Challenging the long-standing belief that fibroblasts produce skin collagen, researchers at Okayama University have investigated collagen formation in the ‘glass-skinned’ amphibian axolotl and other vertebrates. They discovered that keratinocytes, the surface cells of the skin, are responsible for producing collagen, which is then transferred deeper to form the dermis. Later, fibroblasts migrate into this collagen layer, modifying and reinforcing its structure.

A critically endangered new species of killifish sampled from an ancient forest in Kenya in 2017 and 2018 has been described in the journal Zootaxa. Nothobranchius sylvaticus, from the Latin meaning “pertaining to the forest”, is also the first known endemic killifish to persist in a forest.

A recent study published in the open-access journal ZooKeys has reclassified the species commonly known as the Javan rhinoceros, proposing a more precise scientific name: Eurhinoceros sondaicus. The research, led by zoologist Francesco Nardelli and paleontologist Kurt Heißig, highlights key differences in body structure and ecology that set this species apart from the Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis). Recognizing it as a separate genus not only improves scientific understanding but also has important implications for conservation efforts.

Kanazawa University’s Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) is now accepting proposals from industry partners for collaborative research utilizing the world’s most advanced bio-scanning probe microscope (Bio-SPM) technology. This initiative aims to foster groundbreaking industrial applications by leveraging WPI-NanoLSI’s pioneering expertise in nano-life sciences.

The rate of development of poikilothermic animals, such as insects, fish, and reptiles, is determined by environmental temperature. A research team at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in Germany has recently demonstrated how temperature can affect brain development in fruit flies. They found more synapses and postsynaptic partners in the brain of Drosophila melanogaster correlating to lower environmental temperature during pupal development.