A team of researchers from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities College of Science and Engineering and the University of Houston’s Cullen College of Engineering has discovered and measured the fraction of an electron that makes catalytic manufacturing possible. This discovery provides insight for designing new breakthrough catalytic materials that could lead to more efficient and lower-cost manufacturing of fuels and chemicals.

Two distinct stem cell lineages that drive tooth root and alveolar bone formation have been identified by researchers from Science Tokyo. Using genetically modified mice and lineage-tracing techniques, the team shed light on the cell signaling mechanisms guiding differentiation in stem cells in the developing teeth, offering key insights for future regenerative dental therapies.

On October 7, 2025, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) celebrates its anniversary. On the same day, exactly 200 ago, Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden, signed the founding decree for the Karlsruhe Polytechnic School, the first predecessor institution of today’s University of Excellence. The Grand Duke founded it out of his “concern for the education of our dear and loyal bourgeoisie.” Today, KIT is a place where science is shaping the future by contributing energy, mobility, and climate research as well as robotics and artificial intelligence.

New research published in Nature Ecology & Evolution sheds light on the timelines and pathways of evolution of fungi, finding evidence of their influence on ancient terrestrial ecosystems. The study, led by researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and collaborators, indicates the diversification of fungi hundreds of millions of years before the emergence of land plants.

Glacial melting in Switzerland was once again enormous in 2025. A winter with low snow depth combined with heat waves in June and August led to a loss of three per cent of the glacier volume. This is the fourth largest level of shrinkage since measurements began. Consequently, the ice mass reduced by one quarter in the last ten years. This was reported by GLAMOS, the glacier monitoring network in Switzerland, and the Swiss Commission for Cryosphere observation (SCC) of the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT).