All cells in the body contain the same DNA, but different cell types express different genes; skin cells express genes for the skin, liver cells express liver genes, and so on. This coordination is crucial to help cells differentiate into their assigned roles, but a new study from researchers at the University of Chicago shows how cells can randomly “shake up” regions of the genome to express genes normally reserved for other cell types. The study, published this week in Nature, suggests that randomness or variability in the way DNA is packaged can create a kind of “epigenetic noise,” enabling cells to take on the identify of different ...

Antarctica is at risk of abrupt and potentially irreversible changes to the continent’s ice, ocean and ecosystems that could have profound implications for Australia and beyond, unless urgent action is taken to curb global carbon emissions.  That’s according to new research published today in the journal Nature, from researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in collaboration with scientists from each of Australia’s major Antarctic research centres.   The ...

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 16:00 BST / 11:00 ET WEDNESDAY 20 AUGUST 2025 More images available to download via the link in the notes section A new study led by the University of Oxford in collaboration with Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, University of Greenwich, and the Technical University of Denmark could provide a cost-effective and sustainable solution to help tackle the devastating decline in honeybees. An engineered food supplement, designed to provide essential compounds found in plant pollen, was found to significantly enhance colony reproduction. The results have been published today (20 August) in the journal Nature. The challenge: addressing ...

About The Study: In this nationwide assessment of the frequency with which climate-related disaster events affected counties with U.S. drug production facilities, researchers determined that nearly two-thirds of all facilities were located in counties that experienced at least one disaster declaration. These disaster events posed risks of disruptions to facilities active in all aspects of the supply chain, from active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacture to packaging, disruptions that could be further magnified by the time needed for Food and Drug Administration reinspection of damaged facilities. Corresponding Author: To ...

Cleveland:  Cleveland Clinic researchers have discovered a connection between elevated blood levels of TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide) — a byproduct of gut bacteria digestion of nutrients found in red meat and other animal products — and a higher risk of abdominal aortic aneurysms.   The findings, published today in JAMA Cardiology, suggest that TMAO may play a role in the development, progression, and severity of this life-threatening condition, including faster rates of aneurysm expansion and greater risk for needing surgery.  “These results suggest targeting TMAO levels may help prevent and treat aneurysmal disease ...

An international team of scientists, led by Northwestern University astrophysicists, has detected a never-before-seen type of exploding star, or supernova, that is rich with silicon, sulfur and argon. When massive stars explode, astrophysicists typically find strong signatures of light elements, such as hydrogen and helium. But the newly discovered supernova, dubbed SN2021yfj, displayed a startling different chemical signature. Astronomers long have theorized that massive stars have a layered structure, similar to an onion. The outermost layers predominantly comprise the lightest elements. As the layers move inward, the elements become heavier and heavier until reaching ...

About The Study: In this cross-sectional study of 42 low- and middle-income countries, drought conditions with various durations were associated with increased intimate partner violence risk. Given the increasing extreme events under climate change, there is a pressing need for enhanced initiatives to prevent domestic violence. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Pin Wang, PhD, email pinwang@umd.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.27818) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, ...

About The Study: This cohort study using Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children data found that eating disorder symptoms were more common in individuals experiencing socioeconomic deprivation. Potential socioeconomic inequalities in eating disorder presentation and diagnosis in clinical settings require further investigation. Reducing population-level socioeconomic inequalities could also aid eating disorder prevention. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Jane S. Hahn, MSc, email Sungmin.hahn.19@ucl.ac.uk. To access the embargoed ...

Blocking brain damage triggered by a glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, may slow the growth of the cancer and allow the brain to keep working better for longer, according to a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers. The study, published in Nature and funded by the Brain Tumour Charity and Cancer Research UK, looked at glioblastomas in mice. It found that early-stage tumours damaged parts of nerve cells called axons, and that the brain’s natural response to this injury – breaking down and clearing away these damaged axons – accelerated the tumour’s growth. Mice ...

Most metals found in nature are actually in their oxide forms. To extract those metals to use in critical applications — ranging from infrastructure such as bridges and buildings to advanced technologies like airplanes, semiconductors or even quantum materials — those oxides must be reduced with gases. A new study illuminating how different gases can affect oxide reduction, however, has the potential to revamp scientific understandings and current industrial practices.  Hydrogen or carbon monoxide are typically used as reductants, ...

Using a small bench-top reactor, researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have demonstrated that electrochemically loading a solid metal target with deuterium fuel can boost nuclear fusion rates.   Large-scale magnetic confinement fusion—which puts plasmas under extreme temperatures and pressure—is being widely explored as a method for clean energy generation. The experiment published today in Nature takes an entirely different approach—with a more ...

Tsukuba, Japan—Cell culture is a foundational technology widely used across fields such as pharmaceutical production, regenerative medicine, food science, and materials engineering. A critical component of successful cell culture is the culture medium—a solution containing essential nutrients that support cell growth. Therefore, optimizing the culture medium for specific applications is vital. Recently, machine learning has become a powerful tool for efficient media optimization. However, the experimental ...

Tsukuba, Japan—Nanocarbon materials with pointed geometries, such as graphene and carbon nanotubes, are considered promising candidates as sources for field emission electrons. However, their practical application remains limited due to difficulties in controlling the orientation and arrangement of these materials. In this study, the researchers focused on commercially available pencil leads, which contain appropriate amounts of graphite flakes (graphite powder) and are naturally aligned along the axial direction. The fracture surface ...

ATLANTA — The TReNDS Center at Georgia State University has hit a new stride, earning dual NIH R01 grants aimed at tackling Alzheimer’s disease progression and advancing multimodal brain imaging techniques in neuropsychiatric disorders. The awards mark an exceptional year of achievement for the center and its director, Vince Calhoun, who was recently featured in a global special issue on the “State of the Brain” in the journal Aperture Neuro. R01 grants by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) ...

Background and Aims Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) represents a prevalent adverse event associated with medication use. However, the exact mechanisms underlying DILI remain incompletely understood, and the lack of specific diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers poses significant challenges to the clinical diagnosis and treatment of this condition. Consequently, our study aimed to endeavor to identify serum and fecal metabolic biomarkers, enabling more accurate DILI diagnosis and improved prediction of chronic progression. Methods Untargeted metabolomics analysis was performed on serum and ...

In a groundbreaking study, University of Utah researchers found strong evidence that exposure to industrial pollution during pregnancy can shape a grandchild’s neurodevelopment. A child has a higher risk of an intellectual disability if their grandmothers lived near industrial facilities while pregnant with a parent, especially the mother. Higher density of industrial facilities corresponded to higher risk for the grandchild. “We know that breathing polluted air is dangerous for our own health now, but it’s ...

DALLAS, Aug. 20, 2025 — With young Americans facing rising rates of mental and physical health challenges[1], the American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, is enlisting a new class of Youth Heart Ambassadors to spark change in schools and communities nationwide. The Association selected 15 first through 12th grade students from across the country as national Youth Heart Ambassadors for the 2025-26 school year. Representing the Association’s Kids Heart Challenge™ and American Heart Challenge™ initiatives, the student ambassadors will use their personal connection to heart ...

Effectively managing chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension can greatly improve quality of life, reduce complications and extend longevity for older adults. However, when treatment becomes overly aggressive, it can do more harm than good. Every day, thousands of vulnerable older adults in the United States are harmed by intensive management of these conditions – resulting in dangerously low blood sugar or blood pressure, emergency visits, hospitalizations, disability or even death. These harms are ...

PULLMAN, Wash. — In Guatemalan communities, a recent visit to a health clinic or hospital — not antibiotic use — is the strongest predictor of carrying bacteria resistant to critical antibiotics, according to a new study led by Washington State University. Previous research in Guatemala’s Western Highlands found nearly 46% of residents were colonized in the gastrointestinal tract with bacteria known as extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales (ESCrE). These bacteria, often E. coli, can render the commonly used and important antibiotic ceftriaxone ineffective, complicating care for infections such as pneumonia or ...

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS, President Lee Ho Seong) has successfully localized core Radar Stealth technologies through indigenous development, without reliance on foreign technologies. This achievement is a significant milestone, laying the foundation for the establishment of stealth weapon systems in Korea, which have long been difficult to import due to their classification as national strategic military assets. As global military tensions rise and competition in advanced weapon development intensifies, the importance of developing stealth weapon systems has increased significantly. Radar stealth ...

Tampa, FL, August 20, 2025 – The Global Virus Network (GVN), in partnership with the University of South Florida (USF) Youth Experiences and Hillsborough County Public Schools STEM Department, recently concluded its inaugural “Global Guardians: Youth for Pandemic Preparedness” summer camp, an immersive, hands-on experience that brought together some of Tampa’s brightest high school students with internationally renowned virologists, public health experts, and scientists. “This camp shows our students that science is a living, evolving field with real-world impact,” said Catherine ...

When SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, began spreading worldwide in 2020, many research teams immediately set to work developing a vaccine against it. Building on decades of previous work on mRNA technology and on other viral vaccines, including HIV, they achieved their goal within the year. The most widely used mRNA vaccine design contains the genetic instructions for the body to make the spike protein that the virus uses to enter cells. The resulting immune response protects against infection and, more importantly, disease and death. However, ...

A team of scientists from Korea and Japan has discovered a new type of crystal that can "breathe"—releasing and absorbing oxygen repeatedly at relatively low temperatures. This unique ability could transform the way we develop clean energy technologies, including fuel cells, energy-saving windows, and smart thermal devices. The newly developed material is a special kind of metal oxide made of strontium, iron, and cobalt. What makes it extraordinary is that it can release oxygen when heated in a simple gas environment and then take it back in, all without falling apart. This process can be repeated many times, making it ideal for real-world applications. This ...

Establishing robust isolated spins on solid surfaces is crucial for fabricating quantum bits or qubits, sensors, and single-atom catalysts. An isolated spin is a single spin that is shielded from external interactions. Because isolated spins can maintain their state for long periods, they are ideal for use as qubits, the basic units of quantum computation, and for ultrafast spintronic memory.  Consequently, significant research has been dedicated to identifying materials capable of producing a stable isolated quantum spin. Candidates include single atoms of transition metals such as copper (Cu) in the Cu-phthalocyanine molecule (CuPc), molecular magnets, nitrogen-vacancy ...

Omega fatty acids could protect against Alzheimer’s disease in women, new research has found. Analysis of lipids – fat molecules that perform many essential functions in the body – in the blood found there was a noticeable loss of unsaturated fats, such as those that contain omega fatty acids, in the blood of women with Alzheimer’s disease compared to healthy women. Scientists found no significant difference in the same lipid molecule composition in men with Alzheimer’s disease compared to healthy men, ...