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Science News Archive 2026 - Page 490


Page 490 of 519

Breakthrough organic crystalline material repairs itself in extreme cold temperatures, unlocking new possibilities for space and deep-sea technologies

Researchers have discovered a new type of organic crystal that can repair itself after being damaged at extremely low temperatures. The material, which can function up to 150°C, has potential applications in outer space, deep-sea operations, and polar research due to its unique molecular structure.

SourceNew York University·JournalNature Materials·TypeObservational study·DateJan 21, 2026

LSU Health New Orleans researchers link obesity, estrogen use, and increased blood-clotting risk

Researchers found that obesity and estrogen-based medications synergistically increase thrombotic risk by suppressing Protein S levels. This study offers new insights for cancer care, highlighting the need to monitor and prevent blood clots in patients with obesity or estrogen use.

SourceLouisiana State University Health Sciences Center·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 21, 2026

Red light therapy shows promise for protecting football players’ brains

A preliminary study suggests that red light therapy can protect against brain inflammation caused by repetitive head impacts in collegiate football players. The treatment, which involves shining near-infrared light at the brain through the skull, appeared to be effective in reducing inflammation throughout almost all regions of the brain.

SourceUniversity of Utah Health·JournalJournal of Neurotrauma·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 21, 2026

Growing together, bacterium after bacterium

A study by University of Trento researchers found that babies share up to 20% of bacterial strains with peers in the same nursery, highlighting the importance of social interaction in shaping their developing gut microbiome. The study also discovered an increase in new strain acquisition after antibiotic treatment.

SourceUniversità di Trento·JournalNature·TypeMeta-analysis·DateJan 21, 2026

Chiral phonons create orbital current via their own magnetism

Chiral phonons can generate orbital currents in common crystal materials without needing magnetic elements, offering a promising path to developing less expensive and energy-efficient orbitronic devices. This breakthrough is made possible by the intrinsic magnetism of chiral phonons, which allows them to convert into orbital current.

SourceNorth Carolina State University·JournalNature Physics·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 21, 2026

When tropical oceans were oxygen oases

Research reveals that ancient tropical oceans had the highest oxygen concentrations during the Proterozoic Eon, driven by photosynthetic organisms producing oxygen. The study suggests that a critical threshold of atmospheric oxygen led to a shift in ocean biogeochemistry, fundamentally reorganizing oxygen distribution.

SourceSyracuse University·JournalNature Geoscience·DateJan 21, 2026

C-Path’s Translational Therapeutics Accelerator announces 2026 request for proposals from academic investigators

The Critical Path Institute's Translational Therapeutics Accelerator is offering grants to support the development of new treatments for polycystic kidney disease, brain health, pediatrics, and rare diseases. C-Path has partnered with the PKD Foundation to offer a specialized track focused on PKD, and is also accepting applications fro...

The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation to open fourth center in the US with the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center

The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation has awarded a grant to establish the UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center, expanding access to high-quality cancer screening and care in Chicago's South Side. The new center will focus on personalized and comprehensive approaches to patient navigation and prevention services.

Looking deep into the eyes of insects

A study by neuroethologists at the University of Konstanz reveals that insect brains process complex light stimuli in different layers of the lamina, enabling efficient signal processing and improved image resolution. The research found that cells in the lamina can perform multiple tasks depending on their location within the layer.

SourceUniversity of Konstanz·JournalCurrent Biology·DateJan 21, 2026

Kenya’s big cats under pressure – cattle push lions away

A new study from Aarhus University finds that large numbers of cattle are driving lions out of their habitats in Kenya, affecting both the ecosystem balance and nature-based tourism. The researchers recommend targeted grazing management, protecting lion refuges, and using data in conservation planning.

SourceAarhus University·JournalBiological Conservation·TypeObservational study·DateJan 21, 2026

Largest genetic study of schizophrenia and African ancestry reveals shared biology across global populations

A recent study published in Nature identified over 100 new genetic regions linked to schizophrenia that had not been previously discovered. These findings show that while specific genetic variants may differ across populations, the core biological mechanisms underlying schizophrenia are shared worldwide.

SourceThe Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine·JournalNature·TypeObservational study·DateJan 21, 2026

Optical spin Hall effect driven by hybrid spin-orbit coupling in organic microcavities

Researchers achieved hybrid spin-orbit coupling-driven optical spin Hall effect in organic microcavities, offering a new approach for polarization-preserving components and spin-photonic functionality. The system provides more than one 'topological' spin texture within a single device, accessible by adjusting momentum.

SourceScience China Press·JournalScience Bulletin·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 21, 2026

Study finds religion/spirituality may protect against depression among young adult online gamers

A new study suggests that spiritual or religious affiliation can buffer against major depressive disorder symptoms in young adult online gamers. Gamers who struggled to control internet activity were 35% more likely to experience symptoms of MDD, while those with a spiritual affiliation were 62% less likely.

SourceAmerican Counseling Association·JournalJournal of Addictions & Offender Counseling·TypeObservational study·DateJan 21, 2026

Tel Aviv University and Tel Aviv Medical Center (Ichilov) study finds that brain function can influence vaccine effectiveness

A Tel Aviv University study found that brain function can influence vaccine effectiveness by activating the brain's reward system, leading to a better immune response. The study used fMRI neurofeedback technology to train participants to modulate their brain activity in a key region responsible for dopamine release.

SourceTel-Aviv University·JournalNature Medicine·DateJan 21, 2026

Protein foundation models reshaping the research paradigm of life sciences

Protein Foundation Models (pFMs) leverage vast amounts of sequence and structural data to predict protein structures and functions, enabling novel protein design and analysis. The models have evolved into several mature technical approaches, demonstrating versatility in basic biological research, protein discovery, and biomedical appli...

SourceScience China Press·JournalScience China Life Sciences·TypeSystematic review·DateJan 21, 2026

University of Bonn opens its own supermarket

The University of Bonn has opened a laboratory supermarket to study how health- and sustainability-oriented purchases can be encouraged through product placement and other incentives. Researchers are investigating the effectiveness of different strategies in influencing consumer choices.

SourceUniversity of Bonn·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 21, 2026

New yeast production method sharpens NMR spectra of membrane proteins at low cost

Researchers introduced a simple and cost-effective labeling method using Pichia pastoris to overcome high spectral resolution challenges in solid-state NMR studies of membrane proteins. The approach achieved random fractional labeling, sharpening spectral peaks and improving resolution at a lower cost than traditional methods.

SourceKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.·JournalMagnetic Resonance Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 21, 2026

Medical LLMs may show real-world potential in identifying individuals with major depressive disorder using WhatsApp voice note recordings

A new medical large language model (LLM) achieved over 91% accuracy in identifying female participants diagnosed with major depressive disorder after analyzing short WhatsApp audio recordings. The LLMs showed greater accuracy when classifying women compared to men, particularly when given the 'describe your week' data.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Mental Health·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 21, 2026

Why we believe what we click

A recent study found that people give more credence to reiterated information than new information, especially when selecting their own content. This phenomenon can contribute to the propagation of fake news, but fact-checking presented in an engaging way can mitigate its effects.

SourceRuhr-University Bochum·JournalJournal of Experimental Psychology·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 21, 2026

Stronger together: How social connections and physical activity team up to boost older adults’ health

A comprehensive literature review by Texas A&M University researchers finds strong social networks and physical activity are deeply intertwined, reducing feelings of loneliness and improving well-being. The study suggests treating these factors as linked, with a focus on designing interventions that use connections to encourage movement.

SourceTexas A&M University·JournalAmerican Journal of Health Promotion·TypeLiterature review·DateJan 21, 2026

People with “binge-watching addiction” are more likely to be lonely

A study published in PLOS found that individuals with binge-watching addiction are more likely to experience loneliness. The researchers discovered an association between increased loneliness and higher levels of binge-watching addiction, suggesting that people may engage in this behavior as a coping mechanism for emotional distress.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS One·TypeSurvey·DateJan 21, 2026