An image of the coral Stylophora pistillata taken with the new micrsope, BUMP. Each polyp has a mouth and a set of tentacles, and the red dots are individual microalgae residing inside the coral tissue.
view more
Credit: Or Ben-Zvi
The intricate, hidden processes that sustain coral life are being revealed through a new microscope developed by scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
The diver-operated microscope — called the Benthic Underwater Microscope imaging PAM, or BUMP — incorporates pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) light techniques to offer an unprecedented look at coral photosynthesis on micro-scales.
In a new study, researchers describe how the BUMP imaging system makes it possible to study the health and physiology of coral reefs in their natural habitat, advancing longstanding efforts to uncover precisely why corals bleach.
Engineers and marine researchers in the Jaffe Lab for Underwater Imaging at Scripps Oceanography designed and built the cutting-edge microscope with funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation. The microscope is already yielding new insights into the relationship between corals and the symbiotic microalgae that support their health, revealing for the first time how well individual algae photosynthesize within coral tissue.
Their findings were published July 3 in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution.
“This microscope is a huge technological leap in the field of coral health assessment,” said Or Ben-Zvi, a postdoctoral researcher at Scripps Oceanography and lead author of the study. “Coral reefs are rapidly declining, losing their photosynthetic symbiotic algae in the process known as coral bleaching. We now have a tool that allows us to examine these microalgae within the coral tissue, non-invasively and in their natural environment.”
Corals are reef-building animals that can’t photosynthesize on their own. Instead, they rely on microalgae living inside their tissues to do it for them. These symbiotic algae use sunlight, carbon dioxide and water to produce oxygen and energy-rich sugars that support coral growth and reef formation.
At just 10 micrometers across, or about one-tenth the width of a human hair, these algae are far too small to be seen with the naked eye. When corals are stressed by warming waters or poor environmental conditions, they lose these microalgae, leading to a pale appearance (“coral bleaching”) and eventual starvation of the coral. Although this process is known, scientists don’t fully understand why, and it hasn’t been possible to study at appropriate scales in the field — until now.
“The microscope facilitates previously unavailable, underwater observations of coral health, a breakthrough made possible thanks to the National Science Foundation and its critical investment in technology development,” said Jules Jaffe, a research oceanographer at Scripps and co-author of the study. “Without continued federal funding, scientific research is jeopardized. In this case, NSF funding allowed us to fabricate a device so we can solve the physiological mystery of why corals bleach, and ultimately, use these insights to inform remediation efforts.”
The new imaging system builds upon previous technology developed by the Jaffe Lab, notably the Benthic Underwater Microscope, or BUM, from 2016. The main component of the BUMP is a microscope unit that is controlled via a touch screen and powered by a battery pack. Through an array of high-magnification lenses and focused LED lights, the microscope captures vivid color and fluorescence images and videos, and it now has the ability to measure photosynthesis and map it in higher resolution via focal scans.
With this tool, scientists are literally shining a light on biological processes underwater, using PAM light measurement techniques to visualize fluorescence and measure photosynthesis, and using imaging to create high-resolution 3D scans of corals.
When viewing the corals under the microscope, the red fluorescence of corals is attributed to the presence of chlorophyll, a photosynthetic pigment in the microalgae. With the PAM technique, the red fluorescence is measured, providing an index of how efficiently the microalgae are using light to produce sugars. The cyan/green fluorescence, concentrated around specific areas such as the mouth and tentacles of the coral, is attributed to special fluorescent proteins produced by the corals themselves and play multiple roles in the coral’s life functions.
The tool is small enough to fit in a carry-on suitcase and light enough for a diver to transport to the seafloor without requiring ship-based assistance. In collaboration with the Smith Lab at Scripps Oceanography, Ben-Zvi, a marine biologist, tested and calibrated the instrument at several coral reef hot spots around the globe: Hawaii, the Red Sea and Palmyra Atoll.
Peering through the microscope, she was surprised by how active the corals were, noting that they changed their volume and shape constantly. Coral behavior that looks like kissing or fighting has been previously documented by the Jaffe Lab, and Ben-Zvi was able to add some new observations to the mix, such as seeing a coral polyp seemingly trying to capture or remove a particle that was passing by, by rapidly contracting its tentacles.
“The more time we spend with this microscope, the more we hope to learn about corals and why they do what they do under certain conditions,” said Ben-Zvi. “We are visualizing photosynthesis, something that was previously unseen at the scales we are examining, and that feels like magic.”
Because scientists can bring the instrument directly into underwater study sites, their work is non-invasive — they don’t need to collect samples or even touch the corals.
“We get a lot of information about their health without the need to interrupt nature,” said Ben-Zvi. “It’s similar to a nurse who takes your pulse and tells you how well you’re doing. We’re checking the coral’s pulse without giving them a shot or doing an intrusive procedure on them.”
The researchers said that data collected with the new microscope can reveal early warning signs that appear before corals experience irreversible damage from global climate change events, such as marine heat waves. These insights could help guide mitigation strategies to better protect corals.
Beyond corals, the tool has widespread potential for studying other small-scale marine organisms that photosynthesize, such as baby kelp. Several researchers at Scripps Oceanography are already using the BUMP imaging system to study the early life stages of the elusive giant kelp off California.
“Since photosynthesis in the ocean is important for life on earth, a host of other applications are imaginable with this tool, including right here off the coast of San Diego,” said Jaffe.
In addition to Ben-Zvi and Jaffe, this study was co-authored by Paul Roberts — formerly with Scripps Oceanography and now at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute — along with Dimitri Deheyn, Pichaya Lertvilai, Devin Ratelle, Jennifer Smith, Joseph Snyder and Daniel Wangpraseurt of Scripps Oceanography.
Journal
Methods in Ecology and Evolution
Method of Research
Observational study
Subject of Research
Animals
Article Title
The Benthic Underwater Microscope Imaging PAM (BUMP): A Non-invasive Tool for In Situ Assessment of Microstructure and Photosynthetic Efficiency
The moon is looking bright in the sky tonight, and that’s for good reason. It’s all down to where we are in the current lunar cycle.
What is the lunar cycle, you ask? This is a recurring series of eight unique phases of the moon’s visibility. The whole cycle takes about 29.5 days (according to NASA), and these different phases happen as the Sun lights up different parts of the moon whilst it orbits Earth. The moon is always there, but what we see on Earth changes depending on how much is lit up.
See what’s happening with the moon tonight, July 3.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Thursday, July 3, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation, 57% of the moon will be lit up and visible to us on Earth. This is also day eight of the lunar cycle.
Tonight there is plenty to see with the naked eye, so keep your fingers crossed for a clear sky.
With the naked eye, you’ll be able to spot the Mare Crisium, Mare Tranquillitatis, and the Mare Fecunditatis on the moon’s surface. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, these will be positioned in the top right of the moon. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, they’re on the bottom left.
If you have binoculars, you’ll also spot the Endymion Crater, the Posidonius Nectaris, and the Mare Nectaris.
If you have a telescope, the Apollo 16 and Apollo 11 landing spots will be visible, as well as the Caucasus Mountains, a 323-mile-long mountain range.
Mashable Light Speed
When is the next full moon?
This month’s full moon will take place on July 10. The last full moon was on June 11.
What are moon phases?
Moon phases are caused by the 29.5-day cycle of the moon’s orbit, which changes the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Moon phases are how the moon looks from Earth as it goes around us. We always see the same side of the moon, but how much of it is lit up by the Sun changes depending on where it is in its orbit. This is how we get full moons, half moons, and moons that appear completely invisible. There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:
New Moon – The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it’s invisible to the eye).
Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon – The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous – The moon starts losing light on the right side.
Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) – Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
SYDNEY, July 3 (Xinhua) — Australian scientists have identified a group of proteins that could transform approaches to treating cancer and age-related diseases.
Researchers at the Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) in Sydney have discovered that these proteins play a crucial role in controlling telomerase, an enzyme responsible for protecting DNA during cell division, according to a recent statement by the CMRI, which led the research.
This breakthrough clarifies how telomerase both supports healthy aging and fuels cancer cell growth, highlighting new possibilities for treatments that slow aging or stop cancer by targeting these newly identified proteins.
Telomerase helps maintain the ends of chromosomes, known as telomeres, which are vital for genetic stability. While telomerase is essential for the health of stem cells and certain immune cells, cancer cells often exploit this enzyme to grow uncontrollably, said the study published in Nature Communications.
The team discovered that three proteins — NONO, SFPQ, and PSPC1 — guide telomerase to chromosome ends; disrupting them in cancer cells prevents telomere maintenance, potentially stopping cancer cell growth.
“Our findings show that these proteins act like molecular traffic controllers, making sure telomerase reaches the right destination inside the cell,” said Alexander Sobinoff, the lead author of the study.
Hilda Pickett, head of CMRI’s Telomere Length Regulation Unit and the study’s senior author, noted that understanding how telomerase is controlled opens new possibilities for developing treatments targeting cancer, aging, and genetic disorders linked to telomere dysfunction. Enditem
SYDNEY, July 3 (Xinhua) — Australian scientists have identified a group of proteins that could transform approaches to treating cancer and age-related diseases.
Researchers at the Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) in Sydney have discovered that these proteins play a crucial role in controlling telomerase, an enzyme responsible for protecting DNA during cell division, according to a recent statement by the CMRI, which led the research.
This breakthrough clarifies how telomerase both supports healthy aging and fuels cancer cell growth, highlighting new possibilities for treatments that slow aging or stop cancer by targeting these newly identified proteins.
Telomerase helps maintain the ends of chromosomes, known as telomeres, which are vital for genetic stability. While telomerase is essential for the health of stem cells and certain immune cells, cancer cells often exploit this enzyme to grow uncontrollably, said the study published in Nature Communications.
The team discovered that three proteins — NONO, SFPQ, and PSPC1 — guide telomerase to chromosome ends; disrupting them in cancer cells prevents telomere maintenance, potentially stopping cancer cell growth.
“Our findings show that these proteins act like molecular traffic controllers, making sure telomerase reaches the right destination inside the cell,” said Alexander Sobinoff, the lead author of the study.
Hilda Pickett, head of CMRI’s Telomere Length Regulation Unit and the study’s senior author, noted that understanding how telomerase is controlled opens new possibilities for developing treatments targeting cancer, aging, and genetic disorders linked to telomere dysfunction. ■
In the face of growing global energy demands and environmental concerns, developing sustainable technologies for energy conversion and carbon dioxide (CO₂) utilization is crucial. Photocatalytic CO₂ reduction, which leverages solar energy to convert CO₂ into valuable chemicals, stands out as a promising solution. However, existing photocatalysts face challenges such as insufficient light absorption, poor charge separation, and high energy barriers for CO₂ reduction.
Metal halide perovskites (ABX₃) have shown potential in photocatalysis due to their excellent light absorption and charge transport properties. Lead-containing perovskites, however, face issues like degradation and toxicity, prompting researchers to explore lead-free alternatives like bismuth (Bi)-based materials. Cs₃Bi₂I₉, a lead-free halide perovskite, has attracted attention for its high optoelectronic performance but is limited by aggregation and insufficient oxidation ability.
A research team led by Jie Chen from Xi’an Jiaotong University has developed a novel visible-light-driven (λ > 420 nm) Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst composed of 0D Cs₃Bi₂I₉ nanoparticles on 1D WO₃ nanorods for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction. The catalyst was synthesized using an in situ growth approach, where Cs₃Bi₂I₉ nanoparticles were grown on WO₃ nanorods. The research team conducted extensive experiments and characterizations to evaluate the catalyst’s performance and understand its underlying mechanisms.
Enhanced CO₂ Reduction Activity: The catalyst achieved a CO production rate of 16.5 μmol/(g·h), approximately three times higher than that of pristine Cs₃Bi₂I₉ (5.3 μmol/(g·h)), with a CO selectivity of 98.7%.
Stability: The catalyst maintained stable performance after three cycles of 3-hour reactions, with no significant structural changes observed.
Charge Transfer Mechanism: In situXPS and ESR measurements revealed a Z-scheme charge transfer pathway, where electrons transfer from WO₃ to Cs₃Bi₂I₉ under light illumination, facilitating efficient charge separation and reducing recombination.
Photophysical and Photoelectrochemical Properties: The heterojunction exhibited efficient charge carrier transfer and separation, as evidenced by surface photovoltage spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements.
This work provides valuable insights into the design of efficient heterojunctions for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction. The successful construction of the 0D/1D Z-scheme heterojunction not only enhances the performance of lead-free halide perovskites but also offers a promising strategy for developing advanced photocatalysts. By combining morphological engineering with the Z-scheme heterojunction design, this study paves the way for more efficient and stable photocatalytic materials, contributing to sustainable energy solutions and carbon emission reduction efforts.
Original source: https://journal.hep.com.cn/fie/EN/10.1007/s11708-025-0989-1
In the vast vacuum of space, Earth-bound limitations no longer apply. And that’s exactly where UF engineering associate professor Victoria Miller, Ph.D., and her students are pushing the boundaries of possibilities.
In partnership with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, known as DARPA, and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the University of Florida engineering team is exploring how to manufacture precision metal structures in orbit using laser technology.
“We want to build big things in space. To build big things in space, you must start manufacturing things in space. This is an exciting new frontier,” said Miller.
An associate professor in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering at UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, Miller said the project called NOM4D – which means Novel Orbital and Moon Manufacturing, Materials, and Mass-efficient Design – seeks to transform how people think about space infrastructure development. Picture constructing massive structures in orbit, like a 100-meter solar array built using advanced laser technology.
“We’d love to see large-scale structures like satellite antennas, solar panels, space telescopes or even parts of space stations built directly in orbit. This would be a major step toward sustainable space operations and longer missions,” said team member Tianchen Wei, a third-year Ph.D. student in materials science and engineering.
UF received a $1.1 million DARPA contract to carry out this pioneering research over three phases. While other universities explore various aspects of space manufacturing, UF is the only one specifically focused on laser forming for space applications, Miller said.
A major challenge of the NOM4D project is overcoming the size and weight limitations of rocket cargo. To address these concerns, Miller’s team is developing laser-forming technology to trace precise patterns on metals to bend them into shape. If executed correctly, the heat from the laser bends the metal without human touch; a key step toward making orbital manufacturing a reality.
“With this technology, we can build structures in space far more efficiently than launching them fully assembled from Earth,” said team member Nathan Fripp, also a third-year Ph.D. student studying materials science and engineering. “This opens up a wide range of new possibilities for space exploration, satellite systems and even future habitats.”
Miller said laser bending is complex but getting the correct shape from the metal is only part of the equation.
“The challenge is ensuring that the material properties stay good or improve during the laser-forming process,” she said. “Can we ensure when we bend this sheet metal that bent regions still have really good properties and are strong and tough with the right flexibility?”
To analyze the materials, Miller’s students are running controlled tests on aluminum, ceramics and stainless steel, assessing how variables like laser input, heat and gravity affect how materials bend and behave.
“We run many controlled tests and collect detailed data on how different metals respond to laser energy: how much they bend, how much they heat up, how the heat affects them and more. We have also developed models to predict the temperature and the amount of bending based on the material properties and laser energy input,” said Wei. “We continuously learn from both modeling and experiments to deepen our understanding of the process.”
The research started in 2021 and has made significant progress, but the technology must be developed further before it’s ready for use in space. This is why collaboration with the NASA Marshall Space Center is so critical. It enables UF researchers to dramatically increase the technology readiness level (TRL) by testing laser forming in space-like conditions inside a thermal vacuum chamber provided by NASA. Fripp leads this testing using the chamber to observe how materials respond to the harsh environment of space.
“We’ve observed that many factors, such as laser parameters, material properties and atmospheric conditions, can significantly determine the final results. In space, conditions like extreme temperatures, microgravity and vacuums further change how materials behave. As a result, adapting our forming techniques to work reliably and consistently in space adds another layer of complexity,” said Fripp.
Another important step is building a feedback loop into the manufacturing process. A sensor would detect the bending angle in real time, allowing for feedback and recalibration of the laser’s path.
As the project enters its final year, finishing in June of 2026, questions remain — especially around maintaining material integrity during the laser-forming process. Still, Miller’s team remains optimistic. UF moves one step closer to a new era of construction with each simulation and laser test.
“It’s great to be a part of a team pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in manufacturing, not just on Earth, but beyond,” said Wei.
Astronomers on Wednesday confirmed the discovery of an interstellar object racing through our Solar System – only the third ever spotted, though scientists suspect many more may slip past unnoticed.
The visitor from the stars, designated 3I/Atlas by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center, is likely the largest yet detected. It has been classified as a comet.
“The fact that we see some fuzziness suggests that it is mostly ice rather than mostly rock,” Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told AFP.
Originally known as A11pl3Z before it was confirmed to be of interstellar origin, the object poses no threat to Earth, said Richard Moissl, head of planetary defense at the European Space Agency.
“It will fly deep through the Solar System, passing just inside the orbit of Mars,” but will not hit our neighbouring planet, he said.
Related: What if Life on Earth Began When Interstellar Objects Crashed Here?
Excited astronomers are still refining their calculations, but the object appears to be zooming more than 60 kilometres (37 miles) a second.
The trajectory of the interstellar comet through the Solar System. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)
This would mean it is not bound by the Sun’s orbit, unlike comets and asteroids, which all originate from within the Solar System.
Its trajectory also “means it’s not orbiting our star, but coming from interstellar space and flying off to there again,” Moissl said.
“We think that probably these little ice balls get formed associated with star systems,” added McDowell. “And then as another star passes by, tugs on the ice ball, frees it out. It goes rogue, wanders through the galaxy, and now this one is just passing us.”
The NASA-funded ATLAS survey in Hawaii first discovered the object on Tuesday, US astronomer David Rankin wrote on the social media platform Bluesky.
Was able to get my observatory open between clouds in soupy monsoon skies to nab an image of new interstellar object #A11pl3Z discovered by the Atlas team. Exciting times in astronomy. 🔭🧪
[image or embed]
— David Rankin (@asteroiddave.bsky.social) July 2, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Professional and amateur astronomers across the world then searched through past telescope data, tracing its trajectory back to at least June 14.
The object is currently estimated to be roughly 10-20 kilometers wide, Moissl said, which would make it the largest interstellar interloper ever detected. But the object could be smaller if it is made out of ice, which reflects more light.
“It will get brighter and closer to the Sun until late October and then still be observable (by telescope) until next year,” Moissl said.
Our third visitor
This marks only the third time humanity has detected an object entering the solar system from the stars.
The first, ‘Oumuamua, was discovered in 2017. It was so strange that at least one prominent scientist became convinced it was an alien vessel – though this has since been dismissed by further research.
Our second interstellar visitor, 2I/Borisov, was spotted in 2019.
Mark Norris, an astronomer at the UK’s University of Central Lancashire, told AFP that the new object appears to be “moving considerably faster than the other two extra-solar objects that we previously discovered.”
The object is currently roughly around the distance from Jupiter away from Earth, Norris said.
He lamented that he would not be able to observe the object on his telescope on Wednesday night, because it is currently only visible in the Southern Hemisphere.
Norris pointed to modelling estimating that there could be as many as 10,000 interstellar objects drifting through the Solar System at any given time, though most would be smaller than the newly discovered object.
If true, this suggests that the newly online Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile could soon be finding these dim interstellar visitors every month, Norris said.
Moissl said it is not feasible to send a mission into space to intercept the new object.
Still, these visitors offer scientists a rare chance to study something outside of our Solar System.
For example, if we detected precursors of life such as amino acids on such an object, it would give us “a lot more confidence that the conditions for life exist in other star systems,” Norris said.
Teledyne Space Imaging in Chelmsford, UK, has designed, tested, and manufactured two charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensors which were delivered to Airbus GmbH for the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Sentinel-4 air-quality monitoring mission. Sentinel-4, mounted on the Meteosat Third Generation Sounder (MTG-S) satellite, successfully launched on 1 July from Cape Canaveral in Florida, US, as part of the European Union’s Copernicus programme, led by the European Commission (EC) in partnership with ESA.
This marks the second launch in just one week featuring detector technology from Teledyne Space Imaging. The Japanese Global Observing SATellite for Greenhouse gases and Water cycle (GOSAT-GW) mission, which launched on 28 June 2025, included two CIS120 sensors from Teledyne.
Mission Purpose
Sentinel-4 incorporates two different types of CCD sensors within its Ultraviolet-Visible-Near-Infrared (UVN) imaging spectrometer instrument. The CCD374 sensor operates at ultraviolet and visible wavelengths, while the CCD376 sensor provides images in the near-infrared wavelength. From its geostationary orbit, the Sentinel-4 mission will deliver data on a range of trace gases, including ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulphur dioxide.
The Sentinel-4 mission will transmit data on tropospheric constituents over Europe every hour for use in air quality applications and monitoring projects on the ground. This data will provide valuable insights into climate, air pollutants, and ozone/surface ultraviolet (UV) applications, supporting ongoing research into protecting public health.
Project Involvement and Development
Teledyne Space Imaging first became involved in the Sentinel-4 project during its initial development phase in 2009, which included detector design, prototype manufacturing, and radiation testing. The second phase, which began in 2012, involved the design and validation of the flight detectors, as well as design updates based on the results of the first phase. The final phase, completed in 2019, was the flight model phase, during which Teledyne Space Imaging manufactured the flight deliverables for the customer. Reliability testing ensured the detectors will survive beyond the expected 10-year duration of the mission.
Ross Mackie, Principal Project Lead Engineer at Teledyne Space Imaging, said: “Our sensors were selected due to the heritage of our work on Sentinel-2 and -3, as well as internal developments that met the needs of this mission. Our detectors fulfilled all the mission’s requirements for operation in various wavelengths, giving us the edge in developing these exciting products for Sentinel-4. We were able to offer a bespoke approach to provide the best possible results for the mission.”
Tracy Phillips, Teledyne’s Principal Project Manager responsible for the execution and performance of the project, added: “Managing the CCDs for the Sentinel-4 mission was one of my first projects at Teledyne, and it was fascinating to learn about the technological capabilities of our detectors. It’s very exciting to work with such advanced sensors that will contribute to gathering vital information about our planet, ultimately better protecting Earth and helping save lives.”
