Embargoed for release: Thursday, February 6, 2025, 2:00 PM ET Key points: Comprehensive genetic mapping of Plasmodium knowlesi, a zoonotic parasite that causes malaria, has revealed the genes required for malaria infection of the blood, and those driving drug resistance. By identifying specific druggable targets and determinants of resistance, the map provides insights that could help the development of new therapeutics. Boston, MA—A new, comprehensive map of all the genes essential for blood infections in Plasmodium knowlesi (P. ...

In brief: •             In Greenland, an international team of researchers led by ETH Zurich has discovered that countless tiny ice quakes take place deep inside ice streams. •             These quakes are responsible for the fact that ice streams also move with a continuous stick-slip motion and not only like viscous honey as previously considered. •             The researchers recorded seismic data from inside the ice stream using a fibre-optic cable in a 2,700-metre deep borehole.   The ...

Whale song can be as efficient as – and, in some cases, more efficient than – human communication, according to a new study in Science Advances. Meanwhile, new unrelated research in Science further investigates whale song’s adherence to a universal linguistic law, as observed in recordings of humpback whales.   Natural selection favors the pithy over the longwinded. For example, yelling “Duck!” is faster and far more effective than shouting “Be careful, there is an incoming projectile, and you need to move out of the way!” ...

Researchers have uncovered a neural mechanism in the brains of mice that enables them to override instinctive fear responses; dysfunction in this mechanism may contribute to inappropriate or excessive fear responses, they say. According to the findings, targeting these circuits could offer new therapeutic avenues for treating fear-related disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. Fear responses to visual threats, such as escaping from an approaching predator, are critical instinctive reactions for survival and are ...

The hormone adrenomedullin disrupts insulin signaling in blood vessel cells, contributing to systemic insulin resistance in obesity-associated type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. Blocking adrenomedullin’s effects restores insulin function and improves glucose control in a mouse model, suggesting a potential new target for treating obesity-related metabolic disease. Diabetes is a leading global cause of illness, mortality, and healthcare expenditures, with most cases stemming from obesity-induced insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Insulin resistance primarily ...

In this Special Issue of Science, 3 Reviews and a Policy Forum highlight research on Earth’s frozen places – from the Arctic to the Antarctic – and how it’s changing due to climate change and the geopolitical challenges this important work faces. In the first Review, Julienne Stroeve and colleagues provide a preview of what the Arctic region may look like in a warmer world. Without stronger climate action, global temperatures are set to rise +2.7°C above preindustrial levels, ...

Researchers at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre (SWC) at UCL have unveiled the precise brain mechanisms that enable animals to overcome instinctive fears. Published today in Science, the study in mice could have implications for developing therapeutics for fear-related disorders such as phobias, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The research team, led by Dr Sara Mederos and Professor Sonja Hofer, mapped out how the brain learns to suppress responses to perceived threats that prove ...

Known for their powerful punch, mantis shrimp can smash a shell with the force of a .22 caliber bullet. Yet, amazingly, these tough critters remain intact despite the intense shockwaves created by their own strikes. Northwestern University researchers have discovered how mantis shrimp remain impervious to their own punches. Their fists, or dactyl clubs, are covered in layered patterns, which selectively filter out sound. By blocking specific vibrations, the patterns act like a shield against self-generated shockwaves. The study will be published on Friday (Feb. 7) in the journal Science. The findings someday could be applied to developing ...

A corn plant knows how to find water in soil with the very tips of its roots, but some varieties, including many used for breeding high-yielding corn in the U.S., appear to have lost a portion of that ability, according to a Stanford-led study. With climate change increasing droughts, the findings hold potential for developing more resilient varieties of corn. The study, published in the journal Science, uncovers genetic mechanisms behind root “hydropatterning,” or how plant roots branch toward water and avoid dry spaces in soil. In particular, the researchers ...

Humpback whale song is a striking example of a complex, culturally transmitted behavior, but up to now, there was little evidence it has language-like structure. Human language, which is also culturally transmitted, has recurring parts whose frequency of use follows a particular pattern. In humans, these properties help learning and may come about because they help language be passed from one generation to the next. This work innovatively applies methods inspired by how babies discover words in speech to humpback whale recordings, uncovering the same statistical structures found in all human languages. It reveals previously undetected structure in ...

In a groundbreaking study, University of Florida scientists statistically analyzed large amounts of data collected by Burmese python contractors, revealing critical insights about how to most efficiently remove the reptiles. Researchers correlated survey outcomes, including python removals, with survey conditions, using statistical modeling. For example, the researchers examined if factors like time or temperature impacted the chance of removing a python. They also analyzed whether the most surveyed areas aligned with the highest python removals. This allowed the researchers to ...

During the Super Bowl, every decision matters. With millions of fans watching, the game often comes down to a single play call. And no call is more scrutinized than what a coach decides to do on fourth down. Punt? Attempt a field goal? Or go for it? A new BYU study explains why NFL coaches, including Super Bowl contenders Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs) and Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles), may behave too conservatively on fourth down. Despite growing acceptance of analytics-driven decision-making, most coaches, ...

Researchers at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) have developed a new soft joint model for robots with an asymmetrical triangular structure and an extremely thin central column. This breakthrough, recently patented, allows for versatility of movement, adaptability and safety, and will have a major impact in the field of robotics. “The main feature of this new design is that it allows greater bending angles to be achieved with less force, providing the robots with great versatility and adaptability of movement,” explains Concha Monje, professor in the UC3M Department ...

Some food labels designed to nudge Americans toward healthier food choices can have the opposite effect, new University of Florida research shows. The study is particularly compelling because it comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration weighs whether to require front-of-package food labels. Through a newly proposed rule, the agency introduced labels highlighting saturated fat, sodium and added sugar. Each value on the labels, a percent of the recommended daily value, corresponds to one of three levels: low, medium and high. The UF/IFAS study, published in the journal Food Policy, examined front-of-package labels professing the contents inside as “healthy.” ...

CLEVELAND—Nearly every disease has an inflammatory component, but blood tests can’t pinpoint inflammation in specific organs or tissues in the human body. Now researchers at Case Western Reserve University have developed a method to detect inflammation using antibodies, potentially leading to blood tests for disease-specific biomarkers such as for heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and various cancers. Their breakthrough also holds promise for drug discovery. “This research opens up an amazing number of pathways ...

San Francisco, CA (Feb. 5, 2025) – The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) are excited to host the annual Crohn’s & Colitis Congress®, taking place Feb. 6-8, in San Francisco, CA. This premier event will showcase cutting-edge research, innovative technologies, and advanced patient care strategies set to transform the lives of one in 100 Americans living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.  Below ...

Vanilla is vital to the livelihoods of farmers in Madagascar, where the globally popular dessert ingredient is the country’s No. 1 export. A fun, thought-provoking game designed by a team of scientists and played by Malagasy vanilla farmers reveals the challenges of payment programs that incentivize forest conservation in the region, according to a study led by the University of California, Davis. The study, published in the February issue of the journal Biological Conservation, found that even amid volatile markets and climate uncertainties, farmers highly value their vanilla crops, which are tied ...

Vaginas host a complex microcosm of bacteria and yeasts that can fluctuate over time. However, little is known about these microbial communities and their roles in a person’s health, and 9 out of 10 studies only include participants from one continent, resulting in major geographical gaps in data. In a paper publishing February 6 in the Cell Press journal Trends in Microbiology, scientists share insights gleaned from a “sisterhood” of thousands of citizen scientists and demonstrate how international collaboration can help illuminate the gaps in our knowledge about the vaginal microbiome, including which bacteria are helpful ...

Four early-career scientists share how they’ve harnessed features of their lives—from music to AI technology—to inspire their career and uplift communities. Each winner receives $10,000 for their science with essays published in the journal Cell Cell Press, Cell Signaling Technology (CST), and the Elsevier Foundation are proud to announce the winners of the 5th annual Rising Black Scientists Awards: Jheannelle Johnson of Stanford University; Victor Ekuta, MD, of the Morehouse School of Medicine; Kenna Gloria Agbugba of Philander Smith ...

A new method pioneered to optimally cook both the yolk and white (or albumen) of a boiled chicken egg has been published in Communications Engineering. The approach, which the authors call periodic cooking, yields an evenly-cooked egg with a higher nutritional content than shell-on eggs cooked by conventional boiling or sous vide methods. The yolk and white in chicken eggs cook at two different temperatures: the albumen cooks at 85 degrees Celsius, while the yolk cooks at 65 degrees Celsius. Conventional methods for cooking ...

About The Study: In this cohort study of all residents of Ontario, Canada, individuals with incident hospital-based cannabis use disorder care were at markedly increased risk of death compared with the general population. These findings suggest important clinical and policy implications, given global trends toward cannabis legalization and market commercialization accompanied by increasing cannabis use and cannabis use disorders.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Daniel ...

About The Study: The results of this study show that the COVID-19 pandemic caused a notable drop in the number of common ophthalmic procedures among Medicare beneficiaries, especially in laser peripheral iridotomy, while eye drug injections saw minimal changes. The Northeast experienced the largest reductions, highlighting the pandemic’s association with changes in eye care and indicating a need for focused recovery efforts in the hardest hit areas.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Jessica D. Randolph, MD, email jessica.randolph@vcuhealth.org. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2024.6065) Editor’s ...

A clinical trial comparing a one-page medication handout proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with an updated version developed by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh that quantifies a drug’s risk and benefits showed that the latter was more informative and helped patients feel better equipped to make decisions. Published today in JAMA Network Open, the study, which used the drug mifepristone as an example, highlights the importance of communicating risks and benefits of prescription medications – ...

From decades of astronomical observations scientists know that most galaxies contain massive black holes at their centers. The gas and dust falling into these black holes liberates an enormous amount of energy as a result of friction, forming luminous galactic cores, called quasars, that expel jets of energetic matter. These jets can be detected with radio telescopes up to large distances. In our local Universe these radio jets are not uncommon, with a small fraction being found in nearby galaxies, but they have remained elusive in the distant, early Universe until now.  Using a combination of telescopes, astronomers have discovered a distant, two-lobed radio ...

Our immune system is armed with an array of defenses designed to detect and eliminate harmful threats. One of its most powerful defense mechanisms is the complement system—a group of proteins that patrols our body, ever vigilant for signs of infection or injury. Now, over 100 years after the complement system was first described, researchers at Mass General Brigham have discovered that a protein known as granzyme K (GZMK) drives tissue damage and inflammation by activating the complement system against our own tissues. Their findings not only reshape the century-old understanding of the complement system but also open new avenues for therapies that could specifically ...