Simultaneous ground- and space-based observations of a newly discovered free-floating planet have enabled direct measurement of its mass and distance from Earth, according to a new study. The findings offer insights into the diverse and dynamic pathways by which planets can be cast adrift into interstellar space. Although studies to date have only revealed a handful of such free-floating planets, detections are expected to increase in the coming years, particularly with the NASA Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope campaign that is scheduled for launch in 2027, ...

A newly identified and rare genetic variant slows the growth of mutated blood stem cells, researchers report, and it reduces the risk of leukemia. The findings offer insight into why some people are naturally more resistant to clonal expansion and age-related blood cancers despite acquiring risky mutations. As tissues age, they quietly accumulate many mutations that can drive cancer. In the blood-forming, or hematopoietic, system, such mutations often appear in otherwise healthy individuals as clonal hematopoiesis (CH), a process in which certain blood stem cell (HSC) ...

Pigs across the Pacific can trace their ancestry to Southeast Asian domestic pigs that accompanied early Austronesian-speaking groups as they island-hopped across the region, according to a new genomic study. For thousands of years, humans have moved animals far beyond their natural ranges – sometimes accidentally and sometimes deliberately, but often with profound ecological consequences, especially on islands. Pigs are a striking example; although their home ranges lie mostly west of the Wallace Line, multiple species are now widespread across the islands of Southeast Asia and throughout Oceania. Archaeological and genetic evidence suggest that pigs ...

A new study shows that coral reefs don’t just provide a home for ocean life, they also help set the daily “schedule” for tiny microbes living in the water nearby. Over the course of a single day, the quantity and types of microbes present can shift dramatically. To see this in detail, researchers took frequent water samples and used a mix of genetic and ecological methods and tools, as well as advanced imaging techniques, to track what was happening hour by hour. They found that reefs can shape microbial communities ...

Researchers working on China's fully superconducting Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) have experimentally accessed a theorized "density-free regime" for fusion plasmas, achieving stable operation at densities well beyond conventional limits. The results, reported in Science Advances on January 1, provide new insights into overcoming one of the most persistent physical obstacles on the path toward nuclear fusion ignition. The study was co-led by Prof. ZHU Ping from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Associate Prof. YAN Ning from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science ...

About 9,500 years ago, a community of hunter-gatherers in central Africa cremated a small woman on an open pyre at the base of Mount Hora, a prominent natural landmark in northern Malawi, according to a new study coauthored by an international team based in the United States, Africa, and Europe. It is the first time this behavior has been documented in the African hunter-gatherer record.   The study, published in the journal Science Advances, provides the earliest evidence of intentional cremation in Africa and describes ...

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and AlveoliX have developed the first human ‘lung-on-chip’ model using stem cells taken from only one person. These chips simulate breathing motions and lung disease in an individual, holding promise for testing treatments for infections like tuberculosis (TB) and delivering personalised medicine. Air sacs in the lungs called alveoli are the essential site of gas exchange and also an important barrier against inhaled viruses and bacteria that cause respiratory diseases like flu or TB. Researchers have been working to recreate the battle between human cells and bacteria in the ...

How people moved pigs across the Pacific Genomic study reveals the routes taken by people as they island hopped across Indonesia A new study, published today in the journal Science, reveals how millennia of human migration across Pacific islands led to the introduction of invasive pig species all over the Asia-Pacific region. The study was led by Laurent Frantz, Professor of Palaeogenomics at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), and the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich (LMU), David Stanton, from Cardiff University, and Greger Larson, from the University of Oxford. Plants and animals have not always spread ...

The Qinghai-Tibet plateau (QTP) is the largest and highest plateau in the world, and is an important center for biodiversity that houses an array of high-elevation ecosystems. Despite its importance, QTP has faced multiple conservation challenges over the past decades, in particular due to climate changes (e.g. rising temperature, changing precipitation patterns, and an increase in extreme weather) and over exploitation of natural resources by human activities. Despite growing evidence that plant diversity on QTP ...

 As global uncertainty intensifies, governments around the world are grappling with how to make decisions that safeguard long-term stability while remaining adaptable to sudden change. In a newly published interview in the journal Risk Sciences, Lim Siong Guan—one of Singapore’s most experienced public-sector leaders—offers a rare, first-hand perspective on how uncertainty can be managed through governance, leadership, and culture. Lim emphasizes that effective governance is not about eliminating risk, but about anticipating the future and building resilience. ...

Large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, have rapidly entered healthcare, but strong clinical evidence for their real-world use remains limited. A new study published in Gastroenterology & Endoscopy provides the first overview of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating LLMs specifically in digestive diseases. The international research team systematically reviewed published and ongoing RCTs conducted since 2022 and identified only 14 eligible trials worldwide—four published and ten ongoing. Most studies ...

 In autonomous driving, robotics, and augmented reality, accurate localization remains one of the most challenging problems. Traditional visual–inertial odometry systems often struggle with environmental variations, sensor noise, and multi-modal information fusion, limiting applications such as autonomous vehicles navigating complex urban environments and drones operating in GPS-denied areas. In a study published in the journal iOptics, a research team from Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications proposed a modality fusion strategy—visual–inertial cross-modal interaction and selection mechanisms. This approach not only improves ...

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including antibodies against the programmed cell death protein 1/ligand 1 (PD-1/L1) effectively at boost the immune system; however, they may cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs). The predictive biomarkers and risk factors for irAEs have not been determined. Further, while activated T-cell infiltration of tissues is a hallmark of irAEs, it remains unclear if this is a prerequisite for irAEs development or merely a consequence. To that end, a team of researchers from The ...

A recent study published in Engineering has unveiled a novel approach to generating functional organoids from human adult adipose tissue. This method, which bypasses traditional stem cell isolation and genetic manipulation, offers a more straightforward and scalable pathway for creating organoids that can be used in regenerative medicine and disease modeling.   The research, led by a team from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the Shanghai Institute for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, demonstrates the potential of human adult adipose tissue to differentiate into organoids representing all ...

Beijing’s metro system could soon carry express parcels alongside commuters during quiet periods, according to a new operational blueprint published in Engineering. Researchers from Beijing Jiaotong University and East China Jiaotong University have designed a joint optimization model that simultaneously plans train timetables, rolling-stock circulation, and cargo loading while allowing trains to skip stations with low demand. The approach, tested on the Yizhuang Line, cut operating costs by up to 25% compared with conventional fixed-composition, all-stop services.   The study addresses the rapid rise in urban freight volumes—already 15 million parcels a day in Beijing—by ...

Eye tumors are difficult to treat because drugs often struggle to reach tumor tissue without damaging healthy structures of the eye. A new review published in Biofunctional Materials summarizes how nanomaterials—extremely small, engineered particles—could improve both the diagnosis and treatment of eye cancers. The authors highlight recent advances, key challenges, and future directions for using nanotechnology to achieve safer and more precise eye tumor care. Treating tumors inside the eye presents unique challenges. The eye is a small and highly sensitive organ, protected by biological barriers that limit drug penetration. While ...

Perovskite solar cells have garnered widespread attention as a low-cost, high-efficiency alternative to conventional silicon photovoltaics. However, defects in perovskite films impede charge transport, resulting in energy loss and compromised operational stability. One solution to this problem is "passivation treatment"—a process that adds chemicals such as simple salts or organic molecules to the film. These small molecules or ions latch onto defects in the perovskite material, preventing the defects from interfering with electrical flow. Unfortunately, verifying the internal efficacyof various passivation ...

A research team led by Prof. Jihong Yu and Prof. Wenfu Yan (Jilin University, State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry) recently developed a potassium-based Cu-SSZ-39 catalyst (Cu-SSZ-39-K) with an increased concentration of Al in the 8-memberedrings. This design promotes the formation of more [Cu(OH)]+-Z species, resulting in nearly double the NOx conversion at 150-225°C and excellent retention of activity after hydrothermal ageing at 800°C. The work was published ...

In the realm of modern medicine, RNA-based therapies have emerged as a promising avenue, with significant advancements in metabolic diseases, oncology, and preventive vaccines. A recent article published in Engineering titled “The Future of AI-Driven RNA Drug Development” by Yilin Yan, Tianyu Wu, Honglin Li, Yang Tang, and Feng Qian, explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can revolutionize RNA drug development, addressing current limitations and offering new opportunities for innovation.   The article highlights ...

Platinum-ruthenium (PtRu) alloys are notable for their catalytic activity and durability in the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR). However, the mechanisms behind their superior performance compared to pure Pt are not fully understood. Research has identified many factors influencing HOR activity, including initial hydrogen binding energy, OH affinity driving the bifunctional mechanism, and factors like hydrogen bond (H-bond) network rigidity, connectivity, and interfacial water orientation. These complexities of the interfacial catalytic reaction present significant challenges in understanding the underlying mechanisms and achieving more precise enhancements ...

Full news release Dalian, China-Sulfur, long feared as a “poison” that shuts down precious metal catalysts, can actually help them work better when used in just the right way, according to new research published in Chinese Journal of Catalysis. A team led by Prof. Yunjie Ding at Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences andProf. Xueqing Gong at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, has shown that a tiny, carefully tuned amount of sulfur can boost the speed and robustness of a key industrial reaction by up to twofold. The reaction, called hydroformylation, adds carbon monoxide and hydrogen to simple molecules ...

Matías Gómez-Corrales, a recent biological sciences Ph.D. graduate from the University of Rhode Island, and his advisor, Associate Professor Carlos Prada, have published a paper in Nature Communications, revealing key mechanisms in speciation in corals and proposing a new hypothesis on the origin of species in the ocean.  Their new study examines how coral species form and contributes to long-standing questions in evolutionary biology about how marine biodiversity originates. The work builds on decades of ecological, reproductive, ...

A team of materials scientists has developed a new bio based carbon material that can store thermal energy more efficiently while preventing one of the most persistent problems in phase change materials leakage during melting. The study demonstrates how carbon derived from chitin, a natural polymer found in crustacean shells and fungi, can stabilize heat storing compounds and improve their performance for energy applications. Phase change materials store and release heat as they melt and solidify, making them attractive for applications such as building temperature regulation, solar energy storage, and electronic thermal management. However, many organic phase change materials suffer ...

Nitrate pollution has become one of the most widespread water quality challenges in intensively farmed regions around the world, threatening drinking water safety, aquatic ecosystems, and downstream lakes. A new study published in Nitrogen Cycling reveals how human activities in rural urban transition zones are reshaping the nitrogen cycle, allowing nitrate to move through rivers and groundwater and ultimately reach large freshwater lakes. The research focuses on the rural urban ecotone of the Yangtze River Delta in eastern China, an area where agriculture, ...

Plastic pollution does more than litter landscapes and oceans. According to a new perspective article published in Biocontaminant, viruses living on plastic surfaces may play an underrecognized role in spreading antibiotic resistance, raising concerns for environmental and public health worldwide. When plastics enter natural environments, they quickly become coated with microbial biofilms known as the plastisphere. These plastic associated communities are already known hotspots for antibiotic resistance ...