https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from University of Trento The brain? It has a flexible social perception. In interactions with people from different ethnic groups, it tends to respond more inclusively when a shared national identity is made salient. A study, by the University of Trento, Italy, and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, sheds light on the underlying neural mechanisms. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-cohesion-diverse-societies-brain-scans.html Social Sciences Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:20:02 EDT news694174720 Biopsy-derived organoids, accurate models of disease, are used to search for new drugs. Now, results obtained by a study led by the University of Trento in collaboration with Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital in Rome may pave a path to an organoid that could be used to study two common, aggressive childhood brain cancers. The model organ for this research project is the best pediatric brain tumor model developed so far and can be used to test new drugs. The results of the project are published in the Nature Protocols. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-avatar-pediatric-brain-cancer-reality.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 22:10:01 EDT news694104890 Volcanic activity is not unique to Earth: traces of volcanic activity, such as lava tubes, have been found on Mars and the moon. Now, the University of Trento has demonstrated the existence of an empty lava tube even in the depths of Venus, a planet whose surface and geology have been largely shaped by volcanic processes. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-evidence-subsurface-lava-tube-venus.html Planetary Sciences Mon, 09 Feb 2026 05:00:01 EST news689606641 The microbiome of infants is shaped by social relationships from an early age and not only by family sources, finds a recent study published in the journal Nature. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-social-interaction-infants-boosts-diversity.html Pediatrics Wed, 21 Jan 2026 16:01:59 EST news688233662 As tough as medieval chainmail armor and as soft as a contact lens. This material is not taken from science fiction, it is a natural structure made of thousands of DNA circles interlinked with each other. Studying it can help us advance our knowledge in many fields, from biophysics and infectious diseases to materials science and biomedical engineering. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-vital-intertwining-blood-parasite-chainmail.html Biochemistry Tue, 16 Dec 2025 14:56:23 EST news685119361 BraDiPho (Brain Dissection Photogrammetry) is an innovative tool for the study of white matter connections in the human brain. The realistic map was developed by a group of researchers from the University of Trento, the Provincial Healthcare Service of Trento, Fondazione Bruno Kessler and the Universities of Bordeaux and Sherbrooke. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-3d-atlas-merges-brain-imaging.html Neuroscience Thu, 06 Nov 2025 15:54:05 EST news681666842 In recent years, the analysis of single-cell and spatial data has revolutionized biomedical research, making it possible to observe what happens in biological samples with an unprecedented level of detail. Interpreting this data, however, is not easy because different software offers different results which are hard to compare. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-bioinformatics-software-cancer-cell.html Oncology & Cancer Mon, 07 Jul 2025 13:23:03 EDT news671113381 A group of researchers from the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science of the University of Trento, together with colleagues from US and British universities and departments, delved into the world of people with autism through their conversations, learning about their interests, the topics they discuss, their needs, tastes, experiences. They worked from the ground up, examining discussions and narratives to shed light on things that usually remain unknown to outsiders. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-autism-spectrum-online-forums.html Autism spectrum disorders Thu, 05 Jun 2025 14:20:01 EDT news668348561 Researchers have been working toward using the gut microbiome as a clinical target for screening for colorectal cancer. This would ideally allow simple stool tests to be used for early detection of the disease in place of expensive procedures such as colonoscopies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-team-ai-microbiome-analysis-accurately.html Oncology & Cancer Tue, 03 Jun 2025 15:19:35 EDT news668182768 So different, yet so alike. Through pollination, bees play an important role in the ecosystem, affecting the life cycle of plants, biodiversity and agricultural production. Their presence goes hand in hand with human activity. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-brain-slumbering-bees-human-memory.html Plants & Animals Tue, 13 May 2025 15:21:28 EDT news666368479 How can we produce clean hydrogen without burning fossil hydrocarbons or other non-renewable energy sources? We can do so through photoelectrochemistry, or artificial photosynthesis, a method that—just like photosynthesis—uses sunlight and water, as with electrolysis, to obtain hydrogen, without generating harmful emissions. A group of researchers from the Department of Physics of the University of Trento has focused precisely on this approach. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-artificial-photosynthesis-green-hydrogen.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 05 Mar 2025 15:07:03 EST news660409621 Bringing research from the lab to the home, from a controlled environment to real life, can be a way to understand human interaction. As technology evolves, its potential grows, driving both scientific exploration and real-world applications. In this sense, the authors of a new study have taken a step forward to understanding what happens at the brain level when two people come into contact and interact with each other, such as during a conversation, when giving each other a gift, or in other situations of cooperation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02-human-interaction-combines-ai-simultaneous.html Neuroscience Wed, 26 Feb 2025 16:19:05 EST news659809141 Ants, with their highly organized social behavior, have long inspired research. In particular, they have often inspired simple solutions to complex problems and, today, they could help us solve one of the most pressing challenges in today's urban environments, that is transportation in urban contexts. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-traffic-reveals-ants-secrets-smooth.html Plants & Animals Sat, 18 Jan 2025 06:05:52 EST news656402719 Science is always looking for more computing power and more efficient tools capable of answering its questions. Quantum computers are the new frontier in data processing, as they use the quantum properties of matter, such as the superposition of states and entanglement, to perform very complex operations. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-quantum-lattice-gauge-theory.html Condensed Matter Mon, 13 Jan 2025 12:07:03 EST news655992421 A varied diet rich in vegetables is known to be healthy for one's well-being. Excessive consumption of meat, especially red meat, can lead to chronic and cardiovascular diseases. That is also because what we eat shapes the gut microbiome. At the same time, excluding certain foods, such as dairy or animal products, is not necessarily a general solution to achieve microbial balance. But can we find out which food products determine differences in the gut microbiome? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-01-dietary-choices-distinct-gut-microbiomes.html Health Mon, 06 Jan 2025 11:00:01 EST news655050961 Is the brain of animals and humans naturally wired to recognize faces? Is there an innate biological mechanism that explains this ability? Questions like these have been fueling a debate that involves, on the opposite side, those who believe that face recognition is a skill that can be learned through experience and exposure to faces and those who believe that it is innately predisposed in the brain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-baby-chicks-brain-innate-ability.html Neuroscience Wed, 25 Sep 2024 11:33:03 EDT news646482781 When we think of spiders, the first thing that comes to mind is their ability to weave intricate and robust webs. But their ability to cut their own silk—the toughest natural material—and strong or tough synthetic fibers such as carbon or Kevlar, is much less known. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-morphology-paves-spider-fang-tools.html Plants & Animals Wed, 25 Sep 2024 10:19:03 EDT news646478341 A study coordinated by the University of Trento with the University of Chicago proposes a generalized approach to the interactions between electrons and light. In the future, it may contribute to the development of quantum technologies as well as to the discovery of new states of matter. The study is published in Physical Review Letters https://phys.org/news/2024-08-generalized-approach-interactions.html Quantum Physics Mon, 26 Aug 2024 13:39:03 EDT news643898341 The presence of conduits below the lunar surface has been theorized and extensively debated for at least 50 years. Now, an analysis of NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter radar data reveals what lies below the Mare Tranquillitatis. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-lunar-lava-tube-cave.html Space Exploration Mon, 15 Jul 2024 11:00:01 EDT news640259761 The elements in the periodic table are divided into metals, semimetals and non-metals. The distinction is based on their chemical and physical properties and is determined, in particular, by the movement of electrons and the materials' ability to conduct electrical energy: metals are excellent conductors, semimetals have limited conductivity, non-metals are insulating materials, they do not conduct electricity. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-insulating-material-semimetal.html Condensed Matter Tue, 14 May 2024 10:19:03 EDT news634900741 A collaboration has led to the identification, in a bacterium of the intestine, of new CRISPR-Cas9 molecules that could have a clinical potential to treat genetic diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, through sub-retinal injections. Anna Cereseto and Nicola Segata of the Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology of the University of Trento have joined forces and combined their expertise to develop new therapies for the treatment of genetic diseases. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-microbiome-explore-treatments-genetic-disorders.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 07 May 2024 09:31:04 EDT news634293062 Neurons are important, but they are not everything. Indeed, it is "cartilage," in the form of clusters of extracellular matrix molecules called chondroitin sulfates, located in the outside nerve cells, that plays a crucial role in the brain's ability to acquire and store information. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-mechanism-neural-plasticity-underlying-memory.html Neuroscience Tue, 07 May 2024 09:19:04 EDT news634292341 An article by Giuseppe Alessandro Veltri of the Department of Sociology and Social Research of the University of Trento, focused on the public health guidelines adopted during the pandemic. The article, titled "Assessing the perceived effect of non-pharmaceutical interventions on SARS-Cov-2 transmission risk: an experimental study in Europe," was published in Scientific Reports. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-pandemic-reveals-effectiveness.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Fri, 15 Mar 2024 12:27:38 EDT news629724456 Actuators, which convert electrical energy into motion or force, play a pivotal role in daily life, albeit often going unnoticed. Soft material-based actuators, in particular, have gained scientific attention in recent years due to their lightweight, quiet operation, and biodegradability. A straightforward approach to creating soft actuators involves employing multi-material structures, such as "pockets" made of flexible plastic films filled with oils and coated with conductive plastics. https://techxplore.com/news/2023-11-stable-efficient-robotic-artificial-muscles.html Robotics Fri, 10 Nov 2023 10:36:03 EST news618834961 The fact that Neanderthals were able to make a fire and use it, among other things, for cooking, demonstrates their intelligence. "This confirms our observations and theories from previous studies," explains Diego Angelucci, archaeologist at the University of Trento and co-author of the study. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-neanderthal-cuisine-excavations-reveal-neanderthals.html Archaeology Fri, 13 Oct 2023 09:41:50 EDT news616408905