Many an orange cat-affiliated human will vouch for their cat’s, let’s say, specialness. But now scientists have confirmed that there is, in fact, something unique about ginger-hued domestic felines. In a new study, Stanford Medicine researchers have discovered the long-posited but elusive genetic mutation that makes orange cats orange — and it appears to occur in no other mammal. The finding adds to our understanding of how subtle genetic changes give rise to new traits, the researchers said. Lots of mammals come in shades of orange — think tigers, ...

Seattle, WASH.—May 15, 2025—The Allen Institute today announced the launch of CellScapes, a bold new research initiative aimed at revolutionizing how scientists understand and predict the behavior of human cells as they work together to build tissues and organs. The goal: to uncover the rules and principles of how cells cooperate to make decisions in the body and provide scientists with the tools to predict—and even design—how cells behave together in health and disease.  CellScapes introduces a groundbreaking approach that will combine cutting-edge imaging and powerful ...

At its heart, this research uncovers the hidden geometric principles behind the unique shape of rose petals. While scientists extensively studied shape morphing in natural sheets such as leaves and petals, the team at Hebrew University discovered a new player: MCP incompatibility—a geometric principle that causes the petal’s signature cusps. It turns out that as the petal grows, stress builds at the edges, shaping the curves we recognize and love. The discovery not only uncovered the geometric origin of the shape of rose petals, but also introduces a new paradigm for ...

A new study shows that highlighting shared values and common goals can significantly increase the acceptance of civic organizations that are often seen as controversial and delegitimized for challenging the status quo. The research tested different messaging strategies on more than 1,600 Jewish Israeli participants, using real-world examples from a delegitimized prominent NGO. Messages that focused on widely supported activities—like providing services to marginalized communities—or that framed the organization as part of a shared value-based identity led to greater perceived legitimacy. The findings offer a practical ...

South African study identifies two new breast cancer genes in black women   Genetic factors contribute to some 30% of breast cancer cases in SA, necessitating investment in genomic research in African contexts.   A seminal genetic study published in Nature Communication has discovered two genetic variants linked to breast cancer in black South African women, deepening knowledge about the genetic basis for this disease in African populations. The genome-wide association study (GWAS) of breast cancer is the first to have been done in African women living on the continent. A GWAS is a powerful ...

A new, incision-free technique developed at UVA Health to treat debilitating brain lesions called cerebral cavernous malformations, or cavernomas, has shown great promise in early testing, halting the growth of the lesions almost entirely. The new approach could represent a paradigm shift in how the malformations, commonly called CCMs, are treated, the researchers say. The technique uses tiny, gas-filled “microbubbles” propelled by focused sound waves to open the brain’s protective barrier and stunt the growth of the malformations. “This is a clear example ...

Prevention and treatment campaigns are not adequately targeting the particular needs of the 50+ years age group. Indeed, between 2000 and 2016, the number of adults aged 50 years and older living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa doubled. At present, their HIV prevalence is exceeding that of younger adults. By 2040, one-quarter of people living with HIV in Africa will be aged 50 years and older; tailored awareness and treatment campaigns are pressing. Dr Luicer Olubayo, a researcher at the Sydney Brenner ...

There is always a need for a refrigerant with a large ΔH at operating temperature. On the other hand, refrigeration equipment generally available typically functions near/below RT. Thus, for ferroelectric refrigeration to be practical, a large ΔH at a transition near/below RT is essential. Representative PST ceramics demonstrate substantial promise for EC refrigeration near RT, attracting considerable interest. The highly ordered PST ceramic always has excellent EC properties, while it is difficult to achieve. Previous researchers often employed a heat treatment process combining high-temperature quenching and long-term annealing to obtain highly ...

New research uncovers the strongest solar event ever detected — rewriting our understanding of space weather and radiocarbon dating. An international team of scientists has discovered an extreme spike in radiocarbon corresponding to the year 12350 BC during the dusk of the last Ice Age. However, the strength of the event could not be assessed earlier because of the lack of an appropriate model. Presently, it has been identified as the most powerful solar particle storm known to date – a colossal ...

The study, in which the Biodiversity and Evolution Research Group of the UPV/EHU’s Faculty of Science and Technology participated, was carried out within the framework of the international DarkDivNet network and focused on nearly 5,500 locations in 119 regions across the world. In each location studied, the research teams analysed all the plant species present in different habitats to identify dark diversity. This innovative methodology for studying biodiversity made it possible to estimate the potential plant diversity in each study site and compare it with the plants actually present.  The results reveal a hitherto unknown effect of human activities on biodiversity. ...

Korea University College of Medicine (KUCM) has been selected as one of the awardee institutions for the 2025 Interdisciplinary Physician-Scientist Training Program, supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI). In this initiative, KUCM formed a consortium with the Hanyang College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, and Yeungnam University College of Medicine, receiving KRW 3 billion or approximately USD 2.3 million in funding ...

“Virus exposure linked to Neurodegeneration” Professor Ok Sarah Shin's Team at Korea University College of Medicine Finds Clues to treat neurodegenerative diseases with Therapeutic Candidate “ALT001” A unique mechanism triggering Alzheimer's disease draws attention: viral infection—while ALT001 confirmed to alleviate neuroinflammation and suppress viral replication   Studies suggesting that certain viral infections may influence the onset of Alzheimer's diseases are gaining attention. In this context, a domestic research team has succeeded in breaking the link between viral infection and Alzheimer's disease using a new treatment candidate.   Dr. ...

With the vigorous development and widespread application of 5-G technology, electromagnetic waves have significantly improved the convenience for humans and society. Meanwhile, electromagnetic wave pollution has attracted extensive concerns, which not only causes distortion of precision instruments but also threatens human health. Therefore, the design and development of efficient electromagnetic wave-absorbing materials have garnered extensive attention from the scientific community. Most researchers have devoted to exploring bifunctional electromagnetic wave-absorbing materials, such as thermal insulation, anti-corrosion (inorganic corrosion) properties, etc, while excellent electromagnetic ...

GRIT remaps the world’s rivers, branching into the unknown to aid global flood modelling   Key research findings GRIT is the first global river network to include river splits, canals, and multi-threaded channels—features that were missing from previous reference datasets. The network includes 19.6 million km of mapped rivers and 67 thousand bifurcations, with accurate flow directions and channel data. It is already outperforming previous river models in terms of accuracy, especially in flat, flood-prone, or heavily populated areas.  A team led by researchers at the University of Oxford has created the most complete map of the world’s rivers ever made offering ...

As concern grows over adolescent mental health, a new national study adds to the growing body of research showing that cyberbullying should be considered an adverse childhood experience (ACE) – a category of childhood trauma linked to long-term emotional, psychological and physical harm. While many assume that only extreme forms of online harassment – like threats or identity-based attacks – can cause significant harm, the findings suggest a more troubling reality: even less visible or indirect forms of cyberbullying ...

The low-threshold, playful communication of complex scientific content is a challenge. A team from the Game Lab Graz at the Institute of Human-Centred Computing at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) has developed a solution for this. The learning environment Project Chimera, implemented as a computer game, enables gamified, story-based learning of more complex content from the fields of science and technology. Funded by an Epic Mega Grant from software and games developer Epic Games (Fortnite, Unreal Engine), a team led by Johanna Pirker and Saeed Safikhani has created a virtual 3D ...

VENICE – A team of researchers led by Niccolò Maffezzoli, “Marie Curie” fellow at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and the University of California, Irvine, and an associate member of the Institute of Polar Sciences of the National Research Council of Italy, has developed the first global model based on artificial intelligence to calculate the ice thickness distribution of all the glaciers on Earth. The model has been published in the journal Geoscientific Model Development and is expected to become a reference tool for those studying future glacier melt scenarios. Accurate knowledge of glacier volumes is essential for projecting future sea level ...

Found in knee replacements and bone plates, aircraft components, and catalytic converters, the exceptionally strong metals known as multiple principal element alloys (MPEA) are about to get even stronger through to artificial intelligence. Sanket Deshmukh, associate professor in chemical engineering, and his team have designed a new MPEA with superior mechanical properties using a data-driven framework that leverages the supercomputing power of explainable artificial intelligence (AI). Their findings, supported by funding from the National Science Foundation, were recently published in Nature’s npj Computational ...

Researchers from the University of Tokyo have found a way to observe clotting activity in blood as it happens — without needing invasive procedures. Using a new type of microscope and artificial intelligence (AI), their study shows how platelet clumping can be tracked in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), opening the door to safer, more personalized treatment. If you've ever cut yourself, you’ve seen platelets in action — these tiny blood cells are like emergency repair workers, rushing to plug the damage and stop ...

A breakthrough study has revealed why emerging electric aircraft engine technology sounds so annoying — and how to fix it. Scientists at the University of Bristol in collaboration with the University of Salford have uncovered the root cause behind the particularly irritating noise produced by boundary layer ingesting (BLI) engines — a key technology in future electric and hybrid aircraft. Building on earlier work that identified general noise sources in BLI systems, this latest research, published today in Nature npj Acoustics, dives deeper into the ...

Statement Highlights: Palliative care is specialized medical care focused on easing symptoms, addressing psychological and spiritual needs, and helping patients and caregivers make critical decisions aligned with their personal beliefs and values. Palliative care practices can be integrated by cardiovascular clinicians and by, or in collaboration with, palliative care interdisciplinary teams and specialists for all stages of care for people with cardiovascular disease, including individuals hospitalized for acute medical crises, patients in cardiac intensive care units and those receiving outpatient care. The new scientific ...

As a group, carriers of recessive disorders are slightly less healthy and have a reduced chance of having offspring. This disadvantage is greatest for carriers of a recessive gene for intellectual disability, and reflected in a shorter school career and increased childlessness, according to research from Radboudumc published in Nature human behavior. Time to rewrite the textbooks?   Dominant mutation Researchers from Radboudumc, Department of Human Genetics, demonstrated something remarkable in a 2014 publication in Nature. Contrary to expectations, inherited ...

The Amazon rainforest may be able to survive long-term drought caused by climate change, but adjusting to a drier, warmer world would exact a heavy toll, a study suggests. The findings show that adjusting to cope with the effects of climate change could see some parts of the Amazon rainforest lose many of its largest trees. This would release the large amount of carbon stored in these trees to the air, and reduce the rainforest’s immediate capacity to act as an important carbon sink, researchers say. Parts ...

A new special issue of Proceedings of the Royal Society B takes a bold step toward redefining one of the most debated concepts in biology and the social sciences: domestication. Titled Shifting Paradigms Towards Integrated Perspectives in Domestication Studies, the issue gathers leading voices in archaeology, evolutionary biology, and plant science to question conventional narratives and introduce new case studies that push the field forward. The volume was co-edited by Dr. Robert Spengler, leader of the Domestication and Anthropogenic ...

Agents, chatbots and other tools based on artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly used in everyday life by many. So-called large language model (LLM)-based agents, such as ChatGPT and Llama, have become impressively fluent in the responses they form, but quite often provide convincing yet incorrect information. Researchers at the University of Tokyo draw parallels between this issue and a human language disorder known as aphasia, where sufferers may speak fluently but make meaningless or hard-to-understand statements. This similarity could point toward better forms of diagnosis for aphasia, ...