Today's Science Pulse
UK-led study reveals hidden massive star clusters deep within nearby galaxies
Astronomers using the VLA and ALMA uncovered previously unseen giant star clusters embedded deep inside nearby galaxies. The findings show that young stellar activity drives the evolution of these galaxies, reshaping their interstellar environments. Multiple observations confirm the clusters act as hidden “ring factories” of star formation.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Foundation Alloy raises $22M Series A
Hypsizygus Marmoreus Polysaccharides Protect Against Cisplatin-Induced Intestinal Mucositis via Modulation of Gut Microbiota, Inflammation, and Intestinal Barrier Function
Researchers extracted polysaccharides from the edible mushroom Hypsizygus marmoreus (HMP) with a 16% yield and characterized them as high‑molecular‑weight, glucose‑rich polymers. In a mouse model of cisplatin‑induced intestinal mucositis, oral HMP (10 mg kg⁻¹) mitigated weight loss, diarrhea, and immune‑organ atrophy while preserving colon length and histology. The treatment restored tight‑junction proteins, reduced serum IL‑1β, IL‑6 and TNF‑α, and reshaped the gut microbiota, enriching Akkermansia muciniphila and Bifidobacterium. These findings position HMP as a promising natural adjunct to lessen chemotherapy‑related gastrointestinal toxicity.
Apple Consumption Is Associated with Obesity- and Lipid-Related Parameters and Gut Microbiota Profiles Across Enterotypes: 12-Week Single-Blind Trial in Japanese...
Researchers conducted a 12‑week single‑blind trial in 38 Japanese adults to assess how daily consumption of a 300 g Fuji apple influences obesity‑related metrics and gut microbiota across three baseline enterotypes. While overall blood lipid and anthropometric measures remained unchanged, participants...
Photonic Packaging Resistant to Extreme Environments (NIST, Johns Hopkins, U. Of Maryland)
Researchers from NIST, Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland have unveiled a new photonic chip packaging technique that uses direct hydroxide catalysis bonding of a V‑groove fiber array to the chip. The method tolerates extreme conditions—from cryogenic 3.8 K to...
Hackers Meet Their Match: New DNA Encryption Protects Engineered Cells From Within
Researchers published a new DNA‑level encryption system that scrambles engineered cells' genetic code, making it unreadable until a precise chemical sequence restores it. The lock uses a series of nine chemicals arranged as a two‑digit keypad, yielding 45 possible inputs,...
New Drug Combination Doubles Down on Alzheimer's Treatments
University of Waterloo researchers have shown that pairing existing anti‑amyloid antibodies with nutraceutical small molecules such as resveratrol and curcumin dramatically reduces amyloid plaque formation in preclinical models. The combination neutralized protein clumping and allowed a 30 % reduction in antibody...
Artemis Reached The Moon. The Grid Can Reach The 21st Century.
Artemis II returned four astronauts from lunar orbit, highlighting how modern spacecraft rely on redundant, software‑driven digital control systems that are thousands of times faster than the Apollo era. In stark contrast, the United States electrical grid still operates on largely...
People Question Need for AI-Generated Artemis Images
I don't understand why there are AI photos from Artemis. I mean, the real pictures are super awesome - there's just no reason for fake. Is there?
Bifunctional Structural Regulation of Polymer Composites for High‐Efficiency Electromagnetic Wave Absorption and Heat Dissipation
Researchers have created a 3D bifunctional polymer composite that integrates a continuous boron nitride (BN) network with segregated electromagnetic wave‑absorbing (EMA) units. By selectively placing carbon fiber and carbonyl iron within a styrene‑butadiene‑styrene matrix, the material achieves a thermal conductivity...
Efficient Harvesting of Irregular and Low‐Frequency Mechanical Energy via Hybridized Electromagnetic‐Triboelectric Systems
The review introduces a hybrid electromagnetic‑triboelectric nanogenerator (HE‑TENG) that merges the high‑current output of electromagnetic generators with the high‑voltage, low‑frequency efficiency of triboelectric nanogenerators. By coupling these mechanisms, the system achieves a broadband frequency response and superior conversion efficiency for...
Broad‐Salinity Osmotic Energy Harvesting From Composition Tuned Laminar Membranes
Researchers introduced composition‑tunable Ti3C2Tx/DAS laminar membranes that adjust interlayer channel size and fixed charge density by varying DAS content. This dual control enables optimal reverse electrodialysis (RED) performance across a wide salinity range of 0.05 M to 5 M. Low DAS fractions...
Vitamin C‐Derived Oxygen‐Functionalized Carbon Dots as a Novel Modulator for Regulating Zn2+ Deposition and Stabilizing Aqueous Zinc‐Ion Batteries
Researchers have developed vitamin C‑derived oxygen‑functionalized carbon dots (VC‑CDs) that act as multifunctional modulators for aqueous zinc‑ion batteries. The negatively charged VC‑CDs preferentially adsorb onto the zinc anode, creating a uniform electric field that guides even Zn²⁺ deposition while their...
Embedded Epitaxial Growth of RuOx on Co3O4 With Strong Interaction for Efficient and Robust Acidic Water Oxidation
Researchers introduced a two‑step drop‑casting method to embed RuOx on Co3O4, creating a dual‑oxide hetero‑interface with strong Co‑O‑Ru electronic coupling. This intimate interface accelerates electron transfer, suppresses high‑valence Ru formation, and shifts the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) mechanism toward the...
Hollow ZnCdS/CuInS2 S‑Scheme Heterojunction for Superior Photothermal‐Assisted Photocatalytic Coupled H2O2 and Benzaldehyde Production
Researchers have engineered a hollow ZnCdS/CuInS2 S‑scheme heterojunction that couples photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide generation with selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde. The hollow nanobox architecture provides broad‑band light absorption and a moderate photothermal effect that locally raises temperature, speeding...
Synergistic Bimolecular Engineering Enables Homogeneous and Multifunctional Surfaces for High‐Performance Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells
Researchers introduced a synergistic bimolecular engineering (SBE) approach that combines choline chloride and phenethylammonium iodide to form a uniform one‑dimensional perovskite layer on inverted perovskite solar cells. The hydrogen‑bonded interaction decouples defect passivation from charge‑transport limitations, raising open‑circuit voltage and...
Chemically Modified Wood Captures Sunlight and Stores It as Heat
Researchers have created a multi‑functional composite by chemically modifying delignified balsa wood with black phosphorene nanosheets, a tannic‑acid‑iron metal‑polyphenol network, silver nanoparticles and hydrophobic alkyl chains. The engineered scaffold confines stearic‑acid phase‑change material, achieving a latent heat of about 175 kJ kg⁻¹...
Anode‐Free Lithium Batteries Enabled by Solid Polymer Electrolytes
Anode‑free solid polymer electrolytes (AF‑SPEs) replace the traditional lithium metal anode with a bare current collector, using ultrathin polymer membranes to boost cell‑level energy density. Recent research outlined in the review shows how polymer chemistry, interfacial engineering, and lithium‑inventory management...
PDN Challenges In DRAM-Based Compute-In-Memory Systems (UT Austin)
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin released a technical paper analyzing power delivery network (PDN) challenges in DRAM‑based compute‑in‑memory (PIM) systems. The study introduces a unified taxonomy that classifies PIM‑induced current behavior by temporal (burst versus sustained) and...
Jointly Enhanced Nitrate and Water Activation by Precisely Ligand Substituent Regulation in Bimetallic Cluster for Highly Efficient Ammonia Electrosynthesis
Researchers introduced a bimetallic Cu4Pt2 cluster whose activity is tuned by precise ligand substituent changes. The CF3‑Cu4Pt2 variant delivers a Faradaic efficiency of 91.84% and an ammonia yield of 13.65 mg NH3 per mg catalyst per hour at –0.5 V versus RHE. Dual...
Idaho Lab Opens Its DOME Nuclear Test Bed
The Idaho National Laboratory launched the DOME test bed on April 8, 2026, offering a dedicated micro‑reactor facility that can host experiments up to 20 MWt thermal and will initially test Radiant’s Kaleidos and Westinghouse’s eVinci units. The opening aligns with a wave...
High‑carb, Low‑fat Diets Boost Triglycerides and Fatty‑acid Synthesis
Effect of high-carbohydrate feeding on triglyceride and saturated fatty acid synthesis "The results of a series of studies in lean and obese weight-stable volunteers showed that very-low-fat (10%), high-carbohydrate diets enriched in simple sugars increased the fraction of newly synthesized fatty...
Graphene Oxide Fuel
A novel interface engineering method boosts graphene oxide fuel cell power density to 0.7 W/cm², matching commercial fluorine-based membranes and advancing eco-friendly hydrogen energy solutions. fuelcells
Shifts in Cancer Mortality: Place of Living Increasingly Determines Where Historic Drop in Cancer Mortality Reaches
A study of nearly 3,000 U.S. counties spanning 1981‑2019 shows the historic decline in cancer mortality is now concentrated in urban, affluent areas. By 2019, the top 10% income counties experienced mortality improvements roughly seven times larger than the bottom...
Light‑Powered Nanorobots Capture and Relocate Bacteria Precisely
Light-driven nanorobots, smaller than a micron, can now hunt, capture, and relocate bacteria with precision, offering new possibilities for targeted manipulation in microbiology and biomedical research. nanotechnology
A Nanoscale Robotic Cleaner Can Hunt, Capture and Remove Bacteria
Researchers at Julius‑Maximilian University of Würzburg have created sub‑micron nanorobots that use photon‑recoil propulsion to hunt, capture, and relocate bacteria. By embedding plasmonic nanoantennas, the devices steer via light polarisation, achieving rapid 90° turns and precise manipulation of microbial clusters....
The National Space Society Welcomes the Crew of Artemis 2 Home
Artemis 2 returned to Southern California on April 10 after a flawless nine‑day flight that included launch, high‑Earth orbit, trans‑lunar injection, a lunar flyby and safe splashdown. The mission proved Orion’s systems operated as planned, earning praise from NASA veterans and the...
Melting Ice Halts Algae Rain, Drives Whales Offshore
Gray whales sift through seafloor sediment for tiny crustaceans called amphipods. When sea ice melts, algae on the underside falls to the seafloor, feeding the amphipods. Without enough ice, the "rain" of nutrients stops. Great whales are showing up in...
Weekly Biotech Roundup: Top Insights From X's Best Accounts
Here is my favourite weekly 🧵- made by my dear friend @BiopharmIQ. This post is a comprehensive recap of the past week in BioTech and gathers the best related posts written by some of the smartest & brightest 𝕏 Bio...
IDEXX (IDXX) Launches Canine Cancer Detection Panel in UK
IDEXX Laboratories announced the UK launch of its IDEXX Cancer Dx Panel, a blood‑based test for early detection of lymphoma in dogs. The assay delivers results in 3‑5 business days and boasts 79% sensitivity and 99% specificity, including B‑cell and...
Renewables Cut Fossil Energy Use by Over Half
The use of primary energy on the vertical axis is an old trick by the fossil fuel industry to mislead people into thinking that one unit of fossils = one unit of renewables. In fact, one unit of primary energy...
Potatoes Omitted From Healthy Plate Due to Sugar Risks
"The School’s Healthy Eating Plate does not include potatoes in its vegetable recommendations given their negative impact on blood sugar. Researchers at the School and elsewhere have found that diets high in potatoes and similarly rapidly digested, high-carbohydrate foods can...
Three Launches, Two by SpaceX and One by China
SpaceX conducted two launches on April 11, 2026, placing 25 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg and sending Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo capsule to the ISS from Cape Canaveral. The Falcon 9 booster B1063 completed its 32nd flight, tying for fourth‑most‑flown launch vehicle,...
ESA’s Celeste Mission First Signal Sets New European PNT Records
On 8 April 2026 ESA’s Celeste IOD‑1 transmitted the first dual‑frequency L‑ and S‑band navigation signal from a European low‑Earth‑orbit satellite, marking a historic milestone for Europe’s positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) ambitions. The Celeste pair, launched by Rocket Lab on...
Experimental Drug Cuts Parkinson's-Linked Protein up to 60% in Early Trial
Biogen’s experimental antisense oligonucleotide BIIB094 achieved up to a 59 % reduction in LRRK2 protein in a first‑in‑human Parkinson’s trial. The phase 1 study enrolled 82 patients, delivering the drug intrathecally in single‑dose and four‑dose cohorts, and reported only mild to moderate...
Two-Week Social Media 'Detox' Erases a Decade of Age-Related Decline, Study Finds
A recent PNAS Nexus study of 467 adults, average age 32, found that a two‑week digital detox using the Freedom app halved daily screen time and produced cognitive gains comparable to reversing a decade of age‑related decline. Participants’ sustained attention...
IPCC Faces Funding Crisis by 2028 without US
A recent meeting in Bangkok previewed some of the challenges confronting the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change without substantial US involvement — notably a budget shortfall. But it also showed where other countries can play bigger roles, including European...
Exoplanet Mirrors Host Star Chemistry, Confirming Planet Formation Theory
Astronomers have confirmed that an exoplanet 320 light‑years from Earth shares the exact chemical composition of its host star, validating a long‑standing hypothesis that planets inherit their elemental makeup from the stars they orbit. The finding, published today, strengthens models...
Astronomers Find Evidence for Three Subpopulations of Merging Black Holes
Analysis of the LIGO‑Virgo‑KAGRA GWTC‑4 catalog, which includes more than 150 binary black‑hole mergers, reveals three distinct subpopulations distinguished by mass peaks, spin characteristics, and merger rates. The dominant group (≈79 % of events) clusters around 10 M☉ with low, aligned spins,...
Avocado‑Mango Duo Boosts Vascular Health in Pre‑Diabetic Adults, Study Finds
Researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology found that 82 pre‑diabetic adults who ate one avocado and one cup of mango each day for eight weeks showed measurable improvements in vascular function and diastolic blood pressure. The findings suggest a...
Implantable 'Living Pharmacy' Generates Therapeutic Proteins in Rats for a Month
Scientists from Northwestern University, Rice University and Carnegie Mellon have built a sub‑skin implant called HOBIT that continuously manufactures an anti‑HIV agent, a GLP‑1 peptide and a metabolic hormone in rats for a full month. The device’s built‑in oxygen generator...
Falcon 9 Launches Cygnus Cargo Spacecraft to the ISS
On April 11, a SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral carrying Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus NG‑24 cargo spacecraft, named S.S. Steven R. Nagel, to the International Space Station. The launch, delayed by weather, placed the 5‑ton XL‑class vehicle into low‑Earth orbit, where it will dock...
Former Senator Ben Sasse Joins Daraxonrasib Trial, Tumors Shrink 76% in Pancreatic Cancer
Former Nebraska senator Ben Sasse entered a clinical trial of Revolution Medicines’ KRAS inhibitor daraxonrasib at MD Anderson. He says the drug has cut his tumor volume by 76% but caused severe skin bleeding, highlighting both promise and toxicity of...
Erythritol Not Proven Cardiovascular Threat, Evidence Shows
The totality of evidence does not support the conclusion that dietary erythritol drives cardiovascular harm. The paper referenced claims erythritol “adversely affects brain microvascular endothelial cell function,” but it’s an in VITRO study bathing isolated cells in erythritol for 3...
Houston Prepares to Greet Artemis II Crew Returning From Moon
The stage is set for Houston to welcome the Artemis II crew home from the Moon. https://t.co/Nwu7iSX1i3
Telix Pharma's TLX101-Px NDA Acceptance Boosts Shares, Eyes Sep 2026 FDA Decision
Telix Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. FDA has accepted its resubmitted New Drug Application for the glioma PET imaging agent TLX101‑Px, sending the stock up roughly 7% in U.S. trading and about 5‑7% in Australian markets. The agency set a...
Targeting Aging: New Strategies From Fedichev
How We Should Target Aging | Peter Fedichev Love what @EleanorSheekey is doing with @SheekeyScience. One of the sharpest geroscience #scicomm channels around, and @fedichev always brings the fire 🧪 https://t.co/bh6MVJJvRs https://t.co/1VTerakN9p
Early Aging Jargon Now Mainstream After Decade-Long Obscurity
In the 2000s, our lab invented new terms, just so we could converse about the Information Theory of Aging: Epigenetic noise Epigenetic drift Exdifferentiation Redifferentiation The Observer… No one understood us. We couldn’t publish Crazy to see them being used widely now https://t.co/7bkYUrudfp
Current and Future Strategies for Parkinson's Therapy
Parkinson disease therapy: current strategies and future research priorities https://t.co/5wq36T3ZQ4 Today is World Parkinson's Day 🧠https://t.co/XUVY6eSg61 Fig. 1: Pathophysiological mechanisms underlying Parkinson disease and possible disease-modifying therapies. 👇👨⚕️ https://t.co/0G7mqNA6nm
Scientists Spot First Ever Proto‑Protoplanet, Pre‑Planetary Stage
Starts With A Bang #128 – Planet formation and proto-protoplanets You've heard of planets, exoplanets, and protoplanets. Now, for the first time, we've discovered something more primitive than any of them: a proto-protoplanet. Here's what it means. https://t.co/1HEVsXDCDp
Artemis II Crew Returns to Ellington Field at 4:15 PM
NASA tells me the Artemis II crew is expected back at Ellington Field (near JSC) "about" 4:15 pm ET. Will be on NASA+, YouTube, and X.
Poor Drug Selection Hampers Stroke Treatment Breakthroughs
1,026 experimental treatments in acute stroke (2006) "The results question whether the most efficacious drugs are being selected for stroke clinical trials. This may partially explain the slow progress in developing treatments..." https://t.co/WllAIz3Xul