Sorghum bicolor is a deep-rooted, heat- and drought-tolerant crop that thrives on marginal lands and is increasingly valued for its applications in biofuel, bioenergy, and biopolymer production. Although recent advances in genetic, genomic, and transcriptomic resources have improved understanding of sorghum biology, comprehensive genome-wide analyses of functional dynamics across diverse organ types and developmental stages remain limited. This study, led by the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), presents a genome-wide analysis of organ-specific gene expression, functions, and regulatory networks in sorghum. The findings offer valuable candidates for further functional characterization and genetic engineering aimed at improving sorghum stem biomass and composition.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have uncovered the first natural example of granular jamming, a process where loose particles lock into place under pressure, in the skeleton of a soft coral. The discovery explains a long-observed mystery in biology and could inspire new designs for medical devices, robotics and protective gear.

Drugs to treat inflammatory and autoimmune diseases — such as asthma, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis or Chrousos syndrome — act mainly through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). This essential protein regulates vital processes in various tissues, so understanding its structure and function at the molecular level is essential for designing more effective and safer drugs. Now, a study published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research (NAR) has revealed the mechanism of multimerization — the association of different molecules to form complex structures — of the glucocorticoid receptor, a process critical to its physiological function.

This study obtained historical genomes (~1900) of 46 Eastern honeybees. A comparison between historical and contemporary genomes revealed a decline in genetic diversity. Genes related to the nervous system have undergone rapid evolution over the past century, including key insecticide targets nAchRs. Insecticide exposure experiments confirmed genomic divergence among populations: those from central China exhibited stronger pesticide tolerance compared to populations from Malaysia.