EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4:00 P.M. ET, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2026 Highlights: A new review of research has found the number of parents refusing vitamin K injections for their newborns is on the rise. Vitamin K is an essential vitamin that is naturally low in newborns. Vitamin K at birth is needed to help blood to clot. It is not a vaccine. Babies who do not receive vitamin K at birth are at a higher risk of life-threatening brain bleeds and long-term disability. While vitamin K refusal remains low, less than 1%, the review found rates of refusal in Minnesota ...

Scientists have identified a new way to distinguish healthy guts from diseased ones and track how some illnesses progress by measuring how gut bacteria interact with one another. According to a study published in Science, a collaboration between scientists at Rutgers University, Universidad de Granada in Spain and Princeton University found that healthy and diseased gut microbiomes behave like two distinct ecological states, driven not by individual microbes but by how entire bacterial communities compete and cooperate. “Instead ...

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 19:00 GMT / 14:00 ET THURSDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2026 Rice gene discovery could cut fertiliser use while protecting yields Researchers from the University of Oxford, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Chinese Academy of Sciences) have finally identified the master regulator in plants that balances root and shoot growth when nutrients are limited. In field trials, rice plants with an improved version of the gene had yield increases of up to 24%. The breakthrough, published today (26 February) in the prestigious ...

A study published today in the journal Science reveals how jumping fragments of human DNA, a type of genetic parasite, destabilise the cancer genome. Unstable genomes are a fertile playground for cancer evolution, giving malignant cells more opportunities to grow, adapt and evade treatment.  The researchers analysed genome sequences from tumours with unusually high activity of LINE-1 (L1) elements, fragments of DNA which copy themselves and paste that copy into other locations within the genome.  Previously thought ...

Though CAR T cells have been effective against certain blood cancers, they have not been for solid tumors. Now, a new form of highly sensitive CAR T cells aims to overcome one of the biggest barriers in solid tumor immunotherapies – the way solid tumors lack a single, widely shared surface target. By engineering an ultra-sensitive receptor capable of detecting even the smallest amounts of the protein CD70, researchers report they were able to eradicate kidney, ovarian, and pancreatic tumors in preclinical models. The findings provide a potential strategy to treat a broad range of solid tumors. ...

When Neanderthals and ancient modern humans interbred, the pairings were mostly between male Neanderthals and female humans. This finding helps explain why Neanderthal ancestry present in most humans is unevenly distributed. Anatomically modern humans carry low levels of Neanderthal ancestry, but it is not evenly shared. When the genomes of Neanderthals and modern humans are compared, striking gaps known as “Neanderthal deserts” are revealed. These are large stretches of DNA in modern humans where Neanderthal genetic contributions are unusually rare. Such deserts appear across several chromosomes and are especially prominent on the X chromosome. According to Alexander Platt and ...

North American bird populations are not only declining, but they’re also shrinking faster with each passing year – particularly in regions shaped by intensive agriculture, according to a new study. Centuries of human impacts, including land use change, agricultural intensification, overexploitation, and pollution, have drastically reshaped the natural world, leading to population declines for many wildlife species worldwide. Although these declines are widely recognized, whether these losses are speeding up year over year, as well as the factors driving this potential acceleration, remain poorly understood. ...

U.S. policymakers addressing the public’s concerns about how genetic information could be used, in different insurance-related contexts, should consider several guiding questions, say authors of a new Policy Forum. Comprehensive genetic testing for both consumer and clinical use has led to the rise of genetic privacy laws like the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), which bars health insurers and employers from using genetic information. As that 2008 Act was limited to health insurance, however, numerous states have since enacted bans on the discriminatory use of genetic information by other kinds of insurance (life, long-term care, ...

Anyone who has seen a hummingbird poking her beak deep into a trumpet creeper blossom, or a honeyeater using its brush-tipped tongue to extract nectar from eucalyptus flowers, has witnessed something that from a human perspective is rather remarkable. Although many bird species avoid sugar-rich foods, others survive almost entirely on sugar-rich nectar or fruit, processing massive sugar loads without developing the diseases that such diets cause in people and other animals. Groups including hummingbirds, sunbirds, ...

NEW YORK, NY (Feb. 26, 2026)--CAR T cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment of many blood cancers, but has shown little success against solid tumors, which account for over 85% of all cancers. Columbia researchers have now found that a new type of cell therapy—HIT cells, a cousin to CAR T with enhanced sensitivity—overcomes a major obstacle to treating solid tumors with cell therapy and can completely eliminate kidney, pancreatic, and ovarian cancers in mice. The research, conducted by investigators at the Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy (CICET), was published Feb. 26 in the journal Science. Michel Sadelain, director ...

As we age with each passing year, we become more susceptible to chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, and dementia. Scientists have long focused on fighting these conditions one at a time. Recently, however, many have begun to wonder whether they can slow aging itself. But to ward off age-related changes to the body, they must first understand what triggers them.   Now, in a study published in Science, researchers at The Rockefeller University have created the most comprehensive atlas yet of how aging affects thousands of cell subtypes across 21 ...

[Embargoed until 2 p.m. (ET) Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026] COLUMBUS, Ohio – Though previous research has shown that bird populations are declining across North America, a new study is the first to show that the pace of loss has picked up speed since the mid-1980s in three regions: the Midwest, California and Mid-Atlantic states. After these hotspots of accelerated bird decline were revealed, researchers looked for factors that could explain the difference in the rates of decline, examining climate measures and human activity-related ...

Most modern humans with non-African ancestry carry small amounts of Neanderthal DNA across much of their genome but have little-to-none on their X chromosomes. New research from Penn challenges an old assumption that the cause was natural selection and a weeding out of “toxic” Neanderthal genes. The researchers found that Neanderthals have more human DNA on their X chromosomes than elsewhere in their genomes. Because males and females pass on X chromosomes differently, this genetic pattern, they found, points to a strong sex bias: preferential mating between Neanderthal males and human females. Their findings ...

The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has named two NJIT faculty members — Cesar Bandera, master teacher and Leir Endowed Chair for Entrepreneurship, and Sara Zapico, assistant professor of forensic science — to the 2026 class of Senior Members. They are among 230 emerging academic inventors from 82 member institutions selected for demonstrated success in producing technologies that have been patented, licensed, commercialized, or possess strong potential for real-world impact.  This year’s class collectively holds more than 2,000 U.S. patents, making it the Academy’s largest Senior Member cohort to date. “This year’s Senior ...

Although drug overdose deaths declined in the U.S. last year, the rate of substance use disorder is rising, and the problem remains undertreated: Fewer than one in five people with substance use disorder report that they’ve received any treatment for it. An especially vulnerable group are those who use substances and do not have stable housing, who research shows are both far more likely to experience overdose and much less likely to receive treatment for their condition compared to those who have secure housing. A new study has shown that a mobile app developed by researchers ...

DALLAS, Feb. 25, 2026 — Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young athletes, according to the American Heart Association, and too often it goes undetected. To help address this challenge, the Association has expanded its heart health education and Hands-Only CPR training efforts through a multi-year national campaign focused on students and families at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) nationwide. The initiative also amplified ...

In response to the societal challenge of growing electricity demand from AI data centers, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is launching the Next Generation Data Centers Institute (NGDCI). This internal ORNL institute will unite the laboratory’s unique expertise and facilities that span energy technologies, high-performance computing, cybersecurity, and grid science to ensure that America’s rapidly growing AI infrastructure remains secure, efficient, and reliable. https://youtu.be/rlGMm4M1mi0?si=IcVzId3k37M67Vhn ORNL’s launch of NGDCI comes as the federal government is advancing its own national initiative: Genesis Mission. ...

Sea level can temporarily change for a variety of reasons—atmospheric pressure shifts and water accumulation from wind and storms, for example—which can cause flooding in coastal communities and affect maritime industry operations. The key to mitigating the effects of short-term sea level variation is accurate prediction that provides ample warning time to affected areas.   Sea level anomaly (SLA) is a key parameter for predicting short-term variations in sea level. It reflects the absolute geostrophic current anomaly, which measures ...

ALBANY, N.Y. (Feb. 26, 2026) — Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology is transforming medicine by providing our cells with genetic instructions to produce proteins that help the immune system prevent or fight a wide range of diseases, including cancer and other rare disorders. Before the molecule can help fight disease, mRNA is packaged into lipid nanoparticles to protect it from rapid degradation. These fatty, protective bubbles act as a delivery vehicle, ensuring the mRNA properly enters the cell to deliver instructions for protein production. Researchers at the University at Albany are developing a new technique that can determine whether ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists have developed a new edge-of-field water-treatment system that reduces the load of excess nutrients washing into waterways from farm drainage systems. Their method combines a woodchip bioreactor with a two-step biochar water-treatment module. A one-year field trial demonstrated that the system reduced both nitrogen and phosphorus runoff from farmland. The study, published in the Journal of Water Process Engineering, also included a techno-economic analysis that found that the bioreactor-biochar ...

An analysis of 35,000 Canadians shows that rising cannabis use and worsening mental‑health symptoms are increasingly appearing together, with the connection between the two strengthening over time. The study, led by McMaster University and published in The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry on Feb. 25, 2026, analyzed data from two large, nationally representative Statistics Canada surveys of Canadians aged 15 and older living in the provinces, to examine cannabis use and mental‑health outcomes between 2012 and 2022. With the ...

Researchers studying the soft bodied Ediacaran biotas of the world generally accept that there are three distinct assemblages: The 575–560-million-year-old (Ma) Avalon Assemblage—best known from the Ediacaran of Newfoundland, Canada, characterized by the weird and wonderful fractal Rangeomorpha like Charnia that thrived in the deep dark waters around the ancient continent of Avalonia. The 560–550-Ma White Sea Assemblage—best known from shallow marine rocks of Australia, Russia, and China, marking the acme of Ediacaran biodiversity and including some famous animal ...

February 26, 2026 — A small but growing body of evidence suggests that a minimally invasive surgical procedure called lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA) might be an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to a special article in the March 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 ...

New research from The University of Texas at Arlington shows that digital hotlines are changing how survivors of domestic and sexual violence access safety planning and support. Use of chat and text services has surged since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Rachel Joy Voth Schrag, a UT Arlington professor of social work. Understanding how survivors use these digital channels, she said, is critical for ensuring hotline advocates have the tools they need to support survivor and family safety. “When the ...

A monoclonal antibody created by the Nanobiotechnology for Diagnostics group (Nb4D) at the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC), part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), has demonstrated in cell cultures that it can neutralize the toxin pyocyanin produced by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which the World Health Organization considers highly dangerous due to its strong resistance to nearly all antibiotics and its prevalence in hospital settings. In this study, published in the journal ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science, the researchers ...