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How Mary Falcigno ’15 uses AI to support the U.S. Army’s drone program
Mary Falcigno ’15 uses her math and computer science skills at an elite research and technology hub, DEVCOM (U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development
HIV, Brain Health Research, and How It Could Benefit Everyone
Brain health research in people living with HIV could improve existing treatments and facilitate discovery of new interventions for other diseases.
Amputated parts of a sea cucumber stayed alive indefinitely. Researchers call it a real-life ‘zombie’
Severed fragments of a sea cucumber kept living and thriving instead of decaying, puzzling researchers.
Homing pigeons may use a surprising navigation mechanism
How animals navigate by Earth's magnetic field is hotly debated. New research in pigeons points to iron-laden liver immune cells as the compass.
Nithya Rajan’s journey from the field to the forefront of crop science
Nithya Rajan, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife agronomist and cropping system researcher, developed a producer-outcome perspective for soil science.
Vanderbilt Health researchers call for pandemic prevention through antibody development
The next pandemic may arrive in the United States via cruise ship or commercial flight originating halfway around the world.
Vanderbilt Health researchers call for pandemic prevention
Government grants and contracts have supported the discovery of human antiviral antibodies; corporate partners are needed to develop them.
Black Women Political Candidates Are Expected to Be 'Likable,' Qualified and Tireless. Men Aren’t.
What I had experienced during that run wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to me. The year before, in 2013, I had run for president of the Young Democrats of America (YDA), a national political party office role, against a popular opponent. The opponent was a Black man, so race wasn’t a factor in the election; however, gender was. Before my campaign, I was vice president of YDA and had heard only good things about my service: my fundraising efforts, the partnerships I had engineered with progressive organizations, and programming coordination for the membership. However, when I decided to run for president, I instantly became ‘difficult to work with’ and ‘mean.’ Research on women candidates confirms that voters are less likely to vote for a woman if they don’t like her; by comparison, voters don’t need to like men to elect them. But when I was running as the Black woman candidate in a seven-candidate primary for public office, with two other women in the race, I noticed almost nothing about my being ‘difficult’ and more about my ability and work ethic. My experience running for public office reflected the systemic bias and double standards not just for women candidates, but Black women candidates who dare to aspire to any sort of political leadership—and that needed to change. We need more progressive Black women in public office for a myriad reasons, but we also specifically need the younger generation of Instigators in office, candidates who understand the times in which we live currently. Electing more Black women will take real investment in changing the biases and attitudes (conscious and unconscious) of mostly white donors, media, campaign staff, consultants and institutional leaders to help shift the culture and systems. But this support needs to be substantively increased so that we can rebuild an inclusive, multiracial democracy with the leaders we want and need. (Excerpted from The Instigators: How Black Women Have Been Essential to American Democracy by Atima Omara.)
HHMI Selects 176 Undergraduate Students as Inaugural Cech Fellows
The immersive summer research program pairs talented undergraduates from 109 institutions across 36 states and territories with leading HHMI scientists.
Neuroinfectious Diseases Research Workshop: Advancing Translational Science and Clinical Research Innovation
The Neuroinfectious Diseases Research Workshop will be a two-day scientific meeting designed to accelerate research, foster collaboration, and build capacity in the field of neurological infections. Hosted at the NIH Neuroscience Center (NSC, Executive Boulevard), this meeting will bring together clinician-scientists, laboratory investigators, translational researchers, government partners, and trainees committed to advancing understanding of neuroinfectious
Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) and Three Other Science and Technology Institutes Launch Korea’s Largest Student Startup League, “GRAVITY 2026” to Foster Global Startups
-Offering a total prize pool of KRW 200 million and overseas acceleration opportunities, the program provides full-scale support for student startup teams preparing to debut on the global stage.
Build trust in science through your conduct, ERC president says
Maria Leptin also emphasises importance of research to democracy in award acceptance speech
SURF, School of Mines researchers make potential climate science, microbiology breakthrough
A graduate student working a late night in a lab at the South Dakota School of Mines may have made a discovery that could have serious implications for microbiology and climate science.
Polish scientists and students rally in campaign for 3% funding target
Polish scientists and students have been flooding social media with calls on the government to raise research and development spending as part of 3% for Science, 100% for Poland, a campaign born earlier this month out of frustration with chronic underfunding in the academic sector. On May 27, thousands took the slogan on to the streets.The EU has been trying to convince member states to raise their R&D expenditures to 3% of GDP for more than two decades, but the idea has never gained traction in capitals. Finance ministers were too busy plugging budget holes created in the aftermath of the 2008 crisis, then the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and now the war in Iran.Critics say that countries missed or ignored the target because it is voluntary, but also because research communities have rarely raised their voice to put pressure on national governments. The European Commission hopes to make the target legally binding in the upcoming European Research Area Act, an EU-wide regulation that should be announced by the end of the year. Academia in Poland has been faced with a funding crisis for years, often leaving its members with no other choice but to work abroad in order to access better resources, or leave the sector altogether in the hope of earning a decent living. The risk, in the long-term, is that brain drain stifles local innovation capacity and technological competitiveness.In just a few weeks, the movement rallied nationwide support, including from major academic bodies and trade unions such as the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland and the Presidium of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Its public petition collected more than 23,000 signatures. On May 27, it formed the first large protest for science in Poland, gathering thousands of people in front of the parliament building in Warsaw.Ilona Uryga-Bugajska, representative of the Marie Curie Alumni Association Poland Chapter, was there. “The protest was peaceful, with no incidents reported, and the entire event took place in a respectful and calm atmosphere,” she said. Banners she saw in the crowd carried slogans such as “A little longer and I’ll be teaching in a supermarket,” “National culture, starvation salary,” “Stop the destruction of science,” “Passion will not pay the rent,” “Without action, don’t expect a better future,” and “Pull science out of the hole.” She also observed a strong presence of young researchers, who are on the frontline of Poland’s academic crisis.“Academics are usually people who prefer discussion, analysis, dialogue and compromise. We are not a group that protests easily,” said Katarzyna Marzec, professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Jagiellonian University Medical College and AGH University of Krakow, who also took part. “But many of us feel that we have been pushed against the wall.”Aleksandra Rutkowska, translational neuroscientist and research group leader at the Medical University of Gdańsk, agreed. “Frustration in the scientific community is very high,” she said. “Science is often used politically as a symbol of innovation and modernity, but the everyday reality inside many institutions is much more difficult. There is a large gap between the public narrative and the actual condition of the sector.”Maria Wiktoria Górna, head of the structural biology group at the University of Warsaw and one of the organisers of the movement, told Science|Business that the campaign would continue without proven results. This might involve another strike in the autumn, she said. “Empty promises are not enough by now.”Campaign demandsAccording to Uryga-Bugajska, the organisers officially presented their demands and concerns to representatives of the government present at the event. These included Marek Gzik, deputy minister of science and higher education, and Karolina Zioło-Pużuk, secretary of state of that same ministry.The headline demand, for the government to increase national spending on R&D to 3% of GDP by 2030, should be within Poland’s economic capacity, Rutkowska said. “The real question is whether there is genuine long-term political commitment to treating science as a strategic priority rather than a slogan.”In 2024, R&D expenditure in Poland stood at 1.41% of GDP, which is slightly above the average for central and eastern Europe, with countries such as Czechia recording 1.82%, Hungary 1.31% and Romania 0.46%. However, it falls noticeably short of the EU average of 2.24%, which just a handful of countries exceed, including Germany, Belgium and Sweden.Campaigners are also asking for fair wages for scientific staff, including PhD stipends and junior academic salaries, which are widely considered uncompetitive. Starting doctoral scholarships amount to some €843 gross per month, when the statutory minimum wage stands at €1,135. By pushing early-career researchers out of Poland, growing precarity has caused a generational gap in the academic workforce, with just 25% of lecturers aged under 40. In this context, the movement fears that scientific careers could soon be accessible to a privileged minority only.Grzegorz Spólnik is a case in point. After 15 years working in mass spectrometry at the Polish Academy of Sciences, he decided to leave partly “to earn enough money to live a normal life,” he said. “At that time, my earnings were similar to those of people working in grocery shops, and the work-life balance is something that does not exist in science, or is very hard to achieve.”Now a senior field service engineer for Polish laboratory equipment supplier Bioanalytic, he would consider going back to research, “but never in the public sector, maybe some start-up or a big private company with ambitious R&D.”The campaigners want to see more support for basic research and have called for €236 million to be added to the budget of the National Science Centre (NCN) in 2027 so that the average grant application success rate does not fall below 25%.“At the protest, there was a banner I particularly liked: ‘NCN is not a lottery.’ Unfortunately, for many researchers, it increasingly feels exactly like one,” Marzec said. “Personally, I am one of the lucky ones. I work at two of the strongest institutions in the country, where the research standards are very high. I know that in many other institutions, the situation is much worse and obtaining funding for research at an early-career stage is becoming nearly impossible.”Rutkowska also considers herself fortunate. After studying abroad and holding a postdoctoral position, she returned to Poland, where her pay was supported through an NCN-funded project linked to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. “This also made me very aware that good research conditions in Poland often depend on external competitive funding rather than on stable support from the system itself,” she said.Long-term strategyBeyond the lack of funds for both salaries and grants, scientists believe that the issue is structural. “The biggest problem at the moment is the complete lack of a clear long-term strategy for the development of science and research from the current government,” Marzec said. “Everything ends with declarations and promises that are never truly followed by concrete actions or structural reforms.”Rutkowska agreed, citing a lack of infrastructure, continuity and long-term institutional support.“Running a research group in Poland often means functioning as an entire institution at once,” she said. “I am a principal investigator, a mentor, a recruiter, a project administrator and, when needed, still someone who returns to the lab bench to help with experiments,” she went on. “This creates a large hidden workload that takes time and energy away from actual science. At times, it feels as though scientists are no longer expecting extra help; we simply hope the system will stop creating additional obstacles that make research unnecessarily difficult.”Related articlesStrategic thinking: Germany funds joint research with Poland and FrancePoland to transfer €30M of regional funds to boost Horizon Europe participationPoland is funding fewer basic research grants as high inflation hitsIn short, “academics are expected to teach, publish papers, apply for grants and conduct high-quality research, while funding and salaries remain very limited,” said Uryga-Bugajska, who returned to her home country after 13 years in the UK.According to Marzec, another issue is the way that research institutions are evaluated. Previously, this took place every four years, with a clear differentiation between stronger and weaker institutions. “The current government, perhaps to avoid political backlash, effectively concluded that everyone is doing well, so in practice no meaningful evaluation took place,” she said.But in her view, “some form of serious assessment is necessary” to ensure the excellence and international competitiveness of Polish institutions, and to determine how to best use public resources and where institutional structures need reform. “Some institutions may need to rethink hiring practices in order to attract ambitious young researchers who are capable of obtaining competitive grants and building internationally visible research groups.” Rutkowska has already had to adapt. “When hiring PhD students, I often have to combine different funding sources creatively to make positions attractive enough for talented people to stay in science,” she said. “Many young researchers do not see a stable future in academia in Poland, and that is deeply worrying.”
Arctic Ocean passed a tipping point and scientists say it may never recover
The Arctic Ocean may have crossed a dangerous tipping point. Scientists say the rapid disappearance of sea ice is triggering a hidden chemical shift that is stripping the ocean of nitrate — a nutrient essential for the tiny plankton that support Arctic life. As nitrate levels plunge, the entire food web could feel the impact, from fish and seabirds to whales and polar ecosystems.
Forget LASIK: Safer, cheaper vision correction without lasers or surgery
Researchers are developing a futuristic alternative to LASIK that reshapes the eye without lasers or incisions. Using mild electrical pulses and platinum contact lenses, they temporarily soften the cornea so it can be molded into a new shape. Early tests on rabbit eyes successfully corrected nearsightedness in about a minute while preserving the eye’s structure.
Wind energy is not bad for your health, new research shows
In this study, Osea Giuntella and his colleagues found no adverse physical or mental health affects after the installation of nearby turbines.
Polish scientists and students rally in campaign for better conditions
Polish scientists and students have been flooding social media with calls on the government to raise research and development spending as part of 3% for Science, 100% for Poland, a campaign born earlier this month out of frustration with chronic underfunding in the academic sector. On May 27, thousands took the slogan on to the streets.The EU has been trying to convince member states to raise their R&D expenditures to 3% of GDP for more than two decades, but the idea has never gained traction in capitals. Finance ministers were too busy plugging budget holes created in the aftermath of the 2008 crisis, then the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and now the war in Iran.Critics say that countries missed or ignored the target because it is voluntary, but also because research communities have rarely raised their voice to put pressure on national governments. The European Commission hopes to make the target legally binding in the upcoming European Research Area Act, an EU-wide regulation that should be announced by the end of the year. Academia in Poland has been faced with a funding crisis for years, often leaving its members with no other choice but to work abroad in order to access better resources, or leave the sector altogether in the hope of earning a decent living. The risk, in the long-term, is that brain drain stifles local innovation capacity and technological competitiveness.In just a few weeks, the movement rallied nationwide support, including from major academic bodies and trade unions such as the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland and the Presidium of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Its public petition collected more than 23,000 signatures. On May 27, it formed the first large protest for science in Poland, gathering thousands of people in front of the parliament building in Warsaw.Ilona Uryga-Bugajska, representative of the Marie Curie Alumni Association Poland Chapter, was there. “The protest was peaceful, with no incidents reported, and the entire event took place in a respectful and calm atmosphere,” she said. Banners she saw in the crowd carried slogans such as “A little longer and I’ll be teaching in a supermarket,” “National culture, starvation salary,” “Stop the destruction of science,” “Passion will not pay the rent,” “Without action, don’t expect a better future,” and “Pull science out of the hole.” She also observed a strong presence of young researchers, who are on the frontline of Poland’s academic crisis.“Academics are usually people who prefer discussion, analysis, dialogue and compromise. We are not a group that protests easily,” said Katarzyna Marzec, professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Jagiellonian University Medical College and AGH University of Krakow, who also took part. “But many of us feel that we have been pushed against the wall.”Aleksandra Rutkowska, translational neuroscientist and research group leader at the Medical University of Gdańsk, agreed. “Frustration in the scientific community is very high,” she said. “Science is often used politically as a symbol of innovation and modernity, but the everyday reality inside many institutions is much more difficult. There is a large gap between the public narrative and the actual condition of the sector.”Maria Wiktoria Górna, head of the structural biology group at the University of Warsaw and one of the organisers of the movement, told Science|Business that the campaign would continue without proven results. This might involve another strike in the autumn, she said. “Empty promises are not enough by now.”Campaign demandsAccording to Uryga-Bugajska, the organisers officially presented their demands and concerns to representatives of the government present at the event. These included Marek Gzik, deputy minister of science and higher education, and Karolina Zioło-Pużuk, secretary of state of that same ministry.The headline demand, for the government to increase national spending on R&D to 3% of GDP by 2030, should be within Poland’s economic capacity, Rutkowska said. “The real question is whether there is genuine long-term political commitment to treating science as a strategic priority rather than a slogan.”In 2024, R&D expenditure in Poland stood at 1.41% of GDP, which is slightly above the average for central and eastern Europe, with countries such as Czechia recording 1.82%, Hungary 1.31% and Romania 0.46%. However, it falls noticeably short of the EU average of 2.24%, which just a handful of countries exceed, including Germany, Belgium and Sweden.Campaigners are also asking for fair wages for scientific staff, including PhD stipends and junior academic salaries, which are widely considered uncompetitive. Starting doctoral scholarships amount to some €843 gross per month, when the statutory minimum wage stands at €1,135. By pushing early-career researchers out of Poland, growing precarity has caused a generational gap in the academic workforce, with just 25% of lecturers aged under 40. In this context, the movement fears that scientific careers could soon be accessible to a privileged minority only.Grzegorz Spólnik is a case in point. After 15 years working in mass spectrometry at the Polish Academy of Sciences, he decided to leave partly “to earn enough money to live a normal life,” he said. “At that time, my earnings were similar to those of people working in grocery shops, and the work-life balance is something that does not exist in science, or is very hard to achieve.”Now a senior field service engineer for Polish laboratory equipment supplier Bioanalytic, he would consider going back to research, “but never in the public sector, maybe some start-up or a big private company with ambitious R&D.”The campaigners want to see more support for basic research and have called for €236 million to be added to the budget of the National Science Centre (NCN) in 2027 so that the average grant application success rate does not fall below 25%.“At the protest, there was a banner I particularly liked: ‘NCN is not a lottery.’ Unfortunately, for many researchers, it increasingly feels exactly like one,” Marzec said. “Personally, I am one of the lucky ones. I work at two of the strongest institutions in the country, where the research standards are very high. I know that in many other institutions, the situation is much worse and obtaining funding for research at an early-career stage is becoming nearly impossible.”Rutkowska also considers herself fortunate. After studying abroad and holding a postdoctoral position, she returned to Poland, where her pay was supported through an NCN-funded project linked to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. “This also made me very aware that good research conditions in Poland often depend on external competitive funding rather than on stable support from the system itself,” she said.Long-term strategyBeyond the lack of funds for both salaries and grants, scientists believe that the issue is structural. “The biggest problem at the moment is the complete lack of a clear long-term strategy for the development of science and research from the current government,” Marzec said. “Everything ends with declarations and promises that are never truly followed by concrete actions or structural reforms.”Rutkowska agreed, citing a lack of infrastructure, continuity and long-term institutional support.“Running a research group in Poland often means functioning as an entire institution at once,” she said. “I am a principal investigator, a mentor, a recruiter, a project administrator and, when needed, still someone who returns to the lab bench to help with experiments,” she went on. “This creates a large hidden workload that takes time and energy away from actual science. At times, it feels as though scientists are no longer expecting extra help; we simply hope the system will stop creating additional obstacles that make research unnecessarily difficult.”Related articlesStrategic thinking: Germany funds joint research with Poland and FrancePoland to transfer €30M of regional funds to boost Horizon Europe participationPoland is funding fewer basic research grants as high inflation hitsIn short, “academics are expected to teach, publish papers, apply for grants and conduct high-quality research, while funding and salaries remain very limited,” said Uryga-Bugajska, who returned to her home country after 13 years in the UK.According to Marzec, another issue is the way that research institutions are evaluated. Previously, this took place every four years, with a clear differentiation between stronger and weaker institutions. “The current government, perhaps to avoid political backlash, effectively concluded that everyone is doing well, so in practice no meaningful evaluation took place,” she said.But in her view, “some form of serious assessment is necessary” to ensure the excellence and international competitiveness of Polish institutions, and to determine how to best use public resources and where institutional structures need reform. “Some institutions may need to rethink hiring practices in order to attract ambitious young researchers who are capable of obtaining competitive grants and building internationally visible research groups.” Rutkowska has already had to adapt. “When hiring PhD students, I often have to combine different funding sources creatively to make positions attractive enough for talented people to stay in science,” she said. “Many young researchers do not see a stable future in academia in Poland, and that is deeply worrying.”
Friendship fuels research success for KSU science students
Cecilia Le and Lily Schwartz have bonded over boba tea and chemistry research, but not necessarily in that order. The Kennesaw State University juniors met in the lab of Associate Professor of Biochemistry Mohammad Halim, and a partnership flourished – as did a friendship. They presented research into the effectiveness of certain peptides in mitigating COVID-19 twice at the Symposium of Student Scholars, and have continued to make their way as undergraduate researchers.
Scientists unlock evolution of gigantism in Scottish island wrens
A new study of British wrens has provided new insights into the inner workings of "island syndromes," according to research led by the University of Birmingham. The paper, published in the Evolutionary ...
Ozempic may be reshaping the brain, scientists say
The research has implications for addictive behaviors and diseases of aging such as Alzheimer’s.
Ozempic may be reshaping the brain, scientists say
The research has implications for addictive behaviors and diseases of aging such as Alzheimer’s.
The 'Doomsday Glacier' is poised to lose its ice shelf this year. An Antarctic researcher explains what that means for global sea levels
Researchers have warned that the Thwaites Glacier, one of the largest glaciers in the world, is about to lose its eastern ice shelf. We spoke to marine geophysicist Robert Larter about what this means for the "Doomsday Glacier."
How accurate is the science in movies? Ciné in Athens offers answers.
Athens theater Ciné pairs popular films with expert science talks to make complex research accessible to everyone.
Melatonin and Your Heart: Here’s What You Need To Know
Melatonin is a popular supplement that can help people catch ZZZs. But is it harmful to your heart? A cardiologist clarifies recent research on the topic.
Bringing basic biology back to INSAR
As the International Society for Autism Research has grown over the past two decades, basic science has become less central, Christine Wu Nordahl says. This year, she and other meeting organizers aimed to change that.
California advances $12 billion bond for science research in rebuke to Trump cuts
UCSF researchers say the bond could help protect studies, jobs and clinical trials from delays in federal NIH funding
A 100-year-old piano mystery has finally been solved
For more than a century, pianists and music teachers have argued over whether a performer’s touch can actually change the tone color of a piano note — and now scientists say the answer is yes. Using a cutting-edge sensor system that tracked piano key movements at 1,000 frames per second, researchers discovered that elite pianists subtly manipulate keys in ways that listeners can genuinely hear, even if they’ve never played piano before.
How do pigeons sense Earth's magnetic field? Scientists just solved the mystery.
New research suggests that pigeons use magnetic sensors in their livers.
Researchers block key protein that helps Parkinson’s spread through the brain
A newly identified protein called GPNMB may play a major role in helping Parkinson’s disease spread through the brain. Researchers discovered that immune cells release the protein in response to damaged neurons, creating a vicious cycle that speeds up brain cell degeneration. In early experiments, antibodies that blocked GPNMB stopped the toxic process from spreading between cells.
Earth’s orbital wobble triggered rapid climate chaos during the dinosaur age
New research suggests Earth’s climate can swing wildly on surprisingly short timescales — even during hot, ice-free greenhouse periods. By studying ancient sediments from the Late Cretaceous, scientists uncovered repeating climate shifts tied to tiny changes in Earth’s orbital wobble. These cycles may have repeatedly pushed the planet between humid and arid states every few thousand years.
New depression treatment targets the immune system instead of the brain
A surprising new approach to depression treatment is showing early promise — not by targeting brain chemicals, but by calming the immune system. In a small clinical trial, researchers found that an anti-inflammatory drug normally used for rheumatoid arthritis appeared to ease symptoms in people with hard-to-treat depression, while also reducing fatigue and anxiety and improving quality of life.
Space Telescope Science Institute
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) is a multi-mission operations center for NASA’s flagship observatories and a world-class astronomical research center. Operated by AURA for NASA, STScI has helped guide the most famous observatory in history, the Hubble Space Telescope.
Prasugrel after PCI outperforms other common antiplatelet drugs
"Prasugrel provided the optimal balance between efficacy and safety," researchers noted in a new meta-analysis.
New NFIB Industry-Specific Survey Shows Shift in Small Business Optimism
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 27, 2026) – The NFIB Research Center released an industry-specific quarterly Small Business Economic Trends survey highlighting the construction, manufacturing, retail, and services industries. According to the report, the Optimism Index for all four reported industries fell fr
UNO Research Shows What Motivates Female Students to Pursue STEM Research Experiences
The study of urban and rural schools revealed the important role science fairs play in inspiring young learners.
Powering drug discovery with analytical chemistry
Advances in analytical instrumentation are helping researchers study drug behavior, improve biomedical research, and train the next generation of scientists.
The Romans and Vikings left few genetic traces of their occupations of Britain, research suggests
Despite their occupations of Britain, the Romans and Vikings didn't leave much of a genetic mark on Britons. The Anglo-Saxons, though, were a different story.
NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #1,201 22 May 2026 (Space Life Science Research Results)
NASA Spaceline Current Awareness
Scientific Societies Launch “Trust Seal” to Strengthen Confidence in Science
Scientific societies and scholarly publishing organizations launch the Trust Seal, a new community-led initiative designed to strengthen confidence in science by supporting trustworthy publishing practices, transparency, and independent governance across the research ecosystem.
UTC graduate student recognized for her research in geospatial data science
Research allows students to gain hands-on experience in their field by developing knowledge and skills as they pursue their degrees. For University of Tennessee at Chattanooga graduate research assistant Mimi White, research has helped her discover a new passion and deepen her understanding of the field as she pursues her Master of Science in Environmental Science.
See science in action at Argonne’s June 27 Open House
Argonne’s Open House returns June 27 with free registration, interactive exhibits, facility tours and opportunities to explore research in AI, energy, scientific tools and the universe.
Ebola, chemical plants and health, hantavirus, common colds, heat and more
As they say, bugs have ears. Public health has had a relentless May. Chemical plant (near) explosions, Ebola, hantavirus, and that's before you even get to the usual suspects: common colds, heat, and ticks. Here’s an attempt to keep you up to speed and, more importantly, what it means for you and your community. But first, an announcement: World Cup The World Cup starts in 15 days (not like anyone is counting down), and we are hanging TVs in the Health Security Operations Center. It’s going to be a gorgeous, chaotic celebration of basically every culture on earth. And it’s going to take a team effort—from communities to individuals, from public health to health care—to keep people healthy. That’s where you come in. If you’re going to the games or live within 30 miles of a stadium, we would love to hear from you. Sign up for a weekly survey here. Thanks to the more than 1,280 people who have already signed up…you will be hearing from us soon!! Global disease “weather report” Hantavirus: Two more cases The global count of cruise ship passengers with hantavirus has now increased to 13 cases (11 confirmed), with three deaths. The two new cases are overseas and among people who were already quarantining: A crew member in the Netherlands. A Spanish national passenger who was quarantining at home tested positive through daily monitoring. They are now in a biocontainment unit. In the U.S., everyone remains negative. There may be more cases, given that the incubation period of hantavirus (the time from exposure to infection) is 45 days. But this week, we will reach a major milestone: the median incubation window is 18 days, and that will pass on May 29. What this means for you: Your risk from this cruise ship outbreak remains essentially nil at this point. Ebola rages on in Central Africa Big thanks to Dr. Craig Spencer, a humanitarian physician who has treated and survived Ebola, for jumping in to provide the YLE community with an update. Craig, take it from here… The combined confirmed and suspected Ebola cases in DRC are now more than 1,000. All signs are pointing to a very long and catastrophic outbreak in Central Africa: This is a vast undercount. We know this because the test positivity rate is hovering around 50%, only 20% of contacts are being traced (and in some areas, no contacts at all), and more cases keep popping up with no known connection. This all points to widespread and undetected community transmission. This is in only a week of detection. Compared to previous outbreaks, the growth is very fast, as the huge West Africa outbreak in 2016 was first detected at 49 cases and rose to 208 cases a month later. It took four months for that outbreak to reach the size of the current one in the DR Congo. The cases are spread out across 16 health zones. There are now multiple epicenters, making containment very difficult. Next door in Uganda, the case count is seven. While this number is low compared to DRC, a concerning development is that two health care workers recently tested positive with uncertain exposure histories. If they weren’t treating known Ebola cases, this means it’s spreading undetected in Uganda as well. On the ground, backlash, including the burning of health centers, has emerged, a pattern seen in nearly every outbreak and rooted in deep community distrust. It often stems from outside actors working in communities without fully understanding or addressing local priorities. Affected populations may recognize the severity of Ebola while still holding other concerns as more pressing, such as where their loved ones are buried. Community trust is essential to an effective response, but difficult to build during an active emergency. It is best established long before a crisis begins. U.S. priorities are made clear, and may backfire. The U.S. Administration has shown that its first priority is keeping Ebola out, with helping end the outbreak in the DRC a secondary concern. That's meant travel restrictions broader than anything we've imposed before — covering travelers from across the region, and reportedly some green card holders and permanent residents as well. For example, just these past two days, news broke that high-risk American travelers will be subject to a mandatory quarantine in Kenya before they are allowed to return. If an American is infected, the U.S. government plans to send them to a hospital it is standing up from scratch in Kenya. (Currently, Americans who were in the area are allowed to return but are diverted to three airports—Houston, Atlanta, and DC—for further screening.) Past administrations have used travel notices and stepped-up screening; this goes much further. At first blush, these strict precautions may sound prudent. But this approach could backfire in three ways: Restrictions this blunt give people every reason to hide where they’ve been and whom they’ve been near — making the people we most need to find harder to track, not easier. They also breed a false sense that this is someone else’s problem. But diseases are humbling. They find the small cracks in even the most impenetrable-seeming defenses. Lives lost. There is no treatment for this Ebola strain, which means survival depends heavily on the quality of the health system. We have that system in the States, but we are choosing not to use it for infected Americans. This is unbelievable and infuriating. (See a deeper dive from me here.) The only real way to lower the risk to Americans — and everyone else — is to end the outbreak in the DRC and across the region. What this means for you: If you have travel plans to this region, it’s time to cancel them. This is a high-risk situation in Central Africa, and CDC released a Level 4 Travel Advisory. There is also great uncertainty if and when the Administration will let you back in. To the general public in the U.S., your risk remains very, very low right now. U.S. disease “weather report” Ticks: past peak season? Good news, especially for people in the Northeast and Midwest: tick numbers continue to decline. Though we are at the peak of the season, this unusually early year is trending favorably. Heat-related illnesses in the North Heat risk is certainly not blanketing the entire country yet, but this week it will be moderate in the Midwest and the Southeast. What this means for you: Be sure to check the CDC HeatRisk tool. A red day isn’t the best day for that soccer game for a kid with asthma, and a stretch of orange days is a great time to check on your elderly neighbor. Common colds surging As far as respiratory viruses go, the only thing really going around right now is the common cold. It is higher this year than last year, but should peak very soon before returning this fall. Spotlight: Chemical plants Over the weekend, YLE California covered the serious situation that unfolded around a chemical plant in Orange County, California. Thankfully, the worst-case scenario (a chemical explosion) was mitigated, but only through luck. The health implications in a densely populated area could have been catastrophic. As the situation was winding down, another chemical explosion struck Washington State. This one was fatal. Health officials say the risk to surrounding residents from chemicals in the air and ground remains low, though the community deserves far greater clarity. Clean air and clean water consistently rank as Americans’ top public health concerns — yet when chemical disasters strike, communities are too often met with reassurances rather than transparency and accountability. Residents near the 2023 East Palestine, Ohio train derailment, for example, are still waiting to understand the long-term impact on their health, with few clear answers. What this means for you: Many are wondering if facilities processing potentially dangerous materials are in their neighborhoods. This interactive map allows you to enter your ZIP code and see all facilities monitored by the EPA, including any violations. Good news Ebola vaccines and treatment for the Bundibugyo species are in development. Two vaccine platforms are being explored, at least one of which may be deployable in as little as 2 months. One vaccine is being developed by Oxford, and the other uses the same biotechnology as the FDA-approved Zaire species of Ebola. (It may provide cross-protection, but it’s unclear at this point.) On the treatment side, two promising monoclonal antibody cocktails are likely to be deployed, though doses are limited and logistical hurdles remain significant challenges. Anni over at The Biotech Tea had a great explainer about the Ebola vaccine gap, if you want to read more. [ The Biotech Tea The Ebola vaccine gap, reading vessel damage, & the Makary exit 🗝️ Paid subscribers get the Biotech Term of the Week at $30/year (~$2.50/month). I try to keep it intentionally accessible, but if cost is ever a barrier, send me a message. A few people asked about expensing your subscription, so I put together a short email template… Read more 6 days ago · 10 likes · Annicka Evans, PhD ](https://www.thebiotechtea.com/p/the-ebola-vaccine-gap-reading-vessel?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web) Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been officially renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), following more than a decade of debate and input from roughly 22,000 clinicians, researchers, and patients worldwide. This is good because the old name was medically misleading, leading to patients without visible cysts being dismissed or overlooked entirely. The WHO estimates that 70% of people with the condition remain undiagnosed. A more accurate name should improve recognition, reduce stigma, and ultimately help the millions of people living with this condition get diagnosed and treated sooner. Poll Loading... Bottom line Public health situations are everywhere right now. Staying healthy takes public health professionals and systems working tirelessly behind the scenes and each of us showing up for our neighbors and communities. Love, YLE Big thanks to Ed Nirenberg for staying on top of the Ebola vaccines, Hannah Totte for all the figures, Dr. Craig Spencer for the Ebola insight, and Dr. Matt Willis for covering the chemical situation in CA. Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE) comprises a team of experts, ranging from physicians to immunologists to epidemiologists to nutritionists, working together with one goal: to “Translate” ever-evolving public health science so that people are well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. YLE suite of newsletters reaches over 475,000 people across more than 132 countries. This newsletter is free to everyone, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support the effort, subscribe or upgrade below: Subscribe
Exceptional scientists elected as Fellows of the Royal Society
Over 90 outstanding researchers from across the world have this year been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences.
Life sciences firm planning $16M relocation to Noblesville
Bothell, Washington-based BioLife Solutions Inc. plans to move its manufacturing and research operations from Indianapolis to Hamilton County.
Solving real-world problems with AI
Arvish Pandey, a recent computer science graduate at the University of Cincinnati, is using artificial intelligence to better assess risk and prevent harm to the public. A downtown Cincinnati brawl that went viral last summer has sparked Pandey's recent research project dubbed "HORIZN."
Humanity has already exceeded Earth’s limits, study warns
Humanity may already be living far beyond what Earth can sustainably support, according to a sweeping new study analyzing more than 200 years of population and environmental data. Researchers found that while population growth once fueled innovation and expansion, the trend shifted decades ago as the planet’s resources became increasingly strained.
Scientists say guava juice could make iron supplements work better
Researchers found that drinking guava juice may significantly improve anemia by helping the body absorb iron more efficiently. In a review of 17 studies, women and teenage girls who consumed guava juice — especially with iron supplements — experienced noticeable increases in hemoglobin levels. Since guava contains far more vitamin C than oranges, scientists believe it could become a simple, affordable nutrition tool in regions where anemia is widespread.
Did heart health impact the risk of severe COVID-19 infection during the pandemic?
Research Highlights: The risk of being hospitalized or dying from COVID-19 infection was lower among adults with better heart health scores. Adults without cardiovascular disease and with the best levels of heart health, as indexed by the American...
Scientists create supercharged vitamin K that helps the brain heal itself
Scientists in Japan have created powerful new vitamin K-based compounds that may help the brain regenerate lost neurons — a breakthrough that could one day change how diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are treated. By combining vitamin K with components related to vitamin A, the researchers developed compounds that were about three times more effective at turning neural stem cells into neurons than natural vitamin K alone.
Conduction system pacing after TAVR linked to improved outcomes in new meta-analysis
Researchers explored data from nearly 800 patients, focusing on a wide variety of outcomes.
Graduate Exhibition Showcases Intersection of Health, Technology, Art, Design
From digital data and technology to the environment, healthcare and the body, graduate students from across the College of Letters and Science at University of California, Davis, are pushing boundaries with their experimental research and creative expression. The results, varied in medium and discipline, will be on display at the Arts & Humanities 2026 Graduate Exhibition.
UC Davis Researcher Explores How Brain Development Shapes Teen Mental Health
Amanda Guyer, professor in the Department of Human Ecology and a faculty researcher at the Center for Mind and Brain, is helping uncover how brain development influences the way children and adolescents respond to social and emotional challenges. She is this month’s guest on Face to Face With Chancellor May.
Congressional Leaders Laud NASA Moon Plans, But Fight Intensifies over Science Funding
“If we weaken academia, we don’t just weaken our research capacity, we lose our workforce and we lose the innovation that fuels our economy.” —Rep. Zoe Lofgren at ASCEND 2026 Congressional leaders…
NSF deploys $250 million to restart Small Business Innovation Research & Small Business Tech Transfer programs, including a new $40 million pilot emphasis on next-generation scientific instrumentation
The U.S. National Science Foundation today relaunched its Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer programs with $250 million for the nation's startups and small...
20 foods that support brain health and function
The research on nutrition and brain health is more nuanced than most headlines suggest, and these 20 foods have the strongest evidence behind them
20 foods that support brain health and function
The research on nutrition and brain health is more nuanced than most headlines suggest, and these 20 foods have the strongest evidence behind them
Meet the 2026–2027 Dhablania and Kim Family Global Medicine and Health Fellows
Seven students and trainees have been awarded 2026–2027 Dhablania and Kim Family Global Medicine and Health Fellowships through the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Thanks to generous support from the Dhablania and Kim Family, this year’s cohort will pursue research and clinical projects in India, Cambodia, South Korea, Peru and Uganda, engaging in cross-cultural learning while gaining firsthand experience with global health issues.
Robotics, Science Underway as Cosmonauts Prep for Wednesday Spacewalk
Robotics controllers wrapped up a weekend of swapping scientific hardware packed inside the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft’s trunk for installation on the International Space Station. Meanwhile, the Expedition 74 crew is continuing its biotechnology and botany research while getting ready for a spacewalk scheduled for Wednesday, May 27.
Visiting students explore sustainability through physics REU program
Students visiting Penn State for its Physics Research Experiences for Undergraduates program not only conduct hands-on research, but also explore the environmental, social and global impacts of that research. The program, hosted by the Department of Physics in the Eberly College of Science and the Center for Nanoscale Science, supports students from across the country who may not otherwise have access to research opportunities.
Learning Health System holds 7th annual symposium
Co-sponsors of the Learning Health System (LHS) Symposium held May 14 at the Vanderbilt Student Life Center join keynote speaker Kevin High, MD, MS, (second from right), a leader in academic LHS for Charlotte, N.C.-based Advocate Health. From left are Christiane Roumie, MD, MPH, Director of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VETWISE-LHS Center of Innovation, Cheryl Gatto, PhD, and Matthew Semler, MD, MSCI, from the Center for Learning Healthcare of the Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, and, at far right, symposium Chair Sunil Kripalani, MD, MSc, Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Health Services Research. (photo by Susan Urmy) Recipients of the Operational Partner Award were honored at the May 14 Learning Health System (LHS) Symposium for their efforts, in partnership with the LHS academic initiative, to improve frontline patient care at Vanderbilt Health and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System. (photo by Susan Urmy)
Opinion | Funding cuts are draining scientific research
At public and private universities across the country, high-impact science is being damaged and derailed.
UIC and UI Health: Reshaping the future of telesurgery
Researchers at UIC and UI Health are challenging accepted beliefs […]
School of Business, CLAS, and College of Engineering Host MIP 2026 Research Conference at UConn Stamford
Google, Nvidia, Uber and other tech companies attended
Three Monarchs Earn Prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships
By Robyn Sidersky Three recent Old Dominion University graduates are preparing to tackle some of society’s biggest scientific challenges, from developing sustainable pharmaceuticals to restoring wetlands and advancing regenerative medicine, with help from one of the nation’s most prestigious graduate fellowships.
Advancing CAR-T Cell Science in Lupus: Meet the First Recipients of the Lupus Research Alliance–Genentech Fund
The inaugural recipients of the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA)– Genentech Award on Immune Resetting Therapies for Lupus (LGA-IRT) are… Anne Davidson, MBBS, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy can lead to long-lasting remission in lupus, but it is not yet clear how it works at a cellular level or […]
Banner Health report shows Arizona research driving national medical innovation
Milestones in Research details 1,300 clinical and translational research studies, FDA-approved heart device, landmark Alzheimer's prevention work Dr Wilber Su Wilber Su, MD, cardiologist for Banner Health, in the operating room. Phoenix, May 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Banner Health's $80.5 million research enterprise delivered breakthrough treatments to Arizona patients in 2025 while advancing wide-ranging therapies toward FDA approval, according to the organization's annual Milestones in Rese
Gift expands undergrad research opportunities in wildlife and fisheries science
Paul and Jane Miller, through a six-figure pledge, have created the Paul and Jane Miller Undergraduate Research Fund in the College of Agricultural Sciences' Department of Ecosystem Science and Management. With the goal of seeing their philanthropy in action, the Millers have also committed to a five-year, $25,000 pledge to early activate their research endowment.
Aspira Women’s Health and Cleveland Clinic Expand Strategic Collaboration to Advance AI-Powered Diagnostics in Women’s Health
Collaboration aims to accelerate biomarker discovery, strengthen translational research capabilities, and support scalable clinical validation
Scientists found a dead whale 1,288m deep in the Pacific. They filmed it for 20 years – and discovered this
Researchers studied a whale decomposing at the bottom of the ocean and found that its body sustains deep-sea creatures for decades.
From smart agriculture to mental health: These are the New U.S.-Israel projects set to receive $7.5 million from the BIRD Foundation
On May 5, 2026, the Board of Governors of the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation approved grants totaling $7.5 million for seven new projects between U.S. and Israeli companies. In addition to BIRD funding, the projects will leverage private-sector investment, resulting in a combined investment of $20 million across all projects.
Large Hadron Collider detects strange particle behavior that could rewrite physics
Scientists working at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider may be seeing the strongest hints yet of physics beyond the Standard Model — the decades-old theory that explains the fundamental particles and forces of the universe. By studying incredibly rare particle transformations called “penguin decays,” researchers found behavior that doesn’t fully match theoretical predictions, raising the possibility that unknown particles or forces are influencing the results.
Creation Scientists’ Research Back in the News Again
Did dinosaurs really die out millions of years ago?
Argonne launches first large-scale AI inference service for open science
The Argonne Leadership Computing Facility Inference Service provides researchers with access to a range of AI models on Argonne computing systems, enabling faster insights, data analysis, and scientific discovery.
Eating less meat can improve gut microbiome
I read about a study that says it's possible for someone who eats meat to have a gut that's as healthy as someone who is vegan. I know your gut microbiome is an important part of good health, but I'm just not cut out to be a vegan. I'd like to know more about that research.
Scientists say they’ve reversed brain aging with a simple nasal spray
Researchers at Texas A&M have developed a nasal spray that appears to reverse brain aging by calming inflammation and restoring the brain’s energy systems. After just two doses, memory and cognitive function improved for months, raising hopes for future treatments targeting dementia and brain fog.
Inhaled fine particulate matter travels beyond the lungs to the brain
A research team led by Drs. Byung-Yong Yu and Gwan-Ho Lee at the Advanced Analysis and Data Center of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST; President Sang-Rok Oh) announced that it has developed a new analytical platform that can precisely measure the accumulation of fine particulate matter in individual organs, overcoming the limitations of existing analytical technologies.
The Lab Chores Scientists Secretly Love
From aligning pipette boxes to wiping down benches, researchers share the quiet, meditative rituals that help them recharge amid the chaos of scientific discovery.
Global Mitochondrial Health Summit 2026: How nutraceuticals power cellular energy for longevity
Mitochondrial health is now recognized as vital for overall well-being and longevity. Leading clinicians, researchers, and educators on the emerging science behind the cellular powerhouse will be meeting on June 26 at the inaugural Global Mitochondrial Health Summit, hosted by Kaneka Ubiquinol.Ahead of the event in Sydney, Australia, Nutrition Insight speaks with Dr. Kazunori Hosoe, scientist and researcher at Kaneka Corporation, about advancements in mitochondrial science, gaps in nutraceutical products, and how the industry can communicate complex science with consumer-friendly messaging.
USC scientists discover a hidden Alzheimer’s trigger and a possible way to shut it down
USC researchers have identified potential new drug compounds that may reduce the brain inflammation linked to Alzheimer’s disease, especially in people with the high-risk APOE4 gene. The compounds target cPLA2, an enzyme that seems to fuel harmful inflammation while also being important for normal brain activity.
Researchers rename PCOS to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome during Women’s Health
Blood pressure swings over 24 hours tied to poorer brain health
Frequent changes in blood pressure could affect cognitive health and contribute to brain changes associated with dementia risk, according to new research from Monash University.
Exclusive: Trump admin shutting key US researchers out of global virus response talks, documents and sources reveal
Officials responsible for leading US research on infectious disease threats have been barred from speaking directly with the World Health Organization – effectively shutting them out of global discussions on virus outbreaks, according to documents and multiple sources who spoke to CNN.
Exclusive: Trump admin shutting key US researchers out of global virus response talks, documents and sources reveal
Officials responsible for leading US research on infectious disease threats have been barred from speaking directly with the World Health Organization – effectively shutting them out of global discussions on virus outbreaks, according to documents and multiple sources who spoke to CNN.
One type of sitting may pose greater dementia risk than another, study suggests
New research suggests the type of sitting matters for dementia risk, with mentally engaging activities linked to a significant reduction in risk.
Scientists find a place where time moves backward
Physicists in South Africa ran the math on collapsing neutron stars and landed somewhere odd. Researchers from Durban University of Technology and the University of KwaZulu-Natal found that inside the...
The Science Behind Dry Farming
Winemakers and researchers say dry farming can improve vine resilience and soil health—but only under the right conditions…
Meet DFP Spring Fellow, Nathan Englehart, Washington University in St. Louis -
Nathan Englehart (he/him/his) is a second year PhD student and Richard J. Walter PhD scholar at Washington University in St. Louis. Nathan’s current research focuses on gender and politics (with a focus on men and masculinity), [...]
100-million-year-old bug had crab-like claws unlike any known insect
Deep inside 100-million-year-old amber from Myanmar, scientists uncovered a bizarre ancient bug with clawed front legs that look more like a crab’s pincers than anything seen in modern insects. The discovery is so unusual that researchers say these crab-like “chelae” evolved independently in this lineage, making it only the fourth known example of such structures appearing in insects at all.
This prehistoric fish may explain how animals first walked on Earth
Scientists have peered inside the skull of a 380-million-year-old Antarctic fish that was closely related to the first animals to walk on land, revealing surprising clues about how life began its move out of the water. Using advanced neutron imaging, researchers discovered that Koharalepis jarviki had features suited for living near the water’s surface, including openings in its skull that may have helped it gulp air and a light-sensitive organ linked to day-night rhythms.
Common heart drug taken by millions found useless
A massive international study could upend 40 years of heart attack treatment. Researchers found that beta blockers—routinely prescribed after uncomplicated heart attacks—offered no real benefit for patients whose heart function remained normal, despite being given to millions worldwide. Even more surprising, women taking the drugs faced a higher risk of death, repeat heart attack, or hospitalization for heart failure compared to women who didn’t receive them.
Scientists discover why Ozempic and Wegovy weight loss eventually plateaus
New NIH research reveals that semaglutide sparks different responses inside appetite-controlling brain cells, offering fresh insight into why GLP-1 weight-loss drugs don’t work the same for everyone. Scientists also found a possible way to extend the drugs’ effects, potentially helping patients push past weight-loss plateaus.
Semiconductor decoupling. Powell's politics. Industrializing Ogaden. Free trade and the Magna Carta.
Thank you for opening your Chartbook email. Feliks Topolski, 1907-1989 8th Army’s Front, Italy 1944 Semiconductor decoupling Source: FT One thing that Jerome Powell deeply understood is that chairing the Fed under current conditions is a deeply political job. “Powell has successes and mistakes to his name. But he stands out as having thought more carefully about the Fed’s democratic legitimacy than any chair since Paul Volcker,” said Paul Tucker, a former deputy governor at the Bank of England, referring to the Fed chair who successfully fought the great inflation of the 1970s and early 1980s. … While Powell was at the Treasury in the early 1990s, he watched Alan Greenspan build relationships within the government. That convinced Powell he needed to follow the former Fed chair’s lead and spend more time in Congress than his predecessors Yellen and Bernanke. “The accountability for the Fed runs through Congress,” said Claudia Sahm, a former Fed official who is now chief economist at New Century Advisors. “That’s not just about having people on speed dial — it’s answering questions, explaining policy and getting feedback.” Source: FT Ethiopia’s PM Abiy and Nigerian business tycoon, with Chinese engineering, are driving industrialization in Ogaden/Somali region of Ethiopia. - Michael Masri’s reporting for Africa Report if fascinating. Ethiopia has launched a cluster of large industrial schemes in the Somali region, laying foundation stones for a urea plant and an oil refinery in Gode while opening the first two phases of the Ogaden LNG project. Abiy Ahmed framed the push as part of a broader strategy to link energy, agriculture and industry. “These projects embody more than industrial growth,” he said. “They represent our shared responsibility to harness opportunities, strengthen co-operation and promote peace.” The Gode urea plant, backed by Dangote Group and Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH), is designed for 3m tonnes a year. Dangote owns 60%, while EIH holds 40%. Officials say Dangote’s equity totals about $2.5bn, while the state provides land and implementation oversight. Gas from the Calub fields will be piped 108km to the site. Construction is slated for 40 months, with operations targeted for 2028. Ethiopia imports most of its fertiliser, spending more than $1.2bn a year for 1.5m–2m tonnes. Usage was roughly 1.7m tonnes in 2023, almost half of it urea, and demand for 2024–25 is put above 2.4m tonnes. If delivered on time, the Gode plant could cover domestic needs and allow exports to neighbours. Brook Taye, chief executive of EIH, called the venture “a significant milestone in the journey toward industrial self-sufficiency”. Dangote told the groundbreaking crowd that the complex would be integrated with gas supply and a polypropylene unit to support local inputs. He pointed to Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), with a capacity of more than 5,000MW, and noted his group’s cement operations and expansion plans. The Gode refinery is being developed by Golden Concord Group of China. It is designed to process 3.5m tonnes a year of crude and condensate from the Hilala field, with associated storage. Backers say it will ease foreign-exchange pressure from fuel imports and anchor further industrial activity, including a proposed steel smelting site in Dire Dawa. GCL’s chair, Zhu Gongshan, cast the project as “a key step in Ethiopia’s path to energy sovereignty”, underscoring the Beijing–Addis ties. Financing details are still being finalised, but the refinery is central to the government’s energy-security narrative. Source: The Africa Report Dangote’s Ethiopian vision: Dangote began with cement. His crown jewel, Dangote Cement, dominates Nigeria’s market and has 10 operations in other nations in Africa. The formula has been consistent: identify sectors with chronic shortages – cement, fertiliser, sugar – commit massive local investments, and scale up to serve regional demand. Ethiopia was a natural extension of that model. In 2015, Dangote launched the Mugher Cement Plant outside Addis Ababa at a cost of $600m, with an annual capacity of 2.5 million tonnes. The investment gave him a firm foothold in one of Africa’s fastest-growing construction markets. But success came with risks. In May 2018, violent unrest led to the killing of Dangote’s country manager and temporary shutdowns at Mugher. While other investors might have retreated, Dangote doubled down. Today, he is preparing to spend $400m to expand Mugher’s capacity to 5 million tonnes, alongside a new grinding unit near Addis Ababa. Cement is just one market Dangote is targeting. Ethiopia’s enormous state-controlled sugar industry, long plagued by inefficiency and debt, has struggled for years to reform. Its Omo Kuraz Sugar Development Project, touted as one of the continent’s largest initiatives, continues to face delays and mismanagement. … The most ambitious venture of all is the planned fertiliser production complex in Gode, Somali region. Publicised on 28 August 2025, the Dangote Group and Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH) deal plans one of the world’s largest single-site urea manufacturing plants. The project costs an estimated $2.5bn and has an estimated capacity of 3 million metric tonnes annually, a rate that would not only render Ethiopia independent, but even a net exporter of fertiliser. EIH, the state wealth fund of Ethiopia, will hold 40%, while 60% is held by Dangote Group. … For Dangote, Ethiopia is a trifecta: Cement demand is projected to grow by 10% annually, its sugar consumption is growing with rapid urbanisation, and fertiliser demand is all but insatiable, given that farming supports the livelihood of 70% of Ethiopians. Source: The Africa Report The stakes for Abiy are high: For Addis Ababa, the $4bn fertiliser project in Ethiopia’s Somali region is no longer simply a manufacturing investment. It is increasingly being framed as a strategic state project tied to food sovereignty, import substitution and the government’s broader attempt to build economic resilience under mounting fiscal pressure. “Becoming self-sufficient in food is our main agenda,” Abiy says during the visit. “Land is needed; we have it. Water is needed; we have it. Human resources are needed; we have it.” The scale is enormous even by African industrial standards. Once operational, the plant is expected to produce three million metric tonnes of urea annually, potentially making it one of the continent’s largest fertiliser complexes. Ethiopian officials say the project now includes a 110km gas pipeline, a 120MW power plant, a polypropylene packaging facility and a two-million-tonne NPK blending plant. For a government grappling with chronic foreign exchange shortages, ballooning import bills and pressure on agricultural productivity, the numbers matter politically as much as they do economically. The decision to anchor the project in Gode is deliberate. Long viewed as peripheral to Ethiopia’s industrial economy, the Somali region is now being repositioned by the federal government as a future irrigation and agro-industrial corridor. Officials argue that the area’s vast land reserves and access to water could eventually support large-scale commercial farming capable of reshaping Ethiopia’s food economy. The government is simultaneously building housing infrastructure for about 5,000 residents near the plant, while officials project broader industrial expansion along the corridor. Abiy goes further, comparing the long-term revenue potential of the Gode development zone with Ethiopia’s flagship state enterprise. “The investments we are making in this Gode area, combined, will generate high revenue for Ethiopia, at par with Ethiopian Airlines,” he says. Source: The Africa Report Feliks Topolski 1907-1982 Topolski’s Chronicle, ‘Nazi Revival’, Vol. 8, Is. 1-2, 1960 HEY READERS, THANK YOU for opening the Chartbook email. I hope it brightens your day. I enjoy putting out the newsletter, but tbh, what keeps this flow going is the generosity of those readers who clicked the subscription button. Photo by Jakub Dziubak on Unsplash If you are persuaded to click, please consider the annual subscription of $50. It is both better value for you and a much better deal for me, as it involves only one credit card charge. Why feed the payments companies if we don’t have to. Subscribe Grim vision of drone warfare by Sylvie Kaufmann For contributing subscribers only. Subscribe The state of the art in Colbert-studies. Jean-Baptiste Colbert was Louis XIV chief minister from 1661 to 1683 and traditionally seen as an architect of absolutism and mercantilism. Alexander Hamilton later cited him as an inspiration in 1782. Now his legacy is disputed. Daniel Dessert, the chief critic, sees Colbert as the orchestrator not so much of an absolutist state as of an elite cabal. Would be great to have a good English-language review of this important debate. Source: lhistoire Didn’t know that the Magna Carta included free trade provisions Fighting for the right to the beach in Oregon in 1967: Source: Research Gate RAF Station – British and Polish Flags, c. 1940-45, The Ingram Collection Feliks Topolski, 1907-1989 ink and wash If you’ve scrolled this far, you know you want to click: Subscribe
The solar system's largest moon may be heating up — offering clues to its mysterious origins
The largest moon in the solar system — Jupiter’s Ganymede — has a unique and inexplicable magnetic field. New research could finally explain it: the moon is heating up.
Cancer nearly left my kids without a mom. Funding cuts may halt the science that saved me.
The Trump administration proposes cutting $6 billion from the National Institutes of Health. Philanthropy cannot replicate the scale of government-backed research.
Why Big Business Loves Costly Regulations
In new research, Luca Macedoni and Ariel Weinberger argue that large firms are more likely to lobby in favor of strict industry regulations when they can reduce competition by imposing high fixed costs on smaller, less-profitable firms.
Two new ‘doctors of the reef’ cleaner wrasses identified by museum scientists
Discovery of Goldenrod Cleaner and the Cinnabar Cleaner Wrasses demonstrate that the most watched animals on coral reefs can still surprise researchers.
Computer Science Colloquium Series Presents Cybersecurity Research at the Nelson Mandela University: The Centre for Research in Information and Cyber Security (CRICS)
Abstract:This presentation provides an overview of the Centre for Research in Information and Cybersecurity (CRICS) at Nelson Mandela University and its role within the South African higher education context and cybersecurity landscape.
City of Newport, Newport Business Council to host the Monmouth History Bar Crawl June 5
The City of Newport along with the Newport Business Council will host the Monmouth History Crawl on Thursday, June 5 starting at 4:30 p.m. The event is run by City of Newport and Newport Business Council volunteers and researchers, with a sponsorship from the East Row Historic Foundation. The City has also worked with the...