Researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), led by Prof. Liu Qi, in collaboration with Harvard Medical School's Marinka Zitnik lab, have developed a novel deep generative algorithm, PocketGen. This algorithm, based on graph representation learning and protein language models, efficiently generates protein pocket sequences and spatial structures for binding small molecules. The study was published in Nature Machine Intelligence.

From silverback gorillas beating their chests to executives battling it out in the boardroom, the reputation for testosterone-fueled aggression and dominance has typically belonged to macho males.

Since 2018 the Zwicky Transient Facility, an international astronomical collaboration based at the Palomar Observatory in California, has scanned the entire sky every two to three nights. As part of this mission, the ZTF's Bright Transient Survey has been counting and cataloging supernovae—flashes of light in the sky that are the telltale signs of stars dying in spectacular explosions.

We have only one example of biology forming in the universe—life on Earth. But what if life can form in other ways? How do you look for alien life when you don't know what alien life might look like?

Overheating in electronic devices affects how it works and how long it lasts. One of the major challenges is efficiently managing the heat generated by these systems during operation, which involves controlling the thermal conductivity of the materials they comprise. While electric current can be easily manipulated in conventional electronic materials, heat presents a different challenge: phonons, the particles that transport heat in crystalline solids, lack both charge and magnetic moment, making them much harder to control.

Water electrolysis is a cornerstone of global sustainable and renewable energy systems, facilitating the production of hydrogen fuel. This clean and versatile energy carrier can be utilized in various applications, such as chemical CO2 conversion, and electricity generation. Utilizing renewable energy sources such as solar and wind to power the electrolysis process may help reduce carbon emissions and promote the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Researchers at the University of Ottawa may have cracked the code to harness both mRNA and RNAI-based therapies to improve the treatment of cancer, cardiovascular and other complex diseases.

Quantum error correction that suppresses errors below a critical threshold needed for achieving future practical quantum computing applications is demonstrated on the newest generation quantum chips from Google Quantum AI, reports a paper in Nature this week. The device performance, if scaled, could facilitate the operational requirements of large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computing.

A new study by Rice University physicist Qimiao Si unravels the enigmatic behaviors of quantum critical metals—materials that defy conventional physics at low temperatures. Published in Nature Physics Dec. 9, the research examines quantum critical points (QCPs), where materials teeter on the edge between two distinct phases, such as magnetism and nonmagnetism. The findings illuminate the peculiarities of these metals and provide a deeper understanding of high-temperature superconductors, which conduct electricity without resistance at relatively high temperatures.

Screens for TVs, smartphones or other displays could be made with a new kind of organic LED material developed by an international team, co-led by University of Michigan engineers. The material maintains sharp color and contrast while replacing the heavy metal with a new hybrid material.