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Medical Xpress / Gut bacteria may transform spinach, beets and plant iron into protective compounds

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered that gut bacteria can convert dietary nitrate and iron into protective molecules that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The study, published ...

Aug 19, 2026
Phys.org / How well do past extinctions predict extinction risk today?

In the last few centuries, mammals and other animals have been going extinct at least 100 times faster than they did before humans arrived on the scene. So who will be next? Which species are most likely to survive, and which ...

Aug 20, 2026
Medical Xpress / Experimental pill targets nerve pain pathway, cutting opioid use after abdominal surgery

Opioids can be highly effective at relieving moderate to severe pain, whether it comes from surgery, an injury or conditions such as cancer. They work by activating opioid receptors in the brain and body, which block pain ...

Aug 17, 2026
Medical Xpress / AI helps doctors measure scoliosis more consistently

Scoliosis is a condition characterized by an abnormal sideways curvature of the spine and most commonly develops during adolescence. Doctors typically assess its severity by measuring spinal curvature on X-ray images. This ...

Aug 21, 2026
Phys.org / Amber fossil reveals firefly relative with unprecedented antennae

Insects rely on a wide range of strategies to sense their surroundings and communicate with their peers. Fireflies (Lampyridae) and some related beetles are known for their ability to produce visible light through chemical ...

Aug 17, 2026
Medical Xpress / Self-driving cars might not be safe for everyone, study says

You might want to steer clear of self-driving vehicles if you have a history of head injuries, a new study warns. Hockey players who'd suffered repeated concussions were slower to respond when a self-driving car faced a complex ...

Aug 21, 2026
Phys.org / How sex sheds evolutionary baggage

Why is there sex—or, more precisely, sexual reproduction? If you're an evolutionary biologist, the answer isn't obvious. Sexual reproduction is biologically costly, requiring not only competition for mates but also the creation ...

Aug 20, 2026
Medical Xpress / Multiple working hypotheses could clarify COVID-19 origins debate

A Viewpoint article published in the journal BioScience argues that the contentious debate over the origins of SARS-CoV-2 could benefit from a well-established scientific approach for weighing competing explanations.

Aug 20, 2026
Phys.org / Blocc chemistry could automate molecular discovery and democratize access to new materials

A paper published in the journal Science lays out a roadmap for broadening access to the process of discovering molecular tools that can benefit society, including medicines, materials and a wide range of everyday consumer ...

Aug 20, 2026
Medical Xpress / Can we make blood transfusions safer by testing for proteins linked to strokes and Alzheimer's disease?

A review and opinion piece published in The Lancet and led by UCL (University College London) and UCLH researchers discusses the possibility that blood transfusions may inadvertently transmit harmful brain proteins, and whether ...

Aug 21, 2026
Phys.org / China is launching a moon mission to find water ice

We've known for nearly two decades that some form of water exists on the moon. What we still don't know is exactly how much accessible water ice lies inside permanently shadowed craters, how deeply it is buried or what form ...

Aug 21, 2026
Tech Xplore / Built to last: Hydrogen catalyst operates for 3,000 hours

A research team has developed a highly durable platinum-nickel (PtNi) hydrogen evolution catalyst that suppresses nickel (Ni) leaching through atomic ordering. Nickel leaching is a major cause of performance degradation in ...

Aug 21, 2026