Science
press releases.

Science15 Jan 2026

UC Riverside scientists win 2025 Buchalter Cosmology Prize

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- research team including a UC Riverside astrophysicist and his former graduate student has received the 2025 Buchalter Cosmology Prize for a study that offers new insight into one of the universe’s earliest and most transformative eras — the epoch of cosmic reionization — and its possible role in generating magnetic fields that permeate intergalactic space. Anson D’Aloisio, an associate professor of physics and astronomy, is a senior author on the paper, titled “Kiloparsec-scale turbulence driven by reionization may grow intergalactic magnetic fields,” that won the first prize. Second and third ...

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Science15 Jan 2026

SETI Institute opens call for nominations for the 2026 Tarter Award

SETI Institute Opens Call for Nominations for the 2026 Tarter Award January 15, 2026, Mountain View, CA – The SETI Institute announced that nominations are now open for the 2026 Tarter Award for Innovation in the Search for Life Beyond Earth. The Tarter Award recognizes individuals whose projects or ideas significantly advance humanity’s search for extraterrestrial life and intelligence. Named in honor of Dr. Jill Tarter, SETI Institute co-founder and leader in the field of SETI research, the award celebrates contributions across science, technology, education, art, ...

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Science15 Jan 2026

Chronic low-dose pesticide exposure reduces the life span of wild lake fish, China-based study shows

Even at amounts considered safe under regulatory frameworks, chronic exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos accelerates physiological aging and shortens the life spans of wild fish, according to a new study based in China. The findings raise concerns about the long-term impacts of low-level environmental pesticide contamination. Traditionally, to define risk, chemical safety regulations have relied on the acute dangers of short-term exposure to high doses. While this method captures immediate toxicity, it assumes that exposure to much lower concentrations is more ...

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Science15 Jan 2026

Long-term pesticide exposure accelerates aging and shortens lifespan in fish

EMBARGOED: May be published no earlier than 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 15. Long-term exposure to low levels of a common agricultural pesticide can accelerate physiological aging and shorten lifespan in fish — a finding from new research led by University of Notre Dame biologist Jason Rohr with potentially far-reaching implications for environmental regulations and human health. The study, published in Science, shows that chronic exposure to the insecticide chlorpyrifos at concentrations ...

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Science15 Jan 2026

Post–intensive care syndrome

About The Article: This JAMA Insights discusses post–intensive care syndrome (PICS), including how it is assessed and diagnosed as well as suggestions for treatment and prevention. A 9-minute video will be available with the article online at the embargo time that documents the story of an intensive care unit survivor who developed PICS. The video features interviews with clinicians and researchers to explore what PICS is, what causes it, and ways to help patients. Corresponding Author: To contact ...

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Science15 Jan 2026

The lifesaving potential of opioid abatement funds

About The Article: This Viewpoint explores how financial settlements related to the U.S. opioid epidemic are being spent and how the funds could be used on potentially lifesaving interventions. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Christopher Robertson, JD, PhD, email ctr00@BU.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2025.25660) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, ...

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Science15 Jan 2026

JMIR Publications and Sikt announce pilot flat-fee unlimited open access partnership

(Toronto and Oslo, January 14, 2026) JMIR Publications, a leading open-access digital health research publisher, and Sikt (Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research) are pleased to announce a new pilot partnership that brings JMIR’s Flat-Fee Unlimited Open Access Publishing model to Norway. University College of Molde (Høgskolen i Molde) is the first institution to join the trial program. “Our partnership with Sikt is further progress in our mission to advance open science and empower researchers globally,” said Dennis O’Brien, VP ...

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Science15 Jan 2026

A new, cleaner way to make this common fertilizer

The last time you scrubbed a streaky window or polished a porcelain appliance, you probably used a chemical called ammonia. Also known as ammonium hydroxide when mixed with water, ammonia is more than a common household cleaner. More than 170 million metric tons of it are produced globally every year, with most of it ending up as fertilizer for corn, cotton and soybeans. UIC researchers are scaling up a system for farmers to produce ammonia in their own backyards. The method, which uses renewable electricity and Earth’s natural resources, appears in the journal PNAS. “So many people around the world need food. ...

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Science15 Jan 2026

Fire-safe all-solid-state batteries move closer to commercialization

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS, President Lee Ho Seong) has developed a key materials technology that accelerates the commercialization of all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs)—next-generation batteries designed to intrinsically eliminate the risks of fire and explosion. The Emerging Material Metrology Group at KRISS demonstrated ultra-dense, large-area solid electrolyte membranes by applying a method that coats solid electrolyte powders with multifunctional compounds, reducing production costs to one-tenth of conventional levels. Lithium-ion secondary batteries, which are widely used in electric vehicles ...

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Science15 Jan 2026

Itaconate modifications: mechanisms and applications

Itaconate, an endogenous mitochondrial metabolite produced by the enzyme aconitate decarboxylase 1 (ACOD1), has emerged as a central regulator of inflammation, innate immunity, and cellular stress responses. In a comprehensive review published in the Journal of Intensive Medicine by Yang et al, researchers summarize the rapidly expanding field of itaconate biology—highlighting its chemical reactivity, protein modification mechanisms, and therapeutic potential across infectious, inflammatory, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative diseases. Itaconate and its electrophilic ...

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Science15 Jan 2026

Winners of the 2026 Hill Prizes announced

January 15, 2026 – Dallas – TAMEST (Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology) and Lyda Hill Philanthropies today announced the recipients of the 2026 Hill Prizes. The prizes, funded by Lyda Hill Philanthropies, propel high-risk, high-reward ideas and innovations that demonstrate significant potential for real-world impact and can lead to new, paradigm-shifting paths in research. The prizes are given in seven categories: artificial intelligence, biological sciences, engineering, medicine, physical sciences, public health and technology. They recognize and advance top Texas innovators, providing seed funding to advance groundbreaking science and highlight ...

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Science15 Jan 2026

Researchers discover how a respiratory bacterium obtains essential lipids from the human body and targets fat-rich tissues

Barcelona, January 15, 2026. A multidisciplinary team has uncovered a key mechanism that allows the human bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae—responsible for atypical pneumonia and other respiratory infections—to obtain cholesterol and other essential lipids directly from the human body. The discovery, published in Nature Communications, was co-led by Dr. Noemí Rotllan, from the Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau) and the Center for Biomedical Research in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders (CIBERDEM); Dr. Marina Marcos, from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB); and Dr. David Vizarraga, from the Institute of Molecular Biology ...

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Science15 Jan 2026

Locust swarms destroy crops. Scientists found a way to stop that

“They’re very destructive when there's a lot of them, but one-on-one, what's not to love?” says Arianne Cease. She’s talking about locusts. As the director of Arizona State University’s Global Locust Initiative, Cease has a healthy admiration for these insects, even as she studies ways to manage locust swarms and prevent the destruction they cause. Locust swarms, which may conjure images of biblical plagues and ancient famines, remain a serious problem worldwide. They can destroy crops across entire regions, ruin people’s livelihoods, ...

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Science15 Jan 2026

Two types of underconfidence linked to anxiety and gender

Women and people with anxiety are both prone to low confidence in their own abilities, but a new study by University College London (UCL) researchers has found that the two groups are prone to two distinct types of underconfidence. When they took more time to reflect on their answers in a simple experimental task, people with anxiety grew less confident in their answers, while women who were underconfident gained confidence. Lead author, Dr Sucharit Katyal, who completed the work as a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck UCL Centre ...

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Science15 Jan 2026

Maternity baby deaths much higher in northern England than in the South

A new paper in the Journal of Public Health, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that maternity services in the North of England most consistently report higher-than-average rates of perinatal mortality, including stillbirths, compared to those in the South. The year 2025 marked the end of a decade-long UK government national maternity safety initiative, which aimed to halve the rate of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries occurring during or soon after birth. While this was not achieved, a 36% reduction in perinatal ...

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Science15 Jan 2026

Study reveals how many hours of video games per week might be too many

Playing video games for more than 10 hours a week could have a significant impact on young people’s diet, sleep and body weight, according to a new Curtin University-led study published in Nutrition. Researchers surveyed 317 students from five Australian universities with a median age of 20 years old. They split participants into three groups depending on the self-reported amount of time spent playing video games, from ‘low gamers’ (0-5 hours per week) to ‘moderate gamers’ (5-10 hours) and ‘high gamers’ ...

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Science15 Jan 2026

Home fingertip oxygen monitors less accurate for people with darker skin tones

Fingertip monitors known as pulse oximeters that can be used at home to detect low blood oxygen levels (hypoxaemia) give higher readings for patients with darker than lighter skin tones, finds the largest study on this topic published by The BMJ today. This means that low blood oxygen levels may be missed in patients with darker skin tones, potentially delaying care, while patients with lighter skin tones may get unnecessary treatment. Pulse oximeters use light to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood (SpO2). For most people, a normal pulse oximeter reading is between 95% and 100%, with readings below 90-92% generally considered low and requiring medical ...

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Science15 Jan 2026

British redcoat’s lost memoir reveals harsh realities of life as a disabled veteran

Archival discoveries including a 19th-century autobiography transform our understanding of Shadrack Byfield, an English veteran of the War of 1812 who buried his own amputated arm and designed a custom prosthesis. A recurrent character in TV documentaries, books and museum exhibits in the USA and Canada, Byfield has been celebrated as an uncomplaining British soldier. But the new evidence reveals Byfield’s tenacious pursuit of veterans’ benefits and his struggles with pain, poverty, and the police. ‘They came and pushed me about, ...

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Science14 Jan 2026

Severe weather is deadly for vulnerable older adults long after the storm ends, study finds

Audio: Study summation by Sue Anne Bell Older adults who were exposed to heavy rainfall after Hurricane Harvey in 2017 faced a 3% increase in the risk of death within the following year, a new University of Michigan study found. "These findings add to the evidence that disasters don't just cause short-term disruptions. They expose and magnify the underlying fragilities in our health systems," said lead author Sue Anne Bell, U-M associate professor of nursing. "For older adults who rely on regular ...

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Science14 Jan 2026

Ancient teeth are treasure troves of data on Iron Age lifestyles

Teeth provide a wealth of information about the lives of Iron Age Italians, according to a study published January 14, 2026 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Roberto Germano of Sapienza University of Rome, Italy and colleagues. Comparing the lifestyles of ancient cultures requires detailed information about the lives of long-deceased individuals. Human teeth are an excellent resource for this data, being very resilient structures that act as archives of life history information. In this study, Germano and colleagues combined multiple dental analyses to interpret details about health and diet in the Iron Age Italian site of Pontecagnano, dating to the 7th ...

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Science14 Jan 2026

Pregnant women with IBD show heightened inflammation in vaginal mucosa

Pregnant individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have higher levels of pro-inflammatory immune molecules, known as cytokines, in their vaginal mucosa than their healthy counterparts, according to a new study published January 14, 2026 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Ana Maldonado-Contreras of University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, U.S., and colleagues. However, the study also suggested that higher-quality diets, with more vegetables and fewer added sugars, are associated with lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in pregnant women both with and without IBD. Pregnant individuals with IBD ...

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Science14 Jan 2026

Horses can smell fear: In experiments where horses smelled sweat from scared humans, they reacted to scary and sudden events with increased fear and reduced human interaction

Horses can smell fear: In experiments where horses smelled sweat from scared humans, they reacted to scary and sudden events with increased fear and reduced human interaction Article URL: https://plos.io/49nDTft Article title: Human emotional odours influence horses’ behaviour and physiology Author countries: France Funding: This study was granted by ANR Emodour (grant number ANR-23-CE20-0033) and Institut Français du Cheval et de l’Équitation (IFCE, grant number 32001331 Cognition Emotion). PJ was funded ...

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Science14 Jan 2026

Has progress stalled on gender equality at work?

New research published in The Economic and Labour Relations Review, a UNSW-based journal, found there’s still much more to do to improve today’s working conditions for women across the world. The collection offers what its guest editors – Dr Yuvisthi Naidoo from the Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW Sydney and Honorary Associate Professor Anne Junor from the School of Business, UNSW Canberra – describe as a ‘necessary stocktake’ of how paid and unpaid work continues to both enable and limit women’s safety, wellbeing and economic power. “Overall, this collection addresses emerging and ...

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Science14 Jan 2026

The American Ornithological Society (AOS) announces the winner of the 2025 Wesley Lanyon Award

CHICAGO—January 14, 2026—The American Ornithological Society (AOS) bestows the Wesley Lanyon Award every two years on an early-career ornithologist who authors the best integrative avian science review paper published in either AOS journal (Ornithology or Ornithological Applications). The award is given in honor of Wesley “Bud” Lanyon, who served as the 37th President of the American Ornithologists’ Union, one of the AOS’s predecessor societies. The 2025 AOS Wesley Lanyon Award is given to lead author Bryce W. ...

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Science14 Jan 2026

Quality of life of parents of premature infants

About The Study: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, parental quality of life was lowest during the premature infant’s hospitalization. A family-centered approach, with timely and tailored support from the neonatal intensive care unit through the postdischarge period, is essential to protect and promote parental well-being. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Zubair Amin, MHPE, email paeza@nus.edu.sg. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The ...

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