RNA design is central to next-generation therapeutics, yet identifying sequences that reliably fold into desired structures remains a major computational challenge, often constrained by high cost and time. A new study from Keio University explores the use of factorization machine with quadratic-optimization annealing (FMQA) for RNA inverse folding, while also examining how different encoding strategies may influence artificial intelligence (AI)-driven design performance, revealing an underexplored dimension of biomolecular engineering.

Rosa Chiara Paolicelli’s team at the Department of Biomedical Sciences of Unil uncovered a new role for the TDP-43 protein in controlling the function of microglia, the immune cells of the brain. Their study shows how the loss of this protein in microglia may contribute to the development of neurological diseases. The findings have been published in Nature Neuroscience.

Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed an improved technique called “tapping-mode scanning probe electrospray ionization” (t-SPESI), allowing the analysis of regions within individual cells with greater sensitivity and stability. Through device miniaturization and molecular modification of the probe surface, the team achieved higher sensitivity and long-term stability, successfully visualizing lipid distributions in mouse brain tissue at a pixel size of 5 µm.

Researchers have traced the journey of a plastic bottle cap recovered near the waters of southern Japan by combining data from the label, chemical clues in tiny shells, and ocean current simulations. They found 307 organisms, including a polychaetae worm not found in Japanese waters before. The findings, published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, show that when species that significantly shape their environments (ecosystem engineers) colonize plastic debris, entire micro-communities can be transported over extended periods, with implications for invasive species risk and marine biodiversity conservation. 

A research team led by Professor Chaogu ZHENG from the School of Biological Sciences at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), in collaboration with scientists from Princeton University and Columbia University, has discovered how sensory-motor circuits—nerve circuits that turn sensory signals into reflex actions—remain reliable even when some genes or neural connections are disrupted.

Immune checkpoints (ICs) are receptors that regulate immune responses through both activating and inhibitory mechanisms. Inflammatory microenvironment modulates IC expression through cytokines, metabolites, and oxidative signals. Immune checkpoint inhibitors not only enhance antitumor immunity but also reshape systemic immune networks. This review summarizes the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which ICs regulate inflammatory responses and highlights their roles across diverse pathological conditions.