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TMC Proteins Found to Regulate Membrane Lipids in the Ears

Proteins long known to be essential for hearing have been hiding a talent: they also act as gatekeepers that shuffle fatty molecules across cell membranes.

24 Feb 2026

Small RNAs in the Sperm Guide the Earliest Stages of Embryonic Development

Mounting evidence from research on nematodes to mice indicate that a father's environment, such as what he eats or if he is exposed to stress or toxicants, can lead to metabolic and behavioral disorders in his offspring.

20 Feb 2026

Early Brain Development May Predispose Some People to Obesity

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have revealed that a critical developmental process in the brain's hypothalamus might influence an individual's vulnerability to obesity.

18 Feb 2026

Controlled Oxidative Burst Promotes Brain Repair

Oxidative stress is a direct consequence of an excess in the body of so-called "free radicals" – reactive, unstable molecules that contain oxygen.

12 Feb 2026

Gut Microbial Metabolite Hippuric Acid Amplifies Immune Responses

Scientists at The Wistar Institute have identified a previously overlooked mediator in the body's response to life-threatening infections: hippuric acid, a metabolite produced when gut bacteria break down polyphenols from berries, tea, and other plant-based foods.

31 Jan 2026

Climate Change Shifts Animal Timing But Fails To Predict Population Survival

Climate-driven shifts in reproduction and migration timing impact vertebrate populations, highlighting the need for context-specific conservation strategies.

29 Jan 2026

Hidden Sperm RNA Remodeling With Age May Impact Next Generation

Increasing paternal age has been linked to elevated health risks for the next generation, including higher risks of obesity and stillbirth. But what drives this increased risk remains unknown.

21 Jan 2026

Marsupial Gut Microbiomes Show Diet Adaptations, Antibiotic Resistance Risks

Marsupials are a group of mammals that encompass many of Australia's most iconic animals, unique because of their geographically isolated evolution.

14 Jan 2026

Loss of Vitamin C Synthesis Protects Animals From Schistosomiasis

Researchers at the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) have found an advantage to vitamin C deficiency: defense against a significant parasitic disease.

31 Dec 2025

Fungal Detoxification Pathway Enables Infestation of Bark Beetle Pests

Spruce bark is rich in phenolic compounds that protect trees from pathogenic fungi. A research team at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena investigated how these plant defenses function within the food web, particularly in spruce bark beetles (Ips typographus), which ingest the compounds through their diet. Could the beetles use substances from the spruce's defenses to protect themselves against pathogenic fungi?

30 Dec 2025

New Rat Study Reveals How Genetic Traits Ripple Through Social Microbiomes

The gut microbiome - made up of trillions of microbes in the digestive tract - is vital for digestion and overall health. Diet and medication shape these microbial ecosystems, but the contribution of genetics has been more difficult to ascertain.

22 Dec 2025

Genes Can Spread Their Effects Through Shared Microbes

Your "roommate's" genes could be influencing the bacteria living in your gut, and vice versa, according to a study of rats published today in Nature Communications.

19 Dec 2025

Specific Gut Bacteria Found to Control Weight and Blood Fat Levels

The gut microbiome is intimately linked to human health and weight. Differences in the gut microbiome-the bacteria and fungi in the gut-are associated with obesity and weight gain, raising the possibility that changing the microbiome could improve health.

17 Dec 2025