Understanding unconsciousness during general anaesthesia

Brain marker signals when anaesthesia takes hold

De-synchronized electrical activity marks the loss of awareness.

Scientists have identified a distinctive brain-wave pattern that marks the slide into unconsciousness during general anaesthesia with the drug propofol. Data taken from people about to have surgery show that, as anaesthesia takes hold, a specific type of activity in brain areas such as the parietal cortex and deeper structures slips out of synchronicity. If verified in studies that gather deep-brain data, and use other anaesthetics, this shift could serve as a biomarker of loss of consciousness that doctors could use to avoid sedating patients too deeply — or not deeply enough.

Neurophysiological connectomic signatures of consciousness during p...

Lilliputian hallucinations: A mushroom that makes you see tiny people!

Lilliputian hallucinations concern hallucinated human, animal or fantasy entities of minute size. 

Some mysterious mushrooms are found in different parts of the world, but they give people the same exact visions.

Unlike other hallucinogenic fungi, the mushroom Lanmaoa asiatica causes strikingly similar visions in people who eat it before it’s properly cooked — hordes of tiny people everywhere. Cases of these ‘lilliputian hallucinations’ have been documented in scientific literature since the 1990s, but researchers only pinned down the species that causes them in 2015. Even with their culprit in hand, scientists are still working to discover what about the mushroom gives rise to the sometimes days-long hallucinations, and why the apparitions are almost always the same.

Leroy’s elusive little people: A systematic review on lilliputian h...

Beetle hoodwinks bees with floral smell

Larvae of the European blister beetle (Meloe proscarabaeus) mimic the scent of flowers to find a ride to their next meal. The larvae produce floral-smelling compounds to lure bees, then hitchhike back to the bees’ nest and eat the eggs they find there. This trickery is the first known example of an animal imitating the scent of a flower.

The floral illusion: A parasitic beetle mimics the scent of flowers...

How sleep loss can damage your brain's wiring

Sleep loss damages the fatty insulation protecting the nerve cells in our brain, according to a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research also explains why we often feel slow and groggy after a bad night's sleep.

Most of us will experience sleep loss at one time or another and suffer the consequences of tiredness and slower reactions the next day. The biological mechanisms for these are not well understood and often attributed to tired or overworked neurons. Researchers thought there might be other factors at play, so they decided to investigate.

The team studied MRI scans of 185 volunteers who self-reported poor sleep quality, which confirmed previous studies that found a link between inadequate sleep and changes in the structure of white matter (the bundles of nerve fibers that carry impulses between neurons). To find the cause, the researchers ran tests on rats that had their sleep restricted for ten days.

First, they performed electrical tests on the rats' brains and discovered that sleep loss caused nerve signals to take around 33% longer to travel between the two hemispheres. Later analysis of brain tissue found a likely cause. The myelin sheaths were much thinner. These are the fatty layers that wrap around nerve fibers to insulate them and speed up electrical signals.

Analysis of the lipid composition of the brain and the activity of genes that regulate oligodendrocytes revealed that the main issue was cholesterol deficiency. The scientists focused on these cells because they are responsible for creating and maintaining myelin. They found that cholesterol, which is essential for keeping the insulation thick and healthy, was not being properly transported to the myelin sheaths, so they were thinner and less able to do their job.

To test this, the researchers administered a compound called cyclodextrin, which works to flush trapped cholesterol out of cells and back into circulation. This prevented myelin sheaths from thinning any further and eliminated the roughly 33% delay in signal speed. In behavioral tests, the rodents performed just as well as those that were well-rested.

It is too early to talk about treatments for sleep deprivation based on the conclusions of this study. However, if confirmed in humans, the results would open up new possibilities, as the researchers acknowledge in their paper.

Reyila Simayi et al, Sleep loss induces cholesterol-associated myelin dysfunction, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2523438123

Some bottled water is worse than tap for microplastics, study shows
Bottled water contains up to three times more nanoplastic particles than treated tap water. Over half of detected particles were nanoplastics, primarily originating from packaging. Advanced detection methods revealed higher concentrations than previously estimated. The health impacts of nanoplastics remain uncertain, but their ability to cross biological barriers raises concern.

Megan N. Jamison Hart et al, What's in your water? A comparative analysis of micro- and nanoplastics in treated drinking water and bottled water, Science of The Total Environment (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.181148

Stimulating the brain with electromagnetic therapy after stroke may help reduce disability
Electromagnetic network-targeted field (ENTF) therapy combined with physical therapy led to a 22% higher rate of freedom from disability in stroke survivors compared to sham treatment, with improvements across disability levels and no serious adverse effects. Findings are based on two small trials, indicating the need for larger studies to confirm efficacy.

The analysis found:

• The percentage of participants who achieved freedom from disability was 22% higher in the ENTF group compared to the group that received the sham treatment (33.8% versus 11.9%, respectively).
• Measurable improvements were also seen in ENTF participants' disability levels across the full range of disability outcomes, with both less moderately to severe disability (mRS of 3–5) and less moderate disability (mRS of 2).
• No serious adverse effects were reported among participants who received ENTF therapy.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-brain-electromagnetic-therap...

Ultra-thin metasurface can generate and direct quantum entanglement

Quantum technologies, devices and systems that process, store, detect, or transfer information leveraging quantum mechanical effects, have the potential to outperform classical technologies in a variety of tasks. An ongoing quest within quantum engineering is the realization of a so-called quantum internet: a network conceptually analogous to today's internet, in which distant nodes are linked through shared quantum resources, most notably quantum entanglement.

Researchers have developed a new ultra-thin metasurface that could contribute to this goal, as it can control the behaviour of light, while also generating and directing entanglement across many channels.

This metasurface, presented in a paper published in Physical Review Letters, has so far proved to be promising for the development of scalable and integrated quantum technologies.

Much like today's internet relies on light traveling through optical fibers, a future quantum internet will rely on entangled photon pairs—particles of light whose properties remain linked even when they are far apart. These entangled photons are essential for tasks such as quantum teleportation, secure communication, and distributed quantum computing.

In networks of quantum devices, information is typically transmitted via a quantum effect known as entanglement.

Quantum entanglement entails a connection between two or more particles, which ensures that their individual quantum states cannot be described independently from the state of others that they are entangled with, even when they are far apart.

The researchers' recent study builds on their earlier efforts to develop ultra-thin and nanostructured metasurfaces that could be used to create reliable quantum technologies. In 2020, the researchers introduced a metasurface that can simultaneously generate several polarization states of light. Two years later, they extended this idea to quantum optics, by engineering a metasurface that can route already entangled photons in desired ways.

In their new paper, they demonstrated that two photons that are initially not entangled can pass through a single, carefully designed metasurface and emerge entangled—simply due to quantum interference within the structure.

The new metasurface developed by them is only a few tenths of a millimeter wide and consists of nanoscale silicon pillars arranged on a glass. When two photons with different polarizations (i.e., intrinsic property related to the orientation of light rather than its color or intensity) pass through it, this surface splits them into multiple output paths. Because of quantum interference, whenever the photons emerge in any chosen pair of paths, they form a well-defined entangled state.

In their experiment, seven output paths produce 21 entangled photon pairs, all sharing quantum entanglement.

Yajun Gao et al, Interference-Induced Entanglement Engineering on a Metasurface, Physical Review Letters (2026). DOI: 10.1103/mzmv-7x98.

Warning of kidney cell damage from high exposure to nanoplastics

As concerns rise about the effects of tiny plastic particles on human health,  researchers have led new research on whether nanoplastics can accumulate or cause damage in kidneys—our body's major blood filtering system. Their study, just published in the journal Cell Biology and Toxicology, calls for more investigations into the long-term risks, warning that high nanoplastics (NPs) particle "burden" could seriously compromise kidney cell health and function.

The findings demonstrate that while lower concentrations of NPs (less than 1 micron or 0.001mm in diameter) may not result in immediate toxicity to the kidney cells, particularly in terms of short-term exposure, higher burdens can compromise overall cell health and function, causing changes to the cell shape, survival and cell regulation.

The results also indicate that the effects are influenced not only by concentration but also by polymer composition and particle size, with some combinations inducing significant cellular changes even at relatively low doses.

The research team says sustained or repeated damage to regulatory kidney cells could impair kidney function, reduce filtration efficiency, clearance capacity, and lead to their potential buildup of NPs in kidney tissue over time.

Hayden Louis Gillings et al, Nanoplastic toxicity and uptake in kidney cells: differential effects of concentration, particle size, and polymer type, Cell Biology and Toxicology (2026). DOI: 10.1007/s10565-025-10135-2

One-third of dementia cases are linked to non brain-related diseases, study finds

Dementia is a term used to describe memory loss, impaired reasoning, difficulties communicating and other mental impairments that can be caused by Alzheimer's disease, other neurodegenerative disease, strokes, severe infections, head injuries or various other conditions. While most past studies investigating the causes and underpinnings of dementia focused on the brain, a growing body of research suggests that these mental impairments could sometimes be linked to diseases that affect other parts of the body, referred to as peripheral diseases.

Researchers recently carried out a systematic review and various meta-analyses of data collected over the past decades, to explore the link between dementia and 26 different peripheral diseases, including gum diseases, liver diseases, hearing loss, type 2 diabetes and various other conditions. Their results, published in Nature Human Behavior, suggest that in approximately one-third of cases, the risk of developing dementia is linked to other diseases that do not directly affect the brain.

Growing evidence suggests that peripheral diseases serve as risk factors for dementia.

As part of their study, the researchers analyzed data from PubMed, a publicly available medical database, which was collected as part of over 200 earlier research studies. Their analyses focused on 26 peripheral diseases and they found that 16 of these were associated with an increased risk of developing dementia.

The 16 diseases they identified were: periodontal diseases, cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases, hearing loss, vision loss, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), chronic kidney disease (CKD), osteoarthritis, stroke, ischemic heart diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, atrial fibrillation and flutter, atopic dermatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), and inflammatory bowel disease.

Globally, these peripheral diseases collectively were related to a combined PAF of 33.18% (95% confidence interval (CI) 16.80–48.43) of dementia burden, corresponding to 18.8 million prevalent cases.

 Notably, the five diseases that were found to be most strongly correlated with an increased risk of developing dementia included gum disease, chronic liver diseases, hearing loss, vision loss and T2DM.

As dementia is not always caused by brain injuries or diseases, which means that it might in some cases be prevented by treating other diseases early.

Zhenhong Deng et al, Population attributable fractions of a wide range of peripheral diseases for the burden of dementia, Nature Human Behaviour (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41562-025-02392-2.

Why snakes can go months between meals: A genetic explanation

Snakes may well be one of nature's greatest predators, capable of eating whole deer or even crocodiles, but just as impressive is that they can go months, or even a whole year, without a single meal. And now an international team of scientists thinks they know how they do it.

In a study published in the journal Open Biology, researchers report that snakes have lost the ghrelin gene, often called the hunger hormone gene, because it regulates appetite and signals when it is time to eat. Therefore, without a hormone signaling they are hungry, they can manage long periods between meals.

The team made their discovery after analyzing the genomes of 112 reptile species, including snakes, turtles, and crocodiles, using sequence comparison and gene-loss detection tools, among other methods.

In all the snakes they studied, which included pythons, boas, and vipers, genes for ghrelin and an enzyme called MBOAT4 (which activates ghrelin) were independently lost or heavily eroded. The same was true for chameleons and some toadhead agamas, a type of lizard.

Because the loss of these genes occurred in several different groups of reptiles, the study authors think it wasn't a mistake. It may have been an adaptation to their extreme feeding habits. For example, both snakes and chameleons adopt a sit-and-wait predation strategy, also known as ambush predation. Instead of actively hunting for prey, they remain concealed and wait to strike. This wait may go on for weeks or months. In these animals, a hormone that continually signals hunger would be counterproductive.
The researchers also suggest that losing the ghrelin system serves another vital purpose. Namely, helping these reptiles keep their energy use as low as possible while they wait for prey. In mammals, ghrelin normally tells the body to burn fat for fuel during a fast. However, snakes have evolved a different strategy. Instead of burning through their reserves, they enter into a state of extreme energy conservation.

"This study suggests that the intermittent feeding of these groups was accompanied by the loss of genes involved in energy homeostasis," commented the authors in their study.

Rui Resende Pinto et al, Ghrelin and MBOAT4 are lost in Serpentes, Open Biology (2026). DOI: 10.1098/rsob.250162

A minimalist bacterial defense strategy: Scientists discover single protein that disrupts viral assembly
A single bacterial protein, Rip1, can detect bacteriophage infection and disrupt viral assembly by binding to phage proteins and forming membrane pores. This dual-function mechanism causes premature bacterial cell death, halting phage propagation. Rip1 integrates both sensing and defense roles, representing a streamlined bacterial immune strategy.

Karen Maxwell, A pore-forming antiphage defence is activated by oligomeric phage proteins, Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-10075-1. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-10075-1

High-dose antioxidants linked to offspring birth defects

Antioxidants have been marketed as miracle supplements, touted for preventing chronic diseases and cancers; treating COPD and dementia; and slowing aging.

While antioxidant therapies are widely used to treat male infertility, a new study  found that regularly consuming high doses of antioxidants negatively influences sperm DNA and may lead to offspring born with differences in craniofacial development.
Regular consumption of high doses of antioxidants such as N-acetyl-L-cysteine and selenium in male mice alters sperm DNA and is associated with craniofacial abnormalities in offspring, particularly in females. These effects occur without observable health changes in the fathers, indicating potential reproductive risks of excessive antioxidant supplementation prior to conception.

They found that offspring of male mice exposed to antioxidants for six weeks exhibited skull and facial shape differences, even while the father's health didn't change.

These findings suggest that men should exercise caution when consuming high doses of antioxidants, especially if they're planning to have children in the near future.

Destani D. Derrico et al, Therapy to teratology: chronic paternal antioxidant supplementation alters offspring placental architecture and craniofacial morphogenesis in a mouse model, Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (2025). DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1697843

Could fecal transplants be the new way to fight cancer?
Fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) are being explored as a method to modify gut microbes in cancer patients, potentially enhancing the effectiveness of immunotherapy, especially for those with less diverse gut microbiomes. Early clinical data indicate FMT may improve treatment response rates and outcomes, but safety concerns require that FMT be administered under medical supervision.

Could fecal transplants be the new way to fight cancer?

Exposure to burn injuries played key role in shaping human evolution, study suggests

Humans' exposure to high temperature burn injuries may have played an important role in our evolutionary development, shaping how our bodies heal, fight infection, and sometimes fail under extreme injury, according to new research.

For more than one million years, the control of fire has powered human success, from cooking and heating to technology and industry, driving genetic and cultural evolution and setting us apart from all other species. But this relationship has also exposed humans to high temperature injuries at a scale unmatched in the natural world.

Humans burn themselves—and survive burns—with a frequency likely much greater than any other animal. Most animals avoid fire completely, while in contrast, humans live alongside fire and most humans will experience minor burns throughout their lives.

A new study published in BioEssays,  suggests that this increased exposure to burn injuries may have driven notable genetic adaptations which differentiated humans from other primates and mammals. This may also explain both beneficial and maladaptive responses to severe burn injury.

Burn injuries exist on a spectrum of severity, with most small injuries healing on their own, while severe burns can lead to lifelong disability or death. Burns damage the skin, the body's main protective barrier against infection, sometimes over large areas of the body. The longer the skin is damaged, the greater the risk that bacteria can enter the body and cause overwhelming infection.

The researchers argue that natural selection would have favored traits that helped humans survive small to moderate burns. These may include faster inflammation, faster wound closure (to prevent infection) and stronger pain signals.

However, while these traits are helpful for less severe injuries, they can become harmful for large burns, which may explain why modern humans can experience extreme inflammation, scarring, and organ failure from major burns.

Part 1

Using comparative genomic data across primates, the researchers found examples of genes associated with burn injury responses which show signs of accelerated evolution in humans. These genes are involved in wound closure, inflammation and immune system response—likely helping to rapidly close wounds and fight infection; a major complication after burn injury, particularly before the widespread use of antibiotics.

These findings support the theory that exposure to burn injuries may have been a notable force on the evolution of humans.

Unlike other wounds from cuts or bites which would have also led to infections, the increased lifetime risk of burns experienced by humans and their hominin ancestors is unique as they are the only species to regularly experience burn injuries and survive them.

Burn Selection: How Fire Injury Shaped Human Evolution, BioEssays (2026).

Part2

News sites are locking out the internet archive to stop AI crawling. Is the 'open web' closing?
Major news publishers are blocking the Internet Archive to prevent AI companies from accessing their content for training, citing concerns over copyright and paywall circumvention. This shift reflects a broader trend toward monetizing digital archives and restricting public access, raising concerns about the preservation of internet history and the diminishing openness of the web.

News sites are locking out the Internet Archive to stop AI crawling...

Seeds 'listen' to mom: Study finds mother plants send ABA hormone signals that set seed dormancy
Maternal plants regulate seed dormancy by transferring abscisic acid (ABA) to developing seeds, with ABA levels increasing in maternal tissues under cooler temperatures. This hormonal signaling enables seeds to receive environmental information from the mother, promoting dormancy when conditions are unfavorable. The findings highlight a rapid, non-genetic mechanism for environmental adaptation in plants.

Xiaochao Chen et al, Adaptation of seed dormancy to maternal climate occurs via intergenerational transport of abscisic acid, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2519319122

Study of nearly 60,000 women finds no association between COVID vaccine and decrease in childbirth

COVID-19 vaccination is not the cause behind a decrease in childbirth, according to a new study. The results, published in the journal Communications Medicine, speak to rumors about vaccination and reduced fertility. "Our conclusion is that it's highly unlikely that the mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 was behind the decrease in childbirth during the pandemic", say the researchers who conducted this study.

The researchers investigated the issue because, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, unfounded rumors have circulated, especially on social media, alleging that vaccination impairs chances of becoming pregnant. In the later stages of the pandemic, there was a decrease in the number of children born in some countries, including Sweden. This raised the question whether this could be due to the new vaccines.

In the study, the researchers analyzed all women aged 18 to 45 years in Region Jönköping County, a total of almost 60,000 women (of the region's total population of 369,000 people). Of these women, 75% were vaccinated once or more against COVID-19 from 2021 to 2024. The researchers used data on childbirths, vaccination, miscarriages and deaths from health care records.

When the researchers compared childbirths and miscarriages between vaccinated and unvaccinated women, they found no statistically significant difference between the groups. This is in line with several previous studies that have not found any association between the COVID vaccine and fertility.

Part 1

The researchers believe that the decrease in childbirth has other, more likely explanations. Those who are now in their 30s, an age when it is most common to have children, were born in the second half of the 1990s. This was a time of financial difficulties and declining childbirth rates in Sweden. In other words, the group of current potential parents has become smaller due to declining birthrates 30 years earlier. Also, factors linked to the pandemic may have reduced childbirth, such as health and economic concerns and changed behavior during lockdown.

One of the strengths of the study is that it examines pregnancy outcomes in a large group that is representative of the country's population. The researchers have taken into account that the woman's age is a possible factor that could hide a possible effect of vaccines on childbirth, and they have therefore compensated for age in their analysis.

Dennis Nordvall et al, COVID-19 vaccination carries no association with childbirth rates in Sweden, Communications Medicine (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s43856-026-01396-x

Part 2

Extreme temperature changes increase number of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, model finds
Extreme temperature fluctuations and higher relative humidity are associated with increased out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) incidence. A machine learning model analyzing over 190,000 cases identified 17 environmental and social risk factors, accurately predicting OHCA patterns up to seven days in advance, even in previously unstudied regions. Social factors may amplify environmental risks.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, or OHCA, is a leading cause of mortality worldwide and 90% of cases are fatal. Patients lose cardiac function and circulation, and every minute they remain untreated decreases the likelihood of a good outcome.

In a study published in npj Digital Medicine, a team of researchers developed a machine learning model that identified 17 environmental and social factors that can influence the risk of OHCA.

The researchers used patient data from the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival, or CARES, the largest national system that tracks OHCA. They built their model using more than 190,000 cases from 2013 to 2017 and identified 17 factors that can predict OHCA risk.

Mean ambient temperature, including both colder days and extremely warm ones, as well as higher relative humidity, influenced the number of OHCA incidents. Social factors, such as including poverty and race, may also amplify their impact.

The risks associated with cardiovascular events were mostly based on the individual risk factors, including hypertension. This new prediction model is the first to show that external environmental factors also influence risk.

In addition to its high prediction accuracy, the model was able to predict OHCA patterns up to seven days in advance.

Takahiro Nakashima et al, Development and evaluation of a machine learning model predicting out-of-hospital cardiac arrest using environmental factors, npj Digital Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41746-025-02235-4

China awards its first ‘practical PhDs’

A cohort of PhD candidates in China have become the first in the country to be assessed on the basis of practical achievements instead of theses. This new class of PhDs is part of the Chinese government’s broader education reforms to cultivate ‘elite engineers’ that can help boost the country’s innovation. As part of their PhD defence, candidates have to make prototypes and prove that their inventions can be used at scale in the real world. Examples so far include the equipment for a new welding technique and a fire-fighting system for a large seaplane.

First ‘practical PhDs’ awarded in China — for products rather than ...

When the interaction between fungi and bacteria becomes a dangerous alliance

Rivals or allies—how do bacteria and fungi interact in our bodies? Until now, bacteria on our mucous membranes were primarily considered to be antagonists of fungi, as they can inhibit their growth. However, an international research team has now been able to show that the yeast Candida albicans and the bacterium Enterococcus faecalis form a dangerous alliance under certain conditions: Instead of fighting each other, they can amplify their impact and cause significantly more severe cell damage together than alone.

In their study, now published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers reveal the mechanisms behind this—and the crucial role of the bacterial toxin cytolysin.

The yeast Candida albicans and the bacterium Enterococcus faecalis are usually harmless inhabitants of our mucous membranes. However, if the immune system is weakened or the microbial balance is disturbed—for example, after antibiotic therapy—they can cause infections. The severity of an infection also depends on how the two microbes interact with each other.

To understand this cooperation better, the team tested numerous E. faecalis strains in cell culture models. They found that only some of them significantly increased cell damage when infected simultaneously with Candida albicans. These strains shared a striking characteristic: they produced cytolysin, a toxin that perforates cell membranes and thus kills the cells. If the corresponding gene was missing in the bacterium, the additional damage did not occur. When it was added, the effect reappeared. The findings from the cell cultures were also confirmed in the mouse model.

Cytolysin-producing bacterial strains increased the damage to the mucous membrane caused by Candida albicans, while variants without the toxin even had a mitigating effect. Not all enterococci are the same. The cytolysin-producing variants have proven to be the dangerous ones. This explains why more severe disease progressions are sometimes observed, even though the same microorganisms are involved in the clinical samples.

In addition to the central role of cytolysin, the research team identified two main mechanisms that explain the dangerous alliance between the two microbes:
Direct contact: The bacteria attach themselves to the fungal cells and thus come into close contact with the host cells. This allows the bacterial toxin cytolysin to act exactly where it causes most of the damage.
Nutrient depletion: Candida albicans consumes sugar (glucose) particularly quickly. The resulting energy deficiency weakens the host cells and makes them more susceptible to the bacterial toxin.
In this way, the fungi and bacteria together create an environment in which they can fully unleash their destructive effects and cause massive cell damage—an impressive example of how complex microbiological interactions shape the course of an infection.

Mario Kapitan et al, Synergistic interactions between Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis promote toxin-dependent host cell damage, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2505310122

Almost half of the world's aquatic environments are severely contaminated by waste, research reveals
Nearly half (46%) of global aquatic environments are classified as dirty or extremely dirty, with plastics and cigarette butts comprising about 80% of waste. Protected areas show up to sevenfold lower contamination, but 31% remain polluted, especially at their edges due to external pressures. Contamination trends vary with socioeconomic development, highlighting the need for integrated global waste management

Victor Vasques Ribeiro et al, Influence of protected areas and socioeconomic development on litter contamination: A global analysis, Journal of Hazardous Materials (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.140422

Scientists now know why ovarian cancer spreads so rapidly in the abdomen

Ovarian cancer spreads rapidly in the abdomen because cancer cells recruit mesothelial cells, forming hybrid clusters that resist chemotherapy and invade tissue more effectively. Cancer-derived TGF-β1 induces mesothelial cells to develop invadopodia, which penetrate tissue, facilitating cancer dissemination. Targeting these interactions may offer new therapeutic strategies.

Kaname Uno et al, Mesothelial cells promote peritoneal invasion and metastasis of ascites-derived ovarian cancer cells through spheroid formation, Science Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adu5944. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu5944

The body processes good fats and bad fats differently, study finds

The concept of "good fats" and "bad fats" has influenced diet trends, public health policy, and biomedical research for decades. Now, a new study offers new insights into how the body handles good fats and bad fats at the molecular level—opening a door to new treatments for obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic conditions. Their study is featured on the cover of the February edition of Cell Metabolism.

The researchers  found that if you can tweak bile acids, you can find a way to selectively absorb the good fats and excrete the bad fats, with many metabolic benefits. That includes the secretion of hormones like glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), the same mechanism that underlies popular weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic.

Dietary fat is essential to survival, and humans have evolved to process it very efficiently. Bile acids are detergent molecules that help break fat into small droplets in the intestine, allowing fats to be efficiently absorbed into systemic circulation. While this was quite useful for our ancestors living in times when food was scarce, this advantage becomes a disadvantage in a world where high-fat food options are readily available.

Researchers  engineered a CRISPR tool to disable a critical enzyme for bile acid synthesis, CYP7A1. The tool successfully decreased bile acid levels by 50% in adult mice.

The body absorbs saturated and unsaturated fats differently, a process regulated by bile acids. Reducing specific bile acids in mice selectively decreased absorption of saturated fats while preserving uptake of beneficial polyunsaturated fats, increased GLP-1 secretion, and protected against weight gain. Not all bile acids function identically, suggesting new therapeutic targets for metabolic diseases.

Alvin P. Chan et al, Bile acids regulate lipid metabolism through selective actions on fatty acid absorption, Cell Metabolism (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2025.11.010

Sleep disruption damages gut's self-repair ability via stress signals from brain: A biological chain reaction
Chronic sleep disruption impairs the gut’s ability to repair itself by triggering stress signals from the brain via the vagus nerve, leading to increased oxidative stress in intestinal stem cells. This weakens the gut lining and heightens susceptibility to gastrointestinal disorders. Targeting specific molecules in this brain-gut pathway may offer therapeutic strategies to protect gut health in sleep-deprived individuals.

Mingxin Zhang et al, Sleep disturbance triggers aberrant activation of vagus circuitry and induces intestinal stem cell dysfunction, Cell Stem Cell (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2026.01.002

Maternal perinatal depression may increase the risk of autistic-related traits in girls
Maternal perinatal depression is associated with an increased risk of autistic-related traits in toddlers, with a stronger effect observed in girls. Mouse models indicate that prenatal stress may disrupt oxytocin signaling, particularly affecting female offspring. These results highlight the importance of supporting maternal mental health to reduce adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, especially in girls.

Changrong Duan et al, Sex differences in the risk of autistic-related traits in toddlers born to mothers with perinatal depression: Evidence from human cohort and mouse study, Molecular Psychiatry (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41380-026-03456-z

The secrets under our skin
Mysterious undulating microstructures in our skin, called rete ridges, could help explain how the organ can regenerate and why it is that humans don’t have fur. The ridges act “like velcro to keep the top layer of your skin attached firmly to the bottom layer of your skin”, biologist Ryan Driskell, who co-authored a new study on the ridges, tells Nature. Driskell and his colleagues scoured the animal kingdom to find the skin that most resembled humans’ and found clues as to how these ridges form.

Structural differences found in brains of people with panic disorder

Panic disorder (PD) is a mental health disorder characterized by recurring panic attacks, episodes of intense fear and anxiety accompanied by physical sensations and physiological responses such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, blurred vision and other symptoms. Estimates suggest that approximately 2–3% of people worldwide experience PD at some point during their lives.

Better understanding the neural underpinnings and features of PD could have important implications for its future treatment.

Researchers of many institutes worldwide recently carried out a new study shedding new light on the neuroanatomical signatures of PD, via the analysis of a large pool of brain scans collected from people diagnosed with the disorder and others with no known psychiatric diagnoses. Their paper, published in Molecular Psychiatry, identifies marked differences in the brains of individuals with PD, such as a slightly thinner cortex and frontal, temporal and parietal brain regions that are smaller than those of people with no known mental health disorders.

The team's analyses allowed them to pin-point various marked differences between the brains of people with PD and others with no known psychiatric or mental health disorders. The researchers found that people with PD had a slightly thinner cortex and that some parts of their brain had a smaller surface area or a reduced volume.

They identified subtle but consistent reductions in cortical thickness and surface area in frontal, temporal, and parietal regions, along with smaller subcortical volumes within the thalamus and caudate volumes, among individuals with PD.

Among other things, these regions govern how emotionally salient information is perceived, processed, modulated, and responded to. The analyses also showed that some differences are age-dependent and that early-onset PD (before age 21) is linked to larger lateral ventricles.

Overall, the findings of this recent study appear to confirm existing models of PD that suggest that the disorder is linked to disruptions in brain regions associated with the processing and regulation of emotions. 

Laura K. M. Han et al, Structural brain differences associated with panic disorder: an ENIGMA-Anxiety Working Group mega-analysis of 4924 individuals worldwide, Molecular Psychiatry (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41380-025-03376-4.

Infusing asphalt with plastic could help roads last longer and resist cracking under heat
Incorporating 8–10% recycled plastic into asphalt enhances road durability, flexibility, and heat resistance, reducing cracking and maintenance needs. This approach diverts plastic waste from landfills, lowers demand for petroleum-based materials, and shows minimal microplastic release. Challenges include sourcing clean plastic and ensuring safe processing, but early results indicate environmental and economic benefits.

"Reuse of Recycled Plastic for Plastic Road Design" by Tahsina Islam

Early-life indoor mold linked to reduced childhood lung function, long-term study finds

Mold is a silent threat, often going unnoticed as it quietly harms health. What's concerning is that exposure to mold during early childhood leaves its mark way into adolescence. In a study published in Environmental Research: Health, a team  tapped into data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children —a well-known birth cohort study also known as Children of the 90s—to explore how early-life exposure to indoor mold may affect lung function, its development over time, and the risk of doctor-diagnosed asthma.

The researchers analyzed medical data from nearly 14,000 children, whose health and development were followed closely from birth through to approximately 24 years of age, using information collected from clinic visits and questionnaires.

The data indicated that serious exposure to indoor mold at age 5 was associated with a nearly 6% reduction in lung function by age 15. There was also a strong association with asthma, with children exposed to serious mold by age 5 being 1.85 times more likely to have been diagnosed with asthma by age 8 compared to those with no mold exposure. This link, however, weakened as the child approached adulthood.

Joshua Khan et al, Early-life exposure to indoor mould and associations with lung function, lung function trajectories and asthma, Environmental Research: Health (2026). DOI: 10.1088/2752-5309/ae3eda

Current flows without heat loss in newly engineered fractional quantum material

A team of researchers has unveiled a device that can conduct electricity along its fractionally charged edges without losing energy to heat. Described in Nature Physics, the work marks the first demonstration of a "dissipationless fractional Chern insulator," a long-sought state of matter with promising implications for future quantum technologies.

A device based on twisted molybdenum ditelluride bilayers demonstrates dissipationless edge conduction with fractionally quantized Hall resistance at zero magnetic field, realizing a fractional Chern insulator. Improved crystal quality and fabrication eliminate energy loss, while the thermal activation gap shows an unusual dependence on magnetic field, indicating complex low-energy excitations.

Heonjoon Park et al, Observation of dissipationless fractional Chern insulator, Nature Physics (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41567-025-03167-2

Female scientists wait longer to have papers published in life and biomedical sciences

If you are a woman working in biomedical and life sciences, you may have longer to wait for your academic paper to appear in print than a comparable paper authored by a man. According to research published in the journal PLOS Biology, female-authored biomedical and life science articles spend around 7.4% to 14.6% longer under review than male-authored articles.

Despite increasing calls for equality and inclusion, there is still a gender gap in academia. Women are underrepresented in senior academic positions, and whether through anecdotal evidence or studies, the data show that female researchers face more obstacles than their male colleagues, including in academic peer review.

The study found significant delays for female researchers. These ranged from 7.4% for papers with a female first author to 10% for all-female teams and 14.6% when both the first and corresponding authors were women. These delays occur across different countries and nearly every branch within biomedical and life sciences.

This is unequivocal evidence that female-authored articles tend to spend longer under review than male-authored articles. Even though, for each manuscript, time under review is only 7–15 days longer for females—than for male-authored articles, accumulated over a woman's career, these delays can be very substantial.

These delays can have knock-on effects on a scientist's career, including fewer opportunities for promotion and difficulty obtaining research funding. By documenting these problems, the researchers hope their study will help the community devise mitigation strategies.

David Alvarez-Ponce et al, Biomedical and life science articles by female researchers spend longer under review, PLOS Biology (2026). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003574

Obesity linked to one in 10 infection deaths globally

Just over one in 10 deaths from a wide range of infectious diseases can be attributed to obesity worldwide, finds a major new study. People with obesity face a 70% higher risk of hospitalization or death from an infection than those of a healthy weight, according to the findings published in The Lancet.

Obesity can increase the risk posed by many different infectious diseases, from flu and COVID-19 to stomach bugs and urinary tract infections, and the researchers found that the higher the BMI, the greater the risk.

While this study did not investigate the causes of the association, the researchers say that previous studies have suggested that obesity contributes to a general impairment of immune, including immune dysregulation, chronic systemic inflammation, and metabolic disturbances.

Obesity weakens the body's defenses against infections, resulting in more serious diseases. People may not get infected more easily, but recovery from infection is clearly harder.

The researchers found evidence that losing weight can reduce the risk of severe infections, as people with obesity who lost weight had a roughly 20% lower risk of severe infections than those who remained obese.

Adult obesity and risk of severe infections: a multicohort study with global burden estimates, The Lancet (2026). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)02474-2

Old galaxies in a young universe?
Analysis of 31 high-redshift galaxies observed with JWST indicates average stellar ages of about 600 million years, close to the universe's age at that epoch (~700 Myr), with some cases, such as JADES-1050323, appearing older than the universe at their redshift. These findings challenge the standard Lambda-CDM model and suggest a need for further investigation.

The standard cosmological model (present-day version of "Big Bang," called Lambda-CDM) gives an age of the universe close to 13.8 billion years and much younger when we explore the universe at high-redshift. The redshift of galaxies is produced by the expansion of the universe, which causes emitted wavelengths to lengthen and move toward the red end of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The further away a galaxy is, the more rapidly it is moving with respect to us, and so the greater is its redshift; and, given that the speed of light is finite, the more we travel to the past. Hence, measuring the age of very high redshift galaxies would be a way to test the cosmological model. Galaxies cannot be older than the age of the universe in which they are; it would be absurd, like a son older than his mother.\

In work carried out  by researchers at the Canary Islands Astrophysics Institute (IAC; Spain), we analyzed 31 galaxies with average redshift 7.3 (when the universe was 700 Myr old, according to the standard model) observed with the most powerful available telescope available: the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

The findings are published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

As a result, they found that they are on average ~600 Myr old, according to the comparison with theoretical models based on previous knowledge of nearby galaxies. Our models include all of the known possibilities: old and young stellar populations, thermally-pulsating AGB stars, emission lines associated with HII regions, black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGN), interstellar dust extinction, and intergalactic extinction from neutral hydrogen.

There were other independent works that also pointed out  strong anomalies with JWST galaxies, including the existence of old galaxies (e.g., Steinhardt et al. 2024, ApJ, 967, 172; Wang et al. 2024, ApJL, 969, L13; Martínez-García 2025, MNRAS, 541, 1988). If this result is correct, we would have to think about how it is possible that these massive and luminous galaxies were formed and started to produce stars in a short time. It is a challenge.

The fact that some of these galaxies might be older than the universe within some significant confidence level is even more challenging.

M López-Corredoira et al, Improved measurements of the age of JWST galaxies at z = 6 − 10, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2026). DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stag089

**

Boxfish

Fever chills explained: How brain signals push warmth-seeking to fight infection

When running a fever during infection, we often feel chills, which prompt us to take action to warm ourselves, such as turning on a heater or adding layers of clothing. Increased body temperature helps inhibit pathogen growth and boosts immune cell activity.

A recent rat study by researchers identified the neural mechanism underlying chills, a cold sensation that supports the body's response to infection. The findings were published in The Journal of Physiology.

When mammals are infected, their immune system produces a pyrogenic mediator, prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), in the brain's vascular cells. PGE₂ acts on the preoptic area, the brain's thermoregulatory center, and triggers autonomic fever responses, such as shivering, increased heat production in brown adipose tissue, and constriction of skin blood vessels.

PGE₂ is known to trigger not only autonomic fever responses but also behavioral fever responses including warming behaviors with chills.

The team hypothesized that PGE₂ acts on the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB) in the brain, which relays sensory signals, to trigger chills and warmth-seeking behaviors during infection. This was based on their 2023 study showing that LPB neurons transmit skin-temperature sensations to the forebrain and influence body temperature regulation. To test this hypothesis, the team conducted experiments on rats.

The researchers found that the rats' axons primarily target the central nucleus of the amygdala, which regulates emotions such as discomfort and fear, with minimal projections to the preoptic area.

The team also found that the pathway from EP3-expressing neurons to the amygdala is activated in cold environments and transmits cold sensations.

These findings suggest that during infection, PGE₂ boosts cold signals from the LPB to the central nucleus of the amygdala via EP3 receptors, triggering chills and promoting warmth-seeking behaviour.

This study demonstrates that PGE₂ increases body temperature by acting on two brain regions: the preoptic area, which drives autonomous thermogenic responses, and the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB), which mediates behavioural responses.

The pyrogenic mediator prostaglandin E2 elicits warmth seeking via EP3 receptor-expressing parabrachial neurons: a potential mechanism of chills, The Journal of Physiology (2026). DOI: 10.1113/JP289466

Only humans have chins and it's an evolutionary accident

Every chin is distinctive in the sense that humans are the only primates to possess that physical characteristic.

Chimpanzees, humans' closest living relatives, do not have a chin. Neither did Neanderthals, Denisovans, or any other extinct human species. Humans, it turns out, have a unique capacity to "take it on the chin" because we're uniquely in possession of that physical feature. That exclusive nature makes the chin well suited for identifying Homo sapiens in the fossil record.

The chin evolved largely by accident and not through direct selection, but as an evolutionary by-product resulting from direct selection on other parts of the skull.

The chin is a spandrel, a feature that arises as an unintended byproduct of evolution, just as the space under a staircase exists not for any architectural purpose, but as a byproduct of building a convenient way to get from one level to the next.

Just because we have a unique feature, like the chin, does not mean that it was shaped by natural selection to enhance an animal's survivability, for example, a buttress for the lower jaw to help dissipate the forces of chewing. The chin is likely a byproduct, not an adaptation.

Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel et al, Is the human chin a spandrel? Insights from an evolutionary analysis of ape craniomandibular form, PLOS One (2026). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0340278

The origin of magic numbers: Why some atomic nuclei are unusually stable
A new model explains the stability of magic nuclei by directly linking their shell structure to underlying proton–neutron interactions via nuclear wavefunctions. This approach naturally reproduces magic numbers and bridges phenomenological and first-principles nuclear models, offering insights into the strong nuclear force and the properties of heavy, exotic nuclei.

C. R. Ding et al, From Spin to Pseudospin Symmetry: The Origin of Magic Numbers in Nuclear Structure, Physical Review Letters (2026). DOI: 10.1103/8lzc-j1lx. On arXiv: DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2504.09148

Space mining without heavy machines? Microbes harvest metals from meteorites aboard space station
Microbes can extract valuable metals from meteorites in microgravity, with fungi notably enhancing palladium release. Microbial biomining remains effective in space, while nonbiological leaching is less efficient under microgravity. Extraction rates vary by metal, microbe, and gravity, highlighting the complexity and potential of microbial resource extraction for space and Earth applications.

Rosa Santomartino et al, Microbial biomining from asteroidal material onboard the international space station, npj Microgravity (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41526-026-00567-3

Nanoplastics hindering cognitive abilities of fish, international research shows

Plastic makes up about 80 to 85% of marine litter, according to environmental research, with the most commonly used plastics breaking down into smaller pieces under ultraviolet light and low temperatures.

Nanoplastic exposure can impair the cognitive abilities of fish and could lead to significant impacts on marine species' ability to survive, according to a new international study.
Exposure to nanoplastics impairs cognitive function in marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma), leading to increased errors and impulsive decision-making during behavioral tests. These changes may reduce survival by affecting foraging, predator avoidance, and reproduction. Nanoplastics, due to their small size, are highly bioavailable and pose a significant, underrecognized threat to marine ecosystems.

The important things for any animal are reproduction, shelter and feed. For a fish which has changed its behavior, it may have trouble capturing food and most importantly, have trouble avoiding predators.

It may also be affected when mating and finding a mate, let alone spawning. There are huge potential effects on those three basic requirements for survival.

Xianyu Yuan et al, Nanoplastic exposure damages neural plasticity, cognitive abilities, and ecological adaptability of marine medaka Oryzias melastigma, Marine Pollution Bulletin (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119232

No association between mRNA COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and autism in children, new research shows
Children born to mothers who received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine during or shortly before pregnancy show no increased risk of autism or other neurodevelopmental problems at 18–30 months compared to children of unvaccinated mothers. Neurodevelopmental assessments revealed no significant differences between the groups, supporting the vaccine's safety in pregnancy.

Association between SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in pregnancy and child neurodevelopment at 18–30 months, Pregnancy (2026).

Elephant whiskers exhibit material intelligence for touch sensing

Failed supernova provides clearest view yet of a star collapsing into a black hole

Astronomers have watched a dying star fail to explode as a supernova, instead collapsing into a black hole. The remarkable sighting is the most complete observational record ever made of a star's transformation into a black hole, allowing astronomers to construct a comprehensive physical picture of the process.

Combining recent observations of the star with over a decade of archival data, the astronomers confirmed and refined theoretical models of how such massive stars turn into black holes. The team found that the star failed to explode as a supernova at the end of its life; instead, the star's core collapsed into a black hole, slowly expelling its turbulent outer layers in the process.

The discovery will help explain why some massive stars turn into black holes when they die, while others don't.

The now-deceased star, called M31-2014-DS1, is located around 2.5 million light-years away from Earth in the neighbouring Andromeda galaxy. 

They found that M31-2014-DS1's infrared light began brightening in 2014. Then in 2016, the star swiftly dimmed far below its original luminosity in barely a year.

Observations in 2022 and 2023 showed that the star essentially vanished in visible and near-infrared light, becoming one ten-thousandth as bright in these wavelengths. Its remnant is now only detectable in mid-infrared light, where it shines at a mere one-tenth as bright as before.

Comparing these observations with theoretical predictions, the researchers concluded that the star's dramatic fading to such a small fraction of its original total brightness provides strong evidence that its core collapsed and became a black hole.

Stars fuse hydrogen into helium in their cores, and that process generates outward pressure to balance the incessant inward pull of gravity. When a massive star roughly 10 or more times heavier than our sun begins to run out of fuel, the balance between inward and outward forces is disrupted. Gravity begins to collapse the star, and its core succumbs first to form a dense neutron star at the center.

Often, the emission of neutrinos in this process generates a powerful shock wave that is explosive enough to rip apart most of the core and outer layers in a supernova. However, if the neutrino-powered shock wave fails to push the stellar material out, theory has long suggested that most of the stellar material would instead fall back into the neutron star, forming a black hole.

Kishalay De, Disappearance of a massive star in the Andromeda Galaxy due to formation of a black hole, Science (2026). DOI: 10.1126/science.adt4853. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adt4853

Part 1

The observations and analysis of M31-2014-DS1 enabled the team to reinterpret observations of a similar star, NGC 6946-BH1. This led to an important breakthrough in understanding what had happened to the outer layers that had enveloped the star after it failed to go supernova and collapsed into a black hole. The overlooked element? Convection.

Convection is a byproduct of the vast temperature differences inside the star. Material near the star's center is extremely hot, while the outer regions are much cooler. This differential causes gases within the star to move from hotter to cooler regions.

When the star's core collapses, the gas in its outer layers is still moving rapidly due to this convection. Theoretical models developed by astronomers at the Flatiron Institute have shown that this prevents most of the outer layers from falling directly in; instead, the innermost layers orbit outside of the black hole and drive the ejection of the outermost layers of the convective region.

The ejected material cools as it moves farther from the hot material around the black hole. This cool material readily forms dust as atoms and molecules combine. The dust obscures the hot gas orbiting the black hole, warming the dust and producing an observable brightening in infrared wavelengths. This lingering red glow is visible for decades after the star itself disappears.

Kishalay De, Disappearance of a massive star in the Andromeda Galaxy due to formation of a black hole, Science (2026). DOI: 10.1126/science.adt4853. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adt4853

Part 2

Why visceral fat triggers diabetes: Study points to loss of protective macrophages

Scientists discovered a surprising new way the body can fight insulin resistance and diabetes—by boosting a special type of "good" immune cell in fat tissue.

Reported in Nature Communications, the preclinical findings pave the path to developing a medication to treat and prevent type 2 diabetes, potentially replacing or supplementing GLP-1 weight maintenance drugs that lose effectiveness over time.

One-third of our population is obese or overweight—over the next decade or so, obesity will drive increasing rates of many chronic diseases, including diabetes.

Inflammation driven by immune signals given off by excess fat surrounding abdominal organs has long been known to trigger the insulin resistance that leads to type 2 diabetes.

The researchers found is that there is a subset of immune cells in our fat tissue that are actually helpful. Although they're immune cells, they're not inflammatory—rather, they actually suppress the inflammation that causes insulin resistance.

This subset of immune cells—called resident macrophages—clean up dead cells, fight infections and keep tissues healthy. SerpinB2 is a protein that helps resident macrophages survive. When too much visceral fat accumulates—which occurs when someone is overweight or obese—inflammation increases and SerpinB2 levels plummet.

This causes resident macrophages to die out, which allows fat tissue to grow larger and become more inflamed. Ultimately, the body can't respond as well to insulin, which controls blood sugar, and the person develops diabetes.

When overweight mice with insulin-resistance were given antioxidant supplements, their levels of resident macrophages increased and their insulin sensitivity improved.

Tissue-resident macrophage survival depends on mitochondrial function regulated by SerpinB2 in chronic inflammation, Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-69196-4

Light-based sensor detects early molecular signs of cancer in the blood

Researchers have developed a highly sensitive light-based sensor that can detect extremely low concentrations of cancer biomarkers in the blood. The new technology could one day make it possible to spot early signs of cancer and other conditions using a simple blood test.

Biomarkers such as proteins, DNA or other molecules can be used to reveal the presence, progression or risk of cancer and other diseases. However, one of the main challenges in early disease diagnosis is the extremely low concentration of biomarkers present at the onset.

The new sensor developed now combines nanostructures made of DNA with quantum dots and CRISPR gene editing technology to detect faint biomarker signals using a light-based approach known as second harmonic generation (SHG).

This approach could help make disease treatments simpler, potentially improve survival rates and lower overall health care costs.

Wenbo Du et al, Sub-Attomolar-Level Biosensing of Cancer Biomarkers Using SHG Modulation in DNA-Programmable Quantum Dots/MoS2 Disordered Metasurfaces, Optica (2026). DOI: 10.1364/optica.577416

Plants retain a 'genetic memory' of past population crashes, study shows

Plant populations that have experienced past crashes due to human activity retain reduced genetic diversity and increased inbreeding, even after apparent recovery. These genetic effects persist for many generations and are not reflected by current population size alone, highlighting the importance of considering genetic history in conservation planning to ensure long-term resilience.

Researchers have found that plants living in areas where human activity has caused population crashes carry long-lasting genetic traces of that history, such as reduced genetic diversity. Because genetic diversity helps species adapt to climate change, disease, and other stresses, the study suggests it is vital to consider a population's history-influenced genetics alongside its size and habitat in conservation planning.

Two populations may look equally healthy on the surface, yet one may be far more vulnerable to future environmental change because it lacks genetic diversity and consists of individuals with poorly mixed genetic material. This can impede evolutionary responses to changing conditions.

Daniel J. Schoen et al, Population genomic signatures of founding events in autonomously self‐fertilizing plants: a test with Impatiens capensis, New Phytologist (2026). DOI: 10.1111/nph.70880

Cholesterol crystals may trigger some liver disease
Cholesterol crystals in the liver can increase tissue stiffness early in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), preceding fibrosis. This process may contribute to disease progression and could help identify individuals at higher risk for severe liver damage. Non-invasive detection methods and cholesterol-lowering treatments may offer new avenues for early intervention.

David Li et al, Cholesterol-containing lipid crystals can directly stiffen the rat steatotic liver before fibrosis, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2518060123

Scientists discover new gatekeeper cell in the brain
A previously unidentified population of base barrier cells has been found at the base of the choroid plexus, forming a tight junction-based barrier that compartmentalizes the brain, choroid plexus, and cerebrospinal fluid. This barrier restricts molecular movement under healthy conditions but becomes vulnerable during systemic inflammation, potentially allowing harmful substances into the brain. These cells are present in both mice and humans.

Daan Verhaege et al, Base barrier cells provide compartmentalization of choroid plexus, brain and CSF, Nature Neuroscience (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-025-02188-7