Led by Professor Bartosz A. GRZYBOWSKI, researchers at the Center for Robotized and Algorithmic Synthesis (CARS) within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in Ulsan, South Korea, put their robots to the challenge and extend the traditional view of chemical reactions. Historically, such reactions have been represented as one-line formulas describing the conversion of substrates into a desired and rigidly defined major product, with byproducts acknowledged but undesirable and generally considered unproductive. The CARS work, to be published in Nature on Sept 24, tells us that reactions should be thought of as complex networks programmable to yield different products under different conditions.

Carriers of Robertsonian chromosomes are often unaware they’re different. Although generally healthy, they can be infertile or suffer miscarriages. When they do have children, they’re at increased risk of having Down syndrome. Now, in a landmark study, scientists at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have identified the precise location where human chromosomes break and recombine to form Robertsonian chromosomes. The findings, published in Nature on September 24, 2025, not only explain how these rearrangements form and remain stable—but also point to how repetitive DNA once dismissed as “junk” may play a central role in genome organization and evolution.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s Compact Coronagraph-2 (CCOR-2) launched at 7:30 a.m. EDT on September 24 onboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) observatory from NASA – Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida.

Rice University and Lehigh University have announced the launch of the Consortium for Enhancing Resilience and Catastrophe Modeling (CERCat), a research initiative designed to advance catastrophe risk modeling and resilience assessment. CERCat serves as a dynamic hub connecting leading university researchers, private industry experts and public sector innovators to tackle some of the most pressing challenges posed by natural and human-made hazards. The consortium will unite academic rigor with practical expertise, improving the field of catastrophe modeling and ultimately driving real-world solutions that improve disaster resilience.

Sea foam is a common sight along the coastline as breaking waves churn up air and algae. Now, a study in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology reports that sea foam from several beaches along North Carolina’s coast contain higher levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) compared to the water below. Some foam samples had more PFAS than what is allowed in drinking water, highlighting the need to clean up and reduce environmental PFAS pollution.

A team of researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China and the Zhongguancun Institute of Artificial Intelligence has developed SciGuard, an agent-based safeguard designed to control the misuse risks of AI in chemical science. By combining large language models with principles and guidelines, external knowledge databases, relevant laws and regulations, and scientific tools and models, SciGuard ensures that AI systems remain both powerful and safe, achieving state-of-the-art defense against malicious use without compromising scientific utility. This study not only highlights the dual-use potential of AI in high-stakes science, but also provides a scalable framework for keeping advanced technologies aligned with human values.