Small interfering RNAs hold promise to treat tumors, through their ability to specifically knock down oncogenes that promote tumor growth. However, the siRNAs need a delivery vehicle to protect them from degradation in the blood. Researchers have demonstrated a 100-nanometer polymersome that safely and efficiently carries PARP1 siRNA to triple-negative breast cancer tumors in mice. There, the siRNA knocked down expression of the DNA repair enzyme PARP1 and, remarkably, gave breast cancer-bearing mice a fourfold increase in survival.

Scientists have demonstrated that normal brain aging is accelerated by approximately 26% in people with progressive type 2 diabetes compared with individuals without the disease, reports a study published in eLife.

A team led by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has found a previously overlooked treasure trove of massive black holes in dwarf galaxies. The newly discovered black holes offer a glimpse into the life story of the supermassive black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy.

Alaska has a new tool for tracking ocean acidification — a 7-foot-long, bright pink Seaglider. The University of Alaska Fairbanks and its commercial partners are the first U.S. team to measure carbon dioxide, the driving factor in ocean acidification, with an unoccupied underwater vehicle.

Princeton Engineering researchers have rolled out a pixel-by-pixel method to program and manufacture soft structures for use in robotics, biomedical devices or architectural features. The new technique creates pixelated sheets of soft and flexible composite material as easily as pressing a button.

Researchers have developed soft robots that are capable of navigating complex environments, such as mazes, without input from humans or computer software.

Rice University bioengineers have won a $1.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study the genetic circuits bacteria use to make hard choices. Decoding the activity of gene networks that govern stress response in the bacteria Bacillus subtilis could lead to new advances in synthetic biology and even to sorely needed antimicrobial drugs.