Scientists studying a promising quantum material have stumbled upon a surprise: within its crystal structure, the material naturally forms one of the world’s thinnest semiconductor junctions—a building block of most modern electronics. The junction is just 3.3 nanometers thick, about 25,000 times thinner than a sheet of paper.

As global warming alters ecosystems, the need to predict the reorganization of Earth’s biodiversity has become urgent. New research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America May 20, suggests that neglecting the ecological differences between male and female plants can lead to inaccurate biodiversity forecasts. The study led by Jacob Moutouama, a postdoctoral research associate at Rice University and lead author, highlights the need to refine biodiversity forecasts to account for the sex-specific responses to Earth’s rapidly changing climate.

Using synchrotron X-ray nanotomography with detailed 3D imaging and in-situ mechanical testing, researchers are peering inside shark skeletons at the nanoscale, revealing a microscopic “sharkitecture” that helps these ancient apex predators withstand extreme physical demands of constant motion. After hundreds of millions of years of evolution, scientists can now finally see how shark cartilage works at the nanoscale – and learn from them.

Artificial intelligence tools can assist emergency room physicians in accurately predicting disease but only for patients with typical symptoms, West Virginia University scientists have found.

A universal method of micro-patterning solution-processed materials is highly desired by industry to enable the integration of these materials with optoelectronic devices. A team at the University of Washington demonstrated a dry photolithographic lift-off method for high-resolution patterning (~1 µm diameter) of quantum dots (QDs). They also achieved full-scale processing on a 100 mm wafer and multi-color integration of two different varieties of QDs. This method paves a way towards realization of high-resolution micro-LED displays.

Two Case Western Reserve University engineering faculty have been awarded U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) grants. Computer scientist An Wang and environmental engineer Bridget Hegarty were each awarded a five-year grant to support their research programs. Hegarty also received a $1 million grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

UC Berkeley astronomers searching for massive black holes shredding stars found one in an unusual place — 2,600 light years from the core of a galaxy. The roque black hole may be from an earlier merger with another galaxy, or have been tossed out of the core after interacting with two other black holes. This is the first ever optically discovered off-nuclear tidal disruption event. Eventually, the two could merge and produce ripples of gravitational waves.

Microorganisms in the water surrounding coral reefs provide valuable insights on the health state of reefs and surrounding ocean.

Sampling and analyzing reef water microbes can be done in a variety of ways ranging in cost and complexity, adding to their usability.

As many coral reefs experience prolonged bleaching due to heat stress, rising temperatures due to climate change, and other anthropogenic activities, having more accessible monitoring tools can improve coral conservation efforts.

The authors believe that microbe diagnostic techniques can be easily adopted by established organizations to bolster reef monitoring programs and add to a global database of knowledge about coral reef habitats that can inform policy decisions.