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Dying Bacterial Communities Eject Cells Just Like Sci-Fi Escape Pods

Popular science fiction is no stranger to escape pod scenarios, typically featuring characters who narrowly avoid their demise by jettisoning from a spaceship - think R2-D2 and C-3PO shooting away from a rebel spaceship in the opening of Star Wars: A New Hope.

7 Jul 2026

New Pathogen Mimics Symbiotic Microorganisms to Kill Stink Bugs

Researchers at National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), in collaboration with researchers from The University of Electro-Communications (UEC) and Akita Prefectural University, have discovered a new insect pathogen that invades the gut symbiotic organ of stink bugs by mimicking their symbiotic microorganism, and this pathogen ultimately kills the host bugs.

2 Jul 2026

Study Finds Common COVID-19 Pandemic Drugs are Toxic to Marine Life

A new study published in New Contaminants suggests that several drugs widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic can be toxic to marine organisms, even at relatively low concentrations.

2 Jul 2026

New Guidance for Reporting Variants of Uncertain Significance in Genomics

The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) has published a new statement, Points to Consider for the Reporting of Variants of Uncertain Significance in Germline Genetic and Genomic Testing, providing guidance to laboratories and healthcare professionals on the reporting and communication of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) identified through genetic and genomic testing.

2 Jul 2026

Researchers Develop Non-Toxic Way to Generate the Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease

Scientists usually use animal models when studying Parkinson's disease because these models mimic the disease well.

30 Jun 2026

New Protein Storage Condensates May Hold Clues for Better Anticancer Strategies

A team of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers has discovered large droplets of proteins known as condensates near inactive chromosome regions within the cell nucleus that are a feature of some cancer cells and may hold clues for better anticancer strategies.

12 Jun 2026

New TriPcide Antibiotics Kill Dormant MRSA Without Resistance

The study on TriPcides reveals their ability to combat MRSA and dormant bacteria, offering a new strategy to address antimicrobial resistance in public health.

27 May 2026

New Epigenetic Study Discovers Inheritance Patterns That Defy Mendel's Laws

Scientists have long known that the DNA code in genes is not the only way to pass genetic traits from parents to offspring.

21 May 2026

How Minimal Medical Care Shifts Amazonian Villagers' Unique Gut Bacteria

Even minimal exposure to modern medicine can rapidly change the human microbiome. In a new study publishing May 20 in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports, researchers reveal that the gut microbes of remote Amazonian Indigenous communities began shifting toward patterns more commonly seen in urban, industrialized populations after only a few medical visits.

21 May 2026

Novel Synthetic Molecules Attack Cell Membranes to Prevent Severe Bacterial Infections

In a new study, researchers show how so‑called TriPcides can target the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, including antibiotic‑resistant strains such as MRSA. The compounds disrupt the bacteria's ability to cause infection and can also kill dormant bacterial cells, which are often difficult to treat with existing antibiotics.

20 May 2026

Researchers Compare Embryonic and Adult Mouse Brain Targets to Map Memory Networks

A peer-reviewed invited review published today in Genomic Psychiatry argues that the adult brain, when it learns and remembers and rewires, is not inventing something new.

20 May 2026

Insects, Microbes, and Food Waste May Be the Answer to the Global Food Crisis

This review examines how minimally processed foods, plant-based alternatives, functional foods, novel protein sources, and food waste valorization could help build healthier and more sustainable food systems. It highlights their potential to improve nutrition, reduce environmental pressures, and strengthen food security, while noting barriers around cost, regulation, safety, labelling, scalability, and consumer acceptance.

19 May 2026

Can Everyday Supplements Lead to Failed Anti-Doping Tests?

Researchers developed a high-throughput LC-MS/MS platform that screened 331 pharmacologically active compounds and quantitatively validated 214 analytes across representative food matrices. Applied to 78 commercial foods and supplements, the framework showed that some products could produce modeled urinary concentrations exceeding WADA reporting thresholds under realistic intake scenarios.

19 May 2026

Study Explores How Highly Infectious TB Cases Drive Transmission

Superspreading became a familiar concept to many during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior studies examining infectious disease epidemics, including those on COVID-19, have found that some individuals are much more likely to transmit infections to other people.

15 May 2026