The discovery of changes to a 200-million-year-old gene in a mutant clownfish with a unique pattern provides a central clue to the mystery of how nature can create sharply defined boundaries: clear communication. This new research upends our understanding of the mathematical rules that pigmentation cells follow, and suggests a common mechanism shared across species.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, accounting for nearly one in five cancer deaths – around 1.8 million lives lost each year. One of the main reasons is late diagnosis: in its early stages, the disease appears as extremely small nodules that are difficult to distinguish from healthy tissue, even for experienced radiologists. Researchers are now exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) could help solve this challenge by giving doctors a more reliable way to analyse complex medical images.

Cells naturally exchange cytoplasmic components like proteins, RNA, and mitochondria, but scientists lack tools to control such transfers in living cells. Now, researchers in Japan have developed a nanotube membrane-based injector—a system that enables high-efficiency, minimally invasive cytoplasmic transfer between cells. This platform preserves cell viability and can even transfer functional mitochondria, opening new possibilities for cell engineering and regenerative medicine.