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"By cleverly combining new techniques for analyzing DNA at the level of individual molecules, we can achieve real breakthroughs in research into conditions such as dementia," predicts Professor John van Noort. Together with four leading biophysics research groups, he has published a review article in Science.

Researchers led by Dr. Claire Foldi at Monash University have discovered that psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in magic mushrooms, produces subtle but distinct effects on social behavior and inflammation that depend critically on metabolic and exercise context in female mice.

Africa's health future hinges on its ability to finance and commercialize its own medical innovations, rather than rely on increasingly uncertain international funding, African science leaders have warned. In a commentary published in Nature Health, the inaugural cohort of the Calestous Juma Science Leadership Fellowship argue that decades of underinvestment have weakened Africa's ability to develop clinical solutions to the continent's huge disease burden.

An agreement on the third implementation phase of Destination Earth (DestinE), the European Commission's initiative to develop a highly accurate digital twin of Earth, has been signed between the European Commission and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The third phase will start in June 2026 and end in June 2028.

Results from a pilot clinical trial evaluating the safety and feasibility of repeated focused ultrasound-induced blood–brain barrier (BBB) opening combined with the monoclonal antibody drug Avastin (bevacizumab) in patients with recurrent glioblastoma were published in Neurosurgery. With the success of the pilot, the study's next phase—the pivotal trial—is now enrolling participants.

Children are usually examined using ultrasound to protect them from radiation exposure. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA are now working on a system to automatically document the spatial recording position of ultrasound scans relative to the patient's body.

Physicians have said the HBO Max drama "The Pitt" offers one of the most accurate depictions of medicine on television.

Doctors have found that metformin, an everyday medicine for diabetes, is associated with less progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness in western countries. In a recent study, people with diabetes over the age of 55 years taking metformin were 37% less likely to develop the intermediate stage of AMD over a five-year period compared to those not taking metformin.

A new study examining music habits among cochlear implant users has found that better hearing ability with the implant—as measured by standard speech tests—significantly correlates with increased time spent listening to music. The findings suggest that optimizing cochlear implant programming and speech outcomes may have broader benefits for patients' quality of life beyond communication alone.

A new study has found that MET (hepatocyte growth factor receptor) signaling plays a critical protective role in acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure (ALF). This pathway is shown to work as a dual-action mechanism that both reduces liver damage and accelerates regeneration. The findings from a novel study published in The American Journal of Pathology suggest that targeting MET signaling could become a game-changer for the treatment of drug-induced ALF.

Two out of three adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) start adulthood without the disease, according to a long-term study that followed more than 2,500 individuals. The researchers also note that several factors in adolescence that increase the risk of adult IBS can be influenced.

New research from the Center for Integration of Science and Industry at Bentley University shows that public companies with products subject to price negotiations in the first two years of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) were more profitable than comparable companies in the S&P 500 and that revenues from these drugs were not essential for corporate operations or R&D. This research also shows the estimated margins from sales of these drugs exceeded the average cost of product development, including normal returns, before beginning IRA price negotiations.

It's been almost five years since the end of the COVID lockdowns. Yet the world is still continuing to learn about how mental health changed during—and after—this unprecedented time.

A new population-based cohort study of more than 500,000 births in British Columbia offers reassuring evidence about the long-term safety of cesarean delivery and assisted vaginal delivery (with forceps or vacuum) when it comes to children's neurodevelopment. Published on Jan. 30, 2026, in JAMA Network Open, the study examined rates of ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and intellectual disability (ID) up to age 22, comparing outcomes among children whose births required medical intervention late in labor.

Many have spent much of their career studying disasters—how people perceive risk, how institutions communicate, and why preparedness so often falls short of good intentions. But this study forced me to confront something I had not fully reckoned with before: hurricane preparedness is not only a matter of awareness or motivation. It is deeply shaped by the built environment—by where people live, where they work, and how campuses are physically designed.

Seating furniture is frequently not designed for long-term use or simple assembly and disassembly and has a tendency to break after just one move. This does not apply to the benches, chairs, and stools that were created as part of the LinumTube cooperation project led by Fraunhofer WKI. The goal of the project consortium was to develop ecologically sustainable seating furniture for the circular economy.

For patients with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer, the addition of palbociclib to maintenance anti-HER2 and endocrine therapies leads to improved progression-free survival, according to a study published in the Jan. 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Hospital beds are a brutally concrete resource. When they're full, surgeries get delayed, hallways become overflow wards, and staff burn out. So a question I keep coming back to is simple: can the way we label food, those tiny symbols and boxes on packages, show up, years later, in the pressure we put on hospitals?

When extreme weather strikes, the preparations of emergency planners can have life-or-death consequences. In July 2025, central Texas flooded with disastrous consequences, killing more than 130 people.

Scientists have created an AI model that forecasts moderate heat stress—a major precursor to coral bleaching—at sites along Florida's Coral Reef up to six weeks ahead, with predictions generally accurate within one week. The study, published in Environmental Research Communications, presents a site-specific, explainable machine-learning framework to support coral scientists and restoration practitioners with local reef management and emergency response planning.

Participating in peer-support recovery groups is associated with ongoing abstinence among Japanese men following treatment for alcohol dependence (AD). But smoking and consuming non-alcoholic beer are linked to drinking and relapse, according to a new study. Japanese people are genetically and ethnically less prone to AD compared to many Western populations. The downside: in Japan's permissive drinking culture, where understanding of AD is limited, alcohol use disorder is highly stigmatized, and seeking professional treatment is unusual.

A study led by the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Global Surgery Program, in partnership with George Regional Hospital in South Africa, reports that a traveling mobile endoscopy team performed more than 500 procedures across five rural hospitals in South Africa's Western Cape. The study was published in BMJ Open Gastroenterology.

Researchers at University of Tsukuba examined how artificial intelligence (AI) is represented in fictional media, including films, animation, literature, and games. Published in the journal AI & SOCIETY, their analysis indicates that AI is portrayed not only as a technological tool but also as a supporter, collaborative companion, and, in some cases, an equal partner. These portrayals highlight the diversity and evolution of imagined human-AI relationships across cultural narratives.

The potential of microrobots is enormous. These miniature objects can be designed to carry out actions within the body, such as sensing biomarkers, manipulating objects like blood clots, or delivering drug therapies to tumor sites. But working out how to make the tiny bots effective, biocompatible, and cost effective is challenging. Now a Caltech-led team has taken a huge step toward making the next generation of microrobots for drug delivery. They have simplified both the structure of the microrobots and their production method, while making the bots highly effective and "smart" enough to direct themselves to a tumor.

Congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) is caused by mutations in a specific calcium channel. A comprehensive proteomic study by researchers at the University of Innsbruck now reveals how these mutations trigger complex, mutation-specific molecular changes. For the first time, this work provides a solid foundation for the development of personalized therapeutic approaches.

A study by UC Riverside and USC education scholars found that Black and Latino teens are significantly more adept than their white peers at detecting online disinformation—particularly content related to race and ethnicity.

After a devastating marine heat wave hit the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas in 2023, the populations of two essential reef-building corals are now too low to fulfill their ecological roles. However, coral researchers are not giving up hope yet.

In recent years, numerous landslides on hillsides in urban and rural areas have underscored that understanding and predicting these phenomena is more than an academic curiosity—it is a human necessity. When unstable slopes give way after intense rainfall, the consequences can be devastating, with both human and material losses. These recurring tragedies led us to a simple yet powerful question: Can we build landslide susceptibility maps that are more objective, transparent, and useful for local authorities and residents?

You may be surprised to learn that, according to AddictionHelp.com, an estimated 12% of American adults (~41 million) have used powder cocaine in their lifetimes. Thankfully, not everyone who partakes develops an addiction, but for the over 50 million Americans who had a substance use disorder in the previous year, medical approaches to overcoming addiction are much needed.

Patients with advanced lung cancer who received immunochemotherapy before 15:00 (3 p.m.) had a more delayed disease progression than patients receiving treatment later in the day. The findings, published as part of a randomized phase 3 trial of 210 participants in Nature Medicine, suggest that scheduling therapy early in the day may offer a simple, cost-neutral way to enhance standard care.

New treatments based on biological molecules like RNA give scientists unprecedented control over how cells function. But delivering those drugs to the right tissues remains one of the biggest obstacles to turning these promising yet fragile molecules into powerful new treatments.

Remember seeing your triglyceride levels in your lab report? Ah! Fats you may dismiss, thinking of the next gym work you need to head to. Fatty acids are broken down via a process called β-oxidation. But did you ever wonder if your body burns some fat before other fat, as if it has a mind of its own? It does. Here's the thing: Your body isn't being picky but efficiently picky. Mathly picky to be precise. Calculations that would impress a high school math teacher.

Researchers at University of Tsukuba have identified a photophobic response (light avoidance) in the unicellular apusomonad Podomonas kaiyoae. The study provides critical insight into the evolution of complex flagellar and ciliary motility and the evolutionary origins of Opisthokonta, a major eukaryotic group that encompasses animals and fungi.

Researchers led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Savaş Taşoğlu from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Koç University have developed a new, open-access and machine learning-assisted design tool aimed at automating microfluidic chip design. The research is published in Science Advances.

Northwestern Medicine scientists in the laboratory of Stephen Miller, Ph.D., professor emeritus of Microbiology–Immunology, have identified the cellular and molecular mechanisms required for the antigen-specific tolerance inducing abilities of a novel nanoparticle therapy for treating autoimmune diseases, according to a recent study published in Science Advances.

Modern industry relies heavily on catalysts, which are substances that speed up chemical reactions. They're vital in everything from manufacturing household chemicals to generating clean energy or recycling waste. However, designing new catalysts is challenging because their performance is affected by many interacting factors.

Chemical compounds like isocyanate are toxic and trigger allergies or asthma. However, they remain indispensable for the chemical industry. They are needed especially in the production of PUR. These plastics are highly versatile and are therefore used in many products. Although the end product no longer contains isocyanates, special safety precautions are necessary during manufacturing to keep them away from humans and to avoid health hazards. For the first time, Fraunhofer researchers have now succeeded in producing polyurethanes without using isocyanates in the CO2NIPU (nonisocyanate polyurethane, NIPU) project.

A research team from the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS) has developed a new method combining deep learning with physical radiative transfer modeling to improve the retrieval of atmospheric aerosol properties from complex satellite observations, supporting high-resolution, near-real-time monitoring of haze and dust events. The study was recently published in Journal of Remote Sensing.

Silicon semiconductors are widely used as particle detectors; however, their long-term operation is constrained by performance degradation in high-radiation environments. Researchers at University of Tsukuba have demonstrated real-time, two-dimensional position detection of individual charged particles using a gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor with superior radiation tolerance.

A research team affiliated with UNIST unveiled a new steel manufacturing process that can improve the driving distance of electric vehicles (EVs) without the need for larger batteries. This technology offers a promising way to enhance the efficiency of EV motors, supporting longer trips on a single charge.

Additive manufacturing has revolutionized manufacturing by enabling customized, cost-effective products with minimal waste. However, with the majority of 3D printers operating on open-loop systems, they are notoriously prone to failure. Minor changes, like adjustments to nozzle size or print speed, can lead to print errors that mechanically weaken the part under production.

More frequent and intense weather phenomena like heat waves, windstorms, or atmospheric rivers often come in pairs and these challenging combinations stress the power grid and lead to outages. A multi-year analysis is the first of its kind to analyze combined weather events and county-level outage data across the United States.

Consider the marvelous physics of the human knee. The largest hinge joint in the body, it has two rounded bones held together by ligaments that not only swing like a door, but also roll and glide over each other, allowing the knee to flex, extend, and balance.

What would you do if you were in a self-driving taxi and another passenger fell seriously ill? What if a fire broke out, or the vehicle stopped in the wrong place? What would you need to manage the situation with no driver to help?

University of Texas at Dallas researchers and their collaborators have developed and patented a wood-based material that can store and discharge heat to help make building temperatures more comfortable without using electricity. "Our material acts as a thermal battery that charges as it absorbs heat," said Dr. Shuang (Cynthia) Cui, assistant professor of mechanical engineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Researchers at Monash University and the University of Melbourne have developed a quantum-inspired approach to optical wireless communication that promises to make 6G networks faster, more reliable and energy-efficient. As the world moves toward 6G, devices and networks will need to handle more data, faster, and in smaller spaces than ever before.

Snapchat has blocked 415,000 accounts under Australia's social media ban for under-16s, the company said Monday, but warned some youngsters may be bypassing age verification technology.

Talking to oneself is a trait which feels inherently human. Our inner monologs help us organize our thoughts, make decisions, and understand our emotions. But it's not just humans who can reap the benefits of such self-talk.

Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has insisted the US tech giant will make a "huge" investment in OpenAI and dismissed as "nonsense" reports that he is unhappy with the generative AI star.

About 50 residents of a community outside Chile's capital spent Saturday trying their best to power an entirely human-operated chatbot that could answer questions and make silly pictures on command, in a message to highlight the environmental toll of artificial intelligence data centers in the region.

A new study from the University at Albany shows that artificial intelligence systems may organize information in far more intricate ways than previously thought. The study, "Exploring the Stratified Space Structure of an RL Game with the Volume Growth Transform," has been published online through arXiv.

The modern world runs on chemicals and fuels that require a huge amount of energy to produce: Industrial chemical separation accounts for 10% to 15% of the world's total energy consumption. That's because most separations today rely on heat to boil off unwanted materials and isolate compounds.

Solar panels and wind turbines increasingly dot the landscape, but the future of clean energy may well depend on how smoothly we burn hydrogen. Yet as anyone who's lit a gas grill or fireplace knows, igniting a flame can be a bit tricky. Imagine how complex that process can be in commercial and industrial applications. Thanks to U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) ACCESS allocations, University of California San Diego researchers have taken a major step toward taming hydrogen flames with highly precise simulations that could reshape how we design tomorrow's zero-carbon gas turbines.

A Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) research team has developed a wastewater treatment technology that integrates a mesh bioreactor with an ultrasound-induced transient cavitation cleaning mechanism. The system can complete mesh cleaning within 3.8 seconds under anaerobic conditions and achieves 10–20 times higher flux than conventional membrane bioreactors (MBRs). The technology operates efficiently with substantially lower energy consumption, produces treated effluent surpassing international and local discharge standards, and reduces the cost of treating each cubic meter of wastewater to 50% of conventional MBRs, offering a sustainable solution for both municipal and industrial wastewater treatment.

Intelligent drones and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are rapidly evolving from experimental prototypes into essential infrastructure across disaster response, health care delivery, agriculture, logistics, archaeology, environmental monitoring, and numerous other fields vital to human development, scientists say in new research.

Artificial intelligence helps doctors spot more cases of breast cancer when reading routine scans, a world-first trial found Friday.

Over the next decades, robots are expected to make their way into a growing number of households, public spaces, and professional environments. Many of the most advanced and promising robots designed to date are so-called legged robots, which consist of a central body structure with limbs attached to it.

As companies around the world work to commercialize fusion energy—clean power generated by combining two light atoms—not much is known about public acceptance of the emerging technology. In a first-of-its-kind participatory design, Southeastern Michigan community members and students worked together to plan hypothetical fusion energy facilities.

Robots are getting better at sniffing out smells thanks to improvements in electronic noses (e-noses). A comprehensive review of the state of robot olfaction, published in the journal npj Robotics, has surveyed recent advances in the technology. It highlights how these digital noses are becoming more sensitive and more adept at identifying the source of an odor. This is leading to improvements in a range of areas, from search and rescue missions to detecting hazardous gas leaks.

As green hydrogen emerges as a key next-generation clean energy source, securing technologies that enable its stable and cost-effective production has become a critical challenge. However, conventional water electrolysis technologies face limitations in large-scale deployment due to high system costs and operational burdens.

A research team, affiliated with UNIST, has unveiled a flexible photodetector, capable of converting light across a broad spectrum—from visible to near-infrared—into electrical signals. This innovation promises significant advancements in technologies that require simultaneous detection of object colors and internal structures or materials.