Change is afoot in the U.S. beef supply chain. More dairy cattle seem to be specifically bred to generate a calf to be sold as beef, but so far documentation for the trend is mostly anecdotal.

In an invited talk at the USDA’s 102^nd Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum, University of Tennessee agricultural economist Charles Martinez is poised to show the impact of beef on dairy crossed cattle on the U.S. beef supply chain and propose a new category for recording cattle market data: beef on dairy. Martinez says documenting this developing market will help industry analysts understand the true nature of the U.S. beef supply chain as well as the economic state of the beef and dairy industries.

A study co-led by University of Texas at Dallas bioengineers identified a distinctive feature of tissues from young patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer, a disease that typically affects older patients.

Researchers found that both cancerous and noncancerous colon tissue was mechanically stiffer in younger patients with respect to older patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The findings, published in the Jan. 30 print edition of Advanced Science, suggest that stiffness may create an environment that promotes the development of colorectal cancer in people under the age of 50. This work may offer new approaches for preventing and treating this disease — known as early-onset colorectal cancer — a condition that has been mysteriously rising over the past 30 years.

POST-PURPLE, a new Horizon Europe research and innovation project, officially launched with its kick-off meeting held on 21–22 January 2026 at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) campus in Móstoles, Madrid. The two-day meeting brought together project partners from across Europe to align on objectives, technical work plans, and collaboration strategies to accelerate sustainable urban waste management.