APOE2 may protect the brain from Alzheimer’s and aging
The APOE2 gene reduces DNA damage in brain cells and helps neurons recover from stress. This discovery may lead to treatments mimicking APOE2's protective mechanisms for people at higher genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease.
Rare alpine herb confirmed in India after 158 years
Cyananthus hookeri, a rare alpine herb with purple-blue flowers, has been confirmed in India's Eastern Himalayas after 158 years without documented sightings. The plant was last recorded in the country by British botanist Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, who collected specimens from high-altitude meadows.
Researchers explore classroom applications of AI new learning platforms
AI learning platforms are being integrated into Hong Kong classrooms following the Education Bureau's Digital Education Development Blueprint for primary and secondary schools. Researchers are exploring how these AI systems can be applied in classroom settings to support student learning.
How an iceberg may have stopped emperor penguins from breeding on Coulman Island in 2025
A large iceberg grounded off Coulman Island between July 2025 and January 2026, restricting emperor penguins' access to foraging areas. The colony's chick population declined approximately 69% in 2025 compared to 2024, despite overall sea ice conditions appearing favorable.
Plant scientist explains the impact of the EU's new gene-editing rules
The EU adopted new gene-editing legislation in June 2026 that will take effect after a two-year transition period. Plants with limited genetic changes that could occur naturally will be regulated like conventional crops, while plants with more extensive modifications remain subject to existing GMO rules.
Mitochondrial mechanism links protein folding to heme production and cell energy
A mitochondrial mechanism connects protein folding through disulfide bond formation to heme production, which is essential for hemoglobin and cellular energy generation. Researchers at the University of Cologne demonstrated this link between oxidative protein folding and heme formation in a study published in Science Advances.
How researchers are using AI to speed up drug discovery and development: Q&A
AI methods now accelerate the initial stage of drug discovery by identifying promising molecules from vast possibilities. However, about 90% of drug candidates still fail to reach the market, and successful drugs must remain safe, effective, and capable of reaching their targets while bypassing the body's defenses.
Supercooled kidneys have been transplanted into pigs in a “landmark achievement”
Kidneys were successfully transplanted into pigs after being supercooled, marking a significant advancement in organ preservation technology. The supercooling process extends the viable timeframe for transplantation beyond the standard few hours typically available for organ transfer.
Crews Move Artemis IV Liquid Hydrogen Tank
A 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank for Artemis IV was transported from production to a test building at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on May 15, 2026. The tank will become part of the core stage component.
NASA’s MAVEN Illuminates New Understanding of Auroras at Mars
MAVEN found that Mars auroras form through the same mechanism that creates Earth auroras, involving charged particles circulating in the atmosphere. The research, published in Nature Communications, reveals this particle acceleration process occurs at both planets.
NASA Astronaut Chris Williams Closes Out Space Station Mission
NASA astronaut Chris Williams is returning to Earth after eight months aboard the International Space Station, his first mission. During his assignment, Williams participated in cancer research, materials production for electronics, and completed two spacewalks in the vacuum of space.
Orcas filmed smashing giant sunfish into thousands of pieces
Orcas in the Gulf of California were documented dismantling a dead sunfish by gripping it with their fins while charging into it at high speed. The behavior, observed in two separate encounters, resulted in the carcass being blasted into thousands of pieces.
NASA Puts Google’s Gemma Large Language Model in Orbit
Google's Gemma 3 language model was deployed in orbit aboard a YAM-9 satellite to analyze imagery from the satellite's own sensor in the first in-orbit demonstration of a vision-language model. The system, called NAVI-Orbital, uses a compressed 4-bit format of Gemma 3 and allows scientists to upload text prompts to spacecraft instead of requiring structured commands through operations teams.
How AI helps scientists design the next generation of medicines
AI systems are helping scientists design new medicines by analyzing biological data to identify promising drug candidates more efficiently than traditional methods. This accelerates the development process, which historically required many years and significant investment before most candidates failed to reach patients.
Antarctica may give the world decades to prepare for rising seas
Scientists can now reliably forecast Antarctic ice loss through the middle of this century, giving governments time to prepare for sea level rise. After 2050, unstable ice retreat could accelerate dramatically and become much harder to predict.
NASA will test SpaceX and Blue Origin Moon landers before the next lunar landing
NASA will conduct separate rendezvous and docking tests with prototype lunar landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX during the 2027 Artemis III mission. Orion astronauts will practice the complex maneuvers required for future crewed Moon landings with both vehicles in orbit.
NASA’s Webb telescope discovers giant planet hiding in one of astronomy’s most famous systems
A giant planet concealed by cosmic dust in the Beta Pictoris system was discovered through detection of carbon monoxide, water vapor, and methane in its atmosphere. Webb's method of identifying atmospheric traces provides a new approach for locating exoplanets that remain hidden within dust disks.
New bird species identified on remote Indonesian island
A songbird previously classified as a single species across two Indonesian island groups is actually two distinct species, according to recent research. The Babar Islands and Tanimbar Islands, located approximately 135 kilometers apart in the eastern Banda Sea, each host separate populations of this bird.
Genome tool places large genetic sequences precisely in rice and tobacco without DNA breaks
A new genome tool enables precise insertion of large genetic sequences into rice and tobacco plants without creating DNA breaks. The technique overcomes previous limitations in plant biotechnology by allowing scientists to add complex genetic information to support crop improvements and pharmaceutical production.
A longer, hotter reality surrounds marine heat waves, research reveals
Marine heat waves persist longer and reach higher temperatures than previously characterized, with researchers developing a framework to measure cumulative heat exposure including warm periods before and after the events. The new approach treats these temperature increases as extended processes requiring time and energy rather than isolated incidents.
Marine animals first colonized empty seashells about 470 million years ago
Marine animals first occupied empty mollusk shells as habitats approximately 470 million years ago. This colonization of shell interiors represented a significant ecological change that created a new niche in developing marine ecosystems.
Light-driven chemistry method could create antiviral compound libraries 10 to 100 times larger within weeks
A light-driven chemistry method enables scientists to create nucleoside analog libraries 10 to 100 times larger within weeks instead of years. These compounds mimic DNA and RNA building blocks and are used to treat viral infections like HIV and hepatitis.
Water-surface vortices drive tiny rotors without electricity, magnets or chemicals
Water-surface vortices can rotate floating objects without electricity, magnets, or chemicals, as demonstrated by researchers from KIT and SINANO. The team showed that fluid flow at a water surface alone generates controlled miniature rotations in a fixed direction.
NASA to Showcase Agency’s Newest Wind Tunnel in Virginia
NASA is opening its first new wind tunnel in more than 40 years at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The facility, called the Flight Dynamics Research Facility, will be showcased at a media tour and ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 31.
Why a New England city is building tunnels to protect an imperiled salamander
Keene, New Hampshire is constructing tunnels to help wood salamanders safely cross a street during their spring migration. The city deployed crews with flashlights to monitor the amphibians' movements on a rainy March night.
Smithsonian ornithologist John Rappole reconsidered why birds migrate
Ornithologist John Rappole challenged the view that migratory songbirds were temporary tropical visitors by examining their year-round ecology. He demonstrated that these birds spent significant time in tropical forests during winter months, warranting greater scientific attention to their non-breeding habitats.
Mapping Io’s Hidden Heat With NASA’s Juno
NASA's Juno spacecraft used its Microwave Radiometer instrument to map heat on Jupiter's moon Io during two close flybys in December 2023 and January 2024. The black lines show the instrument's footprints from the December 30 flyby that primarily covered the northern hemisphere, while blue lines represent the subsequent January flyby coverage.
NASA’s Juno Peers Beneath Io’s Surface
The Microwave Radiometer aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft detected heat rising from beneath Io's surface using low-frequency microwave channels at 0.6 and 1.25 gigahertz. These channels can penetrate approximately 6 to several kilometers below the moon's surface, unlike infrared instruments that only measure surface temperature.
Lab-grown mini brains may predict which Alzheimer’s treatments will work
Miniature brain models grown from patients' cells showed different responses to an antidepressant in Alzheimer's-related tissue. The organoids could guide personalized treatments and provide diagnostic clues through particles they release.
A strange quantum effect dramatically boosts energy transfer
A proton-assisted mechanism improves energy transfer between quantum dots and nearby molecules by briefly shifting position to coordinate electron movement. The proton returns to its original location after facilitating the triplet energy transfer through this quantum shuttle effect.