The path toward realizing practical quantum technologies begins with understanding the fundamental physics that govern quantum behavior — and how those phenomena can be harnessed in real materials. In the lab of Ania Jayich, Bruker Endowed Chair in Science and Engineering, Elings Chair in Quantum Science, and co-director of UC Santa Barbara’s National Science Foundation Quantum Foundry, that material of choice is laboratory-grown diamond.

A new study suggests that, between 1911 and 2022, land-use change was the primary direct cause of the loss of 75% of natural plant species on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. Andreas Hemp of the University of Bayreuth, Germany, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One on October 29, 2025.

Tombs scattered across China, built between the 4,000-year old Xia Dynasty and the modern era, reflect the political and social patterns of Chinese history, according to a study published October 29, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Quanbao Ma from the Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, China, and colleagues.

A new PLOS ONE study from Lehigh University introduces a computational model that predicts how electrical stimulation affects atrial fibrillation. The framework could help optimize therapy strategies and move clinicians closer to personalized cardiac care.

Researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and School of Advanced Computing have developed artificial neurons that replicate the complex electrochemical behavior of biological brain cells. The innovation, documented in Nature Electronics, is a leap forward in neuromorphic computing technology. The innovation will allow for reduction in the chip size by orders of magnitude, reduce its energy consumption by orders of magnitude and could advance artificial general intelligence.

Freiburg chemist Dr Tobias Schnitzer receives €1.5 million from the Vector Foundation to develop sustainable amidation reactions.

These reactions do not require toxic reagents and are highly energy-efficient. Schnitzer also relies on Artificial Intelligence in his research.

Amidations play a major role in the chemical industry. The new process could make an important contribution to more environmentally friendly production.

Scientists from the Salk Institute and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego say genomically informed restoration is the way forward for saving our oceans. The researchers used advanced genomic and transcriptomic technologies to investigate a hybrid eelgrass from San Diego's Mission Bay that is a cross between the shallow-water Zostera marina and its deeper-water cousin, Zostera pacifica, whose tolerance for low-light conditions is a favorable trait as coastal waters become increasingly murky. This genomic profile could make the new hybrid seagrass a candidate for future coastal restoration efforts in California and beyond.