Hundreds of regular patterns spontaneously form on a small germanium chip Key takeaways UCLA doctoral student Yilin Wong noticed that some tiny dots had appeared on one of her samples, which had been accidentally left out overnight. The layered sample consisted of a germanium wafer topped with evaporated metal films in contact with a drop of water. On a whim, she looked at the dots under a microscope and couldn’t believe her eyes. Beautiful spiral patterns had been etched into the…

Previous exposures to older flu strains prime the immune system to produce antibodies against H5N1, and children would likely benefit the most from H5N1 vaccinations Prior exposures to specific types of seasonal influenza viruses promote cross-reactive immunity against the H5N1 avian influenza virus, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Older adults who were exposed to seasonal flu viruses that circulated prior to 1968 were found to be more likely to have…

Spinal cord injuries are life-altering, often leaving individuals with severe mobility impairments. While rehabilitation robotics—devices that guide movement during therapy—have improved training for those with spinal cord injuries, their effectiveness remains limited. Without active muscle engagement, robotic-assisted movement alone does not sufficiently retrain the nervous system. A team at .NeuroRestore, led by Grégoire Courtine and Jocelyne Bloch, has now developed a system that seemlessly integrates an implanted spinal cord neuroprosthesis with rehabilitation robotics. The researchers’ device delivers well-timed electrical pulses…

By Leah Shaffer Much of cell behavior is governed by the actions of biomolecular condensates: building block molecules that glom together and scatter apart as needed. Biomolecular condensates constantly shift their phase, sometimes becoming solid, sometimes like little droplets of oil in vinegar, and other phases in between. Understanding the electrochemical properties of such slippery molecules has been a recent focus for researchers at Washington University in St. Louis. In research published in Nature Chemistry, Yifan Dai, assistant professor of…

New study tested tiny fragments of future drugs and may lead to new therapies to treat this deadly disease The immune system typically can ramp up the body’s defenses to clear out an invading threat without issue. Glitches can happen, however, with sepsis occurring when the mustered army of cells also attacks the body’s own tissues and organs as if they were enemy combatants. Sepsis is dangerous, particularly when it isn’t treated early, and it can lead to the even…

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has become a growing global health concern, affecting millions worldwide. This complex liver disorder ranges from simple steatosis to more severe forms, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), which may progress to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even liver cancer. The latest insights into transcription factors provide a deeper understanding of the disease’s progression and potential therapeutic interventions. Transcription factors are critical proteins that regulate gene expression, playing a pivotal role in controlling key processes such as…

Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality, with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) representing the most prevalent subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite their classification under the same umbrella, these two forms of lung cancer exhibit distinct genetic landscapes, therapeutic targets, and treatment responses. Recent advancements in next-generation gene sequencing have identified key driver genes that differentiate LUAD and LUSC, influencing their respective clinical management approaches. LUAD is frequently associated…

Butterflies are disappearing in the United States. All kinds of them. With a speed scientists call alarming, and they are sounding an alarm. A sweeping new study published in Science for the first time tallies butterfly data from more than 76,000 surveys across the continental United States. The results: between 2000 and 2020, total butterfly abundance fell by 22% across the 554 species counted. That means that for every five individual butterflies within the contiguous U.S. in the year 2000,…

A new Cochrane review has found evidence that music-based therapy may benefit people living with dementia, particularly by improving symptoms of depression. Dementia is a collective term for progressive degenerative brain syndromes that affect memory, thinking, behaviour and emotion. Alzheimer’s Disease International reported that there were 55 million people with dementia worldwide in 2019, a figure predicted to increase to 139 million by 2050. While some medicines are available, the therapeutic use of music is considered a relatively simple and…

The hydrogel has a unique structure, making it the first to combine strength and flexibility with self-healing capabilities. We all encounter gels in daily life – from the soft, sticky substances you put in your hair, to the jelly-like components in various foodstuffs. While human skin shares gel-like characteristics, it has unique qualities that are very hard to replicate. It combines high stiffness with flexibility, and it has remarkable self-healing capabilities, often healing completely within 24 hours after injury. Until…

Study findings could improve understanding of aging and obesity The body’s internal clock doesn’t just dictate when we sleep — it also determines how quickly our muscles heal. A new Northwestern Medicine study in mice, published today in Science Advances, suggests that muscle injuries heal faster when they occur during the body’s natural waking hours. The findings could have implications for shift workers and may also prove useful in understanding the effects of aging and obesity, said senior author Clara Peek, assistant…

Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital used positron emission tomography (PET) with edaravone, a drug used to treat ALS, to detect oxidative stress Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear imaging technique used to diagnose conditions such as cancer. An innovative advance from scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is enhancing the technique’s ability to check for signs of neurological disease. The researchers repurposed the drug edaravone, an antioxidant used to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), as a probe to…

Recently, a collaborative research team led by Professor WANG Hui and Professor ZHANG Xin from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, successfully developed a novel carbon-coated nickel ferrite (NFN@C) nanocatalyst with significant potential in cancer therapy. The results have been published in Advanced Functional Materials. Cancer therapy has always struggled with targeting tumor cells effectively while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Traditional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation often have limited precision and serious side effects….

New study finds minerals drive phosphorus release at enzyme-like rates Northwestern University researchers are actively overturning the conventional view of iron oxides as mere phosphorus “sinks.” A critical nutrient for life, most phosphorus in the soil is organic — from remains of plants, microbes or animals. But plants need inorganic phosphorus — the type found in fertilizers — for food. While researchers traditionally thought only enzymes from microbes and plants could convert organic phosphorus into the inorganic form, Northwestern scientists previously…

A breakthrough iron-based catalyst achieves near-perfect efficiency for water oxidation, offering a sustainable solution for hydrogen production A newly developed pentanuclear iron complex (Fe5-PCz(ClO₄)₃) can offer an efficient, stable, and cost-effective solution for water oxidation. By electrochemically polymerizing the complex, researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo obtained a polymer-based catalyst, poly-Fe5-PCz, and achieved water oxidation with up to 99% Faradaic efficiency and exceptional stability, even under rigorous conditions. This breakthrough offers a scalable alternative to rare metal catalysts, advancing hydrogen…

UTEP researchers secure patent for pyronaridine, drug that shows promise for killing cancer cells Can a drug that’s used to treat malaria be repurposed to fight cancer? Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso have secured a patent for the anti-malarial drug pyronaridine to do just that. Pyronaridine has been used to treat the mosquito-borne infectious disease for over 30 years. The discovery is the result of a serendipitous encounter at UTEP. Renato Aguilera, Ph.D., a UTEP professor…