The newly discovered auroral dunes appear as a green-tinged and even pattern of waves resembling a striped veil of clouds or dunes on a sandy beach. A new form of the northern…
Machine learning scopes out previously “invisible” microplastics
The largest percentage of marine litter consists of plastic waste, in which the biodegradation process can take decades to complete. With serious concerns related to the negative effects of plastic, especially microplastics,…
Scientists create living concrete from bacteria and sand
Regenerating bricks are created from sand, gelatin, and bacteria. Cement is one of the most widely used building materials in the world due to its low cost and longevity. While its usage…
Printing in color with photoswitchable polymers
Azopolymer material allows light-assisted imprinting of nanostructures for structurally colored surfaces. In the natural world, color is produced through pigments, bioluminescence, and structure. Though perhaps less widely known, structural colors are produced…
CRISPR cleans up DNA origami
Researchers use CRISPR-Cas12a as a DNA shredder to clean up and mobilize parts of DNA-origami structures. DNA origami is the folding of DNA strands into precise shapes on the nanoscale. The technique…
Scientists observe ultrafast proton transfer reaction
X-rays capture the ultrafast proton transfer reaction in ionized liquid water, forming the hydroxyl radical and the hydronium ion. One of the earliest mechanisms we learn in organic chemistry is the proton…
NASA telescope finds its first Earth-sized habitable world
TOI 700 d is the first Earth-size habitable-zone world discovered by TESS. Astronomers have discovered an Earth-sized planet living in its star’s “habitable zone” — a range of distances where conditions allow…
Ultrasound therapy improves the memory of Alzheimer’s patients
In a small group of patients, language and memory showed improvement for up to 3 months after ultrasound brain stimulation therapy. Brain stimulation therapies have emerged as viable tools to treat a…
Pioneers in Science: Sir Frederick Banting
A doctor and researcher, Banting pioneered the development of insulin for the treatment of diabetes. Illustration: Kieran O’Brien Sir Frederick Banting was a Canadian physician and scientist who gained global acclaim and…
The first CRISPR gene therapy to cure sickle-cell disease
In 2019, CRISPR gene-editing therapy was used for the first time to treat sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease is a complex disease that affects the structure and function of hemoglobin, the…