A research group has demonstrated that overexpression of Cdc10-dependent transcript 1 (CDT1), a key regulator of DNA replication initiation, induces DNA damage and potentially results in genetic mutations. Although previous studies have linked CDT1 overexpression to cellular transformation and tumorigenesis, the underlying mechanism has remained unclear. [...]
To meet ambitious U.S. Department of Energy targets for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), production of purpose-grown energy crops must ramp up significantly. Although researchers have made substantial progress in understanding the management and conversion of these crops, key knowledge gaps hold the industry back. [...]
For numerous fundamental processes of life, the formation of certain protein patterns is essential. Protein pattern formation controlled by molecular switches is—like many processes in nature—far removed from a state of equilibrium. [...]
What would happen if farmers around the globe were to switch over to sustainable pest management? An international study headed by the University of Bonn and ETH Zurich focused on precisely this question. The study is based on assessments provided by more than 500 leading experts from around the world who work in various disciplines from ecology to economics. [...]
In the agricultural sector, labor shortages are increasing the need for automated harvesting using robots. However, some fruits, like tomatoes, are tricky to harvest. Tomatoes typically bear fruit in clusters, requiring robots to pick the ripe ones while leaving the rest on the vine, demanding advanced decision-making and control capabilities. [...]
Boron, a chemical element next to carbon in the periodic table, is known for its unique ability to form complex bond networks. Unlike carbon, which typically bonds with two or three neighboring atoms, boron can share electrons among several atoms. This leads to a wide variety of nanostructures. These include boron fullerenes, which are hollow, cage-like molecules, and borophenes, ultra-thin metallic sheets of boron atoms arranged in triangular and hexagonal patterns. [...]
For decades, nuclear physicists believed that "Islands of Inversion"—regions where the normal rules of nuclear structure suddenly break down—were found mostly in neutron-rich isotopes. In these unusual pockets of the nuclear chart, magic numbers disappear, spherical shapes collapse, and nuclei unexpectedly transform into strongly deformed objects. So far, all such islands have been exotic nuclei such as beryllium-12 (N = 8), magnesium-32 (N = 20), and chromium-64 (N = 40), all of which are far away from the stable nuclei found in nature. [...]
Unpredictable rains pose a serious threat to groundnut farmers, with pre-harvest sprouting causing significant losses. Spanish groundnut varieties, representing nearly 60% of global production, are particularly vulnerable. Premature germination triggered by early rains can reduce yields by 10–20%, and up to 50% in severe cases. This makes understanding the genetics behind varieties that resist sprouting under high-moisture conditions especially critical. [...]
The sense of smell is vital for animals, as it helps them find food, protect themselves from predators and interact socially. An international research team led by Dr. Quentin Martinez and Dr. Eli Amson from the State Museum of Natural History, Stuttgart, has now discovered that certain areas of the brain skull allow conclusions to be drawn about the sense of smell in mammals. [...]
One of the most important steps in the evolution of modern mammals was the development of highly sensitive hearing. The middle ear of mammals, with an eardrum and several small bones, allows us to hear a broad range of frequencies and volumes, which was a big help to early, mostly nocturnal mammal ancestors as they tried to survive alongside dinosaurs. [...]
Scientists at Rothamsted Research have discovered that three widely used pre-emergent herbicides—flufenacet, EPTC, and tri-allate—affect blackgrass (Alopecurus myosuroides) in strikingly different ways. [...]
Countless bacterial species share cramped environments where competition for space and resources is fierce. Some rely on a molecular speargun to outcompete their opponents. One of them is Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It is widespread in nature but also notorious as a difficult-to-treat hospital pathogen. [...]
A genus of fungi previously considered a parasite of fungi associated with ants may actually have much more complex ecological functions. According to a study published in the journal Communications Biology, one piece of evidence is that they appeared 18 million years before the ants with which they are associated today. [...]
Researchers from the Physical Chemistry and Theory departments at the Fritz Haber Institute have found a new way to image layers of boron nitride that are only a single atom thick. This material is usually nearly invisible in optical microscopes because it has no optical resonances. [...]
Metallenes are atomically thin metals whose unique properties make them extremely promising for nanoscale applications. However, their extreme thinness makes them also flimsy. [...]
The government is proposing a change in the law on parental child abduction. The crime and policing bill, under consideration in parliament, would make it a crime for a parent to take their child on holiday and then not return them at the end of the agreed holiday period. This would be punishable by up to seven years' imprisonment. [...]
The final week of November was devastating for several South Asian countries. Communities in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand were inundated as Cyclones Ditwah and Senyar unleashed days of relentless rain. Millions were affected, more than 1,500 people lost their lives, hundreds are still missing, and damages ran into multiple millions of US dollars. Sri Lanka's president even described it as the most challenging natural disaster the island has ever seen. [...]
In early 2025, in an effort to facilitate its deportation goals, the Trump administration entered into hundreds of agreements with local police departments to essentially deputize them to act as federal immigration agents. [...]
Microtubules perform an active role in communication within the cell by transmitting received signals to the cell's functional units. Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel have now, for the first time, structurally elucidated how these protein strands of the cytoskeleton accomplish this. Their findings could help make it possible to intervene in this communication and, for example, prevent tumor growth. The study was published in Cell. [...]
There is no such thing as a society where everyone is equal. That is the key message of new research that challenges the romantic ideal of a perfectly egalitarian human society. [...]
A recent National Academy of Sciences report criticized traditional ways of measuring success after individuals are released from prison that are entrenched in identifying failure by relying solely on recidivism, and place little weight on indicators of success. In a new study published in the Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology, researchers measured success using group-based multiple trajectory modeling; their findings offer timely evidence on the nuanced nature of reintegration and inform desistance theory and reintegration practice and policy. [...]
A new article that evaluated the impact of changes to the scope or generosity of social safety net programs concludes that public welfare policy has measurable benefits for public safety. [...]
A new study published in JAMA Network Open highlights the significant environmental footprint of medical imaging contrast agents, finding that Medicare patients alone received 13.5 billion milliliters of contrast media between 2011 and 2024. [...]
An interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has published a new study using transaction data provided by Zillow to show that homebuyers price in the natural-defense value of mangrove after heavy storm seasons. [...]
Reliably quantifying and characterizing the quantum states of various systems is highly advantageous for both quantum physics research and the development of quantum technologies. Quantifying these states typically entails performing several measurements and reconstructing them via a process known as quantum-state tomography. [...]
The axolotl, a type of salamander that stays in the tadpole form throughout its life, is a master of regeneration. Axolotls have been observed to regrow several body parts, including limbs, eyes, and even parts of their brains. [...]
For the first time, scientists have made a clear X-ray detection of chlorine and potassium in the wreckage of a star using data from the Japan-led XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) spacecraft. [...]
Although millions upon millions of living creatures fly, feed and reproduce in the air, this habitat has hardly been researched. Insects are under increasing pressure worldwide due to global change and human activities. However, until now, evaluating the large scale effects of this pressure has been challenging because insect monitoring focuses mainly on a small number of species and data is collected at local scales. [...]
In the coming decades, climate change is likely to lead to a loss of sea ice in and an influx of warmer water to the Arctic Ocean, affecting the ocean's vertical circulation. Brown and colleagues recently investigated the forces that drive the Arctic Ocean's vertical circulation to gain insight into how the circulation might change in the future. [...]
Using proteins from a common tobacco plant virus, McGill chemistry researchers have developed a simple, eco-friendly way to arrange gold nanoparticles into ultrathin sheets, strengthening the particles' optical properties. The result: cheaper, safer materials for solar panels, sensors and advanced optical devices. [...]