A new study by researchers at the University of Oxford, University of Leeds, and University College London has identified a new constraint on the chemistry of Earth’s core, by showing how it was able to crystallise millions of years ago. The study has been published today (4 September) in Nature Communications. The researchers showed that the core would need to be made of 3.8% carbon for it to have begun crystallising. This result indicates that carbon may be more abundant in Earth’s core than previously thought, and that this element could have played a key role in how it froze, offering a rare glimpse into ...

Barcelona, 4 September 2025 – Is it possible to treat obesity without reducing food intake? A new study co-led by Dr. Antonio Zorzano and Dr. Manuela Sánchez-Feutrie at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) suggests that this might be a possibility, at least in animal models. Published in Nature Communications, the research identifies a key role for Neuritin 1, a protein previously linked to the nervous system, which is also produced in brown adipose tissue, where it acts as a powerful driver of energy expenditure ...

Published in Frontiers in Science, this is the new ambition of the Earth BioGenome Project (EBP)—a global network of scientists sequencing the genomes of Earth’s eukaryotes. Its goal? To create a digital library of DNA sequences that will help us preserve and protect life on Earth and tackle rapid environmental change.  With a growing network of more than 2,200 scientists in 88 countries—including flourishing local and Indigenous research communities in the Global South—EBP is making discoveries that could help assure food security, advance medicine and agriculture, and drive a deeper global understanding of biodiversity to support ...

Bethesda, MD (Sept. 2, 2025) — Two new papers from Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Gastroenterology shed light on how gut-brain interactions, influenced by both biology and life circumstances, shape eating behaviors. Together, they highlight the importance of multidisciplinary, personalized approaches to digestive health and nutrition.  Social determinants of health and the gut-brain-microbiome axis in obesity  Researchers found that stress from life circumstances can disrupt the brain-gut-microbiome ...

As we age, what and how much we eat tends to change. However, how meal timing relates to our health remains less understood. Researchers at Mass General Brigham and their collaborators studied changes to meal timing in older adults and discovered people experience gradual shifts in when they eat meals as they age. They also found characteristics that may contribute to meal timing shifts and revealed specific trajectories linked to an earlier death. The results are published in Communications Medicine. “Our research suggests that changes in when older adults eat, especially ...

A new study, led by the University of Cambridge in collaboration with Bournemouth University, shows that autistic people identify loneliness, hopelessness and feelings of worthlessness and failure as key factors underpinning their suicidal feelings. Individuals who highlighted being unable to access the support they needed were more likely to have attempted suicide. Autistic women and gender minorities were disproportionately over-represented among those who struggled to access support. The study, published in the journal Autism ...

The PET-alternative PDCA is biodegradable and has superior physical properties. A Kobe University team of bioengineers engineered E. coli bacteria to produce the compound from glucose at unprecedented levels and without byproducts — and opened up a realm of possibilities for the future of bioengineering. The durability of plastics is both the reason why they have become so wide-spread and why they pose environmental problems. In addition, they are mainly sourced from petroleum, making them non-renewable and contingent on geopolitics. Research groups worldwide work on both biodegradable ...

  Materials scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have invented the world’s first pollen-based sunscreen derived from Camellia flowers. In experiments, the pollen-based sunscreen absorbed and blocked harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays as effectively as commercially available sunscreens, which commonly use minerals like titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and zinc oxide (ZnO). In laboratory tests on corals, commercial sunscreen induced coral bleaching in just two days, leading ...

 A team from China University of Petroleum (Beijing), led by Professors Guangjin Chen and Chun Deng, has developed a novel slurry-based absorption–adsorption–desorption process for natural gas separation, combining gas–liquid equilibrium experiments with mathematical modeling. “What excites us is that our model predictions closely matched the experimental data, with an average relative error of only about 3%,” said Prof. Deng. “This gives us confidence to apply the process in practical gas separation.” By embedding the model into a multi-objective optimization framework ...

A new study shows that piloting a light aircraft remains an inherently risky business, accounting for over 90% of aviation-related fatalities*. Private air travel – termed ‘general aviation’ as opposed to commercial flights or freight operations – has a poor safety record, with significantly higher accident rates compared to commercial aviation. In a review of 46 studies exploring fixed-wing general aviation accidents, aviation researchers from the University of South Australia (UniSA) have shed new light on persistent safety ...

In the ongoing debate about the impact of trade openness on environmental sustainability, a new study titled "Trade Openness and Carbon Emissions Using Threshold Approach: Evidence from Selected Asian Countries" offers fresh insights. This research explores the nuanced relationship between trade openness and carbon emissions, providing valuable evidence from a selection of Asian countries. By employing a threshold approach, the study aims to uncover the conditions under which trade openness can either exacerbate or mitigate carbon emissions.   The impact of trade openness ...

Call for Papers: Agricultural Ecology and Environment We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Agricultural Ecology and Environment (AEE) journal. As a multidisciplinary forum, AEE bridges agronomy, ecology, environmental science, soil science, and sustainability to address pressing global challenges. Why Submit to AEE? Broad, Impactful Scope, including: ▶ Soil health, degradation & biodiversity ▶ Water quality, irrigation & pollution control ▶ Sustainable resource management ▶ Pollution ecology & remediation ▶ Livestock environmental impacts ▶ Climate resilience, ...

Durham University scientists have unveiled a major advance in drone swarm technology that could transform the way unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are used in real-world missions.   Their newly developed system, known as T-STAR, allows swarms of drones to fly faster, safer, and with unprecedented coordination, even in highly complex and obstacle-filled environments.   Drone swarms have long been seen as the future of applications such as search and rescue operations, disaster response, forest fire monitoring, environmental ...

Deep in the Bolivian Amazon exists a forager-horticultural community called the Tsimane. Researchers look to them for insights on how the human body functioned prior to modern technologies, as their lifestyles remain the closest to that of our ancestors. Oftentimes researchers find how we have navigated away from our evolutionary path, such as the Tsimane having the lowest rates of dementia, the healthiest hearts, and low late-age inflammation than those living in industrialized nations. But, new research from Arizona State University, has discovered a universal experience – post-menopausal women experiencing increased blood lipid levels, such as cholesterol.  Published ...

Researchers have created the world’s first complete map of a crucial cellular system that helps plants respond to stress.   The breakthrough could transform our understanding of how living things adapt to their environment and open the door to new ways of protecting plants against climate change.   The study, led by researchers from Durham University and published in Science Advances, focuses on a process called SUMOylation.   This is a form of protein tweaking that acts like a molecular switch, fine-tuning how cells grow, divide and respond to ...

Scientists have found that the diabetes/weight loss drug Semaglutide, sold commercially under brand names like Ozempic and Wegovy, significantly reduces cocaine-seeking behaviour in rats. This work needs to be confirmed in humans, but it suggests that Semaglutide is a candidate to be developed as a treatment for cocaine dependency; at the moment there is no effective pharmacological treatment for cocaine dependency. The work is published in the September edition of the peer-reviewed journal European Neuropsychopharmacology. Cocaine is the second most popular illegal drug used in Europe. The European Drug Agency reports that around 2.7 million ...

A new UCLA Health study found that taking an 8-strain probiotic daily may reduce the risk of pouchitis, a common inflammatory condition that occurs after colon removal surgery for ulcerative colitis, but the treatment may not be worth the cost depending on a patient’s likelihood of flare-ups. The study, published in the journal Gastro Hep Advances, is the first to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the probiotic treatment, which was shown in previous studies to be effective at preventing the initial onset of and the reoccurrence of pouchitis. The UCLA study affirmed that the ...

Researchers at the University of Missouri are working to make hydrogen energy as safe as possible. As more countries and industries invest heavily in cleaner, renewable energy, hydrogen-powered factories and vehicles are gaining in popularity. But hydrogen fuel comes with risks — leaks can lead to explosions, accidents and environmental harm. Most hydrogen-detecting sensors on the market are expensive, can’t operate continuously and aren’t sensitive enough to detect tiny leaks quickly. That’s why Mizzou’s Xiangqun Zeng and her team in the College of Engineering set out to design the ideal hydrogen sensor, focusing on six traits: sensitivity, ...

MADISON — University of Wisconsin–Madison mechanical engineers have developed a comprehensive framework that accelerates improvements to shock-absorbing foam materials. The materials have an array of uses ranging from sports or military helmet liners to struts that cushion a spacecraft landing. “We’ve developed a novel design framework to help designers create a shock-absorbing material of a specific geometry that does exactly what they want it to do without adding weight or ...

Ochsner Health has earned a Gold-level recognition in 2025 from the American Medical Association (AMA) as a Joy in Medicine® organization. The prestigious recognition from the country’s leading physician association honors health systems, hospitals and medical groups that prioritize proven methods to reduce burnout and enhance the professional fulfillment of doctors that comes from patient care. Organizations that meet the rigorous criteria of the Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program are leaders in ...

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 3, 2025 – Myriad Genetics, Inc., (NASDAQ: MYGN), a leader in molecular diagnostic testing and precision medicine, today announced the publication of a new meta-analysis of six prospective controlled studies1 that included 3,532 adults with major depressive disorder (MDD). The meta-analysis showed that when GeneSightâ Psychotropic test results were available to treating clinicians, there were significant improvements in response and remission rates for patients with MDD, compared to treatment as usual ...

UCLA Health has received a $7.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to expand research into a newer form of psychotherapy that has been shown to more significantly alleviate chronic pain among older adults compared to traditional cognitive behavioral therapy.  The planned five-year clinical trial will work with nearly 700 war veterans at seven U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs centers throughout the country to evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy, known as emotional awareness and expression therapy (EAET). Developed in the 2010s, EAET aims to show patients that the brain’s perception of pain is strongly influenced by stress-related emotions. ...

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025 5 p.m. Eastern Time   Media Contact: NIH Office of Communications and Public Liaison 301-496-5787                        One dose of antibiotic treats early syphilis as well as three doses NIH-funded clinical trial shows potential to simplify treatment for early syphilis   Researchers funded by the National Institutes of ...

Hamilton, ON (Sept. 3, 2025) --- Researchers at McMaster University have discovered that a rare but dangerous reaction to a widely used blood thinner is caused by a single antibody – overturning decades of medical misunderstanding and opening the door to more precise ways of diagnosing and treating this medical complication. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Sept. 3, 2025, focused on heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), a serious immune complication that affects approximately one per cent of hospitalized patients treated with the blood thinner heparin. Nearly half of those who develop HIT experience life-threatening blood clots, ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Available on-demand, in abundance and containing multiple biomarkers, sweat is an increasingly appealing medium for monitoring health, according to researchers at Penn State. But not everyone — especially critically ill patients — can build up enough sweat to provide a robust enough sample for current analysis techniques. That may no longer be an issue, thanks to the team at Penn State that has developed a novel wearable sensor capable of continuously monitoring low rates of perspiration for the presence of a lactate — a molecule ...