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What if cyclists could weigh in on roadway designs before a single lane is painted? A University of Florida researcher has developed StreetDesignAI, an AI-powered tool that helps roadway designers incorporate the perspectives of different types of cyclists, making biking infrastructure safer and more inclusive.

The tool uses virtual cyclist personas trained on real-world data to provide feedback on proposed designs and has been shown to improve transportation professionals’ satisfaction with the design process compared to general AI chatbots.

What if chaotic planetary systems are shaped by a cosmic river of gas? A University of Florida-led study found that giant gas streamers may tilt planet-forming disks and create misaligned planetary orbits, offering a new explanation for the surprisingly disorderly architectures seen across the galaxy. Learn more in this UF News story.

A single cup of river water contains a hidden genetic record of everything from wildlife and invasive species to human pollution and disease, allowing scientists to "read" an entire ecosystem without seeing a single organism.

Researchers at the University of Florida showed that environmental DNA (eDNA) can simultaneously identify biodiversity, track pollution sources, and detect pathogens, making it a powerful new tool for conservation and public health monitoring.

Is there life on other planets? Associate Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences and Assistant Director of the Astraeus Space Institute at the University of Florida, Amy Williams studies that question using NASA’s Mars rovers, Curiosity and Perseverance. She develops instruments, analyzes data, and focuses on whether Mars once hosted life.

In this interview, Williams shares her career path and a project investigating whether organic carbon in Martian rocks came from life, geology, or meteorites.

High school baseball players who also competed in track outperformed baseball-only specialists at the professional level, suggesting multisport participation—particularly track—can provide transferable skills that enhance baseball success. However, MLB teams do not appear to factor track experience into draft or signing decisions, indicating a mismatch between player performance outcomes and talent evaluation and challenging the value of early specialization.

Could a rocky, Earth‑like planet 40 light‑years away still hold onto an atmosphere after billions of years?

University of Florida Assistant Professor of Astronomy, Jason Dittmann discovered LHS 1140b, a rocky exoplanet in the habitable zone of a nearby star, and new Magellan Clay telescope observations detecting escaping helium suggest the planet may be maintaining a replenishing atmosphere.

After AI opponents were introduced in PUBG: Battlegrounds, players spent about 50% more time in the game and increased team play with friends by roughly 28%. Researchers including Liangfei Qiu, a professor in the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business and co-author of the study, which is forthcoming in Information Systems Research, attribute this to boosted player confidence (self-efficacy), suggesting AI can help people learn, stay engaged, and become more social.

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Young frogs prioritize rapid growth over immune defense, only shifting energy toward fighting infection when disease becomes severe. The study shows how these energy trade-offs—shaped by environmental conditions and timing—affect survival, development, and broader population health.

As World Cup teams brace for extreme summer heat, a University of Florida scientist, Orlando Laitano is helping Brazil’s national soccer team gain an edge with personalized hydration strategies based on each player’s unique sweat and electrolyte losses.

A newly developed AI tool called AIDD uses specialized MRI scans to analyze subtle brain water-movement patterns and distinguish between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies with near‑perfect accuracy. By clearly differentiating these often‑confused conditions, it could reduce misdiagnoses and improve treatment outcomes as dementia cases are expected to rise significantly by 2060.

What happens when the world’s largest land animal disappears? A University of Florida co-authored Science study found that African elephants are a keystone species in Kenya’s savannas, with their dung sustaining diverse dung beetle populations that drive critical ecosystem services. When elephants were removed from experimental landscapes, dung beetle populations and their ecological functions collapsed—providing real-world evidence that the loss of one species can trigger cascading ecosystem declines.

This breakthrough enables more precise control over gene activity by targeting how cellular instructions are used, not just rewriting DNA itself. It opens the door to safer, more flexible ways to diagnose and treat disease by fine-tuning biological processes in real time.

At UF Health’s Craniofacial Center, specialists use early molding techniques and careful feeding support to stabilize infants born with cleft lip or palate before surgery. Their interdisciplinary team designs individualized plans that prepare tissues for repair and guide development throughout childhood and adolescence. With advanced tools like in‑house NAM fabrication, the center improves surgical outcomes and offers families clarity and confidence during a complex, years‑long treatment process.

Daniel Swale is one of UF’s “mosquito hunters” — researchers who track and combat the insects. While not part of a formal team, they’re united by a shared insect interest: Swale focuses on developing new insecticides and techniques that kill mosquitoes or prevent them from feeding and spreading diseases. Medical geography Professor Sadie Ryan tracks the patterns of mosquito-borne diseases across countries and continents. Entomologist Lawrence Reeves is the first line of mosquito defense, combing Florida’s swamps and wildlands in search of new species and identifying specimens from the state’s mosquito control districts.