Scientists may have solved a long-standing mystery about why the Moon’s two sides are so different, using samples collected from its farside for the first time. Their findings suggest that uneven heating from Earth’s gravitational pull drove enormous flows of ancient magma, creating the dramatically different lunar landscapes we see today.

Scientists investigating why the Moon’s two sides look so different have uncovered new evidence that could help explain this long-standing mystery. A research team led by Professor Hejiu Hui of Nanjing University analyzed lunar rocks collected by China’s Chang’e-6 (CE6) mission and found clues suggesting that enormous movements of molten rock shaped the Moon billions of years ago.

The researchers examined the chemical compositions of three t...

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and collaborating institutions in Texas developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that helps explain how immune cells find their way to specific locations in the body and why they avoid others. The findings could help scientists better understand cancer, autoimmune diseases and treatment response.

The study, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, was co-led by Tao Wang, Ph.D., associate professor of bioinformatics and computational biology, and Linghua Wang, M.D., Ph.D., professor of genomic medicine, executive director and head of the Center for Cellular Language Intelligence, associate member of the James P. Allison Institute and focus area co-lead with the Institute for Data Science in Oncology.

“Whil...

NASA experiments focused on human and plant health and drug-resistant organisms will travel to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s 35th Commercial Resupply Services mission for the agency from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, advancing research that benefits life on Earth and future exploration.

This research supports astronaut health during long-duration missions through four investigations from the agency’s Biological and Physical Sciences division, including 3D models of the human brain, a crop disease study, a faster way to assess astronaut health and an analysis of antibiotic-resistant bacteria aboard the space station.

Tiny brain models, big questions
A new precision health investigation helps address a key question: What h...

A Cleveland Clinic research team studying alcohol and the brain discovered a new way that alcohol abuse can cause brain dysfunction and damage: through immune cells called microglia. The research also identified a potential new treatment target.

The team showed that in a brain affected by alcohol, microglia tear down the extracellular matrix (ECM), the scaffold that surrounds our neurons. The ECM physically holds our brain cells together and allows them to work properly. When it’s disrupted, our neurons can’t communicate as effectively. Severe ECM disruption can affect our ability to move, think and even remain alert.

The research, published in Immunity, is new, fundamental knowledge that already guides the research team to explore new ways to p...