Humpback whales are less picky eaters than other baleen whales. If cod runs out in an area, they may switch to krill. This flexibility might be a key reason for their evolutionary success, according to whale scientists in a recent study.

An international team led by Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, has used state-of-the-art cryo-electron microscopy to visualize electrical synapses (gap junctions) inside living cells. In doing so, they discovered a surprising additional structure: a previously unknown circular “cap” that is connected to the channel from the inside of the cell. It appears to be formed by the protein UNC-1, whose protein family is associated with various diseases. The results were published in Science Advances.

The dental development of modern bears does not follow the typical pattern seen in most mammals. The reason lies millions of years ago in the history of bear evolution. SNSB zoologists have identified two phases in bear evolution that are responsible for the differences in bear dentition. The researchers have now published their findings in the journal Boreas.

A new study published in iMetaMed reveals that potassium sorbate, a common food preservative, may cause acute kidney injury by disrupting intercellular communication. Using an integrated approach combining network toxicology, machine learning, and single-cell RNA sequencing, researchers identified the amyloid precursor protein as a central mediator of kidney damage, interacting with immune cells via specific signaling axes.

A Canadian team turned 23,000 mating types into a materials library, showing nuclear-mitochondrial combos double film strength or ductility depending on cross-linker choice.

Writing in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, researchers report the first systematic screen of wild fungal genotypes for pure mycelial materials, proving that strain choice can outperform process tweaks in green fabrication.

Engineers have merged neomycin-grafted cellulose nonwovens with a polyvinyl-alcohol/cellulose-nanofiber aerogel to create a biodegradable smart bandage that delivers >99 % kill of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli within 30 min, scavenges 93 % of free radicals and produces –1.4 mmHg micro-negative pressure to pull exudate away from chronic lesions. Reporting in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts (2025, 10, 373-385) the team show that blueberry-derived anthocyanins embedded in the matrix act as a built-in pH sensor, shifting colour when infection drives wound alkalinity above pH 8. In a murine full-thickness infection model the dressing closed 88 % of wound area in seven days, outperforming a leading commercial dressing and suppressing inflammatory IL-1β and TNF-α expression to baseline levels. Complete soil burial disintegrates the device within 90 days, offering a plastic-free route to connected wound care.

This study uncovers a new molecular mechanism by which the E3 ubiquitin ligase PIAS4 orchestrates pluripotency exit and lineage commitment in porcine embryonic stem cells (pESCs). Using a genome-wide CRISPR screening approach, the researchers identified PIAS4 as a critical regulator that modulates histone H3K4me3 marks via SUMOylation-mediated stabilization of KDM5B. Loss of PIAS4 impaired stem cell differentiation, disrupted lineage specific gene programs, and altered mesendoderm specification through LEFTY2–SMAD signaling. These findings not only provide fundamental insight into porcine stem cell biology but also pave the way for applications in livestock breeding, artificial meat production, and regenerative medicine.