Nijmegen, 27 February 2026 - Think about the last time you told a story to a friend. You probably adjusted it halfway through. You saw their eyebrows lift. You noticed them lean in, or glance away. You clarified a detail. You sped up the ending. That constant fine-tuning is not a bonus feature of communication: it ís communication. And you can read all about this real-time coordination process in a new review by Judith Holler and Anna K. Kuhlen (Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics), published in Nature Reviews Psychology. Holler ...

The DNA foundation model Evo 2, first released in February 2025 as a preprint, is now published in the journal Nature. Trained on the DNA of over 100,000 species across the entire tree of life, Evo 2 can identify patterns in gene sequences across disparate organisms that experimental researchers would need years to uncover. The machine learning model can accurately identify disease-causing mutations in human genes and is capable of designing new genomes that are as long as the genomes of simple bacteria. Evo 2 was developed by scientists from Arc Institute and NVIDIA, convening collaborators across Stanford University, UC Berkeley, ...

Cambridge scientists have shown that when tumours first emerge, interactions with healthy cells in the underlying supportive tissue determine their ability to survive, grow, and progress to advanced stages of disease. The study, carried out in mice and further validated using human tissue, may explain why some tiny, newly-formed tumours disappear, while others manage to survive and eventually grow into cancer. Tumours arise when our DNA accumulates errors, or mutations, causing the cells to grow faster and ignore signals that would otherwise instruct ...

LOS ANGELES — Scientists at City of Hope®, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S. and a leading research center for diabetes, the Broad Institute and Keio University have discovered how specific gut bacteria work together with diet to flip a metabolic switch — transforming energy‑storing white fat into calorie‑burning beige fat in mice.  The study, published today in Nature, shows that a low‑protein ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Alzheimer's-related brain changes progressed up to 20 times faster in women who also had abnormal levels of a Parkinson's-related protein, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in JAMA Network Open. The same pattern was not observed in men. The findings suggest that when alpha-synuclein — a protein linked to Parkinson's disease — accumulates alongside Alzheimer's pathology, it may drive faster disease progression in women. That interaction could help explain a long-standing disparity: women make up nearly two-thirds of ...

About The Study: Among metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS)-eligible patients in a national sample, semaglutide and tirzepatide prescriptions increased dramatically between 2018 and 2025, whereas MBS use rates declined substantially beginning in 2023. Stratification by procedure type and body mass index (BMI) category suggests that recent shifts in MBS use may be more pronounced in certain patient subgroups (e.g., those seeking sleeve gastrectomy or with lower BMIs). Corresponding Author: To ...

About The Study: In this cross-sectional study of 62,685 participants from the All of Us Research Program, loneliness partially mediated the association between anxiety symptoms and suicidal ideation as well as depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. Targeting and reducing loneliness may present a transdiagnostic approach to arrest the progression from anxiety and depressive symptoms toward suicidal ideation.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Katherine Musacchio Schafer, PhD, email katherine.m.schafer@vumc.org. To ...

About The Study: Compared with usual care, use of the PETRUSHKA tool increased the number of patients still taking their antidepressant at 8 weeks and improved depressive and anxiety symptoms at 24 weeks. However, lack of a double-blind design and the large amount of missing data limit the validity of these results. The PETRUSHKA tool is a web-based clinical decision-support system combining clinical and demographic predictors with patient preferences to personalize antidepressant treatment.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Andrea Cipriani, MD, PhD, ...

People may be frustrated by the lack of detail when weather forecasters say “there will be thunderstorms popping up, but we don’t know where”. Now a key finding in a study by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), published in the journal Nature, is set to improve the certainty about the location of upcoming storms on hot days. Climate change is bringing more intense rainfall, and improving forecasting and warnings to communities globally will save the lives of people and livestock as well as better protect property and infrastructure. Thunderstorms caused around 30,000 ...

A research team funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has developed a versatile machine learning model that could one day greatly expand what medical scans can tell us about disease. Scientists used their tool, named Merlin, to assess 3D abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans, accomplishing tasks as simple as identifying anatomical features to as complex as predicting disease onset years in advance. Despite being developed as a general-purpose CT model, Merlin surpassed a gauntlet of similar automated tools in tasks they were specifically built to handle.   The team trained their model on a unique set of patient CT scans ...

A new study has uncovered how an exceptionally scarce protein can orchestrate the assembly of large‑scale gene-silencing structures inside cells, and what happens when that process breaks down.  The findings, published today in Molecular Cell, identify a self-clustering mechanism in the Polycomb protein CBX2 that is essential for initiating the formation of gene-repressive condensates and guiding stem cells toward their proper fates.   Polycomb complexes are essential for establishing and maintaining cell identity, yet the physical principles behind their repression have remained elusive. The challenge is that some of these molecules are typically present ...

A research team led by Profs. ZHU Min, LU Jing, and ZHU You'an from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences published two back-to-back cover stories in the journal Nature on March 4, reporting new discoveries about the origin of bony fishes. The team has unearthed the oldest known fossils of bony fishes, revealing the morphology and key anatomical features—including jaws, teeth, and braincases—of two primitive bony fish species. Phylogenetic analyses place both taxa within the previously little-known bony fish stem group, representing ...

Tsukuba, Japan—Large-capacity rechargeable batteries capable of sustaining repeated charge-discharge cycles are expected to become core technologies for electric vehicles and other elements of an electrified society. However, current systems often rely on costly metals such as lithium and platinum, creating an urgent demand for more cost-effective alternative materials. Magnesium-air rechargeable batteries, which consist of a carbon-based cathode, a magnesium-metal anode, and a magnesium chloride-containing electrolyte, utilize atmospheric oxygen as the active material at the cathode. This design enables the construction of high‑capacity batteries at low cost. Although the theoretical ...

Tsukuba, Japan—Data science deepens understanding of natural and social phenomena and informs decision‑making through analysis of diverse data types using mathematical and computational methods. Since the 2010s, data have become increasingly accessible not only in science, engineering, and medicine, but also in fields such as the social sciences, humanities, sports, and the arts. This results in rapid growth in societal demand for data‑science‑related knowledge and skills. However, effective instructional methods for data science remain underexplored. In this exploratory case study, the research team quantitatively assessed the educational ...

Tsukuba, Japan—Extended esports play can lead to mental fatigue, resulting in slower and less precise decision-making (diminished executive control) and a variety of physiological responses indicative of impaired sensorimotor or cognitive function. In such cases, many players reach for caffeinated or sugary drinks, but overconsumption raises health concerns such as elevated risks of obesity and diabetes. Sparkling water offers a healthier alternative, as it contains no sugar or caffeine, yet produces a similar sensation in the throat that may engage brainstem-to-prefrontal pathways linked to executive control. In a randomized crossover study, 14 young adults ...

Tsukuba, Japan—Debris supplied by rockfall and related slope processes is a key factor controlling the frequency and magnitude of debris flows. However, estimating the amount of debris supplied over several decades has been technically challenging. In this study, the research team focused on abandoned mountain roads and successfully estimated decadal-scale debris supply by measuring deposits accumulated on these road surfaces using UAV-LiDAR technology. The team conducted a high-resolution topographic survey along a closed section ...

The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) and the Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA) are pleased to announce that Olivia Asher has been selected for the 2026 AIBS & SURA Public Policy Fellowship. This professional development opportunity provides young scientists with valuable first-hand experience in science policy. Olivia Asher is a Ph.D. candidate in bioinformatics at the University of Georgia (UGA), where she uses genomic sequencing and computational analysis to understand the interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, ...

Highlights: Dyslipidemia, an imbalance of lipids, often precedes cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide. The gut microbiota may help regulate lipids in the blood, but the details aren’t clear. Using metagenomic sequencing, a new study reports a gut microbiome signature associated with dyslipidemia. The work suggests potential future roles for microbiome-informed risk stratification or preventive strategies in heart health.  Washington, D.C.—Before the onset of cardiovascular ...

Plant growth is supported by millions of tiny soil microbes competing and cooperating with each other as they perform important roles at the plant root, including improving access to nutrients and protecting against pathogens. As a byproduct of their metabolism, soil microbes can also produce nitrous oxide, or N2O, a potent greenhouse gas that has mostly been studied for its impact on the climate. While some N2O occurs naturally, its production can spike due to fertilizer application and other factors.  While it has long been believed that nitrous oxide doesn’t meaningfully interact with living organisms, a new paper by two MIT researchers shows that it ...

The  College of Engineering and Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University has received an in-kind grant for a United States Air Force T-1A Jayhawk Mixed Reality (MR) and 3D Motion flight simulator valued at approximately $4.5 million. Awarded by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research to FAU’s Center for Connected Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (CA-AI), this acquisition marks a key expansion of the university’s research infrastructure in artificial intelligence, autonomy and aerospace systems. The simulator will be made available to the broader FAU research ...

Biological tactile perception is closely intertwined with morphological structures. Complex biological structures such as human fingers, cat paws, and elephant trunks endow organisms with rich environmental interaction capabilities. However, existing vision-based tactile sensors in robotics are mostly limited to simple planar geometries, and biomorphic design remains underexplored. Traditional tactile sensors suffer from insufficient shape adaptability and limited precision in capturing intricate contact details. Developing vision-based tactile sensors with biomorphic forms through ...

A new study from Hiroshima University showed that, among university students just entering the workforce, those with optimism about the future better manage 'reality shock' through formation of an career-related identity.  ‘Reality shock’ is a widely recognized psychological phenomenon in which new graduates become distressed upon entering the workplace and finding that the reality of working life doesn’t match their expectations. This can lead to disappointment, confusion, depression, and anxiety, and can lower employment ...

PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University researchers have developed a 3D-printed model of the left side of the heart that contracts and beats, offering the chance for surgeons and medical students to rehearse important heart surgeries on a model that acts like the real thing. The WSU researchers, in fact, did a valve repair on their heart model, using ultrasound imaging and customized sensors attached to the model to show a successful repair. They report on their work in the journal, Advanced Materials Technologies. “It’s very useful for doctors and surgeons to practice when the heart is still beating, ...

People and animals create lots of waste that is usually sent to landfills, incinerated or stored in engineered ponds such as manure lagoons. Now, researchers publishing in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters report a potential removal method using insects, specifically black soldier fly larvae. In experiments, the larvae ate spoiled food, sewage sludge or livestock manure, and removed most human-pathogenic viruses. The researchers say this demonstrates a step toward simple, environmentally friendly waste management. "Viruses ...

Miami (March 4, 2026) – Medication nonadherence among people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a result of affordability and lack of knowledge about medications, among other factors, and leads to increased exacerbations and faster lung function decline, according to two new studies. The studies are published in the January 2026 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation, a peer-reviewed, open access journal. COPD, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, affects more than 30 million Americans and is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. It can be caused by genetics and irritants ...