Cell division is an essential process for all life on earth, yet the exact mechanisms by which cells divide during early embryonic development have remained elusive – particularly for egg-laying species. Scientists from the Brugués group at the Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life (PoL) at TUD Dresden University of Technology have revealed a novel mechanism that explains how early embryonic cells may divide without forming a complete contractile ring, traditionally seen as essential for this process. The findings, published in Nature, challenge the long-standing textbook view of cell division, revealing how parts of the cytoskeleton, and material properties of the cell interior (or cytoplasm) cooperate to drive division through a ‘ratchet’ mechanism.

Terahertz (THz) radiation underpins many next-generation technologies and advances in materials science, but current THz spectroscopy methods cannot deliver both high spectral and spatial resolution simultaneously. Now, researchers have addressed this challenge by developing a novel methodology called spatially resolved asynchronous-sampling THz spectroscopy (SPRATS). Their system combines two existing THz measurement techniques to achieve micrometer-level near-field imaging and ultra-high spectral resolution, enabling the characterization of advanced THz resonant structures. SPRATS represents a transformative advancement in terahertz spectroscopy, bridging critical gaps between far-field and near-field methodologies while establishing new benchmarks for resolution and accuracy. This technology opens possibilities across multiple disciplines, including materials science, biomedical sensing, integrated photonics, and fundamental physics research.

A new holographic computation method could significantly advance augmented‑reality head‑up displays (AR‑HUDs) for vehicles. Current HUDs are limited to flat, fixed‑distance projections and rely on computationally heavy algorithms that struggle to generate high‑quality 3D holograms in real time. Research published in Advanced Photonics Nexus demonstrates a matrix‑multiplication‑based diffraction approach that reduces computation time by about 58 percent and sharply cutts memory usage. A prototype projected multiple holographic images at different depths—from 0.1 to 1.5 meters—aligning seamlessly with real‑world objects. The technique supports extreme size differences between input and output images and unifies near‑ and far‑field holography within a single framework. This advance paves the way for compact, wide‑field AR‑HUDs that can overlay critical driving information directly onto the environment, bringing next‑generation smart windshields closer to reality.

Researchers built an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) that converts low-energy light into higher-energy versions without high-energy input or special materials.

To determine who could benefit from targeted cancer treatments, a researcher at the University of Missouri is putting tumors under the spotlight.

When oily plastic and glass, as well as rubber, washed onto Florida beaches in 2020, a community group shared the mystery online, attracting scientists’ attention. Working together, they linked the black residue-coated debris to a 2019 oil slick along Brazil’s coastline. Using ocean current models and chemical analysis, the team explains in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology how some of the oily material managed to travel over 5,200 miles (8,500 kilometers) by clinging to debris.

Oxygen isotopes data enable researchers to look far back into the geologic past and reconstruct the climate of the past. In doing so, they consider several factors such as ocean temperature and ice volume in polar regions. A new publication, by an international team from Bergen (Norway) and Bremen in Nature Geoscience concludes that the Antarctic ice sheet was less dynamic during the Oligocene epoch 34 to 23 million years ago than previously assumed.

Cells have a remarkable housekeeping system: proteins that are no longer needed, defective, or potentially harmful are labeled with a molecular “tag” and dismantled in the cellular recycling machinery. This process, known as the ubiquitin-proteasome system, is crucial for health and survival. Now, an international team of scientists led by CeMM, AITHYRA and the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology in Dortmund has identified a new class of small molecules that harness this natural system to accelerate the removal of an immune-modulating enzyme called IDO1. The findings, published in Nature Chemistry (DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02021-5), introduce a new concept in drug discovery that could transform how we target difficult proteins in cancer and beyond.