Microplastic pieces that have lived in the environment for years are hard to clean up. Scientists want to know how these tiny particles stick or slip off engineered materials. They studied polystyrene microplastics that had aged in water and tested how they interact with surfaces coated with special
Old cargo containers, helicopters and even washing machines once floated away from Alabama’s coast. People thought throwing trash into the sea was harmless, but they had a plan: let these items sink and grow new reefs. Reefs made of metal can pull in fish, giving fishermen fresh catches and he
People who dwell close to nuclear facilities might face a higher chance of dying from cancer, according to new research that examined data across the United States. The study looked at cancer deaths recorded from 2000 to 2018 and linked them to how far residents lived from a nuclear plant, finding t
Scientists have created tiny DNA loops that turn on only when they meet cancer cells. These loops, called minicircles, are built with a special design that keeps them stable and lets them stay in the body for a long time. When cancer is present, the loops become active and release signals that can b
Water is a precious resource, and scientists are working hard to make filters that can clean it faster and more reliably. One type of filter, called a nanofiltration membrane, is especially good at separating useful molecules from waste. The key to making these membranes work well lies in the tiny b
Leanne Fan, an 18‑year‑old senior from Westview High School in San Diego, has turned her bedroom into a mini laboratory. She built a low‑cost device that spins samples to mimic the weightlessness astronauts feel in orbit, allowing her to study how living cells respond when gravity is absent. Inst
Mice were trained to decide whether a picture meant “go” or “no‑go. ” Scientists recorded the electrical activity of single neurons in ten brain areas for weeks. They used ultra‑flexible wires that stayed attached to the mice’s heads, so they could watch how each region talked to the others du
The study shows that if a matrix filled with 0s and 1s has either a small γ₂‑norm or a small normalized trace norm, it must hide a large square of all 1s or all 0s. This confirms a claim made by Hambardzumyan, Hatami, and Hatami. The researchers also explore other patterns that arise when Boolean ma
The new Focus Issue on molecular microbiology is a celebration of science that improves health. Here are some standout papers from the recent archive that show how basic research can lead to real benefits for people. First, a study revealed how tiny changes in bacterial DNA help microbes survi
This study looked at how rocks under farmland can put harmful metals into soil and rice. Three common rock types were studied: phosphorite, black shale, and basalt. The researchers measured the amounts of lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, zinc, chromium, nickel and copper in the soil and in rice grai
