A 'living plastic' activates and self-destructs on command

A living plastic incorporating dormant Bacillus subtilis spores and two cooperative polymer-degrading enzymes fully degrades polycaprolactone into monomers within six days upon activation with nutrient broth at 50 °C, without generating microplastics. The material retains mechanical properties similar to conventional polycaprolactone and demonstrates potential for programmable, on-demand biodegradation in various plastic types.

Chenwang Tang et al, Degradable Living Plastics Programmed by Engineered Microbial Consortia, ACS Applied Polymer Materials (2026). DOI: 10.1021/acsapm.5c04611

Why your face doesn't perceive itchiness the same way your body does

In a new study, researchers show that itch sensations in the face are perceived differently from those in the body due to differences in signalling between trigeminal (located in the brain) and spinal pain pathways. The work could lead to the development of specific molecular targets for treating facial pain or itch. The study appears in Communications Biology.
On the body, itch signals go from neuronal projections in the skin through the dorsal root ganglia (DRG)—which are clusters of sensory cells located at the root of the spinal nerves—then to the spinal cord. But on the face and head, those signals travel to the trigeminal ganglia (TG)—which are clusters of sensory cells located in a small structure below the brain where it sits atop the skull."

We know that in terms of itch, the face and torso have different thresholds—in mice, for example, they have lower itch response to histamine exposure on the cheek as compared to the nape of the neck.
The researchers first looked at itch response in mice exposed to histamine on the cheek and nape. They observed that itch response on the cheek was significantly reduced when compared with the neck. Next, they looked at innervation—or how many nerves were present—in the face versus the neck to rule out structural causes for the difference in response.

Finally, they looked at the neuronal populations within the DRG and TG, and the neuropeptides they express.

The neurons within the DRG and TG differ, mainly because the sensory environments they work in differ. Skin doesn't need to be able to sense taste or smell, for example. But it also seems as though the neuronal populations don't handle signals the same way, either.

Wheeler, J.J. et al, Substance P and somatostatin neurons limit facial itch by recruiting distinct nociceptive circuits in the brainstem, Communications Biology (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s42003-026-10128-9 www.nature.com/articles/s42003-026-10128-9

People who are blind from birth never develop schizophrenia—what this tells us about the psychiatric condition
Congenital cortical blindness appears to confer strong protection against schizophrenia, with no reported cases among individuals blind from birth due to visual cortex damage. This protection is not seen in those who lose vision later or have blindness from eye damage, suggesting early absence of visual input alters brain development and prediction processes implicated in schizophrenia. Insights from this phenomenon may inform new approaches targeting perception and brain organization in schizophrenia treatment.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fp...

original article.