Capuchin monkeys hunt prey when fruits and vegetables become scarce, potentially mirroring the habits of human ancestors, according to a study published August 26, 2026 in the open access journal PLOS One by Susana Carvalho (Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique), Noemi Spagnoletti (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy) and colleagues.

What if amyloid plaques are not the whole story of Alzheimer’s disease? New research suggests that a broad range of Alzheimer’s pathologies may be orchestrated by a molecular switch called ERBB4 when it turns on in the wrong neurons. Once activated, this misplaced signal can set off a chain reaction that disrupts brain circuits, eliminates synapses, activates glial cells, increases amyloid pathology and impairs memory.

A research team led by Associate Director CHUNG Won-Suk at the Center for Vascular Research within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) has identified aberrant ERBB4 expression in excitatory neurons as an early driver of multiple Alzheimer’s disease pathologies. The researchers found that when ERBB4, a receptor normally associated mainly with inhibitory neurons, appears in excitatory neurons, it can trigger neuronal hyperactivity, abnormal synapse loss, reactive gliosis, amyloid accumulation, and cognitive impairment.

Bats are anomalies in the mammalian world—they fly, have long lifespans, and rarely get cancer. Scientists now suspect the bat immune system enables them to live longer without disease, according to a new study published today in Nature.

When it comes to invading healthy cells, Legionella bacteria rely on blending in rather than breaking in. New research from Van Andel Institute scientists demonstrates how a protein produced by Legionella mimics the behavior of the host cell’s own proteins. This clever ruse allows the protein, RomA, to change how the host’s genes are regulated and create conditions that help the bacteria survive and multiply. But there is a limit to RomA’s effectiveness. Although the protein can read and respond to the host’s existing epigenetic landscape, those same signals constrain what RomA can and cannot do.

A research team has uncovered fundamental molecular mechanisms governing the formation of tendons and ligaments, which are essential for musculoskeletal integration. Understanding these mechanisms could pave the way for the regeneration of tendons, ligaments, and their attachment sites, known as entheses, which have limited capacity for functional repair after injury because of their poor vascularization.

The warming climate is reshaping populations of the snail that transmits schistosomiasis in China. Now, researchers show that 92% of studied snail populations had positive temperature sensitivity, while body size and land use shaped survival and density. Projections suggest that more than 20% of populations could increase under future warming, highlighting regions and habitats where climate-adaptive surveillance and targeted snail control should be strengthened to sustain progress toward schistosomiasis elimination and protect communities nationwide.