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A novel fluorescent protein has been created using artificial intelligence (AI), with scientists estimating that its natural evolution would have required half a billion years. The protein, known as esmGFP, was designed by an AI model trained on extensive biological data, leading to the development of a structure distinct from naturally occurring green fluorescent proteins found in jellyfish and corals. The breakthrough is expected to contribute to advancements in medicine and protein engineering.

Study Reveals AI-Driven Molecular Evolution

According to the study published in Science, the AI model ESM3 was used to generate esmGFP by filling in missing genetic sequences based on data from 2.78 billion naturally occurring proteins. The result was a protein that shares only 58 percent of its sequence with the closest known equivalent, a human-modified protein derived from bubble-tip sea anemones (Entacmaea quadricolor). Scientists noted that 96 distinct genetic mutations would have been required for esmGFP to evolve naturally, a process estimated to take over 500 million years.

How the AI Model Works

The AI model, developed by researchers at EvolutionaryScale, functions by predicting and completing protein sequences using language-modeling techniques similar to those used in text-based AI systems. Unlike traditional evolution, where proteins undergo gradual changes through natural selection, ESM3 generates functional proteins by exploring vast possible genetic variations. Speaking to Live Science, Alex Rives, co-founder and chief scientist at EvolutionaryScale, stated that the AI system learns fundamental biological principles and can create functional proteins beyond the constraints of natural evolution.

Applications in Biotechnology

Green fluorescent proteins are widely used in research laboratories, often attached to other proteins to track cellular processes. The study’s findings suggest that AI-driven protein engineering could accelerate drug development and other applications in biotechnology. Tiffany Taylor, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Bath, noted in her analysis of the preprint study that while AI models like ESM3 offer new possibilities in protein design, the broader complexities of natural selection should not be overlooked.

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Crystalline Ice Discovered in Space: New Study Reveals Hidden Order in Cosmic Ice

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July 15, 2025

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Crystalline Ice Discovered in Space: New Study Reveals Hidden Order in Cosmic Ice

Water ice coats many outer solar system bodies – from Jupiter’s icy moon Ganymede (above) to interstellar dust. On Earth, ice freezes into a neat crystal lattice, but in the deep cold of space it was assumed to form a completely amorphous (glassy) solid. A new study by University College London and Cambridge scientists challenges this picture. Their computer simulations and X-ray tests on cosmic “low-density” ice suggest it actually contains tiny crystalline grains. In some models roughly 20–25% of the ice was in crystal form, overturning the long-held view that space ice is entirely structureless.

Simulations reveal hidden nanocrystals

According to the paper, computer simulations of space ice showed it contains nanocrystals. In one approach, researchers cooled virtual water to –120 °C at different rates to form model “ice cubes.” Depending on the cooling speed, the simulated ice ranged from fully amorphous to partly ordered. Structures with roughly 16–19% of the molecules in tiny crystal clusters best matched published X-ray data for low-density ice. In another simulation, thousands of nanometer-sized ice grains were packed together and then the remaining water molecules were randomized. This produced ice about 25% crystalline, yet still reproduced the known diffraction pattern.

In laboratory experiments the team also made actual low-density amorphous ice by vapor deposition and gentle compression. When these samples were slowly warmed to crystallize, the resulting ice showed a “memory” of its formation method.

Implications for planets and origins of life

The findings give “a good idea of what the most common form of ice in the Universe looks like at an atomic level,” which is important for models of planet and galaxy formation. They also bear on theories of life’s origins. Partly crystalline ice has less internal space to trap organic molecules, potentially making it a less efficient vehicle for amino acids or other prebiotic compounds. However, Dr. Davies notes that pockets of fully amorphous ice still exist, so cosmic dust grains and cometary ices could continue to harbor organic ingredients in those disordered regions.

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space ice, amorphous ice, crystalline ice, UCL, University of Cambridge, nanocrystals, planetary science, origins of life, X-ray diffraction, space research, Physical Review B

NASA Deploys High-Tech Aircraft to Support Texas Flood Relief and Recovery Efforts



MIT Develops Low-Resource AI System to Control Soft Robots with Just One Image

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Axiom Space’s Ax-4 Crew Returns from ISS Aboard SpaceX Dragon Grace After Record Research Mission

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July 15, 2025

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Axiom Space’s Ax-4 Crew Returns from ISS Aboard SpaceX Dragon Grace After Record Research Mission

The latest mission of Axiom Space with the four astronauts has found their stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule called Grace, unboarded from the ISS on July 14, 2025, carrying the quartet on the last leg of Ax-4 mission at 4:45 p.m. IST. It safely manoeuvred away from the orbit’s lab, which was the crew’s home for more than 2.5 weeks. Further, it performed the deorbit burn series and is on the path to come back to Earth at around 3:00 p.m. IST.

Ax-4 Mission Wraps Up After Extended ISS Stay and Record-Setting Research

As per NASA, The former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson is the commander, and the other crew members are pilot Shubhanshu Shukla and mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu. it is the first spaceflight for all three. However, its fifth mission for Whitson to orbit is recorded as 695 cumulative days.

The mission is an extension of the Houston-based company’s previous crewed flights, and is for research and science investigations which aim for the understanding of microgravity milieu. So far, Ax-4 has conducted 60 experiments and tech demos with contributions from 31 countries, as well as a number of public outreach events, and has broken the record as it continues to refine the orbital operations.

SpaceX Dragon Capsule Grace Returns via Pacific Splashdown

The mission was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on June 26, 2025, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre, in Florida, and the crew was scheduled to stay aboard the space station for almost two weeks. This mission lasted four days longer than predicted. Departure started this morning, and now the crew and Dragon are on a 22.5-hour path on course for splashing down in the Pacific Ocean till the end of the day.

This will be the second West Coast crew recovery of SpaceX, while the first was of the Crew-9 ISS mission during March. SpaceX completely shifted to the Pacific Ocean, rather than the Gulf or the Atlantic, after the events of debris from Dragon’s trunk and crashing back to Earth. This new reentry minimises the chance of debris, said the representatives of SpaceX.

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NASA Deploys High-Tech Aircraft to Support Texas Flood Relief and Recovery Efforts

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July 15, 2025

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NASA Deploys High-Tech Aircraft to Support Texas Flood Relief and Recovery Efforts

NASA deployed two aircrafts to help state and local authorities in the continuing recovery operations, in response to the flood near Kerrville, Texas. The aircrafts are from NASA’s Disasters Response Coordination System, and is activated to support the emergency response for flood and is closely working with the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the humanitarian groups Save the Children and GiveDirectly, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Persistent cloud-cover over there has made it quite difficult to capture the clear satellite images.

NASA Deploys Aircraft with Advanced Sensors for Texas Flood Response

As reported by NASA, if this can be done, the NASA’s Airborne Science Program can concur a series of flights to fetch observations of te impacted areas. NASA is sharing this data with emergency response teams to inform the search and rescue efforts and help in resource allocation and decision making. WB-57 aircraft departed from Ellington Field on July 8, 2025 for conducting aerial surveys. The aircraft is loaded with the DyNAMITE which is known as Day/Night Airborne Motion Imager for Terrestrial Environments sensor.

Real-Time Data and Imagery Aid Emergency Teams and Flood Recovery Efforts

The DyNAMITE views the Guadalupe River and many miles of the surrounding area, and provides high-resolution imagery which is important to evaluate the damage and support coordination of the foundation-based recovery efforts. This system enables the real-time data collection and analysis, which enhances the situational awareness and enhancing emergency response times.

Further, the agency’s Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Syntehtic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) aboard the Gulfstream III. UAVSAR is managed by Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and is planning to collect the observations over the Guadalupe, San Gabriel, and Colorado river basins on three weekdays, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. It can penetrate the vegetation to see water that sensors are unable to detect. The goal of the team is to characterise the flood extent of flood and help the understanding of the damage amount within communities.

Further, the Disasters are being coordinated with FEMA, the local responders and the Texas Division of Emergency Management for ensuring the data is quickly delivered to the decision making people on the ground. The data is being shared on the NASA Disasters Mapping Portal as soon as it is available.

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