Novel antibiotic targets IBD—and AI predicted how it would work before scientists could prove it

Two researchers pose in a university laboratory.
McMaster graduate student Denise Catacutan (left) and assistant professor Jon Stokes (right) have discovered a new antibiotic — and they leveraged cutting-edge AI to determine how it works.

Researchers at McMaster University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have made two scientific breakthroughs at once: they not only discovered a brand-new antibiotic that targets inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), but also successfully used a new type of AI to predict exactly how the drug works. To their knowledge, this is a global first for the AI.

Detailed in the journal Nature Microbiology, the discovery unveils a promising new treatment option for millions of people affected by Crohn’s disease and other related conditions, while also showcasing important new applications fo...

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Solar energy is now the world’s cheapest source of power, study finds

energy
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Solar energy is now so cost-effective that, in the sunniest countries, it costs as little as £0.02 to produce one unit of power, making it cheaper than electricity generated from coal, gas or wind, according to a new study from the University of Surrey.

In a study accepted for publication in Energy and Environment Materials, researchers from Surrey’s Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) argue that solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is now the key driver of the world’s transition to clean, renewable power.

Professor Ravi Silva, co-author of the study and Director of the ATI at the University of Surrey, said, “Even here in the U.K., a country that sits 50 degrees north of the equator, solar is the cheapest option for large-scale energy generation.

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VERITAS observations explore a unique microquasar

SS 433 region acceptance corrected livetime map: Computed by dividing the exposure map by the VERITAS on axis effective area evaluated at an energy of 1 TeV. The map is overlaid by black X-ray contours. The VERITAS observation pointings are indicated by black markers and SS 433, the eastern and western jet emission regions are indicated by white crosses. Credit: arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2509.21063

Using the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS), German astronomers have observed a unique microquasar known as SS 433. Results of the observational campaign, published Sept. 25 on the arXiv pre-print server, could help us better understand the nature and behavior of this peculiar object.

Quasars, or quasi-stellar objects (QSOs), are active galactic n...

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Prediabetes remission possible without dropping pounds, new study finds

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There’s a long-held belief in diabetes prevention that weight loss is the main way to lower disease risk. Our new study challenges this.

For decades, people diagnosed with prediabetes—a condition affecting up to one in three adults depending on age—have been told the same thing by their doctors: eat healthily and lose weight to avoid developing diabetes.

This approach hasn’t been working for all. Despite unchanged medical recommendations for more than 20 years, diabetes prevalence continues rising globally. Most people with prediabetes find weight-loss goals hard to reach, leaving them discouraged and still at high risk of diabetes.

Our latest research, published in Nature Medicine, reveals a different approach entirely...

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