Bio-based polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are considered one of the most promising sustainable alternatives to fossil-derived plastics. Poly[(D-lactate)-co-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (LAHB) is an environmentally biodegradable microbial copolyester, and its lactate (LA) content significantly influences its properties. A new study shows how reinforcing the gene expression of the LA-polymerizing enzyme in a recombinant strain of Cupriavidus necator improves the LA fraction. The LA-enriched LAHB maintained a high molecular weight and displayed a balance of strength and elongation comparable to polyethylene.

By using advanced machine learning, Carnegie Mellon researchers have created compact, yet highly accurate models to better understand the visual system, offering potential breakthroughs for neuroscience and artificial intelligence.

Cells were long believed to safeguard nuclear contents, releasing them only during cell death. Extracellular DNA was thought to enter cells solely through endocytosis into endosomes, with self-DNA never reaching the cytosol directly. Challenging this view, researchers have discovered a previously unknown cellular phenomenon termed nucleocytosis, in which macrophages directly extract nuclear DNA from dying cells. This finding reshapes core cell biology concepts and may clarify immune responses, infections, cancer mechanisms, and future therapeutic development.

Unlearning fear responses is a fundamental learning process in the brain. It allows us to flexibly react to formerly threatening situations once the danger is no longer present. This mechanism, known in research as “fear extinction,” plays an important role in treating anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders, among other things. A team working with Dr. Katharina Spoida from the Department of General Zoology and Neurobiology at Ruhr University Bochum has now proven that this process can be influenced and accelerated: If certain nerve cells in the brain are activated, mice lose their learned fear responses considerably faster. The researchers report their findings in the Nature journal Translational Psychiatry from January 10, 2026.

As people age, it becomes harder to know who is on track for healthy years ahead and who may be at higher risk for serious decline. A new study suggests that part of the answer may already be circulating in the bloodstream.

The Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences tonight announced the three 2026 Laureates of the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the United Kingdom, who each receive £100,000 – the UK’s largest unrestricted prize for science. It is the second time in the United Kingdom that all three Laureates in the Blavatnik Awards are women scientists. Maxie M. Roessler from Imperial College London, Thi Hoang Duong (Kelly) Nguyen from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, and Paola Pinilla from UCL were all recognised at London gala ceremony.

Research from the University of Warwick has revealed that butterfly caterpillars use sophisticated rhythmic signals to communicate with ants, helping them gain protection, food, and access to ant nests.