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A team of researchers led by the recipient of a U.S. National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development grant has developed a new storage method for protein-based drugs that could potentially eliminate the need for refrigeration of important medicines. Using an oil-based solution and a molecule acting as a coating to enclose the proteins in these drugs, researchers demonstrated a technique to prevent the proteins from degrading rapidly — a protection that traditionally requires refrigeration.

The research is led by Scott Medina at Pennsylvania State University and published in Nature Communications. It demonstrates a possible practical application to eliminate the need to refrigerate hundreds of life-saving medicines like insulin, monoclonal antibodies and viral vaccines.

The work could eventually reduce the cost of refrigerating such drugs throughout the supply chain and enable greater use of protein-based therapies where constant refrigeration isn’t possible, including military environments. 

“Over 80% of biologic drugs and 90% of vaccines require temperature-controlled conditions. This approach could revolutionize their storage and distribution, making them more accessible and affordable for everyone,” says Medina.

To accomplish this, researchers created an oil-based solution using perfluorocarbon oil, finding that it was naturally sterile and could not be contaminated by bacteria, fungi or viruses, which require a water-based environment to grow and survive.

The team also developed a surfactant — a molecule that coats the surface of the protein — to shield the surface of the protein in a way that would allow it to evenly disperse throughout the solution. The surfactant created a

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Supported by multiple grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation, researchers have comprehensively characterized the properties of a unique type of skeletal tissue with the potential for advancing tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The tissue, called “lipocartilage,” is packed with fat-filled cells that provide stable internal support so the tissue remains soft and springy like bubbled packaging material.

The fat-filled cells in lipocartilage are called “lipochondrocytes,” which were first recognized in 1854 by Franz Leydig. The tissue is unlike most other types of cartilage, which rely on an external cellular matrix for strength. Led by the University of California, Irvine, the research team showed how lipocartilage cells create and maintain their own lipid reservoirs, remaining constant in size. Unlike other fat cells, lipochondrocytes never shrink or expand in response to food availability. The study was published in Science.

“Lipocartilage’s resilience and stability provide a compliant, elastic quality that’s perfect for flexible body parts such as earlobes or the tip of the nose, opening exciting possibilities in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, particularly for facial defects or injuries,” says Maksim Plikus, a UC Irvine professor and author on the paper.

“Currently, cartilage reconstruction often requires harvesting tissue from the patient’s rib — a painful and invasive procedure. In the future, patient-specific lipochondrocytes could be derived from stem cells, purified and used to manufacture living cartilage tailored to

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The fires that devastated many in Los Angeles in January 2025 not only scarred the landscape but also changed the air.

A day after the Eaton fire burned through Altadena, California, chlorine levels in the atmosphere reached approximately 40 times the normal amount, while lead peaked at over 100 times the usual level. Atmospheric chlorine can cause respiratory irritation and distress; lead can cause damage to the brain and central nervous system.

“The Los Angeles fires burned homes and cars, which contain electronics, plastics and other synthetic materials that can give off toxic chemicals when they burn,” said Nga Lee “Sally” Ng, a professor at Georgia Tech.

Ng leads the U.S. National Science Foundation-supported Atmospheric Science and Chemistry mEasurement NeTwork (ASCENT), which includes 12 air quality measurement sites nationwide. Each site has state-of-the-art instruments that help us understand aerosols, or tiny particles in the atmosphere. The network is constantly analyzing the chemical constituents of aerosols with a diameter smaller than 2.5 micrometers, referred to as PM2.5, which contribute to more than 90% of the adverse health impacts associated with air pollution.

Researchers in the ASCENT team analyzed data from three locations across Southern California during and after the fire to reveal that certain aerosols carried a unique chemical signature associated with burning synthetic materials in urban fires.

“We now have a very powerful magnifying glass to see

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