Quantity not quality: Australia’s conservation expansion is failing biodiversity
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 24-Mar-2026 00:15 ET (24-Mar-2026 04:15 GMT/UTC)
Australia has almost doubled the size of its national parks and reserves since 2010, but an analysis shows the expansion has not been where it’s needed to protect threatened species and ecosystems.
The honey bee “waggle dance” is an advanced form of animal communication that conveys critical information about food sources. A new study finds that the performing bee is not simply broadcasting a predetermined message. Rather, the precision of the performer’s directions depends on the audience.
The honey bee “waggle dance” is an advanced form of animal communication that conveys critical information about food sources. A new study finds that the performing bee is not simply broadcasting a predetermined message. Rather, the precision of the performer’s directions depends on the audience.
A new study led by researchers at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology suggests that the benefits of the Mediterranean diet may be driven, in part, by tiny proteins hidden within our mitochondria, opening a new window into how diet shapes aging and disease risk.
The study, led by USC Leonard Davis Instructional Associate Professor of Gerontology Roberto Vicinanza, found that people who closely follow a Mediterranean-style diet have higher levels of two mitochondrial microproteins, humanin and SHMOOSE – both of which have been linked to protection against cardiovascular disease and neurodegeneration. “These microproteins may act as molecular messengers that translate what we eat into how our cells function and age,” Vicinanza said. “It’s a new biological pathway that helps explain why the Mediterranean diet is so powerful.”
The team also found that specific foods appeared to matter. Olive oil, fish and legumes were associated with higher humanin levels, while olive oil and lower intake of refined carbohydrates were linked to higher SHMOOSE. “These findings suggest that specific components of the Mediterranean diet may directly influence mitochondrial biology,” said USC Leonard Davis School Dean and USC Distinguished Professor Pinchas Cohen, the study’s senior author. “Humanin and SHMOOSE could serve as biomarkers for adherence to the Mediterranean diet and have clinical significance.”
In the earliest phase of creating human proteins, the protein complex NAC performs an essential task by starting the first steps towards folding proteins into their correct three-dimensional structures. This discovery was made by an international research team led by scientists from the Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University. They found that the NAC complex binds to the nascent protein building-blocks formed by the ribosome, i.e., the amino acid chains, and initiates the folding that is essential for functional proteins. According to the scientists, the research results provide not only new findings on protein synthesis but also insights into cellular strategies to avoid incorrect folding, which can lead to serious illnesses.