Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have revealed insight into why embryos erase a key epigenetic mark during early development, suggesting this may have evolved to help form a placenta.

New Haven, Conn. — The 2025 Gruber Genetics Prize is being awarded to geneticist and molecular biologist Rotem Sorek, Ph.D., of the Weizmann Institute of Science, for his discoveries in the immune system of bacteria. Using a novel approach that combined computational approaches with an experimental system, Sorek and his colleagues conducted wide scale screens of tens of thousands of bacterial genomes, identifying an astounding number of defense systems used against infection by viruses called phages. This led to the discovery that parts of the human immune system originated as bacterial defense systems against phages. 

The Gruber Genetics Prize, which includes a $500,000 award, will be presented to Sorek in a ceremony later this year.

Shrub fringes on the edges of forests and fields protect animal species and have a positive effect on biodiversity: This was reported by a research team from the University of Würzburg.