Virginia Tech Assists With Silver Recovery
Virginia Tech’s Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering has signed a multi‑year research agreement with Hindustan Zinc Ltd. (HZL) to boost silver recovery in the Indian producer’s lead‑zinc plants. The partnership will focus on advancing flotation science, diagnosing metallurgical losses, and developing short‑ and long‑term operating strategies. It also creates hands‑on learning opportunities for VT faculty and students through workshops and technical exchanges. The effort aims to improve concentrate quality while preparing for future ore variability.
Two Launches Since Yesterday, by Russia and China
Russia and China each conducted orbital launches on April 17. Russia’s Soyuz‑2 lifted from Plesetsk carrying a classified military payload involving multiple spacecraft, with its boosters and core stage landing in the Arctic ocean. China’s Long March 4C launched from Jiuquan...
Age Shapes Melanoma Progression and Immune Response
Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center presented evidence that melanoma metastasis follows a non‑linear age curve in mice: low in young animals, peaking in middle‑aged subjects, and declining in very old mice. The pattern correlates with the abundance of protective...
How Accelerating Evolution Could Help Corals Survive Future Heatwaves – New Study
A new eight‑year study of captive‑bred corals in Palau shows that assisted evolution—specifically selective breeding—can markedly increase heat‑wave tolerance without compromising growth, energy reserves, or reproduction. Quantitative‑genetics tools revealed strong genetic merit for heat tolerance and no detectable negative genetic...
Key Gene Variants Tied to Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip and Osteoarthritis
A multinational GWAS involving 350,000 European samples identified three genetic loci—COL11A2, CALN1, and TRPM7—shared between developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) and hip osteoarthritis (OA). Led by Dr. Ryosuke Yamaguchi and Dr. Chikashi Terao, the study also uncovered nine loci...
PlanetiQ Secures $15m US Air Force STRATFI Contract
PlanetiQ has secured a $15 million US Air Force STRATFI contract to develop and launch a new satellite fleet over the next 48 months. The program will equip the spacecraft with GNSS radio occultation, polarimetric occultation and reflectometry sensors, delivering higher‑resolution...
Fluidic‐Enabled Formation of EGaIn Capsules and Droplets With Tunable Surface Chemistry and Electromechanics
Researchers have developed a microfluidic platform that produces eutectic gallium‑indium (EGaIn) droplets and capsules with programmable size, shape, and surface chemistry. By adjusting the acidity of the ethanol suspending fluid, the process yields either oxide‑stabilized capsules or non‑oxidized liquid droplets,...
B, N, and O Co‐Doped Nanoporous Activated Carbon With High Surface Area and Hierarchical Porous Structure for Enhanced Li‐Ion Battery...
Researchers introduced a solid‑state co‑activation method that blends boric acid, sucrose and aminoguanidine with potassium citrate to produce boron‑, nitrogen‑ and oxygen‑doped nanoporous activated carbon. The resulting material exhibits a high surface area and hierarchical pore network, enabling a symmetric...
Songbirds Reveal the Dark Side of Making New Brain Cells as Adults
A study published in Current Biology examined adult neurogenesis in zebra finches, revealing that newly formed neurons tunnel directly through existing brain tissue and are mechanically stiffer than mature cells. The researchers observed that this tunneling deforms surrounding neural pathways,...
BLADE2CIRC Project Advances Reversible Polymers, Bio-Based Fibers and Enzymatic Recycling
The EU‑funded BLADE2CIRC project has reached the midway point of its 42‑month program, delivering the first batch of high‑performance, circular wind turbine blades. The consortium has advanced reversible polymer chemistry, scaled lignin‑based reinforcement fibers, and piloted enzymatic recycling methods. Regulatory...
JWST Uncovers the Lobster Nebula’s Firestorm of Starbirth
The James Webb Space Telescope captured a high‑resolution infrared view of the Pismis 24 cluster at the heart of the Lobster Nebula, located about 5,500 light‑years from Earth. The image reveals thousands of previously hidden stars and details the massive O‑type...
New Study Highlights Fructose’s Unique Role in Metabolic Disease
A new Nature Metabolism review led by Richard Johnson reveals that fructose acts as a distinct metabolic signal, not merely an extra calorie. The authors show that fructose bypasses key regulatory steps, driving de novo lipogenesis, ATP depletion, and metabolites...
Rare Rotting-Flesh Smelling Flower Blooming at a Massachusetts College
A rare titan arum, nicknamed “Pangy,” has flowered at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, marking the plant’s first bloom in roughly six years. The massive inflorescence, which can tower up to 12 feet, emits a pungent odor that mimics rotting flesh...
National Lab Research SLAM Event Brings Chemistry to Capitol Hill
On April 15, the Department of Energy sent 17 early‑career scientists from its national labs to Capitol Hill for a three‑minute pitch competition, with chemistry dominating the agenda. Twelve presenters showcased work ranging from AI‑driven mineral extraction to quantum‑ready nitrides...
Quantum ‘Jamming’ Explores the Truly Fundamental Principles of Nature
Quantum jamming is a theoretical process that can subtly alter entangled particle correlations without violating the no‑signaling principle, challenging the monogamy of entanglement that underpins device‑independent quantum key distribution. The concept originated in a 1990s thought experiment by Grunhaus, Popescu...
Noise Is the Signal: Why Weak Brain Connections Predict Behavior
A Yale-led study of over 12,000 participants shows that brain connections traditionally dismissed as noise can predict behavior with accuracy comparable to the strongest 10% of links. By partitioning the connectome into ten non‑overlapping groups, the researchers found that lower‑ranked...
The Expanding Effort to Protect the Endangered Houston Toad
The Houston toad, once common in Texas piney woods, now survives mainly on the 5,200‑acre Griffith League Scout Ranch in Bastrop County. After the 2011 Bastrop Complex Fire wiped out the local population, recovery programs by the Houston and Fort...
How Our Grandmothers Made Us and Saved Us
Angela Pelster’s Orion essay argues that grandmothers were pivotal to human evolution, citing the discovery of a 9,000‑year‑old female hunter in Peru whose tools were mistakenly credited to men. She blends archaeology, science and personal narrative to reveal a forgotten...
Could Alzheimer’s Begin in the Nerves, Not the Brain?
University of Central Florida researchers used a human‑on‑a‑chip neuromuscular‑junction model to show that familial Alzheimer’s mutations can impair peripheral nerves and muscle connections independent of the brain. The study demonstrates that balance and gait problems in Alzheimer’s may originate in...
STAT+: FDA Eyes Expanding Testosterone Therapy for Libido
The FDA is reviewing data that could broaden testosterone‑replacement therapy to include low libido as an approved indication, a move that would extend the drug’s market beyond hypogonadism. If cleared, the label change could add roughly $1.5 billion in annual U.S....
Brain Health: Staying More Active During the Day Helps Retain Brain Volume
A new Johns Hopkins study using wrist accelerometers and MRI scans found that older adults with less fragmented daily rest‑activity rhythms retain larger volumes in the hippocampus, parahippocampus and amygdala, while highly fragmented rhythms accelerate brain atrophy and ventricular expansion....
Chimp ‘Civil War’ Follows Rare Community Split in a Ugandan National Park
A three‑decade study at Uganda’s Ngogo site documents a rare split of a 150‑200‑member chimpanzee community into Central and Western factions. Between 2018 and 2024 the Western group launched 24 coordinated raids, killing seven adult males and 17 infants. Researchers...
TRACERx MRD Results Showcase ppmSeq’s Ultra-Sensitive ctDNA Detection at AACR
Ultima Genomics unveiled ultra‑sensitive ctDNA detection using its ppmSeq platform at AACR, presenting six abstracts including a plenary on TRACERx MRD data. A pilot of 50 plasma samples demonstrated analytical sensitivity at low single‑digit parts‑per‑million, while independent studies showed >99.9%...
Hong Kong Releases April Gravidtrap Data for Aedes Albopictus Mosquito Surveillance
Hong Kong’s Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) released April 2026 surveillance data for Aedes albopictus across eight districts. Seven districts recorded gravid‑trap indexes below the 10% threshold, indicating low mosquito activity. Sheung Shui posted a 21.3% index, surpassing the alert level...
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re Reading About Lilly Weight Loss Pill Trial Results, Slashed U.K. Clinical Trial Times, and More
Researchers led by Richard DiMarchi and Matthias Tschöp reported a novel GIP‑glucagon dual agonist that may achieve weight loss comparable to GLP‑1 drugs without the typical nausea and vomiting. In parallel, Eli Lilly announced that its new obesity pill Foundayo lowered...
Rocket Report: Starship V3 Test-Fired; ESA's Tentative Step Toward Crew Launch
SpaceX advanced its Starship program with a successful static‑fire of the Version 3 vehicle and a full‑engine ignition of the Super Heavy booster, marking the most powerful rocket test to date. The European Space Agency opened a €1 million (≈$1.1 million) call for a...
Therapy for Brain Injuries in Infants Bags Funding: Is the First HIE Drug on the Way?
ReAlta Life Sciences raised $40 million to finish its phase 2 STAR trial of pegtarazimod, a first‑in‑class drug that blocks both complement C1 and neutrophil pathways to treat hypoxic‑ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in newborns. HIE affects about 8,000 U.S. infants annually, causing 15‑20%...
The Destroyed Remnants of a Lost World Are Falling to Earth, Scientists Discover
A new study provides the first definitive evidence that angrites originated from a large, now‑destroyed protoplanet. Using a novel geobarometer on the primitive meteorite NWA 12,774, researchers estimate the angrite parent body’s radius at least 620 miles (≈1,000 km), comparable to Pluto or...
NASA JPL, Ubotica and Open Cosmos Collaboration
Ubotica Technologies and Open Cosmos have partnered with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to launch the Flight Demonstration of Federated Autonomous MEasurement (FAME) under NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office. The program will initially test six satellites in summer 2026, eventually linking...
Artemis 2's Heat Shield Seems to Have Aced Its Trial by Fire
NASA’s Orion capsule “Integrity” completed Artemis 2’s Earth return with its 16.5‑foot heat shield largely intact, despite earlier concerns from Artemis 1’s damage. Engineers mitigated risk by steepening the re‑entry angle, shortening exposure to peak temperatures around 5,000 °F (2,800 °C). Crew members reported...
Industry Panel: Moon Base Essentials Include Transportation, Surface Power
NASA aims to establish a permanent lunar surface base by 2030, launching nearly monthly robotic missions through 2028 to test habitation technologies. An industry panel highlighted three pillars—reliable transportation, continuous communication relays, and robust surface power—as essential for sustained operations....
How Female Anglerfish Evolved to Have It All
Researchers examined over 100 anglerfish species and built a detailed family tree, revealing that female lures evolved not only for hunting but also to attract mates. The study, published in Ichthyology and Herpetology, shows a striking diversification of bioluminescent and...
Obesity, GLP-1s, and Metabolic Care
In an interview, hVIVO’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Thomas Forst explains how GLP‑1 receptor agonists have reshaped obesity treatment by targeting metabolic dysfunction rather than just weight loss. He highlights that these drugs reduce cardiovascular events, improve renal outcomes and...
This Everyday Blood Sugar Pattern Is Linked To 69% Higher Alzheimer's Risk
A genetic analysis of more than 350,000 UK Biobank participants found that individuals genetically predisposed to higher blood‑sugar levels two hours after eating face a 69% greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The same study showed no significant association between...
Childhood Flu Infection Leaves Lasting Immune Imprint
A new study in Science Advances shows that the influenza strain first encountered in childhood creates a lasting immune imprint that shapes mortality risk throughout life. By analyzing U.S. death records from 1860 to 2020, researchers found that cohorts imprinted...
Thomas J. Walker Studied the Songs of Crickets and Katydids
Thomas J. Walker, a University of Florida entomologist who died at 94, spent four decades redefining insect taxonomy through the acoustic behavior of crickets and katydids. He argued that living sound recordings, not just preserved specimens, are essential for species...
NIH Researchers Discover Pain-Relieving Drug with Minimal Addictive Properties
NIH scientists have identified a novel nitazene‑derived opioid, DFNZ, that delivers potent, two‑hour pain relief in rats without causing respiratory depression, tolerance or significant withdrawal. The compound briefly enters the brain yet sustains analgesia, and unlike traditional opioids it fails...
C&EN Weekly Chemistry News Quiz, April 17
C&EN’s weekly quiz highlighted several breakthrough chemistry stories: researchers uncovered a new family of plant‑derived antivirals called dicitriosides, and a simple 1 % water‑etch bath was shown to suppress dendrite growth on lithium‑metal anodes, a key step toward longer‑range electric vehicles....
Rocket Lab Enters the Thruster Market with Gauss
Rocket Lab unveiled Gauss, a Hall‑effect electric thruster designed for in‑orbit maneuvering, marking its entry into the spacecraft propulsion market. The thruster complements the company’s expanding component business and leverages its experience with reaction wheels and star trackers. Simultaneously, Rocket...
ALMA and JWST Investigate Giant Disk Galaxy's Formation and Evolution
European astronomers used ALMA and JWST to study ADF22.1, a giant barred spiral galaxy at redshift 3.09 in the SSA22 protocluster. The galaxy boasts a stellar mass of roughly 100 billion M☉, an outer rotation speed of about 530 km s⁻¹, and a dark‑matter...
A Few Weeks Of This Brain Training Could Protect Your Mind For Decades
A 20‑year study of 2,021 adults over 65 compared memory, reasoning and speed‑training exercises. Only the brief speed‑training protocol, which targets rapid visual processing, reduced dementia diagnoses by 25 %. The benefit persisted only when participants added occasional booster sessions. The...
Novo May Have Muscle Advantage over Lilly in Weight-Loss Race: Preprint
A new medRxiv pre‑print analyzing nearly 8,000 GLP‑1 patients finds Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide preserves lean body mass better than Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide, despite the latter delivering greater overall weight loss. In the first year, 6.7% of semaglutide users fell into a...
ProVeg China Taps World No.1 Food Science Institution for NeoProtein Research Hub
ProVeg China and Jiangnan University have signed an MOU to launch a NeoProtein Innovation Center of Excellence in Wuxi. The university, ranked number one worldwide in Food Science and Engineering, will lead research across four pillars: scientific innovation, industry‑academia technology...
Coral Reefs Are Nearing Extinction. 2026 Must Mark a Turning Point | Jason Momoa
Coral reefs face near‑extinction as the planet endures its longest recorded bleaching event, lasting 33 months and ending in 2025. Scientists warn that at 1.5 °C of global warming, up to 90% of reefs could disappear, threatening coastal protection and marine...
Policy Watch: FDA Issues Draft Guidance on Genome-Editing Safety
The FDA released a draft guidance urging sponsors to use next‑generation sequencing to evaluate off‑target effects of CRISPR‑Cas9 and other gene‑editing therapies, recommending short‑read or long‑read approaches based on the type of DNA alteration. The guidance dovetails with a February...
New Bioengineered Patch Makes Its Own Oxygen to Heal Wounds and Grow Tissue
Researchers at UC Riverside and Rowan University unveiled a self‑oxygenating tissue patch, the Smart Self‑Oxygenating Tissue (SSOT) system, that creates oxygen on‑demand via low‑voltage electrolysis in a conductive hydrogel called BioGel. The BioGel incorporates a choline‑based ionic liquid, boosting stiffness...
Physical Intelligence Shows Robot Model with LLM-Like Generalization, Flaws Included
Physical Intelligence unveiled π0.7, a robot foundation model that recombines learned skills much like large language models reassemble text. Built on Google’s 4 billion‑parameter Gemma3 model plus an 860‑million‑parameter action expert, it leverages rich metadata and subgoal images to train on...
This Chain of Atoms Can Detect Electric Fields with Stunning Precision
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University have demonstrated a new quantum‑metrology technique that uses a chain of interacting Rydberg atoms to sense low‑frequency electric fields. By monitoring how the chain’s dipolar interactions shift under an external field, the method extracts both...
Replimune Cries Foul on Regulatory Flexibility. But Many Americans Want a Stricter FDA
The FDA rejected Replimune’s RP1 melanoma combination therapy twice, citing patient‑population heterogeneity that it says undermines efficacy interpretation. The biotech’s CEO decried the agency’s lack of regulatory flexibility, while a Politico poll revealed most Americans prefer a slower, more rigorous...
Human Space Research Gets a Boost From Retired NASA Centrifuge
Texas A&M University has received NASA’s retired human centrifuge and installed it in the Anthony Wood ’87 Artificial Gravity Lab, creating one of the nation’s most advanced facilities for simulating lunar and Martian gravity. The centrifuge, originally built for the...