Fructose consumption has increased considerably over the past five decades, largely due to the widespread use of high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener in beverages and ultra-processed foods. New research from Washington University in St. Louis shows that dietary fructose promotes tumor growth in animal models of melanoma, breast cancer and cervical cancer. However, fructose does not directly fuel tumors, according to the study published Dec. 4 in the journal Nature. Instead, WashU scientists discovered that the liver converts fructose into usable nutrients for cancer cells, a compelling finding that could open up new avenues for care and treatment of many different types of cancer.

Researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) have developed an innovative cationic covalent organic framework (COF) that efficiently detects and removes perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a harmful and persistent pollutant, from drinking water. This breakthrough addresses a global challenge of removing perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS), or “forever chemicals”, which raised environmental and health concerns due to their accumulation in water and links to severe health risks, including cancer and developmental issues. 

Researchers have shown that optical spring tracking is a promising way to improve the signal clarity of gravitational-wave detectors, which could enable scientists to see farther into the universe.

Researchers discovered evidence of in situ spheroid formation in distant starburst galaxies. Their findings were based on analysis of data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submilllimeter Array (ALMA) on over 100 Submillimeter Bright Galaxies (SMGs).  The SMGs featured redshifts from the “Cosmic noon” era of the Universe—between 8–12 billion years ago—when many galaxies were actively forming stars.

In a bid to address the challenges of energy-intensive CO₂ capture, scientists have developed a novel ZrO₂/Al₂O₃ packing catalyst. This catalyst not only significantly accelerates CO₂ desorption kinetics but also shows excellent stability and cost-effectiveness, as reported in a recent study in Engineering, bringing new hope for more efficient and sustainable CO₂ capture technologies.