In just the right conditions, the destruction of a star in a black hole’s gravitational tide should produce an unusual flash of light. Credit: Chandra/Harvard

When astronomers and astrophysicists observe flashes of light in the dark sky, they assume they have seen a supernova. Possibly a star has burnt up its supply of nuclear fuel and collapsed, throwing off its outer layers into space; or maybe a dense white dwarf siphoned off material from a companion star until it exploded from excess weight. But a flash of light observed on June 14, 2015 did not fit any of the usual models.

For one thing, the intensity of the light was double that of the brightest supernova recorded up to that point. So astrophysicists were already asking what process could have caused it...

Highlights •Partial reprogramming erases cellular markers of aging in mouse and human cells •Induction of OSKM in progeria mice ameliorates signs of aging and extends lifespan •In vivo reprogramming improves regeneration in 12-month-old wild-type mice

In mice carrying a mutation leading to premature aging, reprogramming of chemical marks in the genome, ie epigenetic marks, reduced many signs of aging in the mice and extended their lifespan on average from 18 weeks to 24. The study suggests epigenetic changes drive the aging process, and that those changes may be malleable. “We did not correct the mutation that causes premature aging in these mice,” says Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a professor in the Salk Institute of Biological Science’s Gene Expression Laboratory...

Highlights •B2 repeat RNA controls stress genes by suppressing transcriptional elongation •Upon heat shock, EZH2 is recruited to stress genes to activate expression •A specific interaction between EZH2 and B2 RNA results in RNA cleavage •B2 cleavage relieves transcriptional suppression and triggers the stress response

A study from MGH investigators has found a surprising role for what had been considered a nonfunctional “junk” RNA molecule: controlling the cellular response to stress. A highly specific interaction between 2 elements previously known to repress gene transcription – B2 RNA and EZH2, an enzyme previously known only to silence genes – actually induces the expression of stress-response genes in mouse cells.

“EZH2 is part of a structure called the Polycomb Repressive Com...

Evan Reed, assistant professor of Materials Science & Engineering at Stanford, and graduate student Austin Sendek are using artificial intelligence to develop safer batteries. Credit: L.A. Cicero/Stanford News Service

Scientists have spent decades searching for a safe alternative to the flammable liquid electrolytes used in lithium-ion batteries. Stanford University researchers have identified nearly 2-dozen solid electrolytes that could someday replace the volatile liquids used in smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices. The results, based on techniques adapted from artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, are published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science.

“Electrolytes shuttle lithium ions back and forth between the battery’s positive and negative electrodes...