Mitochondrial transplantation is an emerging technique aimed at restoring cellular energy production in diseases marked by mitochondrial dysfunction. However, how transplanted mitochondria interact with recipient cells has remained unclear. In a recent study, researchers from Japan investigated how isolated mitochondria are taken up by cells and proved they remain functional after uptake. Their findings help lay the groundwork for future mitochondrial therapies in regenerative medicine. 

Two bird species new to science have been identified in the Amazon Basin by Brazilian researchers. By integrating bioacoustic analysis with morphological data from museum specimens, the team revealed that the widespread Amazonian antbird, previously recognized as a single species, is actually a complex of five distinct species. This discovery, published in Vertebrate Zoology, highlights how much of the Amazon’s "cryptic" biodiversity remains undiscovered and underscores the need for comprehensive taxonomic revisions.

Guidelines summarize how persons with a certain disease should be treated according to current knowledge, thereby supporting doctors in finding optimal therapy. Keeping an overview of guidelines is however becoming increasingly difficult. A consortium comprising public and industry partners and headed by Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin is now aiming to remedy the situation: engaging in the GUIDE-AI project, the team is developing AI-based assistants that draw attention to deviations from the guidelines – and opening up potential that could improve the treatment of millions of people. GUIDE-AI is being funded with 9.5 million euros over a four-year period as part of the EU's Innovative Health Initiative.

Estonian research organisations aim to establish a new Centre of Excellence for Science and Deep Tech in Estonia, developed in close partnership with the Helsinki Institute of Physics (HIP) and CERN.

The initiative is prepared under the European Commission’s Teaming for Excellence programme (TERA-Science) and seeks to strengthen Estonia’s scientific excellence, train new generations of scientists and engineers, and translate frontier technologies into industrial value.

Scientists are looking for ways to make chemical reactions more efficient with the help of catalysts. This would ideally use rare metals as economically as possible. With individual, isolated indium atoms on a support material, ETH chemists have created a catalyst that is highly efficient at converting CO2 and hydrogen into methanol. Methanol can be used to produce a multitude of chemical products, including plastics and fuels. This method provides the basis for a fossil-free chemical industry.  

A University of Sharjah researcher develops an innovative cylinder-and-particle system that promises to offer enhanced protection against earthquakes, wind loads, and industrial vibrations.