How hidden soil fungi 'steal' bacterial DNA to control the rain
Tiny organisms on the ground—bacteria and fungi—have a "superpower" that allows them to reach up into the atmosphere and pull down the rain, according to a recent study.
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New 'molecular handle' uses common amino acid to build complex medicines
In a new study published in Nature Communications, a team of chemists has unveiled a radically simple way to attach a highly sought-after "molecular handle," known as the dichloromethyl group, onto complex compounds. Instead of relying on the aggressive, heavy-metal or
Building 'green' protection for fragile enzymes
Enzymes are nature's tiny powerhouses, helping with everything from digesting food to making it quicker and safer to produce medicines, food and renewable fuels. While they can enhance chemical reactions, their fragile nature makes it difficult to use them in typical industrial
Low-cost robotic chemistry system can be built and deployed in any lab
In a paper just out in Nature Synthesis, researchers led by Prof. Timothy Noël of the University of Amsterdam's Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences presented a breakthrough in autonomous laboratory systems for synthesis optimization. With an estimated cost of a mere
A new fruit wash removes pesticides and extends shelf life
University of British Columbia researchers have developed a natural, biodegradable wash that removed up to 96% of pesticide residue from fruit and slowed browning and moisture loss. This could mean safer apples, grapes and other fruit that also stays fresh and crisp for days
GenAI could push consumer research toward generic, biased results
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is opening the door for more researchers to conduct consumer studies than ever before. But that same accessibility may push the field toward increasingly generic results—and ultimately disconnected from real human behavior.
Compact CRISPR system unlocks targeted in-body gene editing, with up to 90% efficiency
A research team has discovered an enhanced CRISPR gene-editing system that could enable targeted delivery inside the human body—a key step toward broader clinical use. Researchers identified a naturally occurring enzyme, Al3Cas12f, that is small enough to fit into
Protein clusters reshape cell movement and may help cells build amino acids faster
Cells can be thought of as cities, with factories, a transport system, and lots of building activity. An international team led by scientists at the University of Groningen studied cells growing under different conditions and measured the speed of molecule transport. They found
Rivers in the sky are driving stronger and more predictable floods, new study finds
A new study finds that the most intense and destructive rainstorms in Portugal, particularly those fueled by atmospheric rivers, are not the most chaotic but are among the most predictable. These events form within large, well-organized atmospheric systems that strengthen winds
Scottish Neolithic tombs were used to trace kinship—including descent, DNA analysis reveals
Archaeologists have investigated genetic relationships between individuals buried in Neolithic chambered tombs in northern Scotland, suggesting monumental tombs may have been physical embodiments of prehistoric kinship, tracing lineages over centuries.
Self-interacting dark matter may solve three cosmic puzzles
A study led by UC Riverside physicist Hai-Bo Yu suggests that a new type of dark matter could explain three astrophysical puzzles across vastly different environments. Published in Physical Review Letters, the study proposes that dense clumps of self-interacting dark matter
Satellites reveal city methane emissions are rising faster than official estimates
Urban emissions of methane—a potent greenhouse gas—are rising faster than bottom-up accounting estimates anticipated, according to a study led by University of Michigan Engineering. The discrepancy was found with satellite measurements of methane over 92 major cities around the
Balancing catalyst functions for improved low-temperature methanol synthesis from carbon dioxide
Researchers from National Taiwan University and Chulalongkorn University developed a copper-based catalyst system that improves low-temperature methanol synthesis from carbon dioxide hydrogenation by balancing two key steps in the reaction.
Designing better membrane proteins by embracing imperfection
Scientists at the VIB–VUB Center for Structural Biology have uncovered a counterintuitive principle that could reshape how membrane proteins are designed from scratch: Sometimes, making a protein less stable helps it fold correctly. In their study published in the Proceedings
Tiny crystal defects solve decades-old mystery in organic light emitters
Materials that emit and manipulate light are at the heart of technologies ranging from solar energy to advanced imaging systems. But even in well-studied materials, some fundamental behaviors remain unexplained. Researchers at Rice University have now solved a long-standing
Oxide-based sensor opens door to greener, faster, more accurate quality testing of food
An electrochemical sensor developed at Oregon State University holds promise for making food quality testing faster, more accurate, more environmentally friendly, and less expensive. The novel sensor, which also has potential applications in health care and environmental
Light tightens young pea stems, revealing a new brake on plant growth
Light has long been known to regulate plant growth. New research from Osaka Metropolitan University has discovered a new mechanism behind this regulation. A team led by Professor Kouichi Soga of the Graduate School of Science used a unique method to measure adhesion between the
Quantum sensors get a precision boost as 2D defects reveal their hidden timing
A key factor for the performance of sensors is the speed at which the system returns to its initial state after a disturbance or measurement, similar to the taring of a balance. In the quantum sensor under investigation, this corresponds to the transition of electrons from an
New research on cellular redox reactions sheds light on the path of neurodegenerative diseases
The mechanics of the onset of cancer or neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease or ALS remain a mystery. Scientists associate these diseases with an increase in unstable molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells, but they don't fully know why they
Video shows that sunbirds suck, while hummingbirds don't
Two unrelated groups of nectar eaters, hummingbirds and sunbirds, have evolved different techniques to slurp the sweet liquid from flowers. The tongue suctioning employed by sunbirds is unique among vertebrates, according to recent research appearing in Current Biology.
Artemis II crew used modern photography to tell the story of their lunar journey—and update some classic Apollo images
At this point in NASA's human spaceflight story, researchers have a substantial amount of material—documents, artifacts and images—with which to tell the stories of past flights to space. But with NASA's Artemis II mission around the moon now in the books, we're getting a
From ship wakes to soft tissues: Exploring fluid and solid surface-wave physics
A new study by scientists in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) shows that when a pressure disturbance moves across an ultrasoft elastic material, such as a gel or a biological tissue, it generates a V-shaped wake that's strikingly
Combining ion pumps and click chemistry enables precise drug release in the body
How can a drug be released or activated exactly where and when it is needed in the body? For many treatments, particularly in cancer therapy, the active compound should ideally act only at a specific site. Yet in practice, drugs are distributed throughout the entire body: the
Physicists discover how reverse to 'quantum scrambling'
Quantum computers stand to revolutionize research by helping investigators solve certain problems exponentially faster than with conventional computers. Current quantum computers encounter a challenge where they lose stored information in a process known as quantum scrambling.
Gray whales are dying in San Francisco Bay at an alarming rate. This isn't normal
At least six gray whales have died in San Francisco Bay from mid-March to early April 2026. These deaths follow a pattern over the past few years, and they are raising concerns among marine biologists like us that 2026 is becoming another dangerous year for a struggling
Why do some stars in the galactic center survive while others are destroyed?
The center of our galaxy is an extreme place. Surrounding the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*, stars are packed densely into a region where gravity, radiation, and dark matter all interact in complex ways. It is a natural laboratory for testing some of the deepest ideas
Plants use a protein-tagging complex to control stress survival, study finds
A specific cellular mechanism regulates the protein balance of plants, thereby influencing how they respond to environmental stress. An international research team led by Dr. Markus Wirtz at the Center for Organismal Studies of Heidelberg University has identified a particular
Small, medium-sized independent US firms adapted well to minimum wage hikes, as did workers
Proposals to raise the minimum wage are often met with arguments that independent businesses may be vulnerable to such increases. In a new study, "Who's Afraid of the Minimum Wage? Measuring the Impacts on Independent Businesses Using Matched U.S. Tax Returns," researchers
Rapid method uncovers hidden structures in materials—including elusive quasicrystals
An international team of scientists, including researchers from Loughborough University, has developed a method to dramatically speed up the discovery and design of advanced materials. The study, published in Physical Review Letters, shows how the new approach can map complex
Disrupting genome architecture selectively impairs developmental genes
Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have found that temporarily disabling a protein complex that organizes DNA into loops inside the cell's nucleus drastically disrupted the three-dimensional structure of the genome, but surprisingly, most genes continued to function as usual.
Teaching critical thinking may help teens resist fake news, AI slop and online harm
Social media is where teenagers spend most of their time, either scrolling and sharing, or sometimes falling into the traps of fake news, toxic content and online drama. But what if we could equip our young people to challenge harmful narratives and protect themselves from the
Date palm waste yields bio-oil, unlocking energy use for 150 million trees
Researchers have developed a method to extract bio-oil from the surface fiber waste of date palm trees, an abundant, low-cost, and sustainable biomass resource generated by an estimated 150 million date palm trees worldwide. The findings are presented in an article published in
The Best Photos of the Artemis II Mission
Humans have never taken photos of the moon like this The post The Best Photos of the Artemis II Mission appeared first on Nautilus .
Vitamin B12 drives inherited behavioral changes across generations in roundworms
It has long been known that environmental conditions can shape how traits are inherited, a phenomenon known as transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. However, the molecular signals responsible for encoding this biological "memory" have remained largely unknown.
These nanotweezers grab thousands of tiny cell packets in seconds and expose their hidden cargo
Justus Ndukaife, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and Chancellor Faculty Fellow, and his team have developed next generation nanotweezers that better analyze extracellular vesicles and aid in unraveling the mysteries of how cells package molecules and
Fixing Baltimore's unequal weather data coverage
Heat, air pollution, and flooding can affect a city and the health of city residents. Yet few cities have a comprehensive network of weather stations providing accurate measurements of rainfall, humidity, and air temperature across different neighborhoods. Some of this
Math model reveals how life may have switched on from Earth's primordial soup
Isolating the first spark of life on Earth is a matter of biology, geology, and chemistry—but it's also an amazing math problem. At least, that's how Varun Varanasi viewed it when he was a Yale undergraduate. The question, in a nutshell, is this: How did the primordial soup of
Beneath this cemetery, 5.5 million wild bees form a giant underground city vital to spring pollination
To save money, Rachel Fordyce parked her car for free at Ithaca's East Hill Plaza and walked through East Lawn Cemetery to her job as a technician in an entomology lab on Cornell's campus. One spring day in 2022, she walked in to work with a jar full of bees.
Longer-term plankton species diversity is independent of ocean mixing, study finds
Plankton are tiny, microscopic marine organisms that represent the very bottom of the food chain. Some are photosynthetic and others graze on bacteria and other plankton, but no plankton species can move against ocean currents.
Imperiled ‘cloud jaguar’ spotted in Honduran mountains for the first time in a decade
These images, conservationists say, are evidence that wildlife corridors are paying off
Modern living may be causing big changes to our oestrogen levels
Some gut bacteria recycle discarded sex hormones, like oestrogens, back into the body. The level of these bacteria seems to be higher in industrialised societies, which could have big implications for our health
Museum fossil reveals that extinct giant echidnas once roamed Australia
Paleontologists have used an Ice Age fossil found 120 years ago in an underground cave to reveal that extinct giant echidnas roamed southeastern Australia during the Pleistocene Epoch, filling a major knowledge gap in the continent's prehistoric fauna. New research by Museums
What is the chance of a message in a bottle being found?
Recently, a cheerful 100-year-old message in a bottle was found on the south-west coast of Australia. In it, a World War One soldier proclaimed to be "as happy as Larry."
Unlocking unusual superconductivity in a lightweight element
Superconductors—materials that can conduct electricity without energy loss—are crucial for next-generation high-efficiency, ultrafast electronics. However, most superconductors share a critical limitation: they lose their superconducting properties in strong magnetic fields. In
The Centuries-Old History of the Super El Niño
We may get an exceptionally strong El Niño this year, but we’ve been tracking the climatic cycle since 1578 The post The Centuries-Old History of the Super El Niño appeared first on Nautilus .
Is the moon more iron-rich than what we thought?
The moon is Earth's only natural satellite, a rocky celestial body that orbits our planet at an average distance of about 384,000 kilometers. The most widely accepted scientific explanation for the moon's origin is the "giant impact," a high-energy collision between a
A tiny twist and synthetic diamond put superconductivity on a switch, opening a new route to lossless electronics
Researchers have discovered evidence that superconductivity can be controlled by influencing the surrounding environment, a finding that may lead to more efficient electronics down the road, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Physics.
Recent advances in the precise nanoscale construction of g-C₃N₄ catalysts
Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizing agent with a variety of applications in both industrial and household settings. Researchers are working on developing better and better ways to produce H2O2, such as photocatalytic H2O2 evolution techniques, which are more sustainable and
A cheaper, more sustainable way to manufacture breakthrough HIV drug Lenacapavir
Researchers at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) have used engineering biology—an emerging technology that uses nature's own processes to manufacture everyday chemicals and materials—to dramatically simplify how Lenacapavir is manufactured. A novel class of HIV
Fluoride in U.S. drinking water does not reduce IQ, a new study finds
Claims that fluoride in drinking water causes cognitive delays in kids are driving U.S. policy. A new study finds no evidence to back them.
