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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 21, 2025 at 7:13am

The Neuron study showed how these specialized neurons detect the beginnings and endings of words.

Given that fluent speakers utter several words per second, these neurons must rapidly reset to take note of the next word.

It's like a kind of reboot, where the brain has processed a word it recognizes, and then resets so it can start in on the next word.
The studies clarify why injury to certain regions of the brain can impair the ability to comprehend speech even when a person's hearing is intact.

Yizhen Zhang et al, Human cortical dynamics of auditory word form encoding, Neuron (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2025.10.011

Ilina Bhaya-Grossman et al, Shared and language-specific phonological processing in the human temporal lobe, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09748-8

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 21, 2025 at 7:10am

Why a foreign language sounds like a blur to non-native ears

Why is it so easy to hear individual words in your native language, but in a foreign language they run together in one long stream of sound?

Researchers have begun to answer that question with two complementary studies that show how the brain learns the sound patterns of a language until it recognizes where one word ends and the next begins.

When we speak naturally, we don't put pauses or "spaces" between words, yet fluent speakers effortlessly perceive them. For years, researchers assumed it was the brain areas that give meaning to speech that were figuring out the boundaries between words.

The new studies focus on a different brain region, called the superior temporal gyrus, or STG. Until now, it was thought only to handle simple sound processing, like identifying consonants and vowels.

The new studies show the STG contains neurons that learn to track where words begin and end over years of experience hearing a language.

This shows that the STG isn't just hearing sounds, it's using experience to identify words as they're being spoken. This new work  gives us a neural blueprint for how the brain transforms continuous sound into meaningful units.

In the Nature study, researchers recorded brain activity from 34 volunteers who were being monitored for epilepsy. Most spoke either Spanish, Mandarin, or English as their native language. Eight were bilingual, but no one spoke all three languages.

Participants listened to sentences in English, Spanish, and Mandarin—languages that were both familiar and unfamiliar to them.

The researchers used machine learning models to analyze patterns and found that when participants heard their native tongue or a language they knew, the specialized neurons in the STG lit up. But when participants heard a language they didn't know, the neurons failed to light up.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 21, 2025 at 7:01am

Take a lesson from these birds on how to make new friends

Making new friends has its challenges, even for birds. Researchers  found that monk parakeets introduced to new birds will "test the waters" with potential friends to avoid increasingly dangerous close encounters that could lead to injury. They gradually approach a stranger, taking time to get familiar before ramping up increasingly risky interactions.

There can be a lot of benefits to being social, but these friendships have to start somewhere. Many parrots, for example, form strong bonds with one or two other birds. 

But making that first contact carries risk, especially when animals are unfamiliar to one another.

Birds that don't welcome a newcomer's attention can react aggressively, which can lead to injuries. 

Researchers found that strangers were more likely to approach each other with caution compared to birds they knew. Stranger birds took time to share space before eventually perching shoulder to shoulder, touching beaks or preening others. Some strangers escalated further to sharing food or mating.

This study had results comparable to a 2020 study of vampire bats that found that newcomers likewise test the waters, gradually escalating from social grooming relationships to food-sharing relationships with trustworthy partners.

Claire L. O'Connell et al, Monk parakeets 'test the waters' when forming new relationships, Biology Letters (2025). DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2025.0399

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 21, 2025 at 6:39am

Over 80% of the spores survived their intergalactic journey, and all but 11% of the remaining spores were able to germinate back in the lab. The team also tested the chlorophyll levels of the spores and found normal levels for all types, with the exception of a 20% reduction in chlorophyll a—a compound which is particularly sensitive to changes in visual light, but this change didn't seem to impact the health of the spores.

This study demonstrates the astonishing resilience of life that originated on Earth.

 Extreme Environmental Tolerance and Space Survivability of the Moss, Physcomitrium patens, iScience (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.113827. www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext … 2589-0042(25)02088-7

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 21, 2025 at 6:36am

Moss spores survive 9 months outside International Space Station

Mosses thrive in the most extreme environments on Earth, from the peaks of the Himalayas to the sands of Death Valley, the Antarctic tundra to the lava fields of active volcanoes. Inspired by moss's resilience, researchers sent moss sporophytes—reproductive structures that encase spores—to the most extreme environment yet: space.

Their results, published in the journal iScience on November 20, show that more than 80% of the spores survived nine months outside of the International Space Station (ISS) and made it back to Earth still capable of reproducing, demonstrating for the first time that an early land plant can survive long-term exposure to the elements of space.

Most living organisms, including humans, cannot survive even briefly in the vacuum of space. 

However, the moss spores retained their vitality after nine months of direct exposure. This provides striking evidence that the life that has evolved on Earth possesses, at the cellular level, intrinsic mechanisms to endure the conditions of space.

The researchers found that UV radiation was the toughest element to survive, and the sporophytes were by far the most resilient of the three moss parts. None of the juvenile moss survived high UV levels or extreme temperatures. The brood cells had a higher rate of survival, but the encased spores exhibited ~1,000x more tolerance to UV radiation. The spores were also able to survive and germinate after being exposed to −196°C for over a week, as well as after living in 55°C heat for a month.

The team suggested that the structure surrounding the spore serves as a protective barrier, absorbing UV radiation and blanketing the inner spore both physically and chemically to prevent damage. The researchers note that this is likely an evolutionary adaptation that allowed bryophytes—the group of plants to which mosses belong—to transition from aquatic to terrestrial plants 500 million years ago and survive several mass extinction events since then.
Part1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 20, 2025 at 9:00am

39,000-Year-Old Mammoth RNA Is the Oldest Ever Found and Sequenced

RNA from one of the best-preserved woolly mammoths broke the record for oldest RNA ever found, pushing the limit of how long these famously labile molecules can last.
In a recent Cell study, researchers recovered and sequenced RNA from an extraordinarily preserved 39,000-year-old woolly mammoth called Yuka, which was discovered in the Siberian permafrost more than a decade ago (1). This sample was nearly three times older than the previous record holder, an approximately 14,000-year-old wolf puppy.(2)

1. Mármol-Sánchez E, et al. Ancient RNA expression profiles from the extinct woolly mammoth. Cell. 2025;189:1-18.
2. Smith O, et al. Ancient RNA from Late Pleistocene permafrost and historical canids .... PLoS Biol. 2019;17(7):e3000166.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 20, 2025 at 8:35am

 Smart tech maps moisture levels, will adjust watering automatically
A  wheat field was equipped with 86 solar-powered Bluetooth soil moisture sensors, enabling precise, real-time mapping of water levels. The system, integrated with a center pivot sprinkler and enhanced by a parabolic antenna, doubled data transmission range to 600 m. This technology allows targeted irrigation, optimizing water use and supporting crop health during drought conditions.

 Samuel Craven et al, Smart Bluetooth Stakes: Deployment of Soil Moisture Sensors with Rotating High-Gain Antenna Receiver on Center Pivot Irrigation Boom in a Commercial Wheat Field, Sensors (2025). DOI: 10.3390/s25175537

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 20, 2025 at 8:26am

When the engine's manual—the mtDNA—gets damaged, it's not always by a spelling mistake, a mutation.
Sometimes, it's more like a sticky note that gets stuck to the pages, making it hard to read and use. That's what these GSH-DNA adducts are doing.
The researchers linked the accumulation of the sticky lesions to significant changes in mitochondrial function. They observed a decrease in proteins needed for energy production and a simultaneous increase in proteins that help with stress response and mitochondrial repair, suggesting the cell fights back against the damage.

The researchers also used advanced computer simulations to model the effect of the adducts.

They found that the sticky tags can actually make the mtDNA less flexible and more rigid. This might be a way the cell 'marks' damaged DNA for disposal, preventing it from being copied and passed on.

When mtDNA is damaged, it can escape from the mitochondria and trigger immune and inflammatory responses.
The findings hold promise for understanding diseases.

Problems with mitochondria and inflammation linked to damaged mtDNA have been connected to diseases such as neurodegeneration and diabetes.

Yu Hsuan Chen et al, Glutathionylated DNA adducts accumulate in mitochondrial DNA and are regulated by AP endonuclease 1 and tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2509312122

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 20, 2025 at 8:21am

New type of DNA damage discovered in our cells' mitochondria

A previously unknown type of DNA damage in the mitochondria, the tiny power plants inside our cells, could shed light on how our bodies sense and respond to stress. The findings of the UC Riverside-led study are published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and have potential implications for a range of mitochondrial dysfunction-associated diseases, including cancer and diabetes.

Mitochondria have their own genetic material, known as mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is essential for producing the energy that powers our bodies and sending signals within and outside cells. While it has long been known that mtDNA is prone to damage, scientists didn't fully understand the biological processes. The new research identifies a culprit: glutathionylated DNA (GSH-DNA) adducts.

An adduct is a bulky chemical tag formed when a chemical, such as a carcinogen, attaches directly to DNA. If the damage isn't repaired, it can lead to DNA mutations and increase the risk of disease.

The researchers found in their experiments in cultured human cells that these adducts accumulate at levels up to 80 times higher in mtDNA than in the DNA of the cell's nucleus, suggesting that mtDNA is particularly vulnerable to this type of damage.

mtDNA makes up only a small fraction—about 1-5%—of all the DNA in a cell. It is circular in shape, has just 37 genes, and is passed down only from the mother. In contrast, nuclear DNA (nDNA) is linear in shape and inherited from both parents.

mtDNA is more prone to damage than nDNA. Each mitochondrion has many copies of mtDNA, which provides some backup protection. The repair systems for mtDNA are not as strong or efficient as those for nuclear DNA.

Part1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 20, 2025 at 8:16am

'Trained' bacteriophages expand treatment options for antibiotic-resistant infections

Antibiotic resistance is one of the most pressing challenges to global public health as harmful microbes evolve to evade these medications.

Now researchers  have developed a new method to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria using bacteriophages, or phages, for short—viruses that infect and kill bacteria—as an alternative to traditional antibiotics.

The researchers targeted Klebsiella pneumoniae, a species of bacteria notorious for its ability to resist multiple antibiotics. The dangerous pathogen can cause severe infections in hospital settings, including pneumonia and sepsis.

While phages have been used as a treatment for bacterial infections for over a century, they are extremely specific about which strains of a bacterial species they will attack. This has limited their effectiveness against the most antibiotic-resistant strains.

To overcome this problem, the research team "trained" the phages by allowing them to evolve together with the bacteria in a controlled laboratory setting for 30 days.

This technique, called "experimental evolution," permitted the phages to adapt to bacterial defenses. This resulted in significant improvements to their ability to kill a wide variety of bacterial strains, including multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant K. pneumoniae—strains that pose a significant challenge to modern medicine.

What's more, the evolved phages also demonstrated an enhanced ability to suppress bacterial growth over extended periods of time.

Genetic analysis revealed that the evolved phages acquired mutations to specific genes responsible for recognizing and binding to bacterial cells to initiate the infection process. These changes likely contributed to their improved effectiveness.

The research highlights the potential of phage therapy as a powerful tool to address the global antibiotic resistance crisis.

Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-66062-7

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