Salk Institute scientists identify YAF9B as a protein activated by DNA damage, acting like an emergency responder to life-threatening genetic alterations in plant tissues containing stem cells. The study reveals how plants leverage specific genomic signals to accurately repair dangerous DNA breaks, and may help improve precision genome editing techniques and guide efforts to boost agricultural resilience.

A fatal genetic brain disorder with no cure may have a promising new therapeutic target. Researchers found that blocking the immune cGAS-STING pathway in a humanized mouse model of Huntington disease reduced brain inflammation, protected vulnerable neurons and improved movement. The findings identify a key driver of disease progression and suggest that targeting this pathway could offer a potential strategy for slowing the neurodegeneration that robs patients of their movement, cognition and independence.

University of Texas at Arlington researcher Yue Liao contributed to an international study showing that changes in people’s physical activity—whether light or moderate—are closely linked to changes in their mood throughout the day.

Using zebrafish as a model organism, UMaine researchers measured how Mylpf protein levels corresponded to muscle development, revealing a surprisingly sensitive relationship between protein levels and muscle health. When Mylpf function was eliminated, fast-twitch muscles failed to build the structures they needed to contract or generate force. Crucially, the severity of this defect tracked closely with how much protein was present. By testing many combinations of gene doses in a single study, the team was able to model the protein's effects with unusual mathematical rigor.

A project led by University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture researchers will help reduce the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer by designing corn plants that better use nitrogen already in the soil.

Scott Lenaghan, associate professor of food science, and Neal Stewart, professor of plant sciences, secured $2.5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). Their project, “SyN-Fix: Synthetic Biology to Improve Nitrogen Cycling in the Maize Rhizosphere,” is one of nine awarded to develop technologies that reduce synthetic nitrogen fertilizer use in corn and sorghum farming, which are key crops for U.S. ethanol production.