Keeping up with the latest research is vital for scientists, but given that millions of scientific papers are published every year, that can prove difficult. Artificial intelligence systems show promise for quickly synthesizing seas of information, but they still tend to make things up, or “hallucinate.”  For instance, when a team led by researchers at the University of Washington and The Allen Institute for AI, or Ai2, studied a recent OpenAI model, GPT-4o, they found it fabricated 78-90% of its research citations. And general-purpose AI models like ChatGPT often can’t access papers that were ...

University of Toronto researchers have expanded our understanding of bacterial immunity with the discovery of a new protein that can both sense and counteract viral infections. In the new study, published today in Nature, researchers from U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine describe how a single protein named Rip1 recognizes bacteriophages, the viruses that infect bacteria, and cause infected bacteria to die prematurely, thereby ending the chain of transmission. “There are a lot of parallels between our immune system and bacterial ...

Gene regulation is far more predictable than previously believed, scientists conclude after developing deep learning model PARM. This might bring an end to a scientific mystery: how genes know when to switch on or off. Today, scientists publish in Nature about their relentless back-and-forth between lab experiments and computation that enabled them to build this lightweight model. Scientists around the world can now start using this tool for reading these genetic instructions, creating leads for new cancer diagnostics, patient stratification, and future therapies. “The ...

UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center scientists have identified a molecule that blocks the gene responsible for glioblastoma, raising hopes that the molecule could become a much-needed new treatment for the deadliest brain cancer.  Researcher Hui Li, PhD, previously discovered the “oncogene” responsible for glioblastoma, a cancer for which there are no treatments that extend life for more than a few months. In his follow-up work, published in Science Translational Medicine, Li reports the identification of a small molecule that blocked the gene’s activity in both cell samples and lab mice. In mice, ...

Did you skip your last high school reunion? If so, you may want to reconsider when the next anniversary rolls around. The experience could lead to increased feelings of gratitude, according to a new study led by Jeffrey Green, Ph.D., a professor of psychology in Virginia Commonwealth University’s College of Humanities and Sciences. That’s because engaging in nostalgic experiences – or even just listening to nostalgic music, or drifting into a nostalgic reverie – can strengthen feelings of social connection, ...

Researchers studying the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum have discovered a previously unknown stage in its life cycle that appears to be crucial for reproduction. This is important because malaria depends on the parasite’s rapid ability to multiply inside the human body, so stopping its reproduction could help prevent severe disease and save lives. Using a new live-imaging method, the team found that before the parasite can divide, a key structure inside the cell must reshape into a “Crown” form and connect to the cell’s nucleus. This ...

SAN ANTONIO — February 4, 2026 — Dr. Stephen Fuselier has been appointed as vice president of the Space Science Division of Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). A noted heliophysicist, Fuselier recently served as the co-chair of the National Academies of Solar and Space Physics Decadal Survey. NASA uses its recommendations to identify and prioritize the scientific questions and necessary observations required to answer them over the next 10 years. “I’m thrilled to lead SwRI’s Space Science Division,” Fuselier said. ...

New York, NY — The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) is pleased to announce the release of silverlinings.bio, an interactive report and simulation tool developed by AFAR Scholar-in-Residence Raiany Romanni-Klein, PhD, with support from AFAR, the Amaranth Foundation, and the Methuselah Foundation. Dr. Romanni-Klein spent the last two years working with a team of economists from Harvard, the Abundance Institute, and the University of Southern Carolina to develop an interactive simulation tool with returns on investments (ROI) for specific research & development (R&D) advancements in aging science ...

Chemicals brought in to help protect our ozone layer have had the unintended consequences of spreading vast quantities of a potentially toxic ‘forever chemical’ around the globe, a new study shows. Atmospheric scientists, led by researchers at Lancaster University, have for the first time calculated that CFC replacement chemicals and anaesthetics are behind around a third of a million tonnes (335,500 tonnes) of a persistent forever chemical called trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) being deposited from the atmosphere across the Earth’s surface between the years 2000 and 2022. And the rate ...

PULLMAN, Wash. — The secret to youthful appearance and repairing scars may lie in a microscopic skin structure humans share with pigs and grizzly bears — but, surprisingly, not monkeys. While it had been thought these ridge and valley-like skin microstructures — called rete ridges — form during fetal growth, researchers at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine found they actually develop shortly after birth and identified a key molecular signal that drives their development. The findings, published in the journal Nature, could lead to new therapies designed to reverse or slow skin aging and improve wound and scar ...

CLEVELAND—A Case Western Reserve University professor has developed an innovative card deck designed to help children manage stress and build emotional resilience in today’s challenging world. Following the COVID-19 pandemic—and amid ongoing global and societal stressors—Jennifer King, an associate professor and co-director of the Center on Trauma and Adversity at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve, realized that people needed to know the fundamentals of stress management. She created “Take a Break” micropractice cards in 2022 to help people relax, ...

Images of the students and researchers Twenty-seven University of Michigan students and faculty scholars have been awarded Fulbright grants for the 2025-26 academic year, putting the university among the top-producing institutions in the country.   The grants—one of the U.S. government's most prestigious awards—will fund overseas research of 25 students and 2 faculty scholars from the Ann Arbor and Dearborn campuses for 6-12 months.   A recent graduate of U-M's Biomolecular Science and Spanish programs, Ava Kuiper ...

Eligibility Criteria Endorse the journal's editorial philosophy. Make significant contributions to the journal in areas such as peer review, evaluation and promotion. Specialize in Robotics, Biomedical Engineering or Neuro Engineering. Be actively engaged in research, with an international academic perspective. Candidates should typically be under 40 years old, holding a position such as Associate Professor/Associate Chief Physician, or Assistant Professor or higher in a tenure-track system. Outstanding candidates may be given more lenient requirements. Have published at least 10 articles as the first author or corresponding author in leading journals of their field. May ...

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common health problems worldwide, affecting people of all ages and placing a heavy burden on healthcare systems. Many patients experience persistent discomfort that interferes with work, sleep, and daily activities. Yet in most cases, doctors cannot identify a clear structural cause, making long-term treatment difficult. A new study published in Volume 14 of the journal Bone Research on January 22, 2026, suggests that a hormone treatment may help relieve chronic back pain by limiting abnormal nerve growth inside damaged spinal ...

Plants are a rich and renewable source of compounds used in medicines, food ingredients, and cosmetics. Since growing an entire plant just to extract a few specific compounds is rather inefficient, scientists are turning to plant cell cultures as a more sustainable alternative. Cultured plant cells can act as ideal ‘biofactories’ that multiply quickly indoors and are unaffected by weather or seasons. Unfortunately, this strategy faces a long-standing problem: although plant cells contain thousands of genes capable of making diverse chemicals, only a small fraction of them are active under standard culture conditions. One possible ...

PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA [February 4, 2026] — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)—an alliance of leading cancer centers based in the United States—and the NCCN Foundation® is honoring World Cancer Day with an announcement about more frequent updates to its free educational resources intended to empower shared decision-making. World Cancer Day is an international day observed every February 4th to raise awareness about cancer, encourage its prevention, and mobilize action. The day is led by the Union for International ...

Highlights Associate Professor Yuji Ogihara of Aoyama Gakuin University reviews empirical studies that examined temporal changes in the frequency of (un)common names. Accumulated evidence has demonstrated that uncommon names increased over time in many nations: Germany, the U.S., the U.K., France, Japan, China, and Indonesia. All the nations that were examined have shown an increase in uncommon names. Thus, the phenomenon is observed more generally, not locally in some limited nations. This increase in uncommon names reflects broader ...

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 10 AM GMT / 05:00 ET WEDNESDAY 4 FEBRUARY 2026 Windows into the past: Genetic analysis of Deep Maniot Greeks reveals a unique genetic time capsule in the Balkans MORE IMAGES AVAILABLE VIA THE LINK IN THE NOTES SECTION A new genetic study has revealed that the people of Deep Mani, who inhabit one of the remotest regions of mainland Greece, represent one of the most genetically distinctive populations in Europe, shaped by more than a millennium of isolation. The findings, published today (4 February) ...

Researchers have quantified the role of obesity in common long-term conditions, showing for the first time the effect of losing weight in preventing multiple diseases.   Conditions that often occur together may share an underlying cause, which can be key to prevention or treatment. The picture of which conditions co-occur is complex, so researchers paired them together, to allow them to identify shared causes more simply. The study found that obesity is the ...

Australian researchers have developed a powerful new way to target deadly, drug-resistant bacteria by designing antibodies that recognise a sugar found only on bacterial cells – an advance that could underpin a new generation of immunotherapies for multidrug resistant hospital-acquired infections. Published in Nature Chemical Biology, the research shows that a laboratory-made antibody can clear an otherwise lethal bacterial infection in mice by homing in on a distinctive bacterial sugar and flagging the pathogen ...

A major new World Health Organization publication sets out, for the first time, a practical, evidence-based package of care to address the mental health impacts of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and the stigma that can prevent people from seeking care and participating fully in society. The Essential care package to address mental health and stigma for persons with neglected tropical diseases responds to growing evidence that people living with NTDs experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, distress and suicidal behaviours than the general population, driven not only by the direct effects of illness but by stigma, discrimination ...

In the plant world, when two different species mate, their offspring often don’t survive. The reason lies in their DNA: incompatible genes often mix in their offspring, triggering a fatal breakdown known as hybrid lethality that acts as a reproductive barrier to keep species separate. Using tobacco plants and their wild relatives, a research group led by graduate student Shota Nagai and Associate Professor Takahiro Tezuka at the Graduate School of Agriculture, Osaka Metropolitan University, explored what ...

The aviation industry accounts for a significant share of global carbon emissions. In response, the international community is expanding mandatory use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which is produced from organic waste or biomass and is expected to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional fossil-based jet fuel. However, high production costs remain a major challenge, leading some airlines in Europe and Japan to pass SAF-related costs on to consumers. Against this backdrop, a research team led by Dr. Yun-Jo Lee at the ...

Bottom Line: Cancer survivors who consumed higher amounts of ultraprocessed foods as part of their diet had a significantly increased risk of both all-cause and cancer-specific death. Journal in Which the Study was Published: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)  Author: Marialaura Bonaccio, PhD, of the Research Unit of Epidemiology and Prevention at IRCCS Neuromed in Pozzilli, Italy Background: Ultraprocessed foods can be considered unhealthy because they are often low in ...

Embargo: 00.05 (GMT) 4 February 2026 / 7.05 pm ET 3 February 2026    Precocial animals, the ones that move autonomously within hours after hatching or birth, have many biases they are born with that help them survive, finds a new Royal Society paper led by Queen Mary University of London.  The new model proposed by the researchers suggest that naïve animals like newborn turtles and chicks are not blank slates but are supported by the presence of multiple biases that interact. Researchers found that early biases are surprisingly widespread among newborns of various species. However, these choice biases are not ...