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A deep-sea microbe uses an exceptionally heat-resistant enzyme to turn atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia at temperatures that would destroy most proteins. Its unusual structure and a newly observed reaction state may reveal an ancient, shared mechanism behind nitrogen fixation and could eventually inspire cleaner biotechnology and fertilizer production.
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Complex systems may work better when their parts are not perfectly alike. Northwestern physicists found that carefully balanced variation, or “disorder,” can make networks such as power grids, ecosystems, neurons, and materials more stable. Even random differences sometimes improved stability compared with completely uniform systems. The discovery could help researchers design more resilient technologies and explain why natural systems are so rarely perfectly uniform.
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Scientists are looking to diatoms, sea sponges, and plants for a cleaner way to recover rare earth elements and other valuable minerals hidden inside coal ash, red mud, and mine tailings. The bio-inspired approach could turn massive industrial waste piles into useful materials while reducing energy use, harsh chemicals, and reliance on new mining.
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In-brief analysis
September 18, 2026
The price of distillate fuel oil, often sold as diesel, is driven by the price of crude oil, retail margins, distribution costs, taxes, and crack spreads, the indicator we use for refining margins. Tight global supplies of distillate fuel oil and elevated crude oil prices have driven prices higher in recent months.
Crack spreads are indicators of the profitability of refining crude oil into petroleum products such as gasoline and diesel and are used as a proxy for refinery margins. We calculate the diesel crack spread by subtracting the spot market price of a gallon of crude oil from the wholesale price of a gallon of diesel. The high crack spread for diesel on top of the elevated price of a barrel of crude oil has driven retail prices up. High
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