Fedor Kossakovski

Published August 17, 2026 Arriving in one of the first cars of the morning, first-year Caroline Zhang and her family were greeted with chants of “Pop! That! Trunk!” by swarming upperclassmen and staff. After trekking down from New York, N.Y., the extra support ferrying Zhang’s belongings into her new dorm room was appreciated. “They grabbed all my stuff and ran with it,” she laughed. “It’s really cool.” Zhang is excited to study biology with a vision of going into healthcare.

Duke University researchers developed Raygun, an AI system that can shorten, expand, and extensively rewrite proteins while preserving their structure and function. Tests showed that redesigned fluorescent proteins, enzymes, and growth factors could remain active despite major changes in their amino acid sequences and overall size. The technology could accelerate protein engineering for gene therapy, drug development, medical imaging, biotechnology, and research into how proteins evolve.

NASA graphic showing some of the changes to local weather and climate conditions due to El Niño.