body's immune ...
Box Turtles Are Vanishing. Can Science Help Bring Them Back?
Smithsonian researcher Maxwell Earle explains how tracking tech can help protect struggling Eastern box turtle populations in Virginia.
Science of Fitting In: Do Best Friends or Popular Peers Shape Teen Behavior?
As kids enter adolescence, peer influence splits in two—often in ways adults miss. Following 543 middle schoolers for one semester, researchers found that best friends shape teens’ inner lives, from emotional struggles to academic challenges, while popular peers influence public, status-driven behaviors like social media use and weight concerns.
Colon cancer: rectal cancer on the rise in young people
Colon cancer is now the deadliest cancer for people under 50, and researchers are scrambling to understand why rectal cases are driving the trend.
Science of fitting in: Do best friends or popular peers shape teen behavior?
As kids enter adolescence, peer influence splits in two—often in ways adults miss. Following 543 middle schoolers for one semester, researchers found that best friends shape teens’ inner lives, from emotional struggles to academic challenges, while popular peers influence public, status-driven behaviors like social media use and weight concerns. Far from being easily swayed, adolescents navigate peer influence strategically—an insight frequently overlooked by parents and educators.
Can a smartphone tutorial improve environmental health literacy?
People are interested in understanding how they can reduce chemical exposure. A new tutorial researchers developed can help.
What cost foreign prestige? China says no to some Western science journal fees
Chinese researchers will no longer be reimbursed for paper publication charges in Nature Communications, among others.
Scientists just turned light into a remote control for crystals
NYU researchers have found a way to use light to control how microscopic particles assemble into crystals, effectively turning illumination into a tool for shaping matter. By adding light-sensitive molecules to a liquid filled with tiny particles, they can adjust how strongly the particles attract or repel one another simply by changing the light’s intensity or pattern. This allows them to trigger crystals to form, dissolve, or even be reshaped in real time.
Scientists Create Powerful New Form of Aluminum That Could Replace Rare Earth Metals
Researchers have uncovered an unusual new form of aluminium that challenges long-held assumptions about how this common metal behaves. Researchers at King’s College London have identified an unusual new form of aluminum, one of the most abundant metals in Earth’s crust. The discovery points to a
Kansas revoked transgender people’s IDs overnight – researchers anticipate cascading health and social consequences
With invalid driver’s licenses and birth certificates, transgender people are at risk for more than just steep fines and imprisonment.
New Toothpaste Stops Gum Disease Without Harming Healthy Bacteria
Researchers have developed a targeted approach to combat periodontitis without disrupting the natural balance of the oral microbiome. The innovation could reshape how gum disease is treated while preserving beneficial bacteria.
Trump Is Attacking Climate Science. Scientists Are Fighting Back.
It’s easy, looking at the past year, to see the damage the administration has done. But researchers are also stepping up, trying to fill the gaps.
Scientists synthesize stable N₄ radical anions under ambient conditions
A team of scientists from the University of Manchester and Oxford have synthesized stable nitrogen chain radical anions under ambient conditions. These molecules, which are normally too reactive to isolate ...
Textbooks challenged by new discovery about how cells divide
Scientists have uncovered a surprising new way that giant embryonic cells divide—without relying on the classic “purse-string” ring long thought essential for splitting a cell in two. Studying zebrafish embryos, researchers found that instead of forming a fully closed contractile ring, cells use a clever “mechanical ratchet” system.
T rex breath and Queen Elizabeth’s car: scientists creating ‘time machine for the nose’
Researchers are recreating ancient odours for museumgoers as interest in the archaeology of smell grows
Your morning coffee could one day help fight cancer
Scientists at Texas A&M are turning an everyday pick-me-up into a high-tech medical switch. By combining caffeine with CRISPR gene editing, researchers have created a system that allows cells to be programmed in advance — and then activated simply by consuming a small dose of caffeine from coffee, chocolate, or soda. The approach, known as chemogenetics, lets scientists precisely turn gene-editing activity on and off inside targeted cells, including powerful immune T cells that can fight cancer.
New studies warn of health risks in hair extensions often marketed to Black women
NBC News' Zinhle Essamuah speaks with researchers behind two new studies that shine a light on the potential health risks of braiding hair and extensions.
Common nighttime noise exposure may trigger heart problems, study suggests
European study of 272,000 adults finds nighttime traffic noise above 50 dB linked to higher cholesterol and increased heart disease risk. Researcher Yiyan He discusses.
Pioneering AI for Science: Why UT is a Digital Twin Powerhouse
After more than a decade of advances in AI, mathematics and supercomputing, UT is shaping the future of digital twins — bringing together researchers across campus to deploy physics‑informed, AI‑powered models for energy, healthcare, national security and natural hazard mitigation.
Vast web of cold gas observed at the heart of the Milky Way
Using the Chile-based ALMA telescope, the researchers examined the dynamics and chemistry of a central region.
Health Rounds: Researchers find cellular clues to explain faster pain recovery in men
The immune systems of men appear to be better equipped to shut down pain, which could explain why chronic pain is more common in women, research in mice and humans suggests.
Scientists discover diet that tricks the body into burning fat without exercise
Researchers found that cutting two amino acids common in animal protein—methionine and cysteine—made mice burn significantly more energy. The boost in heat production was nearly as powerful as constant exposure to cold temperatures. The mice didn’t eat less or exercise more; they simply generated more heat in their beige fat. The discovery hints that diet alone might activate the body’s calorie-burning machinery.
Scientists turn methane into medicine in stunning breakthrough
Scientists have unveiled a breakthrough way to turn natural gas—long burned as fuel—into valuable chemical building blocks for medicines and other high-demand products. By designing a clever iron-based catalyst powered by LED light, researchers managed to activate stubborn molecules like methane and transform them into complex compounds, even creating the hormone therapy drug dimestrol directly from methane for the first time.
Angelo State Natural History Collections connect the community and researchers to science worldwide — Annual public open house on March 3rd
At-home microbiome tests reveal dramatically different results
The science and the regulations to underpin these test “just aren’t there yet,” researchers say
Green hydrogen has a hidden problem and scientists may have fixed it
Green hydrogen could be a game-changer for the clean energy transition—but right now, it’s too expensive and still relies on harmful “forever chemicals.” A new EU-backed project called SUPREME aims to fix that by reinventing how hydrogen is made. Led by the University of Southern Denmark with partners across Europe, researchers are developing a PFAS-free electrolysis system that slashes the use of rare metals like iridium and dramatically cuts costs.
Popular brain supplement linked to shorter lifespan in men
A massive study of more than 270,000 people has uncovered a surprising link between a common amino acid and how long men live. Researchers found that higher levels of tyrosine—an amino acid found in protein-rich foods and often marketed as a focus-boosting supplement—were associated with shorter life expectancy in men, potentially trimming nearly a year off lifespan.
The 'Great Wealth Transfer': A $3 trillion opportunity for Black business owners is on the horizon
Researchers forecast 6 million small- and medium-sized businesses, or SMBs, will be available for acquisition by 2035.
Science for Living: Can using AI risk prediction in breast cancer screening improve early detection?
Researchers at UMass Chan Medical School are studying how an AI-based risk assessment tool could improve early breast cancer detection.
4 Indian American scientists win $75,000 each at one of America’s most elite research honours, crowned 2026 Sloan Research Fellows
Science News: In a celebration of scientific excellence and innovation, four Indian American researchers have been named 2026 Sloan Research Fellows, one of the mos.
New Duke Health study finds simple blood test could predict longer life
Duke Health researchers found small RNA molecules known as piRNAs can accurately predict whether older adults are likely to survive at least two more years.
Frequently Distracted? Science Says, Blame It on Your Brain Rhythms
Researchers at the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester find that you may not be as focused as you think. A new study discovers our attention shifts multiple times each second.
Have scientists uncovered the secret of ‘super-ager’ brains?
Some people stay mentally sharp well beyond 80, with recall powers of those decades younger — and researchers may have found what gives them a biological edge
Physics discovery explains why sneakers squeak
And helped researchers play a 'Star Wars' song on glass.
From campus to community: UCSC brings science to the neighborhood to spark local dialogue
UC Santa Cruz has launched a lecture series that takes researchers out of the lab and into neighborhoods to provide the public with a clearer understanding of cutting-edge science.