Researchers develop method to guide how MDA-MB-231 cancer cells – an invasive breast cancer cell – stuck, spread, and multiplied by tweaking the curves and chemistry of microscopic 're-entrant' structures.

China, the world's largest tea producer, is predicted to experience increases in land suitable for tea-growing under climate change, with the overall range shifting northwards, per AI modeling study

The trade of totoaba has all the intrigue of a crime thriller. Dollars and drugs change hands as a criminal cartel vies against the government. Communities and endangered species are caught in the crosshairs of a lucrative illicit trade. It may then come as a surprise that the totoaba is a fish.

Steve Abel, associate professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, uses computational tools to study molecular interactions in cell biology. Through NSF’s CFIRE initiative, he collaborates on two major projects: engineering liquid phase separation for enzyme reactions and creating modular cell-free biomanufacturing networks. His work integrates mathematical modeling to optimize complex biomanufacturing processes.

Root-knot nematodes cause widespread damage to crops, but chemical pesticides that control them also severely harm soil fertility. Soil-dwelling slime mold secretes compounds that repel these nematodes, but their specific nature was unknown. Using novel culturing techniques, researchers have identified 14 compounds of high potency in repelling nematodes, paving the way for the development of non-toxic control methods.