Stress is among the most prevalent causes of insomnia, yet why the brain fails to manage a heathy and proper sleep pattern under stress remains unclear. We clarified a neural circuit located in the deep brain regions implicated in stress-induced insomnia and an extensive suppression of immune function.

Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, the mosquito Aedes aegypti did not become the world’s most efficient carrier of human viruses overnight. Our study uncovered the genetic evolution that contributed to turn an African forest-dwelling mosquito into a super-vector.

Ecosystems change over time. We devised a way to separate rapid and profound ecological changes from the slow, gradual turnover of species. We used fossil graveyards of microscopic marine plankton that were deposited over millions of years to examine patterns in ’novel communities’ of the past, where they were driven by climate fluctuations and natural disasters rather than human activities.

The immune system generates antibodies upon infection. However, severe SARS-CoV-2 infection impairs the evolution of antibodies that can bind more tightly to the virus as the immune response progresses. The failure of this evolutionary process in patients generates a suboptimal immune response that might be permissive for the emergence of dangerous variants.

The world’s tallest geyser began frequently erupting in 2018. Despite many decades of study, basic questions about geyser formation, structure, and eruptive behavior remain unanswered. We investigated potential causes for the geyser’s reactivation and created a model to explain why some geysers sputter while others reach magnificent heights.

We created the first non-cuttable material by mimicking the unique shell structures of the abalone sea creature. The material dynamically interacts with cutting tools turning their own energy back against them. Such hierarchical material systems, akin to natural organisms, but made of metal, ceramics and high-performance fibers, could provide a rich array of material technologies for the future.