This article highlights a new synthetic biology platform developed by researchers at South China Agricultural University. The platform, known as FerTiG, is designed to degrade tetracycline residues in various aquatic environments. By integrating multiple functional modules into a single enzyme assembly, FerTiG offers enhanced stability and efficiency for antibiotic removal. The study demonstrates its effectiveness in different water matrices and confirms its biosafety through ecological and in vivo tests. This work presents a potential solution for addressing antibiotic pollution in water sources.

Ecologists have observed a species of nocturnal spider attracting prey to its web using the bioluminescent beacons of already trapped fireflies. This rare example of a predator exploiting its prey’s mating signal for its own gain is documented in the British Ecological Society’s Journal of Animal Ecology.

Researchers studied a population of endangered whale sharks in the Bird’s Head Seascape off Indonesian Papua over a period of 13 years. In total, they observed 268 unique individuals, almost exclusively young males. 77% had visible scars or injuries from human-made causes such as rubbing against fishing platforms or boats. Only 17.7% had serious injuries like amputations or lacerations from boat propellers. Simple modifications to fishing platforms and boats should be effective in protecting local whale sharks from injury or scarring.

LJI researchers reveal the first 3D structure of a protein from a human endogenous retrovirus. Human cells make this protein by expressing ancient viral DNA—and it's unlike anything seen before.

Researchers at Stockholm University have succeeded in creating a molecular blueprint of how one of the world's most dangerous toxins, botulinum toxin, is structured, stabilised, delivered and released. The research, published in the scientific journal Science Advances, paves the way for more effective drugs.