New fossil mammal specimens from Caribbean Panama suggest ongoing marine interchange during the final stages of formation of the isthmus connecting North and South America.

Researchers at the University of São Paulo observed the effects of adiponectin in trials involving blood samples from lean and obese subjects. The discovery points to novel routes to treatment for type 2 diabetes and related dysfunctions.

A study conducted at the Federal University of São Paulo shows that 20% of patients with bloodstream infections are not treated, and at least half of those treated die. Diagnostic techniques must improve, the authors warn.

Combinations of antifungals with brilacidin, a drug undergoing clinical trials for other diseases, cleared up lung infections in animals. On its own, the candidate drug treated a fungal disease of the cornea that affects millions of people worldwide.

A generous grant to the Smithsonian to support international partnerships and training will enable GEO-TREES to offer the free, online data needed to verify the amount of carbon stored in complex forests worldwide, in real time.

To achieve tangible solutions for ocean conservation, a new peer-reviewed paper suggests that we should listen to the people who are most affected by the current problems facing the ocean: the people in the tropics.

Livestock, the petroleum industry and landfills are all leading producers of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. But another significant but less well known contributor is one of the world’s most popular crops: rice. Rice plants transport methane from the flooded rice field into the atmosphere. A new paper from researchers at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT has found that it is possible to lower emissions by developing new varieties of rice.