The Haenyeo, a group of all-female divers from the Korean island of Jeju, are renowned for their ability to dive in frigid waters without the aid of breathing equipment — even while pregnant. A study publishing on May 2 in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports shows that the divers’ remarkable abilities are due to both training and genetic adaptation, including gene variants associated with cold tolerance and decreased blood pressure. The divers also showed pronounced bradycardia, or slowing of the heart rate, when they dived, but this trait is likely due to a lifetime of training, not genetics.  

By using antibodies from a human donor with a self-induced hyper-immunity to snake venom, scientists have developed the most broadly effective antivenom to date, which is protective against the likes of the black mamba, king cobra, and tiger snakes in mouse trials. Described May 2 in the Cell Press journal Cell, the antivenom combines protective antibodies and a small molecule inhibitor and opens a path toward a universal antiserum.

The open-source software toolkit aims to predict whether individuals will develop progressive and chronic diseases years before symptoms appear, potentially transforming how preventive healthcare is delivered. It can identify at-risk individuals with an accuracy of 85-99% and explain its outputs in ways that humans can understand.