USF Scientists Solve 100-Year Mystery of How Carbon Black Strengthens Rubber

• The Broad Institute is leveraging artificial intelligence to accelerate drug discovery, designing new antibiotics and predicting drug toxicity with greater accuracy than traditional methods. • The AI systems are also being applied to identify specific genes, molecules, and cells that might serve as therapeutic targets for disease treatment. • This computational approach promises to dramatically speed up the drug development pipeline and reduce the cost and time required to bring new medications to patients.

• McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston launched the Center for Innovation in Congenital Heart Disease, a multidisciplinary center bringing together experts in medicine, science, and engineering to transform understanding and treatment of the condition. • A major research focus involves recreating early human heart development using stem cells and bioprinted structures to study how congenital defects form. • The center bridges discovery and clinical care by advancing research, developing technologies, and translating innovations into patient treatment solutions across a lifetime of care.

• Researchers published the most thorough study of cosmic expansion in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics on April 10, combining decades of research to derive the most precise Hubble constant yet while confirming that tension between early and late-universe measurements persists. • The study, launched at an International Space Science Institute Breakthrough Workshop in Bern, Switzerland in March 2025, expanded the cosmic distance ladder into a comprehensive survey called the Local Distance Network, achieving a goal considered 'potentially unreachable' a decade ago. • Study co-author Richard Anderson from the University of Göttingen stated that the Hubble tension reveals that 'something's missing' in the current understanding of basic physics on cosmological scales.

• Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science, working with collaborators from Japan's National Institute for Materials Science, have observed electrons in graphene flowing like a nearly frictionless liquid, defying a core law of physics. • Researchers created exceptionally clean graphene samples and measured electrical and thermal conductivity, finding that as electrical conductivity rose, thermal conductivity dropped—the opposite of expected behavior. • The team discovered the fluid's viscosity is extremely low, making it one of the closest realizations of a perfect fluid ever observed, establishing graphene as an accessible platform for studying extreme physics phenomena.

• Researchers at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) directly measured the proton capture reaction of arsenic-73 forming selenium-74, the lightest p-nucleus, using a rare isotope beam. • Led by Artemis Tsantiri, the study involved over 45 scientists from 20 U.S., Canadian, and European institutions, published in Physical Review Letters. • This first-of-its-kind experiment sharpens models of p-nuclei formation, proton-rich heavy isotopes that have puzzled astronomers.

• Brookhaven National Laboratory researchers created superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) using transition metal silicides, compatible with silicon manufacturing processes. • The technique adapts standard electronics methods, marking a milestone for scalable quantum systems on April 14, 2026. • This bridges gaps in quantum computing hardware by enabling integration with existing semiconductor fabs.

• U.S. Energy Secretary visited the DIII-D National Fusion Facility at General Atomics, the largest magnetic fusion research site in the United States, on April 14, 2026. • During the tour, Secretary Wright, along with executives Gil and Prochaska, engaged with DOE-funded scientists and engineers advancing fusion power plant technologies. • The visit highlights fusion as a promising energy breakthrough, with the secretary calling it 'what powers the stars and why I went to MIT.'

• Texas A&M researchers developed a nasal spray therapy that reverses brain aging by healing inflammation and restoring memory function. • The treatment targets age-related cognitive decline, turning 'brain fog to brain focus' in preclinical models. • Announced on April 14, 2026, it reshapes future therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.

• Preliminary data from the Simonyi Survey Telescope at NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory revealed over 11,000 new asteroids, including hundreds beyond Neptune and 33 near-Earth objects. • University of Washington scientists contributed to the ultrafast alerting system detecting up to seven million cosmic changes nightly. • Findings enhance solar system mapping and planetary defense efforts.

• Scientists at INRS have identified a family of enzymes known as Ssn that can make targeted cuts in single-stranded DNA, a capability never before achieved. • This discovery fills a major gap in biotechnology by providing new tools for DNA manipulation and genetic engineering applications. • The breakthrough has significant implications for advancing biotechnology research and developing new therapeutic approaches.

• Researchers have developed a compact CRISPR system capable of achieving up to 90% efficiency in targeted in-body gene editing applications. • The breakthrough addresses previous limitations of CRISPR technology, enabling more precise genetic modifications for therapeutic purposes. • This advancement could significantly improve treatment options for genetic disorders and certain cancers by allowing safer, more effective gene therapy interventions.