A long-standing debate about the evolutionary origin of the world’s most widely cultivated “magic mushroom” – Psilocybe cubensis – may now have been settled by scientists from southern Africa and the United States. In a paper published in the journal Proceedings B of the Royal Society, they describe the discovery of a new species of magic mushroom – Psilocybe ochraceocentrata – from the grasslands of South Africa and Zimbabwe. So named because of the ochre-yellow colour at ...

A team from University of Toronto Engineering is the first to synthesize long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) outside the cell — a new approach to drug discovery that has already yielded some promising anti-inflammatory molecules.  The team was inspired by advances in the field of messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein replacement therapies. They realized that a similar approach could be used to deliver lncRNA to the body, unlocking a potential new source of drugs.  “Only about 25% ...

INDIANAPOLIS — Researchers at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that depleting a clotting protein made by the liver could slow down pancreatic cancer.  The research, recently published in Gastroenterology and led by Melissa L. Fishel, PhD, shows that reducing fibrinogen in mouse models shrinks primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumors and reduces their ability to metastasize to the liver. Fibrinogen is cleaved to fibrin following injury ...

PHILADELPHIA (March 10, 2026) – As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly integrates into clinical settings—from predicting patient outcomes to deploying humanoid "robotic nurses"—an article published in the Hastings Center Report warns that the core of nursing, its moral agency, must remain a human-driven responsibility. The article, What Does Moral Agency Mean for Nurses in the Era of Artificial Intelligence?, explores the growing tension between advanced algorithmic capabilities ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Social media users are more likely to watch TV programs that are endorsed by members of their political party, a recent study suggests. However, individuals’ racial identity and their perceptions of racial and political ingroup norms and the demographics of a program’s intended audience also play roles in their decisions. Stewart Coles, a professor of communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, surveyed 1,259 Black and white Republicans and Democrats to see how their intentions to view a fictitious TV program were affected by their race and political party and those of the person endorsing it. Coles found that certain ...

More than 184 million people in rural sub-Saharan Africa rely on shared handpumps for clean water. However, more than 50,000 of the pumps are broken, leaving millions in jeopardy of losing their safe water supply. New research from the University of Notre Dame studies how local nongovernmental organizations in Ethiopia, Malawi and the Central African Republic decide when to maintain and repair 3,584 community handpumps when information about pump functionality is incomplete or uncertain. The ongoing research has helped NGOs provide more consistent and safe access to water for more than a million people ...

NEW ORLEANS - Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center in New Orleans will soon be one of only eight cancer treatment facilities in the world, and the first in the South, to offer biology-guided radiotherapy (BgRT), a breakthrough treatment currently FDA approved for patients diagnosed with primary or metastatic tumors to lung and bone. The new treatment uses the unique biology of the cancer itself to guide radiotherapy delivery, even in tumors that are in motion. “Biology-guided radiotherapy marks a significant advancement in enhancing the precision of radiation treatment, offering improved control over tumor motion and ...

Most lethal mutations in wild fruit flies are driven by newly transferred jumping genes, not small DNA errors, according to a new study from Duke University. The findings, published in PLOS Biology, challenge decades of assumptions in evolutionary genetics and may have implications for population health and conservation. “Almost every individual of any species studied has at least one lethal mutation,” said lead author Sarah Marion, who began this work as a biology graduate student at Duke and is now a postdoctoral researcher at Reed College. “I thought, how is that ...

As the United States continues to lead global oil and gas production—accounting for roughly 20% of worldwide output in 2024—understanding how different extraction methods affect ecosystems has never been more urgent. A new study in ACS ES&T Water offers new clarity: conventional, often decades-old oil-and-gas infrastructure leaves a deeper, more persistent mark on freshwater biodiversity than unconventional shale (fracking) development. The research was conducted by a multi-institutional team led by Ryan Olivier-Meehan, a former undergraduate and now a graduate student in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES) in the College of ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Biomaterials are specifically engineered to support tissue, nerve and muscle regeneration across the body, yet physicians and researchers have limited control over the size and connectivity of the internal pores that transfer oxygen and vital nutrients to where they are most needed. To solve this problem and better support tissue regeneration, a team at Penn State has designed a new class of tunable biomaterials. Led by corresponding author Amir Sheikhi, the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Biomaterials and Regenerative Engineering and associate professor of chemical engineering, the team developed a highly ...

VANCOUVER - March 8, 2026 - Learning French, reading the latest Andy Weir novel, hanging out with friends for St. Patrick’s Day — language is central to all these everyday activities. Seemingly effortless from childhood, language, it turns out, is quite complex, not constrained to one set of genes or one region in the brain. Cognitive neuroscientists are now using a diverse arsenal of tools, including novel genetic analyses and AI, to gain insights into both healthy and disordered communication across individuals. “We still tend ...

We are excited to share an important milestone for the NR2F1 Foundation: Leora Westbrook has joined our organization as our first Executive Director. Since the Foundation was established in 2018, our work has been driven entirely by families and volunteers dedicated to advancing research, supporting families, and building a global community affected by Bosch–Boonstra–Schaaf Optic Atrophy Syndrome (BBSOAS). Together, we have built something truly special, powered by determination, collaboration, ...

Researchers have developed a microscopic 3D-printed optical device that can efficiently combine light from dozens of small semiconductor lasers into a single multimode optical fiber with very low loss. The team demonstrated photonic lanterns that multiplex 7, 19, and 37 multimode VCSEL lasers directly into a fiber while preserving brightness and easing alignment constraints. By enabling scalable incoherent beam combining of many multimode lasers, the technology could simplify and improve high-power laser systems, optical communications, and other ...

Analysis of a large, nationally representative survey shows that stroke survivors under age 50 have more problems concentrating and running errands and experience more poor mental health days than older stroke survivors do. Younger survivors who were not working faced the greatest challenges in their recovery. The study comes as stroke rates among younger people have increased rapidly in recent years, driven in part by sedentary lifestyles and rising obesity rates. The researchers behind the study say that ...

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, spearheaded by generative AI, is expanding into various spheres of society, including the labour market. A study conducted by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and published as open access has examined the occupational health and safety implications of this technology. "Artificial intelligence is already making decisions that directly affect the way we work and how we feel at work, often without adequate consideration of the consequences for people," said Xavier Baraza, dean of the UOC's Faculty ...

Study found men with low testosterone levels were associated with a 60% higher likelihood that prostate cancer managed on active surveillance would progress to a more aggressive state over time  Research challenges the long-held belief that high testosterone fuels early-stage prostate cancer growth, suggesting instead that low testosterone may be associated with prostate cancer progression  Baseline testosterone may ...

New analysis of ancient parrot DNA has revealed vibrant Amazonian parrots were transported alive across the Andes to coastal Peru centuries before the Inca Empire, highlighting a sophisticated pre-Inca, long-distance trade network spanning rainforest, highlands and deserts.  The international team of researchers, including scientists from The Australian National University (ANU), analysed parrot feathers that were discovered at Pachacamac, Peru – one of the preeminent religious centres of the Andean civilisation – ...

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2026 — No two snowflakes may be the same, but models that fail to take these variations into consideration often fall short when calculating the way snow accumulates on roofs. In Physics of Fluids, by AIP Publishing, researchers from Harbin Institute of Technology in China modeled the way snow gathers on a roof based on snowflake size and distribution. “In cold regions, snow load is a critical factor in structural design,” said author Qingwen Zhang. “However, traditional models often simplify snow as a uniform material with a single particle size, overlooking the natural heterogeneity of snowflake sizes and distributions.” This simplification ...

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2026 — Due to climate change, plants’ pollination season has been growing longer and longer. As a result, people are exposed to allergens for extended periods each year, raising a major public health concern. In Physics of Fluids, by AIP Publishing, researchers from Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University and two French universities, the University of Rouen Normandy and the University of Lille, developed an advanced computational model of outdoor airflow through trees. They used ...

Researchers from the University of California San Diego have found that a novel blood-based biomarker can predict a woman’s risk of developing dementia as many as 25 years before symptoms appear. The study, published on March 10, 2026 in JAMA Network Open, shows that higher levels of phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217) — a protein linked to the brain changes seen in Alzheimer’s disease — were strongly associated with future mild cognitive impairment and dementia among older women who were cognitively healthy at baseline, meaning at the start of the study before any memory or thinking problems were detected. “Our ...

About The Study: In this population-level cohort study of 20 low-mortality countries, females ages 35 to 60 experienced disadvantage in cancer mortality compared with males—a consistent pattern observed across birth cohorts and over time. These findings underscore the ongoing need for action on the prevention, early detection, and treatment of early-onset female reproductive cancers.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Vladimir Canudas-Romo, PhD, email vladimir.canudas-romo@anu.edu.au. To access the embargoed study: Visit ...

About The Study: In this large cohort of adults with overweight or obesity without diabetes, fewer than 1 in 4 patients remained on any glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) after 12 months. Switching between GLP-1RA agents was common and may reflect active therapy management rather than nonengagement, particularly as new formulations and weight management agents emerge.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Luyu Xie, PharmD, PhD, email luyu.xie@utsouthwestern.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our ...

Researchers at the University of Michigan have discovered that the constant gnawing of rodents isn't just a reflex or a consequence of a tough diet. It also triggers a release of dopamine in the brain—which acts as a biochemical reward or incentive—through a newly identified neural circuit. Although the circuit was discovered in mice, it could also be at work in other mammals, the researchers said, adding to a growing body of evidence that there's a deeper connection between our brains and our oral health and habits. "In the old point of view, everyone sort of believed that gnawing was ...

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have uncovered how a single protein triggers two opposite responses in blood vessels — one inflammatory and one protective. This protein, a cell-surface receptor called protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR1), plays a critical role in maintaining the structural integrity of our blood vessels. Understanding how PAR1 switches between healing and harmful signaling pathways could pave the way for new treatments for conditions marked by vascular inflammation and leakage, including sepsis, heart attack and stroke. PAR1 sits on the surface of the thin layer of cells lining blood vessels ...

“In complex cross-media environments, existing attachment mechanisms face significant physical constraints,” said Junzhi Yu, corresponding author and Professor at Peking University. “Traditional suction cups easily fail underwater due to fluid washing, or they lose their vacuum seal on rough surfaces. We needed a unified mechanism that could break through the dual barriers of environmental media and surface morphology.” To achieve this, the team looked to the lamprey. The ...