Discovery
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Biology
Surprising discovery sheds light on the cause of Huntington’s disease, a deadly brain disorder
This micrograph provided by the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center at McLean Hospital in January 2024 shows cells within the caudate nucleus structure of the brain of a patient with Huntington’s disease. Credit: Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center at McLean Hospital/NIH NeuroBioBank (via AP) Scientists are unraveling the mysteries that trigger Huntington’s disease. Huntington’s disease is a devastating and fatal…
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Science
Fossil discovery sheds light on the early evolution of animal nervous systems
An incomplete tubular specimen of the Eopliaprites sphinx excavated from the Quang Tuanh Formation of the Early Cambrian. The ventral nerve cord is shown. Credit: Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adr0896 An international team of scientists has solved a fascinating piece of the evolutionary puzzle. That’s how the ventral nerve cord, a key component of the central nervous system, evolved in…
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Nanotechnology
Discovery of bistable nanocrystals promises faster, more energy-efficient optical computing
Optically bistable nanocrystals can store information that is written and read entirely through light, making them useful for building small and scalable optical memory units. These nanocrystals are controlled by a laser. One provides continuous power and the other triggers the light emission after a short pulse. This feature mimics the operation of electronic transistors and paves the way for…
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Nanotechnology
Technology used by World War I aviation aces inspires discovery of new mobile operations
Abstract. Credit: Nano Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c04174 Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst took inspiration from the synchronization of machine guns and propellers on World War I fighter planes to manipulate cell behavior by precisely adjusting the pH of the cell environment in real time. We have designed a new technology to As described in Nano Letters, their findings…
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Space & Cosmos
Discovery of distant blazars supports rapid black hole formation in the early universe
Artist’s impression of a bright, very early active galactic nucleus discovered by Bañados and his colleagues. This has fundamental implications for the growth of black holes during the first billions of years of cosmic history. Credit: NSF/AUI/NSF NRAO/B. Saxton Astronomers have discovered a key piece of the puzzle of how supermassive black holes were able to grow so quickly in…
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Nanotechnology
Discovery of eddy electric fields could impact quantum computing
Quasicrystals with a 30 degree twist of the MoS2 bilayer and the atomic scheme of the twisted bilayer MoS2 enabled the generation of electric vortex fields and the creation of 2D quasicrystals. Credit: City University of Hong Kong A new eddy electric field that has the potential to power future electronic, magnetic and optical devices has been observed by researchers…
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Chemistry
Discovery of diverse daphnan diterpenoids in Daphne pontica
Structures of major daphne diterpenoids detected from Daphne pontica. Credit: Dr. Mitsuharu Ozuki and Dr. Wei Li A research group led by Professor Wei Li of the Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Toho University, in collaboration with the Faculty of Pharmacy, Ankara University, and Ankara Medipol University, revealed the presence of various daphnan diterpenoids in the Rhizophyllaceae (Faceae family).…
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Biology
Discovery of 2,586 orphan genes in Rosa chinensis reveals stress adaptation and floral development
Steps to identify orphan genes in the R. chinensis genome. Credit: Tropical Plants (2024). DOI: 10.48130/tp-0024-0036 Orphan genes, found only in specific lineages, are important drivers of new functions and phenotypic traits. This discovery lays the foundation for understanding how roses grow under environmental challenges. Rosa chinensis, a beloved ornamental plant, is a mainstay in the horticultural world. Despite their…
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Chemistry
Discovery of lignin’s molecular properties could help turn trees into affordable, greener industrial chemicals
Bob Kelly (left) and Jack Wang look at the poplar trees in the greenhouse on North Carolina State University’s Centennial Campus. Credit: Dee Shore, North Carolina State University. Trees are the most abundant natural resource on Earth’s landmass, and North Carolina State University scientists and engineers are using trees as a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to producing industrial chemicals…
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Physics
AI predicts optical properties to accelerate energy and quantum materials discovery
An AI tool called GNNOpt accurately predicts light spectra based solely on crystal structure, accelerating the development of photovoltaics and quantum materials. Credit: Nguyen Tuan Hung et al. Researchers at Tohoku University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have announced a new AI tool that captures high-quality light spectra that is as accurate as quantum simulations but runs a…
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