Tech & Engineering
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 4-Apr-2026 11:15 ET (4-Apr-2026 15:15 GMT/UTC)
The Trojan Horse gene of the marine virus
Technion-Israel Institute of TechnologyPeer-Reviewed Publication
A team from the Technion Faculty of Biology has discovered how marine viruses use a “Trojan horse” strategy to exploit the energy systems of ocean bacteria, reshaping key global processes. The study, published in Nature, reveals that cyanophages—viruses that infect oceanic cyanobacteria—carry a hijacked bacterial gene, nblA, which dismantles the bacteria’s photosynthetic machinery.
Under normal stress, this gene helps cyanobacteria survive by recycling components of their photosynthetic systems. However, when activated by the virus, it turns against the host: the virus triggers the breakdown to release amino acids it then uses to replicate rapidly. This allows the virus to exploit the host’s resources while destroying it from within.
The discovery was made by Prof. Debbie Lindell, Prof. Oded Béjà, and Prof. Oded Kleifeld, together with Dr. Omer Nadel, Dr. Rawad Hanna, and Dr. Andrey Rozenberg, using a combination of genetic engineering, proteomics, and environmental metagenomics to map the process in detail.
The researchers estimate that this viral mechanism reduces the global photosynthetic energy production of marine cyanobacteria by about 5%, with potential implications for the Earth’s carbon and oxygen cycles.
- Journal
- Nature
Deep MARL-based resilient motion planning for decentralized space manipulator
Beijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd- Journal
- Space: Science & Technology
3D printing researchers develop fast-curing, environmentally friendly concrete substitute
Oregon State UniversityPeer-Reviewed Publication
Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a quick-setting, environmentally friendly alternative to concrete they hope can one day be used to rapidly 3-D print homes and infrastructure.
- Journal
- Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials
- Funder
- National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Oregon State University Global Hemp Innovation Center, Oregon State University College of Engineering
Charting a new course for aquatic ecosystem health in China
Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural UniversityIn a visionary commentary that bridges the gap between theory and practice, leading environmental scientists from China are pioneering a new approach to assessing the health of aquatic ecosystems. Titled "Aquatic Ecosystem Health Assessment in China Based on Metacommunity Theory: From Theory to Practice," this insightful piece is co-authored by Prof. Xiaowei Jin from the China National Environmental Monitoring Centre and Prof. Fengchang Wu from the State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, both based in Beijing, China. Their work offers a fresh perspective on how metacommunity theory can be applied to real-world environmental challenges.
- Journal
- Carbon Research
Nasal drops fight brain tumors noninvasively
WashU MedicinePeer-Reviewed Publication
- Funder
- Melanoma Research Foundation, Chicago Cancer Baseball Charities, Cellularity, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, AbbVie, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
Epigenetic changes regulate gene expression, but what regulates epigenetics?
Salk InstitutePeer-Reviewed Publication
All the cells in an organism have the exact same genetic sequence. What differs across cell types is their epigenetics—meticulously placed chemical tags that influence which genes get expressed in each cell. If epigenetic changes regulate our genetics, what is regulating them? Salk scientists have now used plant cells to discover that a type of epigenetic tag, called DNA methylation, can be regulated by genetic mechanisms. Prior to this study, scientists had only understood how DNA methylation was regulated by other epigenetic features, so the discovery that genetic features can also guide DNA methylation patterns is a major paradigm shift. Their findings could inform future epigenetic engineering strategies aimed at generating methylation patterns predicted to repair or enhance cell function, with many potential applications in medicine and agriculture.
- Journal
- Nature Cell Biology