News: Research

2025

Scientists crack the mystsery of galactic filaments and magnetic fields at the heart of the Milky Way

August 29, 2025

Magnetic fields, stellar winds, and cosmic filaments are rewriting what we know about star formation and galactic evolution.

New study reveals how magnetic fields shape Sagittarius C, fueling star birth and cosmic filaments in the Milky Way’s heart.


Researchers engineer cells to develop biological qubits in pioneering multidisciplinary breakthrough

August 29, 2025

Purple, blue, and red bacteria.

UChicago scientists including David Awschalom turn fluorescent proteins into living qubits, pioneering quantum sensing inside cells and reshaping bioimaging.


Cybersecurity training doesn’t work: time wasted with no impact, study finds

August 29, 2025

Hands breaking apart a red shield with cracks forming in it.

UChicago and UCSD study finds cybersecurity training barely reduces phishing risk, 56% of employees clicked fake links in tests.


Sensors could permanently fly in the “ignorosphere” using novel propulsion technique

August 29, 2025

Example of how photophoresis works in the atmosphere as a propulsion mechanism.

UChicago and Harvard researchers use photophoresis to design tiny flyers for monitoring Earth’s elusive mesosphere.


Scientists have created a protein qubit inside a living cell

August 29, 2025

Purple light shining on a scientist working on a petri dish with a syringe.

An incredible breakthrough brings quantum-scale precision sensing to living biological systems.


Diamond biosensors detect 49 biomolecules for faster diagnostics

August 29, 2025

Chemical chain of elements.

UChicago team develops diamond biosensor detecting 49 biomolecules at once, paving the way for faster, scalable medical diagnostics.


Can red dwarf planets support life? Webb investigates TRAPPIST-1

August 29, 2025

Photo of a black object in front of a large red dwarf.

UChicago & Montréal researchers using NASA’s Webb find TRAPPIST-1 d lacks an Earth-like atmosphere, ruling it out as a potential twin.


Sunlight-powered flyers could unlock secrets of Earth’s atmosphere

August 29, 2025

Example of how photophoresis works in the atmosphere as a propulsion mechanism.

UChicago and Harvard scientists design sunlight-powered flyers that can levitate into the mesosphere using photophoresis, opening new ways to study climate and weather.


3D-printed electronics can dissolve in water for quick recycling

August 29, 2025

Prototype electronics can be made from a polymer that dissolves in water when it is time for recycling.

Electronic devices that dissolve in water could make it easier to create and recycle technology prototypes—and they could even inspire more sustainable commercial devices.


Self-assembling nanoparticles at room temp could transform drug delivery

August 25, 2025

Researchers designed nanoparticles that can self-assemble at room temperature and deliver RNA (green) to living cells (nuclei shown in blue), offering a new pathway to vaccine and biologic drug design.

Stuart Rowan and other researchers developed self-assembling nanoparticles that deliver RNA and proteins at room temperature, offering a simple, scalable solution for drug delivery.


Ultra-metal-poor star discovered in Milky Way’s halo

August 25, 2025

On-sky location of GDR3_526285, Small Magellanic Cloud, and Large Magellanic Cloud in Galactic coordinates.

Astronomers discovered an ultra-metal-poor star, GDR3_526285, in the Milky Way's halo, offering insights into the early universe and star formation.


The Webb telescope’s look at an Earth-size alien planet was bleak

August 25, 2025

Scientists did not find a robust atmosphere around TRAPPIST-1d, an Earth-size exoplanet many hoped would show signs of having air.

The James Webb Space Telescope found no atmosphere around the Earth-sized exoplanet TRAPPIST-1d, casting doubt on its habitability and further dimming hopes for the TRAPPIST-1 system's potential to support life.


Harvard team builds sunlight-powered flyers to explore Earth’s upper atmosphere

August 25, 2025

Artist depiction of disc-like devices in mesosphere.

David Keith and a Harvard team creates sunlight-powered flyers to study the mesosphere, offering new insights for climate science and future planetary exploration.


Magnetic field mapping in Sagittarius C reveals new clues to Milky Way core dynamics

August 25, 2025

Swirling red lines around a central black point.

SOFIA data maps Sagittarius C’s magnetic fields, revealing how star winds shape gas, filaments, and dynamics at the Milky Way’s turbulent core.


The third rock from another sun shows no signs of life so far

August 25, 2025

An artist’s concept of the exoplanet passing in front of its red dwarf star, which could be too volatile to allow for organic life.

James Webb finds no Earth-like atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1 d, dimming hopes for life in the nearby seven-planet system 40 light-years away.