Global electricity consumption is rising at an unprecedented pace. According to the International Energy Agency, electricity is projected to account for more than 50% of global energy use within the next 25 years, compared to the current 20%. This creates a pressing need for sustainable, efficient energy conversion methods, particularly advanced solar technologies. “To meet the demand, there is a significant and growing need for new, environmentally friendly and efficient energy conversion methods, such as more efficient solar cells. Our…
“This concerns the biosynthesis of a molecule that has a very long history with humans,” explains Prof. Dirk Hoffmeister, head of the Pharmaceutical Microbiology research group at Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI). “We are referring to psilocybin, a substance found in so-called ‘magic mushrooms’, which our body converts into psilocin – a compound that can profoundly alter consciousness. However, psilocybin not only triggers psychedelic experiences, but is also considered…
Researchers at Linköping University have successfully visualized blood flow in an artificial heart in real time using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The findings, published in Scientific Reports, pave the way for designing artificial hearts that lower the risk of blood clots and red blood cell damage—two of the most common complications in current devices. The project was carried out in collaboration with Scandinavian Real Heart AB, a company working on the development of an artificial heart. “The heart is a…
Australian scientists have uncovered a strong connection between stress and disease susceptibility in koalas across South East Queensland and the New South Wales North Coast. The University of Queensland’s Dr Michaela Blyton led the research, which monitored koala retrovirus (KoRV) levels in both wild and captive animals. “We wanted to see what happened to their KoRV loads over time and how it related to chlamydial infection and levels of the stress hormones cortisol and corticosterone in their faeces,” Dr Blyton…
Researchers from Umeå University have discovered that ice can dissolve iron minerals more effectively than liquid water—a finding that challenges long-standing assumptions about frozen environments. The study, published in PNAS, shows that ice at –10°C releases more iron from minerals than water at 4°C. This breakthrough may explain why many Arctic rivers are turning rusty orange as thawing permafrost releases iron into waterways. “It may sound counterintuitive, but ice is not a passive frozen block,” says Jean-François Boily, Professor at…
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — One of ecology’s greatest challenges is to explain what sustains—or undermines—biodiversity within ecosystems. A new study published in Science introduces a model that uses tree census data and genomic information from multiple species to forecast future shifts in species abundance within forests. The research was led by James O’Dwyer, plant biology professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, alongside Andy Jones of Oregon State University and James Lutz of Utah State University. Why Predicting Species Abundance Matters…
As wildfires continue to intensify and spread across the Western United States, researchers from Colorado, Utah, and California are examining how wildfire smoke alters air quality and impacts human health. A new study published in Atmospheric Environment reveals that massive wildfires in states such as Colorado, Oregon, and California generate significant amounts of ozone in the atmosphere. This worsens respiratory health risks and further contributes to climate warming. Research Collaboration Across Universities The project was a joint effort led by…
New research reveals “unprecedented” conservation results of community-based management of protected areas in the Amazon – as many face a future in which they may become increasingly degraded due to low enforcement of regulations, growing external encroachment and competition for resources. The study describes a powerful new mechanism for increasing the extent of effective area-based protection by piggybacking on community management of natural resources. Tropical protected areas are typically understaffed, underfunded and underequipped and it remains unclear how existing ones…
Researchers develop new framework that can create sharp neural radiance fields from blurry monocular videos, captured from everyday handheld devices Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF) is a fascinating technique that creates three-dimensional (3D) representations of a scene from a set of two-dimensional (2D) images, captured from different angles. It works by training a deep neural network to predict the color and density at any point in 3D space. To do this, it casts imaginary light rays from the camera through each…
New research from Curtin University has uncovered a remarkable connection between the large-scale structure of our galaxy and the long-term evolution of Earth’s crust. The study suggests that our planet’s development was shaped not only by internal geological processes but also by meteorite impacts triggered during the Solar System’s journey through the Milky Way. Published in Physical Review Research, the findings indicate that the chemical composition of ancient zircon crystals embedded in Earth’s crust reflects periodic meteorite bombardments that occurred…
Around one-third of the 50 million people living with epilepsy worldwide do not respond to anti-seizure medications, leaving them with limited treatment options. Surgical removal of the seizure-causing region can sometimes help, but it is not viable when seizures originate from multiple or unclear brain regions. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has emerged as a promising alternative for these patients. DBS involves implanting electrodes that deliver controlled electrical impulses to specific brain regions to help control seizures. While stimulation of the…
European astronomers have produced the most accurate three-dimensional map to date of star-forming regions within our Milky Way galaxy, using data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia space telescope. The new map offers an unprecedented look at the dense, cloudy regions where new stars are born, shedding light on the young, hot stars that sculpt these cosmic nurseries. Mapping Star Formation Hidden Behind Dust Studying star-forming regions is challenging because thick clouds of gas and dust obscure them from view,…
September 16, 2025 — University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USANew research published in PLOS Biology reveals that several genetic variants associated with social behavior in honey bees are located within genes previously linked to social behavior in humans. According to Ian Traniello and colleagues, these findings point to ancient molecular roots of social behavior that have been conserved across species. Understanding Individual Differences in Sociability In social species, individuals display varying levels of sociability — some are highly connected and…
Findings from a first-of-its-kind analysis in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases provide timely, insightful guidance to alleviate the burden of musculoskeletal disorders globally Philadelphia, September 16, 2025 – Novel research shows that in approximately one third of countries and territories worldwide, population aging was the largest contributor to the growing burden of musculoskeletal disorders from 1990 to 2021. The new study in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, published by Elsevier, is poised to inform targeted public health strategies…
The lentils now grown in the Canary Islands have a history that stretches back almost 2,000 years on the site. This is shown in the very first genetic study of archaeological lentils, carried out by researchers at Linköping University and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain. Since these lentils have been adapted for cultivation in hot and dry climates for a very long time, they may become valuable for plant breeding in the light of ongoing…
A recent study indicates that early Mars’ atmosphere may have been conducive to life, potentially due to volcanic activity that released sulphur gases, so facilitating a greenhouse warming effect. This discovery originates from a study published in Science Advances, conducted by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin. Utilising data from Martian meteorite compositions, the researchers conducted over 40 computer simulations with varying temperatures, concentrations, and chemical compositions to predict the potential emissions of carbon, nitrogen, and sulphide gases…
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