New research published in Nature Ecology & Evolution sheds light on the timelines and pathways of evolution of fungi, finding evidence of their influence on ancient terrestrial ecosystems. The study, led by researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and collaborators, indicates the diversification of fungi hundreds of millions of years before the emergence of land plants.

Recent studies led by an international consortium of researchers, including scientists from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and the Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, unveiled groundbreaking findings in biodiversity conservation through in situ DNA barcoding in the Peruvian Amazon. 

Long COVID is a chronic condition that causes cognitive problems known as “brain fog,” but its biological mechanisms remain largely unclear. Now, researchers from Japan used a novel imaging technique to visualize AMPA receptors—key molecules for memory and learning—in the living brain. They discovered that higher AMPA receptor density in patients with Long COVID was closely tied to the severity of their symptoms, highlighting these molecules as potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Antarctica’s Southern Ocean is one of the most demanding places on Earth when it comes to survival. Its waters plunge below freezing, long periods of darkness restrict growth and feeding, and food webs shift with relentless climate swings. Yet one group of fish — the notothenioids, or Antarctic icefish — not only survived here but flourished. From a single ancestor tens of millions of years ago, they evolved into dozens of species. Some cruise near the surface, others prowl the seafloor, and still others dart through the open water. A new study led by Rice University, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals the secret behind this success: Icefish reorganized their skulls in ways that unlocked new feeding strategies and ecological opportunities.

Some of nature’s most important secrets are hidden in plain sight. David Stern, Ph.D., has spent his career unlocking such mysteries, from fruit fly genetics to the proteins insects use to hijack plants. The Stowers Institute for Medical Research is proud to announce Stern’s appointment as Investigator. Stern, a Senior Group Leader at Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia campus since 2011, will move his lab and HHMI appointment to Kansas City in February 2026.

Human-caused biodiversity loss has accelerated over the past fifty years. An opinion article published September 30^th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by a team of renowned international authors, including Anne Larigauderie, former Executive Secretary of Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), concludes that stopping biodiversity loss is contingent on transformative social and cultural changes across multiple scales.