BETHESDA, MD – When you scratch an itch, something tells your brain when to stop. That moment of relief, when scratching feels “enough,” is not accidental. Scientists have now identified a key molecular and neural mechanism behind this built-in braking system, shedding new light on how the body regulates itch and why this control fails in chronic conditions. The research will be presented at the 70th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in San Francisco from February 21–25, 2026. In a new study from the laboratory of Roberta Gualdani, professor at the University of ...

BETHESDA, MD – Proteins long known to be essential for hearing have been hiding a talent: they also act as gatekeepers that shuffle fatty molecules across cell membranes. When this newly discovered function goes haywire—due to genetic mutations, noise-induced damage, or certain medications—it may be what kills the delicate sensory cells in our ears, causing permanent hearing loss. The research will be presented at the 70th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in San Francisco from February 21–25, 2026. Deep inside our ears, specialized ...

BETHESDA, MD – Scientists have uncovered an elegant biophysical trick that tuberculosis-causing bacteria use to survive inside human cells, a discovery that could lead to new strategies for fighting one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases. Tuberculosis kills more than a million people each year and remains a major public health crisis, particularly in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The disease is caused by mycobacteria, which have evolved sophisticated ways to hijack human immune cells ...

BETHESDA, MD – Scientists have developed a new imaging technique that uses a novel contrast mechanism in bioimaging to merge the strengths of two powerful microscopy methods, allowing researchers to see both the intricate architecture of cells and the specific locations of proteins—all in vivid color and at nanometer resolution. The breakthrough, called multicolor electron microscopy, addresses a longstanding challenge in biological imaging: scientists have traditionally had to choose between seeing fine ...

BETHESDA, MD – The tiny fatty capsules that delivered COVID-19 mRNA vaccines into billions of arms may work better when they’re a little disorganized. That’s the surprising finding from researchers who developed a new way to examine these drug-delivery vehicles one particle at a time—revealing that cramming in more medicine doesn't always mean better results. The research will be presented at the 70th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in San Francisco from February 21–25, 2026. Lipid nanoparticles, or LNPs, are microscopic bubbles of fat that can ...

BETHESDA, MD – As space agencies prepare for human missions to the Moon and Mars, scientists need to understand how the absence of gravity affects living cells. Now, a team of researchers has built a rugged, affordable microscope that can image cells in real time during the chaotic conditions of zero-gravity flight—and they’re making the design available to the broader scientific community. The research, previously published in npj Microgravity, will be presented at the 70th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in San Francisco from February 21–25, 2026. “We know that astronauts’ cellular ...

BETHESDA, MD – Denis V. Titov, of the University of California, Berkeley, USA will be honored as the recipient of the Biophysical Journal Paper of the Year-Early Career Investigator Award at the 70th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, held February 21-25 in San Francisco, California. This award recognizes the work of outstanding early career investigators in biophysics. The winning paper is titled “Glycolysis Model Shows that Allostery Maintains High ATP and Limits Accumulation of Intermediates.” The paper was published in Volume 124, Issue 10 of Biophysical Journal. Glycolysis ...

BETHESDA, MD – When you step outside on a winter morning or pop a mint into your mouth, a tiny molecular sensor in your body springs into action, alerting your brain to the sensation of cold. Scientists have now captured the first detailed images of this sensor at work, revealing exactly how it detects both actual cold and the perceived cool of menthol, a compound derived from mint plants. The research will be presented at the 70th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in San Francisco from February 21–25, 2026. The study focused on a protein channel called TRPM8. “Imagine TRPM8 as a microscopic thermometer inside your body,” said Hyuk-Joon Lee, ...

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have created a new molecule which carries DNA into biological cells, to treat or vaccinate against illnesses. Many existing options rely on molecules with a strong positive charge, which can cause harmful inflammation. The team overcame this by using a neutral molecule and a new method to bind DNA to it, making it possible to deliver DNA into cells. Successful experiments in mice promise new, more effective therapies.   Over the last few decades, scientists have developed new treatments which deliver genetic information into cells. ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — A new study revealed that certain brain regions are more active in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during cognitively demanding tasks. The findings could help inform new ways in which the condition is treated and assessed. The study, published in Imaging Neuroscience, was conducted by researchers in the laboratory of Theresa Desrochers, an associate professor of brain science and of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University’s Carney Institute for Brain Science. Desrochers studies abstract sequential behavior, which is behavior — such ...

Researchers at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment found that ocean saltiness can influence the strength of El Niño, a climate phenomenon that can dramatically affect global weather. The results, published in Geophysical Research Letters in January, could inform development of more precise El Niño forecasts. El Niño occurs every two to seven years, marked by wetter conditions in some parts of the world and drier weather in others. Its formation depends on weakening ...

ARLINGTON, Va.—Today the Office of Naval Research (ONR) celebrates the 41st year of its Young Investigator Program (YIP) by honoring the Class of 2026 YIP awardees. Approximately $17 million in funding will be shared by 23 university professors to conduct innovative scientific research addressing critical naval warfighter challenges. “In order for ONR to enhance the capabilities of the Sailors and Marines who depend on us, we must partner with the brightest scientists and engineers conducting the most innovative scientific and technology research,” said Chief of Naval Research Dr. Rachel Riley. “The Young Investigator Program is a vital component ...

Why do some people feel chills when listening to music, reading poetry, or viewing a powerful work of art, while others do not? New research by Giacomo Bignardi and his colleagues from Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (MPI) published in PLOS Genetics reveals that part of the answer lies in our genes. Charles Darwin once described how hearing an anthem in King’s College Chapel gave him “intense pleasure so that [his] backbone would sometimes shiver.” Vladimir Nabokov (despite his notorious dislike for music) later celebrated the same sensation, calling it ‘the telltale tingle’ required to truly appreciate literary ...

Public misunderstanding about medical aid in dying in the United States falls into two distinct categories – misinformation and uncertainty – and each is driven by different forces, according to Rutgers Health researchers. Their study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found that misinformation about legality of medical aid in dying – a voluntary medical practice for terminally ill adults often abbreviated as MAID – is primarily shaped by ideology, while uncertainty is linked to structural barriers such as education level and financial ...

STARKVILLE, Miss.—An article by Mississippi State Professor of Anthropology Molly Zuckerman and her graduate student Lydia Bailey has been published in Science, one of the foremost scientific journals in the world. Zuckerman and Bailey’s piece examines new evidence from ancient DNA that pushes the origins of diseases closely related to syphilis back more than 5,000 years and strongly supports an American rather than European origin for a close relative of the disease. Drawing on recent paleogenomic discoveries from Colombia and Mexico, the article demonstrates how advances ...

A new National Science Foundation (NSF) award will support an innovative effort in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois to strengthen research security by using structured role-playing games (RPG) to model the threats facing academic research environments. The project, titled "REDTEAM: Research Environment Defense Through Expert Attack Modeling," addresses a growing challenge: balancing the open, collaborative nature of academic research with increasing national security risks and sophisticated adversarial ...

Vipin Kumar, a composites manufacturing researcher at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been named one of 21 rising professionals nationwide for the 2026 Emerging Leaders Program of the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA). The competitive, year-long program develops future leaders in the composites industry through professional development, industry engagement and advocacy training, preparing participants to help shape the future of advanced manufacturing in the ...

A new scientific perspective suggests that large language models, the artificial intelligence systems behind tools such as modern chatbots, could revolutionize how scientists evaluate environmental risks in aquatic ecosystems. Aquatic environments are essential for ecological stability and human health, yet assessing pollution risks in rivers, lakes, and coastal waters remains challenging. Critical information about pollutant exposure, toxicity, and ecological effects often exists in scattered forms across scientific papers, ...

Human activities have dramatically altered the Earth’s nitrogen cycle since the Industrial Revolution, driving pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate feedbacks. A new scientific review highlights how advances in isotope science are transforming our ability to trace nitrogen through the atmosphere, soils, forests, and plants, offering powerful tools for managing environmental change. The study synthesizes recent progress in nitrogen isotope research and proposes a new framework for integrating multiple isotopes with monitoring networks and modeling approaches. Together, these ...

Antibiotic pollution in water is a growing global concern, as residues from human medicine, livestock production, and aquaculture can persist in the environment and contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance. A new study shows that the molecular structure of antibiotics plays a decisive role in how effectively they can be removed from water using biochar, a carbon-rich material produced from agricultural waste. Researchers investigated five widely used tetracycline antibiotics and examined how their structural differences ...

Chronic pain lasts longer for women than men, and new research suggests differences in hormone-regulated immune cells, called monocytes, may help explain why. In a new paper in Science Immunology, researchers at Michigan State University found a subset of monocytes release a molecule to switch off pain. These cells are more active in males due to higher levels of sex hormones such as testosterone, the team found. Females, however, experienced longer-lasting pain and delayed recovery, because their monocytes were ...

PULLMAN, Wash. — A single exposure to a toxic fungicide during pregnancy can increase the risk of disease for 20 subsequent generations — with inherited health problems worsening many generations after exposure. Those are the findings of a new Washington State University study of rats that expands the understanding of how long the intergenerational effects of toxic exposure may last, as they are passed down through alterations in reproductive cells. The study, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was co-authored by WSU biologist Michael Skinner, who has been studying ...

Toronto, ON — A new study of more than 1,500 boys and men in Canada and the United States suggests that social media may play a meaningful role in shaping intentions to use anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), particularly when users are exposed to muscularity-focused content and engage in body comparisons online.  The study, based on data from The Study of Boys and Men (N = 1,515), examined how different forms of screen time and social media engagement were associated with intentions to use AAS among participants who had never used it before. While participants reported spending ...

A new study provides hope that smarter timing of cancer treatments could improve cure rates. The study’s Principal Investigator, Dr Robert Noble, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Mathematics, City, St George’s, University of London, sought to tackle a major problem in cancer care. “Although tumours may at first shrink under therapy,” he explains, “in many cases they eventually regrow. These relapses stem from a small number of cancer cells that have gained mutations making the cells resistant to the treatment.” The standard clinical approach is to wait and see if a tumour regrows before trying a different treatment. By ...

February 20, 2026 (Washington, DC)—The Milken Institute Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC), in partnership with the Ann Theodore Foundation (ATF), has launched a new funding program to support a future clinical trial in cutaneous sarcoidosis. The program, ATF Sarcoidosis Inhibitor of mTOR (SIM), will award one two-year grant of up to US$575,000 to one or more independent biomedical researchers. ...