Fungi found with ability to freeze water
Fungi from the Mortierellaceae family produce ice-nucleating proteins capable of catalyzing ice formation at high subzero temperatures. These proteins, likely acquired from bacteria via horizontal gene transfer, are cell-free and water-soluble, making them promising for safer cloud seeding, frozen food production, and cryopreservation. Their identification may also improve climate modeling.

Rosemary J. Eufemio et al, A previously unrecognized class of fungal ice-nucleating proteins with bacterial ancestry, Science Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aed9652

How an all-female clonal fish species copied and pasted itself free from extinction

The tiny Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa) has always fascinated researchers because, according to the rules of evolution, it shouldn't have survived as a species, let alone thrive as a species for over 100,000 years. Using advanced genetic mapping and comparison techniques to track how the Amazon molly's DNA has changed over time, a new study set out to uncover the genetic secrets behind this apparent rebellion against evolutionary theory.

The Amazon molly didn't slowly evolve into a new species, it was the result of a 100,000-year-old accident. 

Unlike hybrid animals like a liger or mule, which are sterile and cannot reproduce, the Amazon molly is fully capable of reproducing asexually. Inside the mother's ovaries are specialized cells that undergo a modified version of meiosis—a type of cell division in sexually reproducing organisms—where the pairing up of chromosomes from two parents and swapping genetic information before dividing doesn't occur.

Instead, the mother produces eggs that already contain a full, double set of DNA that develops into new fish that are genetically identical to the mother. This form of cloning is called apomixis.

For a long time, scientists THOUGHT sexual reproduction was essential for long-term survival because it shuffles genes, removing harmful mutations and combining beneficial ones. The Amazon molly, however, gets the same advantages without ever mating.

Previous studies hinted at its high genetic diversity and signs of gene conversion, but detailed, haplotype-resolved genomic data were still missing.

The molly undergoes asexual reproduction and gives live birth to its young, which are its clones, because the species is made up entirely of females.

As per Muller's ratchet, a standard evolutionary theory, they should have gone extinct because clonal organisms accumulate harmful mutations over time due to a lack of genetic diversity.

The genetic evidence from this study, published in Nature, shows that the Amazon molly picks up mutations faster than its sexual relatives, yet somehow avoids the expected genetic decay—the secret behind this surprising act of resilience is gene conversion. This process purges harmful mutations by spotting damaged genes, "copying" a healthy version of the same gene from another part of the fish's own DNA, and "pasting" it over the faulty region to overwrite the mistake.

The study sheds light on long-debated questions about the evolutionary costs of asexual reproduction and establishes gene conversion as a powerful mechanism for effectively offsetting the negative effects. The findings give rise to a new question for future studies to explore: Do other long-lived asexual species avoid Muller's ratchet through the same process or is there something completely different at play?

Edward Ricemeyer, Gene conversion empowers natural selection in a clonal fish species, Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10180-9. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10180-9

Cell death's 'beautiful' rings have implications for biological resilience and immunity
A newly identified ring-shaped protein structure forms on cell membranes during programmed cell death, coordinating targeted immune responses in plants. This structure, composed of membrane-bound proteins and ion channels, may facilitate communication between cells to localize cell death. The mechanism is conserved across species, with implications for enhancing plant resilience and human immunity.
One of the ways individual cells can protect their host organism from disease is by sacrificing themselves to prevent the spread of pathogens. This programmed cell death is an effective but delicate operation, He said. It can stop a disease from advancing if enough compromised cells are eliminated. But an overzealous response can claim healthy cells, which would also harm the larger host organism.
Cell death may sound like a bad thing, but in plants and mammals, it's a marker of resistance. We need to have this defense, but it is also important to have this defense in a limited area.
Scientists are working hard to map out the processes' complete molecular choreography to understand how cells coordinate cell death without it becoming overkill.
Recent studies in immunology revealed a key new move, that proteins involved in the process come together to form channels that can shuttle calcium ions. By themselves, however, these channels weren't sufficient to initiate cell death.
This new study has shown how the channels organize into a beautiful ring structure on the cell membrane.
The ring, which resembles a wreath or a necklace, is a combination of proteins that bind to a cell membrane and six channels that orient themselves to run through the membrane.
The finding invites new questions about what exactly the rings do and how they do it. The team's current hypothesis is that the rings enable communication with nearby cells, sending inflammation signals that can help initiate cell death in a targeted way.

Dongdong Ge et al, Assembly of helper NLR resistosome clusters upon activation of a coiled-coil NLR, Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10215-1