Life sciences: genetics, neuroscience, ecology and molecular biology.
Researchers have reviewed genetic circuits that use light, ultrasound or magnetic fields to control gene activity and cell functions. The analysis compares how these systems sense outside signals, process them inside cells and produce genetic responses, while outlining the tests needed for potential medical use.
Laboratory populations of unicellular green algae evolved motile multicellular forms in water with Snowball Earth-like viscosity. The results suggest that thick, cold oceans may have favored larger, collectively moving organisms during an important period in the evolution of multicellular life.
Human epithelial cells formed reversible wrinkles in their nuclear envelopes as cell density rose or the cells rounded. The wrinkles appeared without detectable envelope rupture, DNA damage or a stress-associated histone change, supporting a geometric explanation for how nuclei accommodate mechanical constraints.
Researchers developed an AI tool that predicts meropenem resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae from genome data. It showed higher sensitivity and fewer missed resistant strains than ResFinder and AMRFinderPlus in global, African and Thai test datasets.
Plants can sometimes carry stress-related molecular changes into their offspring without altering their DNA sequence. But a review in PROTOPLASMA finds that the effect depends strongly on the species, gene region and reproductive system, limiting claims about broadly inherited stress memory.
Columbian ground squirrels retained spatial memories through nine months of hibernation, according to a field study in Alberta. When tested again, experienced squirrels performed 41–98% better than squirrels encountering the maze for the first time.
A study of two co-occurring Florida shrub species found that infrared light passing through translucent petal areas warmed one species’ flowers. Warmer flowers had fewer culturable yeasts, molds and bacteria, while natural differences in ultraviolet transmission did not predict microbial abundance or resistance to ultraviolet exposure.
Newborn mice given too much food later developed more severe muscle loss, metabolic problems and shorter lifespans than control mice. Persistent changes in the gut mucus barrier and a decline in the bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila were linked to these effects.
Underused materials such as fruit and vegetable residues, cereal by-products, legume components and spent coffee grounds could add fiber, protein, antioxidants and micronutrients to bakery products, according to a narrative review. The review also highlights artificial intelligence, automation, blockchain and smart packaging as tools for more efficient and traceable production, while noting that sensory quality, regulation, scale-up and consumer perception could limit adoption.
Honeybee cells begin with uneven walls, curved boundaries and variable angles, but become more regular as workers continue building. The findings suggest that the familiar hexagonal pattern emerges through local adjustments rather than being constructed perfectly from the outset.
A field experiment in India found that maize supplied with 75% mineral NPK, vermicompost and Azotobacter–Bacillus inoculation produced 40.8 quintals of grain per hectare. The treatment also improved measures of soil microbial activity compared with sole 100% NPK, but the results need testing across more seasons and locations.
Researchers developed a method that labels proteins near both the inside and outside of a cell membrane at the same time. In brain studies, it mapped protein networks around three receptors and identified a previously uncharacterized GABAAR–CAMKV interaction in mice and human brains.
Bacillus cereus, a toxin-producing bacterium found in foods, may be an underrecognized foodborne threat in Africa. A review of studies from 2000 to 2025 found contamination in 15% to more than 70% of tested foods, but only 10 studies met the review’s criteria across 54 countries.
A study of the Kimberley rock-rat finds that patchy habitat and long-isolated islands have produced strongly separated local populations. Island groups have smaller effective population sizes, and the researchers warn that local extinctions could be difficult to reverse.
Nitrogen fertilizer increased nitrous oxide emissions from Chinese croplands by an estimated 237.8% compared with unfertilized controls in a meta-analysis of 462 field observations. The size of the increase varied among regions and was also linked to fertilizer rates, fertilizer type, cropping systems, weather and soil texture.
