Rice University’s Scott Solomon, a biologist, science communicator and teaching professor in the Department of Biosciences, has been named a 2025 Piper Professor by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation, one of the most prestigious accolades awarded to educators in Texas. The award honors professors for exceptional teaching and service to students and is given annually to 10 faculty members from colleges and universities across the state. Each recipient receives a $5,000 honorarium and a place in the distinguished roster of Piper Professors, which…
In a study published Wednesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), University of Oklahoma researchers detail their discoveries about why the brain tumor glioblastoma is so aggressive. Their findings center on ZIP4, a protein that transports zinc throughout the body and sets off a cascade of events that drive tumor growth. About half of all malignant brain tumors are glioblastomas, the deadliest form of brain cancer with a median survival rate of 14 months. “Surgery for…
Scripps Research scientists used computer modeling to illustrate how antibodies use fatty molecules known as lipids to recognize the HIV virus. Lipids are the fatty molecules that make up cellular membranes, creating a protective barrier that regulates what enters and exits the cell. Until recently, scientists believed antibodies couldn’t safely target lipids without risking harm to healthy tissues, since the same lipids that appear in viruses are widely distributed throughout the body. Now, scientists at Scripps Research have used computer…
Researchers at the University of Utah’s Department of Psychiatry and Huntsman Mental Health Institute today published a paper introducing RiskPath, an open source software toolkit that uses Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) to predict whether individuals will develop progressive and chronic diseases years before symptoms appear, potentially transforming how preventive healthcare is delivered. XAI is an artificial intelligence system that can explain complex decisions in ways humans can understand. The new technology represents a significant advancement in disease prediction and prevention…
MRI technology reveals unhealthy lifestyles add decades Is your heart aging too fast? MRI technology reveals unhealthy lifestyles add decades Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have developed a revolutionary new way of uncovering the ‘true age’ of your heart using MRI. Research published today shows how an MRI scan can reveal your heart’s functional age – and how unhealthy lifestyles can dramatically accelerate this figure. It is hoped that the findings could transform how heart disease is diagnosed…
The XRISM science team, including members of Nagoya University, has explained how galaxy clusters maintain their heat despite emitting X-rays, which typically have a cooling effect on the hot gas. By observation of the Centaurus cluster of galaxies, the XRISM team discovered the existence of a fast-moving, high-temperature gas flow in the center of the cluster. Their findings, published by Nature, may solve the ‘cooling flow problem’, explaining why clusters of galaxies look like they do. Galaxy clusters are made…
Increasing overlap of fire weather between Australia and North America complicates international firefighting efforts Climate change is increasing the risk of wildfires in many regions of the world. This is due partly to specific weather conditions – known as fire weather – that facilitate the spread of wildfires. Researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and Australian colleagues have found that fire weather seasons are increasingly overlapping between eastern Australia and western North America. The research team examined…
First Light! The spectro-polarimeter of the world’s largest solar telescope in Hawaii looks at the Sun for the first time. The instrument was developed in Germany With a primary mirror diameter of four meters, the Inouye Solar Telescope is the largest in the world. Thanks to the optimal observational conditions on the Hawaiian volcano Haleakala and the use of sophisticated methods of image stabilization and reconstruction, the Inouye Solar Telescope has been providing breathtakingly detailed views of our star since…
A more efficient and environmentally friendly approach to extracting rare earth elements that power everything from electric vehicle batteries to smartphones could increase domestic supply and decrease reliance on costly imports. This new method, developed by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, allows for separating and extracting these in-demand elements where it’s not possible today, opening up new avenues for gathering rare earth elements amid global trade tensions. “Rare earth elements are the backbone of advanced technologies, but their…
FAU joins first-ever global effort to map microplastics’ path through critical ocean systems Marine plastic pollution is a global crisis, with 9 to 14 million metric tons of plastic entering the ocean every year. Tiny fragments called microplastics – ranging from 1 micron to 5 millimeters – make up the vast majority of plastic pieces found and pose serious risks to ocean health. Most research has focused on surface waters, usually sampling just the top 15 to 50 centimeters using…
Researchers train AI to predict if and why proteins form sticky clumps, a mechanism linked to 50 human diseases affecting half a billion people An AI tool has made a step forward in translating the language proteins use to dictate whether they form sticky clumps similar to those linked to Alzheimer’s Disease and around fifty other types of human disease. In a departure from typical “black-box” AI models, the new tool, CANYA, was designed to be able to explain its…
Some acute post-ayahuasca “adverse effects” like visual distortions were associated with better reported mental health at a later date, while other adverse effects like feeling isolated or energetically attacked were associated with worse mental health Mounting evidence supports ayahuasca’s potential to improve mental health, but its long-term effects are shaped by both individual mental health history and the context in which the psychedelic is used, according to a study published on April 30, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS Mental…
9 children born with severe LAD-l are symptom-free two years after treatment An investigational gene therapy has successfully restored immune function in all nine children treated with the rare and life-threatening immune disorder called severe leukocyte adhesion deficiency-I, or LAD-I, in an international clinical trial co-led by UCLA. LAD-I is a genetic condition that affects approximately one in a million people in the world. It is caused by mutations in the gene that produces CD18, a protein that enables white…
New research shows that a single mutation in the DNA sequence for a methylation enzyme causes a cascade of faulty gene expression, offering new avenues for blood cancer treatment Australian researchers have discovered that a single mutation in the DNA sequence for a methylation enzyme dysregulates key tumour-suppressing pathways, opening up new avenues for blood cancer treatment. The findings of this research confirm mutant DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) as a potential target for effective blood cancer treatment. One of the…
Analysing lava flows that solidified and then broke apart over a massive crack in the Earth’s crust in Turkey has brought new insights into how continents move over time, improving our understanding of earthquake risks. New research by Curtin University has revealed the Tuz Gölü Fault Zone – a more than 200-kilometre-long geological structure visible from space – is slowly pulling apart, providing a rare glimpse into the forces that shape Earth’s crust when tectonic plates collide. Lead Australian author…
Antibiotic resistance is a major public health issue. According to the WHO, 5 million people die every year worldwide as a result of antibiotic resistance[1]. This could become the leading cause of death by 2050. Although antibiotics have considerably reduced the mortality associated with infectious diseases, their sometimes excessive and abusive use has led to the development of bacterial resistance. Furthermore, as antibiotics generally target pathways essential for bacterial survival, they have a broad spectrum of action but lack specificity,…
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