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Ahmed M. Hashad, Mohammad M. Abd-Alhaseeb, Xin Rui Lim, Natalia M. Mathieu, Osama F. Harraz. PIP 2 corrects an endothelial Piezo1 channelopathy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2025; http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2522750122

“Until recently, the terahertz range was considered a blank area in the electromagnetic spectrum…. positioned between microwaves (used, for example, in Wi-Fi) and infrared …. it holds immense potential for applications that include inspecting packages without harmful X-rays, superspeed 6G communication, and spectroscopy and imaging of organic compounds…”

A team of scientists has developed a highly accurate blood test for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The test reads tiny DNA patterns that reveal the biological signature of the illness. For millions who’ve faced doubt and misdiagnosis, it’s a breakthrough that finally validates their experience — and may help diagnose long Covid too.

Led by researchers at the University of Maryland and Cornell University, the study charts temperatures across WASP-18b, a massive gas giant classified as an “ultra-hot Jupiter” located 400 light-years from Earth. The team applied a method known as 3D eclipse mapping, also called spectroscopic eclipse mapping, marking the first time this technique has been used to build a full 3D temperature map. The work expands on a 2D eclipse map the group released in 2023 using highly sensitive observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

Electrons inside solid materials behave in a surprisingly similar way. When they gain extra energy (for instance, when the material is struck by other electrons), they can sometimes break free from the solid. This process has been known for decades and forms the basis of many technologies. However, until recently, scientists had been unable to calculate it with precision. Researchers from several groups at TU Wien have now found the solution. Just as the frog must find the right opening, an electron also needs to locate a specific “exit,” known as a “doorway state.”

The vaccine appears to prime the immune system in a powerful, nonspecific way, enhancing cancer treatment outcomes. If confirmed, the discovery could lead to a universal cancer vaccine and transform oncology care.

Researchers have synthesized enhanced vitamin K analogues that outperform natural vitamin K in promoting neuron growth. The new compounds, which combine vitamin K with retinoic acid, activate the mGluR1 receptor to drive neurogenesis. They also efficiently cross the blood-brain barrier and show stability in vivo.

UMass Amherst engineers have built an artificial neuron powered by bacterial protein nanowires that functions like a real one, but at extremely low voltage. This allows for seamless communication with biological cells and drastically improved energy efficiency. The discovery could lead to bio-inspired computers and wearable electronics that no longer need power-hungry amplifiers.

Scientists at Kyoto University and Hiroshima University have achieved a breakthrough in quantum physics by successfully identifying the elusive W state of quantum entanglement, solving a 25-year-old challenge in the field[^1].

Biologists at The University of Texas at Austin, who have reported discovering a bird that’s the natural result of a green jay and a blue jay’s mating, say it may be among the first examples of a hybrid animal that exists because of recent changing patterns in the climate. The two different parent species are separated by 7 million years of evolution, and their ranges didn’t overlap as recently as a few decades ago.

Erythritol, a widely used sugar substitute found in many low-carb and sugar-free products, may not be as harmless as once believed. New research from the University of Colorado Boulder reveals that even small amounts of erythritol can harm brain blood vessel cells, promoting constriction, clotting, and inflammation—all of which may raise the risk of stroke.

New preliminary research suggests that a combination of higher atmospheric CO2 and hotter temperatures contribute to a reduction in nutritional quality in food crops, with serious implications for human health and wellbeing.

Recent breakthroughs show that quantum systems can exhibit reversibility in ways previously thought impossible, challenging our understanding of time's arrow and irreversibility.

Date: July 6, 2025

Researchers analyzed trade-related risks to energy security across 1,092 scenarios for cutting carbon emissions by 2060. They found that swapping out dependence on imported fossil fuels for increased dependence on critical minerals for clean energy would improve security for most nations -- including the U.S., if it cultivates new trade partners.

The paper is here

Frogs, salamanders, and other amphibians around the world face mounting threats from a devastating fungus, climate change, habitat loss -- and road mortality. Among these, roads pose a uniquely immediate danger by cutting through critical migration corridors, allowing vehicles to crush millions of animals each year.

Study: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03773-w

Frogs, salamanders, and other amphibians around the world face mounting threats from a devastating fungus, climate change, habitat loss -- and road mortality. Among these, roads pose a uniquely immediate danger by cutting through critical migration corridors, allowing vehicles to crush millions of animals each year.

California's solar energy boom is often hailed as a green success story but a new study reveals a murkier reality beneath the sunlit panels. Researchers uncover seven distinct forms of corruption threatening the integrity of the state s clean energy expansion, including favoritism, land grabs, and misleading environmental claims. Perhaps most eyebrow-raising are allegations of romantic entanglements between senior officials and solar lobbyists, blurring the lines between personal influence and public interest. The report paints a picture of a solar sector racing ahead while governance and ethical safeguards fall dangerously behind.

Scientists have discovered a giant planet orbiting a tiny red dwarf star, something they believed wasn t even possible. The planet, TOI-6894b, is about the size of Saturn but orbits a star just a fifth the mass of our Sun. This challenges long-standing ideas about how big planets form, especially around small stars.

With coral reefs in crisis due to climate change, scientists have engineered a bio-ink that could help promote coral larvae settlement and restore these underwater ecosystems before it's too late. In a paper publishing May 14 in the Cell Press journal Trends in Biotechnology, researchers demonstrate that the ink could boost coral settlement by more than 20 times, which they hope could contribute to rebuilding coral reefs around the world.