From Forever Chemicals to Ancient Proteins: Five Science Stories from 2025

Posted on by Kelly Grooms

As science advances, its most meaningful moments often come not in a single breakthrough, but in the accumulation of insights that reshape how we understand our world. As we close the door on 2025 it is worth pausing to reflect on some of the discoveries of the past year that stood out—not just for their technical achievement, but for what they reveal about our planet, our past and ourselves. From dismantling so-called “forever chemicals” to reading molecular histories written millions of years ago, these five stories offer a snapshot of the breadth, creativity and impact of modern scientific inquiry.

Forever Chemicals might not be forever: Mechanochemical Destruction offers hope for removal of Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are notoriously persistent “forever chemicals” that have been used in everything from cookware to clothing dating back to the 1940s. These human-made chemicals gained popularity for their water- grease- and stain-resistant properties. Unfortunately, the same chemical properties that make PFASs so useful also mean they don’t break down naturally—not in the environment or the human body—they just accumulate.  With links to serious health effects such as cancer, immune system suppression and liver damage, PFAS contamination and persistent bioaccumulation has become a global health challenge faced with scientific and logistical cleanup challenges.

The good news is that these forever chemicals might not be as indestructible as we thought. Last year, researchers reported a major leap forward in environmental PFAS management: a simple, solvent-free method to destroy these “forever chemicals” while recovering valuable fluorine for reuse (1). Using potassium phosphate salts and mechanical energy, the team succeeded in breaking down a wide range of PFASs into usable fluorine-based reagents. These fluorine-based compounds include potassium fluoride and fluorophosphates, which can be used to synthesize pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and materials. Because fluorine is typically sourced from finite mineral reserves, recovering fluorine from existing PFAS waste addresses two major global challenges at once: chemical pollution and resource scarcity. By transforming a contaminant into an asset, this method could offer a solution to both serious environmental and health concerns.

Proteins Recovered from extinct rhinoceros remains dating back 21–24 million years ago.

Imagine analyzing the protein sequences from a creature who walked the earth over 21 million years ago. In July researchers published an article in Nature announcing that they had successfully extracted and analyzed protein sequences from a 21.8-million-year-old rhinoceros tooth found in the Canadian High Arctic (2). The work signifies the oldest known skeletal proteome ever recovered—about ten times older than the oldest DNA yet recovered—making it a landmark advance for paleogenomics and evolutionary biology.  Using high-resolution mass spectrometry, the team isolated enamel proteins from the extinct species Epiaceratherium, enabling detailed phylogenetic analysis despite the lack of surviving DNA. Their findings revise the evolutionary timeline of rhinoceros lineages and suggest a more recent divergence of the Rhinocerotinae and Elasmotheriinae clades than previously thought.

In addition to offering molecular support for theories about Arctic-to-Eurasia faunal links during the Miocene, this work offers view into mammalian evolution that is beyond the reach of ancient DNA. In doing so, it opens a new frontier for paleontology, and offers the potential to reconstruct evolutionary relationships and environmental histories from deep time using proteins that persist long after DNA is gone.

Antartic Ozone Hole is healing: Reducing CFCs is working

In a major milestone for climate science and a win for the 1987 Montreal Protocol that defined the phasing out of ozone-depleting substances (ODS), researchers detected statistically robust signs that the Antarctic ozone layer is recovering (3).  Applying advanced fingerprinting techniques more commonly used to track human influence on global warming to nearly two decades of satellite data they were able to isolate the “signature” of ozone healing from the noise of natural variability. These recovery signals match the vertical and seasonal patterns predicted by reducing ODSs under the Montreal Protocol. The results confirm that the worldwide, coordinated effort to phase out ODSs is leading to measurable improvements in the ozone layer.

As the global scientific community faces new challenges, this work sets a new standard for how we detect, attribute and verify the success of environmental treaties. It provides compelling evidence that ozone healing is underway and underscores the importance of sustained observation and international cooperation in atmospheric science.

Keeping the peace: Discovery of immune “peacekeeper” cells win the Nobel prize

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine honored Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for their discovery of regulatory T (Treg) cells—a critical breakthrough in understanding immune tolerance (4). Treg cells are a specialized subset of T cells that act as “peacekeepers” of the immune system by suppressing the overactive immune responses that can play a pivotal role in autoimmune diseases. Identifying Treg cells and the FOXP3 gene that controls their development is changing how we think about autoimmune diseases. Once believed to be only the result of overactive immune cells attacking the body, researchers studying autoimmune disorders are now evaluating what role the failure to regulate the immune system could play.

Approximately 10 percent of people worldwide suffer from autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes. Many of these individuals have been found to have either an insufficient number of, or poorly functioning, Treg cells. Understanding the importance of these immune-response-modulating cells has opened the door to new potential treatments. The discovery offers promise not only for treating those with autoimmune conditions, but also as a possible way to control chronic inflammation, prevent transplant rejection and potentially shape new cancer therapies.

Walking in the footprints of giants: Ancient highway for dinosaurs uncovered

In early 2025, scientists from the Natural History Museum and the University of Portsmouth unveiled a remarkable discovery in a Swindon quarry: over 60 exceptionally well-preserved dinosaur footprints dating back to the middle Jurassic period 166 million years ago (5). These prints — some nearly a meter wide — were left by large sauropods and other dinosaurs as they moved across the once-muddy, coastal plain. The quality of the footprints is extraordinary, with some showing clear impressions of toes, claws and even skin textures. The footprints were found in a place where multiple species likely crossed the same stretch of land, possibly traveling in herds.

This discovery offers a unique glimpse into the world of dinosaurs from a time when much of their evolutionary story remains poorly understood. The spacing and arrangement of the footprints hint at social behavior, offering new insight on how these massive animals may have lived and moved together. Described as a kind of “dinosaur highway”, the Swindon quarry offers a glimpse into a prehistoric world—a literal footprint trail frozen in time.

What Will 2026 Bring?

These stories from 2025 serve as a reminder that science is rarely about isolated facts—it is an ongoing conversation between past, present and future. Whether transforming persistent pollutants into valuable elements, uncovering immune mechanisms that preserve balance, or tracing ancient life through footprints and proteins, each of these studies built on decades of prior work that pointed to the next discovery. As we move into 2026, I wonder what new discoveries we will be celebrating at the end.

References

  1. Yang, L. et al. (2025) Phosphate-enabled mechanochemical PFAS destruction for fluoride reuse. Nature 640, 100–106.
  2. Paterson, R.S. et al. (2025) Phylogenetically informative proteins from an Early Miocene rhinocerotid. Nature 643, 719–724.
  3. Wang, P. et al. (2025) Fingerprinting the recovery of Antarctic ozone. Nature 639, 646–651.
  4. Nobel Prize (2025, October 6) The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: They discovered how the immune system is kept in check [Press release] https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2025/press-release/
  5. Caton, E. (2025, January 6). Footprints from a vast dinosaur highway discovered in the UK. Natural History Museum. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2025/january/footprints-from-a-vast-dinosaur-highway-discovered-in-the-uk.html
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Kelly Grooms

Kelly Grooms

Scientific Communications Specialist at Promega Corporation
Kelly earned her B.S. in Genetics from Iowa State University in Ames, IA. Prior to coming to Promega, she worked for biotech companies in San Diego and Madison. Kelly lives just outside Madison with her husband, son and daughter. Kelly collects hobbies including jewelry artistry, reading, writing and knitting. A black belt, she enjoys practicing karate with her daughter as well as hiking, biking and camping.

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