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Little red dots have puzzled astronomers since their discovery in JWST data from the Universe’s deep past. Their ‘powering engines’ might resemble a newly discovered phenomenon dubbed a “black hole star”—an early, rapidly growing black hole wrapped in dense gas.

For almost 15 years, researchers have been creating three-dimensional biological microstructures known as organoids—from heart and gut models to brain models. These allow for the study of specific questions about organ development in an isolated system.

The cerebral cortex is densely packed with different nerve cells that enable us to perceive, think and act. Yet how these cell types arise while the brain develops is still not fully understood. Irene Varela-Martínez, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), traces their origins like a family-tree detective of nerve cells.

During ketamine anesthesia, the brain’s nerve cells fall silent—as consciousness returns, they begin to reconnect. For the first time, researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) have shown that immune cells in the brain play a critical role in this process—with differences between female and male brains. The findings were published in Science Advances. In the lab at ISTA. Alessandro Venturino (left) and Sandra Siegert (right).

Skip to main content ISTA scientists present two computer graphics papers at SIGGRAPH 2026 This year, researchers from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) are presenting two papers at SIGGRAPH in Los Angeles—a leading annual computer graphics conference organized by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). One paper introduces new methods for texturing highly deformable surfaces, and the other proposes a faster, more precise way to compute geometric properties of shapes.

Skip to main content ISTA researchers uncover a quantum phenomenon relevant for nanodevices Driving an electric current through a molecule can create a magnetic field. Yet in practice, such fields are often too weak to be detected experimentally.

Skip to main content ISTA physicists confirm 20-year-old theory that could boost quantum technology Future quantum computing will require correlations between distant modules—a feature known as distributed entanglement. Traditionally, such entanglement has relied on active control and repeated measurements.

Inside the cell nucleus, genes must be turned on and off with precision to regulate biological processes. The first models of gene regulation were developed in the 1960s, yet modern science continues to uncover new layers of control.

Skip to main content Newly identified ‘saprotropism’ helps roots avoid decaying plant matter Decaying matter shapes life in soil, but it can also create hostile zones for growing roots. Professor Jiří Friml of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and international collaborators have now identified “saprotropism,” a root response that guides plants away from decaying plant-derived matter—but not animal-derived decay.

Skip to main content First postdocs selected to advance trustworthy, and ethical AI research The Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) has launched its Responsible AI Program, a new initiative made possible through the €5 million donation by Canadian entrepreneur Garrett Camp announced earlier this year. The program supports cutting-edge research that advances artificial intelligence as a reliable, human-centered technology.