Early DNA Organization is Robust and Flexible When the egg and sperm fuse, a comprehensive reorganization of DNA begins within the nucleus. Epigenetics plays a crucial role in this process, regulating gene activity through chemical modifications on DNA and its associated proteins. “We wanted to understand how these epigenetic programs influence gene activity and ensure that the cell correctly executes its developmental tasks,” explains study leader Prof. Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla, Director at the Institute of Epigenetics ...

New multidisciplinary research led by Prof. Tomás Ryan from Trinity College Dublin shows that the brain forms memories of cold experiences and uses them to control our metabolism. This newly published study is the first to show that cold memories form in the brain – and map out how they subsequently drive thermoregulation. The discovery may have important applications in therapies designed to treat a range of disorders – from obesity to cancer – in which thermoregulation and metabolism (or a lack of control in this area) plays a role, as ...

To the point Secret of the Phoenician-Punic civilization's success: Their culture spread across the Mediterranean not through large-scale mass migration, but through a dynamic process of cultural transmission and assimilation. Melting pot of ancient people: The study found that Punic populations had a highly variable and heterogeneous genetic profile, with significant North African and Sicilian-Aegean ancestry. Highly interconnected: Ancient Mediterranean societies were cosmopolitan, with people from different regions trading, moving often over large distances and having offspring with each other. This provides new insights into the region's cultural and population history in ...

A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham showed that teens and young adults who took varenicline—an FDA-approved, twice-daily smoking cessation pill for adults—are more than three times as likely to successfully quit vaping compared to those who received only behavioral counseling. Results are published in JAMA. “Vaping is extremely popular among kids, and we know that this early nicotine exposure can make drugs like cocaine more addictive down the line, yet ours is the first ...

CINCINNATI—Scientists at Cincinnati Children’s along with an international team of researchers have discovered a surprising new connection between gut health and blood cancer risk—one that could transform how we think about aging, inflammation, and the early stages of leukemia. As we grow older—or in some cases, when gut health is compromised by disease—changes in the intestinal lining allow certain bacteria to leak their byproducts into the bloodstream. One such molecule, produced by specific bacteria, acts as a signal that accelerates the expansion of dormant, pre-leukemic blood cells, a critical step ...

An advanced genomic analysis of a multigenerational family is providing new knowledge about genetic mutations and their transmission, both the variants that are inherited and those that arise anew. The findings are published today, April 23, in Nature.  “We sequenced and assembled the chromosomes of multiple members of a large, four-generation family to understand how the genetic information changed from generation to generation,” said Evan E Eichler, professor of genome sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle and the corresponding author of the paper. During the study, lead author David Porubsky was a postdoctoral fellow at the UW. Porubsky ...

The Transdisciplinary Research Areas (TRAs) Modelling and Life and Health at the University of Bonn have presented their €100,000 research prize, entitled “Modelling for Life and Health,” for the second time. The winners—Argelander Professor Ana Ivonne Vazquez-Armendariz and Schlegel Professor Jan Hasenauer—will be using their prize money to study the functions of “scavenger cells” in the lungs at the interface between mathematics and medicine. The lung’s very own scavenger cells, known as alveolar macrophages, ...

The total economic burden of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in the United States will reach $781 billion this year, according to new USC-led research. This is the first of what will be annual national estimates from the multidisciplinary research team. The team aims to provide the most comprehensive accounting yet of dementia’s growing economic toll. Beyond the cost of care, the model also accounts for lost earnings from patients and care partners who cut back work hours or leave jobs, ...

In an effort to explain a modern medical mystery, an international team of researchers led by the University of California San Diego has identified a potential microbial culprit behind the alarming rise in early-onset colorectal cancer: a bacterial toxin called colibactin. Produced by certain strains of Escherichia coli that reside in the colon and rectum, colibactin is a toxin capable of altering DNA. Now, scientists report that exposure to colibactin in early childhood imprints a distinct genetic signature on the DNA of colon cells—one that may ...

“[…] these data demonstrate that baboons exhibit varying degrees of differences between their chronological and epigenetic ages (i.e., their delta age), allowing characterization of baboons as age-accelerated or decelerated.” BUFFALO, NY — April 23, 2025 — A new research paper was published in Aging (Aging-US) Volume 17, Issue 3, on March 18, 2025, titled “Epigenetic and accelerated age in captive olive baboons (Papio anubis), and relationships with walking speed and fine motor performance.” In ...

(WASHINGTON—April 23, 2025) — Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) who were taking cholesterol-lowering statin medications at the start of their cancer treatment had a 61% lower risk of dying from their cancer compared to similar patients who were not taking statins, according to a study published today in the journal Blood Advances.   “This is the first systematic evaluation of the association of statin use with survival outcomes in patients with CLL or SLL ...

In a new report released today, American Cancer Society (ACS) researchers discovered mixed progress in major cancer risk factors, preventive behaviors, and screenings in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period among adults in the United States. Smoking rates continued a long-term declining trend during the COVID-19 pandemic, but 27 million adults still smoked in 2023. Breast and colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rebounded after decreasing or stalling during the pandemic. However, past-year cervical cancer screening remained lower than pre-pandemic levels, continuing a disappointing pattern in up-to-date screening in the past two decades. ...

Lake Okeechobee, Florida’s largest freshwater lake, plays a vital role in the state’s ecosystem and water management. Spanning 730 square miles with an average depth of just 9 feet, it serves as a crucial water source for agriculture and flood control. Connected to the Everglades through canals, it’s also a popular destination for fishing, boating and birdwatching. However, the lake faces increasing harmful cyanobacteria blooms, particularly from the toxin-producing species Microcystis aeruginosa. These microscopic algae thrive in warm, nutrient-rich waters and can form harmful algal blooms. Known for their diel (daily) vertical migration, cyanobacteria move up ...

WASHINGTON—The Endocrine Society has selected Yoshitomo Hoshino, M.D., Ph.D., as the recipient of its 2025 C. Wayne Bardin, M.D., International Travel Award for his outstanding ENDO abstract and research contributions to the care of patients with bone health disorders. The C. Wayne Bardin, M.D., International Travel Award was created in honor of Past President Wayne Bardin, who made remarkable research contributions to both reproductive physiology and contraception throughout his long career. As the winner, Hoshino received a $3,000 travel grant for ENDO and complimentary meeting registration. Hoshino ...

Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Berk.), also known as the Chinese caterpillar fungus, is a revered traditional medicine with a rich history of use in Chinese culture for over 700 years. Endemic to the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding high-altitude regions, it is particularly valued for its potent bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides, alkaloids, and nucleosides. This fungus, which parasitizes the larvae of moths, has attracted significant commercial interest due to its medicinal properties, such as immune enhancement, anti-inflammatory effects, and its role in promoting general well-being. However, its limited natural supply due to harsh growing ...

Conservators and museum technicians protect precious archaeological metal objects, such as tools and weapons, with clear coatings, leaving preserved and unobstructed views of these detailed treasures. However, researchers have reported in ACS Central Science that some of the resins used for these coatings react with iron-containing metals and can cause damage. The team developed a non-invasive fluorescence imaging strategy that reveals early signs of these damaging chemical reactions and confirmed its utility on ancient artifacts.   Polymer coatings, including acrylic resins, are commonly used to protect metal artifacts from ...

High-resolution, full-color display devices like foldable mobile phones and ultrathin television sets use organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Compared to other display technologies, OLEDs offer flexibility, self-lighting, low weight, thinness, superior contrast, and low voltage displays, attracting considerable attention in recent years. OLEDs comprise multiple layers of organic ultrathin films sandwiched between electrodes, each with specific functions inside the device. During the operation of an OLED device, charge accumulation and light emissions likely occur at the interface ...

Media Contact: John Dudley (814) 490-3290 (cell) jjdudley@usf.edu Click here for images, captions and a PDF of the journal article What rattlesnake venom can teach us about evolution USF researchers find that island snakes adapt their venom in surprising ways, offering new clues about how animals evolve in changing environments TAMPA, Fla. (Embrgoed for publication until April 23, 2025) – Researchers at the University of South Florida are uncovering new clues about how animals evolve by studying rattlesnake venom — and what they’ve found could ...

In 2021, research led by Ryan Flynn, MD, PhD, and his mentor, Nobel laureate Carolyn Bertozzi, PhD, opened a new chapter in biology, characterizing a new kind of player on the cell surface: glycoRNAs. Extending this discovery recently in Cell, Flynn and colleagues showed that glycoRNAs form highly organized clusters with RNA-binding proteins on the cell surface. These clusters appear to regulate communication between cells and their environment. Now, reporting in Nature Biotechnology, Flynn’s team in the Stem Cell Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and Dana-Farber/Boston Children's ...

In metamaterials design, the name of the game has long been “stronger is better.”  Metamaterials are synthetic materials with microscopic structures that give the overall material exceptional properties. A huge focus has been in designing metamaterials that are stronger and stiffer than their conventional counterparts. But there’s a trade-off: The stiffer a material, the less flexible it is.  MIT engineers have now found a way to fabricate a metamaterial that is both strong and stretchy. The base material is typically highly rigid and brittle, but it is printed ...

A bacteria killing coating created by scientists has been used in trials of a new paint that can be applied to a range of surfaces to effectively kill bacteria and viruses, including difficult to kill species such as MRSA, flu and COVID-19. Scientists at the University of Nottingham’s School of Pharmacy have trialled a new paint-on resin product that incorporates bacteria killing chlorhexidine, which is often used by dentists to treat mouth infections and for pre-surgical cleaning.  The team have worked with Indestructible Paint to create a prototype antimicrobial paint using this new material and have found it effectively activates when dried ...

Kyoto, Japan -- Smartphones may often feel like a source of stress, feeding us an endless stream of bad news and social comparison. But what if they could also be the solution? A team of researchers from Kyoto University believes they can be. The team has developed a smartphone app that delivers core techniques of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)—a proven treatment for depression and anxiety—straight into the hands of users, and tested it in the largest-ever individually randomized trial of its kind. Their ...

The Report: Contrary to common perceptions, the peak in global anti-Jewish hatred was immediately after the October 7 attack, and not as the war progressed. A particularly alarming rise was recorded in Australia. Increases were also observed in the United States, Italy, Spain, Canada, Argentina, and Brazil. According to the Report, only a negligible percentage of complaints regarding antisemitic hate crimes have led to arrests and indictments; “Education and legislation without enforcement are meaningless”. On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry and the Irwin Cotler Institute for Democracy, Human Rights ...

Current AI Risks More Alarming than Apocalyptic Future Scenarios Most people generally are more concerned about the immediate risks of artificial intelligence than they are about a theoretical future in which AI threatens humanity. A new study by the University of Zurich reveals that respondents draw clear distinctions between abstract scenarios and specific tangible problems and particularly take the latter very seriously. There is a broad consensus that artificial intelligence is associated with risks, but ...

Addressing the challenges of fragrance design, researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo) have developed an AI model that can automate the creation of new fragrances based on user-defined scent descriptors. The model uses mass spectrometry profiles of essential oils and corresponding odor descriptors to generate essential oil blends for new scents. This breakthrough is a game-changer for the fragrance industry, moving beyond trial-and-error, enabling rapid and scalable fragrance production. Designing new fragrances is crucial ...