Latest Science News
Belt‑buckle‑sized sensor detects single proteins and cancer cells
Northeastern researchers developed a compact sensor using guided acoustic waves and topological interface states that can localize energy to detect objects as small as individual proteins or single cancer cells, promising impacts for quantum computing and precision medicine.
Laser Mössbauer spectroscopy advances Thorium‑229 nuclear clock research
Physicists demonstrated a laser Mössbauer spectroscopy method applied to thorium‑229 compounds, improving detection of the nuclear transition and advancing solid‑state nuclear clock development with implications for precision timekeeping and dark‑matter searches.
New genetic suppressor offers hope for Friedreich’s ataxia
Mass General Brigham researchers identified FDX2 (and NFS1) mutations that compensate for frataxin loss, restoring iron‑sulfur cluster production in worms, mice, and human cells—pointing to druggable targets for this rare mitochondrial disease.
First human heart organoid that models atrial fibrillation created
Michigan State University scientists built the first human heart organoids that replicate atrial fibrillation physiology, providing a human‑relevant platform for studying A‑fib mechanisms and testing therapies aligned with NIH New Approach Methodologies.
Single‑cell and spatial genomics accelerate drug target discovery
Collaborations between industry and labs (e.g., GSK and the Teichmann Lab) combine single‑cell, spatial genomics, and AI to map disease at cellular resolution, enabling new drug targets, biomarkers, and precision diagnostics.
Bioluminescent tools for safer brain imaging developed
Brown University researchers advanced bioluminescence‑based neuroscience tools that give neurons the ability to make and respond to light, offering a potentially safer, less invasive route for brain imaging and manipulation.
Breakthroughs year in physical sciences: muon‑collider concept and planetary studies
University of Chicago researchers highlighted 2025 advances including progress toward a muon collider concept, new measures of Mars’s lost atmosphere, and innovations in decentralized autonomous locomotion and medical diagnostics.
Global Space Awards recognize science breakthroughs and Mars mission proposals
The 2025 Global Space Awards honored space science advances and proposals—Beatriz Sánchez‑Cano won a Science Breakthrough award for the M‑MATISSE Mars mission concept employing dual spacecraft to study Martian environment and space weather.
Advances in data‑dense DNA storage: long‑lived, high‑capacity molecular memory
Reports through December 2025 describe new DNA‑based storage systems (e.g., ‘DNA cassette tape’) capable of storing orders of magnitude more data than conventional media with projected multi‑millennial stability when preserved under cold conditions.
Solid‑state sodium‑ion battery and materials progress for cheaper EVs
Multiple groups reported new solid‑state sodium‑ion battery architectures that promise lower cost and improved safety for electric vehicles, marking a notable materials‑chemistry step toward scalable, lower‑resource battery alternatives.
Breakthrough sensor and imaging innovations expand nano/quantum measurement toolkit
A suite of 2025 reports describe novel imaging and sensing tools—from highly localized acoustic‑topological sensors to new spectroscopy methods—enabling experiments at nano and nuclear scales and opening avenues in quantum information and materials science.
AI and machine learning increasingly guide biological discovery and drug design
Across 2025, AI/ML have been integrated into single‑cell analysis, genomics, and drug discovery pipelines, improving target identification and accelerating translational research through enhanced data integration and predictive modeling.