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Feature Stories

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 26-Aug-2025 03:11 ET (26-Aug-2025 07:11 GMT/UTC)

TU Graz develops a navigation system for divers

Graz University of Technology

Up to now, underwater navigation for divers has been limited primarily to orientation at distinctive points or compass navigation. Although there are concepts that, similar to a sonar, are intended to enable position determination using acoustic signal sources, these require a high sound pressure level. This affects the ecosystem and causes stress for the local fauna. In the FFG project ScubaPOIs, a team led by Philipp Berglez from the Institute of Geodesy at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) has now developed a system that uses GNSS-supported buoys that emit electromagnetic signals to enable precise positioning underwater without harming animals. Using a head-up display in their masks, divers can find their way to the desired destinations and back to the dive boat or around restricted areas. In addition, they can always be found in an emergency. In addition to TU Graz, pentamap GmbH, 1st-Relief GmbH, Oxygen Scientific GmbH, Disaster Competence Network Austria and the Austrian Centre for Research Diving were also involved in the project.

Funder: Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft

Homelessness in LA drops for second year in a row: 4 takeaways from the 2025 count

University of Southern California

Homelessness in Los Angeles County declined for the second consecutive year, according to results from the 2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. USC researchers involved in the count explain key findings on homelessness in the county.

Shaping the future of quantum computing

National Center for Supercomputing Applications

Building on the success of last year’s inaugural Workshop on Broadly Accessible Quantum Computing presented at PEARC24, this year, NCSA’s Santiago Núñez-Corrales, a co-organizer, and other original presenters were back, continuing the discussion with PEARC25 attendees. This year’s edition explored the latest advancements in quantum computing (QC) and its integration with high-performance computing and related applications.

Cellular therapy developed for cancer now being tested in autoimmune disease

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center has joined with 40 other centers in the U.S. and Europe as a site in one of the first clinical trials testing cellular therapy for autoimmune disease in the U.S.

New approach to suicide prevention is needed in universities

University of Surrey

A new shared approach to suicide prevention in universities is needed – one where students, staff, families and wider communities work together to make student life safer and more supportive for all, say leaders of a new project.

The $19 strawberry that went viral. The egg prices everyone’s talking about. An expert explains why

University of California - San Diego

rocery prices are having a moment in 2025. On social media, food costs have become a full-blown cultural conversation, from outrage over a $19 strawberry (yes, one strawberry) at the upscale Los Angeles grocery store Erewhon to the rising price of staples like eggs. These moments fuel frustration, memes and more than a few stressed-out grocery haul videos.

But behind the jokes and viral receipts is something real: food isn’t optional. For many, these price spikes aren’t just inconvenient—they’re overwhelming. And while the financial burden is a driving force, the constant conversation around the cost of food—whether we’re talking overpriced indulgences or everyday essentials—may also reflect deeper concerns about stability, control and trust in the economy.

To unpack the psychology behind these reactions, we turned to neuroeconomist Uma Karmarkar, an associate professor with a joint appointment at UC San Diego’s Rady School of Management and School of Global Policy and Strategy. Karmarkar holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA and a second Ph.D. in consumer behavior from Stanford, and her research draws from psychology, marketing and neuroscience to understand what drives economic behavior.

Research brings hope for new treatments for spinal muscular atrophy, autism

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Ancient bacteria that have evolved to become integral to our cells – converting nutrients from food into energy – may also contribute to neurologic disorders, such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and autism, according to research in the lab of Yongchao Ma, PhD, from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Interviews with Professor Graeme Swindles and John T. Van Stan II, Ph.D. for PLOS One article: Climate and water-table levels regulate peat accumulation rates across Europe

Interview with Professor Graeme Swindles, School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast, U.K.

Author of PLOS One paper: Swindles GT, Mullan DJ, Brannigan NT, Fewster RE, Sim TG, Gallego-Sala A, et al. (2025) Climate and water-table levels regulate peat accumulation rates across Europe. PLoS One 20(7): e0327422. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0327422

AND Interview with John T. Van Stan II, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Natural Philosophy at Cleveland State University, U.S.

Associate Editor of PLOS One paper: Swindles GT, Mullan DJ, Brannigan NT, Fewster RE, Sim TG, Gallego-Sala A, et al. (2025) Climate and water-table levels regulate peat accumulation rates across Europe. PLoS One 20(7): e0327422. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0327422

Journal: PLOS One

Organ-on-chip technology to study neurodegenerative diseases

In vitro brain organoids enable the study of the nervous system, while organ-on-chip technology allows researchers to explore the integration and interaction of neural tissues with other organ systems. At Eurac Research’s Institute for Biomedicine, scientists are cultivating various types of organoids in the laboratory. These tiny, three-dimensional structures, derived from human stem cells, replicate features of specific human organs. When placed on a ‘chip,’ the organoids are studied to observe their development and responses to stimuli and drugs. Researchers can also connect different organoids—such as those representing the liver and heart, or different regions of the brain—to study how they interact with one another, simulating human physiology in an increasingly realistic way. This innovative approach advances our understanding of diseases and supports the testing of treatments, with a strong emphasis on ethical medical research, health, and prevention.

Funder: European Union, European Regional Development Fund, Italian State, Rotation Fund, Swiss Confederation and the Cantons under the Interreg VI-A Italy-Switzerland cooperation programme, Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol

Inside the Fluid Innovation Lab: Applying aerospace technology to the human body

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

UNLV biomedical engineer Huang Chen studies how blood cells interact with medical devices and how to make them more efficient. The research is addressing challenges faced by adults with end-stage heart failure and children undergoing treatment for congenital heart defects where only one ventricle is functional.

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