Science
press releases.

Science11 Nov 2025

How life first got moving: nature’s motor from billions of years ago

Research led by the University of Auckland has cast light on the evolutionary origins of one of nature’s first motors, which developed 3.5 billion to 4 billion years ago to propel bacteria. Scientists have created the most comprehensive picture yet of the evolution of bacterial stators, proteins with roles similar to pistons in a car engine, says Dr Caroline Puente-Lelievre, of the School of Biological Sciences. Stator proteins sit in the bacterial cell wall, transforming charged particles (ions) into torque, creating propulsion for bacteria to swim. Stators likely evolved from ion transporter ...

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Science11 Nov 2025

Hidden catalysis: Abrasion transforms common chemistry equipment into reagents

The chemical industry is one of the largest on the planet, essential for supplying us with pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, materials and more. Great care is taken to optimize reagents and conditions for each reaction, striving for efficiency and, increasingly, sustainability. A growing field of synthesis is mechanochemistry, in which reagents are mixed using mechanical force, making for greener reactions with less solvent usage and enabling access to a wide array of essential chemicals. In a typical mechanochemistry setup, the reagents are placed in a jar ...

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Science11 Nov 2025

ASH 2025 tip sheet: Sylvester researchers contribute to more than 35 oral presentations at ASH Annual Meeting

Mosunetuzumab and polatuzumab combined with axicabtagene ciloleucel induce high complete response rates at day+90 in Relapsed/Refractory large B-cell lymphoma Dr. Jay Spiegel is the presenting author and all other authors are with Sylvester or the University of Miami. A phase 2 trial of abbreviated fixed-duration (Default 4 Cycles) linvoseltamab immuno-consolidation to deepen responses post newly diagnosed multiple myeloma combination therapy for minimal residual disease positivity (the IMMUNOPLANT Study) ...

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Science11 Nov 2025

Food stamp expansion in 2021 reduced odds of needy US kids going hungry

The 15% expansion of food stamp payments under the supplemental nutrition assistance program, or SNAP for short, during the COVID-19 pandemic, reduced the odds of needy children going hungry, especially in Hispanic-American and large households, finds research to be published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. The findings are particularly relevant, given the projected 9-10% benefit reductions ($15/household/month) for typical families by 2034 under the terms of the 2025 Reconciliation Bill enacted in July ...

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Science10 Nov 2025

One month of clot prevention after a stent was as effective as year-long course for AFib

Research Highlights: A one-month course of dual clot-preventing therapy followed by a single clot-prevention medication for the remainder of the standard 12-month regimen in adults with atrial fibrillation (AFib) who received a coronary stent was as effective as one year of continuous dual therapy for preventing stroke, heart attack and death. Participants treated with the one-month regimen experienced fewer bleeding problems than those in the year-long dual-treatment group. This is the first study to suggest the one-month strategy is as safe and effective as the standard year-long regimen of dual clot-preventing therapy for people with AFib treated with a stent. Note: ...

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Science10 Nov 2025

Cup of coffee a day may not be harmful for some adults with AFib and could lower episodes

Research Highlights: During the 6 months after treatment to restore a normal heart rhythm, adults with atrial fibrillation (AFib) who were randomly assigned to drink coffee every day were 39% less likely to have a recurrence of AFib compared to participants assigned to not have any coffee or other caffeinated drinks. The results of the 200-person trial may challenge the common belief that caffeine may spur more abnormal heart rhythms such as AFib. Researchers say it is reasonable for health care professionals to let their AFib patients try naturally caffeinated drinks ...

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Science10 Nov 2025

Investigational daily pill lowered bad cholesterol as much as injectables

Research Highlights: For people who have experienced a heart attack or stroke, or who are at high risk of one and need further cholesterol lowering, a new daily pill may be a more convenient yet similarly effective option to injectable therapies. The oral medication, enlicitide, lowered LDL cholesterol by up to 60% and could eventually offer an option for people whose LDL levels remain above goal despite lifestyle changes and standard cholesterol medications like statins. A longer, ongoing cardiovascular outcomes study will examine whether enlicitide can reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. Note: The study featured ...

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Science10 Nov 2025

Researcher seeks to understand delays in language development

Nancy Brady has been gratified to see the tool she and colleagues pioneered over a decade ago to measure the growth of infants’ pre-speech communication skills translated into several languages and referenced in more than 100 research papers, including a åçnew one published in the Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research. Brady, a professor in the University of Kansas Department of Speech-Lanuage-Hearing: Sciences & Disorders, and her now-former graduate student Olivia Boorom were among the co-authors of a new paper ...

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Science10 Nov 2025

Collaborative research team to uncover how plants “remember” and adapt to heat stress

ST. LOUIS, MO, November 10, 2025 - A new collaborative research team of plant scientists led by Ru Zhang, PhD, associate member, Danforth Plant Science Center has been awarded new funding from the National Science Foundation to investigate how photosynthetic cells retain “heat stress memory” (HSM), a key adaptive mechanism that could help future crops withstand intense and frequent heat waves. Photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert sunlight into energy, is the key driver of plant growth ...

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Science10 Nov 2025

Suicide prevention program decreases risks, saves lives among people recently released from jail

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — A federally funded clinical trial to evaluate an intervention to prevent suicides among people recently released from jail reduced suicide attempts by 55%. That’s according to a new study in JAMA Network Open led by researchers from Brown University and Michigan State University. In the United States, one in five adults who attempts suicide has spent at least one night in jail in the year prior. With more than 10 million admissions per year and many stays of just a few days, jails touch a significant number of people at high risk for suicide who are not well connected with other support services. This ...

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Science10 Nov 2025

Evolution of firearm mortality as the leading cause of death in the US pediatric population

About The Study: U.S. individuals ages 1 to 19 are now more likely to die by firearm injury than any other cause. While this national shift occurred in 2019, Alaska had already flipped as early as 2004. Over the past 2 decades, more states flipped to firearm mortality as the predominant cause of death in this age group, including nearly half of the states in the most recent era reviewed. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Michael L. Nance, MD, email nance@chop.edu. To ...

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Science10 Nov 2025

Firearm homicide in pregnant women and state-level firearm ownership

About The Study: In this cross-sectional study of homicides among women, state-level firearm ownership was significantly associated with all-cause and firearm-specific homicide among pregnant women, independent of state-level factors. These results suggest that homicide prevention interventions should focus on women, especially during the increased risk period of pregnancy. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Ayesha Dholakia, MD, email ayesha.dholakia@childrens.harvard.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.42447) Editor’s ...

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Science10 Nov 2025

Child abuse and neglect rates in the U.S. are dropping, but disparities exist

Investigators at Mass General Brigham have found that cases of child abuse and neglect in the United States have declined overall over the last decade, but disparities have persisted and in some cases widened. Poverty, which likely underlies much of the observed gaps, was highlighted as a critically important target for intervention. The research is published in JAMA Pediatrics. “Poverty is a relentless source of stress that permeates families, creating an environment where the struggles for survival may overshadow the nurturing ...

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Science10 Nov 2025

New study reveals devastating impact of cane toads approaching the Pilbara

New Curtin University research has found invasive cane toads are on track to reach Western Australia’s Pilbara region within the next 10 to 20 years, threatening to cause widespread losses among native species and significant cultural and economic harm. The study, published in Scientific Reports, predicts that without containment efforts, the toxic amphibians will colonise up to 75 per cent of the Pilbara within three decades, putting 25 native species at risk of serious population declines. These include several species of native marsupial predators like northern quolls, ghost bat and kaluta, as well as frog-eating snakes, blue-tongue skinks and goannas. Of ...

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Science10 Nov 2025

Scientists discover chameleon’s telephone-cord-like optic nerves once overlooked by Aristotle and Newton

Chameleons’ wandering eyes have fascinated and puzzled scientists since the days of ancient Greece. Now, after millennia of study, modern imaging has revealed the secret of their nearly 360-degree view and uncanny ability to look in two different directions at once. Behind their bulging eyes lie two long, coiled optic nerves — a structure not seen in any other lizard. “Chameleon eyes are like security cameras, moving in all directions,” explained Juan Daza, associate professor at Sam Houston State University and author of a new study describing the trait. “They ...

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Science10 Nov 2025

Beauty and fear

New Zealand — particularly the South Island/Te Waipounamu — is one of the most seismically active regions in the world. For this reason, the country has acknowledged the importance of building awareness and preparedness. In this kind of disaster communication, emotions — whether conscious or not — play a crucial role. Caroline Rowe, researcher at the Centre for Sustainability Research, University of Otago, New Zealand, explored this dimension, showing how risk communication can balance fear and anxiety with positive emotions such as fascination and confidence, using vivid imagery, ...

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Science10 Nov 2025

Between solstices and equinoxes

“People tend to joke about mood swings, saying ‘my mood swings throughout the day, I’m already a bit bipolar,’ or joke with each other saying ‘everything is bipolar.’ And it’s not quite like that, as bipolar disorder has a biological component.” This is one of the statements featured in a short trailer on YouTube about bipolar disorder. The video is connected to the play Oxímoro, entre Solstícios e Equinócios (Oxymoron, Between Solstices and Equinoxes) by Marionet, a Portuguese theatre company that brings scientific research topics to the stage. The play was developed through an in-depth collaboration with doctors, ...

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Science10 Nov 2025

New study gives people with eczema freedom to choose how often to bathe

A major study has found that people with eczema are able to bathe either daily or weekly, without any impact to their symptoms. The findings of the new study, which are published in the British Journal of Dermatology, are great news for people living with eczema, as it will mean they will have the freedom to choose how often to bathe without fear it will worsen their symptoms. People with eczema often have questions about how best to bathe including how often to have a bath or shower. The ‘Eczema Bathing study’, was prioritised and developed by people living with eczema, in partnership with researchers from ...

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Science10 Nov 2025

Existing evidence does not clearly link paracetamol use during pregnancy with autism or ADHD in children

Existing evidence does not clearly link paracetamol (acetaminophen) use during pregnancy with autism or ADHD in children, finds an in-depth evidence review published by The BMJ today, in direct response to recent announcements around the safety of using paracetamol in pregnancy. The researchers say confidence in the findings of existing evidence reviews and studies on this topic is low to critically low, and suggest that any apparent effect seen in previous studies may be driven by shared genetic and environmental factors within families. Regulatory bodies, clinicians, pregnant women, parents, and those affected by autism and ADHD should be informed ...

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Science9 Nov 2025

Should kids be screened for high cholesterol genes?

Nov. 9, 2025--In the United States, one in every 250 people has inherited a genetic variant that leads to dangerously high cholesterol levels from birth. If high cholesterol isn’t lowered early, people with this genetic condition, called familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), have a high risk of having a heart attack or stroke as early as their 30s or 40s. But only about 1 in 10 of people living with FH (1.5 million Americans) is aware of their condition. A new modeling study conducted by researchers at Columbia and Harvard Universities finds ...

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Science9 Nov 2025

Drink Up: Coffee is safe for people with A-Fib

Drinking coffee can protect against atrial fibrillation (A-Fib), a common heart rhythm disorder that causes rapid, irregular heartbeat and can lead to stroke and heart failure. Doctors typically recommend that people with heart issues like A-Fib avoid caffeine out of fear that it will trigger symptoms. But a study by UC San Francisco and the University of Adelaid has concluded that drinking a cup of caffeinated coffee a day reduced A-Fib by 39%. “Coffee increases physical activity which is known to reduce atrial fibrillation,” said Gregory M. Marcus, MD, MAS, ...

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Science8 Nov 2025

Study reports on global trends in acute kidney injury– related mortality

Houston, TX (November 8, 2025) — A 5-year study revealed a stability of globalacute kidney injury (AKI)–related mortality rates with differing patterns that indicate a rising concentration of mortality in older populations and higher socioeconomiccountries. The findings will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2025 November 5– 9. When investigators at the Kyung Hee University Hospital in Seoul assessed AKI-related mortality trends in 43 countries from 1996–2021 using the WHO MortalityDatabase, they ...

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Science8 Nov 2025

Transitional dialysis program in Texas decreased the use of emergency dialysis

Houston, TX (November 8, 2025) — The cost of emergency dialysis is estimated to be 8-times that of in-center dialysis. A new study reveals that a transitional dialysis program piloted in Travis County (Austin, TX) resulted in a significant decrease in emergency department visits and hospital admissions for emergency dialysis by providing a pathway for outpatient dialysis in uninsured patients. Thefindings will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2025 November 5– ...

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Science8 Nov 2025

Quality improvement intervention may help prevent deaths from metformin-associated lactic acid

Houston, TX (November 8, 2025) — Metformin-associated lactic acidosis(MALA) is a rare but serious adverse effect of the diabetes drug metformin in which the body accumulates too much lactic acid. Investigators developed and tested a protocol for diagnosis and treatment of MALA. Their work will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2025 November 5– 9. The protocol, which included immediate initiation of dialysis using either intermittent hemodialysis, continuous kidney replacement therapy, or peritonealdialysis as treatment, ...

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Science8 Nov 2025

SGLT2 inhibitors and kidney outcomes by glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria

About The Study: The findings of this study support the routine use of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors to improve kidney outcomes across the full spectrum of kidney function and albuminuria among patients with type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or heart failure. Corresponding Authors: To contact the corresponding authors, email Brendon L. Neuen, PhD (bneuen@georgeinstitute.org.au) and Hiddo J. L. Heerspink, PhD (h.j.lambers.heerspink@umcg.nl). To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The ...

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