Researchers led by Profs. ZENG Changgan and CHENG Guanghui from the University of Science and Technology of China of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with the collaborators, have demonstrated for the first time that the vacuum fluctuations can enhance superconductivity, a significant advance in the control of quantum states of matter.

In the animal kingdom, energy conservation is essential for survival. That’s why our brains have evolved to be extremely energy and resource efficient at storing and processing information. Since the 1980s, computational scientists have tried to mimic brain structure and function, but have not yet succeeded in creating functional, low-memory solutions that work in real-world scenarios. Published in Neuromorphic Computing & Engineering, a new fly brain-inspired algorithm developed by researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) demonstrates promise for achieving practical applications under realistic constraints. 

A research team at Kumamoto University has developed a new blood-based approach that could help detect breast cancer recurrence by looking beyond conventional genetic mutations and examining how DNA is packaged inside cells.

Foliar application of ZnO nanoparticles at booting outperforms ZnSO₄ in direct-seeded rice, simultaneously raising polished grain Zn, spikelets per panicle and 1000-grain weight while lowering amylose and chalkiness. Transcriptomics links these gains to upregulated α-amylase genes (OsAmy1C, OsRAmy1A) and suppressed cytokinin-degrading OsCKX2, revealing a nano-specific transcriptional rewiring that breaks the yield–quality trade-off.

STMicroelectronics and the National University of Singapore officially launched the ST–NUS HELIX Corporate Lab on 24 August 2026. This is a four-year strategic research initiative focused on advancing the next generation of edge AI technologies. HELIX, which stands for Hardware for Embodied Low-power Intelligent Xcceleration, will enable new generative and embodied AI use cases at the edge through system-to-silicon innovation.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection lacks widely available antiviral therapies. In this study, researchers established a CHIKV replicon particle-based high-content screening platform and identified three antiviral compounds, MDL-12330A, bazedoxifene acetate, and anidulafungin. These compounds displayed distinct antiviral profiles by targeting different stages of the CHIKV life cycle, providing new insights into host–virus interactions and potential antiviral strategies.

Technology Developed to Control Microbial Communities in Activated Sludge at Nitrogen Removal Treatment Plants

Kyoto, Japan -- For more than two decades, silicon carbide -- SiC -- has been promoted as the key to developing extreme-environment electronics. Yet despite its promise, the field has remained stuck at the stage of basic research, so far failing to result in the development of practical devices. Now, a team of researchers at Kyoto University has set about to change that.

"We believe the lack of development is because the research community has been trying to apply silicon-era thinking to a fundamentally different material," says first author Mitsuaki Kaneko.

The team focused on junction field-effect transistors, also known as JFETs. Previous research has suggested that complementary JFETs, based on SiC JFETs, can be applied to low-power integrated circuits for operation in extreme environments. However, the JFETs that the researchers created previously -- which had conventional top-gate structures fabricated in semi-insulating SiC substrates -- suffered from low controllability and large leakage currents at high temperatures. This motivated the team to set their sights on solving these two issues, which they knew would be essential for practical use.

Researchers from Institute of Engineering and Rural Technology & Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, India, have developed and experimentally evaluated a filament extrusion system for converting waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into filament suitable for fused filament fabrication 3D printing. The study demonstrates a practical route for giving discarded PET a second life as a material for additive manufacturing.

The recycled PET filament was prepared from the post-consumer PET waste using the developed extrusion system. For reference material, PLA pellets were also taken to produce filament. The resulting filaments were then used to produce 3D printed specimens for mechanical testing.

The recycled PET specimens demonstrated competitive mechanical performance compared with PLA, highlighting the potential of recycled PET as a feedstock for filament-based 3D printing.