In a pioneering study of cervicovaginal fluid samples from the EARLY-PREG biobank, researchers at MELISA Institute validated a proteomics workflow that quantified about 50% more proteins than the comparison workflow. By collecting samples from each woman on consecutive days, researchers can track how protein levels change from one day to the next. The method opens up new ways to study fertility, the earliest stages of pregnancy and biomarkers of clinical interest in the EARLY-PREG preconception cohort.

A long-term study published in Ecology reveals that a population of endemic degus in central Chile survived nearly a decade of megadrought before disappearing locally following the extreme drought of 2019. Researchers found that a critical decline in vegetation and food availability led to a population collapse, highlighting how extreme climate events can push wildlife beyond ecological tipping points and threaten species' resilience to climate change.