The Strategic Materials Accelerator & Research Testbed (SMART) will serve as a national hub for cutting-edge biotechnology research, providing organizations with tools to develop, test and scale breakthrough technologies, accelerating solutions that directly strengthen national defense and power the innovations of tomorrow.

The awards support research focused on preventing ovarian cancer recurrence after surgery and developing more accessible tools to guide personalized cancer treatment.

A new University of California San Diego study unveils the first empirical evidence that a modern artificial intelligence system can pass the Turing test — a major scientific benchmark that asks whether a machine can imitate human conversation so convincingly that people can’t reliably tell it apart from a real person. In a series of experiments, people were often unable to tell the difference between humans and advanced large language models (LLMs).

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a new approach to delivering GLP-1 medications orally that does not require fasting and maintains their efficacy. The technique could also be useful for any pharmaceutical based on peptides such as insulin or treatments for irritable bowel syndrome, HIV and osteoporosis.

Summary:

Texas Tech University broke ground on the Critical Infrastructure Security Site at the Reese National Security Complex, expanding its role in protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure systems. The site positions Texas Tech as a growing national hub for cybersecurity, cyber-physical defense and interdisciplinary partnerships focused on addressing emerging threats to infrastructure security.

 

Why This Matters:

Forefront of Protection: The new site strengthens research and innovation aimed at protecting critical systems such as the electrical grid, water utilities, communications and military infrastructure from evolving threats.

Workforce Development: Texas Tech is building a pipeline of skilled cybersecurity and defense professionals through hands-on training, federal partnerships and programs that engage students and current industry workers.

Leadership in Research: The Critical Infrastructure Security Institute elevates Texas Tech’s role as a leader in critical infrastructure protection, leveraging expertise in cybersecurity, energy and cyber-physical systems to support national resilience.

Current laws are not doing enough to protect the environment or public health against toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), warns a new study. 

PFAS are a family of nearly 15,000 synthetic chemicals used in everyday products since the 1950s, from non-stick cookware and waterproof clothing to firefighting foam. Because they are extremely resistant to breaking down, they build up in the environment and in living organisms, earning their nickname 'forever chemicals'.  

New research, the latest in an ongoing partnership between the University of Portsmouth and the Marine Conservation Society tested for PFAS in the Solent, a stretch of water between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. 

As electric vehicle (EV) adoption grows in the United States and globally, the demand for EV batteries and their critical materials - such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite - is expected to surge dramatically.  This makes the resilience of the supply chain underpinning battery production increasingly important. 

However, the US has limited capacity across key stages of the battery supply chain, leaving it vulnerable to supply disruptions. In a new study published in Nature Energy, Princeton researchers explore how domestic production expansion and demand-side strategies can help meet future EV battery material demand and identify where shortages may persist across the supply chain.