A new study by an international team of researchers, including a Penn State astronomer, used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to reveal that some of the proplyds originally detected by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope surround brown dwarfs, which are star-like objects that are too small and cool to undergo hydrogen fusion.

 A grant from the National Institutes of Health will help Wayne State University researchers explore new avenues for using computer models to produce medications.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Christopher Cioffi, Ph.D., Thomas and Constance D'Ambra Professor in Organic ChRensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Christopher Cioffi, Ph.D., Thomas and Constance D'Ambra Professor in Organic Chemistry, has been collaborating with Konstantin Petrukhin, Ph.D., Professor of Ophthalmic Science at Columbia University, to develop compounds to treat dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and Stargardt disease — both blindness-causing diseases..

SAN ANTONIO — October 28, 2024 —Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has added a semi-anechoic shielded enclosure for electromagnetic compatibility and interference (EMC/EMI) testing for spacecraft. The test chamber is the next step in SwRI’s plans to create a turnkey spacecraft integration and test center within its 74,000-square-foot Space System Spacecraft and Payload Processing Facility.

University of Missouri scientist Brandi L. MacDonald is using modern technology only found at Mizzou to help researchers expand the collective understanding of how human thought and intellect has developed over time. 

In a recent study, an international team of scientists partnered with MacDonald to access advanced scientific technology at the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR), Materials Science and Engineering Institute (MSEI) and Electron Microscopy Core (EMC). Using Mizzou’s resources and expertise, the team, led by MacDonald, was able to confirm the location of the world’s oldest ochre mine and trace how ochre from the mine was dispersed to nearby communities. 

Ochre is naturally occurring pigment that comes from iron-rich materials. As one of Earth’s oldest materials, it has been used by people for thousands of years. Known as a pigment for cave paintings, and decoration of symbolic objects and personal ornamentation, it holds cultural, historical and spiritual significance in many societies. Its enduring presence offers scientists valuable insights into the growth of human society and self-expression. 

Meat grown in a lab isn’t science fiction anymore. Cultured meats have existed for over a decade, and as of 2023, you might even find lab-grown chicken in restaurants (in the U.S., at least). Now, with the literal support of plant-based scaffolds, “clean meat” options are expanding. Researchers publishing in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry have created a prototype cultured pork using a new material: kafirin proteins isolated from red sorghum grain.