Cells were long believed to safeguard nuclear contents, releasing them only during cell death. Extracellular DNA was thought to enter cells solely through endocytosis into endosomes, with self-DNA never reaching the cytosol directly. Challenging this view, researchers have discovered a previously unknown cellular phenomenon termed nucleocytosis, in which macrophages directly extract nuclear DNA from dying cells. This finding reshapes core cell biology concepts and may clarify immune responses, infections, cancer mechanisms, and future therapeutic development.

Unlearning fear responses is a fundamental learning process in the brain. It allows us to flexibly react to formerly threatening situations once the danger is no longer present. This mechanism, known in research as “fear extinction,” plays an important role in treating anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders, among other things. A team working with Dr. Katharina Spoida from the Department of General Zoology and Neurobiology at Ruhr University Bochum has now proven that this process can be influenced and accelerated: If certain nerve cells in the brain are activated, mice lose their learned fear responses considerably faster. The researchers report their findings in the Nature journal Translational Psychiatry from January 10, 2026.

As people age, it becomes harder to know who is on track for healthy years ahead and who may be at higher risk for serious decline. A new study suggests that part of the answer may already be circulating in the bloodstream.

The Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences tonight announced the three 2026 Laureates of the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the United Kingdom, who each receive £100,000 – the UK’s largest unrestricted prize for science. It is the second time in the United Kingdom that all three Laureates in the Blavatnik Awards are women scientists. Maxie M. Roessler from Imperial College London, Thi Hoang Duong (Kelly) Nguyen from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, and Paola Pinilla from UCL were all recognised at London gala ceremony.

Research from the University of Warwick has revealed that butterfly caterpillars use sophisticated rhythmic signals to communicate with ants, helping them gain protection, food, and access to ant nests. 

Just a few decades ago, nobody would have been surprised to see a bottlenose dolphin showing up in the lagoon of Venice, where historically some dolphins have dwelt. However, when ‘Mimmo’, a solitary bottlenose dolphin, was first spotted in the lagoon in the summer of 2025, the event was perceived as nothing short of sensational. Soon, managing the behavior of people became more important than managing the dolphin itself, a new study suggests. Researchers monitoring the dolphin said its stay in the lagoon does not put it at particular risk, but that inappropriate and illegal human action does. Cases like these highlight the importance of broader education on how to interact with wildlife, the team said.   

In order to unify the existing hypotheses to cover the entire scenarios of OoL, Prof. Yongdong Jin at the School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University, China, has proposed the “nanozymes hypothesis” of the OoL on Earth.