Salk Institute scientists find the genome’s dynamic 3D shape influences gene expression, and that the protein NIPBL is a key facilitator of genome structures that inform cell identity. Their findings may inform new therapeutics for disorders related to dysfunctional genome folding, including some cancers and developmental disorders such as autism-related disorders.

The intricate, lifelong conversation between blood vessels and immune system is fundamental to health, and its breakdown is pathogenic to many diseases. A review, published on February 10, 2026, in Immunity & Inflammation by Prof. Yihai Cao at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, provides a systematic and mechanistic framework for understanding this dynamic crosstalk, offering a unified perspective on how vascular endothelial cells orchestrate immune responses and how their dysfunction leads to pathology.

Professor Shinichiro Sawa of Kumamoto University has received funding from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) under its ASPIRE Program for an international research project on sustainable agriculture. Conducted in collaboration with France’s INRAE, the five-year project will study plant–soil microbial networks, including nematodes, to advance understanding of the agricultural holobiome. The project, selected under the “ASPIRE for Top Scientists” scheme, will begin in December 2025 with funding of up to 500 million yen (approximately USD 3.2 million).

Tiny plastic particles disrupt the distribution, composition, and function of gut and fecal bacteria in marine copepods, with a shift toward plastic-degrading species and function. This alteration incurs resilience loss, exposing the potential risks of microplastic pollution.

Viruses exist at the boundary between living and non-living matter, while skin is a living interface between physics and biology, making them perfect—but until now overlooked—arenas for testing the interplay between quantum physics, biology and life. That’s according to arguments made by Connor Thompson, a PhD student in microbiology and immunology at the University of British Columbia, in Canada, and Samuel Morriss, a medical doctor based in Melbourne, Australia, whose two essays share the US$30,000 first prize in FQxI’s latest essay competition, presented in partnership with the Paradox Science Institute. The eight winners of the $53,000 competition—which asked “How Quantum is Life?”—were announced on 14th February, 2026.

Arizona State University Regents Anne Stone will present research on the evolutionary history of infectious disease at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting, which takes place in Phoenix next week.

Stone’s presentation, “(Re)Emerging Pathogens: Ancient Spillovers Teach Us About Modern Plagues,” examines tuberculosis (TB), a disease that has affected humans and animals for thousands of years. Drawing on genetic analyses of ancient DNA, her research traces how TB moved between species and human populations over time and what those patterns reveal about the emergence of infectious disease today.

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University have studied how fruit flies tune their development in response to environmental changes (diapause). Studying fruit fly strains from different latitudes across Japan, they showed that the sensitivity to starting reproductive diapause varies smoothly with local conditions. Through genetic sequencing, they found that the timeless (tim) gene plays a key role, adding to growing evidence that diapause is strongly affected by genes regulating circadian rhythm.