The new system delivers a dramatic improvement in photon detection efficiency, outperforming conventional wavelength-dispersive X-ray emission spectrometers by a factor of 100 to 1000. Researchers plan to use it to study the electronic properties of atomically thin materials, nanostructures, and highly diluted atomic and molecular samples. The team is now inviting research proposals from the scientific community.

Bringing Greater Sensitivity to X-Ray Spectroscopy

Facilities such as BESSY II generate extremely bright and intense synchrotron X-rays that allow scientists to analyze a wide range of materials. Yet techniques such as X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS) face a significant challenge. Because these methods rely on detecting photons emitted by the sample, they require large numbers of photons to produce useful measurements.

As a result, XES and RIXS experiments have traditionally been limited to concentrated samples and bulk materials.

“The superconducting Transition Edge Sensor (TES) array photon detector that we have now put into operation at BESSY II is around 100 to 1000 times more efficient to detect photons than conventional XES and RIXS spectrometers,” says Régis Decker, HZB, responsible scientist of the new instrument.

Exploring Quantum Materials and Ultra-Thin Systems

The increased sensitivity opens the door to experiments that were previously difficult or impossible to perform.

“This can provide new insights into molecular chemistry or molecular biology, but also into the quantum properties of systems in reduced dimension such as atomic monolayers, nanostructures and impurities. The TES spectrometer complements methods such as ARPES, which scans the electronic band structures of such systems,” says Régis Decker.

The instrument can also dramatically reduce data collection times. Some XES and RIXS experiments that would normally require hours can now be completed in just minutes.

248 Superconducting Sensors Working Near Absolute Zero

At the heart of the TES array spectrometer are 248 sensors that become superconducting when cooled to 25 milli-Kelvin. To achieve this temperature, researchers use a He4-He3 dilution refrigerator similar to those employed in quantum computing systems.

When X-rays interact with a sample, the sample emits photons. These photons strike individual sensors within the TES array, producing a sudden increase in temperature. That brief warming disrupts the superconducting state and increases the sensor’s electrical resistance. The change is then measured using circuitry based on an array of Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs).

Advanced Sample Handling and Future Upgrades

The spectrometer is connected to a custom ultra-high vacuum sample chamber that supports sample transfer, preparation, and measurement. The chamber also provides precise temperature control ranging from 10 K to room temperature.

The complete system is installed at the BESSY II UE52-SGM beamline, which offers full polarisation control. Planned upgrades include enhanced sample preparation capabilities and the ability to study materials in magnetic fields for X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism in absorption (XMCD) and emission (RIXS-MCD).

Europe’s Only Synchrotron TES Spectrometer

TES spectrometers were originally created for astrophysics applications, where detecting extremely weak photon signals is essential. Before the installation at BESSY II, only five TES spectrometers were operating at X-ray facilities worldwide, including four in the United States and one in Japan.

BESSY II now hosts the only synchrotron TES spectrometer in Europe.

“We are looking forward to receiving exciting research proposals from our user community,” says Decker.

Researchers from Newcastle University’s Human Nutrition and Exercise Research Centre analyzed vitamin D levels in nearly 300 people living across northern Britain. Their results suggest that a significant number of people could have low vitamin D year-round without realizing it, potentially affecting bone health, overall well-being, and long-term health outcomes.

The study, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, focused on adults aged 65 and older as well as people from minoritized ethnic backgrounds of all ages. Funding was provided by Better You Ltd, a UK-based health and wellness company that manufactures and sells nutritional supplements.

Vitamin D Deficiency Remains High Throughout the Year

The researchers found that vitamin D insufficiency was common in both groups studied. More than half of the older adults had insufficient vitamin D levels, while the proportion was even higher among participants from minoritized ethnic backgrounds.

Perhaps most notably, vitamin D levels did not improve during the summer months. This finding runs counter to the common assumption that increased exposure to sunlight during summer is enough to bring vitamin D levels back into a healthy range.

Vitamin D is essential for maintaining healthy bones and supporting overall health. Insufficient levels have been associated with a greater risk of conditions including osteoporosis, rickets, and weakened immune function.

Bernard Corfe, Professor of Human Nutrition and Health at Newcastle University and co-leader of the study, said: “What’s striking about these findings is that vitamin D levels didn’t improve, even in the summer months when we would usually expect them to recover.

“For people living in places like the North of England, this shows that sunlight alone may not be enough, particularly for older adults and those from minoritized ethnic backgrounds.

“The message is simple but important. If you are in a higher-risk group, you can’t assume that spending more time outdoors in summer will solve the problem.

“We need to be thinking about more consistent, year-round ways to support healthy vitamin D levels.”

Researchers Call for Targeted Public Health Measures

Participants were recruited locally through both community outreach and online methods. Each person completed a simple finger-prick blood test, and the samples were analyzed by a specialist laboratory.

The findings also point to a need for more targeted public health strategies. Researchers suggest that clearer guidance, brief vitamin D assessments during GP appointments, and vitamin D supplementation when appropriate could help address the issue.

The study adds important evidence to an area that has received relatively limited attention and offers a better understanding of year-round vitamin D risk among vulnerable populations.

Researchers say the next stage of the project will explore ways to improve vitamin D levels through personalized and culturally appropriate strategies. These may include tailored dietary recommendations and healthcare approaches designed to better meet the needs of different communities.

The study’s funder, Better You Ltd, had no role in designing the research, conducting the study, or interpreting the results. All aspects of the research were carried out independently by Newcastle University.

A new study suggests the reality is far more complex.

Researchers have discovered that future queens are raised inside specially designed nursery chambers built by young worker bees. These chambers provide unique wax, warmer conditions, and dedicated care that help guide a larva’s development into a healthy queen.

The findings, published in the journal Nature, show that the structures known as queen cells, sometimes called “royal cribs,” are much more than protective containers. They are carefully constructed environments that play a critical role in queen development. The research team also identified a previously unknown group of young worker bees called “queen cell builders” that appear specially suited for creating and maintaining these chambers.

“The old idea was relatively simple: take an egg, move it into a queen cell, feed it royal jelly, and you get a queen,” said Boris Baer, entomologist and director of the Center for Integrative Bee Research (CIBER) at the University of California, Riverside, whose laboratory contributed to the work. “What we found is that there’s an entire machinery behind this process. It’s much more sophisticated than we imagined.”

Queen Bees Need More Than Royal Jelly

Honeybee queens and worker bees start life in nearly the same way, emerging from almost identical eggs. Despite those similar beginnings, queens grow larger, develop more quickly, and can live much longer than workers. They also serve as the colony’s only egg-laying female, producing the next generation of bees.

For decades, researchers viewed royal jelly, a nutrient-rich substance fed to young larvae by worker bees, as the primary driver of this dramatic transformation.

The new study indicates that nutrition alone cannot explain what happens.

Using a combination of thermal imaging, behavioral monitoring, materials science techniques, and chemical analysis, the scientists examined the environments where queens are raised. They found major differences between queen cells and the familiar hexagonal chambers used to rear worker bees.

The Special Role of Queen Cells

Queen cells have a distinctive peanut-like shape and are built from wax that differs physically and chemically from ordinary hive wax. The material is less dense, more flexible, and better at retaining heat and moisture, creating favorable conditions for developing queens.

Researchers also found differences in the wax’s fatty acids and chemical signals, suggesting that queen cells provide a unique developmental setting.

To determine whether these chambers truly influence development, the team raised queen larvae in cells made either from queen wax or standard worker wax. Even when both groups received the same food, larvae raised in worker wax were more likely to die and ultimately developed into smaller queens.

The results suggest that the surrounding environment is just as important as diet in shaping a future queen.

Meet the Queen Cell Builders

The study also uncovered the worker bees responsible for creating and maintaining these royal nurseries.

Known as queen cell builders, these bees are generally younger than many other workers in the hive. While caring for developing queens, they maintain higher body temperatures and undergo physiological changes that appear linked to their specialized role.

The added warmth may help explain why queens develop so quickly. A queen bee reaches maturity in about 16 days, while worker bees require roughly 21 days. That faster development can be crucial when a colony urgently needs a new queen.

Rather than simply reusing existing wax, queen cell builders actively collect, modify, and enrich materials used in royal chambers. Their bodies also activate different biological pathways associated with wax production, effectively altering how they function while performing this task.

To see how these materials were gathered, researchers added trace amounts of graphite to ordinary honeycomb. Over time, darkened wax appeared inside queen cells, showing that workers were selectively collecting and transforming materials from elsewhere in the hive for use in queen development.

A Royal Court Inside the Hive

According to Baer, the process resembles something far more organized than a typical insect nursery.

The evidence points to a highly coordinated effort by the colony to produce its next ruler.

“You can think of it as something like Buckingham Palace,” he said. “There is a dedicated group of bees focused entirely on raising the queen, and if they don’t get it right, the colony cannot reproduce.”

The researchers observed the same pattern in both Asian and European honeybee species, suggesting this strategy evolved long ago and may be widespread among honeybees.

The project brought together experts in behavior, physiology, chemistry, materials science, and genomics. It was led by former UCR postdoctoral researchers Yu Fang and Yahya Al Naggar.

“In its collaborative nature, this project reflects the broader CIBER philosophy of bringing different disciplines together to tackle complex biological questions,” Baer said.

What the Discovery Means Beyond Bees

The findings could have implications that extend beyond honeybees. They suggest that development may be shaped not only by genetics and nutrition, but also by the physical and social environments organisms experience.

For years, queen bees appeared to offer one of biology’s simplest examples of development: special food creates a special insect. This research paints a much richer picture. A queen does not emerge from royal jelly alone. Instead, an entire colony works together to create the conditions needed for her success.

“This work highlights how much sophistication exists inside insect societies,” Baer said. “Honeybee colonies are not simply collections of individuals. They function as integrated biological systems capable of engineering their own environments.”

The find marks the first time scientists have recovered a large collection of terrestrial vertebrate fossils from this period in New Zealand’s history. Preserved within the cave were fossils belonging to 12 bird species and four frog species, offering a rare snapshot of a world that existed hundreds of thousands of years before humans reached the islands.

The research, published in Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology, suggests that New Zealand’s wildlife was already undergoing dramatic changes long before human settlement. Powerful volcanic eruptions and rapid climate shifts repeatedly reshaped habitats, driving extinctions and opening opportunities for new species to evolve.

Ancient Birds Lost to Time

Lead author Associate Professor Trevor Worthy of Flinders University says the fossils reveal a bird community unlike anything seen in New Zealand today.

“This is a newly recognized avifauna for New Zealand, one that was replaced by the one humans encountered a million years later,” says Associate Professor Worthy, from the College of Science and Engineering at Flinders University.

“This remarkable find suggests our ancient forests were once home to a diverse group of birds that did not survive the next million years.”

In biology, the term “avifauna” refers to the collection of bird species living in a particular place and time. The fossils indicate that the birds inhabiting New Zealand a million years ago were substantially different from those present when people eventually arrived.

The study involved paleontologists from Flinders University and Canterbury Museum, as well as volcanologists Joel Baker of the University of Auckland and Simon Barker of Victoria University of Wellington.

According to the researchers, approximately 33-50% of species disappeared during the million years before humans reached Aotearoa New Zealand.

Volcanoes and Climate Change Reshaped Ecosystems

Scientists believe these losses were largely caused by natural environmental upheaval.

“These extinctions were driven by relatively rapid climate shifts and cataclysmic volcanic eruptions,” says co-author Dr. Paul Scofield, Senior Curator of Natural History at Canterbury Museum.

The discovery helps fill one of the largest gaps in New Zealand’s fossil record.

“From our excavations at St Bathans in Central Otago over many years, we have a snapshot of life in Aotearoa between 20 and 16 million years ago. These new findings cast light on the 15 million year period from then to 1 million years ago, which is largely absent from New Zealand’s fossil record,” says Dr. Scofield.

“This wasn’t a missing chapter in New Zealand’s ancient history, it was a missing volume.”

Fossils are often compared to pages in Earth’s history book. In this case, researchers say they have uncovered an entire section of that story that was previously unknown.

A Possible Flying Ancestor of the Kākāpō

One of the most exciting discoveries is a newly identified parrot species called Strigops insulaborealis. It is an ancient relative of the kākāpō, one of New Zealand’s most famous birds.

Today, the kākāpō is the world’s only flightless parrot. It is also one of the heaviest parrots and is known for its unusual nighttime lifestyle. However, the newly discovered ancestor may have been very different.

Analysis of the fossilized bones suggests it had weaker legs than modern kākāpō. Because today’s birds rely heavily on their strong legs and climbing ability, researchers think the ancient species may have spent less time climbing and possibly retained the ability to fly.

Additional research will be needed to determine whether it truly could take to the air.

The cave also contained fossils from an extinct ancestor of the takahē, another distinctive New Zealand bird. Researchers also identified an extinct pigeon species closely related to Australia’s bronzewing pigeons.

“The shifting forest and shrubland habitats forced a reset of the bird populations,” adds Dr. Scofield.

“We believe this was a major driver for the evolutionary diversification of birds and other fauna in the North Island.”

Volcanic Ash Helps Date the Fossils

One reason the discovery is so important is that scientists can determine its age with unusual precision.

The fossils were trapped between two layers of volcanic ash preserved inside the cave. One ash layer came from an eruption about 1.55 million years ago. The second was produced by a massive eruption approximately 1 million years ago.

This natural geological sandwich provides clear age limits for the fossils.

Researchers say the younger eruption likely covered much of the North Island in meters of ash. While rain and erosion eventually removed much of that material, some remained protected inside caves.

The older ash layer also reveals something else remarkable. It shows that the fossil site is the oldest known cave on New Zealand’s North Island.

Rewriting New Zealand’s Natural History

Associate Professor Worthy says the fossils provide a crucial benchmark for understanding how New Zealand’s wildlife evolved.

The fossils “provide a critical, missing baseline for New Zealand’s natural history.”

For many years, scientists focused primarily on the ecological changes that occurred after humans arrived in New Zealand roughly 750 years ago. The new evidence shows that powerful natural forces had already been transforming the islands’ wildlife for hundreds of thousands of years.

“For decades, the extinction of New Zealand’s birds was viewed primarily through the lens of human arrival 750 years ago. This study proves that natural forces like super-volcanoes and dramatic climate shifts were already sculpting the unique identity of our wildlife over a million years ago.”

Quantum science focuses on the behavior of matter and energy at extremely small scales, including atoms, electrons, and particles of light. Although atoms are often pictured as tiny balls colliding with one another, the quantum world is far stranger. Atoms can behave like waves, appear in multiple locations at the same time, and even pass through one another under certain conditions.

NASA’s Cold Atom Lab Studies Matter Near Absolute Zero

About the size of a mini refrigerator and controlled remotely from Earth, the Cold Atom Lab cools atoms to temperatures below minus 459 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 237 degrees Celsius). At temperatures just above absolute zero, atoms can combine into an unusual quantum state known as a Bose-Einstein condensate, or BEC.

A BEC is made up of matter waves and is considered a fifth state of matter in addition to solids, liquids, gases, and plasma. Even though it is much larger than individual subatomic particles, it still follows the laws of quantum mechanics. The microgravity conditions of low Earth orbit allow these matter waves to become even larger than they can on Earth.

“At the coldest temperatures, matter behaves drastically different from anything we have experienced,” said Jason Williams, project scientist for Cold Atom Lab at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which built the facility. “The wavelike nature of matter dominates, and ultracold matter can behave in ways that are not only unexpected, but that also enable extremely precise measurements of time, gravity, and motion. The lab has lots of tools — especially with this latest upgrade — to let us probe the nature of the universe.”

The facility currently supports five international research teams studying fundamental physics. It also serves as a testing ground for quantum instruments that could one day support Earth science investigations and future exploration missions.

How the Upgraded Cold Atom Lab Works

At the center of the facility is a sophisticated collection of instruments known as the science module. A newly upgraded version of this module arrived at the space station on April 11 aboard a Commercial Resupply Services mission, expanding the range of experiments scientists can perform.

During an experiment, strips of rubidium or potassium metal are heated to temperatures as high as 750 °F (400 °C), creating a gas inside a vacuum chamber. Researchers then use carefully tuned lasers to remove energy from the atoms. As the atoms lose energy, they slow down and cool dramatically.

After the laser cooling stage, magnetic fields trap the atoms and keep them contained. Additional cooling techniques reduce their energy even further, bringing the atomic cloud close to a complete standstill and allowing scientists to maximize the amount of time it can be studied in microgravity.

Why Quantum Experiments Benefit From Space

Scientists can study ultracold gases in laboratories on Earth, but space offers important advantages. In microgravity, quantum gases can be observed for longer periods and cooled to even lower temperatures.

The low gravity environment also allows larger quantum waves to form and interact with gravity for longer periods of time. To make these experiments possible aboard the station, engineers compressed what would normally be a room-sized atomic physics laboratory filled with lasers and optical equipment into a compact system that fits inside a station experiment rack.

“As the first project to create Bose-Einstein condensates in orbit, we’re demonstrating that we can make quantum technology work reliably in space,” said Ethan Elliott, deputy project scientist for Cold Atom Lab at JPL. “In the previous century, there was a quantum revolution that led to lasers, cellphones, and MRIs for medical imaging. We’re performing quantum 2.0 — direct manipulation of large quantum states — and we hope for similar gains in quantum tech by advancing this science in orbit.”

New Upgrade Expands Quantum Research Capabilities

The latest enhancement is the fourth major upgrade since the Cold Atom Lab was installed on the International Space Station in 2018.

Among the most significant improvements is a redesigned magnetic trap that can alter the shape of quantum gas clouds. This gives researchers new opportunities to investigate the properties and behavior of ultracold atoms. Engineers also introduced redesigned metal atom sources that generate the gas clouds used in experiments.

“It’s the closest thing we have to controlling the boundary of the quantum world,” said Kamal Oudrhiri, project manager of Cold Atom Lab at JPL, referring to those low temperatures. “This new upgrade pushes that boundary even further.”

Oudrhiri added that the new hardware “demonstrates NASA’s ability to maintain U.S. leadership in space-based quantum technologies while maturing future quantum instruments, such as matter-wave interferometers for fundamental physics missions, positioning, navigation, timing, and gravity sensing of Earth, the Moon, and beyond.”

Advancing Quantum Technology in Space

The Cold Atom Lab is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, while NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory designed, built, and operates the facility. The project is sponsored by the Biological and Physical Sciences division within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

The division supports scientific discovery by using the unique conditions of space to conduct experiments that cannot be carried out on Earth. By studying biological and physical processes in extreme environments, researchers gain knowledge that can help humans travel farther and remain in space longer, while also producing benefits for life on Earth.

For Cynthia Schraf-Fletcher, 74, the results were “remarkably” successful.

Nearly a year after receiving genicular artery embolization (GAE) on her right knee, Schraf-Fletcher says the improvement is comparable to the total knee replacement she previously underwent on her left knee.

“I couldn’t be more pleased,” says Schraf-Fletcher, who had the procedure performed by Leigh Casadaban, MD, MS, assistant professor of radiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine.

Today, she says everyday activities such as gardening and riding a stationary bicycle are far more enjoyable because of the reduction in pain.

How Genicular Artery Embolization Works

GAE is an outpatient procedure designed to ease chronic knee pain by reducing blood flow to inflamed areas within the joint. By targeting abnormal blood vessels associated with inflammation, the treatment can help decrease swelling and discomfort.

“For treating osteoarthritis in the knees, we often think of medications, physical therapy, maybe a steroid injection, and then on the far end of the spectrum is a total knee replacement. There really hasn’t been anything for patients in between,” Casadaban, a vascular interventional radiologist, says. “GAE is a promising minimally invasive procedure that may fill that spot for people who have failed conservative treatments but are not yet ready to have a major surgery.”

According to Casadaban, people with mild to moderate osteoarthritis tend to benefit the most. Patients with more advanced disease can also undergo the procedure, although the effects are generally less durable.

“We find about 70% of patients have phenomenal results. They cut their pain scores in half, sometimes more. We have a few patients with no pain at all after the procedure,” Casadaban says. “Patients that have tried a lot of other treatments and haven’t had pain relief are happy to get back to their normal activities.”

After experiencing complications from knee replacement surgery, Schraf-Fletcher was eager to explore another option. Looking back, she says choosing GAE was the right decision.

What Happens During the Procedure?

GAE typically takes between one and two hours and is performed under conscious sedation.

During the procedure, an interventional radiology team makes a small incision near the crease of the leg. Using X-ray imaging and contrast dye for guidance, doctors advance a tiny catheter through the femoral artery until it reaches the genicular arteries around the knee.

Once in position, the team releases microscopic beads that block blood flow to the abnormal vessels located in the painful areas identified by the patient.

Patients are monitored for several hours afterward and are usually able to return home the same day. Doctors generally advise taking it easy for a few days during recovery.

Originally developed in Japan a little more than a decade ago, GAE has steadily gained attention worldwide. Since 2021, the FDA has granted “breakthrough device status” to multiple devices related to the procedure in the United States.

Research Suggests Long Lasting Pain Relief

Early and ongoing research continues to produce encouraging results.

“The theory is that GAE reduces inflammation inside the knee joint, and symptom relief can last years,” Casadaban says. “Four-year data published in Japan shows that if you have one outpatient procedure, your pain relief can last for those four years. In the U.S., we now have two-year data, which shows that if you have a good response, pain relief can last two years. That really speaks to the theory that we’re hopefully modifying something in the joint.”

Casadaban is currently leading two clinical trials at CU Anschutz. One study is examining changes in knee fluid among patients receiving GAE. The other is evaluating a temporary arterial treatment device called Nexsphere-F, which blocks small blood vessels in the knee that may contribute to inflammation and pain.

Expanding Beyond Knee Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that affects millions of people each year and can occur in many different joints throughout the body.

Although GAE is currently used only for knee conditions, Casadaban says researchers and physicians are beginning to explore its use for other painful musculoskeletal disorders, including frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, and plantar fasciitis.