Some people spring into action at dawn, while others prefer a slower start to their day. Whether you rise with a grin or a groan, scientists say your internal clock — known as the circadian rhythm — might influence that behavior and much more. These biological clocks regulate not only sleep-wake cycles but also a wide range of daily physiological and metabolic functions. A growing body of research suggests that circadian rhythms are fundamental contributors to health and resilience. Now, a new University of Florida Health study, funded by the National Institute on Aging, or NIA, shows that the timing…

A series of experiments led by Southwest Research Institute’s Dr. Ujjwal Raut support spectral data recently collected by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) that found evidence that the icy surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa is constantly changing. Europa’s surface ice is crystallizing at different rates in different places, which could point to a complex mix of external processes and geologic activity affecting the surface. Water ice can be divided into two broad categories based on its structure. On Earth, crystalline ice occurs when water molecules arrange into a hexagonal pattern during the freezing process. But on the surface of…

In a major leap forward for genetic and biomedical research, two scientists at the University of Missouri have developed a powerful new artificial intelligence tool that can predict the 3D shape of chromosomes inside individual cells — helping researchers gain a new view of how our genes work. Chromosomes are the tiny storage boxes that hold our DNA. Since each cell has about six feet of DNA packed inside it, it must be folded up tightly to fit. This folding not only saves space — it also controls which genes are active or inactive. But when the DNA doesn’t fold…

Recent research points to the potential utility of a familiar sounding foe-herpes virus-in the fight against cancer. The idea: the virus has evolved to commandeer cellular machinery in order activate signaling pathways inside cells and these strategies can be repurposed to bolster immunotherapy against diseases like cancer. T cells are front line defenders against pathogens, like viruses, and cancer because they can kill infected or malignant cells. Scientists have for years been trying different techniques to direct these immune cells to protect against disease. CAR-T therapy is one such example of prompting the body’s own immune system to attack certain…

Ever since a few enterprising bed bugs hopped off a bat and attached themselves to a Neanderthal walking out of a cave 60,000 years ago, bed bugs have enjoyed a thriving relationship with their human hosts. Not so for the unadventurous bed bugs that stayed with the bats — their populations have continued to decline since the Last Glacial Maximum, also known as the ice age, which was about 20,000 years ago. A team led by two Virginia Tech researchers recently compared the whole genome sequence of these two genetically distinct lineages of bed bugs. Published in Biology Letters on…

As coral reefs struggle to adapt to warming waters, high levels of pollution and sea-level rise, ballooning sea-urchin populations are threatening to push some reefs in Hawaii past the point of recovery. The phenomenon is described in a new study that uses on-site field work and airborne imagery to track the health of the reef in Hōnaunau Bay, Hawaii. Overfishing is the main culprit behind the explosion in sea-urchin numbers, said Kelly van Woesik, Ph.D. student in the North Carolina State University Center for Geospatial Analytics and first author of the study. “Fishing in these areas has greatly reduced the…

New research brings together 7,000 years of history in South Arabia to show how ancient pastoralists changed placement and construction of monuments over time in the face of environmental and cultural forces. In a study published today (May 28, 2025) in PLOS One, an international team of archaeologists documents how monuments changed as the climate transitioned from a humid environment to, eventually, an arid desert. Early monuments were built by larger groups at one time. But as people dispersed with the increasingly drier climate, smaller groups began constructing monuments and eventually built many of them in several visits. “The findings…

A new concept of kinetic modules in biochemical networks could revolutionize the understanding of how these networks function. Scientists from the University of Potsdam and the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Golm succeeded in linking the structure and dynamics of biochemical networks via kinetic modules, thus clarifying a systems biology question that has been open for longtime. Their groundbreaking findings were published today in the journal “Science Advances.” Biochemical networks are the central processing units of a cell that enable it to process signals and convert molecules into building blocks that support cell functions. They are described…

Specialized robots that can both fly and drive typically touch down on land before attempting to transform and drive away. But when the landing terrain is rough, these robots sometimes get stuck and are unable to continue operating. Now a team of Caltech engineers has developed a real-life Transformer that has the “brains” to morph in midair, allowing the dronelike robot to smoothly roll away and begin its ground operations without pause. The increased agility and robustness of such robots could be particularly useful for commercial delivery systems and robotic explorers. The new robot, dubbed ATMO (aerially transforming morphobot), uses…

The authors of a paper on how motivation influences  intelligence test scores have retracted their paper following the retraction of a 50-year-old study included in their analysis.  Part meta-analysis and part longitudinal study, “Role of test motivation in intelligence testing” appeared in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2011. The meta-analysis portion included a 1978 paper by Stephen Breuning, a child psychologist who was the subject of 1987 report from the National Institute of Mental Health that found he “knowingly, willfully, and repeatedly” engaged in research misconduct and fabricated results in 10 NIMH funded articles. As we reported…