In a nondescript Idaho Falls warehouse, a nuclear nonproliferation researcher at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), picks up a small, plastic bottle and pours out tiny bits of rounded black glass across a worktable.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Joshua Dawson had some idea of what the Idaho National Laboratory might have to offer when he visited the lab in December 2025.

A baby nasal aspirator isn't exactly what comes to mind when you picture biotech research tools. But for URI biotechnology major Andrew Swiader, it’s become an essential piece of scientific equipment. He uses a modified baby "snot sucker" in the University's Biocontrol Lab to transfer tiny parasitoid wasps from one container to another, before releasing at URI's East Farm.

The National League for Nursing (NLN) has selected Antonia M. Villarruel, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, as a recipient of the prestigious 2026 NLN President’s Award. This distinctive national honor recognizes prominent leaders in nursing education whose lifetime career achievements deserve public and professional acclaim. Dean Villarruel will formally accept the award alongside co-recipient Dr. Ena Williams during a special presentation at the 2026 NLN Education Summit in Washington, DC, taking place September 23 through 25.

Key takeaways

Young men are facing a loneliness crisis that may increase their risk of suicide and problems with alcohol or drug use. 

A type of talk therapy developed by Ohio State researcher Nicholas Allan addresses loneliness by encouraging real-life connections.

The ongoing SOAR Study aims to uncover root causes of emotional distress and promote resilience.

Ten students from The University of Texas at Arlington’s “Mavs in the Metro” program who recently toured Globe Life Field, getting a behind-the-scenes look at how the ballpark operates and hearing career advice from Rangers executives on navigating the workforce and building successful careers.

Quazeem Tiamiyu is designing wood fiber foam insulation serves as a bio-based alternative to replace polyurethane foam in conventional beverage coolers. The foam Tiamiyu and his colleagues designed consists of cellulose nanofibrils, wood fiber, finely ground wood flour and a surfactant that enables high foam volume. When Tiamiyu tested how well his foam insulates compared with polyurethane, the results were nearly identical. 

HHMI Investigator Cigall Kadoch’s methodical approach to studying chromatin remodeling complexes is laying the groundwork for a new class of precision cancer therapeutics. 

Freeman Hrabowski Scholar Walter Gonzalez is using AI and cutting-edge neural recording technology to decode — and potentially manipulate — the dreams of zebra finches to understand how brains learn and communicate.