New cell-based method could expand human milk oligosaccharides available for infant formula
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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 30-Oct-2026 16:16 ET (30-Oct-2026 20:16 GMT/UTC)
Professor Sungjin Ahn's team in the School of Computing has developed NEO (Neural Theorizer), an AI model that learns executable theories of how the world works from observation alone, rather than simply predicting what happens next
Selected for an oral presentation at ICML 2026 — the top 0.7% of 23,918 submissions — and for the Best Paper Award at the award of Compositional Learning Workshop
Like a child learning how the world works, the model explains unfamiliar phenomena by recombining rules it has already learned, pointing toward a potential foundation for intelligent robots and autonomous agentsFindings from a new study comparing the effects of different beverages on mouth acidity suggest that unsweetened sparkling water may be better for your teeth than sugar-sweetened soda.
Litchi fruit harbors beneficial surface microbes that change predictably during storage. A 9‑day study of litchi peel microbiota identified multiple key bacterial genera linked to storage progression. A random forest model based on these biomarkers accurately predicted fruit freshness. Among the isolates, Gluconobacter sp. Lc45 strongly inhibited two major postharvest pathogens (Peronophythora litchii and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides), offering the potential of native microbiota for freshness monitoring and eco‑friendly disease control.
Researchers have developed a solid-state electrolyte design strategy that enables rapid lithium-ion transport while using substantially less lithium. By forming connected interfacial networks inside oxychloride electrolytes, the strategy combines high ionic conductivity with tunable properties, including high-voltage stability. The concept was validated in long-life, high-rate all-solid-state batteries and may provide a new route for designing a family of lean-lithium solid electrolytes.
A recent study published in National Science Review developed an open-access interactive map of ARGs in Chinese soils. It revealed that the relative abundance of total ARGs and Rank I ARGs in croplands declined by 52.6% and 77.0%, respectively, after 2016, coinciding with the implementation of China’s National Action Plan to Contain Antimicrobial Resistance (2016–2020). The study further highlights chemical pollutants and agricultural activities as important factors for future environmental AMR management.