A study published online in Science Bulletin introduces structural connectome embeddedness, a state-level dimension describing how deeply each momentary whole-brain activity pattern is embedded in the topology of anatomical connections. Evidence from whole-brain biophysical modeling, macroscale functional organization patterns, and multimodal imaging in 713 Human Connectome Project participants supports the concept's biophysical grounding and prevalence. High-CoDE moments help anchor stable functional connectivity, individual variability relates to a behavioral dimension associated with mental health and clinical vulnerability, and task-evoked embeddedness increases with cognitive demand. The framework helps explain how a stable connectome organizes flexible brain activity.

The next time you freshen up the paint on your house or apply cosmetic glitter, you might give a quick nod to the butterflies flapping in a nearby garden. Taking inspiration from structures on butterfly wings responsible for their vibrant colors, researchers are now devising more durable and adjustable colors that are also safer for human health and the environment. The researchers will present their results at ACS Fall 2026.

Researchers led by Jani C. Ingram measured the levels of heavy metals in well water on tribal lands in a community partnership with the Navajo Nation. After compiling their water quality data, the researchers and tribal leaders developed best practices for distributing educational resources about safe drinking water to residents on Navajo reservations. The researchers will present their results at ACS Fall 2026.

“We need innovative vaccines, and now we know what to focus on.”

A combination of training, quality improvement and leadership support in hospitals across four countries in sub-Saharan Africa is linked to fewer stillbirths and deaths among newborns during the first 24 hours of life. This is shown by a study led by Karolinska Institutet and published in Nature Medicine.

In its CZS Nexus program, the Carl Zeiss Foundation has awarded grants to two young scientists from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The researchers will each receive EUR 1.5 million to establish their own interdisciplinary working groups at KIT. Dr. Laura Marie Helleckes investigates how biotechnology processes can be transferred from the laboratory to industrial production. Dr. Bianca Schacherl uses modern X-ray techniques to gain new insights for cancer treatment by analyzing radioactive materials in biological samples.

Five years ago, 1,000 volunteers across Switzerland buried more than 2,000 pairs of cotton underwear. The unconventional citizen science project, led by the University of Zurich and Agroscope, aimed to gain a better understanding of the activity of soil organisms. The newly published findings show that land use is the most important factor in determining decomposition rates and soil life.

Researchers at the University of Osaka and the Osaka Institute of Public Health found that pertussis-associated DNA in wastewater increased weeks before reported cases, with the main analysis showing a 10-week lead. The findings suggest that wastewater monitoring could complement clinical surveillance by detecting changes in community transmission earlier, although further research is needed before it can be used as a validated forecasting tool.