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A New York skincare survey found mercury where consumers might not expect it

Targeted surveillance of 197 skin-lightening and skincare products purchased in New York City from 2009 to 2022 found detectable mercury in 29%, with 18% exceeding the FDA’s 1 ppm limit and concentrations reaching 27,000 ppm. All mercury-positive products were manufactured abroad, mercury was rarely disclosed on labels, and the findings highlight regulatory, health-equity, and environmental justice concerns.

18 Aug 2026

Laser treatment may extend survival in glioblastoma patients

For patients facing a diagnosis of glioblastoma - one of the most aggressive and devastating forms of brain cancer - the standard path forward has long meant an invasive open-skull surgery and a daunting prognosis.

17 Aug 2026

AI can recreate food convincingly, but there is one thing it still struggles to trigger

AI-generated food images matched real food images in perceived healthiness and estimated calorie content but were rated as less realistic and elicited lower willingness to eat. A subset of hyperrealistic AI images received stronger appetitive ratings, suggesting that perceived realism may shape how synthetic food imagery is evaluated.

17 Aug 2026

Long-term study outlines unexpected findings about tick populations

Tick-borne diseases are on the rise in the United States. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported, with nearly half a million people diagnosed each year.

17 Aug 2026

Review examines mental health impact of prolonged collective trauma

A new systematic review published in Frontiers in Psychiatry brings together 68 studies from the first two years after the October 7 attacks, offering insights that extend far beyond Israel into how prolonged conflict, cumulative exposure and continuing threat can shape post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression and addiction-related outcomes.

17 Aug 2026

Choosing the right benchtop fluorescence microscope for your lab

Learn what matters when comparing benchtop fluorescence microscopes, from confocal and widefield imaging to software.

From Oxford Instruments - Life Sciences 17 Aug 2026

Food fraud costs the UK up to £2 billion a year

Researchers developed the first model to estimate the total annual economic cost of food fraud in the UK, placing it between £0.4 billion and £2 billion. Although food fraud appears relatively rare, individual crime schemes can cause substantial harm, with businesses bearing most costs and strong quality controls helping protect major supply chains.

17 Aug 2026

What 720,000 adults reveal about artificial sweeteners and diabetes risk

A meta-analysis of six prospective cohort studies involving 721,003 adults found that higher artificial sweetener intake was associated with a 31% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The evidence was rated low certainty because of substantial heterogeneity, observational study designs, and potential residual confounding, meaning the findings do not establish causation.

16 Aug 2026

Outfitting cells in "invisibility cloaks" could offer a novel approach to treating diabetes

Outfitting cells in "invisibility cloaks" may offer an easier, less damaging treatment pathway for people with diabetes undergoing cell therapy, according to researchers at Penn State.

14 Aug 2026

Meat, stress and risk-taking: what 38 experiments reveal about masculinity threat

Experimental evidence suggests that masculinity threat can push some men toward health-risk behaviors, with the clearest and most consistent effects seen in meat-related food choices. Across 38 experiments, effects on stress, fitness, risk-taking, and relationships were mixed or limited, while individual beliefs about masculinity shaped how men responded.

14 Aug 2026

Poison center calls for liver injuries surged 400% between 2000 and 2024

Calls to poison centers involving liver injuries caused by medications, supplements, alcohol and other substances jumped nearly 400% between 2000 and 2024, according to a new study from UVA Health.

13 Aug 2026

Mitochondrial protein deficiency drives increased fat intake and obesity

Obesity is a global health concern that can contribute to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other metabolic disorders.

13 Aug 2026

A study of 60 popular Chinese teas found reassuring results and one important warning

Researchers analyzing 60 best-selling online teas in China found that concentrations of six harmful elements remained within Chinese national limits and modeled noncarcinogenic risks were below concern thresholds.

13 Aug 2026

Interactive platform maps habitat design effects on astronaut wellbeing

In extreme environments, habitats are built for survival. Submarines, Antarctic bases, and post disaster dwellings are designed to prioritize health and safety.

12 Aug 2026

Natural gut molecule could strengthen chickens' immune response against bacterial infections

A naturally occurring gut molecule that could strengthen chickens' immune response against a wide range of bacterial infections, has been identified by University of Bristol-led research.

12 Aug 2026

Ultra-processed foods linked to higher prostate cancer risk in men

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) account for nearly 60% of adults' and 70% of children's energy intake in the United States.

12 Aug 2026

Machine learning uses gene neighborhoods to identify harmful poultry bacteria

When it comes to identifying harmful bacteria, it helps to look at the company their genes keep.

12 Aug 2026

Cannabis compounds may weaken glioblastoma response to chemotherapy and radiation

Several cannabinoids reduced chemotherapy- and radiation-induced apoptosis in glioblastoma cell models, with effects linked to reduced apoptotic priming, increased pro-survival signaling, and G1 cell-cycle arrest. The findings raise concern that cannabinoid exposure could interfere with some cancer treatments, although the results are limited to laboratory models and require in vivo and clinical validation.

12 Aug 2026

Study: Nearly all personal care and cleaning products contain undisclosed chemicals

A new study of sunscreens, baby lotions, shampoos, soaps, and other everyday products found that nearly all contained chemicals not disclosed on their labels.

11 Aug 2026

New human tissue chips aim to replace animal testing

Animal testing has long been the standard for evaluating new drugs before they reach human patients. But when it comes to cancer immunotherapy drugs, animal models often fail to predict which immunotherapies might produce harmful side effects in humans because they do not have the same responses or the same cell receptors.

11 Aug 2026