Eight Scientists Named 2025 Schmidt Polymaths to Pursue Research in New Disciplines
to demonstrate past ability and future potential to pursue early-stage, novel research that would otherwise be challenging to fund—even with the current declines in U.S. science funding.The 2025 Schmidt Polymaths are:Angela Wu, Associate Professor, Division of Life Science and the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Dr. Wu will explore engineering approaches to create a fully human, functional in-vitro brain organoid that could one day be used for therapeutic transplantation.Arvind Murugan, Associate Professor of Physics, University
Barrels of Caustic Waste Found Off California
New research from UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography reveals that barrels of caustic waste, thought to be related to the pesticide DDT, have created an extreme environment around them.Though the study’s findings can’t identify which specific chemicals were present in the barrels, DDT manufacturing did produce alkaline as well as acidic waste.“One of the main waste streams from DDT production was acid, and they didn’t put that into barrels,” said Johanna Gutleben, a Scripps postdoctoral scholar and the study’s first author. “It makes you
Vast Hydrogen-Rich Hydrothermal System Found in Western Pacific
, challenging previous assumptions."Using advanced Raman spectroscopy deployed on the seafloor, the researchers detected molecular hydrogen concentrations of 5.9–6.8 mmol/kg in diffuse hydrothermal fluids. While the temperature of these fluids remains moderate—under 40°C—geochemical indicators suggest much higher subsurface temperatures, sufficient to promote dolomite formation. These findings point to robust fluid-rock interactions occurring deep beneath the ocean floor.Based on discharge area mapping and flow velocity analysis, the estimated annual hydrogen flux from the
Lander Lab: Chilean Ocean Lander Data Acquisition and Control System
abundance. The results suggest that the ultradeep ocean harbors surprising biological richness, often surpassing that observed in the surface layers.One of the main remaining challenges during lander deployment is preserving viable samples for metabolic analyses, which are essential for studying the chemical and biological processes that enable organisms to adapt to their environment. Genetic material, particularly RNA, is highly susceptible to degradation due to changes in pressure, temperature, and time required to recover the samples. This underscores the urgency of developing in-situ preservation
Chuo University, NYK Launch Joint Research Initiative to Discover Medicinal Resources From Marine Organisms
at The University of Tokyo.Preliminary results revealed that the substance inhibits the growth of Rhodesian trypanosome, the pathogen responsible for African sleeping sickness, a disease classified as a “neglected tropical disease.” This finding was presented at the annual meeting of the Chemical Society of Japan in March 2025 by a student from the Iwasaki Laboratory.Building on the outcomes of the initial research, Chuo University and NYK have formalized a five-year joint research agreement. Chuo University's Iwasaki Laboratory will collect marine organisms, explore unknown natural
WHOI Scientist Elected Fellow of the American Chemical Society
Christopher Reddy, a senior scientist in marine chemistry and geochemistry at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), has been named a Fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS), one of the highest recognitions in the field of chemistry.Reddy is being honored for his contributions to analyzing environmental contaminants and for paradigm-shifting research on the source, transport, and fate of oil spills and plastic pollution in the ocean. He is also recognized for his dedication as an ACS Expert, communicating the value and importance of chemistry to diverse audiences and building connections
Plastic Free July and a Treaty in the Making
the equivalent of a credit card of microplastics every week*, and these tiny particles of plastic have found their way to our blood and brains,” said Greenpeace during the month. “Scientists are only beginning to understand the long-term effects of plastics on our health, but many of the chemicals present in plastic are linked to serious health issues such as endocrine disruption, insulin resistance, decreased reproductive health and cancer.“That is why this Plastic Free July, we’re demanding action from corporations and governments. We need companies to phase out single-use
Chemical-Consuming Creatures Found Deep in Pacific Trenches
Scientists diving to astounding depths in two oceanic trenches in the northwest Pacific have discovered thriving communities of marine creatures that get their sustenance not by eating organic matter like most animals but by turning chemicals into energy.They found these chemosynthesis-based animal communities - dominated by tube worms and clams - during a series of dives aboard a crewed submersible to the bottom of the Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian trenches. These creatures are nourished by fluids rich in hydrogen sulfide and methane seeping from the seafloor in this dark and frigid realm beyond
Metamaterials Could Reduce Marine Noise Pollution
barriers. These factors necessitate the use of very thick barriers, which can be environmentally invasive.This is where metamaterials and their unconventional properties come into play. Unlike traditional materials, the quasi-static and dynamic responses of metamaterials depend not so much on their chemical composition, but on their geometric structure, often arranged in regular, repetitive patterns.This “intelligent” architecture enables them, for example, to absorb vibrations, deform in a controlled manner, dampen acoustic or elastic waves, or even exhibit counterintuitive behaviours
August 2025
