Vortices in superconductors have so far been considered a disruption, as they can impair the superconducting properties. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) proved now in experiment that magnetic vortices can be used as controllable quantum systems in certain materials. This means that a previously unwanted phenomenon is becoming a potential resource in quantum technologies, opening up new avenues for the development of quantum computers, highly sensitive sensor systems, and innovative approaches in materials research. The results have been published in Nature.  (DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10441-7)

EU-funded researchers have completed the most comprehensive assessment ever of Europe's "urban mine" — the critical raw materials embedded in waste streams including electronics, batteries, vehicles, wind turbines, and demolition debris. The  FutuRaM (Future Availability of Secondary Raw Materials) project mapped 42 critical elements across seven waste categories in 31 countries, finding that annual recovery could reach 4.1–5.7 million tonnes by 2050, potentially substituting up to 56% of primary material imports. Recovery of key metals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel could grow dramatically, reducing dependence on China and other suppliers. The project's Urban Mine Platform makes all data publicly accessible to guide investment and policy decisions.

New research from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) provides structural insights into how cancer cells thwart targeted RAS therapies; uncovers promising combination therapies for a rare childhood brain tumor; uses organoids to provide important clues about what drives pancreatic cancer; takes aim at appendix cancer with new laboratory models; and a develops a new precision tool for targeting cancer’s energy factory.

The LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) Collaboration has today released its latest catalog of gravitational-wave detections. The data analysed for this update were collected by the twin Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors and the Virgo detectors. They are the world’s premier observatory of gravitational waves, ripples in the fabric of spacetime. 

Living systems such as cells rely on membrane pores and channels to transport molecules, exchange signals, and organize biochemical reactions. These functions emerge from dynamic interactions between molecular components. Researchers at the University of Stuttgart have used DNA nanotechnology to develop a synthetic membrane architecture that mimics such interactions. The new platform enables coordinated molecular transport and programmable biochemical reactions inside an artificial compartment. The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of Michigan and Arizona State University, and has been published in the journal Nature Chemistry. 

The LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA Collaboration published today a new catalog of gravitational wave events. A total of 161 events, detected between April 2024 and the end of January 2025, have been added to the collection, bringing the total number of gravitational wave signals detected to date to 390. Among the most significant findings are: evidence for the existence of second-generation black holes, the most precise sky localization ever achieved for a gravitational wave source, and the first measurement of three vibrational modes of a black hole. A wealth of results that marks the coming of age of gravitational astronomy.

Efficient mixing of dense solid–liquid suspensions is essential across many industries, yet conventional mixing design rules often fail at high particle concentrations. A recent study at Nagoya Institute of Technology challenges traditional mixing methods and shows that placing the impeller near the solid–liquid interface lowers the minimum speed required to keep particles suspended in dense suspensions. These findings offer new strategies for improving energy efficiency and mixing outcomes for high-density suspensions.

Atoms and molecules are the fundamental building blocks of matter. Spectroscopy identifies and quantifies chemical species through the unique spectral fingerprints they imprint on light. Spectroscopy has many applications, ranging from fundamental tests of quantum electrodynamics and investigations of molecular structure to environmental sensing, biomedical diagnostics and industrial monitoring. A highly promising spectroscopic instrument that has the potential to transform the field has emerged over the years: the dual-comb spectrometer. This relies on the interference of two mode-locked ultrafast lasers that produce broad frequency combs composed of evenly spaced narrow spectral lines. In a tutorial article published in Nature Reviews Methods Primers, Nathalie Picqué and Theodor W. Hänsch review the principles, advances and future opportunities of the rapidly developing field of broadband atomic and molecular science using dual-comb spectroscopy.

Researchers have developed a Pt–CuO_x interfacial catalyst that enables near-quantitative conversion of biomass-derived HMF into FDCA at low voltage (0.75 V), significantly reducing energy consumption while achieving 99.1% selectivity and long-term stability.