As we look back on 2025, it’s clear that this year brought incredible innovation, practical solutions, and inspiring stories from labs around the world. From cutting-edge cellular imaging to behind-the-scenes looks at manufacturing, our readers showed us what matters most: tools that work, science that inspires, and stories that connect us to the bigger picture.
Here are the five most popular blogs from 2025:
Continue reading “Your Science in Review: Our Top Blogs of 2025”
Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s are marked by the accumulation of misfolded proteins that wreak havoc on neurons. One of the most notorious culprits is tau, a structural protein that, in its diseased form, clumps together into aggregates that spread throughout the brain. These aggregates interfere with normal cellular processes, leading to memory loss, behavioral changes, and other devastating symptoms. Preventing tau aggregation is therefore a key strategy for slowing the progression of these symptoms.
What if we could recruit molecular “helpers” to stop tau from accumulating?
Continue reading “Polyserine Targeting: A New Strategy Against Neurodegeneration”
As SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, one lesson is painfully clear: immunity today may not guarantee protection tomorrow. Viruses are experts at mutating into countless variants to evade detection or neutralization by the immune system. In the race to keep up with this “immune escape”, researchers have largely focused on reactive strategies—testing vaccines against variants that already exist. But what if we could flip the script and anticipate where the virus is going next?
That’s precisely the aim of a new study published in Immunity. This study introduces EVE-Vax, a computational design platform that builds synthetic spike proteins capable of mimicking immune escape mutations—before they naturally arise.
Continue reading “How Computational Design Can Predict the Next Viral Variant—and Help Us Prepare”
Cell signaling is a finely tuned process where both timing and spatial context play essential roles. Whether it’s a hormone triggering a cellular response or a drug modulating a pathway, these processes unfold in dynamic, spatially organized ways. To study them, researchers rely on chemigenetic biosensors—genetically encoded tools that light up in response to molecular activity. However, traditional biosensors are constrained by several limitations: poor photostability under prolonged imaging, limited spectral flexibility for multiplexing, and insufficient spatial resolution for studying signaling events at subcellular scales.
Continue reading “Seeing Signals in a New Light: Far-Red Chemigenetic Biosensors Illuminate Kinase Activity”
Breast cancer is the most common tumor among women worldwide and has a profound impact on individuals and society. Aside from being a leading cause of cancer-related death, patients often undergo invasive treatments such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, which may result in long-term side effects and reduced quality of life. Additionally, the healthcare burden of breast cancer is immense. This makes effective, timely, and personalized treatments a critical need.
A recent study published in Scientific Reports presents a microfluidic-based method for growing breast cancer organoids that significantly reduces the culture time while maintaining essential structural and drug response characteristics. This method could be the key to developing personalized breast cancer treatments in the future.
Continue reading “Microfluidic Organoids Could Revolutionize Breast Cancer Treatment”
For the past few decades, plastic pollution has become a serious environmental challenge. Plastic production has continued to increase and there are a variety of plastic polymer types available. Polystyrene (PS) is one of the most widely used plastics due to its durability, strength, and low cost. However, the qualities that make this plastic valuable also make it highly resistant to degradation.
Continue reading “Bacteria From Insect Guts Could Help Degrade Plastic”
Aging is a natural process that occurs in all living creatures, seemingly inevitable and inescapable. Yet, it is a collective dream of humanity to somehow avoid the deterioration caused by old age, including declining brain function, chronic illnesses, and organ failure. For decades, scientists have been exploring ways to slow down the aging process in the hope of extending lifespans and improving the quality of life. Now, we may be closer than ever to finding an answer. It’s called “metformin”.
Continue reading “A Diabetes Drug, Metformin, Slows Aging in Male Monkeys”
Digestive disorders are a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with diarrhea being particularly deadly. Despite declining mortality rates, diarrhea still causes an estimated 1.65 million deaths annually, with the highest burden in low- and middle-income countries, largely due to poor sanitation and lack of clean water. While acute diarrhea has been extensively studied, less is known about the pathogens responsible for long-lasting digestive issues, including diarrhea and abdominal pain that persist for 14 days or more. A recent study in Scientific Reports offers valuable insights into the prevalence of these pathogens and highlights the importance of advanced molecular diagnostics in addressing this issue.
Continue reading “Understanding Persistent Digestive Disorders With Multiplex PCR”
For decades, pharmaceutical companies have relied on high-throughput screening (HTS) as the first step in the drug discovery process. After an initial screening of thousands of compounds, scientists select a smaller list of candidate drugs that is then used for further downstream testing. A major limitation to HTS, however, is the need to synthesize all compounds used in the screen—the compounds need to physically exist to be tested. This significantly limits the number of compounds that can be tested, hindering the discovery of new drugs.
What if we could test compounds even before they are synthesized?
Continue reading “Can AI Replace High-Throughput Screens for Drug Discovery?”
Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has become an increasingly severe public health issue. According to the CDC, the frequency of avian influenza outbreaks and diversity of virus subtypes have increased significantly in the past decade. In 2022, there were reports of sporadic H5 virus infections in mammals across several U.S. states, Canada, and other countries. Affected animals included fox kits, bobcats, coyote pups, raccoons, skunks, mink, and even seals. Human cases of H5N6 and other subtypes following poultry exposures were reported in China, with several cases resulting in severe or critical illness and death.
Continue reading “How Avian Influenza Crosses Species”