The Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientsits today announced three Laureates and six Finalists whose postdoctoral research exemplifies the extraordinary scientific excellence found across the Tri-State area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The Blavatnik Regional Awards honor outstanding postdoctoral researchers in Chemical Sciences, Life Sciences, and Physical Sciences & Engineering. A distinguished jury of scientists and engineers selected one Laureate per category, each receiving a $30,000 unrestricted award, along with two Finalists per category, each receiving $10,000 in unrestricted funds.

Researchers led by Aarhus University have developed light-sensitive nanoparticles that can be injected into the eye and make blind retinas respond to light. In mice, the researchers detected light-induced signals in the visual cortex and observed behavioural responses to light. The technology, also tested in pig retinal tissue, could form the basis of a new type of retinal prosthesis. The research is published in Nature Biomedical Engineering.

Plastic pollution is increasingly being recognized as more than an environmental problem. Tiny plastic particles can enter living organisms, circulate through biological systems, and potentially reach reproductive tissues. A new review now brings together growing evidence that polystyrene nanoplastics may affect male and female reproductive health in different ways while also posing risks to developing offspring.

University of Warwick and University of Turin researchers find the world's only singing lemur opens its mouth wider on higher notes, just like a trained soprano.

BUFFALO, NY — September 21, 2026 — A new review was published in Volume 18 of Aging on August 31, 2026, titled “The guardian paradox: DNA damage response overactivation as an integrative driver of aging – a tumor suppressor–negative regulator framework.”

While the Discovery Channel's annual shark week event has given the public more familiarity with the species, there is much about sharks—from their mysterious love lives to how their eating habits bring them into conflict with recreational anglers—that remains a mystery to scientists. Now, two new studies led by researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst peer into these important aspects of shark biology to help guide real-world conservation strategies.