Immune cells flood into the aging brain, Stanford scientists discover
Large numbers of immune cells from the blood enter the brain beginning in middle age and transform into microglia, the brain's specialized immune cells. This discovery challenges the previous assumption that the brain's immune cells remain largely separate from the body's immune system throughout life.
Read full story →After commercial whaling nearly erased them, blue and fin whales are slowly reclaiming the southeast Atlantic
Blue and fin whales are being sighted with increasing frequency in the southeastern Atlantic more than 40 years after commercial whaling ended. Ninety-five percent of confirmed observations from a 60-year dataset were recorded since 2012, indicating recent population recovery in Namibian and South African waters.
Wheat gene behind Hessian fly resistance cloned after 50-year search
A wheat gene conferring resistance to Hessian fly larvae has been cloned after a 50-year search, with researchers demonstrating its direct interaction with an insect protein. The gene's identification was published in Science Advances on August 14, 2026, opening pathways for engineering pest resistance in wheat crops.
Engineered microbe speeds CO₂ capture and recovers critical metals
A genetically engineered bacterium rapidly breaks down feldspar, one of Earth's most abundant minerals, to simultaneously remove atmospheric carbon dioxide and recover critical elements for electric vehicle batteries. The engineered microbe accomplishes this through a single biological process rather than requiring separate industrial steps.