Embargo details: “3D-printed low-voltage-driven ciliary hydrogel microactuators” has been scheduled for publication in Nature on 14 January 2026 at 16:00 (London time), 14 January 2026 at 11:00 (US Eastern Time). The embargo will lift at this time.   Stuttgart – Cilia are micrometer-sized biological structures that occur frequently in nature. Their characteristic high-frequency, three-dimensional beating motions (5 – 40 Hz) play indispensable roles inside the body. In the human brain, ciliary motion is crucial for neuronal ...

Extreme summer precipitation events in China have grown increasingly frequent and intense, posing severe threats to human life, property, and socioeconomic development. Accurate forecasting of extreme precipitation is crucial for improving disaster prevention and mitigation. Ensemble forecasting quantifies prediction uncertainty by generating multiple simulations through strategic perturbations, thereby estimating the probability distribution of future atmospheric states. However, traditional initial perturbation methods using linear singular vectors (SVs) are insufficient to capture the nonlinear evolution of mesoscale convective ...

The world’s first academic review into bamboo consumption has identified a surprising range of health benefits, including helping control blood sugar, fighting inflammation, improving gut health and acting as an antioxidant. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth, with some varieties growing up to 90cm per day. China and India are the world’s largest producers and although bamboo shoots are already a staple in many Asian diets, the new research indicates it could have an important role to play in diets worldwide. Bamboo is packed with protein, has moderate levels of fibre, is low in fat, contains amino acids, ...

Using nearly a decade of data (2015–2023) from 800+ U.S. hospitals and more than 700,000 patients overall, Northwestern researchers found that when Asian American heart failure patients are separated by ethnicity, rather than grouped together as “Asian,” important differences in care emerge across groups including Filipino, Vietnamese, Chinese, Asian Indian, Korean and Japanese patients.  For example, Filipino and Vietnamese patients were least likely to receive complete, guideline-recommended heart failure care. The study wasn’t designed to identify causes, but authors note the disparities may reflect differences ...

A team led by investigators at the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute has discovered that a particular marker on tumor cells circulating in the blood indicates whether a patient with lung cancer will experience a lasting response to a newly approved immunotherapy called tarlatamab. The findings, which are published in Cancer Discovery, could allow clinicians to easily and noninvasively determine which patients should receive the drug.   “Isolating cancer cells from the blood has tremendous potential to guide immune-related cancer therapies, and our group has created cutting edge ...

SAN ANTONIO — January 14, 2026 — Southwest Research Institute’s (SwRI) Dr. Michael Davis has been named a Fellow of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Davis is an astrophysicist who specializes in the design and testing of space instruments including those used for ultraviolet (UV) imaging and spectroscopy of remote planets, galactic astrophysics, and Earth’s plasmasphere. He was named a senior member of SPIE in 2021, and this latest honor puts him in the most elite category of membership. Founded in 1955, SPIE promotes the global optics and photonics community through conferences, publications and professional ...

Exposure to “Forever Chemicals” Linked to Higher Risk of Gestational Diabetes, Major Review Finds Largest and most comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to date links PFAS exposure to insulin resistance and altered insulin secretion, identifying pregnancy as a key vulnerable period New York, NY (January 14, 2026) — Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of highly persistent environmental chemicals commonly referred to as “forever chemicals,” is associated with a higher risk of gestational diabetes mellitus and altered markers of insulin ...

Cambridge, Massachusetts, January 14, 2025 - Insilico Medicine (“Insilico”, HKEX:03696), a clinical-stage biotechnology company driven by generative artificial intelligence (AI), today announced the demonstration of its Nach01 multimodal foundation model deployed on Microsoft Discovery, Microsoft’s science-focused platform designed to accelerate research and development through agentic AI. This collaboration highlights Microsoft Discovery’s extensibility with third-party AI models and illustrates how R&D organizations can adopt unified, AI-native ...

Against the background of accelerated global warming, the atmospheric moisture content has increased significantly and the hydrological cycle has intensified, leading to pronounced rises in both the frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events globally. Northeast China, a region highly sensitive to climate change, has experienced increasing occurrence of clustered extreme heavy precipitation events in recent years. Improved knowledge of synoptic regimes and moisture accumulation responsible for clustered extreme heavy precipitation events (CEPEs) is essential for enhancing short-term forecasting skill and disaster prevention and mitigation. Researchers ...

A toxin secreted by cholera bacteria can inhibit the growth of colorectal cancer without causing any measurable damage to the body. This is shown by a new study by researchers at Umeå University, Sweden. Systemic administration of the purified bacterial substance changes the immune microenvironment in tumours, and the results may open the way for research into a new type of cancer treatment. "The substance not only kills cancer cells directly. It reshapes the tumour environment and helps the immune system to work against the tumor without damaging healthy tissue," says Sun Nyunt Wai, professor at Umeå University and one of the lead authors behind ...

A substance poisonous to humans — hydrogen cyanide — may have helped create the seeds of life on Earth. At cold temperatures, hydrogen cyanide forms crystals. And, according to computer models reported in ACS Central Science, some of the facets on these crystals are highly reactive, enabling chemical reactions that are otherwise not possible at low temperatures. The researchers say these reactions could have started a cascade that gave rise to several building blocks of life. “We may never know precisely how life began, but understanding how some of its ingredients take shape is within reach. Hydrogen cyanide is likely one source of this chemical ...

Foams are everywhere: soap suds, shaving cream, whipped toppings and food emulsions like mayonnaise. For decades, scientists believed that foams behave like glass, their microscopic components trapped in static, disordered configurations. Now, engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have found that foams actually flow ceaselessly inside while holding their external shape. More strangely, from a mathematical perspective, this internal motion resembles the process of deep learning, the method typically used to train modern AI systems. The discovery could hint that learning, in a broad mathematical sense, may be a common organizing ...

Fluorophores are chemical compounds or molecules that absorb light energy at one wavelength and re-emit it as light at a longer, lower-energy wavelength, acting as glowing tags or markers. The absorption process is known as excitation, and the re-emission is visible as fluorescent light, which makes these molecules crucial for biological imaging, diagnostics, and tracing cellular molecules like proteins or lipids under normal or various infectious conditions. Fluorophores with red-light absorption properties are ideal for bioimaging. Red light refers ...

Spinal deformities such as scoliosis and kyphosis are among the most serious complications of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a genetic disorder that affects about one in 3,000 people. These deformities often begin in childhood, worsen rapidly, and can lead to chronic pain, reduced mobility, and may require major surgery. Despite their frequency and severity, there are currently no approved drug treatments to prevent NF1-related spinal deformity. In a new study published in Volume 13, Issue 103 of the journal Bone Research on December ...

Genetic disorders occur due to alterations in the primary genetic material, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), of an organism. Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a progressive disorder involving amyloid deposits of misfolded transthyretin (TTR) proteins. The deposits, mainly affecting the heart and the nerves, can lead to symptoms like heart failure and neuropathy. While one of its two major forms is associated with age, the other one is hereditary, resulting from destabilizing mutations in the TTR gene. The therapeutic efficacy of suppressing TTR production has been clearly demonstrated. Although ribonucleic acid (RNA) interference-based ...

For decades, scientists have investigated the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R) as a potential target for treating major depressive disorder. Early studies suggested promise, but enthusiasm faded after clinical trials of drugs such as aprepitant failed to show clear benefits, raising doubts about whether NK1R itself was a viable antidepressant target. Now, researchers from Korea University report that the problem may not lie with the target, but with the chemistry. In a new study led by Professors Hyeijung Yoo, Hong-Rae Kim, and Hyun Kim, published in Experimental & Molecular Medicine on November ...

Traditional techniques of converting fossil fuels for heat and power generation and chemical production increase carbon footprint, harming society and environment. To mitigate this problem, carbon capture and storage technologies aimed at lowering carbon dioxide emissions and encompassing renewable energy utilization, circular economy, and green chemical synthesis are promising. Chemical looping is one such innovative technology. These processes—representing efficient technologies for hydrogen and chemical production applications—involve the cyclic oxidation and reduction of metal oxide particles ...

For decades, scientists have been counting annual growth rings—similar to tree rings—inside fossilized leg bones of Tyrannosaurus rex to estimate how old the giant carnivores were when they died and how quickly they grew to adulthood. The best estimates from previous studies were that T. rex typically stopped growing at around age 25. An extensive new study of 17 tyrannosaur specimens, ranging from early juveniles to massive adults, now concludes that the king of carnivores took 40 years to reach its full-grown size of around eight tons. The new analysis—the most complete life ...

Water dispenser machines in commercial spaces may contain higher levels of microbial contamination if they aren’t cleaned regularly compared to the tap water sources supplying them that contain residual chlorine, according to a new study. Loma Linda University researchers conducted a literature review of 70 published studies from around the world that examined commercial water nozzles and spigots. Their study, Microbiological quality of drinking water from water dispensers, was published in December 2025 by the AIMS Microbiology. Researchers found that many studies identified bacterial growth in commercial ...

Doctors encounter death and dying significantly more than most people. It’s the price of saving lives and helping people.  Medical students in the U.S., however, receive little or no formal training in how to guide patients and their families through end-of-life issues, according to a new review conducted by Washington State University scientists. Researchers analyzed published papers on medical school death and dying education dating back to 2013. They found43 articles, with variation in how death ...

 If trucks ran on hydrogen instead of fossil fuels, carbon dioxide emissions from heavy-duty road transport could be significantly reduced. At the same time, a new study from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden shows that differences in how the gas is produced, distributed and used greatly affect its climate benefits. Locally produced green hydrogen is the best option for the climate – with the additional benefit of enabling all countries to become self-sufficient in energy and fuel, even in times of crisis and ...

Research Highlights: The risk of pregnancy-related high blood pressure varied markedly among people of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander descent, according to an analysis of California health records. Pacific Islander and Filipino individuals were at two to three times higher risk than Chinese individuals, after adjusting for other factors. Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese individuals were generally at lowest risk. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026 DALLAS, Jan. 14, 2026 — The risk of pregnancy-related high blood pressure varied markedly among subgroups of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander ...

University of Birmingham scientists have developed a new way of measuring and analysing indoor air pollution that - in initial trials - has established a clear link between office occupancy, physical activity, and air quality. Using radar-powered movement detectors and low-cost pollution sensors, researchers equipped office space in central Birmingham to monitor the number of people present and measure the kinetic energy they generated as they went about their work. Researchers say that using the Birmingham approach, ...

Europe and western North America will experience more frequent and severe crop droughts as the planet warms, even in places where yearly rainfall increases. Scientists from the University of Reading studied how climate change affects soil moisture during growing seasons – the times of year when crops need water most. Warmer temperatures dry out soil faster than extra rain can replenish it, leading to agricultural droughts. The research, published today (Wednesday, 14 January) in Nature Geoscience, examined climate data and used computer models to identify ...

Diabetes, a metabolic disease, is on the rise worldwide, and over 90 percent of cases are type 2 diabetes, where the body does not effectively respond to insulin. Researchers from Mass General Brigham and Albert Einstein College of Medicine identified metabolites (small molecules found in blood generated through metabolism) associated with risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future and revealed genetic and lifestyle factors that may influence these metabolites. They also developed a metabolomic signature ...