Rice bioengineers developed a new genetic regulatory system that makes the production of gas vesicles more sustainable for nonnative host cells.

Light pollution poses a growing threat to moths. In her Lightstar project, which has been awarded a prestigious EU Starting Grant worth 1.5 million euros, zoologist Jacqueline Degen from the University of Oldenburg in Germany will investigate the underlying mechanisms.

Kris Burkewitz, assistant professor of cell and developmental biology at Vanderbilt University, describes a new way by which cells adapt to the aging process: by actively remodeling the endoplasmic reticulum, one of the cell’s largest and most complex organelles. His team found that aging cells remodel their ER through a process called ER-phagy, which selectively targets specific ER subdomains for breakdown. The discovery that ER-phagy is involved in aging highlights this process as a possible drug target for age-related chronic conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases and various metabolic disease contexts.

The Chicago Botanic Garden and The Morton Arboretum are pledging to safeguard threatened tree and plant species across continents as part of Reverse the Red Day, held annually worldwide on Feb. 7 to celebrate conservation success.

A new study of the oldest known bird, Archaeopteryx, shows that some of birds’ weirdest mouth features—like extra tongue bones, a sensitive beak-tip, and fleshy “teeth” on the roofs of their mouths—date all the way back to the Jurassic Period. These features, which are still present in most living birds, hint that being extra-good at finding, grabbing, and processing food might be key to a life on the wing.

Researchers from INRAE and IFCE have demonstrated that fear-related human chemical cues influence horse behaviour through emotional contagion. A study conducted on 43 horses shows that, when exposed to chemical cues from humans experiencing fear, horses exhibit significantly higher fear responses and interact less with humans than when exposed to human odours associated with joy or to neutral cues. These findings, published in PLOS One, highlight the importance of olfactory signals in interactions between different species. Chemical communication of emotions does indeed exist, and it crosses species barriers.

A University of Missouri researcher is pioneering an innovative solution to remove tiny bits of plastic pollution from our water.

Bone fractures usually heal efficiently, but in some patients this process fails, causing nonunion. A recent study identifies Apex1 as a redox-regulated driver of fracture repair. Using genetic mouse models, researchers show Apex1 controls early Bmp2 activation and later chondrocyte maturation, coordinating callus formation, vascularization, and cartilage-to-bone transition. These findings highlight oxidative stress regulation as a promising therapeutic strategy to improve bone healing and reduce the risk of fracture nonunion.