News: Research
Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin
Genes That Shape Bones Identified, Offering Clues About Our Past and Future
An application of AI to medical imaging datasets has revealed genetics of the skeletal form for the first time.
![Image of human skeleton imposed over DNA double helix](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/skeletalai-thumbnail.jpg)
Relationships Between Temperature and Animals’ Sizes Has Been Clarified
The new research offers important insights about how animals, particularly birds, may adapt to the rapid rise in temperatures driven by global climate change
![Imaging showing bird species and where they fall on the temperature gradient](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/birds-thumbnail.jpg)
Chemical Cartography Reveals the Milky Way’s Spiral Arms
The method overcomes the challenges of dust that block the view of some of the Milky Way's stars.
![A spiral galaxy floats in the black background of space with red and blue dots sprinkled over one section](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/milky_way_hawkins-edits1200x800.jpg)
James Webb Telescope Catches Glimpse of Possible First-Ever ‘Dark Stars’
Stars powered with dark matter still need proving but could reveal clues about the nature of one of the universe’s great mysteries.
![Three blurry red dots stand out in the blackness of space](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/3x2-freese-dark-stars.jpg)
Webb Telescope Detects Most Distant Active Supermassive Black Hole
At about 9 solar masses, this black hole is a real lightweight compared to previously seen ones in the early universe that are typically 1...
![A dense field of galaxies set against a black background of space](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/ceers-nircam-crop2400x1600.png)
New Technique Reveals Protein Production in Early Embryos
The earliest stages of developing life have been, in many ways, a black box for researchers before now.
![Microscope image of a blastoid, a model of an early embryo](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/blastoid2400x1600.jpg)
Scientists use Exotic Stars to Tune into Hum from Cosmic Symphony
A team of astrophysicists has found evidence for gravitational waves that oscillate with periods of years to decades.
![An illustration depicts colliding black holes causing waves in spacetime](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/nanograv_pta_gwb_15yr_wide2400x1600.jpg)
New Era of Exoplanet Discovery Begins with Images of ‘Jupiter’s Younger Sibling’
Astrometry uses the shift in a star’s position on the sky relative to other stars to infer the existence of orbiting planets.
![In this side-by-side comparison of two telescope images, a white dot on a blue background changes position as it orbits around a central star symbol](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/aflep_subtracted_imgs_press_release_jup_sat_allbold2400x1600.png)
‘We’re All Asgardians’: New Clues about the Origin of Complex Life
All complex life, a.k.a. eukaryotes, trace their roots to a common Asgard archaean ancestor.
![An evolutionary tree shows how eukaryotes are related to Asgard archaea](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/3-2-fan-eukarya.jpg)
New Material Transforms Light, Creating New Possibilities for Sensors
A group of scientists and engineers that includes researchers from The University of Texas at Austin has created a new class of materials that can...
![A solar panel array with bright sunlight shining on it](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/5-3-solar-panels-roof-1200x800-c-default.jpeg)