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Marc de la Roche – Maike de la Roche | A New Route to Precision Cancer Immunotherapy
Cancer treatments are increasingly moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches, and new research led by Marc de la Roche and Maike de la Roche shows how a single biological target could open the door to multiple, more precise immunotherapies. The work focuses on LGR5, a protein found at unusually high levels on the surface of certain cancer cells, including colorectal cancer, liver cancer, and a form of leukaemia.
Dr. Francisco Pelegri – Dr. Ryan Trevena | What Hybrid Fish Reveal About Boundaries in Evolution
Why can some animals from different species mate and produce healthy offspring, while others can’t? Closely related species can sometimes reproduce, but the further apart they are on the evolutionary tree, the more likely their hybrid offspring will struggle to survive. These genetic barriers are key to understanding how new species arise, but scientists are still piecing together when and why they appear. To explore this, Francisco Pelegri, Ryan Trevena and their colleagues at the University of Wisconsin–Madison turned to zebrafish and related species.
Dr. Missy Thompson | Uncovering the Science Behind Elite Ice Climbing
Ice climbing is one of the most dramatic winter sports, with athletes swinging axes into frozen walls and hauling themselves skyward on vertical sheets of ice. But behind the spectacle lies a science of movement, endurance and strength that is only starting to be explored. Research led by Dr. Missy Thompson at Fort Lewis College takes a close look at the biomechanics of elite ice climbers, revealing what separates top performers from the rest.
Dr. Bruce Lahn | Cracking the Code of How Cells Choose Their Fates
How does a single fertilized egg produce the hundreds of cell types that make up the body – from neurons and skin cells to muscle and blood? This question has long been one of biology’s great mysteries. Dr. Bruce Lahn and his team at the University of Chicago believe they have uncovered a fundamental mechanism behind this process, which could reshape how scientists think about development and cellular identity.
Professor Magnus S. Magnusson | The Surprising Similarities Between Human Cells and Societies
For most of history, humans lived in small groups. Then, almost overnight in evolutionary terms, billions of us began cooperating in vast, complex societies, something unmatched in the animal kingdom. How did this happen? Professor Magnus S. Magnusson of the University of Iceland believes the answer lies in an unexpected place: inside our cells. His research shows striking parallels between the way that DNA segments (called genes), form specialized proteins, and the way that text segments, called curricula, form specialized individuals.
Dr Liisa Laakso | A Ray of Hope for Mitochondrial Disease
MELAS is one of a number of rare genetic conditions in which a person’s cells struggle to make enough energy. As a result, people with MELAS often face extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, strokes, and a host of other symptoms. There is no cure yet, and treatments focus on managing problems as they show up. Now, Dr Liisa Laakso and her colleagues at the Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland are exploring a non-drug approach that could support the body’s cells themselves.
Dr Michael Rera | Smurf and Death: Understanding the Phasing of Aging
Aging is one of biology’s most universal and mysterious processes. Most living organisms age, although in different ways, yet scientists still don’t fully understand how or why it happens the way it does. Over time, cells accumulate damage and wear down, tissues become less efficient, and the body becomes more vulnerable to diseases and death. But is aging a progressive decline towards death, or does it occur in distinct, identifiable phases? To investigate this, Dr Michael Rera and colleagues at Paris Cité University have been studying aging in model organisms, including the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster.
Professor Indraneel Mittra | Horizontally Transferred Cell-Free Chromatin Particles: A New Frontier in Mammalian Genomics
Professor Indraneel Mittra and his research team at the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research & Education in Cancer, Mumbai, has discovered a surprising role for cell-free chromatin particles, cfChPs, in mammalian cells. Their findings position cfChPs as agents of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and drivers of evolutionary change.
The Hidden Role of Platelets: New Insights Towards the Treatment of Aplastic Anaemia
Aplastic anaemia is a common and significant hematologic disease, where the bone marrow cannot produce enough blood cells, leaving people exhausted, prone to infections, and at risk of serious bleeding. Most mechanistic research has focused on how components of the immune system, especially T-cells, mistakenly attack the bone marrow. But new work led by Dr Shuai Tan, Dr Xingmin Feng, and Dr Wanling Sun offers an important shift in perspective: platelets may be doing far more than helping blood clot in aplastic anaemia.
How Biomolecular Solutions Can Make Fish Farming Sustainable
Fish farming has become one of the fastest-growing sources of food in the world, providing nearly half of all fish consumed globally. Yet behind this success lies a complex set of challenges. Intensive aquaculture can strain ecosystems, spread diseases, and increase dependence on antibiotics and chemicals that harm both fish and the environment. As climate change and rising demand for seafood put even more pressure on aquatic systems, scientists and producers are searching for smarter, more sustainable ways to farm fish without compromising animal welfare or water quality. Across Europe, a pioneering initiative called BioAqua COST Action, funded by the European Union, is working to meet this challenge.
Extracting Yeast Bioactives – Process Matters
Yeast cells are tiny powerhouses packed with bioactive components. As such, yeast has become a key ingredient in modern animal nutrition, valued for its ability to support gut health, boost immunity, and improve feed efficiency.
To make the bioactive compounds within yeast cells available to animals, the tough outer cell wall must first be broken down. The process used to achieve this plays a key role in determining how effective it will be in supporting animal health and performance. Understanding these processing methods is essential for making the most of what yeast has to offer.
Dr. Jacqueline Tabler – The Self-Organizing Bone Wave That Shapes Our Skulls
Most of us don’t give much thought to our skulls beyond their role in protecting our brains. But the way a skull forms in the womb is a remarkable feat of biology, and, as a new study shows, also a feat of physics.
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