A Columbia Engineering team announced today that they have created a robot that, for the first time, is able to learn facial lip motions for tasks such as speech and singing. In a new study published in Science Robotics, the researchers demonstrate how their robot used its abilities to articulate words in a variety of languages, and even sing a song out of its AI-generated debut album “hello world_.”

A team of scientists funded by Asari AI, with researchers from Caltech and MIT, has developed a new tool that gives programmers working with AI agents a way to more easily backtrack and experiment with search strategies to identify the best pathways in their code.

The Stowers Institute for Medical Research has named Dan Devers as General Counsel, effective January 26, 2026. In this role, Devers will provide strategic and operational leadership on all legal matters across the Institute and its affiliates, including governance, compliance, intellectual property strategy, and partnerships that support the Institute’s mission to uncover new knowledge in foundational biology and develop innovative ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease. 

A new study suggests that, with low to moderate levels of global greenhouse emissions in coming decades, more of India could become suitable for growing avocados. However, with high enough emissions, growing zones could shrink and destabilize by 2070. G. Karunakaran of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Indian Institute of Horticultural Research and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One on January 14, 2026.

Polyester microfibers in soil negatively impact the development of cherry tomato plants in experiments, raising concerns over the potential effect of high levels of such contaminants

The proinflammatory activation of immune cells called macrophages can be remotely directed using piezoelectric nanoparticles coupled with ultrasound, Boston College researchers report in Scientific Reports. This potentially allows for the precise, on-demand activation of cells specifically at an infection or tumor site, avoiding the toxicity and side effects associated with the systemic administration of traditional therapeutics.

UVA researcher Jing Yang’s recognition as an IEEE Fellow comes for advancing more efficient, reliable and sustainable wireless technologies.