A new guide aimed at helping aspiring science journalists in Turkey to cover scientific topics has been published. ‘Science Journalism in Turkey and Communicating Science to the Public’ (Türkiye’de Bilim Gazeteciliği ve Halka Doğru Bilim İletişimi) is the first Turkish science journalism guidebook for science journalists. It was written by the science journalist and academic Dr. Gülsen Saray, and reviewed by editors and academics Prof. Dr. Akif Özer and Prof. Dr. Sefa Yüce. The ...

[New York, NY [December 15, 2025] — Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed a first-of-its-kind mRNA system that switches on therapeutic genes preferentially inside targeted cells—an advance demonstrated in studies in mice that could lay the groundwork for safer, more precise treatments for cancer and other diseases. The system, called the cell-selective modRNA translation system (cSMRTS), is an engineered form of mRNA designed to activate in specific cell populations. ...

“Current automated STD methods perform well under controlled conditions but degrade sharply in low SNR or with unseen targets, while standalone BCI systems suffer from high false alarm rates. To overcome these limitations, we proposed a hybrid approach that combines the complementary strengths of neural perception and acoustic feature learning,” explained study author Luzheng Bi, a researcher at the Beijing Institute of Technology. The core innovations include (a) Tri-SDANet, an EEG decoding model incorporating neuroanatomical priors from source analysis, (b) a confidence-driven fusion strategy ...

SAN ANTONIO — December 15, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has received $1.75 million in funding from the ENERGYWERX program to support a set of hydrogen-related projects. The eight projects focus on testing components for the hydrogen industry to improve energy infrastructure and support the use of this clean-burning fuel. The ENERGYWERX program strives to increase cooperative research activities between the DOE and nonprofits, private companies, utilities, localities and other organizations by accelerating the development of clean energy technologies and ...

The Lundquist Institute (TLI) and its start-up company Vitalex Biosciences (Vitalex) are pleased to announce that the second-generation fungal vaccine candidate known as VXV‑01, which was developed using a proprietary TLI vaccine technology platform, is poised to move forward in development up to and including Phase 1 clinical evaluation — enabled by a major contract awarded to a collaboration  consortium of Vitalex and Appili Therapeutics (TSX: APLI; OTCPink: APLIF). The contract from the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is valued at up to US $40 million. It will support ...

A new study has linked air pollution exposure and immune-system changes that often precede the onset of autoimmune diseases.  McGill University researchers analyzing Ontario data found that fine particles in air pollution are associated with higher levels of a biomarker linked with autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus.  “These results point us in a new direction for understanding how air pollution might trigger immune system changes that are associated with autoimmune disease,” said Dr. Sasha Bernatsky, a James McGill Professor ...

A new peer-reviewed article published in Big Earth Data presents a comprehensive roadmap for building an integrated Global Ground-Based Earth Observatory (GGBEO) to better tackle the escalating planetary environmental and climate crisis. The study argues that unifying existing ground-based, in situ, remote sensing, marine, and airborne observation networks is crucial for meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and for advancing climate science and societal resilience. Citation Lappalainen, ...

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and University of Michigan have created the world’s smallest fully programmable, autonomous robots: microscopic swimming machines that can independently sense and respond to their surroundings, operate for months and cost just a penny each. Barely visible to the naked eye, each robot measures about 200 by 300 by 50 micrometers, smaller than a grain of salt. Operating at the scale of many biological microorganisms, the robots could advance medicine by monitoring the health of individual cells and manufacturing by helping construct microscale devices. Powered by light, the robots carry ...

CLEVELAND—Athletes are 2.5 times more likely than the general public to develop nail fungus, according to a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.  A condition that can disrupt training, change performance and end careers. However, until now, no thorough study has examined how nail fungus affects various sports. Today, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals announced the launch of the first large-scale collaborative study focused on onychomycosis, a chronic fungal infection of the nails, among ...

When engaging in a political discussion, talking about what you oppose instead of what you support may make others more open to your views, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. “In an era of deepening political polarization, our research offers a counterintuitive insight into how we can better communicate across ideological lines: Talk about what you oppose, not what you support,” said lead author Rhia Catapano, PhD, of the University of Toronto. In a series of experiments involving more than 10,000 participants, the researchers examined how the way people talk about their opinions—specifically, ...

PULLMAN, Wash — Washington State University researchers have found a way to modulate a common virus protein to prevent viruses from entering cells where it can cause illness, a discovery that could someday lead to new antiviral treatments. In the fundamental research, reported in the journal Nanoscale, the researchers in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology were able to find and block an important interaction at the molecular level that allows ...

There is currently a massive shortage of doctors in the NHS and international medical graduates are critical to addressing that, making up just over 40% of the nation’s medical workforce. Yet compared to those who qualified as doctors in the UK, relatively few international medical graduates rise through the medical ranks to achieve positions as either consultants or GPs. A new three-year project, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), aims to identify the precise reasons behind that, exploring why some international medical ...

Doenjang is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste made from meju—naturally fermented soybean blocks—mixed with salt and aged through long-term fermentation. Unlike Japanese miso, Korean doenjang does not use koji; its flavor develops entirely from the natural fermentation of meju. It is prepared via fermentation and aging with microbial cultures, which produce umami compounds that improve its palatability. While umami is a well-understood concept, kokumi—a term used to describe attributes ...

LOS ANGELES — Two Keck Medicine of USC hospitals – USC Norris Cancer Hospital and Keck Hospital of USC – have each received a Top Teaching Hospital award for outstanding achievement in patient safety and quality from The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit national watchdog organization. It is the first time two hospitals within the health system have received this honor simultaneously.   “This award is one of the most competitive and ...

World-first research published today by University of Sydney scientists has uncovered a mechanism that may explain why glioblastoma returns after treatment, offering new clues for future therapies which they will now investigate as part of an Australian industry collaboration.    Glioblastoma is one of the deadliest brain cancers, with a median survival rate of just 15 months. Despite surgery and chemotherapy, more than 1250 clinical trials over the past 20 years have struggled to improve survival rates.   Published in Nature Communications, the study shows that a small population of drug-tolerant cells known as “persister cells” rewires its metabolism ...

If gut bacteria are too similar to the protective layer of nerves, they can misdirect the immune system and cause it to attack its own nervous system. This mechanism can accelerate the progression of multiple sclerosis, as researchers at the University of Basel have shown in trials with mice. However, their results also open up opportunities for treatments that make use of the microbiome. When the immune system confuses friend and foe, autoimmune diseases develop. In the case of multiple sclerosis (MS), it mistakenly attacks the body’s protective layer of nerve fibers, known as the myelin sheath. Those affected can experience exhaustion ...

New York, NY [December 15, 2025] —Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed a novel artificial intelligence tool that not only identifies disease-causing genetic mutations but also predicts the type of disease those mutations may trigger. The method, called V2P (Variant to Phenotype), is designed to accelerate genetic diagnostics and aid in the discovery of new treatments for complex and rare diseases. The findings were reported in the December 15 online issue of Nature Communications [DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-66607-w]. Current genetic analysis tools can estimate whether a mutation is harmful, but they cannot determine ...

During early development, tissues and organs begin to bloom through the shifting, splitting, and growing of many thousands of cells.  A team of MIT engineers has now developed a way to predict, minute by minute, how individual cells will fold, divide, and rearrange during a fruit fly’s earliest stage of growth. The new method may one day be applied to predict the development of more complex tissues, organs, and organisms. It could also help scientists identify cell patterns that correspond to early-onset diseases, such as ...

Statement Highlights: Single-pill medications that combine two or more blood pressure medications could simplify treatment to help more adults with high blood pressure achieve target blood pressure levels faster and maintain blood pressure goals long-term compared with patients taking multiple, separate pills daily. The use of combination medications is linked to a lower risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure-related hospitalizations and death, as well as to improved quality of life and reduced long-term costs for patients and the health care system. More research is needed to understand the impact of single-pill combination medications for people with higher cardiovascular risks ...

The microbiome not only consists of bacteria, but also of fungi. Most of them support human and animal health. However, some fungi also have pathogenic potential. For instance, the yeast Candida albicans can grow in an uncontrolled manner on the oral mucosa, causing oral thrush. In severe cases by growing in a filamentous form it can enter the blood stream and cause systemic infections, which account for over one million deaths per year. This happens primarily in people with a weakened immune system on intensive care units, for instance individuals who are immunosuppressed ...

Scientists found that messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules that carry genetic instructions to the far reaches of neurons in the brain tend to cluster together mostly because they are abundant, not because they move in coordinated groups. The discovery, published in the Society for Neuroscience journal eNeuro, helps explain how neurons, which have some of the longest processes of any cells in the body, manage genetic instructions long distances from where they are made.  This fundamental process is critical to support neuronal communication and the modifications ...

Visible light can be used to create electrodes from conductive plastics completely without hazardous chemicals. This is shown in a new study carried out by researchers at Linköping and Lund universities, Sweden. The electrodes can be created on different types of surfaces, which opens up for a new type of electronics and medical sensors. “I think this is something of a breakthrough. It’s another way of creating electronics that is simpler and doesn’t require any expensive equipment,” says Xenofon Strakosas, assistant professor at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics, LOE, at Linköping University. LOE’s researchers are working with ...

Fair price, treasure hunting, i.e., the thrill of finding something rare or valuable, as well as ethical and ecological reasons motivate consumers’ intentions to buy second-hand gifts, a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland finds. Administered to users of one of Finland’s most popular consumer-to-consumer online marketplaces, Tori.fi, the survey also shows that an intention to buy a second-hand gift often leads to an actual purchase decision. “Our findings indicate that buying second-hand gifts is a well-thought-through decision rather than an impulsive one. It involves the ...

A new paper in Molecular Biology and Evolution, published by Oxford University Press, reports that Italian bears living in areas with many villages evolved and became smaller and less aggressive. Humans have long shaped the environments in which they live, dramatically affecting ecosystems and biodiversity. Habitat change and overuse are among the human activities with the greatest impacts on wildlife, often leading to population declines and/or shifts in selective pressures, thus influencing how a species evolves. The Apennine brown bear, Ursus arctos marsicanus, is a small and isolated population found only in ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – As teens gain more independence in their food choices, many parents struggle to navigate conversations about nutrition —which could be especially important during the holidays, when celebrations often center around meals. While parents recognize concerns about their teen’s eating habits, few provide concrete strategies to help them make healthy decisions during festive gatherings, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. One in three parents say it’s difficult to talk with their teen about food and weight, rising ...