Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
November 18, 2025
November 18, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Science & Technology



 ALESPA/CC-BY-SA-3.0
Traditional solar cells use silicon, a less efficient material than HOIPs.

Lab develops hybrid organic solar cells

New research, led by Xiaoyang Zhu, a professor of chemistry at Columbia University, reveals the potential of using a new kind of material, hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOIPs), to manufacture solar cells. The results conclude that HOIPs can achieve much higher solar efficiencies than traditional solar cells, which are typically made out of silicon.


 CAROLINE DAVIS 2010/cc-by-2.0
One researcher has edited the genes in a human embryo using CRISPR/Cas9 technology.

Swedish researcher edits human embryo

Developmental biologist Fredrik Lanner of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm recently publicized his successful editing of human DNA in embryos. Despite previous attempts to edit genes in human embryos, Lanner is the first to yield viable human embryos after gene editing and announce it to the public.




 E. Schokraie/CC BY 2.5

Genes help water bears survive harsh conditions

If you consider Siberian tigers or saltwater crocodiles to be the toughest animals on the planet, think again. Tardigrades, also known as “water bears,” are microscopic aquatic animals with four pairs of legs that average half a millimeter in length.


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Temporary nanoparticle treatments could be designed into tattoos.

Nanoparticle tattoos treat chronic diseases

Temporary tattoos might someday become the primary form of treatment for chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Nanoparticles called PEG-HCCs (polyethylene glycol combined with hydrophilic carbon clusters) were created in the lab of James Tour, a chemist at Rice University. They help inhibit T lymphocyte cells that sometimes mistakenly attack innocuous cells in the body.




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High consumption of soda and other sugary drinks is related to different types of cancer.

Researchers associate cancer with sugary drinks

A study published in the 2016 issue of Translational Cancer has suggested that there may be an association between certain cancers and sugar-sweetened beverages. The study was conducted at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and states that the link between cancer and sugar-sweetened drinks varies with age.


NIAID/cc-by-2.0
Bacteria that are resistant to current antibiotics can be killed by using peptide polymers.

Researchers discover new ways to combat deadly superbugs

At a United Nations General Assembly meeting on Sept. 21, the first ever called only to discuss drug-resistant bacteria, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated that antimicrobial resistance is a “fundamental threat” to global health and safety.


Autism connected to late-in-life pregnancy

A recent study done by the Copenhagen Centre for Social Evolution showed that parents who have kids later in life are more likely to have children with autism disorders. However, the link between later reproduction and schizophrenia in children was disproved.



Medhacks 2.0

Students from across the country competed in the second annual MedHacks, where medicine and technology meet.


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Antibacterial triclosan hand washes have shown to increase bacterial resistance and hormonal effects.

FDA bans antiseptics in consumer products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a ban prohibiting the sale of consumer antibacterial soaps containing antiseptics the FDA deemed “not generally recognized as safe and effective.” This final ruling solidified a proposed rule published in the Federal Register of Dec. 17, 2013.



July and August tie for hottest months on record

This past July and August have tied each other for the hottest months on Earth since NASA’s record-keeping began in 1880. The past two months boast temperatures averaging 0.84 degrees Celsius (1.27 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the earth’s average temperature.




 JCPAG/CC-By-SA 2.0
Scientists have detected complex molecules in the core of Neptune, one of the gas giants.

Stable compounds found in interior of gas giants

Gas giants are massive planets that consist of a significant amount of hydrogen and helium gases, with only a comparatively tiny terrestrial core in the center. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are the four unique gas giants that exist in our very own Solar System. Recently, a group of combined scientists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) and the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) in Russia successfully utilized computer modeling to detect inherently stable molecules that might be present in the interiors of Uranus and Neptune.


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