Metformin, a widely prescribed, safe and inexpensive drug for type 2 diabetes, is a first-line treatment that lowers blood sugar and improves the body’s response to insulin. The drug appears to trick cells into sensing an energy shortage, similar to what happens during fasting or dieting. This activates a key cellular energy sensor called AMPK, which helps trigger cellular waste cleanup and supports cellular repair. Now, a recent review suggests metformin might also help counter some effects of aging.

The researchers compiled decades of global research, from cellular and molecular studies to animal and human studies, to provide a comprehensive, unified picture of how metformin might affect aging and longevity...

Astronomers have discovered a second interstellar cloud near the center of the Milky Way that is extraordinarily rich in complex molecules, including several molecules associated with prebiotic chemistry. The newly studied cloud, G+0.633-0.0604, or G+0.633, contains more than 120 identified molecular species and is the first confirmed chemical twin of another famous molecule-rich cloud. Their paper, posted to the arXiv preprint server on Aug. 14, outlines the chemistry of the newfound cloud.

Under the right conditions
Finding molecules in space isn’t new. So far, astronomers have found almost 350 different molecules in interstellar space...

The neuroactive potential of bacteria living in the human gut is associated with levels of key chemicals in the brain, according to a new study published in Molecular Psychiatry. The research team from the University of Surrey and the University of Roehampton found that microbial pathways involved in producing and breaking down neuroactive compounds were associated with levels of GABA and glutamate in specific regions of the human brain.

GABA and glutamate are two of the brain’s most important chemical messengers. GABA predominantly dampens neural activity, while glutamate promotes excitation...

There may soon be a new kind of artificial intelligence in town, one that uses a novel approach to thinking that could save massive amounts of computing power and money.

The AI that most people use every day, like ChatGPT, Claude or Google Gemini, relies on large language models that can work through difficult problems step by step. While this may ultimately give us the answers we are searching for, the process can increase response times and use a lot of computing power.