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• Global, regional, and national burden of stroke and its risk factors, 1990-2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. GBD 2021 Stroke Risk Factor Collaborators. Lancet Neurol. 2024. PMID: 39304265
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A biogeochemist is tracking the movements of toxic mercury pollution

Exposing the hidden movements of mercury through the environment can help reduce human exposure.

A materials scientist seeks to extract lithium from untapped sources

Zapping sand to create rock could help curb coastal erosion.

A vital ocean current is stable, for now

The Florida Current, a major contributor to a system of ocean currents that regulate Earth’s climate, has not weakened as much as previously reported.

‘Smart lighting’ might make vertical farming more affordable

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The finding suggests that a drug to ease swelling can speed recovery and stop cell death.

Semaglutide may reduce opioid overdoses, a new study suggests 

A brain network linked to attention is larger in people with depression, some of earth’s extinct giants may have been smaller than thought.

This intricate maze connects the dots on quasicrystal surfaces

The winding loop touches every point without crossing itself and could help make a unique class of atomic structures more efficient catalysts, scientists say.

Scientists find a naturally occurring molecule that forms a fractal

How two outsiders tackled the mystery of arithmetic progressions.

Physicists just discovered the rarest particle decay ever

The “golden channel” decay of subatomic particles called kaons could break or confirm the standard model of particle physics.

X-rays from nuclear blasts could defend Earth from asteroids

How did dark matter shape the universe this physicist has ideas, science & society.

This researcher studies how misinformation seeps into science and politics

The world is awash in information. Communications researcher Yotam Ophir digs into news articles and survey results to show how beliefs form and spread.

10 early-career scientists tackling some of the biggest problems of today

Talking to a chatbot may weaken someone’s belief in conspiracy theories.

The X-ray pulses could deflect asteroids up to 4 kilometers wide, a new study suggests.

A neutrino mass mismatch could shake cosmology’s foundations

A new computer program adjusts grow lights to cut down on electric bills without sacrificing photosynthesis.

This engineer’s light-based computers take inspiration from the brain

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This semi-aquatic lizard produces a bubble over its nostrils to continue breathing underwater. Lindsey Swierk hide caption

Meet the scuba diving lizards breathing by bubble

September 20, 2024 • What's scaly, striped and breathes underwater like a scuba diver? Water anoles! These lizards can form a bubble over their head to support breathing underwater. They're found in the tropical forests of southern Costa Rica.

Garbage is unloaded into the Pine Tree Acres Landfill in Lenox Township, Mich., on July 28, 2022. State bans on commercial food waste have been largely ineffective, researchers found. Paul Sancya/AP hide caption

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Aging and Alzheimer's leave the brain starved of energy. Now scientists think they've found a way to aid the brain's metabolism — in mice. PM Images/Getty Images hide caption

Shots - Health News

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A squat lobster in the genus Sternostylus, thought to be a newly identified species, was photographed along the Nazca Ridge off the coast of Chile. ROV SuBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute hide caption

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A white-browed sparrow weaver inspects a roost under construction, after just receiving some grass brought by another member of its group. Maria Cristina Tello-Ramos hide caption

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Shells, composed mostly of invasive zebra mussels pile up at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan. The Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Species Control and Prevention Act of 1990 and the United States Geological Survey's Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database were created in response to this mussel. corfoto/Getty Images hide caption

Here's what's missing from the invasive species narrative

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Many people get into their phones when they're bored, then scroll through social media in the hopes of alleviating that boredom. But new research suggests that swiping from video to video might increase boredom, not alleviate it. Tippapatt/Getty Images hide caption

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Invasive cane toads like this one have fanned out across Australia, killing numerous predators in their wake, including freshwater crocodiles. Joshua Prieto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images hide caption

To save wild crocodiles in Australia, scientists gave them food poisoning

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Saving freshwater crocodiles — by teaching them to not eat poisonous toads

Conservation biologist Gliselle Marin carefully untangles a bat from a net in Belize during the annual Bat-a-thon. Her fanny pack is decorated with printed bats. Luis Echeverría for NPR hide caption

Goats and Soda

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Researchers glued cameras and tracking instruments to small pieces of neoprene, that they then glued to the fur of the sea lions Nathan Angelakis hide caption

Scientists attach video cameras to sea lions to map the ocean floor

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"Everything that we are as human beings is in our brain," Dr. Theodore Schwartz says. Brian Marcus /Penguin Randomhouse hide caption

Health Care

For this brain surgeon, the operating room is 'the ultimate in mindful meditation'.

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New blood tests can help diagnose Alzheimer's. Are doctors ready for what's next?

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Some researchers say the African coral tree has a racial slur embedded in its name. This month, scientists at an international meeting voted to have that epithet removed. tree-species/Flickr hide caption

Some plant names can be racist. Scientists are looking to rename them

July 31, 2024 • An international group of researchers has voted to modify the scientific names of more than 200 plant species whose names carry a derogatory word.

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A key protein called Reelin may help stave off Alzheimer's disease, according to a growing body of research. GSO Images/The Image Bank/Getty Images hide caption

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There are over eight hundred species of leeches, but researchers estimate that only ten percent of all leeches are terrestrial. Auscape/Contributor/Getty Images hide caption

We hate to tell you this, but there are leeches that can jump

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Project RattleCam lets people observe rattlesnakes with a live webcam. Scott Boback hide caption

Watch a livestream of Colorado’s ‘mega den’ of pregnant rattlesnakes

July 24, 2024 • On a rocky hillside in Colorado is a “mega den” of hundreds of rattlesnakes — along with cameras livestreaming the whole thing.

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Glyptodonts were giant, armadillo-like shelled mammals that went extinct about 10,000 years ago. A study reveals that cut marks on a glyptodont fossil in South America could have been made by humans a little over 20,000 years ago. Daniel Eskridge/Stocktrek Images/Science Source hide caption

When did humans get to South America? This giant shelled mammal fossil may hold clues

July 23, 2024 • A fossil of an armadillo-like mammal appears to bear cut marks from butchering by humans, suggesting people were living in South America at least 20,000 years ago, even earlier than once thought.

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Once completed, India's National River Linking Project will transfer an estimated 200 billion cubic meters of water around the country each year. STRDEL / Stringer/Getty Images hide caption

India's plan to reroute rivers could have unintended consequences on rainfall

July 19, 2024 • More than a hundred years ago, a British engineer proposed linking two rivers in India to better irrigate the area and cheaply move goods. The link never happened, but the idea survived. Today, due to extreme flooding in some parts of the country mirrored by debilitating drought in others, India's National Water Development Agency plans to dig thirty links between rivers across the country. It's the largest project of its kind and will take decades to complete. But scientists are worried what moving that much water could do to the land, the people — and even the weather. Host Emily Kwong talks to journalist Sushmita Pathak about her recent story on the project.

It's a little mature.

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Find daily science news and interesting science research articles at SciTechDaily, your all-inclusive hub for the latest breakthroughs, discoveries, and innovations from the ever-evolving world of science. We publish the latest science news and breakthroughs made at top universities and research facilities.

Our expertly curated content dives deep into the complexities of scientific research, unveiling the incredible discoveries and cutting-edge advancements that continue to reshape our understanding of the universe and our place within it. Stay informed, curious, and inspired as we explore the boundless wonders of the scientific realm together.

Learn more about topics such as Climate Change , Computer Science , Geology , Archaeology , Antimatter , Evolution , Neuroscience , Nanoscience , Fluid Dynamics and Energy originating at prestigious institutions like UCLA , Yale , MIT , UC Berkeley , King’s College , Max Planck Institute , Kyoto University , and Oak Ridge National Laboratory .

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How to Conduct Scientific Research?

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines research as systematic and creative actions taken to increase knowledge about humans, culture, and society and to apply it in new areas of interest. Scientific research is the research performed by applying systematic and constructed scientific methods to obtain, analyze, and interpret data.

Scientific research is the neutral, systematic, planned, and multiple-step process that uses previously discovered facts to advance knowledge that does not exist in the literature. It can be classified as observational or experimental with respect to data collection techniques, descriptive or analytical with respect to causality, and prospective, retrospective, or cross-sectional with respect to time ( 1 ).

All scientific investigations start with a specific research question and the formulation of a hypothesis to answer this question. Hypothesis should be clear, specific, and directly aim to answer the research question. A strong and testable hypothesis is the fundamental part of the scientific research. The next step is testing the hypothesis using scientific method to approve or disapprove it.

Scientific method should be neutral, objective, rational, and as a result, should be able to approve or disapprove the hypothesis. The research plan should include the procedure to obtain data and evaluate the variables. It should ensure that analyzable data are obtained. It should also include plans on the statistical analysis to be performed. The number of subjects and controls needed to get valid statistical results should be calculated, and data should be obtained in appropriate numbers and methods. The researcher should be continuously observing and recording all data obtained.

Data should be analyzed with the most appropriate statistical methods and be rearranged to make more sense if needed. Unfortunately, results obtained via analyses are not always sufficiently clear. Multiple reevaluations of data, review of the literature, and interpretation of results in light of previous research are required. Only after the completion of these stages can a research be written and presented to the scientific society. A well-conducted and precisely written research should always be open to scientific criticism. It should also be kept in mind that research should be in line with ethical rules all through its stages.

Actually, psychiatric research has been developing rapidly, possibly even more than any other medical field, thus reflecting the utilization of new research methods and advanced treatment technologies. Nevertheless, basic research principles and ethical considerations keep their importance.

Ethics are standards used to differentiate acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Adhering to ethical standards in scientific research is noteworthy because of many different reasons. First, these standards promote the aims of research, such as knowledge, truth, and avoidance of error. For example, prohibitions against fabricating, falsifying, or misrepresenting research data promote truth and minimize error. In addition, ethical standards promote values that are essential to collaborative work, such as trust, accountability, mutual respect, and fairness. Many ethical standards in research, such as guidelines for authorship, copyright and patenting policies, data-sharing policies, and confidentiality rules in peer review, are designed to protect intellectual property interests while encouraging collaboration. Many ethical standards such as policies on research misconduct and conflicts of interest are necessary to ensure that researchers can be held accountable to the public. Last but not the least, ethical standards of research promote a variety of other important moral and social values, such as social responsibility, human rights, animal welfare, compliance with the law, and public health and safety ( 2 ). In conclusion, for the good of science and humanity, research has the inevitable responsibility of precisely transferring the knowledge to new generations ( 3 ).

In medical research, all clinical investigations are obliged to comply with some ethical principles. These principles could be summarized as respect to humans, respect to the society, benefit, harmlessness, autonomy, and justice. Respect to humans indicates that all humans have the right to refuse to participate in an investigation or to withdraw their consent any time without any repercussions. Respect to society indicates that clinical research should seek answers to scientific questions using scientific methods and should benefit the society. Benefit indicates that research outcomes are supposed to provide solutions to a health problem. Harmlessness describes all necessary precautions that are taken to protect volunteers from potential harm. Autonomy indicates that participating in research is voluntary and with freewill. Justice indicates that subject selection is based on justice and special care is taken for special groups that could be easily traumatized ( 4 ).

In psychiatric studies, if the patient is not capable of giving consent, the relatives have the right to consent on behalf of the patient. This is based on the idea of providing benefit to the patient with discovery of new treatment methods via research. However, the relatives’ consent rights are under debate from an ethical point of view. On the other hand, research on those patients aim to directly get new knowledge about them, and it looks like an inevitable necessity. The only precaution that could be taken to overcome this ambivalence has been the scrupulous audit of the Research Ethic Committees. Still, there are many examples that show that this method is not always able to prevent patient abuse ( 5 ). Therefore, it is difficult to claim autonomy when psychiatric patients are studied, and psychiatric patients are considered among patients to require special care.

We are proud to publish in our journal studies that overcome many burdens.

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• 2 Experts predicted way more hurricanes this year — here's the weird reason we're 'missing' storms
• 3 Human genome stored inside near-indestructible '5D memory crystal' that could survive to the end of the universe
• 4 Pollen allergies drove woolly mammoths to extinction, study claims
• 5 Mysterious white substance smeared on 3,600-year-old mummies is world's oldest cheese

The ‘publish or perish’ mentality is fuelling research paper retractions – and undermining science

Associate Professor and MTP Connect REDI Industry Fellow, University of Technology Sydney

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Nham Tran receives funding from the Australian Research Council

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When scientists make important discoveries, both big and small, they typically publish their findings in scientific journals for others to read. This sharing of knowledge helps to advance science: it can, in turn, lead to more important discoveries.

But published research papers can be retracted if there is an issue with their accuracy or integrity. And in recent years, the number of retractions has been rising sharply. For example, in 2023 more than 10,000 research papers were retracted globally. This marked a new record.

The huge number of retractions indicates a lot of government research funding is being wasted. More importantly, the publication of so much flawed research also misleads other researchers and undermines scientific integrity.

Fuelling this troubling trend is a mentality known in academia as “publish or perish” which has existed for decades. The publication of research papers drives university rankings and career progression, yet the relentless pressure to publish has contributed to an increase in fraudulent data. Unless this changes, the entire research landscape may shift toward a less rigorous standard, hindering vital progress in fields such as medicine, technology and climate science.

A ‘publish or perish’ environment

Universities and research institutes commonly use the rate of publications as a key indicator of research productivity and reputation.

The Times Higher Education Index, which ranks these institutions, assigns 60% of its score to research , and publications are fundamental to this score.

Additionally, publications are closely tied to individual career advancement. They influence decisions on tenure, promotions and securing funding.

These factors create a “publish or perish” environment, a term first coined in 1942 by sociologist Logan Wilson.

A growing trend

Recent evidence indicates the constant pressure to generate data and publish papers may be affecting the quality of research and fuelling retractions of research papers.

Retraction Watch is one of the largest databases to monitor scientific retractions. Launched in 2010 , it reveals a growing trend in the number of publications being retracted.

In the past decade, there have been more than 39,000 retractions, and the annual number of retractions is growing by around 23% each year.

Nearly half the retractions were due to issues related to the authenticity of the data. For example, in August the United States Office of Research Integrity found that Richard Eckert, a senior biochemist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, faked data in 13 published papers. Four of these papers have been corrected, one has been retracted and the remainder are still awaiting action.

Plagiarism was the second most common reason research papers were retracted, accounting for 16% of retractions.

Fake peer review was another reason why research papers were retracted.

Typically, when a publication is submitted to a journal, it undergoes peer review by experts in the same field. These experts provide feedback to improve the quality of the work.

However, the use of fake peer reviewers has increased tenfold over the past decade. There has also been an eightfold rise in publications linked to so-called “paper mills”, which are businesses that provide fake papers for a fee.

In 2022, up to 2% of all publications were from paper mills.

Genuine mistakes in the scientific process accounted for only roughly 6% of all retractions in the last decade.

More pressure, more mistakes

One reason for the surge in retractions over the last decade may be that we are getting better at finding and detecting suspicious data.

Digital publishing has made it easier to detect potential fabrication, and more scientists are making a brave stand against these dubious practices. No doubt, the current number of retractions is an underestimate of a much larger pool.

But the intensification of the “publish or perish” culture within universities also plays a major role .

Nearly all academic staff are required to meet specific publication quotas for performance evaluations, while institutions themselves use publication output to boost their rankings. High publication counts and citations enhance a university’s position in global rankings, attracting more students and generating income from teaching.

The prevailing reward system in academia often prioritises publication quantity over quality. When promotions, funding, and recognition are tied to the number of papers published, scientists may feel pressured to cut corners, rush experiments, or even fabricate data to meet these metrics.

Changing the model

Initiatives such as the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment are pushing for change. This initiative advocates for evaluating research based on its quality and societal impact rather than journal-based metrics such as impact factors or citation counts.

A shift in journal policies to prioritise the sharing of all experimental data would enhance scientific integrity. It would ensure researchers could replicate experiments to verify others’ results.

Also, universities, research institutions and funding agencies need to improve their due diligence and hold those responsible for misconduct accountable.

Including a simple question such as, “Have you ever had or been involved in a retracted paper?” on grant applications or academic promotions would improve the integrity of research by deterring unethical behaviour. Dishonest answers could be easily detected, thanks to the availability of online tools and databases such as Retraction Watch.

Over the past 20 years, scientific research has significantly improved our quality of life. Career scientists must shoulder the responsibility of ensuring researchers uphold the values of truth and integrity that are fundamental to our profession. Protecting the integrity of our work is foremost to our mission, and we must remain vigilant in safeguarding these principles.

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China’s strides in academic research seen to narrow US lead in medical science

Growing momentum in research sets china up as a formidable player in future of global healthcare, according to scientific publishers.

Marie Souliere, head of editorial ethics and quality assurance at Frontiers, one of the biggest academic publishers in the world, said she had seen China’s overall research output slowly overtake that of the US, and the lead was most striking in the field of medicine.

“China overtook the US in share of medicine-related articles in 2019, with 22 per cent of our published content in those fields, versus 19 per cent for the US. Since then, the China share has grown, and maintains around 40 per cent,” Souliere said in an interview with the Post this month.

“At Frontiers alone, 15,158 medicine articles by Chinese researchers were published in 2023, almost eight times more than … in 2019.”

“China’s rise in cancer research, particularly in oncology and immunology, gained momentum around 2010, fuelled by significant policy changes and investments in innovation,” Souliere said.

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Collection  12 March 2021

2020 Top 50 Life and Biological Sciences Articles

We are pleased to share with you the 50 most downloaded Nature Communications articles* in the life and biological sciences published in 2020. (Please note we have a separate collection on the Top 50 SARS-CoV-2 papers .) Featuring authors from around the world, these papers highlight valuable research from an international community.

Browse all Top 50 subject area collections here .

* Data obtained from SN Insights (based on Digital Science's Dimensions) and has been normalised to account for articles published later in the year.

Vitamin D metabolites and the gut microbiome in older men

Here, the authors investigate associations of vitamin D metabolites with gut microbiome in a cross-sectional analysis of 567 elderly men enrolled in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study and find larger alpha-diversity correlates with high 1,25(OH)2D and high 24,25(OH)2D and higher ratios of activation and catabolism.

• Robert L. Thomas
• Lingjing Jiang
• Deborah M. Kado

The misuse of colour in science communication

The accurate representation of data is essential in science communication, however, colour maps that visually distort data through uneven colour gradients or are unreadable to those with colour vision deficiency remain prevalent. Here, the authors present a simple guide for the scientific use of colour and highlight ways for the scientific community to identify and prevent the misuse of colour in science.

• Fabio Crameri
• Grace E. Shephard
• Philip J. Heron

Effect of gut microbiota on depressive-like behaviors in mice is mediated by the endocannabinoid system

The gut microbiota may contribute to depression, but the underlying mechanism is not well understood. Here the authors use a mouse model of stress induced depression to demonstrate that behavioural changes conferred by fecal transplant from stressed to naïve mice require the endocannabinoid system.

• Grégoire Chevalier
• Eleni Siopi
• Pierre-Marie Lledo

The default network of the human brain is associated with perceived social isolation

Here, using pattern-learning analyses of structural, functional, and diffusion brain scans in ~40,000 UK Biobank participants, the authors provide population-scale evidence that the default network is associated with perceived social isolation.

• R. Nathan Spreng
• Emile Dimas
• Danilo Bzdok

Non-invasive early detection of cancer four years before conventional diagnosis using a blood test

Patients whose disease is diagnosed in its early stages have better outcomes. In this study, the authors develop a non invasive blood test based on circulating tumor DNA methylation that can potentially detect cancer occurrence even in asymptomatic patients.

• Xingdong Chen
• Jeffrey Gole

Deep learning suggests that gene expression is encoded in all parts of a co-evolving interacting gene regulatory structure

Regulatory and coding regions of genes are shaped by evolution to control expression levels. Here, the authors use deep learning to identify rules controlling gene expression levels and suggest that all parts of the gene regulatory structure interact in this.

• Christoph S. Börlin
• Aleksej Zelezniak

A systematic review of antibody mediated immunity to coronaviruses: kinetics, correlates of protection, and association with severity

Antibody mediated immunity to SARS-CoV-2 will affect future transmission and disease severity. This systematic review on antibody response to coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and endemic coronaviruses provides insights into kinetics, correlates of protection, and association with disease severity.

• Angkana T. Huang
• Bernardo Garcia-Carreras
• Derek A. T. Cummings

Biomineral armor in leaf-cutter ants

Biomineral armour is known in a number of diverse creatures but has not previously been observed in insects. Here, the authors report on the discovery and characterization of high-magnesium calcite armour which overlays the exoskeletons of leaf-cutter ants.

• Chang-Yu Sun
• Cameron R. Currie

Senolytics prevent mt-DNA-induced inflammation and promote the survival of aged organs following transplantation

Organ transplantation involving aged donors is often confounded by reduced post-transplantation organ survival. By studying both human organs and mouse transplantation models, here the authors show that pretreating the donors with senolytics to reduce mitochondria DNA and pro-inflammatory dendritic cells may help promote survival of aged organs.

• Jasper Iske
• Midas Seyda
• Stefan G. Tullius

Fasting mimicking diet as an adjunct to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer in the multicentre randomized phase 2 DIRECT trial

Preclinical evidence suggests that a fasting mimicking diet (FMD) can make cancer cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy, while protecting normal cells. In this randomized phase II clinical trial of 131 patients with HER2 negative early stage breast cancer, the authors demonstrate that FMD is safe and enhances the effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on radiological and pathological tumor response.

• Stefanie de Groot
• Rieneke T. Lugtenberg
• Dutch Breast Cancer Research Group (BOOG)

Aerobic microbial life persists in oxic marine sediment as old as 101.5 million years

The discovery of aerobic microbial communities in nutrient-poor sediments below the seafloor begs the question of the mechanisms for their persistence. Here the authors investigate subseafloor sediment in the South Pacific Gyre abyssal plain, showing that aerobic microbial life can be revived and retain metabolic potential even from 101.5 Ma-old sediment.

• Yuki Morono
• Fumio Inagaki

The auxin-inducible degron 2 technology provides sharp degradation control in yeast, mammalian cells, and mice

Auxin-inducible degron systems can be leaky and require high doses of auxin. Here the authors establish AID2 which uses an OsTIR1 mutant and the ligand 5-Ph-IAA to overcome these problems and establish AID-mediated target depletion in mice.

• Aisha Yesbolatova
• Yuichiro Saito
• Masato T. Kanemaki

Origin and cross-species transmission of bat coronaviruses in China

Bats are a likely reservoir of zoonotic coronaviruses (CoVs). Here, analyzing bat CoV sequences in China, the authors find that alpha-CoVs have switched hosts more frequently than betaCoVs, identify a bat family and genus that are highly involved in host-switching, and define hotspots of CoV evolutionary diversity.

• Alice Latinne
• Peter Daszak

Multivariate genomic scan implicates novel loci and haem metabolism in human ageing

Ageing phenotypes are of great interest but are difficult to study genetically, partly due to the sample sizes required. Here, the authors present a multivariate framework to combine GWAS summary statistics and increase statistical power, identifying additional loci enriched for aging.

• Paul R. H. J. Timmers
• James F. Wilson
• Joris Deelen

A microsporidian impairs Plasmodium falciparum transmission in Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes

Mircobial symbionts of mosquitoes can affect transmission of human pathogens. Here, Herren et al . identify a microsporidian symbiont in Anopheles gambiae that impairs transmission without affecting mosquito fecundity or survival.

• Jeremy K. Herren
• Lilian Mbaisi
• Steven P. Sinkins

Gene editing and elimination of latent herpes simplex virus in vivo

Herpes simplex virus establishes lifelong latency in ganglionic neurons, which are the source for recurrent infection. Here Aubert et al. report a promising antiviral therapy based on gene editing with adeno-associated virus-delivered meganucleases, which leads to a significant reduction in ganglionic HSV loads and HSV reactivation.

• Martine Aubert
• Daniel E. Strongin
• Keith R. Jerome

A predictive index for health status using species-level gut microbiome profiling

A biologically-interpretable and robust metric that provides insight into one’s health status from a gut microbiome sample is an important clinical goal in current human microbiome research. Herein, the authors introduce a species-level index that predicts the likelihood of having a disease.

• Vinod K. Gupta
• Jaeyun Sung

Bacterial nanotubes as a manifestation of cell death

Bacterial nanotubes and other similar membranous structures have been reported to function as conduits between cells to exchange DNA, proteins, and nutrients. Here the authors provide evidence that bacterial nanotubes are formed only by dead or dying cells, thus questioning their previously proposed functions.

• Jiří Pospíšil
• Dragana Vítovská
• Libor Krásný

Gut microbiota mediates intermittent-fasting alleviation of diabetes-induced cognitive impairment

Intermittent fasting (IF) has been shown beneficial in reducing metabolic diseases. Here, using a multi-omics approach in a T2D mouse model, the authors report that IF alters the composition of the gut microbiota and improves metabolic phenotypes that correlate with cognitive behavior.

• Zhigang Liu
• Xiaoshuang Dai

Transient non-integrative expression of nuclear reprogramming factors promotes multifaceted amelioration of aging in human cells

Aging involves gradual loss of tissue function, and transcription factor (TF) expression can ameliorate this in progeroid mice. Here the authors show that transient TF expression reverses age-associated epigenetic marks, inflammatory profiles and restores regenerative potential in naturally aged human cells.

• Tapash Jay Sarkar
• Marco Quarta
• Vittorio Sebastiano

Mitochondrial TCA cycle metabolites control physiology and disease

Mitochondrial metabolites contribute to more than biosynthesis, and it is clear that they influence multiple cellular functions in a variety of ways. Here, Martínez-Reyes and Chandel review key metabolites and describe their effects on processes involved in physiology and disease including chromatin dynamics, immunity, and hypoxia.

• Inmaculada Martínez-Reyes
• Navdeep S. Chandel

A deep learning model to predict RNA-Seq expression of tumours from whole slide images

RNA-sequencing of tumour tissue can provide important diagnostic and prognostic information but this is costly and not routinely performed in all clinical settings. Here, the authors show that whole slide histology slides—part of routine care—can be used to predict RNA-sequencing data and thus reduce the need for additional analyses.

• Benoît Schmauch
• Alberto Romagnoni
• Gilles Wainrib

Circadian regulation of mitochondrial uncoupling and lifespan

Disruption of different components of molecular circadian clocks has varying effects on health and lifespan of model organisms. Here the authors show that loss of period extends life in drosophila melanogaster.

• Matt Ulgherait
• Mimi Shirasu-Hiza

Circadian control of brain glymphatic and lymphatic fluid flow

Glymphatic function is increased during the rest phase while more cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drains directly to the lymphatic system during the active phase. The water channel aquaporin-4 supports these endogenous, circadian rhythms in CSF distribution.

• Lauren M. Hablitz
• Virginia Plá
• Maiken Nedergaard

Brain-inspired replay for continual learning with artificial neural networks

One challenge that faces artificial intelligence is the inability of deep neural networks to continuously learn new information without catastrophically forgetting what has been learnt before. To solve this problem, here the authors propose a replay-based algorithm for deep learning without the need to store data.

• Gido M. van de Ven
• Hava T. Siegelmann
• Andreas S. Tolias

Single-cell RNA-seq reveals that glioblastoma recapitulates a normal neurodevelopmental hierarchy

Glioblastoma is thought to arise from neural stem cells. Here, to investigate this, the authors use single-cell RNA-sequencing to compare glioblastoma to the fetal human brain, and find a similarity between glial progenitor cells and a subpopulation of glioblastoma cells.

• Charles P. Couturier
• Shamini Ayyadhury
• Kevin Petrecca

Deep learning for genomics using Janggu

Deep learning is becoming a popular approach for understanding biological processes but can be hard to adapt to new questions. Here, the authors develop Janggu, a python library that aims to ease data acquisition and model evaluation and facilitate deep learning applications in genomics.

• Wolfgang Kopp
• Altuna Akalin

Versatile whole-organ/body staining and imaging based on electrolyte-gel properties of biological tissues

Tissue clearing has revolutionised histology, but limited penetration of antibodies and stains into thick tissue segments is still a bottleneck. Here, the authors characterise optically cleared tissue as an electrolyte gel and apply this knowledge to stain the entirety of thick tissue samples.

• Etsuo A. Susaki
• Chika Shimizu
• Hiroki R. Ueda

Sestrins are evolutionarily conserved mediators of exercise benefits

Exercise improves metabolic health and physical condition, particularly important for health in aged individuals. Here, the authors identify that Sestrins, proteins induced by exercise, are key mediators of the metabolic adaptation to exercise and increase endurance through the AKT and PGC1a axes.

• Myungjin Kim
• Alyson Sujkowski
• Jun Hee Lee

Synergistic effect of fasting-mimicking diet and vitamin C against KRAS mutated cancers

Fasting diets are emerging as an approach to delay tumor progression and improve cancer therapies. Here, the authors show that the combination of fasting-mimicking diet with vitamin C decreases tumor development and increases chemotherapy efficacy in KRAS-mutant cancer.

• Maira Di Tano
• Franca Raucci
• Valter D. Longo

Single-cell RNA sequencing demonstrates the molecular and cellular reprogramming of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma

Understanding the mechanisms that lead to lung adenocarcinoma metastasis is important for identifying new therapeutics. Here, the authors document the changes in the transcriptome of human lung adenocarcinoma using single-cell sequencing and link cancer cell signatures to immune cell dynamics.

• Nayoung Kim
• Hong Kwan Kim
• Hae-Ock Lee

A deep learning system accurately classifies primary and metastatic cancers using passenger mutation patterns

Some cancer patients first present with metastases where the location of the primary is unidentified; these are difficult to treat. In this study, using machine learning, the authors develop a method to determine the tissue of origin of a cancer based on whole sequencing data.

• Gurnit Atwal
• PCAWG Consortium

Single-cell RNA-sequencing of differentiating iPS cells reveals dynamic genetic effects on gene expression

Studying the genetic effects on early stages of human development is challenging due to a scarcity of biological material. Here, the authors utilise induced pluripotent stem cells from 125 donors to track gene expression changes and expression quantitative trait loci at single cell resolution during in vitro endoderm differentiation.

• Anna S. E. Cuomo
• Daniel D. Seaton
• Oliver Stegle

Trajectory-based differential expression analysis for single-cell sequencing data

Downstream of trajectory inference for cell lineages based on scRNA-seq data, differential expression analysis yields insight into biological processes. Here, Van den Berge et al. develop tradeSeq, a framework for the inference of within and between-lineage differential expression, based on negative binomial generalized additive models.

• Koen Van den Berge
• Hector Roux de Bézieux
• Lieven Clement

Large-scale genome-wide analysis links lactic acid bacteria from food with the gut microbiome

Here, Pasolli et al. perform a large-scale genome-wide comparative analysis of publicly available and newly sequenced food and human metagenomes to investigate the prevalence and diversity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), indicating food as a major source of LAB species in the human gut.

• Edoardo Pasolli
• Francesca De Filippis
• Danilo Ercolini

Genetic history from the Middle Neolithic to present on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia

Ancient DNA analysis of early European farmers has found a high level of genetic affinity with present-day Sardinians. Here, the authors generate genome-wide capture data for 70 individuals from Sardinia spanning the Middle Neolithic to Medieval period to reveal relationships with mainland European populations shifting over time.

• Joseph H. Marcus
• Cosimo Posth
• John Novembre

Sex and APOE ε4 genotype modify the Alzheimer’s disease serum metabolome

Sex and the APOE ε4 genotype are important risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. In the current study, the authors investigate how sex and APOE ε4 genotype modify the association between Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers and metabolites in serum.

• Matthias Arnold
• Kwangsik Nho
• Gabi Kastenmüller

Integrative pathway enrichment analysis of multivariate omics data

Multi-omics datasets pose major challenges to data interpretation and hypothesis generation owing to their high-dimensional molecular profiles. Here, the authors develop ActivePathways method, which uses data fusion techniques for integrative pathway analysis of multi-omics data and candidate gene discovery.

• Marta Paczkowska
• Jonathan Barenboim

Mitochondrial uncoupler BAM15 reverses diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance in mice

Obesity is a global pandemic with limited treatment options. Here, the authors show evidence in mice that the mitochondrial uncoupler BAM15 effectively induces fat loss without affecting food intake or compromising lean body mass.

• Stephanie J. Alexopoulos
• Sing-Young Chen
• Kyle L. Hoehn

Restriction of essential amino acids dictates the systemic metabolic response to dietary protein dilution

Dietary protein dilution, where protein is reduced and replaced by other nutrient sources without caloric restriction, promotes metabolic health via the hepatokine Fgf21. Here, the authors show that essential amino acids threonine and tryptophan are necessary and sufficient to induce these effects.

• Yann W. Yap
• Patricia M. Rusu
• Adam J. Rose

Multiplexed CRISPR technologies for gene editing and transcriptional regulation

Multiplexed CRISPR technologies have recently emerged as powerful approaches for genetic editing and transcriptional regulation. Here the authors review this emerging technology and discuss challenges and considerations for future studies.

• Nicholas S. McCarty
• Alicia E. Graham
• Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro

Determining sequencing depth in a single-cell RNA-seq experiment

For single-cell RNA-seq experiments the sequencing budget is limited, and how it should be optimally allocated to maximize information is not clear. Here the authors develop a mathematical framework to show that, for estimating many gene properties, the optimal allocation is to sequence at the depth of one read per cell per gene.

• Martin Jinye Zhang
• Vasilis Ntranos

Sphingolipids produced by gut bacteria enter host metabolic pathways impacting ceramide levels

Ceramides are a type of sphingolipid (SL) that have been shown to play a role in several metabolic disorders. Here, the authors investigate the effect of SL-production by gut Bacteroides on host SL homeostasis and show that microbiome-derived SLs enter host circulation and alter ceramide production.

• Elizabeth L. Johnson
• Stacey L. Heaver
• Ruth E. Ley

Ancient genomes reveal social and genetic structure of Late Neolithic Switzerland

European populations underwent strong genetic changes during the Neolithic. Here, Furtwängler et al. provide ancient nuclear and mitochondrial genomic data from the region of Switzerland during the end of the Neolithic and the Early Bronze Age that reveal a complex genetic turnover during the arrival of steppe ancestry.

• Anja Furtwängler
• A. B. Rohrlach
• Johannes Krause

Brain insulin sensitivity is linked to adiposity and body fat distribution

Brain insulin action regulates eating behavior and whole-body energy fluxes, however the impact of brain insulin resistance on long-term weight and body fat composition is unknown. Here, the authors show that high brain insulin sensitivity is linked to weight loss during lifestyle intervention and associates with a favorable body fat distribution.

• Stephanie Kullmann
• Vera Valenta
• Martin Heni

Macrophages directly contribute collagen to scar formation during zebrafish heart regeneration and mouse heart repair

Macrophages mediate the fibrotic response after a heart attack by extracellular matrix turnover and cardiac fibroblasts activation. Here the authors identify an evolutionarily-conserved function of macrophages that contributes directly to the forming post-injury scar through cell-autonomous deposition of collagen.

• Filipa C. Simões
• Thomas J. Cahill
• Paul R. Riley

Sexual-dimorphism in human immune system aging

Whether the immune system aging differs between men and women is barely known. Here the authors characterize gene expression, chromatin state and immune subset composition in the blood of healthy humans 22 to 93 years of age, uncovering shared as well as sex-unique alterations, and create a web resource to interactively explore the data.

• Eladio J. Márquez
• Cheng-han Chung

Collagen-producing lung cell atlas identifies multiple subsets with distinct localization and relevance to fibrosis

Collagen production by lung cells is critical to maintain organ architecture but can also drive pathological scarring. Here the authors perform single cell RNA sequencing of collagen-producing lung cells identifying a subset of pathologic fibroblasts characterized by Cthrc1 expression which are concentrated within fibroblastic foci in fibrotic lungs and show a pro-fibrotic phenotype.

• Tatsuya Tsukui
• Kai-Hui Sun
• Dean Sheppard

Pathway and network analysis of more than 2500 whole cancer genomes

Understanding deregulation of biological pathways in cancer can provide insight into disease etiology and potential therapies. Here, as part of the PanCancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) consortium, the authors present pathway and network analysis of 2583 whole cancer genomes from 27 tumour types.

• Matthew A. Reyna

Single-cell transcriptomics identifies an effectorness gradient shaping the response of CD4 + T cells to cytokines

Cytokines critically control the differentiation and functions of activated naïve and memory T cells. Here the authors show, using multi-omics and single-cell analyses, that naïve and memory T cells exhibit distinct cytokine responses, in which an ‘effectorness gradient’ is depicted by a transcriptional continuum, which shapes the downstream genetic programs.

• Eddie Cano-Gamez
• Blagoje Soskic
• Gosia Trynka

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