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80+ Science Research Paper Topics Ideas For Students

Essay writing or writing dissertation is an integral part of education at any level, middle school, high school, or college. Some of the most common essays are on science research topics, and they are also quite interesting. However, choosing research paper topics isn’t as straightforward as you’d like. You’ll need to carry out a survey on and draw inspiration from several scientific research topics before finally choosing one. Choosing science topics, especially if they are argumentative essay topics , to write about can be a frustrating task, especially when science is a pretty wide subject. If you need inspiration on interesting science topics, we’ll give you some science research paper ideas. But, first, let’s talk about how to choose the best science research paper topics – it makes things easier.

What Are Some Science Topics You Can Write About?

Interesting science research topics, ideas of science research topics for high school students, science research topics for college students, science research topics for middle school, scientific research question examples, science presentation ideas, cool science topics to research, ideas of scientific topics for research on nanotechnology, fascinating ideas for science research projects, interesting science topics for high school research papers, tips for choosing science research topics.

Being a very broad subject, students often find choosing a science topic for a research paper difficult. However, the secret is knowing what scientific research questions will make for a good paper, and what people will want to read. So, when choosing science topics for papers, here are tips you can follow to make the task easier.

• Choose cool science topics you’re interested in and that’ll interest your readers.
• Search online for research question examples science for ideas on what your paper should be about.
• Avoid choosing too-broad research topics for high school, to ensure your work is well detailed.
• Consider contemporary scientific research questions concerning recent happenings; they can be fun to write
• Read your notes and online academic papers for inspiration on good science research paper topics.
• Choose simple but highly informative research topics for high school students.
• Choose good science topics you have some knowledge of and can confidently talk about.
• Learn how to choose science topics for high school to make things easier.
• Be familiar with the dos and don’ts of choosing scientific research paper topics.
• Choose a scientific topic for research papers that has enough accessible information.

The Dos and Don’ts of Choosing Science Topics

Knowing the dos and don’ts of choosing a science title helps you select a good topic and ultimately write an outstanding paper. So, when searching for science topics for presentations,

• Do understand that there are different topics in science you can research on;
• Do read extensively for science research paper ideas; it helps you know what to write about;
• Don’t include words like “Research of” or “Study of” in your chosen science topics to research;
• Don’t choose high school science research paper topics with scanty or inaccessible information available;
• Do check online for interesting science research ideas on how to write your paper;
• Feel free to ask your instructor, colleagues, or seniors for scientific research ideas.

When searching for interesting science topics or social media research topics related to science to writing on, you will find different ones on different subjects, which can be confusing. You can follow the tips we listed for choosing science-related topics for a research paper. Meanwhile, here are some science paper topics you can use if none is forthcoming.

• Is there a move for the Covid-19 vaccine?
• What “flattening the curve” means
• Molecular evidence of humans interbreeding with Neanderthals
• Impact of cardio exercise on heart health
• The importance of exploring the solar system
• Can a comet strike the earth?
• The Hubble Space Telescope
• Top ten chemistry careers
• Acid rain effect aquatic plants’ growth
• Room color and human behavior
• How can plants grow in pots?
• Water’s surface tension weight capacity
• What does the paleo diet mean?
• Is Pluto still a planet?
• The future of commercial space flight
• Do you inherit fingerprint patterns?
• Ways in which handwashing prevents the spread of the Covid-19 virus
• Molecular biological research on rare genetic disorders impact on understanding cancer
• Do men pass on genetic abnormalities to their posterity as they age?
• How can men’s exercise affect the traits they pass on to their children?
• Is there really life on Mars; has there ever been?
• Ways of solving the problem of junk space
• The importance of Dark Matter
• Black holes
• Different ways to keep ice from defrosting
• Are pet hairs harmful to the human body?
• Some of the germs you’ve seen in your school
• The effect of music on your assimilation ability
• The types of food dogs prefer the best
• Good hygienic practices for keeping clean
• Foods that develop molds the fastest
• How different body parts aid the effective functioning of the system
• Do worms in the soil really affect plant growth and how?
• Can light brightness make plants grow well?
• What kinds of fertilizers work best, chemical or natural?
• Can mice (or any animal of your choice) learn?
• How can age affect the human reaction?
• Why does water boil faster when put in salt?
• Can food affect the heart, how?
• Can background noise interfere with learning and assimilation?
• Can Higgs Boson destroy the universe?
• Effects of sunspots on man
• Should humans live in space?
• The most important technological innovations in medicinal chemistry in recent years
• The danger of chemicals emitted from pharmaceutical companies
• The importance of big data and bioinformatics to chemical research
• The sugar chemistry behind making candy
• Biomacromolecules
• Trends in India’s medicinal chemistry research
• Nuclear fusion
• Reproduction in mammals
• How do fish mate?
• How useful are science museums in teaching science?
• Why do birds have beautiful feathers?
• The safety of offshore drilling
• The importance of climate change legislation
• Hydraulic fracking’s negative effects
• Uses of microelectronics
• Nanotechnology in medicine
• Nanotechnology for cancer treatment
• Can nanofibers repair brain injuries?
• Effect of nanomedicine on human lifespan
• Nanomaterial
• How nanotechnology helps in patient diagnosis
• How to reduce antibiotic use in agriculture
• The ethics of stem cell research
• The best leukemia treatment
• Gene therapy
• Causes of skin cancer
• Colonoscopy testing on colon cancer
• Why eliminating malaria is difficult
• The possibility of predicting the next pandemic
• Do childhood vaccines prevent diseases?
• How cells shield the body against diseases
• Should wild animals interact with humans?
• Are self-driving cars good?
• Regulating sugar use
• Different types of headaches
• Can migraine cause death?
• The ideal weight for living long

Feel free to choose from this scientific research topics list for your science research paper. There are many things to research where science is concerned, including stem research topics , among others. There is no shortage of scientific topics to research and choosing the best one gets easy when you know how to. If you’ve chosen a topic and you need help writing on them, you can contact our professional writing service. We have a team of experts who can write on any science topic and ensure you meet your deadline.

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300+ Science Research Topics

Welcome to the exciting world of science research topics! Science research is the process of exploring, discovering, and developing new knowledge about the natural world. It is an ever-evolving field that seeks to answer questions about the universe, from the smallest subatomic particles to the largest galaxies.

Whether you are a student, researcher , or just a curious individual, exploring science research topics can be both intellectually stimulating and rewarding. The possibilities are endless, ranging from genetics and neuroscience to renewable energy and space exploration.

In this blog, we will delve into various science research topics, discussing their significance, challenges, and future prospects. So, whether you are interested in the mysteries of the human brain or the latest breakthrough in quantum computing, then pay look at the below topics.

Science Research Topics

Science Research Topics are as follows:

• The effects of climate change on biodiversity
• The use of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology
• The effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive function
• The development of artificial intelligence and machine learning
• The impact of social media on mental health
• The use of renewable energy sources to reduce carbon emissions
• The effects of air pollution on respiratory health
• The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine
• The development of quantum computing technology
• The effects of exercise on mental health
• The use of nanotechnology in medicine
• The effects of nutrition on brain development
• The development of self-driving cars and their impact on society
• The use of virtual and augmented reality in education and training
• The effects of meditation and mindfulness on mental health
• The use of gene therapy to treat genetic disorders
• The effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems
• The development of 3D printing technology
• The effects of electromagnetic radiation on human health
• The use of blockchain technology in supply chain management
• The effects of deforestation on climate change
• The use of biodegradable materials to reduce plastic pollution
• The effects of artificial light on circadian rhythms
• The use of drones in agriculture and environmental monitoring
• The effects of music on mental health and cognition
• The development of fusion energy technology
• The effects of radiation exposure on astronauts during space travel
• The use of cognitive enhancers to improve brain function
• The effects of soil degradation on agriculture and food security
• The development of smart materials with unique properties
• The effects of aging on the immune system
• The use of satellite imagery to monitor and predict natural disasters
• The effects of noise pollution on human health
• The use of biotechnology in food production
• The effects of artificial intelligence on employment and the economy
• The development of new antibiotics to combat drug-resistant bacteria
• The effects of gravity on plant growth and development
• The use of blockchain technology in healthcare
• The effects of microplastics on marine ecosystems and human health
• The use of CRISPR/Cas9 to develop disease-resistant crops
• The effects of climate change on human migration
• The use of brain-computer interfaces to improve communication for people with disabilities
• The effects of light pollution on wildlife and ecosystems
• The use of renewable energy sources to power electric vehicles
• The effects of indoor air pollution on respiratory health
• The development of superconducting materials for energy transmission
• The effects of stress on the immune system
• The use of blockchain technology in voting systems
• The effects of pesticides on pollinators and ecosystem services
• The development of space-based solar power systems.
• The effects of microorganisms on human health and disease
• The use of nanotechnology in drug delivery and targeting
• The use of nanotechnology in water purification
• The use of nanotechnology in targeted drug delivery
• The use of nanomaterials in water treatment
• The use of nanotechnology in food preservation and packaging
• The effects of light pollution on nocturnal animals
• The development of new methods for sustainable agriculture
• The effects of climate change on plant-pollinator interactions
• The use of machine learning in predicting protein-protein interactions
• The effects of microplastics on coral reef ecosystems
• The development of new materials for flexible electronics
• The effects of climate change on wildfire frequency and intensity
• The use of CRISPR/Cas9 to study epigenetic regulation of gene expression
• The effects of ocean acidification on shellfish aquaculture
• The development of new methods for sustainable waste management
• The effects of air pollution on cardiovascular health
• The use of gene editing to study aging and longevity
• The effects of climate change on soil microbial communities
• The development of new materials for water purification
• The effects of microgravity on plant growth and development
• The use of artificial intelligence in predicting weather patterns
• The effects of climate change on sea ice dynamics in the Arctic
• The development of new methods for sustainable urban planning
• The effects of air pollution on cognitive function
• The use of CRISPR/Cas9 to develop new cancer therapies
• The effects of ocean acidification on marine biodiversity
• The development of new materials for flexible batteries
• The effects of climate change on freshwater fish populations
• The use of machine learning in predicting drug efficacy
• The effects of microplastics on soil health
• The effects of noise pollution on marine mammals
• The development of new methods for sustainable forestry
• The effects of climate change on migratory bird populations
• The use of machine learning in predicting chemical reactions
• The effects of microplastics on freshwater ecosystems
• The development of new materials for energy storage
• The effects of climate change on desertification
• The use of CRISPR/Cas9 to study epigenetic inheritance
• The effects of ocean warming on sea turtle populations
• The development of new methods for sustainable transportation
• The effects of air pollution on mental health
• The use of gene editing to study stem cell differentiation
• The effects of climate change on aquatic plants
• The development of new materials for artificial photosynthesis
• The effects of microgravity on human bone density
• The use of artificial intelligence in medical diagnosis
• The effects of climate change on snowpack and water availability
• The development of new methods for sustainable mining
• The effects of air pollution on lung cancer risk
• The use of CRISPR/Cas9 to develop gene therapies for genetic diseases
• The effects of ocean acidification on calcifying plankton
• The development of new materials for flexible solar cells
• The effects of climate change on insect migration patterns
• The use of machine learning in predicting drug toxicity
• The effects of microplastics on human health
• The development of new methods for sustainable water desalination
• The effects of air pollution on sleep quality
• The use of gene editing to study cancer immunotherapy
• The effects of climate change on river ecosystems
• The development of new materials for water filtration
• The effects of space travel on human cognition
• The use of artificial intelligence in stock market analysis
• The effects of climate change on urban vegetation
• The development of new methods for sustainable construction
• The effects of air pollution on neurological development
• The use of CRISPR/Cas9 to study chromatin structure
• The effects of ocean warming on deep-sea ecosystems
• The development of new materials for 3D printing
• The effects of climate change on ocean currents
• The use of machine learning in predicting protein folding
• The effects of microplastics on marine bacteria
• The development of new methods for sustainable energy generation
• The effects of air pollution on diabetes risk
• The use of gene editing to study antibiotic resistance
• The effects of climate change on soil carbon sequestration
• The development of new materials for lightweight vehicle components
• The effects of space travel on the human immune system
• The use of artificial intelligence in predicting natural disasters
• The effects of climate change on microbial community dynamics in the Arctic.
• The effects of artificial light at night on human health
• The development of new methods for sustainable waste management in cities
• The effects of climate change on urban heat islands
• The use of machine learning in predicting protein structures
• The effects of microplastics on marine mammal populations
• The development of new materials for high-temperature applications
• The effects of climate change on soil biodiversity
• The use of CRISPR/Cas9 to study epigenetic modifications
• The effects of ocean warming on coral reef ecosystems
• The development of new methods for sustainable agriculture in arid regions
• The effects of air pollution on cardiovascular disease
• The use of gene editing to develop disease-resistant crops
• The effects of climate change on insect pollinators
• The development of new materials for self-healing structures
• The effects of microgravity on plant growth
• The use of artificial intelligence in drug discovery
• The effects of climate change on water availability in coastal regions
• The development of new methods for sustainable tourism
• The effects of air pollution on fetal development
• The use of CRISPR/Cas9 to study genetic disorders
• The effects of ocean acidification on shell-forming organisms
• The effects of climate change on wildfire frequency and severity
• The effects of microplastics on soil ecosystems
• The development of new methods for sustainable fish farming
• The effects of air pollution on the human microbiome
• The use of gene editing to study the genetics of aging
• The effects of climate change on wetland ecosystems
• The development of new materials for energy-efficient windows
• The effects of space travel on the human cardiovascular system
• The use of artificial intelligence in traffic management
• The effects of climate change on freshwater availability in the tropics
• The development of new methods for sustainable disaster response
• The effects of air pollution on the gut microbiome
• The use of CRISPR/Cas9 to study plant immunity
• The effects of ocean warming on marine reptile populations
• The development of new materials for sustainable packaging
• The effects of climate change on human migration patterns
• The use of machine learning in predicting protein-ligand interactions
• The effects of microplastics on terrestrial wildlife
• The development of new methods for sustainable urban agriculture
• The effects of air pollution on the developing immune system
• The use of gene editing to study neurodegenerative diseases
• The effects of climate change on alpine ecosystems
• The development of new materials for durable coatings
• The effects of space travel on the human digestive system
• The use of artificial intelligence in energy trading
• The effects of climate change on the physiology of marine invertebrates.
• The effects of climate change on forest fires
• The use of CRISPR/Cas9 to study evolution
• The effects of climate change on butterfly populations
• The use of machine learning in predicting cancer progression
• The effects of ocean warming on jellyfish blooms
• The effects of air pollution on prenatal development
• The use of gene editing to study gene regulation
• The effects of climate change on the distribution of plant species
• The development of new materials for biodegradable plastics
• The effects of microgravity on bone loss in astronauts
• The use of artificial intelligence in medical imaging
• The effects of air pollution on respiratory diseases in urban areas
• The use of CRISPR/Cas9 to study antibiotic resistance
• The development of new materials for energy-efficient lighting
• The effects of climate change on bird migration patterns
• The use of machine learning in predicting and preventing cyber attacks
• The effects of microplastics on human food chains
• The development of new methods for sustainable energy production from biomass
• The effects of air pollution on the developing brain
• The use of gene editing to study neural development
• The effects of climate change on oceanic dead zones
• The development of new materials for sustainable textiles
• The effects of space radiation on electronics
• The use of artificial intelligence in personalized medicine
• The effects of climate change on crop yields in developing countries
• The development of new methods for sustainable water management
• The effects of air pollution on hearing loss
• The use of CRISPR/Cas9 to study genome-wide mutations
• The effects of ocean warming on marine fisheries
• The development of new materials for energy-efficient building insulation
• The effects of climate change on the migration patterns of whales
• The use of machine learning in predicting and preventing wildfires
• The effects of microplastics on freshwater fish populations
• The development of new methods for sustainable waste-to-energy conversion
• The effects of air pollution on aging and dementia
• The use of gene editing to study immune responses
• The development of new materials for sustainable food packaging
• The use of artificial intelligence in precision agriculture
• The effects of climate change on the productivity of aquaculture.
• The effects of air pollution on lung development in children
• The use of CRISPR/Cas9 to study genetic diseases
• The effects of microplastics on marine food webs
• The development of new materials for 3D printing of tissue and organs
• The effects of climate change on the spread of infectious diseases
• The use of machine learning in climate modeling and prediction
• The effects of ocean warming on phytoplankton populations
• The effects of air pollution on cognitive function and brain health
• The use of gene editing to treat genetic disorders in humans
• The effects of climate change on Arctic sea ice and marine mammals
• The development of new materials for flexible and wearable technology
• The use of artificial intelligence in drug repurposing
• The effects of climate change on the migration patterns of marine species
• The development of new methods for sustainable forestry management
• The effects of air pollution on the cardiovascular system
• The effects of ocean acidification on calcifying organisms
• The development of new materials for hydrogen fuel cells
• The effects of climate change on polar bear populations
• The use of machine learning in predicting and preventing natural disasters
• The effects of microplastics on soil health and fertility
• The development of new methods for sustainable aquaculture
• The effects of air pollution on outdoor recreation and tourism
• The use of gene editing to create disease-resistant crops
• The effects of climate change on desert ecosystems
• The development of new materials for energy-efficient windows and insulation
• The effects of space radiation on human health
• The use of artificial intelligence in predicting and preventing pandemics
• The effects of climate change on the melting of the Greenland ice sheet
• The development of new methods for sustainable fisheries management
• The effects of air pollution on indoor air quality
• The use of CRISPR/Cas9 to create genetically modified animals
• The development of new materials for energy-efficient transportation
• The effects of climate change on the carbon cycle in forests
• The use of machine learning in personalized nutrition
• The effects of air pollution on the immune system
• The use of gene editing to create disease-resistant livestock
• The effects of climate change on marine sedimentation and erosion
• The effects of space travel on the human microbiome
• The use of artificial intelligence in improving mental health care
• The effects of climate change on the productivity of renewable energy sources.
• The development of carbon capture and storage technologies
• The effects of climate change on ocean currents and circulation
• The use of biotechnology to produce sustainable materials
• The effects of electromagnetic fields on plant growth and development
• The effects of artificial light at night on wildlife behavior and ecology
• The use of machine learning algorithms in drug discovery
• The effects of climate change on freshwater ecosystems
• The effects of urbanization on wildlife populations and biodiversity
• The use of satellite technology for monitoring and predicting weather patterns
• The development of new cancer therapies using immunotherapy
• The effects of climate change on agricultural productivity
• The use of precision agriculture techniques to optimize crop yields
• The effects of ocean acidification on coral reefs and marine ecosystems
• The development of new methods for water desalination
• The effects of climate change on Arctic ecosystems and sea ice
• The effects of anthropogenic noise on marine mammals
• The development of new methods for carbon sequestration in soil
• The effects of climate change on insect populations and ecosystems
• The use of CRISPR/Cas9 to engineer drought-resistant crops
• The effects of climate change on wildfires and forest ecosystems
• The development of new materials for solar energy capture
• The effects of climate change on permafrost and greenhouse gas emissions
• The use of virtual reality in medical education and training
• The effects of ocean warming on marine food webs
• The effects of climate change on extreme weather events
• The use of machine learning algorithms to analyze genomic data
• The development of new materials for sustainable building construction
• The effects of climate change on global water resources
• The use of artificial intelligence in drug delivery systems
• The effects of deforestation on soil health and fertility
• The development of new methods for carbon capture using natural systems
• The effects of climate change on coastal erosion and sea level rise
• The use of gene editing technologies to combat antibiotic resistance
• The effects of climate change on biodiversity in the Amazon rainforest
• The use of machine learning algorithms in environmental monitoring
• The effects of climate change on alpine ecosystems and mountain glaciers
• The development of new methods for carbon sequestration in oceans
• The effects of climate change on arid and semi-arid ecosystems
• The use of artificial intelligence in diagnostic imaging
• The development of new materials for sustainable transportation.

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300 Cutting-Edge Science Research Topics to impress Your professor

Science research forms the foundation of human knowledge and drives innovation in every aspect of our lives. Through rigorous investigation, experimentation, and analysis, we gain a deeper understanding of the world around us. That being said, it is always challenging to get started with your science research paper, but beginning with a good topic works as a stepping stone. As professional paper writing solutions  providers, we took it upon ourselves to inform you about a few topics to help you craft an impressive piece. Let’s get to read them all.

Table of Contents

Why is Science Research Important?

Before we begin reading the lists of a few science topics to research on, let’s first try to understand the importance of a scientific paper. 

Advances Our Knowledge

• Science research expands our understanding of the natural world.
• It uncovers new insights, theories, and principles.

Drives Innovation

• Scientific research leads to the development of new technologies, products, and solutions.
• It fosters innovation across various industries and sectors.

Solves Problems

• Science research tackles complex problems and challenges.
• It offers evidence-based approaches to finding solutions.

Improves Our Lives

• Scientific research contributes to advancements in healthcare, medicine, and treatments.
• It enhances the quality of life by addressing societal issues and improving living standards.

Addresses Global Challenges

• Science research is crucial in understanding and mitigating global challenges like climate change, pollution, and resource depletion.
• It helps inform sustainable practices and policy-making.

Creates a Better Future

• Scientific research contributes to creating a better future for humanity.
• It enables progress, fosters critical thinking, and paves the way for a more sustainable and innovative society.

300 Interesting Science Research Topics You Are Looking for

Opting to go with a new or unique topic will always give you an edge in writing an impressive paper. Fortunately, we have huge lists filled with such topics. So, let’s get to reading our first one without further ado. 

Science Research Paper Topics Related To COVID-19

Be prepared to dive into an interesting look at science studies related to COVID-19. Discovering essential information about the virus, its consequences, and the continuous attempts to fight and reduce its effects.

• Role of scientists in developing SOPs to control the spread of COVID
• How did science help us create the vaccine for COVID-19?
• Is it necessary to understand science when protecting residents and staff of long-term care homes from COVID-19?
• Science of mental health and Addiction in the Country during the Pandemic
• Is Covid19 more dangerous to addicts?
• Experiences of Native American communities surrounding COVID-19
• China’s Coronavirus Epidemic: what are its consequences
• After the Pandemic, China faces a new challenge: regaining control of its image and discourse
• Using the Digital Fence system in epidemic prevention is crucial
• Management of the Covid-19 epidemic by China’s social credit system
• Research projects in the humanities and social sciences for COVID 19
• Research projects related to COVID-19 in the basic sciences
• Evaluating epidemiological research projects
• in diagnostics, clinical trials, and therapeutics
• Bats in China are factories for new Coronaviruses
• Epidemiology-related research projects in the humanities and social sciences
• Are we on the brink of a novel wave of infectious disease outbreaks?
• The Covid-19 Pandemic: questions about the ability of the World to Cope with a global health crisis
• Preventive measures to ensure our collective safety
• Distribution of Victims: quality of Service and Behavior
• Mental Health Issues of patients cured of the Coronavirus Covid-19
• Distribution of respondents according to history before COVID-19 diagnosis
• COVID-19 before diagnosis
• Epidemiological comparison between the different viral respiratory infections
• Elucidating the epidemiological outbreak in the world
• Evaluation of the health of COVID19 Victims: the possibility of monitoring using technological tools
• Patients Cured of the “Covid-19” Coronavirus: Care and Evaluation
• The viral cycle of SARS-CoV-2, the molecular structure of the virus, and host factors
• Global evolution of the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19
• A study of the applications on a mobile phone that helped combat the Coronavirus
• AI Detection Software to Detect and Analyze the Epidemiology of Coronavirus: A case study
• Scientific and Medical  Achievements Related to Covid-19

Science Research Topics for High School Students

Here’s another list of intriguing scientific research paper topics to help you with writing a good piece. 

• Recent scientific successes on the front of climate change
• A research paper on the basics of astronomy
• Harnessing the seismic potential of white dwarf stars
• Research Paper on Representations and Fusion
• Search and analysis of chemically stratified white dwarf stars
• Search for dark matter using super-heated liquid detectors
• Is dark matter natural? Have there been any solid proofs, or is it hypothetical?
• Contribution to the study of the inactivation of microorganisms by plasma
• Process improvement and the creation of experimental simulators
• Research Paper on Methods for Detecting and classifying brown dwarfs
• Research Paper on Numerical Study of self-organized Systems
• Calculations of the electronic properties of carbon compounds
• Research Paper on Survey of giant planets around nearby stars
• Molecular evidence related to human behaviour and human speech development

Unique Science Research Topics

Choosing a topic from this list will take you on a captivating journey through various science research topics encompassing cutting-edge advancements and breakthroughs.

• Determination of the structure of self-assembled peptide nanofibers
• Stress correlations in glass-forming liquids
• Research Papers Topics on the Physics of drying colloidal suspensions
• Mechanics of a sliding contact on polymer surfaces
• Nuclear observables for nucleosynthesis processes
• Synthesis and spectroscopy of boundary superheavy nuclei
• Intelligent system for neutron radiation protection at accelerators
• Conducting nanofibers from organic semiconductor polymers
• Research Paper on Photosynthesis at the Nanoscale
• How can science help us grow more and help terminate hunger with just a few crops?
• Famous science research initiatives made related to environmental sciences
• Study of charge transfer in molecular assemblies by numerical simulation
• Development of hydrogels and sourced antibacterial films
• Sustainable Manufacturing Labs with an interdisciplinary approach
• Near-surface and near-interface materials and fluids
• Morphological analysis at ranges ranging from nanometers to decimeters
• Ultrasonic wave characterization of materials at the near surface
• Create fresh implementation plans and take recycling into account

Good Science Research Topics

Here’s another collection of good scientific research topics to captivate your curiosity.

• Coefficients of the super-algebra
• Hepatic tumors applied to stereotactic radiosurgery
• Interesting research papers topics on stem cells
• Role of science museums in the Motivation for scientific efforts
• Ultrasound elastography after endovascular repair of an aneurysm
• Detection and characterization of new circumstellar disks around low-mass stars
• Research and characterization of large-separation exoplanets
• The Effect of elastic stresses on phase separation kinetics in Alloys
• The search for brown dwarf stars in the solar neighborhood
• Study of the variability of massive stars
• Photometric study of white dwarf stars
• A brief history of science museums
• Is space exploration a viable commercial idea
• Organic farming on Mars with genetically modified crops and ideas to finding a food distribution system
• Commercial space flights: A new step towards evolution

Biology Science Research Topics

Step into the captivating realm of  biology  as we delve into a diverse array of science research titles.

• The discovery and cure of medical breakthroughs
• Analyzing the interactions between the mineral and organic worlds
• A list of human biology research topics in the trending literature
• Biological and Scientific Debates on Ethics
• Was there any molecular evidence ever found on Mars to assure the existence of life?
• The ethical dilemmas associated with biological research
• What is the importance of studying biology?
• Geological storage and deposit system that is deep in the Earth
• Research Paper: What will be the most promising topics in biology shortly?
• Earth’s primordial state and the emergence of life
• A process of mineral nucleation and growth
• The relationship between geochemistry and seismic activity
• Budget of chemicals in subduction zones
• Amorphous precursors: a strategy for the future
• Research Paper: What is space biology, and how does it relate to Mars exploration?
• Medical, cosmetic, and industrial nanotechnology Its rapid development.
• Biological constituents of soils and aquatic environments
• A central volcanic area and a climatic and biological crisis
• An investigation of the reactivity and kinetics of nucleation, growth, and dissolution of solid phases
• Famous science research projects of 2022 related to human biology
• Why are stem cell research papers important?
• Research papers ideas on stem cells
• Can artificial intelligence help diagnose human patients of cancer fast?
• What is the most effective science program for genetic abnormalities in the human body
• How animal biology made a permanent spot in modern sciences
• Cool science topics related to cancer research and genetic abnormalities
• A survey of the scientific research topics on evolutionary biology

Chemistry Science Research Topics

Pick a science best topic from this list and join us on a journey that delves into the realm of chemical reactions, materials, and the intricate workings of the microscopic world

• Study of the thermal evolution of implantation damage in silicon
• Radiation effects on pixel silicon detectors
• Scope of the chemical research in 2023
• Chemistry of the chemicals found in space resources
• Plasma spectroscopy for real-time characterization of nanomaterials
• Implants with bioactive properties for intracranial use
• What is the role of chemists in alternative energy companies?
• Catalyst supporting carbon with electroactive properties
• Evolutionary study of chemistry
• Physiology and chemistry of substances
• The Role of Islamic Scientists in the Development of Chemistry
• The life and contributions of Jaber Ben Heyman, the father of chemistry
• Protecting heritage cuprous metals
• The capture of atmospheric carbon dioxide using nanofluids
• Polymer-ceramic composite electrolyte-based solid-state batteries
• The use of CO2 gasses to synthesize molecules of high value
• Triple mesoscopic perovskites: stability and reactivity
• The age-related chemical reactivity of polymer matrices
• The relationship between mechanochemistry and biology
• The structure-property relationship of graphene nanoparticles
• Chemical engineering, chemistry, and related research tools
• Analyzing and applying chemical processes to the environment
• A molecularly imprinted polymer membrane is used to detect toxic molecules
• An organic semiconductor synthesized by electrosynthesis and chemical modification
• Characterization of acid-base interactions electrochemically

Zoology Science Research Topics

Embark on a captivating adventure into the world of zoology as we explore an array of scientific research topics dedicated to the study of animals.

• Veterinary medicine is the study of the biomedical and clinical sciences
• Detection and analysis of wildlife forensic evidence
• Scientists are studying toxicogenomics to determine how toxic substances affect the body
• Wildlife is at risk from a variety of industrial chemicals, drugs, effluents, and pesticides
• Analyzing biological samples through the development of test methods
• Using animals in research is fraught with controversy
• A study of the relationship between agriculture, land use, and ecosystems
• A study of the evolution of biology and ethology
• Veterinary science, particularly food pathologies and epidemiology, is studied in zoos.
• Can zoology research help treat cancer patients?
• Can commercial space flights help trigger an extraterrestrial migration for humans?
• Involvement in reproductive physiology research
• Genetically and taxonomically-based research

Medical Science Research Topics

Delve into a vast array of medical science by choosing a captivating topic from this list of  medical research topics .

• Promising malaria protocol to reduce transfusion-related transmission
• Treatment of cancer with cognitive behavioral therapy
• Developing, rehabilitating, and managing chronic diseases throughout life
• The reprogramming of skin cells
• How artificial intelligence can help discover and cure genetic abnormalities in humans
• Use of space resources in preparation for medicine
• Resurgent infectious diseases as a significant health threat worldwide
• How can we treat cancer patients by studying human evolution and genetic engineering?
• Using ultrasound to permeate the brain for the treatment of cancer
• The link between neuroscience and mental health
• Premature death caused by cancer is among the leading causes.

Physics Science Research Topics

Prepare to be captivated by the awe-inspiring realm of physics as we journey into diverse research topics.

• White dwarf stars studied photometrically in the infrared
• Detectors based on silicon pixels and radiation effects
• An approach to molecular dynamics based on tight-binding approximations
• Quantum Hall effect and non-commutative geometry
• Physicochemical etching of high-density plasma: a fundamental study
• At high energies, vector boson scattering occurs
• How to use space resources effectively and end the energy crisis
• Electrolytic cells and magnetohydrodynamic stability
• Molecular crystal charge transport studied from energy bands
• The study of energy transfer mechanisms from a theoretical perspective
• Research Paper on Molecular crystals and their electronic properties
• AFM imaging based on atomic force microscopy
• Performing a transient absorption experiment at femtoseconds
• Research Paper on Detector Response to Neutrons of deficient energy
• Managing phase separation in active systems
• Active materials: topological defects and many-body physics

The first step of writing a good research paper is to pick a good topic. Ensure the one you choose must have relevant data available that is both credible and supportive with evidence. This interesting article was all about letting you know about scientific topics for research. If you still need help picking up a topic or writing your science research paper, don’t hesitate to count on  our writers .

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Science has been a fascination since the dawn of time. It allows us to explore new dimensions and learn about the world. As such, science research paper topics are becoming increasingly popular among students. However, choosing the right one for your assignment can be daunting. There is a wide range of interesting topics in science, from studying our universe to the microscopic world. This article helps you understand science research topics in-depth, guiding you to choose a title that fits your needs and your professor's expectations. We will also provide over 250 topics to help you explore areas you are most interested in. Get ready to pick a topic to your liking or ask a paper writer for expert help.

What Are Science Research Paper Topics?

Science research paper topics require a scientific inquiry to answer. They focus on the natural world, such as the environment, climate change, energy sources, and the medical field. People may explore topics that range from basic principles to cutting-edge discoveries. Students should consider current issues and debates when choosing a scientific research topic. They need to ensure that the chosen title is within the scope of their scientific discipline and can be researched using accepted tools. Furthermore, an element of novelty to spur further discovery is a must. Ultimately, topics in science should be chosen to expand knowledge in a particular field.

Characteristics of Good Science Topics for Research Papers

Good science research topics should have the following characteristics:

• Relevance to real-world issues: Focus on current societal issues with implications for policy or decision-making.
• Novelty and originality: This brings new insights to the field while providing an opportunity to improve knowledge or discoveries.
• Accessibility: Should be easily researched using available resources, including primary research materials such as data sets, surveys, interviews, or experiments.
• Clarity of purpose and scope: Focus on a clearly defined problem or question and cover the time frame, geographical area, or other relevant parameters.
• Feasibility: Can be completed within the time frame available to researchers.
• Ethics: Adheres to ethical research standards, ensuring informed consent.

These characteristics should be considered while selecting good research topics for science.

How to Choose a Science Research Paper Topic?

Choosing a science research paper topic requires careful consideration, as the subjects must meet academic and personal interests. Here are some steps to consider when selecting a science related topic to research :

• Identify a research area Examine the field of science and an area of interest.
• Research available resources It is essential to evaluate which resources are available to you.
• Brainstorm relevant topics Take time to brainstorm potential research paper titles and themes related to the area of science.
• Narrow your focus Narrow your focus by considering what information is available and how feasible it would be to write an in-depth paper on the subject.
• Analyze current research Explore existing studies as well as theories related to your topic so that the research paper can provide new insights.
• Select a topic Finally, select one of your proposed titles that meets all the above criteria.

By following these steps and considering the characteristics discussed earlier, it is possible to select science topics for a research paper that are both interesting and achievable. However, it is also important to remember that your paper's success depends mainly on how well a chosen topic suits your skills and knowledge.

Best Scientific Research Topics List

When selecting scientific topics to research, it is crucial to ensure that your subject is interesting, relevant, and achievable. This list provides some of the best science topics students can use to develop their knowledge:

• Artificial intelligence's role in the future of medicine.
• Age-related diseases.
• Genetics and gene therapy.
• The potential of personalized medicine to reduce health care disparities in low-income populations.
• Impact of nanotechnology on health care.
• Developing renewable energy sources.
• Deforestation effect on global warming.
• Robotics in manufacturing and industrial production.
• Social media impact on youth mental health .
• How climate change affects biodiversity.

Interesting Science Topics

Interesting science research topics must have both academic and personal appeal. Your chosen title should excite your curiosity and encourage further exploration. Use some of the most interesting science topics or create your own ideas with our Topic Generator :

• Gene therapy application.
• Development of self-driving cars.
• Dark matter and its role in the universe.
• Extraterrestrial life forms and their environment.
• Global warming mitigation strategies.
• Developing technologies in renewable energy sources.
• Possibility of life beyond Earth.
• Impact of climate change on human health.
• Genetic engineering advancements in plants and animals.
• The use of robotics in healthcare.
• Virtual reality's use for medical applications.
• Investigation of the role of microbial biofilms in antibiotic resistance development.
• The effects of molecular structure on drug interaction.
• Nanotechnology's importance in medical research and treatments.
• Technology's role in the education sector.

By researching one or more subjects discussed above, students can gain valuable insights into interesting science topics to research. In addition, doing so will also help to expand their scientific knowledge, thus aiding in academic pursuits.

Intriguing Science Research Paper Topics

When looking for intriguing science research paper topic ideas, you need to consider topics that your reader can spend time reading without reconsidering. Here are some intriguing areas:

• Biological impacts of climate change on humans and other species.
• Space exploration's effect on Earth's environment.
• Researching the potential implications of artificial intelligence on our society.
• Nanotechnology's effects on human health and the environment.
• Latest advancements in gene therapy and genetic engineering.
• The potential of virtual reality for medical applications.
• Implications of robotics in manufacturing, production, and healthcare.
• Bioinformatics' role in transforming biology.
• Potential of renewable energy sources.
• How self-driving cars affect people's lives.
• Dark matter application on our universe.
• Developing strategies to mitigate global warming effects .
• Technology's impact on education, work, and daily life.
• Effects of deforestation on climate change.
• Potential benefits and implications of self-driving cars.

By researching any one of these intriguing science topics for a research paper, students can gain valuable insights into possible ideas to cover in their paper.

Cool Science Topics to Research

There are plenty of fun options for you regarding cool science research topics. Here are some interesting yet achievable areas that you can consider exploring:

• Effects of global warming on sea levels.
• The use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.
• Potential implications of artificial intelligence on our lives.
• How genetic engineering and gene therapy can be used in cancer treatments.
• Latest advancements in robotics technology and its impact on the workforce.
• Sleep's importance in brain development.
• Exploring the possibilities of life on other planets.
• Technology's role in transforming healthcare.
• Cancer survivors' vulnerability to Covid-19.
• Possibilities for sustainable urban development strategies.
• The downside of genetic modification.
• Strategies to reduce human-caused global warming effects.
• The future of NASA and its possible impact on humanity.
• Gradual change in forensic science over the years.
• Implications of self-driving cars on transportation systems.

By researching any cool science topics, you can gain valuable knowledge and develop interesting content.

Popular Scientific Topics

Popular science topics are preferred by students due to their relative ease of research as well as interesting concepts. Here are some scientific topics for research papers:

• Implantation of false memory and its implications.
• Nanotechnology's use in medical and industrial applications.
• Recent advancements in quantum computing and its potential.
• Blockchain technology's impact on the global economy.
• Implications of virtual reality on society.
• Injury-related falls in the elderly population.
• Impact of human activities on water pollution and ocean acidification.
• Artificial intelligence implications on employment and the workforce.
• Equipment introduced to improve AIDS treatment.
• Space exploration's impact on our knowledge of the universe.
• Understanding the nuances of dark matter and its implications.
• Potential applications of robotics in production and healthcare.
• Psychological effects of social media usage.
• Effectiveness of asylums in treating mental problems.
• Potential of renewable energy sources for industrial and commercial applications.

Your work will be more exciting and comprehensive by exploring any popular scientific areas listed above.

Outstanding Science Topics to Write About

When looking for science topics to research, choosing one that is interesting and researchable is essential. So here are some interesting science topic ideas:

• Global positioning systems use for navigation and communication.
• Impact of nanotechnology on drug delivery and medical diagnostics.
• Implications of artificial intelligence for criminal justice systems.
• Effects of climate change on marine ecosystems.
• Understanding the possibilities of life on other planets and moons.
• Applying virtual reality in education.
• How blockchain technology can be used to prevent cyber-attacks.
• Potential implications of 3D printing technologies on the manufacturing industry.
• Temperature's impact on matter's chemical reaction.
• Exploring strategies for sustainable urban development designs.
• Understanding the implications of dark matter in space exploration efforts.
• Technology's impact on education and work-related activities.
• Negative impact of mining on the environment.
• Developments geared towards converting arid areas to fertile land.

By researching these areas, you can write a persuasive work that will provide valuable information while contributing to the scientific community.

Excellent Science Topics for Research Papers

An excellent science topic for research paper provides an opportunity to explore innovative and exciting ideas. Here are some great topics for scientific research papers:

• Understanding the implications of gene therapy and genetic engineering on human health.
• Using big data analytics to predict natural disasters and their effects.
• Impact of renewable energy sources on environmental conservation and sustainability.
• Potential applications of robotics for healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation.
• Future use of robotics in eliminating invasive species.
• Climate change effect on global food security and nutrition outcomes.
• Future use of artificial intelligence in research.
• Social media usage impact interpersonal relationships and communication skills.
• The science behind extraterrestrial life and space exploration efforts.
• Strategies for sustainable urban planning designs to reduce environmental impacts.
• Efforts towards eliminating weeds through technology.
• The use of food distribution systems in preventing food waste.
• Modern-day use of drone technology in agriculture.
• Efforts by agricultural scientists in preparation for natural disasters.
• The nuances of dark matter and its implications in space science research.

Science Research Papers Topics for Students

Your goal when choosing science topics for research paper should be to select a subject that is interesting, relevant, and has enough information available in the literature so you can develop an argument. An assignment for science class requires more effort than simply writing about your favorite idea. Here, we offer you multiple science topics to research, ranging from physical science to life science and beyond. Let us begin by looking into possible research topics for middle-school students.

Science Research Topics for Middle School

Students in middle school are often required to write science research papers. These middle school science research topics for papers are full of interesting ideas. They can be used in courses such as Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, and Environmental Science. See a list of research areas for middle school students below.

• How stream pollution generated from mining affects aquatic life.
• Sun's role in weather patterns.
• Benefits and risks of genetically modified organisms.
• The impact of acid rain on waterways.
• Benefits of implementing an electronic health system in healthcare facilities.
• The use of chemical reactions to create everyday products.
• Plate tectonics' impact on the Earth's surface.
• Formation of different types of rocks.
• What causes earthquakes and volcanic eruptions?
• Impact of human activity on oceans.
• Photosynthesis' s role in plant growth.
• How solar winds and radiation affect atmospheric conditions.
• Impact of human activities on ecosystems.
• Benefits and risks associated with nuclear energy.
• How sound travels through different mediums.

These science topics to research for middle school offer a huge starting point for your assignment on a wide range of scientific prompts. We hope that this list has provided you with some exciting ideas to write about.

Science Topics for High School

The science research topics for high school students are designed to stimulate thought and encourage you to explore the scope further. Here are 15 scientific research projects for high school students to review:

• How nanotechnology helps fight cancer.
• Benefits and risks of using pesticides.
• Vaccines' use in protecting against diseases.
• The role of humans in animal and plant evolution.
• The different types of renewable energy.
• Impact of fossil fuels on the environment.
• Genetics' role in human diseases.
• Methods for conserving natural resources.
• Space exploration's benefit to humanity.
• DNA's use in identifying individuals.
• Role of microorganisms in bioremediation .
• How artificial intelligence and machine learning are changing our lives.
• The role of physics in robotics.
• Use of big data and analytics in solving problems.
• Air pollution and its impact on human health.

With careful research and writing, you can craft a paper that is both interesting as well as informative. We hope these high school science research topics will spackle your curiosity while motivating you to start writing.

Science Research Topics for College Students

When you go to college, research requires more effort and a deeper understanding of scientific ideologies. Here are 15 science topics for college students to explore:

• The role of genetics in obesity.
• Utilizing nanotechnology in improving drug delivery.
• Correlation between marine geology and natural hazards.
• Benefits of genetically engineered crops.
• Exploring the limits of quantum computing.
• Artificial intelligence' impact on human society.
• Big data role in smart cities.
• Efforts driven towards reducing food waste.
• Smart textile technology benefits.
• Limits to human life expectancy.
• The Internet of Things (IoT) impacts human lives.
• Renewable energy's role in reducing carbon emissions.
• Blockchain technology and its use in the healthcare industry.
• Role played by gravity in speeding rolling objects.
• Robotics' role in manufacturing.

These topics for college challenge students to delve deeper into scientific concepts as well as explore potential applications. They present an opportunity to gain an understanding of scientific research paper topics at an advanced level while putting knowledge into practice.

Science Topics for Research Papers by Subject

Science has a wide range of subjects, and students must understand their interests before choosing a topic. Selecting science paper topics also requires engaging your professor on the ideas to be presented. Here, we delve into possible science research paper topics by subject to help you get a glimpse of the titles available. These subjects include Natural Science, Biology, Geology, Physics, Chemistry, Medical Science, Environment, and Psychology.

Natural Science Topics for a Research Paper

Natural science is a fascinating and rewarding subject to study. Students interested in exploring the natural world may be particularly excited by the chance to write assignments. Natural science topics for research papers allow you to discover areas in Physical, Chemical, And Biological Sciences. Here are 15 natural science research topics for you to consider:

• Photosynthesis's role in plant growth.
• Significance of soil health for plant growth.
• Climate change's impact on marine life.
• Microbes' role in the arctic ecosystem.
• The impact of light pollution on wildlife.
• Genes' role in human evolution.
• Change in neuron structure during sleep.
• Exploring the emergence of new species.
• Volcanoes' role in the Earth's ecosystem.
• Ocean acidification's impact on marine life.
• Mass extinction events' role in shaping the natural world.
• Effects of deforestation on animal habitats.
• Human impact role on wildfire frequency.
• Ozone layer depletion role in global warming.
• Impact of pollution on marine life.

Biology Research Paper Topics for Science

Biology students have a range of biology project topics in science to choose from for their papers. Research is done to gain knowledge and understand the world around us. These Biology research paper topics can provide an opportunity for students to explore life science and its related fields. See interesting science research paper topic ideas you can choose for your biology project below:

• Space flight companies and their role in future exploration.
• GMO foods' impact on human health.
• Cells and cell division: a look at the cell cycle.
• Assessing the benefits of organic farming practices.
• Plant growth hormones' role in agriculture.
• The use of stem cell treatment now and in the future.
• The future of genetically modified plans in the world economy.
• Microorganisms' role in wastewater treatment.
• Body systems and homeostasis: how the body maintains balance.
• Understanding the role of soil conservation in crop yields.
• Parasites' role in human diseases.
• Insects' contribution to food production and preservation.
• Causes of high survival rates of tumor cells.
• Understanding the genetic basis for hereditary diseases.
• Cell division's role in developmental biology.

Geology Science Research Topics

Geology is a scientific exploration of the Earth's geologic features and history, including its rocks, minerals, soils, oceans, and landforms. Researching geology scientific research ideas can be an excellent way for students to gain knowledge about geology and explore the geologic processes that shape the Earth. Scientific article topics for your consideration are:

• Volcanic eruptions' role on the atmosphere.
• Exploring the role of oceans in climate change.
• Earthquakes' impact on human settlements.
• Examining glaciers and their global impact.
• Plate tectonics's role in shaping landscapes.
• Investigating soil characteristics and their impact on agriculture.
• Exploring the significance of meteorites in geology.
• Examining the role of fossils in geological dating.
• Investigating oceanic currents and their impact on climate change.
• Examining human impacts on natural landscapes and ecosystems.
• Exploring the role of groundwater in geology.
• Examining the causes and effects of coastal erosion.
• Investigating geological landforms and their impact on human activity.
• Understanding the role of rocks in climate change.
• Understanding earth's tectonic plates and their movement.

Science Research Paper Topics on Physics

Physics deals with the fundamental laws of nature. Researching physics science paper topics can be an engaging way to gain knowledge and explore the universe around us. Topics providing ideas for science research projects which may help students better know how the forces interact are provided below:

• Quantum mechanics' role in particle physics.
• Understanding the role of forces in motion in space-time.
• Investigating the physics behind dark energy and dark matter.
• Relationship between vacuum and intensity of sound.
• The role of electromagnetism in our lives.
• Investigating the impact of friction on the motion.
• Exploring the physics behind sound and light.
• Understanding nuclear energy and its impact on society.
• Examining the role of black holes in space-time.
• Investigating wave-particle duality in quantum mechanics.
• Exploring the physics of light refraction and reflection.
• Role of thermodynamics in physics.
• Nuclear fusion's role in energy production.
• Exploring the physics behind fluid dynamics.
• Superconductivity's role in materials science.

Science Research Topics on Chemistry

Students interested in chemistry can explore science reports ideas through either lab-based or theoretical studies. The scientific paper topics on chemistry cover various aspects of chemistry while providing students an opportunity to develop creative ideas in the field. See these ideas below for guidance:

• The impact of particle size on reaction rate.
• Effects of PH on enzyme activity.
• The products formed in different types of chemical reactions.
• Effectiveness of catalysts in organic chemistry reactions.
• Methods used to synthesize nanoparticles for use in drug delivery.
• Alternative energy sources and their impact on the environment.
• The use of polymer chemistry in developing lightweight structures.
• Nanoparticles in pharmaceutical manufacturing processes.
• Effectiveness of green chemistry technologies in industrial production.
• The use of renewable resources to produce cleaner fuels.
• The chemical composition of oceans and rivers to understand pollution.
• Reactions of metals with different chemicals in variable environments.
• Organic molecules break down during waste treatment.
• The use of reagents in liquid chromatography and gas chromatography.
• Interaction of different organic compounds with various ions.

Couldn’t spot a fitting idea? Look through more research topics for Chemistry to find the best title. 

Medical Science Research Paper Topics

Medical science research is an essential component of medical schools and universities. The topics provided below cover different areas in medical sciences and facilitate the development of innovative ideas. Here are 15 interesting scientific research paper topic ideas:

• 3D bioprinting for tissue engineering.
• Stem cell therapy for heart disease treatment.
• Investigating the long-term impact of drug use on human health.
• Role of genetics in cancer prediction and treatment.
• Impacts of vaccines on immunization and infectious diseases .
• Assessing the effects of mental illness on cognitive functioning across lifespan development.
• The role of ultrasound in diagnostic imaging and treatment.
• Prevention of bacterial diseases and hope for future development.
• Investigating the impact of nutrition on mental well-being.
• Ethics in using animals for medical research.
• Use of robotics for physiotherapy in rehabilitation patients.
• Artificial intelligence's role in clinical care delivery.
• Impact of technology on mental health diagnosis and treatment.
• Using natural products for antibiotic resistance against pathogens.
• Effects of exercise on cognitive functioning and mental health.

You can choose from the above scientific topics for a research paper. Additionally, consult with your lecturer or professor to ensure your chosen idea falls within the scope of your course.

>> Read more: Medical Research Topics

Environmental Science Topics for a Research Paper

Environmental science research is a scientific inquiry that aims to understand and address environmental challenges. Environmental science report topics range from law and policy, climate change, air pollution, marine conservation, and energy production. Here are some environmental science research paper ideas:

• Environmental impact of industrial waste on human health.
• Possible change in environmental sustainability.
• The impact of population growth on the environment.
• Role of renewable energy sources in mitigating climate change impacts.
• Air pollution affects human health in urban areas.
• Contribution of urban green spaces to climate change mitigation.
• Geospatial technology's role in disaster risk management.
• Effects of genetically modified organisms on human health and ecosystems.
• Soil sustainability practices' use for food security.
• Water scarcity's impact on human health and the environment.
• Interaction between the atmosphere, soil, and water for sustainable land management.
• The role of drones in wildlife conservation and population monitoring.
• Most recent effective methods used in controlling invasive species.
• The use of ocean acidification for marine conservation.
• Deforestation's role in wildlife habitats and ecosystems.

Check our list of Environmental research paper topics in case you need more ideas.

Science Research Paper Topics on Psychology

Psychology involves the study of behavior, cognition, and emotion. Research areas in psychology cover emotions, consciousness, personality, as well as social behavior. Here are some scientific topics for a research paper on psychology:

• Attachment theory role in mental health.
• The role of language in revealing stress responses.
• Effects of stress on cognitive functioning.
• Emotion regulation role in mental well-being.
• The impact of childhood trauma on adolescent development.
• Sleep deprivation's impact on memory and learning.
• Impact of mindfulness and meditation on mental health.
• Self-esteem role in social interactions.
• Gender roles' impact on mental health outcomes.
• The association between cognitive flexibility and problem-solving skills.
• Group therapy's role in mental health treatment.
• Music's impact on mood regulation and emotions.
• Link between belief bias and cognitive performance.
• Interpersonal relationships' role in mental well-being.
• Factors influencing self-control and self-regulation.

Psychology research paper topics in science can provide opportunities for students to explore various mental health topics and build research skills.

Science Research Questions

Scientific research questions are designed to explore a topic's phenomenon, understand concepts and develop knowledge. Therefore, they should be specific, focused, and answerable. We have come up with some questions for science research ideas for you to check out:

• What is the relationship between air pollution and climate change?
• How can renewable energy sources reduce global warming?
• How do urban green spaces help mitigate climate change?
• What are the effects of genetically modified organisms on human health and ecosystems?
• What is the impact of air pollution on human health in cities?
• How can geospatial technology be used for disaster risk management?
• What are the effects of soil sustainability practices on food security?
• How does water scarcity affect human health and the environment?
• What is the interaction between atmosphere, soil, and water for sustainable land management?
• What is the relationship between lung capacity and age?
• What impact does diet have on the flow of sex hormones in women?
• What role do telescopes play in studying protoplanetary disks?
• What are the effects of stress on cognitive functioning?
• How does attachment theory influence mental health outcomes?
• What role can industries play in conserving energy consumption?
• How does emotion regulation affect mental well-being?
• How does childhood trauma influence adolescent development?
• What impact does sleep deprivation have on memory and learning?
• What relationship exists between a hen's diet and its egg size?
• How do gender roles influence mental health outcomes?

You can choose from the above scientific research questions or use them to generate your idea and understand scientific research projects. The possibilities are endless!

Bottom Line on Science Research Paper Topics

Science related research topics can provide great ideas for students to explore. The lists in this article give you a wide range of science topics for research papers to choose from and adapt to your specific requirements. From climate change and air pollution to mental health and gender roles, questions can be used to develop knowledge and understand scientific phenomena. With the proper research and writing skills, you can create fantastic science research topic ideas to impress your peers. So get creative and start exploring!

If you’re struggling with selecting a theme or writing an academic piece, our writing service is what you need. Pay for a research paper and enjoy quick delivery and high-quality result. 

FAQ About Science Research Topics

1. what are the most interesting topics in science.

The most interesting scientific topics are current and relevant. Some areas include:

• Artificial Intelligence: AI is becoming increasingly important in our world, and its implications are vast.
• Climate Change: Scientists study how it affects our environment and health as the planet gets warmer.
• Space Exploration: From robotic probes to human-led missions, space exploration remains an exciting field of research.
• Genetics: With the emergence of gene editing technology, genetic research has taken center stage in many fields of science and medicine.

Your selection of interesting topics about science will depend on your preferences.

2. Are there any funny science research topics?

Some students might prefer funny science topics for research papers, which can be interesting to explore. Some examples are:

• How does music affect plant growth?
• Does the color of food affect how we perceive taste?
• Does talking to animals affect their behavior?

3. How to find easy science research topics?

Easy scientific research topics can be found by exploring scientific fields such as health and medicine, technology, biology, ecology, psychology, and sociology. Students need to choose an area that answers the 5Ws (who, what, when, where (place), why), thus allowing them to conduct comprehensive scientific research. Additionally, you must select a topic that interests you to make your research enjoyable.

Joe Eckel is an expert on Dissertations writing. He makes sure that each student gets precious insights on composing A-grade academic writing.

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Research Topics & Ideas: Environment

100+ Environmental Science Research Topics & Ideas

Finding and choosing a strong research topic is the critical first step when it comes to crafting a high-quality dissertation, thesis or research project. Here, we’ll explore a variety research ideas and topic thought-starters related to various environmental science disciplines, including ecology, oceanography, hydrology, geology, soil science, environmental chemistry, environmental economics, and environmental ethics.

NB – This is just the start…

The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps . In this post, we’ll kickstart the process by sharing some research topic ideas within the environmental sciences. This is the starting point though. To develop a well-defined research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , along with a well-justified plan of action to fill that gap.

If you’re new to the oftentimes perplexing world of research, or if this is your first time undertaking a formal academic research project, be sure to check out our free dissertation mini-course. Also be sure to also sign up for our free webinar that explores how to develop a high-quality research topic from scratch.

Overview: Environmental Topics

• Ecology /ecological science
• Atmospheric science
• Oceanography
• Soil science
• Environmental chemistry
• Environmental economics
• Environmental ethics
• Examples  of dissertations and theses

Topics & Ideas: Ecological Science

• The impact of land-use change on species diversity and ecosystem functioning in agricultural landscapes
• The role of disturbances such as fire and drought in shaping arid ecosystems
• The impact of climate change on the distribution of migratory marine species
• Investigating the role of mutualistic plant-insect relationships in maintaining ecosystem stability
• The effects of invasive plant species on ecosystem structure and function
• The impact of habitat fragmentation caused by road construction on species diversity and population dynamics in the tropics
• The role of ecosystem services in urban areas and their economic value to a developing nation
• The effectiveness of different grassland restoration techniques in degraded ecosystems
• The impact of land-use change through agriculture and urbanisation on soil microbial communities in a temperate environment
• The role of microbial diversity in ecosystem health and nutrient cycling in an African savannah

Topics & Ideas: Atmospheric Science

• The impact of climate change on atmospheric circulation patterns above tropical rainforests
• The role of atmospheric aerosols in cloud formation and precipitation above cities with high pollution levels
• The impact of agricultural land-use change on global atmospheric composition
• Investigating the role of atmospheric convection in severe weather events in the tropics
• The impact of urbanisation on regional and global atmospheric ozone levels
• The impact of sea surface temperature on atmospheric circulation and tropical cyclones
• The impact of solar flares on the Earth’s atmospheric composition
• The impact of climate change on atmospheric turbulence and air transportation safety
• The impact of stratospheric ozone depletion on atmospheric circulation and climate change
• The role of atmospheric rivers in global water supply and sea-ice formation

Topics & Ideas: Oceanography

• The impact of ocean acidification on kelp forests and biogeochemical cycles
• The role of ocean currents in distributing heat and regulating desert rain
• The impact of carbon monoxide pollution on ocean chemistry and biogeochemical cycles
• Investigating the role of ocean mixing in regulating coastal climates
• The impact of sea level rise on the resource availability of low-income coastal communities
• The impact of ocean warming on the distribution and migration patterns of marine mammals
• The impact of ocean deoxygenation on biogeochemical cycles in the arctic
• The role of ocean-atmosphere interactions in regulating rainfall in arid regions
• The impact of ocean eddies on global ocean circulation and plankton distribution
• The role of ocean-ice interactions in regulating the Earth’s climate and sea level

Tops & Ideas: Hydrology

• The impact of agricultural land-use change on water resources and hydrologic cycles in temperate regions
• The impact of agricultural groundwater availability on irrigation practices in the global south
• The impact of rising sea-surface temperatures on global precipitation patterns and water availability
• Investigating the role of wetlands in regulating water resources for riparian forests
• The impact of tropical ranches on river and stream ecosystems and water quality
• The impact of urbanisation on regional and local hydrologic cycles and water resources for agriculture
• The role of snow cover and mountain hydrology in regulating regional agricultural water resources
• The impact of drought on food security in arid and semi-arid regions
• The role of groundwater recharge in sustaining water resources in arid and semi-arid environments
• The impact of sea level rise on coastal hydrology and the quality of water resources

Topics & Ideas: Geology

• The impact of tectonic activity on the East African rift valley
• The role of mineral deposits in shaping ancient human societies
• The impact of sea-level rise on coastal geomorphology and shoreline evolution
• Investigating the role of erosion in shaping the landscape and impacting desertification
• The impact of mining on soil stability and landslide potential
• The impact of volcanic activity on incoming solar radiation and climate
• The role of geothermal energy in decarbonising the energy mix of megacities
• The impact of Earth’s magnetic field on geological processes and solar wind
• The impact of plate tectonics on the evolution of mammals
• The role of the distribution of mineral resources in shaping human societies and economies, with emphasis on sustainability

Topics & Ideas: Soil Science

• The impact of dam building on soil quality and fertility
• The role of soil organic matter in regulating nutrient cycles in agricultural land
• The impact of climate change on soil erosion and soil organic carbon storage in peatlands
• Investigating the role of above-below-ground interactions in nutrient cycling and soil health
• The impact of deforestation on soil degradation and soil fertility
• The role of soil texture and structure in regulating water and nutrient availability in boreal forests
• The impact of sustainable land management practices on soil health and soil organic matter
• The impact of wetland modification on soil structure and function
• The role of soil-atmosphere exchange and carbon sequestration in regulating regional and global climate
• The impact of salinization on soil health and crop productivity in coastal communities

Topics & Ideas: Environmental Chemistry

• The impact of cobalt mining on water quality and the fate of contaminants in the environment
• The role of atmospheric chemistry in shaping air quality and climate change
• The impact of soil chemistry on nutrient availability and plant growth in wheat monoculture
• Investigating the fate and transport of heavy metal contaminants in the environment
• The impact of climate change on biochemical cycling in tropical rainforests
• The impact of various types of land-use change on biochemical cycling
• The role of soil microbes in mediating contaminant degradation in the environment
• The impact of chemical and oil spills on freshwater and soil chemistry
• The role of atmospheric nitrogen deposition in shaping water and soil chemistry
• The impact of over-irrigation on the cycling and fate of persistent organic pollutants in the environment

Topics & Ideas: Environmental Economics

• The impact of climate change on the economies of developing nations
• The role of market-based mechanisms in promoting sustainable use of forest resources
• The impact of environmental regulations on economic growth and competitiveness
• Investigating the economic benefits and costs of ecosystem services for African countries
• The impact of renewable energy policies on regional and global energy markets
• The role of water markets in promoting sustainable water use in southern Africa
• The impact of land-use change in rural areas on regional and global economies
• The impact of environmental disasters on local and national economies
• The role of green technologies and innovation in shaping the zero-carbon transition and the knock-on effects for local economies
• The impact of environmental and natural resource policies on income distribution and poverty of rural communities

Topics & Ideas: Environmental Ethics

• The ethical foundations of environmentalism and the environmental movement regarding renewable energy
• The role of values and ethics in shaping environmental policy and decision-making in the mining industry
• The impact of cultural and religious beliefs on environmental attitudes and behaviours in first world countries
• Investigating the ethics of biodiversity conservation and the protection of endangered species in palm oil plantations
• The ethical implications of sea-level rise for future generations and vulnerable coastal populations
• The role of ethical considerations in shaping sustainable use of natural forest resources
• The impact of environmental justice on marginalized communities and environmental policies in Asia
• The ethical implications of environmental risks and decision-making under uncertainty
• The role of ethics in shaping the transition to a low-carbon, sustainable future for the construction industry
• The impact of environmental values on consumer behaviour and the marketplace: a case study of the ‘bring your own shopping bag’ policy

Examples: Real Dissertation & Thesis Topics

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various environmental science-related degree programs to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• The physiology of microorganisms in enhanced biological phosphorous removal (Saunders, 2014)
• The influence of the coastal front on heavy rainfall events along the east coast (Henson, 2019)
• Forage production and diversification for climate-smart tropical and temperate silvopastures (Dibala, 2019)
• Advancing spectral induced polarization for near surface geophysical characterization (Wang, 2021)
• Assessment of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter and Thamnocephalus platyurus as Tools to Monitor Cyanobacterial Bloom Development and Toxicity (Hipsher, 2019)
• Evaluating the Removal of Microcystin Variants with Powdered Activated Carbon (Juang, 2020)
• The effect of hydrological restoration on nutrient concentrations, macroinvertebrate communities, and amphibian populations in Lake Erie coastal wetlands (Berg, 2019)
• Utilizing hydrologic soil grouping to estimate corn nitrogen rate recommendations (Bean, 2019)
• Fungal Function in House Dust and Dust from the International Space Station (Bope, 2021)
• Assessing Vulnerability and the Potential for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in Sudan’s Blue Nile Basin (Mohamed, 2022)
• A Microbial Water Quality Analysis of the Recreational Zones in the Los Angeles River of Elysian Valley, CA (Nguyen, 2019)
• Dry Season Water Quality Study on Three Recreational Sites in the San Gabriel Mountains (Vallejo, 2019)
• Wastewater Treatment Plan for Unix Packaging Adjustment of the Potential Hydrogen (PH) Evaluation of Enzymatic Activity After the Addition of Cycle Disgestase Enzyme (Miessi, 2020)
• Laying the Genetic Foundation for the Conservation of Longhorn Fairy Shrimp (Kyle, 2021).

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are quite specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. To create a top-notch research topic, you will need to be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you’ll need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

Need more help?

If you’re still feeling a bit unsure about how to find a research topic for your environmental science dissertation or research project, be sure to check out our private coaching services below, as well as our Research Topic Kickstarter .

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The Ten Most Significant Science Stories of 2021

Thrilling discoveries, hurdles in the fight against Covid and advancements in space exploration defined the past year

Associate Editor, Science

Covid-19 dominated science coverage again in 2021, and deservedly so. The disease garnered two entries on this list of our picks for the most important science stories of the year. But other key discoveries and achievements marked the year in science too, and they deserve more attention. NASA and private companies notched firsts in space. Scientists discovered more about the existence of early humans. And researchers documented how climate change has impacted everything from coral reefs to birds. Covid-19 will continue to garner even more attention next year as scientists work to deal with new variants and develop medical advances to battle the virus. But before you let stories about those topics dominate your reading in 2022, it’s worth it to take a look back at the biggest discoveries and accomplishments of this past year. To that end, here are our picks for the most important science stories of 2021.

The Covid Vaccine Rollout Encounters Hurdles

Last year the biggest science story of the year was that scientists developed two mRNA Covid vaccines in record time. This year the biggest Covid story is that the rollout of those vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna, and one other by Johnson and Johnson, haven’t made their way into a large proportion of the United States population and a significant portion of the world. As of this writing on December 21 , roughly 73 percent of the U.S. population has received one dose, and roughly 61 percent of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated. An incomplete rollout allowed for a deadly summer surge, driven by the highly contagious Delta variant . Experts pointed out that vaccination rates lagged due to widespread disinformation and misinformation campaigns . It didn’t help that some popular public figures —like Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers , musician Nick Minaj , podcast host Joe Rogan and rapper Ice Cube —chose not to get vaccinated. Luckily, by November, U.S. health officials had approved the Pfizer vaccine for children as young as five, providing another barrier against the deadly disease’s spread, and Covid rates declined. But while the wall against the disease in the U.S. is growing, it is not finished. As cases surge as the Omicron variant spreads around the country, building that wall and reinforcing it with booster shots is critically important. In much of the rest of the world, the wall is severely lacking where populations haven’t been given decent access to the vaccine. Only 8 percent of individuals in low-income countries have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and a WHO Africa report from this fall said that on that continent, less than 10 percent of countries would hit the goal of vaccinating at least 40 percent of their citizens by the end of the year. Globally, less than 60 percent of the population has been vaccinated. The holes in vaccination coverage will allow the virus to continue to kill a large number of individuals, and allow an environment where possibly other dangerous variants can emerge.

Perseverance Notches Firsts on Mars

NASA took a huge step forward in exploring the Red Planet after the rover Perseverance landed safely on Mars in February. Scientists outfitted the vehicle with an ultralight helicopter that successfully flew in the thin Martian atmosphere , a toaster-sized device called MOXIE that successfully converted carbon dioxide to oxygen , and sampling elements that successfully collected rocks from the planet’s floor. All of the achievements will lend themselves to a better understanding of Mars, and how to investigate it in the future. The flight success will give scientists clues on how to build larger helicopters, the oxygen creation will help scientists come up with grander plans for conversion devices, and the rocks will make their way back to Earth for analysis when they are picked up on a future mission. In addition to the rover’s triumphs, other countries notched major firsts too. The United Arab Emirates Hope space probe successfully entered orbit around the planet and is studying the Martian atmosphere and weather. China’s Zhurong rover landed on Mars in May and is exploring the planet’s geology and looking for signs of water. With these ongoing missions, scientists around the world are learning more and more about what the planet is like and how we might better explore it, maybe one day in person.

Is “Dragon Man” a New Species of Human?

The backstory of the skull that scientists used to suggest there was a new species of later Pleistocene human—to join Homo sapiens and Neanderthals—garnered a lot of ink. After the fossil was discovered at a construction site in China nearly 90 years ago, a family hid it until a farmer gave it to a university museum in 2018. Since then, scientists in China pored over the skull—analyzing its features, conducting uranium series dating, and using X-ray fluorescence to compare it to other fossils—before declaring it a new species of archaic human. They dubbed the discovery Homo longi , or “Dragon Man.” The skull had a large cranium capable of holding a big brain, a thick brow and almost square eye sockets—details scientists used to differentiate it from other Homo species. Some scientists questioned whether the find warranted designation as a new species. “It’s exciting because it is a really interesting cranium, and it does have some things to say about human evolution and what’s going on in Asia. But it’s also disappointing that it’s 90 years out from discovery, and it is just an isolated cranium, and you’re not quite sure exactly how old it is or where it fits,” Michael Petraglia of the Smithsonian Institution’s Human Origins Initiative told Smithsonian magazine back in June. Other scientists supported the new species designation, and so the debate continues, and likely will until more fossils are discovered that help to fill in the holes of human history.

Climate Change Wreaks Havoc on Coral Reefs

Increasing natural disasters—forest fires, droughts and heat waves—may be the most noticeable events spurred by climate change; a warming Earth has helped drive a five-fold uptick in such weather-related events over the last 50 years according the a 2021 report by the World Meteorological Organization . But one of the biggest impacts wrought by climate change over the past decade has occurred underwater. Warming temps cause coral reefs to discard the symbiotic algae that help them survive, and they bleach and die. This year a major report from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network announced that the oceans lost about 14 percent of their reefs in the decade after 2009, mostly because of climate change. In November, new research showed that less than 2 percent of the coral reefs on the Great Barrier Reef—the world’s largest such feature—escaped bleaching since 1998. That news came just two months after a different study stated that half of coral reefs have been lost since the 1950s , in part due to climate change. The reef declines impact fisheries, local economies based on tourism and coastal developments—which lose the offshore buffer zone from storms the living structures provide. Scientists say if temperatures continue to rise, coral reefs are in serious danger. But not all hope is lost—if humans reduce carbon emissions rapidly now, more reefs will have a better chance of surviving .

The Space Tourism Race Heats Up

This year the famous billionaires behind the space tourism race completed successful missions that boosted more than just their egos. They put a host of civilians in space. Early in July, billionaire Richard Branson and his employees flew just above the boundary of space—a suborbital flight—in Virgin Galactic’s first fully crewed trip. (But Virgin Galactic did delay commercial missions until at least late next year.) Just over a week after Branson’s mission, the world’s richest person, Jeff Bezos, completed Blue Origin’s first crewed suborbital flight with the youngest and oldest travelers to reach space. In October, his company Blue Origin repeated the feat when it took Star Trek actor William Shatner up. A month before that, a crew of four became the first all-civilian crew to circle the Earth from space in Elon Musk’s SpaceX Dragon capsule Resilience. More ambitious firsts for civilians are in the works. In 2022, SpaceX plans to send a retired astronaut and three paying passengers to the International Space Station. And beyond that, Bezos announced Blue Origin hopes to deploy a private space station fit for ten—called “Orbital Reef”—sometime between 2025 and 2030.

WHO Approves First Vaccine Against Malaria

In October, the World Health Organization approved the first vaccine against malaria. The approval was not only a first for that disease, but also for any parasitic disease. The moment was 30 years in the making, as Mosquirix—the brand name of the drug— cost more than $750 million since 1987 to develop and test. Malaria kills nearly a half million individuals a year, including 260,000 children under the age of five. Most of these victims live in sub-Saharan Africa. The new vaccine fights the deadliest of five malaria pathogens and the most prevalent in Africa, and is administered to children under five in a series of four injections. The vaccine is not a silver bullet; it prevents only about 30 percent of severe malaria cases. But one modeling study showed that still could prevent 5.4 million cases and 23,000 deaths in children under five each year. Experts say the vaccine is a valuable tool that should be used in conjunction with existing methods—such as drug combination treatments and insecticide-treated bed nets—to combat the deadly disease.

Discoveries Move Key Dates Back for Humans in the Americas

Two very different papers in two of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals documented key moments of human habitation in the Americas. In September, a study in Science dated footprints found at White Sands National Park to between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago. Researchers estimated the age of the dried tracks known as “ghost prints” using radiocarbon dating of dried ditchgrass seeds found above and below the impressions. Previously, many archaeologists placed the start of human life in the Americas at around 13,000 years ago, at the end of the last Ice Age, based on tools found in New Mexico. The new paper, whose results have been debated , suggests humans actually lived on the continent at the height of the Ice Age. A month after that surprising find, a study in Nature published evidence showing that Vikings lived on North America earlier than previously thought. Researchers examined cut wood left by the explorers at a site in Newfoundland and found evidence in the samples of a cosmic ray event that happened in 993 C.E. The scientists then counted the rings out from that mark and discovered the wood had been cut in 1021 C.E. The find means that the Norse explorers completed the first known crossing of the Atlantic from Europe to the Americas.

Humans Are Affecting the Evolution of Animals

New research published this year shows that humans have both directly and indirectly affected how animals evolve. In probably the starkest example of humans impacting animal evolution, a Science study found a sharp increase in tuskless African elephants after years of poaching. During the Mozambican Civil War from 1977 to 1992, poachers killed so many of the giant mammals with tusks that those females without the long ivory teeth were more likely to pass on their genes. Before the war, 20 percent were tuskless. Now, roughly half of the female elephants are tuskless. Males who have the genetic make-up for tusklessness die , likely before they are born. And killing animals isn’t the only way humans are impacting evolution. A large study in Trends in Ecology and Evolution found that animals are changing shape to deal with rising temps. For example, over various time periods bats grew bigger wings and rabbits sprouted longer ears—both likely to dissipate more heat into the surrounding air. More evidence along those lines was published later in the year in Science Advances . A 40-year-study of birds in a remote, intact patch of Amazon rainforest showed 77 species weighed less on average, and many had longer wings, than they used to. Scientists said the changes likely occurred due to rising temperatures and changes in rainfall.

Antiviral Pills That Fight Covid Show Promising Results

Almost a year after scientists released tests showing the success of mRNA vaccines in fighting Covid, Merck released promising interim test results from a Phase III trial of an antiviral pill. On October 1, the pharmaceutical giant presented data that suggested molnupiravir could cut hospitalizations in half. Ten days later, the company submitted results to the FDA in hopes of gaining emergency use. In mid-November, the U.K. jumped ahead of the U.S. and granted approval for the treatment. By late November, advisers to the FDA recommended emergency authorization of the pill, though it was shown by this time to reduce death or disease by 30—not 50—percent. The drug should be taken —four pills a day for five days—starting within five days of the appearance of symptoms. It works by disrupting SARS-CoV-2’s ability to replicate effectively inside a human cell.

Molnupiravir isn’t the only viral drug with positive results. In November, Pfizer announced its antiviral pill, Paxlovid, was effective against severe Covid. By December, the pharmaceutical giant shared final results that it reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by 88 percent in a key group. News about both pills was welcome , as they are expected to work against all versions of the virus, including Omicron. Though the drugs aren’t as big of a breakthrough as the vaccines, a doctor writing for the New Yorker called them “the most important pharmacologic advance of the pandemic.” Many wealthy countries have already agreed to contracts for molnupiravir, and the Gates Foundation pledged $120 million to help get the pill to poor countries. If approved and distributed fast enough, the oral antivirals can be prescribed in places, like Africa, where vaccines have been lacking. The pills represent another crucial tool, in addition to masks and vaccines, in the fight against Covid.

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Joe Spring is the associate digital science editor for Smithsonian magazine.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 113 great research paper topics.

General Education

One of the hardest parts of writing a research paper can be just finding a good topic to write about. Fortunately we've done the hard work for you and have compiled a list of 113 interesting research paper topics. They've been organized into ten categories and cover a wide range of subjects so you can easily find the best topic for you.

In addition to the list of good research topics, we've included advice on what makes a good research paper topic and how you can use your topic to start writing a great paper.

What Makes a Good Research Paper Topic?

Not all research paper topics are created equal, and you want to make sure you choose a great topic before you start writing. Below are the three most important factors to consider to make sure you choose the best research paper topics.

#1: It's Something You're Interested In

A paper is always easier to write if you're interested in the topic, and you'll be more motivated to do in-depth research and write a paper that really covers the entire subject. Even if a certain research paper topic is getting a lot of buzz right now or other people seem interested in writing about it, don't feel tempted to make it your topic unless you genuinely have some sort of interest in it as well.

#2: There's Enough Information to Write a Paper

Even if you come up with the absolute best research paper topic and you're so excited to write about it, you won't be able to produce a good paper if there isn't enough research about the topic. This can happen for very specific or specialized topics, as well as topics that are too new to have enough research done on them at the moment. Easy research paper topics will always be topics with enough information to write a full-length paper.

Trying to write a research paper on a topic that doesn't have much research on it is incredibly hard, so before you decide on a topic, do a bit of preliminary searching and make sure you'll have all the information you need to write your paper.

#3: It Fits Your Teacher's Guidelines

Don't get so carried away looking at lists of research paper topics that you forget any requirements or restrictions your teacher may have put on research topic ideas. If you're writing a research paper on a health-related topic, deciding to write about the impact of rap on the music scene probably won't be allowed, but there may be some sort of leeway. For example, if you're really interested in current events but your teacher wants you to write a research paper on a history topic, you may be able to choose a topic that fits both categories, like exploring the relationship between the US and North Korea. No matter what, always get your research paper topic approved by your teacher first before you begin writing.

113 Good Research Paper Topics

Below are 113 good research topics to help you get you started on your paper. We've organized them into ten categories to make it easier to find the type of research paper topics you're looking for.

Arts/Culture

• Discuss the main differences in art from the Italian Renaissance and the Northern Renaissance .
• Analyze the impact a famous artist had on the world.
• How is sexism portrayed in different types of media (music, film, video games, etc.)? Has the amount/type of sexism changed over the years?
• How has the music of slaves brought over from Africa shaped modern American music?
• How has rap music evolved in the past decade?
• How has the portrayal of minorities in the media changed?

Current Events

• What have been the impacts of China's one child policy?
• How have the goals of feminists changed over the decades?
• How has the Trump presidency changed international relations?
• Analyze the history of the relationship between the United States and North Korea.
• What factors contributed to the current decline in the rate of unemployment?
• What have been the impacts of states which have increased their minimum wage?
• How do US immigration laws compare to immigration laws of other countries?
• How have the US's immigration laws changed in the past few years/decades?
• How has the Black Lives Matter movement affected discussions and view about racism in the US?
• What impact has the Affordable Care Act had on healthcare in the US?
• What factors contributed to the UK deciding to leave the EU (Brexit)?
• What factors contributed to China becoming an economic power?
• Discuss the history of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies  (some of which tokenize the S&P 500 Index on the blockchain) .
• Do students in schools that eliminate grades do better in college and their careers?
• Do students from wealthier backgrounds score higher on standardized tests?
• Do students who receive free meals at school get higher grades compared to when they weren't receiving a free meal?
• Do students who attend charter schools score higher on standardized tests than students in public schools?
• Do students learn better in same-sex classrooms?
• How does giving each student access to an iPad or laptop affect their studies?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Montessori Method ?
• Do children who attend preschool do better in school later on?
• What was the impact of the No Child Left Behind act?
• How does the US education system compare to education systems in other countries?
• What impact does mandatory physical education classes have on students' health?
• Which methods are most effective at reducing bullying in schools?
• Do homeschoolers who attend college do as well as students who attended traditional schools?
• Does offering tenure increase or decrease quality of teaching?
• How does college debt affect future life choices of students?
• Should graduate students be able to form unions?

• What are different ways to lower gun-related deaths in the US?
• How and why have divorce rates changed over time?
• Is affirmative action still necessary in education and/or the workplace?
• Should physician-assisted suicide be legal?
• How has stem cell research impacted the medical field?
• How can human trafficking be reduced in the United States/world?
• Should people be able to donate organs in exchange for money?
• Which types of juvenile punishment have proven most effective at preventing future crimes?
• Has the increase in US airport security made passengers safer?
• Analyze the immigration policies of certain countries and how they are similar and different from one another.
• Several states have legalized recreational marijuana. What positive and negative impacts have they experienced as a result?
• Do tariffs increase the number of domestic jobs?
• Which prison reforms have proven most effective?
• Should governments be able to censor certain information on the internet?
• Which methods/programs have been most effective at reducing teen pregnancy?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Keto diet?
• How effective are different exercise regimes for losing weight and maintaining weight loss?
• How do the healthcare plans of various countries differ from each other?
• What are the most effective ways to treat depression ?
• What are the pros and cons of genetically modified foods?
• Which methods are most effective for improving memory?
• What can be done to lower healthcare costs in the US?
• What factors contributed to the current opioid crisis?
• Analyze the history and impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic .
• Are low-carbohydrate or low-fat diets more effective for weight loss?
• How much exercise should the average adult be getting each week?
• Which methods are most effective to get parents to vaccinate their children?
• What are the pros and cons of clean needle programs?
• How does stress affect the body?
• Discuss the history of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
• What were the causes and effects of the Salem Witch Trials?
• Who was responsible for the Iran-Contra situation?
• How has New Orleans and the government's response to natural disasters changed since Hurricane Katrina?
• What events led to the fall of the Roman Empire?
• What were the impacts of British rule in India ?
• Was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary?
• What were the successes and failures of the women's suffrage movement in the United States?
• What were the causes of the Civil War?
• How did Abraham Lincoln's assassination impact the country and reconstruction after the Civil War?
• Which factors contributed to the colonies winning the American Revolution?
• What caused Hitler's rise to power?
• Discuss how a specific invention impacted history.
• What led to Cleopatra's fall as ruler of Egypt?
• How has Japan changed and evolved over the centuries?
• What were the causes of the Rwandan genocide ?

• Why did Martin Luther decide to split with the Catholic Church?
• Analyze the history and impact of a well-known cult (Jonestown, Manson family, etc.)
• How did the sexual abuse scandal impact how people view the Catholic Church?
• How has the Catholic church's power changed over the past decades/centuries?
• What are the causes behind the rise in atheism/ agnosticism in the United States?
• What were the influences in Siddhartha's life resulted in him becoming the Buddha?
• How has media portrayal of Islam/Muslims changed since September 11th?

Science/Environment

• How has the earth's climate changed in the past few decades?
• How has the use and elimination of DDT affected bird populations in the US?
• Analyze how the number and severity of natural disasters have increased in the past few decades.
• Analyze deforestation rates in a certain area or globally over a period of time.
• How have past oil spills changed regulations and cleanup methods?
• How has the Flint water crisis changed water regulation safety?
• What are the pros and cons of fracking?
• What impact has the Paris Climate Agreement had so far?
• What have NASA's biggest successes and failures been?
• How can we improve access to clean water around the world?
• Does ecotourism actually have a positive impact on the environment?
• Should the US rely on nuclear energy more?
• What can be done to save amphibian species currently at risk of extinction?
• What impact has climate change had on coral reefs?
• How are black holes created?
• Are teens who spend more time on social media more likely to suffer anxiety and/or depression?
• How will the loss of net neutrality affect internet users?
• Analyze the history and progress of self-driving vehicles.
• How has the use of drones changed surveillance and warfare methods?
• Has social media made people more or less connected?
• What progress has currently been made with artificial intelligence ?
• Do smartphones increase or decrease workplace productivity?
• What are the most effective ways to use technology in the classroom?
• How is Google search affecting our intelligence?
• When is the best age for a child to begin owning a smartphone?
• Has frequent texting reduced teen literacy rates?

How to Write a Great Research Paper

Even great research paper topics won't give you a great research paper if you don't hone your topic before and during the writing process. Follow these three tips to turn good research paper topics into great papers.

#1: Figure Out Your Thesis Early

Before you start writing a single word of your paper, you first need to know what your thesis will be. Your thesis is a statement that explains what you intend to prove/show in your paper. Every sentence in your research paper will relate back to your thesis, so you don't want to start writing without it!

As some examples, if you're writing a research paper on if students learn better in same-sex classrooms, your thesis might be "Research has shown that elementary-age students in same-sex classrooms score higher on standardized tests and report feeling more comfortable in the classroom."

If you're writing a paper on the causes of the Civil War, your thesis might be "While the dispute between the North and South over slavery is the most well-known cause of the Civil War, other key causes include differences in the economies of the North and South, states' rights, and territorial expansion."

#2: Back Every Statement Up With Research

Remember, this is a research paper you're writing, so you'll need to use lots of research to make your points. Every statement you give must be backed up with research, properly cited the way your teacher requested. You're allowed to include opinions of your own, but they must also be supported by the research you give.

#3: Do Your Research Before You Begin Writing

You don't want to start writing your research paper and then learn that there isn't enough research to back up the points you're making, or, even worse, that the research contradicts the points you're trying to make!

Get most of your research on your good research topics done before you begin writing. Then use the research you've collected to create a rough outline of what your paper will cover and the key points you're going to make. This will help keep your paper clear and organized, and it'll ensure you have enough research to produce a strong paper.

What's Next?

Are you also learning about dynamic equilibrium in your science class? We break this sometimes tricky concept down so it's easy to understand in our complete guide to dynamic equilibrium .

Thinking about becoming a nurse practitioner? Nurse practitioners have one of the fastest growing careers in the country, and we have all the information you need to know about what to expect from nurse practitioner school .

Want to know the fastest and easiest ways to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius? We've got you covered! Check out our guide to the best ways to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit (or vice versa).

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Decoding the Mind: Basic Science Revolutionizes Treatment of Mental Illnesses

By Linda Brady, Margaret Grabb, Susan Koester, Yael Mandelblat-Cerf, David Panchision, Jonathan Pevsner, Ashlee Van’t-Veer, and Aleksandra Vicentic on behalf of the NIMH Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science

March 21, 2024 • 75th Anniversary

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For 75 years, NIMH has transformed the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research—bringing hope to millions of people. This Director’s Message, guest written by NIMH’s Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science , is part of an anniversary series celebrating this momentous milestone.

The Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science (DNBBS) at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) supports research on basic neuroscience, genetics, and basic behavioral science. These are foundational pillars in the quest to decode the human mind and unravel the complexities of mental illnesses.

At NIMH, we are committed to supporting and conducting genomics research as a priority research area . As the institute celebrates its 75th Anniversary , we are spotlighting DNBBS-supported efforts connecting genes to cells to circuits to behavior that have led to a wealth of discoveries and knowledge that can improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illnesses.

Making gene discoveries

Medical conditions often run in families. For instance, if someone in your immediate family has high blood pressure, you are more likely to have it too. It is the same with mental disorders—often they run in families. NIMH is supporting research into human genetics to better understand why this occurs. This research has already led to the discovery of hundreds of gene variants that make us more or less likely to develop a mental disorder.

There are two types of genetic variation: common and rare. Common variation refers to DNA changes often seen in the general population, whereas rare variation is DNA changes found in only a small proportion of the population. Individually, most common gene variants have only a minor impact on the risk for a mental disorder. Instead, most disorders result from many common gene variants that, together, contribute to the risk for and severity of that disorder.

NIMH is committed to uncovering the role of genes in mental disorders with the aim of improving the lives of people who experience them. One of the many ways NIMH contributes to the discovery of common gene variants is by supporting the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC)   . The consortium of almost 1,000 scientists across the globe, including ones in the NIMH Intramural Research Program and others conducting NIMH-supported research, is one of the largest and most innovative biological investigations in psychiatry.

Global collaborations such as the PGC are critical to amassing the immense sample sizes needed to identify common gene variants. Data from the consortium’s almost one million participants have already led to transformative insights about genetic contributors to mental illnesses and the genetic relationships of these illnesses to each other. To date, studies conducted as part of the consortium have uncovered common variation in over a dozen mental illnesses.

In contrast to common gene variants, rare gene variants are very uncommon in the general population. When they do occur, they often have a major impact on the occurrence of an illness, particularly when they disrupt gene function or regulation. Rare variants involving mutations in a single gene have been linked to several mental disorders, often through NIMH-supported research. For instance, a recent NIMH-funded study found that rare variation in 10 genes substantially increased the risk for schizophrenia. However, it is important to note that genetics is not destiny; even rare variants only raise the risk for mental disorders, but many other factors, including your environment and experiences, play important roles as well.

Because of the strong interest among researchers and the public in understanding how genes translate to changes in the brain and behavior, NIMH has developed a list of human genes associated with mental illnesses. These genes were identified through rare variation studies and are meant to serve as a resource for the research community. The list currently focuses on rare variants, but NIMH plans to continue expanding it as evidence accumulates for additional gene variants (rare or common).

Moreover, mental illnesses are a significant public health burden worldwide . For this reason, NIMH investments in genomics research extend across the globe. NIMH has established the Ancestral Populations Network (APN) to make genomics studies more diverse and shed light on how genetic variation contributes to mental disorders across populations. APN currently includes seven projects with more than 100 researchers across 25 sites worldwide.

Connecting biology to behavior

While hundreds of individual genes have been linked to mental illnesses, the function of most of these genes in the brain remains poorly understood. But high-tech advances and the increased availability of computational tools are enabling researchers to begin unraveling the intricate roles played by genes.

In addition to identifying genetic variation that raises the risk for mental illnesses, NIMH supports research that will help us understand how genes contribute to human behavior. This information is critical to discovering approaches to diagnose, treat, and ultimately prevent or cure mental illnesses.

An NIMH-funded project called the PsychENCODE consortium   focuses on understanding how genes impact brain function. PsychENCODE is furthering knowledge of how gene risk maps onto brain function and dysfunction by cataloging genomic elements in the human brain and studying the actions of different cell types. The PsychENCODE dataset currently includes multidimensional genetic data from the postmortem brains of thousands of people with and without mental disorders.

Findings from the first phase of PsychENCODE were published as a series of 11 papers   examining functional genomics in the developing and adult brains and in mental disorders. A second batch of PsychENCODE papers will be published later this year. These findings help clarify the complex relationships between gene variants and the biological processes they influence.

PsychENCODE and other NIMH-supported projects are committed to sharing biospecimens quickly and openly to help speed research and discovery.

Facilitating these efforts is the NIMH Repository and Genomics Resource (NRGR)   , where samples are stored and shared. NRGR includes hundreds of thousands of samples, such as DNA, RNA, and cell lines, from people with and without mental disorders, along with demographic and diagnostic information.

Another NIMH initiative to connect risk genes to brain function is Scalable and Systematic Neurobiology of Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Disorder Risk Genes (SSPsyGene) . This initiative uses cutting-edge techniques to characterize the biological functions of 250 mental health risk genes—within the cells where they are expressed—to better understand how those genes contribute to mental illnesses. By systematically characterizing the biological functions of risk genes in cells, SSPsyGene will empower researchers to learn about biological pathways that may serve as new targets for treatment.

Genes also affect behavior by providing the blueprint for neurons, the basic units of the nervous system. Neurons communicate with each other via circuits in the brain, which enables us to process, integrate, and convey information. NIMH supports many initiatives to study the foundational role of neural networks and brain circuits in shaping diverse mental health-related behaviors like mood, learning, memory, and motivation.

For instance, studies supported through a basic-to-translational science initiative at NIMH focus on modifying neural activity to improve cognitive, emotional, and social processing  . Similarly, another new funding opportunity encourages studies in humans and animals examining how emotional and social cues are represented across brain circuits  to help address a core deficit in many mental disorders. These studies will increase understanding of the biological mechanisms that support behavior throughout life and offer interventions to improve these functions in healthy and clinical populations.

Developing treatments and therapeutics

The gene discovery and biology-to-behavior programs described here will lay the foundation for delivering novel therapeutics. To be prepared to rapidly implement findings from this research, NIMH supports several initiatives to identify behavioral and biological markers for use in clinical studies and increase our ability to translate research into practice.

Through its therapeutics discovery research programs , NIMH advances early stage discovery and development studies in humans and early efficacy trials for mental disorders. Taking these efforts a step further, NIMH supports the National Cooperative Drug Discovery/Development Groups for the Treatment of Mental Disorders , which encourage public–private partnerships to accelerate the discovery and development of novel therapeutics and new biomarkers for use in human trials. Moreover, NIMH is one of several institutes and centers in the NIH Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network  , launched to enable neuroscientists in academia and biotechnology companies to develop new drugs for nervous system disorders.

For the treatments of tomorrow, NIMH is building a new research program called Pre-Clinical Research on Gene Therapies for Rare Genetic Neurodevelopmental Disorders  , which encourages early stage research to optimize gene therapies to treat disorders with prominent cognitive, social, or affective impairment. In parallel, NIMH’s Planning Grants for Natural History Studies of Rare Genetic Neurodevelopmental Disorders  encourage the analysis of pre-existing data from people with rare disorders to learn about disease progression and enable future clinical trials with these populations.

NIMH's Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science supports many different research projects that help us learn about genes and gene functions, how the brain develops and works, and impacts on behavior. By investing in basic neuroscience, genetics, and behavioral research, we're trying to find new targets for treatment and develop better therapies for mental disorders. We're hopeful these efforts will lead to new ways to treat and prevent mental illnesses in the near future and, ultimately, improve the lives of people in this country and across the globe.

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Collection  12 March 2021

2020 Top 50 Life and Biological Sciences Articles

We are pleased to share with you the 50 most downloaded Nature Communications articles* in the life and biological sciences published in 2020. (Please note we have a separate collection on the Top 50 SARS-CoV-2 papers .) Featuring authors from around the world, these papers highlight valuable research from an international community.

Browse all Top 50 subject area collections here .

* Data obtained from SN Insights (based on Digital Science's Dimensions) and has been normalised to account for articles published later in the year.

Vitamin D metabolites and the gut microbiome in older men

Here, the authors investigate associations of vitamin D metabolites with gut microbiome in a cross-sectional analysis of 567 elderly men enrolled in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study and find larger alpha-diversity correlates with high 1,25(OH)2D and high 24,25(OH)2D and higher ratios of activation and catabolism.

• Robert L. Thomas
• Lingjing Jiang
• Deborah M. Kado

The misuse of colour in science communication

The accurate representation of data is essential in science communication, however, colour maps that visually distort data through uneven colour gradients or are unreadable to those with colour vision deficiency remain prevalent. Here, the authors present a simple guide for the scientific use of colour and highlight ways for the scientific community to identify and prevent the misuse of colour in science.

• Fabio Crameri
• Grace E. Shephard
• Philip J. Heron

Effect of gut microbiota on depressive-like behaviors in mice is mediated by the endocannabinoid system

The gut microbiota may contribute to depression, but the underlying mechanism is not well understood. Here the authors use a mouse model of stress induced depression to demonstrate that behavioural changes conferred by fecal transplant from stressed to naïve mice require the endocannabinoid system.

• Grégoire Chevalier
• Eleni Siopi
• Pierre-Marie Lledo

The default network of the human brain is associated with perceived social isolation

Here, using pattern-learning analyses of structural, functional, and diffusion brain scans in ~40,000 UK Biobank participants, the authors provide population-scale evidence that the default network is associated with perceived social isolation.

• R. Nathan Spreng
• Emile Dimas
• Danilo Bzdok

Non-invasive early detection of cancer four years before conventional diagnosis using a blood test

Patients whose disease is diagnosed in its early stages have better outcomes. In this study, the authors develop a non invasive blood test based on circulating tumor DNA methylation that can potentially detect cancer occurrence even in asymptomatic patients.

• Xingdong Chen
• Jeffrey Gole

Deep learning suggests that gene expression is encoded in all parts of a co-evolving interacting gene regulatory structure

Regulatory and coding regions of genes are shaped by evolution to control expression levels. Here, the authors use deep learning to identify rules controlling gene expression levels and suggest that all parts of the gene regulatory structure interact in this.

• Christoph S. Börlin
• Aleksej Zelezniak

A systematic review of antibody mediated immunity to coronaviruses: kinetics, correlates of protection, and association with severity

Antibody mediated immunity to SARS-CoV-2 will affect future transmission and disease severity. This systematic review on antibody response to coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and endemic coronaviruses provides insights into kinetics, correlates of protection, and association with disease severity.

• Angkana T. Huang
• Bernardo Garcia-Carreras
• Derek A. T. Cummings

Biomineral armor in leaf-cutter ants

Biomineral armour is known in a number of diverse creatures but has not previously been observed in insects. Here, the authors report on the discovery and characterization of high-magnesium calcite armour which overlays the exoskeletons of leaf-cutter ants.

• Chang-Yu Sun
• Cameron R. Currie

Senolytics prevent mt-DNA-induced inflammation and promote the survival of aged organs following transplantation

Organ transplantation involving aged donors is often confounded by reduced post-transplantation organ survival. By studying both human organs and mouse transplantation models, here the authors show that pretreating the donors with senolytics to reduce mitochondria DNA and pro-inflammatory dendritic cells may help promote survival of aged organs.

• Jasper Iske
• Midas Seyda
• Stefan G. Tullius

Fasting mimicking diet as an adjunct to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer in the multicentre randomized phase 2 DIRECT trial

Preclinical evidence suggests that a fasting mimicking diet (FMD) can make cancer cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy, while protecting normal cells. In this randomized phase II clinical trial of 131 patients with HER2 negative early stage breast cancer, the authors demonstrate that FMD is safe and enhances the effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on radiological and pathological tumor response.

• Stefanie de Groot
• Rieneke T. Lugtenberg
• Dutch Breast Cancer Research Group (BOOG)

Aerobic microbial life persists in oxic marine sediment as old as 101.5 million years

The discovery of aerobic microbial communities in nutrient-poor sediments below the seafloor begs the question of the mechanisms for their persistence. Here the authors investigate subseafloor sediment in the South Pacific Gyre abyssal plain, showing that aerobic microbial life can be revived and retain metabolic potential even from 101.5 Ma-old sediment.

• Yuki Morono
• Fumio Inagaki

The auxin-inducible degron 2 technology provides sharp degradation control in yeast, mammalian cells, and mice

Auxin-inducible degron systems can be leaky and require high doses of auxin. Here the authors establish AID2 which uses an OsTIR1 mutant and the ligand 5-Ph-IAA to overcome these problems and establish AID-mediated target depletion in mice.

• Aisha Yesbolatova
• Yuichiro Saito
• Masato T. Kanemaki

Origin and cross-species transmission of bat coronaviruses in China

Bats are a likely reservoir of zoonotic coronaviruses (CoVs). Here, analyzing bat CoV sequences in China, the authors find that alpha-CoVs have switched hosts more frequently than betaCoVs, identify a bat family and genus that are highly involved in host-switching, and define hotspots of CoV evolutionary diversity.

• Alice Latinne
• Peter Daszak

Multivariate genomic scan implicates novel loci and haem metabolism in human ageing

Ageing phenotypes are of great interest but are difficult to study genetically, partly due to the sample sizes required. Here, the authors present a multivariate framework to combine GWAS summary statistics and increase statistical power, identifying additional loci enriched for aging.

• Paul R. H. J. Timmers
• James F. Wilson
• Joris Deelen

A microsporidian impairs Plasmodium falciparum transmission in Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes

Mircobial symbionts of mosquitoes can affect transmission of human pathogens. Here, Herren et al . identify a microsporidian symbiont in Anopheles gambiae that impairs transmission without affecting mosquito fecundity or survival.

• Jeremy K. Herren
• Lilian Mbaisi
• Steven P. Sinkins

Gene editing and elimination of latent herpes simplex virus in vivo

Herpes simplex virus establishes lifelong latency in ganglionic neurons, which are the source for recurrent infection. Here Aubert et al. report a promising antiviral therapy based on gene editing with adeno-associated virus-delivered meganucleases, which leads to a significant reduction in ganglionic HSV loads and HSV reactivation.

• Martine Aubert
• Daniel E. Strongin
• Keith R. Jerome

A predictive index for health status using species-level gut microbiome profiling

A biologically-interpretable and robust metric that provides insight into one’s health status from a gut microbiome sample is an important clinical goal in current human microbiome research. Herein, the authors introduce a species-level index that predicts the likelihood of having a disease.

• Vinod K. Gupta
• Jaeyun Sung

Bacterial nanotubes as a manifestation of cell death

Bacterial nanotubes and other similar membranous structures have been reported to function as conduits between cells to exchange DNA, proteins, and nutrients. Here the authors provide evidence that bacterial nanotubes are formed only by dead or dying cells, thus questioning their previously proposed functions.

• Jiří Pospíšil
• Dragana Vítovská
• Libor Krásný

Gut microbiota mediates intermittent-fasting alleviation of diabetes-induced cognitive impairment

Intermittent fasting (IF) has been shown beneficial in reducing metabolic diseases. Here, using a multi-omics approach in a T2D mouse model, the authors report that IF alters the composition of the gut microbiota and improves metabolic phenotypes that correlate with cognitive behavior.

• Zhigang Liu
• Xiaoshuang Dai

Transient non-integrative expression of nuclear reprogramming factors promotes multifaceted amelioration of aging in human cells

Aging involves gradual loss of tissue function, and transcription factor (TF) expression can ameliorate this in progeroid mice. Here the authors show that transient TF expression reverses age-associated epigenetic marks, inflammatory profiles and restores regenerative potential in naturally aged human cells.

• Tapash Jay Sarkar
• Marco Quarta
• Vittorio Sebastiano

Mitochondrial TCA cycle metabolites control physiology and disease

Mitochondrial metabolites contribute to more than biosynthesis, and it is clear that they influence multiple cellular functions in a variety of ways. Here, Martínez-Reyes and Chandel review key metabolites and describe their effects on processes involved in physiology and disease including chromatin dynamics, immunity, and hypoxia.

• Inmaculada Martínez-Reyes
• Navdeep S. Chandel

A deep learning model to predict RNA-Seq expression of tumours from whole slide images

RNA-sequencing of tumour tissue can provide important diagnostic and prognostic information but this is costly and not routinely performed in all clinical settings. Here, the authors show that whole slide histology slides—part of routine care—can be used to predict RNA-sequencing data and thus reduce the need for additional analyses.

• Benoît Schmauch
• Alberto Romagnoni
• Gilles Wainrib

Circadian regulation of mitochondrial uncoupling and lifespan

Disruption of different components of molecular circadian clocks has varying effects on health and lifespan of model organisms. Here the authors show that loss of period extends life in drosophila melanogaster.

• Matt Ulgherait
• Mimi Shirasu-Hiza

Circadian control of brain glymphatic and lymphatic fluid flow

Glymphatic function is increased during the rest phase while more cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drains directly to the lymphatic system during the active phase. The water channel aquaporin-4 supports these endogenous, circadian rhythms in CSF distribution.

• Lauren M. Hablitz
• Virginia Plá
• Maiken Nedergaard

Brain-inspired replay for continual learning with artificial neural networks

One challenge that faces artificial intelligence is the inability of deep neural networks to continuously learn new information without catastrophically forgetting what has been learnt before. To solve this problem, here the authors propose a replay-based algorithm for deep learning without the need to store data.

• Gido M. van de Ven
• Hava T. Siegelmann
• Andreas S. Tolias

Single-cell RNA-seq reveals that glioblastoma recapitulates a normal neurodevelopmental hierarchy

Glioblastoma is thought to arise from neural stem cells. Here, to investigate this, the authors use single-cell RNA-sequencing to compare glioblastoma to the fetal human brain, and find a similarity between glial progenitor cells and a subpopulation of glioblastoma cells.

• Charles P. Couturier
• Shamini Ayyadhury
• Kevin Petrecca

Deep learning for genomics using Janggu

Deep learning is becoming a popular approach for understanding biological processes but can be hard to adapt to new questions. Here, the authors develop Janggu, a python library that aims to ease data acquisition and model evaluation and facilitate deep learning applications in genomics.

• Wolfgang Kopp
• Altuna Akalin

Versatile whole-organ/body staining and imaging based on electrolyte-gel properties of biological tissues

Tissue clearing has revolutionised histology, but limited penetration of antibodies and stains into thick tissue segments is still a bottleneck. Here, the authors characterise optically cleared tissue as an electrolyte gel and apply this knowledge to stain the entirety of thick tissue samples.

• Etsuo A. Susaki
• Chika Shimizu
• Hiroki R. Ueda

Sestrins are evolutionarily conserved mediators of exercise benefits

Exercise improves metabolic health and physical condition, particularly important for health in aged individuals. Here, the authors identify that Sestrins, proteins induced by exercise, are key mediators of the metabolic adaptation to exercise and increase endurance through the AKT and PGC1a axes.

• Myungjin Kim
• Alyson Sujkowski
• Jun Hee Lee

Synergistic effect of fasting-mimicking diet and vitamin C against KRAS mutated cancers

Fasting diets are emerging as an approach to delay tumor progression and improve cancer therapies. Here, the authors show that the combination of fasting-mimicking diet with vitamin C decreases tumor development and increases chemotherapy efficacy in KRAS-mutant cancer.

• Maira Di Tano
• Franca Raucci
• Valter D. Longo

Single-cell RNA sequencing demonstrates the molecular and cellular reprogramming of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma

Understanding the mechanisms that lead to lung adenocarcinoma metastasis is important for identifying new therapeutics. Here, the authors document the changes in the transcriptome of human lung adenocarcinoma using single-cell sequencing and link cancer cell signatures to immune cell dynamics.

• Nayoung Kim
• Hong Kwan Kim
• Hae-Ock Lee

A deep learning system accurately classifies primary and metastatic cancers using passenger mutation patterns

Some cancer patients first present with metastases where the location of the primary is unidentified; these are difficult to treat. In this study, using machine learning, the authors develop a method to determine the tissue of origin of a cancer based on whole sequencing data.

• Gurnit Atwal
• PCAWG Consortium

Single-cell RNA-sequencing of differentiating iPS cells reveals dynamic genetic effects on gene expression

Studying the genetic effects on early stages of human development is challenging due to a scarcity of biological material. Here, the authors utilise induced pluripotent stem cells from 125 donors to track gene expression changes and expression quantitative trait loci at single cell resolution during in vitro endoderm differentiation.

• Anna S. E. Cuomo
• Daniel D. Seaton
• Oliver Stegle

Trajectory-based differential expression analysis for single-cell sequencing data

Downstream of trajectory inference for cell lineages based on scRNA-seq data, differential expression analysis yields insight into biological processes. Here, Van den Berge et al. develop tradeSeq, a framework for the inference of within and between-lineage differential expression, based on negative binomial generalized additive models.

• Koen Van den Berge
• Hector Roux de Bézieux
• Lieven Clement

Large-scale genome-wide analysis links lactic acid bacteria from food with the gut microbiome

Here, Pasolli et al. perform a large-scale genome-wide comparative analysis of publicly available and newly sequenced food and human metagenomes to investigate the prevalence and diversity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), indicating food as a major source of LAB species in the human gut.

• Edoardo Pasolli
• Francesca De Filippis
• Danilo Ercolini

Genetic history from the Middle Neolithic to present on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia

Ancient DNA analysis of early European farmers has found a high level of genetic affinity with present-day Sardinians. Here, the authors generate genome-wide capture data for 70 individuals from Sardinia spanning the Middle Neolithic to Medieval period to reveal relationships with mainland European populations shifting over time.

• Joseph H. Marcus
• Cosimo Posth
• John Novembre

Sex and APOE ε4 genotype modify the Alzheimer’s disease serum metabolome

Sex and the APOE ε4 genotype are important risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. In the current study, the authors investigate how sex and APOE ε4 genotype modify the association between Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers and metabolites in serum.

• Matthias Arnold
• Kwangsik Nho
• Gabi Kastenmüller

Integrative pathway enrichment analysis of multivariate omics data

Multi-omics datasets pose major challenges to data interpretation and hypothesis generation owing to their high-dimensional molecular profiles. Here, the authors develop ActivePathways method, which uses data fusion techniques for integrative pathway analysis of multi-omics data and candidate gene discovery.

• Marta Paczkowska
• Jonathan Barenboim

Mitochondrial uncoupler BAM15 reverses diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance in mice

Obesity is a global pandemic with limited treatment options. Here, the authors show evidence in mice that the mitochondrial uncoupler BAM15 effectively induces fat loss without affecting food intake or compromising lean body mass.

• Stephanie J. Alexopoulos
• Sing-Young Chen
• Kyle L. Hoehn

Restriction of essential amino acids dictates the systemic metabolic response to dietary protein dilution

Dietary protein dilution, where protein is reduced and replaced by other nutrient sources without caloric restriction, promotes metabolic health via the hepatokine Fgf21. Here, the authors show that essential amino acids threonine and tryptophan are necessary and sufficient to induce these effects.

• Yann W. Yap
• Patricia M. Rusu
• Adam J. Rose

Multiplexed CRISPR technologies for gene editing and transcriptional regulation

Multiplexed CRISPR technologies have recently emerged as powerful approaches for genetic editing and transcriptional regulation. Here the authors review this emerging technology and discuss challenges and considerations for future studies.

• Nicholas S. McCarty
• Alicia E. Graham
• Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro

Determining sequencing depth in a single-cell RNA-seq experiment

For single-cell RNA-seq experiments the sequencing budget is limited, and how it should be optimally allocated to maximize information is not clear. Here the authors develop a mathematical framework to show that, for estimating many gene properties, the optimal allocation is to sequence at the depth of one read per cell per gene.

• Martin Jinye Zhang
• Vasilis Ntranos

Sphingolipids produced by gut bacteria enter host metabolic pathways impacting ceramide levels

Ceramides are a type of sphingolipid (SL) that have been shown to play a role in several metabolic disorders. Here, the authors investigate the effect of SL-production by gut Bacteroides on host SL homeostasis and show that microbiome-derived SLs enter host circulation and alter ceramide production.

• Elizabeth L. Johnson
• Stacey L. Heaver
• Ruth E. Ley

Ancient genomes reveal social and genetic structure of Late Neolithic Switzerland

European populations underwent strong genetic changes during the Neolithic. Here, Furtwängler et al. provide ancient nuclear and mitochondrial genomic data from the region of Switzerland during the end of the Neolithic and the Early Bronze Age that reveal a complex genetic turnover during the arrival of steppe ancestry.

• Anja Furtwängler
• A. B. Rohrlach
• Johannes Krause

Brain insulin sensitivity is linked to adiposity and body fat distribution

Brain insulin action regulates eating behavior and whole-body energy fluxes, however the impact of brain insulin resistance on long-term weight and body fat composition is unknown. Here, the authors show that high brain insulin sensitivity is linked to weight loss during lifestyle intervention and associates with a favorable body fat distribution.

• Stephanie Kullmann
• Vera Valenta
• Martin Heni

Macrophages directly contribute collagen to scar formation during zebrafish heart regeneration and mouse heart repair

Macrophages mediate the fibrotic response after a heart attack by extracellular matrix turnover and cardiac fibroblasts activation. Here the authors identify an evolutionarily-conserved function of macrophages that contributes directly to the forming post-injury scar through cell-autonomous deposition of collagen.

• Filipa C. Simões
• Thomas J. Cahill
• Paul R. Riley

Sexual-dimorphism in human immune system aging

Whether the immune system aging differs between men and women is barely known. Here the authors characterize gene expression, chromatin state and immune subset composition in the blood of healthy humans 22 to 93 years of age, uncovering shared as well as sex-unique alterations, and create a web resource to interactively explore the data.

• Eladio J. Márquez
• Cheng-han Chung

Collagen-producing lung cell atlas identifies multiple subsets with distinct localization and relevance to fibrosis

Collagen production by lung cells is critical to maintain organ architecture but can also drive pathological scarring. Here the authors perform single cell RNA sequencing of collagen-producing lung cells identifying a subset of pathologic fibroblasts characterized by Cthrc1 expression which are concentrated within fibroblastic foci in fibrotic lungs and show a pro-fibrotic phenotype.

• Tatsuya Tsukui
• Kai-Hui Sun
• Dean Sheppard

Pathway and network analysis of more than 2500 whole cancer genomes

Understanding deregulation of biological pathways in cancer can provide insight into disease etiology and potential therapies. Here, as part of the PanCancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) consortium, the authors present pathway and network analysis of 2583 whole cancer genomes from 27 tumour types.

• Matthew A. Reyna

Single-cell transcriptomics identifies an effectorness gradient shaping the response of CD4 + T cells to cytokines

Cytokines critically control the differentiation and functions of activated naïve and memory T cells. Here the authors show, using multi-omics and single-cell analyses, that naïve and memory T cells exhibit distinct cytokine responses, in which an ‘effectorness gradient’ is depicted by a transcriptional continuum, which shapes the downstream genetic programs.

• Eddie Cano-Gamez
• Blagoje Soskic
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Risk factors for faster aging in the brain revealed in new study

Researchers from the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Oxford have used data from UK Biobank participants to reveal that diabetes, traffic-related air pollution and alcohol intake are the most harmful out of 15 modifiable risk factors for dementia.

The researchers had previously identified a 'weak spot' in the brain, which is a specific network of higher-order regions that not only develop later during adolescence, but also show earlier degeneration in old age. They showed that this brain network is also particularly vulnerable to schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.

In this new study, published in Nature Communications , they investigated the genetic and modifiable influences on these fragile brain regions by looking at the brain scans of 40,000 UK Biobank participants aged over 45.

The researchers examined 161 risk factors for dementia, and ranked their impact on this vulnerable brain network, over and above the natural effects of age. They classified these so-called 'modifiable' risk factors -- as they can potentially be changed throughout life to reduce the risk of dementia -- into 15 broad categories: blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, weight, alcohol consumption, smoking, depressive mood, inflammation, pollution, hearing, sleep, socialisation, diet, physical activity, and education.

Prof. Gwenaëlle Douaud, who led this study, said: 'We know that a constellation of brain regions degenerates earlier in aging, and in this new study we have shown that these specific parts of the brain are most vulnerable to diabetes, traffic-related air pollution -- increasingly a major player in dementia -- and alcohol, of all the common risk factors for dementia.'

'We have found that several variations in the genome influence this brain network, and they are implicated in cardiovascular deaths, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as well as with the two antigens of a little-known blood group, the elusive XG antigen system, which was an entirely new and unexpected finding.'

Prof. Lloyd Elliott, a co-author from Simon Fraser University in Canada, concurs: 'In fact, two of our seven genetic findings are located in this particular region containing the genes of the XG blood group, and that region is highly atypical because it is shared by both X and Y sex chromosomes. This is really quite intriguing as we do not know much about these parts of the genome; our work shows there is benefit in exploring further this genetic terra incognita .'

Importantly, as Prof. Anderson Winkler, a co-author from the National Institutes of Health and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in the US, points out: 'What makes this study special is that we examined the unique contribution of each modifiable risk factor by looking at all of them together to assess the resulting degeneration of this particular brain 'weak spot'. It is with this kind of comprehensive, holistic approach -- and once we had taken into account the effects of age and sex -- that three emerged as the most harmful: diabetes, air pollution, and alcohol.'

This research sheds light on some of the most critical risk factors for dementia, and provides novel information that can contribute to prevention and future strategies for targeted intervention.

• Brain Tumor
• Healthy Aging
• Alzheimer's Research
• Nervous System
• Disorders and Syndromes
• Alzheimer's
• Brain Injury
• Air pollution
• Diabetic diet
• Multi-infarct dementia
• Environmental impact assessment
• Dementia with Lewy bodies
• Diabetes mellitus type 1

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Oxford . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• Jordi Manuello, Joosung Min, Paul McCarthy, Fidel Alfaro-Almagro, Soojin Lee, Stephen Smith, Lloyd T. Elliott, Anderson M. Winkler, Gwenaëlle Douaud. The effects of genetic and modifiable risk factors on brain regions vulnerable to ageing and disease . Nature Communications , 2024; 15 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46344-2

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How Does Science Misinformation Affect Americans from Underrepresented Communities?

New bu-led research suggests false information festers due to structural dynamics, including historic discrimination.

Photo via iStock/MicrovOne

Rich Barlow

Anyone who spends time on social media knows that we’re awash in misinformation—particularly around science and health. But new Boston University–led research has found historically excluded and marginalized Americans may be more vulnerable to inaccurate notions about science due to “structural and institutional power dynamics.”

In a paper published in Science Communication , the researchers—five from the BU College of Communication and one from Baylor University—conducted two focus groups in 2021 with 19 Black and Latino social media users in Greater Boston. The participants weren’t selected on income, but rather as members of groups that have faced historical discrimination, says Michelle Amazeen , COM’s associate dean of research and the study’s lead investigator.

“They had to qualify as what we call ‘misinformation-receptive’ or ‘misinformation-vulnerable’ on the topic of climate change,” she says, using terms coined by coresearcher Arunima Krishna , a COM associate professor of mass communication, advertising, and public relations. The former term refers to people susceptible to misinformation either because they’ve accepted it before or hold extreme attitudes or high motivation about climate change. The latter refers to people displaying either extreme attitudes toward climate change or “high knowledge deficiency” about it, putting them at moderate risk of misinformation susceptibility.

In their paper, the researchers said their discussion with focus group participants revealed “relative disengagement from science-related news and information” and that power dynamics impeded “access to accurate information and indicate how missing voices must be included in the efforts at media and information literacy initiatives.” The other COM researchers were Yi Grace Ji , an assistant professor of mass communication, advertising, and public relations; Chris Chao Su , an assistant professor of emerging media studies; and James J. Cummings , an assistant professor of emerging media studies. The study received funding from the Rita Allen Foundation.

The Brink spoke with Amazeen, a COM associate professor of mass communication, about the study’s findings and if it revealed any new approaches to tackling misinformation.

With Michelle Amazeen

The brink: what is new about your study.

Amazeen: A handful of [previous] researchers talked with underrepresented communities. What’s novel about our study is that we were able to identify and talk with people who were susceptible to misinformation. We prescreened them just [about] climate, but we have reason to believe that people’s vulnerability to one type of science-related misinformation spreads to other topics.

The Brink: In the focus groups, what were the questions you asked?

Amazeen: We talked about media usage and, in one group in particular, nobody mentioned engaging with news; it wasn’t top of mind for them. When I asked them about it, a few of them said, “If I need to—if I’m taking a trip and I need to know the weather, or when the coronavirus happened.” They would tune into news about that. But it wasn’t part of their daily routine to engage with news. Some of it was because the groups really didn’t see themselves reflected in the news—people who looked liked them in the news, the journalists. More often, the people who looked like them were being accused of being violent or predators or that sort of thing.  I specifically had to ask about science-related topics; that didn’t come up organically, either. Climate came up, COVID-19 came up—this was in the summer of 2021, so the vaccines were out. Also, health and wellness— that was the topic that really engaged a lot of them. I didn’t bring it up; they brought it up.

The Brink: Define the issues that they brought up.

Amazeen: What’s in our foods; being able to eat healthy and take care of ourselves; dealing with things like diabetes. They don’t know what to believe; there’s a lot of conflicting information. One brought up—and others chimed in—food additives, such as [preservative] BHT and [whitener] titanium dioxide. In Europe, these chemicals are banned, but the CDC and other agencies have said, in the quantities that they’re in, they don’t pose any harm. But there are other links that people are seeing on the internet, saying, “this is bad for you.”   One of the participants, while we were conducting the focus group, said, “I just Googled it. Is BHT bad for you? The first thing that pops up is, ‘There’s no evidence that BHT is harmful in the amounts used in packaged food.’ First thing. I didn’t click anything. I just did a basic Google search. But then the funny thing is, right after that, it says, ‘General Mills to remove antioxidant BHT from its cereals.’ So, if it’s harmless…”  I think there’s a lot of distrust about what they’re being told. There’s a history of marginalized groups being taken advantage of by our government.

The Brink: Are you talking about things like the Tuskegee study [which in 1932 began studying syphilis in Black men without their informed consent]?

Amazeen: Exactly, and they brought that up.

The Brink: How many actually fell for scientific misinformation?

Amazeen: Some of them did. There were a few who were not vaccinated [against COVID]. One of them said [the vaccine] didn’t go through clinical trials; it did. Somebody said that it causes autism; that’s been debunked, as well. Other people brought up how the government has come after physicians who don’t prescribe certain things or raise questions about procedures or vaccines—and even implied that the government has killed people who have brought up those questions. They brought up COVID being developed as a bioweapon, referring to the Yan reports [a disinformation campaign promoted by, among others, former President Trump adviser Steve Bannon].

The Brink: In this social media era, lots of people are susceptible to misinformation. What makes that problem more acute, or different, among marginalized folks?

Amazeen: We were in no way trying to imply that these communities are more susceptible [than anyone else]. I think the point is that misinformation and disinformation have been weaponized and targeted to these populations , to sow divides, especially as it relates to the election. That’s not science-related. But there is evidence that Russia tried to create confusion about the safety of [COVID] vaccines, and that very well could have been targeted to communities that tend to already be more distrustful of the medical community. They’re less likely to have primary care physicians, a network in the medical community that they can turn to.

We were in no way trying to imply that these communities are more susceptible [than anyone else]. I think the point is that misinformation and disinformation have been weaponized and targeted to these populations. Michelle Amazeen

The Brink: What can be done about this?

This came up toward the end of our discussion. They wanted to hear from local leaders—whether it’s congresspeople, clergy members, school board members—to talk about science-related issues. But I think misinformation is going to continue to be rampant. Interventions are no match, they’re not a panacea for us being inundated by so much misinformation. And it’s not just on social media. There’s plenty of it on the internet, on cable or radio. One ray of hope we talked about was the public education system making media literacy part of the curriculum. Hand in hand, public education, the public library system, and local communities can work synergistically to educate people about what’s happening. It’s hard to keep up with how quickly technology is evolving, though. ChatGPT wasn’t a thing when I did these focus groups. Deep-fake videos used to require expensive equipment and a good deal of time. Today, you can get something downloaded almost instantaneously and make something that looks realistic. We need to be using any and all the tools that we have, and media literacy education seems to be one of the sharpest, most effective tools we have. I’m hopeful that a new, comparative study I’m involved in will bear this out.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

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Rich Barlow is a senior writer at BU Today and  Bostonia  magazine. Perhaps the only native of Trenton, N.J., who will volunteer his birthplace without police interrogation, he graduated from Dartmouth College, spent 20 years as a small-town newspaper reporter, and is a former  Boston Globe  religion columnist, book reviewer, and occasional op-ed contributor. Profile

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Coral research finds bleaching impedes reproduction and hinders recovery

by Australian Institute of Marine Science

Bleaching can suppress reproduction in a common coral species found in the Great Barrier Reef, hampering future reef replenishment, new research led by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and James Cook University (JCU) has identified.

The research on populations of a branching stony coral (Acropora millepora) in Woppaburra sea Country of the Keppel Islands near Yeppoon, highlights the importance of overlooked impacts of bleaching events and how they can impede recovery.

The research is published as aerial surveys undertaken by AIMS and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) have confirmed a fifth mass coral bleaching event since 2016 unfolding across the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The work is published in the journal Coral Reefs .

Aerial surveys over the Keppel Islands in February observed extensive bleaching in nearshore areas consistent with increased sea surface temperatures and accumulated heat exposure in the wider southern region. In-water surveys conducted by AIMS are continuing in order to assess the severity of the bleaching.

Lead author Nico Briggs said his study found a 21% decrease in the reproductive output of Acropora millepora despite apparent recovery and low mortality after the 2020 mass bleaching event.

"Coral bleaching isn't always a death sentence for every coral. Corals can and do recover if stress inducing conditions subside. But our research shows there is a price to pay for recovery in terms of a coral's reproductive capacity, which is a critical driver of post-disturbance replenishment on coral reefs," Mr. Briggs said.

"We are seeing more frequent and severe bleaching events driven by climate change on the Great Barrier Reef and reefs worldwide. Our findings add to the mounting evidence that surviving coral populations are facing an increasingly uphill battle for recovery, in part due to sublethal impacts of bleaching events."

Mr. Briggs and his co-authors collected samples from almost 100 Acropora millepora colonies that were known to have bleached in the 2020 event and survived. The samples were collected six months after the bleaching and just before the annual coral spawning event in late October.

In dissecting the samples, the scientists found the number eggs produced within coral polyps decreased by 21% in colonies that had bleached severely, despite visual recovery, or return of the corals' color.

Recent in-water work by AIMS scientists included collecting samples from these corals to understand how the colonies have responded to this latest bleaching. More samples will be collected prior to the annual coral spawning later in the year.

Co-author Dr. Cathie Page said understanding how bleaching affects coral reproduction is a vital step towards improving predictions of reef trajectories under a warming climate.

"We know that the corals in Woppaburra sea Country are tough and resilient. There was little mortality after the 2020 bleaching event, despite these corals being exposed to accumulated heat stress that often results in mortality," she said.

"Their resilience is partly to do with environmental conditions in the region, with tides and currents helping to reduce water temperatures, provide sun protection and deliver extra food. But as this research shows, they paid a price for their recovery.

"The impact of bleaching on reproduction is likely to vary among coral species. Understanding this will help us to know what these reefs may look like in five to 10 years time, helping us to target interventions."

Mr. Briggs added the paper also highlighted the importance of a multi-faceted approach to helping coral reefs under a changing climate.

"Typical assessments of coral health after a bleaching event consist of surveys to determine how much coral lived or died, but these surveys miss longer-term impacts to health, such as impacts to reproduction and growth.

"The best chance for coral reefs to persist into the future requires a strong reduction in global greenhouse emissions to stabilize temperatures, best practice management of local pressures, and the development of innovative interventions to help boost climate tolerance and resilience for coral reefs," he said.

Journal information: Coral Reefs

Provided by Australian Institute of Marine Science

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