Rye pollen slows tumor growth in animal models of cancer. Chemists determined the 3D structure of the bioactive molecules in rye pollen. With new blueprint, researchers could develop strategies for cancer treatment.

Generative AI models can propose molecular structures guided by target properties, compressing what once took years of trial-and-error into hours of computation. A team of researchers has now developed a new method that advances this capability even further. The method, PropMolFlow (Property-guided Molecular Flow), can generate molecular candidates roughly 10 times faster than existing methods—and without compromising the accuracy or chemical validity of the results. 

A UCLA-led, multi-institution research team has discovered a metallic material with the highest thermal conductivity measured among metals, challenging long-standing assumptions about the limits of heat transport in metallic materials. Thte team reported that metallic theta-phase tantalum nitride conducts heat nearly three times more efficiently than copper or silver, the best conventional heat-conducting metals. The study was published in Science.

Most coral disease detection today relies on visual surveys by divers, often identifying disease only after significant damage has occurred. This limits the ability of scientists and reef managers to intervene early, when treatments are most effective.

This WHOI-led study shows that microorganisms in seawater surrounding corals provide a clear, non-invasive signal of disease, offering a new way to detect reef health threats without physically disturbing corals.

New research from the University of Rochester suggests that molten rock deep inside so-called super-earths may generate powerful magnetic fields necessary for sustaining life.

Active metasurfaces that dynamically control light at subwavelength scales hold promise for compact and intelligent photonic systems, yet achieving high tunability has long been a challenge. Researchers from the University of Chicago developed a dynamic optical platform via reversible metal electrodeposition, enabling high-efficiency, broadband, and durable active metasurfaces. By electrically depositing and removing copper at the nanoscale, the device dynamically steers light with record-high signal-to-noise ratios across visible, near- and mid-infrared regimes. This breakthrough offers a new route for high-performance dynamic optics.

By tracking swarms of very small earthquakes, seismologists are getting a new picture of the complex region where the San Andreas fault meets the Cascadia subduction zone, an area that could give rise to devastating major earthquakes.