Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, occur worldwide in many varieties, including in single-cell form and in chains called filaments. While these tiny life forms can strongly influence many ecosystems, the details of their behavior have mostly been studied in laboratory settings, under constant illumination. But now, scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory  (MBL) have shown that filamentous cyanobacteria are strongly regulated by the day-night cycle they experience in their natural environment. Their study was published this week in mBio.

Mississippi State biologist Matthew W. Brown is part of an international research team whose groundbreaking discovery unearthed a new organism and phylum, reshaping the tree of life. The research was featured Nov. 19 in Nature. 

Researchers have developed a new algorithm that combines two processes for personalizing robotic prosthetic devices to both optimize the movement of the prosthetic limb and – for the first time – also help a human user’s body engage in a more natural walking pattern. The new approach can be used to help restore and maintain various aspects of user movement, with the goal of addressing health challenges associated with an amputation.

For decades, scientists have been baffled by two enormous, enigmatic structures buried deep inside Earth with features so vast and unusual that they defy conventional models of planetary evolution.

Now, a study published in Nature Geoscience by Rutgers geodynamicist Yoshinori Miyazaki in combination with collaborators offers a striking new explanation for these anomalies and their role in shaping Earth’s ability to support life.

Nematologists have long wondered how the the Northern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne hapla) is able to infect such a wide range of plants, from carrots to trees. Now an international team has gained insight into how the DNA of this parasitic worm facilitates its success. 

Research led by Megan Matthews has solved a 70-year old medical mystery: how one of the oldest FDA-approved drugs for hypertension and preeclampsia, hydralazine, actually works. In the process, they revealed that it can also disarm one of the deadliest brain cancers. “Once prescribed as one of the first vasodilators for hypertension, hydralazine remains a first-line treatment for preeclampsia, a pregnancy-related hypertensive disorder that accounts for 5 to 15 percent of maternal deaths worldwide,” says Kyosuke Shishikura. “Yet for decades, no one knew exactly how the drug worked. Now that we understand its mechanism, we can start designing safer, more selective versions to target both vascular and cancer diseases.”

Digital touch has lagged behind progress in audio and video. New device, called VoxeLite, is first to accurately match the complex, detailed sensing ability of a human fingertip. Weighing less than a gram, VoxeLite enables wearers to feel virtual textures and patterns on smooth surfaces. New tech could give tactile feedback to users with vision impairments or enhance virtual reality systems.

Earthquake faults deep in the Earth can glue themselves back together following a seismic event, according to a new study led by researchers at UC Davis. The work adds a new factor to our understanding of the behavior of faults that can give rise to major earthquakes.