Latest Science News
AI system DrugCLIP promises trillion-scale, ultra-fast drug discovery
Researchers in China unveiled **DrugCLIP**, an AI framework that can virtually screen 500 million molecules against 10,000 protein targets in a day, about **10 million times faster** than conventional methods. Published in *Science*, it successfully identified a molecule for TRIP12, a cancer- and autism-linked protein that had eluded previous structure-based approaches, and the team has released both the tool and a 10,000‑protein database openly to accelerate global drug discovery.
James Webb maps colossal black-hole-driven gas outflow with ‘10 quintillion hydrogen bombs’ of power
Astronomers using the **James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)** have detected an enormous, precessing jet from a supermassive black hole driving a coronal gas outflow across and beyond its host disk galaxy. The outflow’s energy is estimated to match **10 quintillion hydrogen bombs exploding every second**, revealing the most extended, coherent coronal gas structure yet seen and offering new insight into how black holes reshape galaxies.
New lensless imaging method breaks long-standing limits of optical resolution
Engineers at the University of Connecticut introduced **Multiscale Aperture Synthesis Imager (MASI)**, a lensless, computational imaging system that uses multiple independent sensors and post-acquisition phase synchronization to create ultra-sharp images. Reported in *Nature Communications*, MASI can achieve **wide-field, sub-micron resolution** from previously impossible distances, potentially transforming fields from medical diagnostics to remote sensing.
NASA launches Pandora small satellite to study exoplanet atmospheres
NASA confirmed the successful liftoff of its **Pandora** mission, a small satellite designed to carefully separate exoplanet signals from stellar noise to better characterize exoplanet atmospheres. Pandora, launched with other CubeSats, will observe multiple star–planet systems, advancing techniques crucial for interpreting data from JWST and future flagship observatories.
JWST reveals unusual ‘platypus’ galaxies with odd spectral peaks
A NASA team analyzing JWST deep-field data identified a set of nine so‑called **“platypus” galaxies** that exhibit a pronounced, narrow spectral peak unlike typical galaxy spectra. Four of the galaxies were found in JWST’s Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) field, and their strange signatures may point to unusual dust, gas, or star-formation conditions in the early universe.
EAST fusion reactor achieves key milestone in high-density, stable plasma
China’s **Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST)** has reportedly maintained **stable plasma at record high densities**, marking a major step toward practical fusion power. By sustaining extreme conditions closer to those needed for net energy gain, the experiment strengthens prospects for fusion as a near‑limitless, clean energy source, though commercial reactors remain years away.
Balloon-borne PUEO mission launches over Antarctica to hunt ultra-high-energy neutrinos
A NASA scientific balloon carrying the **Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations (PUEO)**, led by University of Hawaiʻi researchers, launched over Antarctica to detect radio signals from ultra‑high‑energy neutrinos striking ice. Building on the earlier ANITA flights, PUEO’s improved sensitivity aims to clarify puzzling past events and open a new window on extreme astrophysical phenomena such as cosmic-ray accelerators.
Student-led team spots barred spiral galaxy just 2 billion years after the Big Bang
Using JWST data, a student-led team identified **COSMOS‑74706**, a barred spiral galaxy that existed about **11.5 billion years ago**, only ~2 billion years after the Big Bang. Presented at the 247th AAS meeting, the finding shows surprisingly mature **barred spiral structure** in the early universe, challenging models of how fast galaxy morphology evolves.
Scientists narrow down when Earth’s earliest animals evolved by rethinking sponge fossils
New research suggests the **earliest sponges** may have lacked mineral skeletons, explaining why molecular clock estimates for animal origins are older than the fossil record. By proposing that early sponges were entirely soft-bodied and left few traces, the study reconciles genetic evidence with paleontological data, sharpening timelines for the dawn of animal life.
New worm species in Great Salt Lake may unlock clues to the lake’s changing past and future
Biologists discovered a **previously unknown worm** in Utah’s Great Salt Lake that appears specially adapted to its extreme, saline environment. Described by University of Utah researchers, the organism’s biology and evolutionary history could provide insight into how the lake has changed over time and how its fragile ecosystem may respond to ongoing salinity and water-level shifts.
JWST finds rare carbon-rich dust in dwarf galaxy Sextans A
JWST observations of the dwarf galaxy **Sextans A** have revealed rare dust types, including **polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)** and silicon-based grains, in a low‑metallicity environment. These findings help researchers understand how complex carbon-based dust forms and survives in primitive galaxies, informing models of early star and planet formation.