News: Research

2026

New computational tool finds hidden asthma genes missed by traditional methods

August 31, 2026

Photo of a dandelion plant.

The new approach, backed by experimental evidence from an interdisciplinary team at UChicago, including chemical biologist Hening Lin, identified central disease-driving genes, most not previously linked to asthma.


When artificial intelligence meets physics beneath the French-Swiss border

August 31, 2026

The CERN Large Hadron Collider

Deep beneath the French-Swiss border, the Large Hadron Collider sends protons crashing together at extraordinary speeds, allowing scientists to study the fundamental building blocks of matter and the forces that shape the universe. Those collisions help researchers investigate questions ranging from the behavior of subatomic particles to the possibility of new physics beyond what is currently known.


DOE selects Fermilab-led AI initiative to advance particle accelerator performance

August 31, 2026

Superconducting radio-frequency cavities are being assembled and tested for installation at the Proton Improvement Plan-II, part of the Fermilab Accelerator Complex. By fine tuning the cavities’ resonance, scientists can optimize accelerator performance

In a project selected for funding by the Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and partners from other national laboratories, universities and industry will apply artificial intelligence and machine learning to enable precise and adaptive resonance control in particle accelerators. Their work aims to lower operating costs by millions of dollars each year and improve accelerator performance, driving scientific discovery.


Machine learning smooths the road from idea to real-world climate impact

August 31, 2026

University of Chicago postdoctoral scholar Andrea Darù is the first author of a paper describing an end-to-end, machine-learning-guided workflow that smooths the often-bumpy path new materials face when going from academic idea to manufacture-ready real

Research outlines a new workflow for design and manufacturing, illustrated by two new methane-fighting materials.


August 20, 1909 – the planet Pluto is accidentally discovered

August 31, 2026

On this day August 20th, 1909, Scientists at the University of Chicago's Yerkes Observatory made the first pre-discovery of Pluto.

On this day, Aug. 20, 1909, scientists with the University of Chicago’s Yerkes Observatory accidentally came across the planet Pluto for the first time.


UChicago planetary scientists detect atmosphere on the coldest lava world to date

August 27, 2026

artist's depiction of a lava world

Studying the atmospheres of lava worlds offers window to Earth’s earliest history, pathway to habitable worlds.


NSF Renews Quantum Leap Challenge Institute with $37.5 Million Investment in Quantum Sensing for Biology

August 25, 2026

Students work with lasers in lab

The U.S. National Science Foundation has renewed the Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Quantum Sensing for Biophysics and Bioengineering (NSF QuBBE) with a $37.5 million, five-year investment to advance quantum sensing technologies that can reveal biological processes difficult or impossible to observe with conventional tools.

 


The telescope that points itself

August 24, 2026

The Víctor M. Blanco 4 metre Telescope at Cerro Tololo, Chile.

AI has now been turned to the sky because astronomers have a scheduling problem—Time on a major telescope is rationed.


Muon g-2 experiment places new constraints on a forbidden property of muons

August 24, 2026

Two of the 16 tracker modules in the Fermilab Muon g-2 experiment. The EDM analysis is possible thanks to these detectors, which are made of aluminum-coated Mylar straws that register hits as muons and positrons pass through.

The experiment, designed to measure the magnetic moment of the muon, is also sensitive to a particle property called the electric dipole moment.


‘Super-Earth’ planet shows signs it could have an atmosphere

August 17, 2026

An artist’s concept shows exoplanet LHS 1140b (right) surrounded by a helium-rich atmosphere.

Scientists say they have detected promising signs that a planet orbiting a star 49 light-years from Earth could have an atmosphere, making it potentially suitable for life.


IBM and University of Chicago demonstrate verified logical quantum computation beyond classical simulation

August 17, 2026

IBM and the University of Chicago demonstrated a logical quantum computing experiment that achieved computations beyond leading classical simulation methods while providing verification of the results.

IBM and researchers from the University of Chicago today announced a demonstration in quantum computing that achieves the fundamental criteria for quantum advantage: performing computations beyond the reach of leading classical simulation methods while providing trust that the computation returned accurate results.


University of Chicago links denoising models to nuclear quantum effects

August 17, 2026

Researchers at the University of Chicago and New York University have revealed a shared mathematical structure between the noise inherent in generative modeling and the quantum fluctuations of atomic nuclei.

Researchers at the University of Chicago and New York University have revealed a shared mathematical structure between the noise inherent in generative modeling and the quantum fluctuations of atomic nuclei.


IBM, UChicago demonstrate ‘quantum advantage,’ outperforming traditional computers with a quantum computer

August 10, 2026

IBM and researchers from the University of Chicago announced a demonstration in quantum computing that meets the fundamental criteria for “quantum advantage”—the point where quantum computers can be confirmed to have outperformed classical computers

Scientists used a new error correction method to crack a classically intractable problem. Prof. Bill Fefferman and his grad student Soumik Ghosh co-authored the paper.


New open-source software predicts energy transfer between tiny defects in solid materials

August 10, 2026

Scientific illustration of energy transfer between atomic-scale defects in a solid, as modeled by the open-source PyRET software developed by Argonne and UChicago researchers. (Image by Argonne National Laboratory)

Connecting atomic-scale behavior to larger-scale material properties to predict the performance of real optical devices.


Can apps work without taking possession of your data? Researchers think so.

August 10, 2026

Image of data use & privacy page on a phone.

New research from Computer Science explores how digital services could use personal data for specific tasks without requiring people to give up broad control over it.