The search space for protein engineering grows exponentially with complexity. A protein of just 100 amino acids has 20^100 possible variants—more combinations than atoms in the observable universe. Traditional engineering methods might test hundreds of variants but limit exploration to narrow regions of the sequence space. Recent machine learning approaches enable broader searches through computational screening; however, these approaches still require tens of thousands of measurements or 5-10 iterative rounds.  With the advent of these foundational protein models, the bottleneck for protein engineering swings back ...

A team of researchers has found a way to steer the output of large language models by manipulating specific concepts inside these models. The new method could lead to more reliable, more efficient, and less computationally expensive training of LLMs. But it also exposes potential vulnerabilities.  The researchers, led by Mikhail Belkin at the University of California San Diego and Adit Radhakrishnan at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, present their findings in the Feb. 19, 2026, issue of the journal Science.  In the study, researchers went under the hood of several LLMs to locate specific concepts. They then mathematically increased or decreased the ...

Astronomers have long debated why so many icy objects in the outer solar system look like snowmen. Michigan State University researchers now have evidence of the surprisingly simple process that could be responsible for their creation. Far beyond the violent, chaotic asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter lies what’s known as the Kuiper Belt. There, past Neptune, you’ll find icy, untouched building blocks from the dawn of the solar system, known as planetesimals. About one in 10 of these objects are contact binaries, planetesimals that are shaped like two connected spheres, much like ...

Researchers have identified a ‘tipping point’ about 2.7 million years ago when global climate conditions switched from being relatively warm and stable to cold and chaotic, as continental ice sheets expanded in the northern hemisphere. Following this transition, Earth’s climate began swinging back and forth between warm interglacial periods and frigid ice ages, linked to slow, cyclic changes in Earth’s orbit. However, glacial periods after this tipping point became far more variable, with ...

Guideline Highlights: The first clinical practice guideline on acute pulmonary embolism (PE) from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology introduces a new Acute Pulmonary Embolism Clinical Category system to define the severity of an acute pulmonary embolism and assist in developing a treatment strategy for adults with this condition. The guideline details risk factors for acute PE, such as recent surgery or hospitalization, trauma, prolonged immobility, pregnancy, obesity, cancer and blood clotting ...

PHILADELPHIA— A new electronic implant system can help lab‑grown pancreatic cells mature and function properly, potentially providing a basis for novel, cell-based therapies for diabetes. The approach, developed by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University, incorporates an ultrathin mesh of conductive wires into growing pancreatic tissue, according to a study published today in Science.   “The words ‘bionic’, ‘cybernetic’, ...

When things vibrate, they make sounds. Molecules do too, but at frequencies far beyond human hearing. Chemical bonds stretch, bend and twist at characteristic rates that fall in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Infrared spectroscopy, which measures how light excites these vibrations, is often likened to listening to a molecule's voice. Each molecule has its own unmistakable tone – a vibrational “fingerprint” that reflects not only its chemical structure but also the nanoscale environment around it. But the voices of individual molecules are so faint that traditional infrared spectroscopy ...

Images of the researchers   Bureaucratic hurdles and racial disparities restrict access to victim compensation for adult survivors of sexual assault, deepen justice system inequities and compound trauma.   The absence of police verification of a crime is the primary reason for rejection, representing 34.4% of disapproved requests—which account for roughly 8 out of every 100 applicants, according to a new University of Michigan study published in the American Journal of Public Health.   "Our ...

NEW YORK, NY--A team of researchers led by Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has been awarded an up to two-year $8.7 million contract from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to create genetic tests to speed the diagnosis of patients born with defects in the lymphatic system. “Discovering genes that cause lymphatic anomalies and using this information to create new clinical tests will not only accelerate the diagnosis of patients, but will also lead to improved treatments and, most importantly, save lives,” says Carrie Shawber, PhD, associate professor of reproductive sciences at VP&S and principal investigator ...

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Feb. 19, 2026 – After leading an unprecedented growth of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital over the past 12 years, James R. Downing, MD, will step down as president and CEO in late 2026 as part of a planned leadership transition. He will move into a faculty role in the Department of Global Pediatric Medicine, which he helped establish in 2018 to advance the mission of St. Jude around the world. “When I joined St. Jude 40 years ago, I came for the opportunity to do great science, but I stayed because of the mission and culture,” Downing said. “I’ve watched St. Jude ...

FEBRUARY 19, 2026, NEW YORK – Among the most promising tools of cancer therapy, engineered immune cells known as chimeric antigen-receptor (CAR) T cells have already transformed the treatment of blood cancers. Yet, despite their promise, CAR-T cells do have their limitations. For one thing, they’ve so far largely failed against solid tumors, which is to say, most types of cancer. For another, they can inadvertently kill healthy cells along with cancerous ones—or, separately, provoke a systemic immune overreaction—causing ...

The American Academy of Microbiology has elected Paul Plummer, dean of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, to its 2026 Class of Fellows. Plummer joins an international cohort of 63 distinguished scientists to the honorific leadership group within the American Society for Microbiology. The Fellows are elected annually through a highly selective, peer-review process, based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology. The Academy received 145 international nominations for the 2026 Fellowship Class. “Academy ...

WASHINGTON, February 19, 2026—The American Educational Research Association (AERA) has announced the selection of 34 exemplary scholars as the 2026 class of AERA Fellows. The AERA Fellows Program honors scholars for their exceptional contributions to, and excellence in, education research. Nominated by their peers, the 2026 Fellows were selected by the Fellows Committee and approved by the AERA Council, the association’s elected governing body. They will be inducted during a ceremony at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles on April 9. With this cohort, the total number of AERA Fellows will reach 820. “We are thrilled to honor the 2026 AERA Fellows as they join ...

Researchers at the Max Delbrück Center show that two related enzymes, MNK1 and MNK2, act on the brain to regulate different behaviors. Their findings, published in “Molecular Psychiatry,” could help guide development of more precise therapies for neurological disorders. Structurally, they look similar: MNK1 and MNK2 belong to the same enzyme family and are best known for regulating how cells make proteins. Their starring role in such a crucial cellular function has cast them into the spotlight as potential drug targets to treat nervous system disorders and chronic pain. But would it matter whether a drug targets only one of them? In a study published ...

SAN ANTONIO — February 19, 2026 — New research by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and the National Science Foundation’s National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF-NCAR) has developed a new tool providing a first step toward the ability to forecast space weather weeks in advance, instead of just hours. This advance warning could allow agencies and industries to mitigate impacts to GPS, power grids, astronaut safety and more. “Understanding where and when large, flare-producing active regions ...

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) — Ozempic has been making headlines for its remarkable success in treating obesity and diabetes. Yet it is just one in a rapidly growing class of drugs called peptide therapeutics that sits between small molecules (like aspirin) and biologics (like antibodies). A UC Santa Barbara research team has developed a technique for efficiently synthesizing non-natural amino acids and applying them to peptide construction. They hope that the methodology, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, will significantly advance peptide research, giving scientists greater access to amino acids beyond the 22 found in nature. “The ...

When you finish a run, your muscles may feel like they did all the work. But researchers at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) have discovered that what happens in your brain after a run may determine whether you gain endurance over time. Specialized neurons in the brain’s hypothalamus spring into action after a bout of exercise, the team reported in Neuron. Without the activity of these neurons, mice fail to show endurance gains, no matter how hard they sprint on a treadmill. And when the researchers artificially activated the neurons ...

Munich, Germany – 19 February 2026: With careful selection, same-day hospital discharge was found to be feasible and safe in around one-fifth of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation in a study presented today at the EAPCI Summit 2026.1 The summit is a new event organised by the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), an association of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a minimally ...

In a 2023 paper on hypoxia and glucose metabolism, our lab showed how organisms rewire their metabolism to adapt to low oxygen levels—such as those found at high altitudes. One of the most striking observations from that work was a dramatic drop in circulating blood sugar.  That study focused on mice exposed to hypoxia. Looking at epidemiological data from the United States, people living at even modest elevations show the same pattern: lower blood glucose, better glucose tolerance, reduced diabetes risk.  It ...

SAN FRANCISCO—February 19, 2026—Scientists have long known that people living at high altitudes, where oxygen levels are low, have lower rates of diabetes than people living closer to sea level. But the mechanism of this protection has remained a mystery. Now, researchers at Gladstone Institutes have explained the roots of the phenomenon, discovering that red blood cells act as glucose sponges in low-oxygen conditions like those found on the world’s highest mountaintops. In a new study in the journal Cell Metabolism, the team showed how red blood cells can shift their metabolism to soak up sugar from the bloodstream. At high altitude, this adaptation fuels the cells’ ...

Researchers at Columbia Engineering have developed a new gel electrolyte that both improves the lifetime and safety of anode-free lithium batteries, an emerging battery architecture that could dramatically boost energy density while simplifying manufacturing. Although such design promises higher energy density and lower cost, the approach has long been plagued by short battery life and safety concerns caused by unstable lithium plating and parasitic reactions at the electrode-electrolyte interface. The Columbia team, led by Yuan Yang, associate professor of applied physics and applied mathematics ...

A plume of upper-atmospheric lithium pollution observed in February 2025 has been attributed to the re-entry of a specific rocket stage. The results, published in Communications Earth & Environment, are the first known direct detection of upper-atmospheric pollution from space debris re-entry. Defunct satellites and expended rocket stages are designed to break up during their atmospheric re-entry. Previous research has focused on the risks of debris reaching the ground, but little is known about the effects that disintegrating space debris might have on the mesosphere (between approximately ...

In a Phase 3 randomized trial, Mass General Brigham researchers found that stereotactic radiation targeting individual tumors led to lower symptom burden, better cognitive outcomes, and better day to day function when compared with whole brain radiation Researchers from Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute have found that using a form of radiation therapy that targets individual tumors rather than whole brain radiation is more optimal for patients with tumors that have spread to the brain (called brain metastases), even if a larger number of tumors are present. The finding could help improve quality of life and cognitive function for many patients diagnosed with brain metastases each ...

About The Study: This nationwide study demonstrated that adolescents and young adults with prior cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) faced increased cardiovascular disease risk and mortality compared with matched controls. These findings warrant further research. Meanwhile, they support heightened clinical awareness regarding cardiovascular risk evaluation and prevention in women with prior HSIL.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Laila Hubbert, MD, PhD, email laila.hubbert@liu.se. To access ...

About The Study: In this cohort study of 3,230 kidney transplant recipients, kidney transplant was associated with a reversal of declining employment income, indicating meaningful economic recovery. These findings highlight the broader socioeconomic value of transplantation and may inform policies that support patients during pretransplant vulnerability and facilitate successful return to work.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Karim S. Ladha, MD, MSc, email karim.ladha@mail.utoronto.ca. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.60157) Editor’s ...