West Virginia University researchers are developing new laser-based techniques to observe plasma behavior in unprecedented detail, opening a window into interactions that shape technologies ranging from computer chips and spacecraft engines to next-generation fusion energy systems.

New instruments on the horizon promise the most precise tools yet to study and experiment on the smallest and most complex materials ever manufactured.

How does your body produce millions of antibodies from one genome? New research reveals how two closely-related proteins help immune cells fold DNA, connecting distant genetic pieces to create diverse antibodies that help fend off disease. In a new Nature Communications paper, a Michigan State University team discovered that the chromosome-organizing proteins STAG1 and STAG2 play distinct roles during antibody-gene assembly.

In a novel experiment at the University of Cincinnati, researchers isolated kissing bugs, fruit flies, mosquitoes and spider beetles in a climate- and light-controlled environment and found that they responded predictably to cycles of humidity in the same way they do temperature and daylight. After the humidity cue was removed, the insects continued to respond to the cyclical fluctuations of humidity and dryness established in the experiment.

 The aviation industry accounts for a large portion of global greenhouse gas emissions. Biobased, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can mitigate climate impacts, but transitioning to SAF faces critical supply chain constraints. A research team at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has developed a method to produce jet-grade fuel from food waste, contributing to a circular bioeconomy. In a new paper, published in Nature Sustainability, they focus on technical and economic considerations.

AMHERST, Mass. — University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers have demonstrated a possible new avenue for developing flame-retardant and generally low-conductivity (low heat transfer) plastics that retain the benefits of being strong and flexible by limiting the accessibility of heat-carrying vibrational channels of the material. This new design framework has promising applications, including lightweight thermal insulation materials for spacesuits, thermal protection components for spacecraft and advanced building materials that reduce heating and cooling losses. 

A recent study by University of Notre Dame researchers describes a promising alternative for next-generation cooling using thermoelectric technology, which has no moving parts ad no gaseous refrigerants, allowing for zero leaks.

Using principles of superposition and entanglement, an interdisciplinary research team led by the University of Utah and Huntsman Cancer Institute develop an AI framework to tailor patients' cancer treatment to their entire molecular background