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press releases.

Science8 Jan 2026

Interim safety of RSVpreF vaccination during pregnancy

About The Study: In this interim reporting of respiratory syncytial virus prefusion F (RSVpreF) vaccine safety in a large cohort of pregnancies with vaccine-seeking behavior, this study found no statistically significant increases in any prespecified safety outcomes compared with unvaccinated pregnancies. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Ashley I. Michnick, PharmD, PhD, email ashley_michnick@hphci.harvard.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2025.23452) Editor’s ...

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Science8 Jan 2026

JMIR Publications and Sweden's National Library announce renewal and expansion of flat-fee unlimited open access partnership for 2026

(Toronto & Stockholm, January 7, 2026) JMIR Publications, a leading open-access digital health research publisher, and the National Library of Sweden (NLS), representing the Bibsam Consortium, are pleased to announce the extension of their Flat-Fee Unlimited Open Access Publishing Agreement through December 31, 2026. The renewal of this agreement, originally set to expire on December 31, 2025, reinforces the commitment of Swedish research funders and institutions to the principles of open science. The partnership provides authors affiliated with ...

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Science8 Jan 2026

What causes some people’s gut microbes to produce high alcohol levels?

Researchers at University of California San Diego, Mass General Brigham, and their colleagues have identified specific gut bacteria and metabolic pathways that drive alcohol production in patients with auto-brewery syndrome (ABS). The rare and often misunderstood condition causes people to experience intoxication without drinking alcohol. The study was published in Nature Microbiology on January 8, 2026. ABS occurs when gut microbes break down carbohydrates and convert them to ethanol (the alcohol found ...

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Science8 Jan 2026

Behind nature’s blueprints

Inspired by biological systems, materials scientists have long sought to harness self-assembly to build nanomaterials. The challenge: the process seemed random and notoriously difficult to predict. Now, researchers from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and Brandeis University have uncovered geometric rules that act as a master control panel for self-assembling particles. The results, which could find applications ranging from protein design to synthetic nanomachines, were published in Nature Physics. Life is the ultimate nanotechnologist. Biology has long fascinated physicists with its ability to build complex molecular machines and structures from ...

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Science8 Jan 2026

Researchers search for why some people’s gut microbes produce high alcohol levels

Researchers have identified specific gut bacteria and metabolic pathways that drive alcohol production in patients with auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), a rare and often misunderstood condition in which people experience intoxication without drinking alcohol. The research team from Mass General Brigham, in collaboration with colleagues at University of California San Diego, published their findings in Nature Microbiology. ABS occurs when gut microbes break down carbohydrates and convert them to ethanol (alcohol) that ...

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Science8 Jan 2026

Revealing the diversity of olfactory receptors in hagfish and its implications for early vertebrate evolution

Tsukuba, Japan—Animals, including humans, rely on their sense of smell to locate food, avoid predators, and communicate. This sensory ability depends on specialized receptor proteins. In vertebrates, four major receptor families mediate olfaction; these include olfactory receptors (ORs), vomeronasal type 1 receptors (V1Rs), vomeronasal type 2 receptors (V2Rs), and trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs). However, the evolutionary origin and early diversification patterns of these receptor classes remain poorly understood. In this study, University of Tsukuba researchers examined the hagfish genome for genes linked to ORs. In total, they identified 48 OR genes, 2 V1R genes, ...

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Science8 Jan 2026

Achieving ultra-low-power explosive jumps via locust bio-hybrid muscle actuators

Background Micro-jumping robots offer unique advantages in scenarios such as confined space exploration and post-disaster search and rescue. However, traditional designs have consistently faced two major bottlenecks. On one hand, actuators based on elastic energy storage mechanisms like springs struggle to accumulate sufficient energy for effective jumping when miniaturized, while their reset mechanisms incur additional energy losses. On the other hand, low-power actuators made from piezoelectric or dielectric materials reduce energy consumption but fail ...

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Science8 Jan 2026

Three in four new Australian moms struggle with body image

Up to 75% of Australian women report concerns about their body image after giving birth, with many feeling intense pressure to “bounce back” to their pre-pregnancy shape, a pressure that can even trigger eating disorders for the first time, warn Flinders University researchers. A major review published in Body Image shows these struggles are not just personal - they are shaped by partners, families, and cultural expectations. The analysis of 36 studies found that social and interpersonal factors can either protect against or worsen body dissatisfaction and disordered eating ...

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Science8 Jan 2026

Are you ready to swap salmon for sprats and sardines?

Millions of Britons could be ready to swap imported fish for home‑caught favourites like sardines, sprats and anchovies – according to a new study from the University of East Anglia (UEA). A new report reveals that more than 40 per cent of consumers are willing to experiment with fish they’ve never tried before. The study suggests the UK is overlooking a major opportunity to improve national health and bolster local economies by embracing its own rich stocks of small, nutritious fish. The study was led by researchers at UEA’s Centre for Social and Economic Research ...

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Science7 Jan 2026

New study highlights link between eviction rates and gun violence

Violent crime has fallen to historic lows in Chicago, although gun violence continues to plague neighborhoods with concentrated poverty. A 2023 study of five major cities showed that more than 55% of shootings occurred in just 9% of total census tracts, and that small increases in things like poverty, unemployment, or limited access to health care are associated with large increases in firearm violence. Yet not every neighborhood that struggles with these challenges also has high rates of violence. ...

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Science7 Jan 2026

Researchers identify novel therapeutic target to improve recovery after nerve injury

Peripheral nerve injury reduces the ability of macrophages to clear dead or dying cells – a process known as efferocytosis – leading to chronic pain Restoring efferocytosis ability reduced neuropathic pain in lab models Efferocytosis is a potential therapeutic target for chronic neuropathic pain Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that targeting a specific immune process could help improve recovery after nerve injury and reduce chronic pain. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), was led by Peter Grace, Ph.D., associate ...

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Science7 Jan 2026

Microbes in breast milk help populate infant gut microbiomes

Most conversations about breast milk tend to focus on topics like nutrients, antibodies and bonding time rather than bacteria. But it turns out that human milk carries its own tiny community of microbes, and those passengers may help shape a baby’s developing gut microbiome — which in turn can impact nutrient absorption, metabolic regulation, immune system development, and more. A new study published in Nature Communications provides one of the most detailed portraits yet of how different combinations of bacteria in human milk contribute to the assembly of infants’ ...

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Science7 Jan 2026

Understanding the role of linear ubiquitination in T-tubule biogenesis

Transverse tubules (T-tubules) play significant role in muscle contraction. However, the underlying mechanism of their formation is yet to be elucidated. In a recent study, a research team from Japan used a Drosophila model to understand this process. The results show the involvement of LUBEL, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, in the T-tubule biogenesis. Beyond LUBEL’s role in immune response, the study reveals an unexpected function of linear ubiquitination in membrane deformation, driven by BAR-domain proteins. Transverse tubules ...

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Science7 Jan 2026

World’s oldest arrow poison – 60,000-year-old traces reveal early advanced hunting techniques

Researchers have identified traces of plant poison from the South African plant gifbol on Stone Age arrowheads – the oldest known arrow poison in the world to date. The discovery, published in the scientific journal Science Advances, shows that 60,000 years ago, people in southern Africa had already developed advanced knowledge of toxic substances and how they could be used for hunting. Researchers from South Africa and Sweden have found the oldest traces of arrow poison in the world to date. On 60,000-year-old quartz arrowheads from Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, ...

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Science7 Jan 2026

Bristol scientists discover early sponges were soft

Sponges are among earth’s most ancient animals, but exactly when they evolved has long puzzled scientists. Genetic information from living sponges, as well as chemical signals from ancient rocks, suggest sponges evolved at least 650 million years ago. The research is published today [7 January] in Science Advances. This evidence has proved highly controversial as it predates the fossil record of sponges by a minimum of 100 million years. Now an international team of scientists led by Dr M. Eleonora Rossi, from the University of Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences, ...

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Science7 Jan 2026

Restoring mitochondria shows promise for treating chronic nerve pain

For millions living with nerve pain, even a light touch can feel unbearable. Scientists have long suspected that damaged nerve cells falter because their energy factories known as mitochondria don’t function properly. Now research published in Nature suggests a way forward: supplying healthy mitochondria to struggling nerve cells. Using human tissue and mouse models, researchers at Duke University School of Medicine found that replenishing mitochondria significantly reduced pain tied to diabetic ...

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Science7 Jan 2026

Early hominins from Morocco reveal an African lineage near the root of Homo sapiens

To the point Precisely dated fossils: A high-resolution magnetostratigraphic record at Thomas Quarry I captures the Matuyama–Brunhes reversal at around 773,000 years ago, providing one of the most accurate ages for an African Pleistocene hominin assemblage. Near the root of our lineage: Mandibles and other remains show a mosaic of archaic and derived traits consistent with an African sister population to Homo antecessor, near the divergence of Middle Pleistocene Eurasian and African hominin lineages. Northwestern Africa’s key role: Decades ...

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Science7 Jan 2026

Yoga for opioid withdrawal and autonomic regulation

About The Study: In this randomized clinical trial, yoga significantly accelerated opioid withdrawal recovery and improved autonomic regulation, anxiety, sleep, and pain. These findings support integrating yoga into withdrawal protocols as a neurobiologically informed intervention addressing core regulatory processes beyond symptom management. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Hemant Bhargav, MD, PhD, email drbhargav.nimhans@gmail.com. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.3863) Editor’s ...

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Science7 Jan 2026

Twist to reshape, shift to transform: Bilayer structure enables multifunctional imaging

Driven by the global wave of informatization, the real-time transmission, efficient processing, and intelligent analysis of massive data have become both the core engine propelling frontier technologies like artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, and augmented reality, and a critical bottleneck currently faced. As the most intuitive and information-rich carrier in communication, the processing efficiency of images directly determines the "comprehensibility" and ultimate "decision-making value" of visual information. However, traditional electronic computing architectures are gradually approaching their physical limits, encountering severe ...

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Science7 Jan 2026

The untold story of life with Prader-Willi syndrome - according to the siblings who live it

New research from the University of East Anglia (UK) reveals the hidden struggles experienced by the brothers and sisters of people with Prader-Willi syndrome. Prader-Willi syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes growth and learning challenges and requires lifelong care to prevent serious health issues. It is known for causing constant hunger, which can lead to over-eating and obesity. But until now, little has been known about how the condition impacts families. A new study published today reveals the emotional challenges faced by siblings ...

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Science6 Jan 2026

How the parasite that ‘gave up sex’ found more hosts – and why its victory won’t last

Australian researchers have uncovered how a particular strain of a diarrhoea-causing parasite managed to infect more animal species, offering new insights into how parasitic infections emerge and spread to people. The WEHI-led study has revealed a genetic shortcut that may help Giardia duodenalis and many other parasites jump to new hosts at the cost of long-term survival. The findings may also help explain how parasites evolve drug resistance, with implications for treatment strategies worldwide. Understanding these dynamics could inform public health surveillance and guide efforts to anticipate zoonotic ...

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Science6 Jan 2026

Twitter data reveals partisan divide in understanding why pollen season's getting worse

Two things are clear from a University of Michigan analysis of nearly 200,000 Twitter posts between 2012 and 2022. One, people are really good at identifying peak pollen season: The largest volume of tweets about pollen often lined up with pollen counters hitting their biggest numbers. And two, liberal users on Twitter were more likely than conservatives to ascribe shifting pollen seasons over the years to climate change. "There is a partisan gap in how we perceive the pollen seasons that are very relevant to our day-to-day life and even our health," said Yiluan Song, the lead author of the new report in ...

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Science6 Jan 2026

Rice genes matter more than domestication in shaping plant microbiomes

Rice feeds more than half of the world’s population, but the tiny microbes living on and around rice plants may be just as important as the crop itself. A new study reveals that the specific genetic identity of a rice plant plays a stronger role than whether it is wild or domesticated in determining which microbes it hosts and how those microbes function. The research, published in Agricultural Ecology and Environment, shows that differences among rice genotypes strongly shape microbial communities in both the soil surrounding roots, known as the rhizosphere, and on leaf surfaces, known as the phyllosphere. ...

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Science6 Jan 2026

Ticking time bomb: Some farmers report as many as 70 tick encounters over a 6-month period

Finding one tick on your body is scary enough – tick-borne diseases are serious – but what if you found more than 10 on yourself in just one month? That’s the plight of some farmers as the threat of ticks and tick-borne diseases grows, according to new research featuring experts at Binghamton University, State University of New York. New research led by Mandy Roome, associate director of the Tick-borne Disease Center at Binghamton University, State University of New York, reveals that farmers and outdoor workers in the Northeast are facing an escalating threat of tick-borne diseases, which could be devastating ...

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Science6 Jan 2026

Cracking the evolutionary code of sleep

A groundbreaking new study from Bar-Ilan University shows that one of sleep’s core functions originated hundreds of millions of years ago in jellyfish and sea anemones, among the earliest creatures with nervous systems. By tracing this mechanism back to these ancient animals, the research demonstrates that protecting neurons from DNA damage and cellular stress is a basic, ancient function of sleep that began long before complex brains evolved. Although sleep is universal among animals with nervous systems, it poses clear survival risks: during ...

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