Viruses exist at the boundary between living and non-living matter, while skin is a living interface between physics and biology, making them perfect—but until now overlooked—arenas for testing the interplay between quantum physics, biology and life. That’s according to arguments made by Connor Thompson, a PhD student in microbiology and immunology at the University of British Columbia, in Canada, and Samuel Morriss, a medical doctor based in Melbourne, Australia, whose two essays share the US$30,000 first prize in FQxI’s latest essay competition, presented in partnership with the Paradox Science Institute. The eight winners of the $53,000 competition—which asked “How Quantum is Life?”—were announced on 14th February, 2026.

Researchers have developed a dynamic three-dimensional terrain correction method for quantitative inversion of airborne gamma-ray spectrometer data, addressing long-standing challenges caused by complex terrain effects. The proposed approach significantly improves inversion accuracy and spatial consistency, offering a reliable solution for high-resolution airborne radiometric surveys in rugged landscapes.

A research team has developed a novel Time Projection Chamber (INPC-TPC) for high-precision neutron-induced fission cross-section measurements. Featuring a symmetrical dual-chamber structure and Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM)-based readout technology, the instrument effectively addresses core limitations of traditional detectors, such as poor particle identification and restricted dynamic range. Utilizing the H(n,n) elastic scattering cross-section as the reference standard, the detector successfully achieved precise fission fragment identification and accurate neutron beam spot measurement (relative error < 2%) during experiments at the CSNS Back-n white neutron beamline. This work lays a solid foundation for reducing the measurement uncertainty of actinide nuclides (e.g., ²³⁵U, ²³⁸U) fission cross-sections to below 1%, thereby advancing nuclear data applications in nuclear energy, astrophysics, and national defense.

Researchers have developed an AI-assisted method for muon scattering tomography that replaces manual parameter tuning with reinforcement learning. An AI agent evaluates reconstruction quality and automatically adjusts key PoCA settings in a closed loop, yielding clearer and more structurally faithful images within challenging dense and shielded environments. Across four experiments, the method demonstrated substantial average gains over the standard PoCA approach, including a 307% improvement in shape overlap accuracy, a 79% increase in structural similarity, and an 8.4% rise in peak signal-to-noise ratio. It also showed overall improvement against an iterative MLSD baseline. The study appears in Nuclear Science and Techniques 37, 81 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41365-026-01894-6

The research team led by Hanmin Huang and Bangkui Yu at the University of Science and Technology of China developed a palladium-catalyzed diastereoselective and enantioselective cascade cyclization strategy, achieving the modular synthesis of chiral nitrogen-bridged ring skeletons. Using readily available salicylaldehyde and aminodiene as starting materials, and based on the team's previously developed strategy of "in-situ generation of three-membered ring palladium active intermediates from aldehydes and amines," the bridged oxazole bicyclic compounds were constructed with high diastereoselectivity through a continuous cyclization process. This method exhibits excellent substrate universality, providing an efficient and precise route for synthesizing drug molecules with complex three-dimensional structures. The article was published as an open access Communication in CCS Chemistry, the flagship journal of the Chinese Chemical Society.

Study involving researchers from a FAPESP-supported center presents a new molecular architecture based on zirconium metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) designed for efficiently degrading emerging water contaminants.

A beneficial bacterium developed at the University of Delaware cuts turfgrass dollar spot disease by 43.6% – but only with direct leaf application. Their new study details the need for viable, targeted biocontrol strategies in turf management.

Researchers from the University of Tartu Institute of Physics have developed a novel method for enhancing the quality of three-dimensional images by increasing the depth of focus in holograms fivefold after recording, using computational imaging techniques. The technology enables improved performance of 3D holographic microscopy under challenging imaging conditions and facilitates the study of complex biological structures.