Rice researchers’ detector concept uses engineered semiconductor materials to search for axions in a range of possible masses that has remained difficult to probe with existing experiments.

Based on genetic studies in an anemone and a coral — both of which sequester symbiotic algae — UC Berkeley biologists suggest that the relationship between algae and cnidarians looks like a form of parasitism. Algae appear to have hijacked lysosomes, which in animal cells digest invaders, to get nutrients, primarily carbon. To do this, algae had to learn how to withstand digestive enzymes. Coral benefitted too, getting food from algae and fueling the spread of reefs.

Gas giant orbits its dead star so closely that it takes just 1.4 days to complete a full revolution. At this proximity, planet shouldn’t have survived its star’s red giant phase. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astrophysicists measured the planet’s atmosphere, mass and temperature. They found the planet orbited at a safe distance when its star died and migrated closer billions of years after its death.

Many details behind Huntington’s disease, a devastating brain disorder, have not been clearly understood. Researchers have now identified neurons involved in the disease’s progression. They used a light-based technique to activate these neurons and improve the debilitating deficits of the condition.

In a study published in Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Florida State University researchers showed how a high-magnitude magnetic field can improve the accuracy of measurements that show the chemical composition of amyloid beta fragments, small pieces of proteins that have been shown to play a critical role in Alzheimer’s disease. They were able to analyze amyloid proteins even when they were structurally complex and mixed with lipids, creating conditions that more closely resemble the human brain than traditional laboratory samples.

The launch of Asteroids2029 marks the beginning of a worldwide initiative supporting the UN International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence. Inspired by the exceptionally close passage of asteroid Apophis in April 2029, over 70 experts and professionals from space agencies, scientific institutions, educational organizations, and communication networks have come together to host events and activities to raise global awareness of asteroids, promote planetary defence, and celebrate international collaboration in understanding and protecting our shared planet. NSF NOIRLab is a proud partner of Asteroids2029.