AGP Executive Report

Space & Astronomy: CSIRO and SKA Observatory researchers unveiled SPICE-RACS, the biggest map yet of the Universe’s magnetic fields, built from signals from nearly four million galaxies using Australia’s ASKAP telescope. Neurotechnology to Clinic: Control Bionics says its NeuroNode assistive communication device is now funded via US E2513 reimbursement pathways across states covering about 70% of the population, supporting wider distribution. Research Integrity & AI: Indonesia’s BRIN chief warned that AI must not be used to fabricate data or distort research, calling for stronger safeguards and oversight. Public Health & Security: Two US lab scientists were charged with allegedly smuggling deactivated mpox vials into the country and lying to investigators after a stop at Detroit Metro Airport. Climate Experiment: A Canadian Arctic team tested a geoengineering-style approach by flooding sea ice with seawater to create extra frozen layers, thickening and brightening ice. Ancient Science: Scientists baked sourdough using 5,300-year-old yeast revived from Otzi the Iceman, and also reported microbial activity in his remains. Energy & Materials: Rolls-Royce and easyJet’s hydrogen engine test hit a milestone with 100% hydrogen operation at full take-off power, with Swansea contributing materials data.

Honeybee Biology: Researchers report a specialized group of worker honeybees that build the queen’s waxy “peanut-shaped” cells, using a fever-like process to melt and blend chemicals into softer, higher-melting wax. Space Science: SETI says an interstellar comet (3I/Atlas) shows no signs of alien technology after extensive radio scans. Public Health & Justice: UP scientists push wider rollout of the Philippines’ SAI.Kit, aiming to preserve DNA evidence from sexual assault cases from collection to conviction. Research Funding Pressure: Kansas leaders question why NIH research money isn’t reaching universities fast enough, warning delays stall work on major diseases. Climate & Ocean Monitoring: An ocean observatory off Oregon is set to go dark as the NSF dismantles much of the network, risking loss of long-running climate and ecosystem data. Biomed Materials: China-based teams unveil a mineralized DNA hydrogel that boosts bone repair in animals by calming inflammation while supporting bone-forming cells. Health Tech & Safety: Northwell Health rolls out a new gun-violence screening tool in its Epic system to flag patient risk and guide prevention efforts. Science Infrastructure: HETDEX releases its full galaxy survey dataset to the public, enabling new studies of early galaxy formation and cosmic structure. Environment & Biodiversity: Georgia researchers warn fireflies face mounting threats from development, pesticides, and light pollution.

AI and Research Integrity: Nature reports large language models are now shaping social science surveys, with researchers warning that up to 45% of online responses may be influenced or machine-made, threatening dataset credibility. Wildlife & Invasives: Florida scientists documented vultures eating Burmese python eggs for the first time, adding a new predator to the fight against the invasive snake. Climate & Oceans: A study using coral skeleton records suggests coral bleaching in Curaçao began around 1990 and recurs when climate patterns align, while separate reporting warns the Ocean Observatories Initiative is losing key monitoring capacity as instruments are decommissioned under funding cuts. Health Equity: A Lancet series finds women with chronic kidney disease are less likely to be diagnosed and undertreated, reflecting decades of male-dominated research. Science Policy & Funding: NPR reports the White House and OMB are moving to tighten control over federal grant decisions, and Science says HHS is reviewing NIH grants for requested substantive changes. Cybersecurity: U of T researchers show an AI-powered worm can adapt as it spreads using free public models, raising alarms for hospitals and critical networks. Tech & Infrastructure: UK researchers demonstrated 450 Tbps optical transmission over a deployed metropolitan fibre link, and BAS was confirmed as the top Antarctic and Southern Ocean research center.

Cardiac Regeneration: Self-assembled, chamber-like heart organoids mimic human heart architecture and could speed drug cardiotoxicity testing. Neonatal Care: Phase 1 work tests citrate-functionalized manganese oxide nanoparticles as a potential new option for acute bilirubin encephalopathy, while another study explores brief intensive phototherapy for newborn jaundice. Cancer & Metabolism: Penn Medicine reports observational links between GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and lower breast cancer incidence; separate lab work targets head-and-neck tumors by blocking lipid-making and triggering ferroptosis. Public Health & Environment: A cohort study links glyphosate exposure in Central American farm workers to worse kidney function; other research flags cognitive harm from combined cannabis and tobacco use in youth at psychosis risk. Antibiotic Resistance: Gladstone launches an AI-assisted phage therapy center to tackle hard-to-treat resistant bacteria. Climate & Policy: Courts and lawmakers clash over removing climate science from judicial guidance, while funding cuts threaten research capacity. Tech & Energy: A new strategy reduces EV battery wear during fast charging, and a solar-driven catalyst converts ethanol into hydrogen with high selectivity.

Environmental Policy: Malawi rolled out three biodiversity and ecosystem reports, explicitly pairing modern science with Indigenous and local knowledge to tackle forest loss, overfishing, and drying wetlands. Brain Health & Sports: A study warns that even one football header can spike blood markers tied to brain injury, with effects returning to baseline within days but raising concerns about repeated impacts. Cancer Risk: A large European analysis links higher processed-meat intake to increased stomach cancer and oesophageal adenocarcinoma risk, with stronger signals for certain subtypes. Paleoclimate: Arctic seafloor chemistry from a new core helps explain why Earth’s ice-age rhythm shifted about a million years ago. Quantum Physics: Researchers report photons showing “negative time” behavior in a rubidium cloud, a striking test of quantum ideas. Astronomy: Dusty rings around young stars can reveal hidden planet masses, offering a new way to find faint worlds. Public Health: A new urine test could help flag autism at age two by tracking gut-linked chemicals. Biotech & Industry: Lucera launches from Molecular Health to bring data-driven “decision intelligence” to drug development, while NSF plans to remove costly ocean research buoys. Infectious Disease: Three vaccine efforts are racing against a fast-growing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the DRC.

Moon Base Planning: NASA’s future lunar base is expected to rely on prefabricated modules, repurposed spacecraft, and lunar soil for radiation shielding as humans plan for a long-term presence by 2032. Hurricane Engineering: University of Miami researchers are simulating hurricanes in a lab to study how wind, storm surge, and waves interact—aiming to better protect coastal homes. Neuroscience Tools: UCL-led work with Neuropixels Opto can both record and control neuron activity in mice, potentially speeding up research into disorders like Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia. AI in the Real World: UCSB and partners are using AI-powered thermal cameras to detect grey whale blows and reduce vessel strikes in San Francisco Bay. Health Tech & Policy: Minerva Neurosciences formed a Scientific Advisory Board to guide roluperidone development for schizophrenia negative symptoms. Education & Access: Kuwait’s “Guide Me” overseas scholarship campaign is pushing clearer pathways for students after high school, while Africa’s manuscript-writing workshop targets the gap in global publication output. STEM for Youth: JetBlue is backing aviation-focused STEM kits and paid internships via the Museum of Discovery and Science. Consumer Tech Buzz: A rumored Google Pixel Watch 5 surfaced after a Borderlands creator posted images of a watch reportedly found underwater.

Space & Astronomy: An international team using CSIRO’s ASKAP radio telescope has pinned down the source of a rare “long-period radio transient,” linking the repeating bursts to an accreting white dwarf system. Biotech & Medicine: Singapore researchers report spinach-derived eye drops that let mouse eyes run a plant-like light reaction to generate protective antioxidants for dry-eye treatment. AI for Science: NYB.AI launches Vecura 2.0 to connect models, data, and GPU compute into agentic workflows for molecular discovery. Health & Drugs: ADA 2026 will spotlight a wave of GLP-1-based therapies, including new results for retatrutide. Climate & Risk: A new study warns powerful El Niño could push 2027 toward record heat. Earth & Environment: Indonesia’s Java north coast is seeing sea-level rise plus land subsidence up to 4.3 mm/year, raising flood risk. Materials & Electronics: Argonne researchers advance spintronics by mapping how nanoscale magnetic thickness shapes domain behavior for next-gen devices. Science Policy/Training: Qatar expands its student innovation push via the STEM HUB initiative, aiming to turn school programs into real-world innovation pipelines.

Cancer Breakthrough: An experimental pill, daraxonrasib, targeting a common mutated protein in pancreatic cancer, helped people with advanced disease live longer in a New England Journal of Medicine report presented at ASCO. Brain Injury Research: Claude Lemieux’s family says it will donate his brain to Boston University’s CTE Center to study long-term effects of repetitive head impacts. Public Health & Data: Kenya’s electronic medical records rollout is getting cloud support via AWS Outposts, aiming to speed access while keeping sensitive data in-country. AI in Education: Azerbaijan and OpenAI are teaming up to build an AI-based adaptive learning platform for more than 500,000 students under the “Digital School” project. Environmental Science: A decade-long tracking study identifies Indonesia’s Saleh Bay and Cenderawasih Bay as year-round whale shark habitats and a key Indo-Pacific stronghold. Climate & Cities: A new study questions how much satellite rainfall data reflect real urban changes versus how we observe storms. Materials for a Cleaner Future: Researchers report “living plastics” that can fully break down in six days using cooperating bacterial strains, without producing microplastics. Tech & Safety: A flight reportedly turned around after a Bluetooth speaker name triggered security concerns, a reminder to avoid risky device naming.

Climate & Communities: A University of Alaska Fairbanks team is studying how a changing Kuskokwim River is stranding people longer in Southwest Alaska, with ice breakup impacts worsening for nearby residents. Sustainable Agriculture: Brock University opened its Norris W. Walker Research Farm “living laboratory” to expand its Clean Plant Program, aiming to scale certified virus-free grapevines for Canada’s grape and wine industry. Policy & Food Security: A Canadian political push urges the government to reverse closures of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research centres, warning the losses can’t be rebuilt and could hit long-term food security. Space Science: NASA is preparing the X-59 for its first supersonic flight, while scientists confirm a meteor explosion caused a loud Massachusetts boom. Health & Medicine: A Science review argues sleep may be the common pathway linking many dementia risks; meanwhile, a trial suggests many early breast cancer patients could safely avoid chemotherapy using a new gene test. Neuroscience: Researchers mapped the brain circuit behind why pain feels worse, and another study links dopamine to how long stress suppresses sexual behavior. AI & Research Tools: Google’s Co-Scientist moves toward public use after Nature documented lab-tested hypothesis generation. Cybersecurity: Microsoft is under fire after threatening legal action against a security researcher who disclosed unpatched Windows vulnerabilities. Biodiversity Crisis: Scientists are racing to save a rare Florida salamander as drought and predators push it toward an extinction vortex.

FBI & Universities: University of Georgia researchers say they received an “unexpected” FBI-visit playbook email, raising questions about how federal scrutiny is handled in academia. Agri-Food Science: Israeli researchers report a fungus-based extract can boost tomato yields and improve taste while reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers. Biodiversity & Citizen Science: Scotland’s temperate rainforest survey has logged 1,100+ species in a West Cowal project, using volunteers plus AI-assisted ID to build a new conservation baseline. Wildlife Conservation Policy: A marine biologist’s paper on Rice’s whale species naming has been pulled into a U.S. political debate over whether protections are warranted. Medical Breakthrough: A University of Toronto-led pathway discovery is feeding into a phase 3 sleep apnea drug trial showing less airway obstruction and higher oxygen vs placebo. Climate/Physics Curiosities: New work explores how “cutting” photons could create bizarre quantum states, while other studies probe why large earthquakes don’t always trigger volcanic eruptions. Tech & Research Infrastructure: Georgia regulators are reviewing air permits for Core Scientific data-center backup generators, and a new smart electrochromic “multicolor film” points to next-gen building glazing. Health & Society: A koala chlamydia vaccine claim is challenged after researchers say a “crazy mistake” undermined the results.

Biomedical Breakthroughs: A new study reports a potential cure for chronic hepatitis B, with about 20% of participants cleared using an investigational drug now awaiting FDA approval. Brain & Health Tech: Gladstone researchers mapped how the brain clears waste proteins, tracking the routes out of the brain and how Alzheimer’s disrupts the process. Cancer Care & Public Health: University of Chicago Medicine found an opt-out, automated outreach program can make smoking cessation routine in cancer centers, improving access to counseling and medication. AI for Medicine: UK and France announced an AI-and-imaging partnership to speed women’s health research, targeting under-diagnosed conditions like endometriosis. Research Safety: A new protocol study says many amyloid PET research studies fail to screen for prior radiation exposure, and the added screening meaningfully improves participant protection. Earth & Space: Scientists confirmed a rare deep-mantle earthquake once thought impossible, and a citizen-science eclipse project found people feel more like “scientists” after hands-on observation. Education & Training: RIT and UB launched a pharmacy/biopharma pathway, while a Nepal health-science university announced new MBBS classes.

AI in Everyday Science: A new wave of AI capability is being framed as already accelerating protein-structure work like AlphaFold, speeding drug discovery and lowering costs. Space & Math for Satellites: Chinese researchers used deep mathematics to enable in-orbit, autonomous calibration for high-precision satellite constellations, reducing dependence on ground teams. Cancer Breakthrough: A small US trial reports pancreatic tumors shrinking after virus injections in three patients, with early signals of promise. Health & Brain: McMaster researchers link long-term air pollution exposure to measurable differences in brain health on cognitive tests. Nutrition & Energy: Japanese researchers report that low vitamin B12/folate intake may help explain persistent fatigue and low drive, even in otherwise healthy adults. Smart Materials: A Turku PhD project created thin polymer films that can store electrical energy and change colour, pointing to self-tinting energy-storing windows. Climate Alarm: Glaciers in the Pamir “roof of the world” show sudden accelerated melt, with record ice loss since 2022. Policy & Funding: New Zealand’s 2026 budget shifts money toward priority research pillars and commercialisation, drawing expert criticism over past cuts. Research Integrity Watch: UK firm SkinBioTherapeutics says its investigation into former CEO conduct and FY25 financial statements is complete, with results due soon.

Cancer & Health: Columbia researchers report a gene driving neuroendocrine prostate cancer, with Sirtuin 1 inhibition blocking tumor growth in mice—potentially pointing to new treatments beyond standard androgen deprivation. GLP-1s & Brain: New research links weight-loss on GLP-1 drugs to lower risk of obesity-related conditions, while another report suggests these drugs may change brain connectivity in some patients. Vaping Safety: A review in Carcinogenesis raises concern that nicotine e-cigarettes may increase cancer risk via DNA damage and chronic inflammation. Immunity & Energy: A Science Immunology study highlights how mitochondria help immune cells ramp up during infection, but can become dysregulated in chronic inflammation and cancer. Biology & Evolution: Scientists find Scottish wrens on remote islands are evolving into much larger birds—an island gigantism effect. Animal Navigation: A Science study suggests pigeons’ magnetic compass is embedded in immune cells in the liver. Agriculture & Policy: Beekeepers fear a USDA lab closure could disrupt bee disease diagnosis and threaten pollination and crop output. Research Infrastructure: UF details how an AI supercomputer investment became a university-wide AI push, and Ohio University showcases growing use of a state supercomputing center.

Marine Biodiversity: Scientists used CT scans of a preserved specimen to describe a new tiny blue octopus species, Microeleodon galapagensis, from deep waters near the Galapagos. Climate & Sea Level: The “Doomsday Glacier” (Thwaites) is poised to lose an ice shelf this year, threatening faster ice loss and future coastal flooding. Health & Aging: A Nature study links slower biological aging to sleeping about 6.4–7.8 hours; both short and long sleep raise health risks. Neuroscience: Researchers report no widespread brain inflammation in long COVID; symptoms track more with emotion, stress and memory brain activity. Parkinson’s: A University of Pennsylvania team identifies a brain immune protein (GPNMB) that may help Parkinson’s spread, pointing to antibody-based early-stage slowing. Research Policy: California’s Senate advances a $12B science bond for a November ballot, while a new framework urges business schools to measure real-world research impact beyond academia. Antarctica Safety: South Korea prosecutors say a researcher allegedly threatened crew with a self-made 47-centimeter blade at Jang Bogo Station. AI & Values: A BYU-led consortium finds major AI models show gaps and bias around faith and religion.

Space Tech & Mars Manufacturing: University of Arkansas researchers report metal 3D printing could work in a carbon dioxide atmosphere closer to Mars conditions, though rust between layers may weaken parts. Planetary Science & AI: NASA Perseverance images are being mined with machine learning to spot new Martian dust devils, aiming to automate detection of weather-like phenomena on other worlds. Ocean Worlds Probing: A study models how electromagnetic sounding from a future Enceladus orbiter or lander could reveal ocean properties like salinity and temperature. Public Health & Policy: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a vape tax that funnels $3 million a year to pediatric cancer research. Science Diplomacy: Cambodia used the 10th ASEAN Science Diplomats Assembly to push climate resilience and regional collaboration. Research Funding & Infrastructure: Missouri S&T won $2M from the U.S. DOE to build AI tools for concrete supply-chain security using alternative materials. Local Science Community: An Earth Sciences student forum at the Buffalo Science Museum brought together undergrads and postdocs with poster talks for about 100 attendees.

Hydrogen Push: Trakia University will host an international Hydrogen Technologies forum on May 28–29, spotlighting clean power and mobility and tying into its H2START centre of excellence. Ebola Vaccine Race (No Shortcuts): UK researchers working on a new Ebola vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain stress that outbreak control still starts with contact tracing and case isolation. Health & Metabolism: Zealand Pharma says late-breaking Phase 2 ZUPREME-1 data on petrelintide will be presented at the ADA’s 2026 Scientific Sessions. Research Funding Pressure: A new NIH plan would forward-fund more competing grants up front, a move critics say could squeeze next-year budgets for fresh studies. Food & Waste Innovation: Taiwan’s Fisheries Research Institute turns grouper head byproducts into a high-protein sports drink powder, while a Carrigaline researcher’s toy-sharing app reports thousands of toys re-homed and plastic saved. Climate Reality Check: Greece faces major heat mortality increases by 2040, according to a new analysis.