Images of drying blood samples are acquired using brightfield microscopy (transmitting white light through a specimen, which makes it appear dark against a bright background) and a common 4x objective lens, which magnifies samples four times. Images are acquired over time with a digital camera mounted on the microscope.

The same workflow can also be used to analyze other bodily fluids, including saliva and urine, expanding the diagnostic capacity of the workflow without the need for additional equipment.

The key takeaway is that every moment of the drying process holds valuable clues, not just the final pattern left behind. Each stage reveals how proteins, cells and other components move and reorganize within the droplet, capturing a dynamic 'story' of the sample's internal state.
By combining this time-evolving information with machine learning, the team can accurately identify subtle abnormalities in blood samples. This approach opens up a new way of thinking about medical diagnostics, one that is simple, fast and low-cost, yet remarkably informative.
The research establishes proof of concept for the team, demonstrating an effective workflow for detecting diseases such as diabetes, influenza, malaria and others, that has potential in the field. Ideally, the researchers hope to translate their methodology into a mobile and practical health-screening tool for use in developing countries.

 Anusuya Pal et al, From Droplet to Diagnosis: Spatio‐Temporal Pattern Recognition in Drying Biofluids, Advanced Intelligent Systems (2025). DOI: 10.1002/aisy.202500550

Part 2

Young donor age emerges as key factor in stem cell transplant success
Donor age significantly influences outcomes in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), with younger donors associated with improved event-free and overall survival, and reduced relapse risk, even surpassing older HLA-identical sibling donors. Gender and CMV status also affect results, and younger donor age remains beneficial in both fully and partially matched transplants.

Johannes Schetelig et al, Young unrelated donors confer a survival advantage for patients with myeloid malignancies compared to older siblings, Leukemia (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41375-025-02724-1

You must have heard about visual illusions. But have you heard about auditory illusions? 

Auditory illusions: New research discovers how our ears play tricks on us
Humans often misperceive the location of brief sounds directly in front of them, typically hearing them as coming from behind. This auditory illusion persists across various environments and sound types, likely due to similar timing and intensity cues reaching both ears. The phenomenon highlights a limitation in spatial hearing, which may have implications for individuals with visual impairments.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/03010066251395028

Pigeons detect magnetic fields through their inner ear

In 1882, the French Naturalist Camille Viguier was among the first to propose the existence of a magnetic sense. Many animals—from bats, to migratory birds and sea turtles use the Earth's magnetic field to navigate.

Now these questions arise: 

 How do animals detect magnetic fields? Which brain circuits process the information? And where in the body is this sensory system located?

Viguier audaciously proposed that magnetic sensing might occur in the inner ear relying on the generation of small electric currents. This idea was ignored and then forgotten; a historical musing lost with the passage of time.

Now, more than a century later it has been resurrected by neuroscientists at LMU in a paper, titled "A global screen for magnetically induced neuronal activity in the pigeon brain," published in Science.

Researchers took an unbiased approach, studying pigeon brains exposed to magnetic field. State-of-the-art microscopy allowed them to identify specialized circuits that process magnetic information. Moreover, it provided a critical clue to the location of the primary magnetic sensors.

Genetic analysis of inner ear tissue revealed cells with highly sensitive electric sensors, the same ones used by sharks to detect their prey.

The cells they described are ideally equipped to detect magnetic fields using electromagnetic induction—enabling pigeons to find their way home using the same physical principle which permits the wireless charging of phones. In both cases, a magnetic pulse is converted into an electrical signal. For the pigeon, this powers their natural GPS.

The researchers emphasize that it is likely not the only magnetic sensing strategy in nature. Their data suggests that there's a 'dark compass' in the inner ear, while other studies point to a light-dependent compass in the visual system.

Gregory C. Nordmann et al, A global screen for magnetically induced neuronal activity in the pigeon brain, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.aea6425

India Faces "Looming National Health Emergency" As 83% Carry Drug-Resistant Superbugs

Why some volcanoes don't explode

The explosiveness of a volcanic eruption depends on how many gas bubbles form in the magma—and when. Until now, it was thought that gas bubbles were formed primarily when the ambient pressure dropped while the magma was rising.

Gases that were dissolved in the magma in lower strata—due to the higher pressure—escape when the pressure drops and form bubbles. The more bubbles there are in the magma, the lighter it becomes and the faster it rises. This can cause the magma to tear apart, leading to an explosive eruption.

This process can be likened to a bottle of champagne: while the bottle is closed and therefore pressurized, the carbon dioxide remains in solution. When the cork is removed from the bottle, the pressure drops and the carbon dioxide forms bubbles. These bubbles draw the liquid upwards with them and cause it to spray out of the bottle explosively.

However, this explanation is incomplete—because the lava from some volcanoes

has sometimes flowed out gently despite the presence of highly explosive magma with a high gas content. Now, an international research team has provided a new explanation for this riddle, which has puzzled volcanologists for a long time.

In an article in the journal Science, researchers show that gas bubbles can form in the rising magma not only due to a drop in pressure but also due to shear forces. If these gas bubbles grow deep in the volcanic conduit, they can combine with one another and therefore form degassing channels. Gas can then escape at an early stage, and the magma flows out calmly.

The experiments showed that the movement in the magma due to shear forces is sufficient to form gas bubbles—even without a drop in pressure.

The researchers' experiments show that bubbles are formed primarily near the edges of the conduit, where the shear forces are strongest. Existing bubbles further strengthen this effect.

The more gas the magma contains, the less shear is needed for bubble formation and bubble growth.

Part 1

According to the new findings, magma with a low gas content that seems not to be explosive could nevertheless lead to a powerful explosion if a large number of bubbles form due to pronounced shear and the magma therefore shoots upwards quickly.

Conversely, shear forces can also cause bubbles to develop and combine at an early stage in gas-rich and potentially explosive magma, leading to the formation of degassing channels in the magma that bring the gas pressure down.

Therefore, it can be explained why some viscous magmas flow out gently instead of exploding, despite their high gas content—a riddle that's been puzzling us for a long time.

Olivier Roche et al, Shear-induced bubble nucleation in magmas, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.adw8543

Part 2

Lion roar could help protect the big cats

A new study has found African lions produce not one, but two distinct types of roars—a discovery set to transform wildlife monitoring and conservation efforts.

Researchers  have identified a previously unclassified "intermediary roar" alongside the famous full-throated roar. The study, published in Ecology and Evolution, used artificial intelligence to automatically differentiate between lion roars for the first time. This new approach had a 95.4% accuracy and significantly reduced human bias to improve the identification of individual lions.

Lion roars are not just iconic—they are unique signatures that can be used to estimate population sizes and monitor individual animals. Until now, identifying these roars relied heavily on expert judgment, introducing potential human bias. Now  new approach using AI promises more accurate and less subjective monitoring, which is crucial for conservationists working to protect dwindling lion populations.

The study establishes that a lion's roaring bout contains both a full-throated roar and a newly named intermediary roar, challenging the long-held belief that only one roar type existed. These findings echo similar advances in the study of other large carnivores, such as spotted hyenas, and highlight the growing potential of bioacoustics in ecological research.

Researchers used advanced machine learning techniques and by implementing this automated, data-driven approach to classify full-throated roars, the team improved the ability to distinguish individual lions. The new process simplifies passive acoustic monitoring, making it more accessible and reliable compared to traditional methods like camera traps or spoor surveys.

Roar Data: Redefining a lion's roar using machine learning, Ecology and Evolution (2025). DOI: 10.1002/ece3.72474

Too much sitting can harm balance and walking, even in young adults

A new study  shows that too much sitting and too little physical activity can weaken balance and walking ability, even in healthy young adults. The research, published in Applied Sciences, highlights why moving more and sitting less is important for long-term mobility and everyday safety.

The results of the study  showed clear differences among activity levels. People who were more active and spent less time sitting had stronger balance and better control while walking, especially when turning. Those who sat for long periods but still exercised regularly showed that physical activity could lessen some of the negative effects of sitting. However, people who sat a lot and moved very little had the weakest balance and the least stable walking patterns.

Kwadwo O. Appiah-Kubi et al, Physical Inactivity and Sedentary Behavior Negatively Impact Postural Balance and Gait, Applied Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.3390/app152212058

Too much sitting can harm balance and walking, even in young adults

A new study  shows that too much sitting and too little physical activity can weaken balance and walking ability, even in healthy young adults. The research, published in Applied Sciences, highlights why moving more and sitting less is important for long-term mobility and everyday safety.

The results of the study  showed clear differences among activity levels. People who were more active and spent less time sitting had stronger balance and better control while walking, especially when turning. Those who sat for long periods but still exercised regularly showed that physical activity could lessen some of the negative effects of sitting. However, people who sat a lot and moved very little had the weakest balance and the least stable walking patterns.

Kwadwo O. Appiah-Kubi et al, Physical Inactivity and Sedentary Behavior Negatively Impact Postural Balance and Gait, Applied Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.3390/app152212058

Macrophage-killing bacterial toxin weakens the gut's defenses against ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the most common inflammatory bowel diseases, a lifelong condition that can cause chronic inflammation and ulcers in the lining of the large intestine. This can lead to symptoms such as rectal pain and bleeding, and persistent diarrhea. It is thought to be an autoimmune disease, but exactly what triggers it is still being investigated.

However, a team of researchers has now discovered a bacterial toxin that destroys key immune cells that protect the gut, which may explain how the disease takes hold. The study is published in the journal Science.

Previous research has shown that macrophages, a type of immune cell that helps eliminate foreign substances (like pathogens and debris), are crucial for protecting the gut barrier and preventing inflammation. The team's analysis of tissue samples now revealed that these defenders were largely absent from the protective layer just beneath the colon's surface in UC patients.

To test their theory that something must be actively destroying gut macrophages, the scientists first studied fecal samples from people with UC and healthy individuals. They found a potent substance called aerolysin. This toxin, produced by bacteria of the Aeromonas genus, was found in 72% of samples from UC patients, compared with 12% of healthy individuals.

Aerolysin kills target cells by punching holes in their outer membrane, leading to rapid cell death. Because this toxin is so effective at killing protective immune cells, the study authors dubbed the specific aerolysin-producing strain macrophage-toxic bacteria (MTB).

To see if this bacterium and its toxin were responsible, the researchers infected mice models that had chemically induced colitis with MTB. As a result, symptoms such as weight loss, bleeding and ulcers worsened. When they introduced a genetically engineered version of the bacterium that could not produce aerolysin, there was no worsening of colitis. A final step was administering anti-aerolysin antibodies into MTB-infected mice, which relieved symptoms.

These findings highlight how microbes may contribute to UC pathogenesis and suggest that targeting bacterial virulence factors could be a therapeutic strategy for UC.

Zhihui Jiang et al, An Aeromonas variant that produces aerolysin promotes susceptibility to ulcerative colitis, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.adz4712

Sonia Modilevsky et al, A bacterial toxin disarms gut defenses against inflammation, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.aec7924

Cooperative mammals show lower cancer rates than solitary, competitive species

Cancer is a common disease among mammals, but some species, such as the naked mole rat and elephants, have evolved resistance. According to new research published in the journal Science Advances, this may be because these animals care for one another and have interdependent social lives.

Cancer is a disease of the cells, primarily caused by uncontrolled cell growth that leads to malignant tumors. The conventional view is that this is a mistake of biology, a byproduct of living long enough to accumulate mutations. However, this latest study turns that on its head by suggesting that higher cancer rates in later life may be an evolved trait that benefits the species even if it comes at the expense of the individual.

Researchers analyzed public databases to look for correlations between cancer risk and how mammals live. They discovered that cancer rates were particularly high in species that generally live alone, fight for resources and raise large litters of young. But in gregarious species that live in groups, are cooperative and caring and raise small litters, the cancer risk was much lower.

"Species with higher intraspecific competition display higher cancer prevalence and mortality risk than gregarious species with cooperative and caring habits, even if they are carnivorous," write the researchers in their research paper.

To explain the difference in cancer risk between solitary and social species, the team developed a mathematical model to test a concept known as the Hydra Effect. This is a counterintuitive phenomenon in which an increase in a species' death rate leads to a rise in its population size. The name comes from the mythological creature that grew two heads for each head it lost.

In this study, the scientists used their model to examine how the death of older, less reproductive individuals would affect the entire group, depending on whether the species was cooperative or competitive.

The model showed that in competitive species, older individuals consumed food and territory without actively reproducing. But when they were removed from the population, it freed up resources, allowing younger animals of reproductive age to reproduce more successfully and the population to grow. In other words, cancer clears out older competitors to make way for the fertile young.

When it comes to cooperative species, the model showed that this cooperation blocks the Hydra Effect. Older animals are important helpers that care for the young and defend the group, so killing them off with cancer would put the survival of the next generation at risk.

If the research is correct and cancer is not just a genetic lottery, understanding the cooperative lifestyles of cancer-resistant mammals could give us new strategies for healthier aging and cancer prevention.

 Catalina Sierra et al, Coevolution of cooperative lifestyles and reduced cancer prevalence in mammals, Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adw0685

**

COVID vaccine tech could limit snakebite venom damage

The same technology used in COVID-19 vaccines could help prevent muscle damage from snakebites, according to a study published in Trends in Biotechnology.

Scientists tested whether mRNA technology could be used to protect against the damage caused by the venom of the Bothrops asper snake, found in Central and South America. This snake's venom destroys muscle tissue, often leaving victims with permanent disabilities even after receiving standard treatment.

The research team wrapped specific mRNA molecules in tiny fat particles that, when injected into muscle, teach cells to produce protective antibodies, preventing venom damage. The treatment could significantly limit the injury and impacts caused by snakebites, which kill around 140,000 people worldwide and cause 400,000 permanent disabilities each year.

For the first time, the scientists have shown that mRNA technology can protect muscle tissue from snake venom-induced damage. This opens a completely new door for treating snakebites, particularly the local injuries that current antivenoms struggle to prevent.

Trends in Biotechnology (2025). doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2025.10.017

Lab-grown diamond coatings shown to prevent mineral scale in industrial pipes

Lab-grown diamond coatings, particularly those with nitrogen-terminated surfaces, significantly reduce mineral scale formation in industrial pipes by creating a water barrier that inhibits mineral ion attachment. These coatings outperform traditional treatments, are durable, and can be applied cost-effectively, offering broad potential for water and energy systems.

Xiang Zhang et al, Nitrogen-Terminated Diamond Films for Antiscaling Coatings, ACS Nano (2025). DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5c13554

Research measures how much plastic is lethal for marine life

Marine animals inevitably eat what we put deliberately or unintentionally in the ocean, including pervasive plastics—but how much is too much?

The bar is low, according to a new study out this week: less than three sugar cubes worth could kill birds like Atlantic puffins, for example.

That threshold "is much smaller than scientists expected". 

The paper, published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, saw researchers analyze necropsies from more than 10,000 animals in a bid to model how different types of plastic can affect marine life, and at what point the dose turns lethal.

Scientists pulled the necropsy results from dozens of studies and other databases across the globe, using data in which cause of death and plastic consumption information was known. The animals generally were stranded on beaches or otherwise incidentally caught.

Researchers modeled the relationship between plastics ingested and likelihood of death, according to total pieces consumed as well as the volume eaten relative to the size of the animal's digestive tract.

They also examined how different types of plastic affect different types of animals. Seabirds, for instance, were particularly impacted by rubber and hard plastics.

Just six pieces, each smaller than a pea, were 90% likely to cause death in those birds, according to the study.

Sea turtles faced considerable risk from soft plastics like bags.

Those items were also especially deadly for marine mammals, as was fishing gear.

What is worse is half of the individual animals were from species listed as threatened, vulnerable or endangered.

Murphy, Erin L., A quantitative risk assessment framework for mortality due to macroplastic ingestion in seabirds, marine mammals, and sea turtles, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2415492122. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2415492122

Neanderthal women and children were the victims of selective cannibalism at Goyet, study reveals

The study of an assemblage of Neanderthal human bones discovered in the Troisième caverne of Goyet (Belgium) has brought to light selective cannibalistic behavior primarily targeting female adults and children between 41,000 and 45,000 years ago. 

The biological profile of the victims, identified for the first time, reveals that they were part of a group originating from outside of the local community, and they were probably brought to the site where to be consumed for food rather than in a ritual context, as suggested by the presence of traces similar to those found on animal bones hunted, butchered and consumed by occupants of the Goyet site.

The research, which has just been published in Scientific Reports, was conducted by an international team of researchers.

Situating these analyses in the context of the late Middle Paleolithic—marked in Northern Europe by great cultural diversity within Neanderthal groups and the emerging presence of Homo sapiens in nearby areas—such cannibalism directed at specific outsiders could reflect the existence of territorial tensions between groups that preceded the disappearance of Neanderthals in the region.

These conclusions are based on ten years of research involving a reassessment of the Goyet collection through DNA analysis, radiocarbon dating, and isotopic measurements to determine the geographic origin of individuals, in addition to virtual reconstitutions enabling morphological analysis of sometimes very fragmentary human bones.

Quentin Cosnefroy et al, Highly selective cannibalism in the Late Pleistocene of Northern Europe reveals Neandertals were targeted prey, Scientific Reports (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-24460-3

Epigenetic changes regulate gene expression, but what regulates epigenetics?

Scientists  have now used plant cells to discover that a type of epigenetic tag, called DNA methylation, can be regulated by genetic mechanisms. This new mode of plant DNA methylation targeting uses specific DNA sequences to tell the methylation machinery where to dock. Prior to this study, scientists had understood only how DNA methylation was regulated by other epigenetic features, so the discovery that genetic features can also guide DNA methylation patterns is a major paradigm shift.

These findings could inform future epigenetic engineering strategies aimed at generating methylation patterns predicted to repair or enhance cell function, with many potential applications in medicine and agriculture. 

Guanghui Xu et al, Transcription factors instruct DNA methylation patterns in plant reproductive tissues, Nature Cell Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41556-025-01808-5

The measurements reveal that not all immune cells are created equal—with memory T cells living for 1–2 years in most tissues, while those in the spleen can persist for 3–10 years. Tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM cells) were also found to keep their special protective features throughout life, unlike circulating memory T cells in the blood, which show signs of aging and reduced function.

This shows that while circulating memory T cells develop aging markers, TRM cells are shielded from immunosenescence, a process where immune cells become less effective with age. Lastly, both types of memory T cells undergo changes in their DNA (epigenetic changes) as we age, but TRM cells show more gene regulation, helping them adapt and maintain their protective roles.

The discovery that TRM cells remain stable and avoid aging-related decline could help scientists develop better vaccines and treatments for infections, especially in older adults. It also opens new doors to understanding how our immune system adapts to aging, and how we might boost its resilience. 

Nora Lam et al, Asynchronous aging and turnover of human circulating and tissue-resident memory T cells across sites, Immunity (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2025.07.001

Part 2

How cancer cells tolerate missing chromosomes

Cancer cells with missing chromosomes maintain protein balance not by reducing protein degradation, but by selectively increasing synthesis of proteins encoded by the lost chromosome. In contrast, cells with extra chromosomes increase degradation of excess proteins. This adaptive mechanism enables cancer cells to tolerate chromosomal imbalances characteristic of aneuploidy.

Yi Di et al, Divergent proteome tolerance against gain and loss of chromosome arms, Molecular Cell (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2025.10.023

Scientists think they have 'detected' dark matter

When the system evolved under this new combined motion, the changes were immediate and dramatic. The researchers measured the LGI violation and found it had smashed the TTB limit, confirming a new level of quantum weirdness.

Beyond this extreme behavior, they discovered that the strength of the LGI violation increased consistently with how much they mixed the two motions.

"This enhanced nonmacrorealism, as quantified by the violation of LGI beyond the TTB, increases with increasing superposition between the unitaries," the researchers noted in their paper.

What's more, the superposed motion protects against the environmental noises that usually disrupt fragile quantum states. Our superposed unitaries provide robustness against such environmental noise by remarkably increasing the time to which LGI violation persists."

This environmental noise, or decoherence, is one of the biggest obstacles in building quantum computers. By overcoming it, this research could help form a blueprint for more stable quantum computers and technologies.

Arijit Chatterjee et al, Extreme Violations of Leggett-Garg Inequalities for a System Evolving under Superposition of Unitaries, Physical Review Letters (2025). DOI: 10.1103/vydp-9qqq. On arXiv: DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2411.02301

Part 2

Microplastics pose human health risk in more ways than one

Microplastics in aquatic environments are colonized by pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, with polystyrene and nurdles posing higher risks due to their capacity to adsorb antibiotics and promote biofilm formation. Over 100 unique antimicrobial resistance gene (ARG) sequences were identified on microplastics, exceeding those on natural or inert substrates. These findings highlight microplastics as vectors for the spread of pathogens and ARGs, raising concerns for environmental and human health.

Emily M. Stevenson et al, Sewers to Seas: exploring pathogens and antimicrobial resistance on microplastics from hospital wastewater to marine environments, Environment International (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2025.109944

A discovery by researchers from the Baylor College of Medicine in the US could lead to treatments that clear the troublesome aggregations of protein thought to play a key role in Alzheimer's disease.

Using mice bred to have a condition similar to the neurodegenerative disorder, the team found that elevated levels of a protein called Sox9  triggered specialized brain cells to go into clean-up overdrive, 'vacuuming' up plaques with increased efficiency.

In behavioral and memory tests, the treated mice also performed better, suggesting that the intervention can help protect the brain and reverse cognitive decline – a process that typically occurs in  Alzheimer's   disease as neurons are damaged and destroyed.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-025-02115-w

Your daily poop count is important

"How often do you poop?" might sound like a very personal question, but your answer could reveal quite a lot about your overall health.

A study published in July 2024 investigated how often 1,425 people went number two, and compared those stats to their demographic, genetic, and health data.

The healthiest participants reported pooping once or twice a day – a 'Goldilocks zone' of bowel movement frequency.

Pooping too often or too rarely were both associated with different underlying health issues, the team led by researchers at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) found.
This study shows how bowel movement frequency can influence all body systems, and how aberrant bowel movement frequency may be an important risk factor in the development of chronic diseases .
"These insights could inform strategies for managing bowel movement frequency, even in healthy populations, to optimize health and wellness

The team looked for possible associations between bowel movement frequency and these health markers, as well as other factors like their age and sex.

In general, those who reported less frequent bowel movements tended to be women, younger, and with a lower body mass index (BMI). But even accounting for these factors, people with constipation or diarrhea showed clear links to underlying health issues.

Bacteria usually found in the upper gastrointestinal tract were more common in stool samples from participants with diarrhea. Their blood samples, meanwhile, showed biomarkers associated with liver damage.

Stool samples from people with less frequent bowel movements had higher levels of bacteria associated with protein fermentation. This is a known hazard from constipation.

"If stool sticks around too long in the gut, microbes use up all of the available dietary fiber, which they ferment into beneficial short-chain fatty acids," says Johannes Johnson-Martinez, a bioengineer at ISB.

"After that, the ecosystem switches to fermentation of proteins, which produces several toxins that can make their way into the bloodstream."

Sure enough, some of these byproducts were found in these patients' blood samples. Particularly enriched was a metabolite called indoxyl-sulfate, a known product of protein fermentation that can damage the kidneys.

The team suggests the finding is potential evidence of a causal link between bowel movement frequency and overall health.

There is some hope that people can change their habits and, as a result, their health. Recent research suggests your gut microbiome can shift a lot faster than you might think.

For instance, a 2025 study from Germany, yet to undergo peer review, tracked inactive adults who began resistance training twice or three times a week. Those who gained the most strength showed changes in the makeup of their gut bacteria in just eight weeks.

These kinds of changes might help some people move out of the constipation or diarrhea categories and into a healthier bowel-movement range.

Those in the Goldilocks zone of pooping reported eating more fiber, drinking more water, and exercising more often. Their stool samples also showed high levels of bacteria associated with fermenting fiber.

A clinical trial published in 2025 by US researchers found that people with a lot of methane-producing microbes in their guts are especially efficient at turning dietary fiber into short-chain fatty acids.

This suggests that both the amount of fiber and the specific mix of microbes in an individual's gut are important, which explains why two people eating the same diet can experience different health outcomes.

Of course, everybody's found themselves at one extreme or the other at some point in their lives, after catching a stomach bug or eating too much cheese. But this study was looking at people's everyday routine, and reveals how our own version of 'normal' could hint at health issues we weren't aware of.

The research was published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.

Part2

Phototherapy could reverse antibiotic resistance

The research team was also able to demonstrate that mild inflammatory processes in the gut associated with aging further reinforce this mechanism. Inflammatory signals alter iron distribution in the cell and put strain on the metabolism. At the same time, Wnt signaling also weakens—a signaling pathway that is important for keeping stem cells active and functional.

This combination of iron deficiency, inflammation, and Wnt signaling loss acts as an "accelerator" of epigenetic drift. As a result, the aging process in the intestine can begin earlier and spread faster than previously thought.

Despite the complexity of the mechanism, the study also provides encouraging results. The researchers succeeded in slowing down or partially reversing epigenetic drift in organoid cultures—miniature intestinal models grown from intestinal stem cells—by restoring iron import or specifically activating the Wnt signaling pathway. 

Anna Krepelova et al, Iron homeostasis and cell clonality drive cancer-associated intestinal DNA methylation drift in aging, Nature Aging (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s43587-025-01021-x

Part2

Air pollution may reduce health benefits of exercise

Long-term exposure to toxic air can substantially weaken the health benefits of regular exercise, suggests a new study by an international team of researchers.

The study, published in the journal BMC Medicine, analyzed data from more than 1.5 million adults tracked for more than a decade in countries including the U.K., Taiwan, China, Denmark and the United States.

The team found that the protective effect of regular exercise on people's risk of dying over a specific period—from any cause and from cancer and heart disease specifically—appeared to be reduced, but not eliminated, for those who lived in high pollution areas.

The researchers looked at levels of fine particulate matter—tiny particles known as PM_2.5 with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers across. These particles are so small they can get stuck in the lungs and enter the bloodstream. 

The health benefits of exercise significantly weakened, the team found, where the yearly average level of PM_2.5 was 25 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m³) or higher. Nearly half (46%) of the world's population live in areas exceeding this threshold. 

In their section on limitations, the authors noted that the study was mostly conducted in high-income countries, so the findings might not apply to low-income countries where fine particle pollution is higher, often exceeding 50 μg/m³. Other limitations included a lack of data on indoor air quality as well as participants' diets. 

BMC Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1186/s12916-025-04496-y

Africa's forests have switched from absorbing to emitting carbon, new study finds

Africa's forests have shifted from absorbing to emitting carbon since 2010, primarily due to deforestation and degradation in tropical rainforests. Annual biomass losses of about 106 billion kg have not been offset by gains elsewhere. This transition threatens global climate targets, highlighting the urgent need for stronger forest protection and restoration efforts

Loss of tropical moist broadleaf forest has turned Africa's forests from a carbon sink into a source, Scientific Reports (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-27462-3

Climate friendly metals can come from deep sea ores

Deep-sea manganese nodules offer a potential alternative to land-based mining for critical metals like copper, nickel, and cobalt, with significantly less deforestation, waste, and social harm. A hydrogen-based extraction process reduces CO₂ emissions by over 90% and uses less energy compared to carbon-based methods, making deep-sea mining more sustainable if managed responsibly.

Ubaid Manzoor et al, Low-waste, single-step, sustainable extraction of critical metals from deep-sea polymetallic nodules, Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aea1223

Thousands of genomes reveal the wild wolf genes in most dogs' DNA

Analysis of nearly 2,700 ancient and modern canid genomes shows that most dogs retain small but detectable segments of wild wolf DNA, indicating ongoing gene flow after domestication. About two-thirds of dog breeds and all village dogs carry traces of wolf ancestry, often in genes related to olfaction. Dog genes are also present in about half of wild wolf genomes.

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2421768122

Why LLMs are not great at cracking passwords

The researchers found that the three tested LLMs failed to generate plausible passwords for each user profile, seldom guessing the correct password. Other computational tools that are currently used to guess passwords, known as rule-based and combinator-based techniques, performed significantly better. 

They  also carried out additional analyses aimed at shedding more light on why LLMs perform so poorly when asked to generate plausible passwords. The results of these analyses suggest that these models lack some of the skills necessary to complete this task, such as the ability to recall specific examples encountered during training and to apply learned password patterns in new scenarios.

"Through detailed analysis and visualization, we identify key limitations in the generative reasoning of LLMs when applied to the domain-specific task of password guessing," wrote the authors. 

The  findings suggest that, despite their linguistic prowess, current LLMs lack the domain adaptation and memorization capabilities required for effective password inference, especially in the absence of supervised fine-tuning on leaked password datasets.

Overall, this recent study suggests that LLMs are not currently suitable for the inference of passwords. 

Mohammad Abdul Rehman et al, When Intelligence Fails: An Empirical Study on Why LLMs Struggle with Password Cracking, arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2510.17884

Part2

High levels of forever chemicals found in dolphins and whales

How the brain decides what to remember: Study reveals sequentially operating molecular 'timers'

For decades, memory research focused on two brain regions: the hippocampus, home of short-term memory, and the cortex, which was thought to house long-term memories. The latter, scientists imagined, lie gated behind biological on-and-off switches.

Existing models of memory in the brain involved transistor-like memory molecules that act as on/off switches

In other words, in this model, if a short-term memory was tagged for long-term storage, it would remain so indefinitely. But, even as investigations in this vein led to numerous insights, researchers understood that this model was ultimately too simple—for instance, it didn't account for why some long-term memories last weeks while others last a lifetime.

Then, in 2023, the same researchers published a paper that identified a brain pathway that links short- and long-term memories. An important component of which is a region in the center of the brain called the thalamus, which not only helps select which memories should be remembered, but routes them to the cortex for long-term stabilization.

The findings set the stage for tackling some of the most fundamental questions in the field of memory research: What happens to memories beyond short-term storage in the hippocampus—and what molecular mechanisms are behind the sorting process that promotes important memories to the cortex and demotes unimportant ones to be forgotten?

To answer these questions, the team developed a behavioral model using a virtual reality system where mice formed specific memories.

The results suggest that long-term memory is not maintained by a single molecular on/off switch, but by a cascade of gene-regulating programs that unfold over time and across brain regions like a series of molecular timers.

Initial timers turn on quickly and fade just as fast, allowing for rapid forgetting; later timers act more slowly but create more durable memories. This stepwise process allows the brain to promote important experiences for long-term storage, while others fade.

In this study, the researchers used repetition as a proxy for importance, comparing memories of frequently repeated contexts to those encountered less often. The team identified three transcriptional regulators: Camta1 and Tcf4 in the thalamus, and Ash1l in the anterior cingulate cortex, which are not necessary for initially forming memories, but are crucial for maintaining them. Disrupting Camta1 and Tcf4 impaired functional connections between the thalamus and cortex, leading to memory loss.

The model suggests that, after the basic memory is formed in the hippocampus, Camta1 and its targets ensure the initial persistence of the memory. With time, Tc4 and its targets are activated, providing cell adhesion and structural support to further maintain the memory. Finally, Ash1l recruits chromatin remodeling programs that make the memory more persistent.

Unless you promote memories onto these timers, the researchers think you're primed to forget it quickly.

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Interestingly, Ash1l belongs to a family of proteins called histone methyltransferases that retain memory in other biological systems as well. "In the immune system, these molecules help the body remember past infections; during development, those same molecules help cells remember that they've become a neuron or muscle and maintain that identity long-term. The brain may be repurposing these ubiquitous forms of cellular memory to support cognitive memories.

The findings may have implications for memory-related diseases.

By identifying the gene programs that preserve memory, researchers may eventually find ways to route memory through alternate circuits and around damaged parts of the brain in conditions such as Alzheimer's.

If we know the second and third areas that are important for memory consolidation, and we have neurons dying in the first area, perhaps we can bypass the damaged region and let healthy parts of the brain take over.

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Schizophrenia-spectrum disorders are linked to early structural damage in specific brain regions, particularly the temporal, cingulate, and insular lobes, with reduced morphological similarity indicating network disconnection. These changes are more pronounced in severe cases and correlate with altered neurobiology, including increased astrocytes, neurotransmitters, and reduced metabolism.

Natalia García-San-Martín et al, Reduced brain structural similarity is associated with maturation, neurobiological features, and clinical status in schizophrenia, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63792-6

Mini-fridges on a nanoscale? New cooling technique could make computer chips more powerful

A new ion-based cooling method uses voltage-controlled nanopores in semiconductor membranes to drive selective ion flow, enabling localized heating or cooling at the nanoscale. This approach achieves temperature drops over 2 K and is compatible with current chip fabrication, offering improved thermal management and reduced environmental impact for advanced semiconductor devices.

Makusu Tsutsui et al, Gate-Tunable Ionothermoelectric Cooling in a Solid-State Nanopore, ACS Nano (2025). DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5c13339

Persistent environmental toxins already accumulate in animal tissues during the fetal stage, research finds

Flashy feathers may put some male pheasant species' lives at risk

The male Lady Amherst's pheasant knows how to put on a show when it comes to attracting mates. As well as elaborate courtship displays, they will unfurl their golden feathers to form a cape around their neck, which can prove irresistible to some females of the species. 

However, according to new research published in the journal Biology Letters, this spectacular ornamentation comes at a potentially life-threatening cost. It can severely restrict their field of vision, making them more vulnerable to predators.

As with most animals, vision is critical for birds, helping them forage for food, spot lurking predators, and keep an eye on rivals. For years, scientists understood that a bird's vision was largely shaped by its ecology (where it lives, what it eats, and how it forages) rather than its gender. But this research is the first to show that male and female birds see the world differently.

The study authors used a technique called ophthalmoscopic reflex to map the bird's visual field. This involves shining a light into a bird's eye and mapping where the reflection disappears, which marks the edge of its field of vision.

The team studied four captive Lady Amherst's pheasants and three golden pheasants (males of this species also have a colorful cape of feathers).

They found that males have a 30 to 40-degree smaller vertical range of binocular vision, which means they can't see as well above and in front of their heads. The researchers also discovered that males have a blind spot that is much larger than females, measuring over 114 square centimeters compared to about 21 square centimeters. The blind spot behind their head was also wider than that of females by about 10 degrees.

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To confirm feathers were the cause, the scientists also studied two related pheasant species that lack elaborate head plumage. In these birds, male and female fields of vision were identical. 

According to the researchers, the enlarged blind area of the Lady Amherst's and golden pheasant males leaves them more vulnerable to predation than females. This visual cost is the latest example of the handicap principle, an evolutionary idea that suggests that if a male can survive despite carrying a feature that puts it at a disadvantage, it must have superior genes.

"The reduced visual field in males compared to females in these pheasants, as a result of feather ornamentation, could be viewed as a relative handicap," wrote the researchers in their paper.

Alexandra E. R. Lamond et al, The visual impediment of cranial ornamentation in male Chrysolophuspheasants, Biology Letters (2025). DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2025.0405

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Why watching someone get hurt on screen makes you wince: How the brain triggers echoes of touch sensation

Many people say that seeing bodily injury on film makes them flinch, as if they "feel" it themselves. It is as if the sting leaps straight off the screen and into your skin. 

But explaining why and how this happens has puzzled scientists for a long time. Now, scientists have uncovered a major clue as to why. Parts of the brain originally thought to only process vision are also organized according to a "map" of the body, allowing what we see to trigger echoes of touch sensations. 

The study, published recently (Wednesday, 26 November), in the journal Nature, shows that watching movies can activate touch-processing regions of your own brain in a highly organized way. In short, your brain doesn't just watch, it simulates what it sees. 

When you watch someone being tickled or getting hurt, areas of the brain that process touch light up in patterns that match the body part involved. Your brain maps what you see onto your own body, 'simulating' a touch sensation even though nothing physical happened to you.

This cross-talk works in the other direction too. For example, when you navigate to the bathroom in the dark, touch sensations help your visual system create an internal map of where things are, even with minimal visual input. This 'filling in' reflects our different senses cooperating to generate a coherent picture of the world.

Nicholas Hedger, Vicarious body maps bridge vision and touch in the human brain, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09796-0. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09796-0

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To show how it is possible that our sense of touch is activated purely by visual information, the researchers developed novel methods to analyze brain activity in 174 people while they watched films such as "The Social Network" and "Inception."Surprisingly, brain regions traditionally considered to process purely visual information showed patterns that reflected sensations on the viewer's own body, not just what appeared on screen. These visual regions contained "maps" of the body similar to those usually found in touch-processing areas of the brain. In other words, the "machinery" the brain uses to process touch is "baked in" to our visual system.The study found two ways these body maps line up with visual information. In dorsal (higher up) regions of the visual system, body maps match where things appear in our field of view: Parts of the brain tuned to feet sensations were also tuned to lower parts of the visual scene, while parts tuned to face sensations were also tuned to upper parts of the visual scene. In ventral (lower down) regions, the body maps match what body part someone is looking at, regardless of where it appears in the visual scene. Put simply, our visual system is intimately connected to our sense of touch, mapping what we observe onto the coordinates of our body.The researchers are particularly excited by the clinical applications of this research. Dr. Hedger said, "This discovery could transform how we understand conditions like autism."Many theories suggest that internally simulating what we see helps us understand other people's experiences, and these processes may work differently in autistic people. Traditional sensory tests are exhausting, especially for children or people with clinical conditions. We can now measure these brain mechanisms while someone simply watches a film, opening up new possibilities for research and diagnosis."

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