The power of urolithin A. “This study is that critical first step and shows that urolithin A can safely enhance immune function in humans,” says Dr. Dominic Denk. Found in foods like pomegranates and walnuts, this compound rejuvenates immune cells, […]
This frog knows its face. I’ve shared before about the discovery that tiny electrical fields help cells determine where a nose should be, for example. I can’t get enough of how cool this is. “Picasso tadpoles make largely normal frog […]
Algae as asphalt’s green hero. “Algae-derived compounds can improve moisture resistance, flexibility and self-healing behavior in asphalt, potentially extending pavement life and reducing maintenance costs,” says Assoc. Prof. Elham Fini. ~ learn more
Plants’ secret language revealed. Scientists have unraveled a century-old mystery of how plants communicate stress. “We are trying to build a foundational knowledge of understanding how communication in plants happens,” explains Vesna Bacheva. The study shows plants use negative pressure […]
Meet targeted protein degraders. “Targeted Protein Degraders (TPDs) are a revolutionary class of drugs that hijack the cell’s natural waste disposal system to eliminate disease-causing proteins, rather than just inhibiting them.” By leveraging the cell’s own machinery, TPDs promise potent […]
Anxiety disorders tied to low levels of an essential nutrient in the brain. “This is the first meta-analysis to show a chemical pattern in the brain in anxiety disorders,” said Jason Smucny, co-author and an assistant professor in the Department […]
We induced smells with ultrasound. Researchers targeted the scent-processing region of the brain using an ultrasound probe. “We pointed an ultrasound probe at the scent-processing region of the brain to obtain different sensations,” including “the smell of garbage, like few-day-old […]
Tiny robots swim through blood, deliver drugs – and then dissolve. “A remote-controlled robot the size of a grain of sand can swim through blood vessels to deliver drugs before dissolving into the body.” This technology may enable targeted drug […]
A deep-sea worm uses toxins as armor. In blazing hydrothermal vents, Paralvinella hessleri transforms lethal arsenic into armor. “Inside this deep-sea chemistry lab, the two poisons lock together into solid orpiment (As₂S₃) crystals, transforming them from lethal threats into inert, […]
A trigger for lupus confirmed. Researchers have pinpointed the Epstein-Barr virus as a direct cause of lupus. “For the first time, we have a clear biological explanation of how Epstein-Barr virus can lead to lupus,” says Dr. William Robinson of […]