A Kapuria

Plain English
Researchers developed tiny particle-based delivery systems to edit genes directly inside blood-forming stem cells in the body, using two different designs to target these cells more effectively. They successfully edited multiple genes linked to blood disorders—achieving edits in about one-third of stem cells and triggering the production of fetal hemoglobin, which can treat diseases like sickle cell anemia. The delivery systems worked well because they avoided damaging the liver and other organs while precisely reaching the right cells.

Plain English
Researchers created a new material by combining tiny carbon particles (doped with nitrogen and sulfur) with ultra-thin sheets of titanium compound to use as the electrodes in supercapacitors—devices that store electrical energy quickly. The new material performed exceptionally well, storing more charge than comparable materials and maintaining 95-98% of its performance even after being charged and discharged 10,000 times. This matters because supercapacitors are crucial for renewable energy systems and electric vehicles, and this new material could make them more efficient and longer-lasting than current options.

Plain English
Researchers created a new tool using augmented reality (a technology that overlays digital images onto the real world viewed through a special headset) to help neurosurgeons plan epilepsy surgery by displaying 3D images of a patient's brain and the tiny electrodes placed inside it—something that's difficult to visualize on a flat computer screen. They tested this tool with surgeons and found it was easy to use and helped doctors better understand the patient's brain anatomy and communicate about the surgical plan. This technology could improve how surgeons prepare for epilepsy operations and make surgery safer by giving them a clearer, more realistic view of what they'll encounter in the operating room.

Plain English
Researchers tested three different 3D printing methods to create physical plastic models of patient brains for epilepsy surgery planning. They found that all three methods worked, but each had tradeoffs: the cheapest method (FDM) produced opaque models that were hard to see through, the middle-priced method (SLA) was transparent but could only use one material, and the most expensive method (Polyjet) created crystal-clear models showing all the surgical details but cost too much to use routinely. The study shows that 3D-printed brain models help surgeons plan epilepsy operations, but doctors need to find a way to make the high-quality transparent models more affordable.

Plain English
Researchers timed how quickly and accurately 2,000+ people converted regular and irregular verbs from present tense to past tense (like "walk" to "walked" or "go" to "went"), then analyzed the results to identify which factors affect how our brains process these grammar rules. They discovered that whether a verb is easy to picture in your mind and how similar it is to other verbs with the same past tense pattern both influence how fast and correctly people can form the past tense. This large dataset provides scientists with standardized test material to better understand how our brains learn and use grammar rules, and could help refine theories about language processing.

Plain English
University students improved Wikipedia's coverage of chronobiology (the study of biological clocks) by editing 15 pages and adding 347 scientific references, making accurate information about this field easier for the public to find online. The students themselves gained real skills by learning how to read scientific papers critically, write clearly for a general audience, and accept feedback from other editors. This project shows that students can do meaningful work that helps the public while learning valuable research and communication skills—all in just a few hours of effort per person.