In a recent study, researchers have discovered that the genes related on extracellular matrix (ECM) and the Wnt signaling pathway characterize the independently acquired lip hypertrophy in cichlids of East African Great Lakes. Through advanced omics-based experiments and comparative histological analyses, they found that hypertrophied lips of cichlids had a larger proteoglycan-rich layer. This study provides vital insights into the evolutionary biology of lip hypertrophy in cichlids of East African Great Lakes.

Three dimensional immunohistochemistry (3D-IHC) reveals spatial and molecular details of biological tissues, but current methods are slow and limited in depth. Researchers from Japan have developed a fast, high-sensitivity 3D-IHC method using nanobodies fused with peroxidase and a novel signal amplification system. Their technique labels neurons and glia in 1-mm-thick brain tissue within three days, offering a powerful new tool for neuroscience and disease research, including Alzheimer’s pathology.

Bisphenol A, a synthetic chemical used in plastic production, is known to interfere with various cell signaling pathways affecting development processes. However, its signaling mechanism, especially in brain development, remains elusive. Researchers from Japan have now investigated the effect of co-exposure of bisphenol A and retinoic acid on brain development. They observed disruption in HOX gene expression and developmental abnormalities, highlighting effects detrimental to fetal health. 

Millions of years ago, during periods known as “Snowball Earth,” when much of the planet was covered in ice, some of our ancient cellular ancestors could have waited out the deep freeze in pools of melted ice that dotted the planet’s icy surface, according to a new study.

Exposure to alcohol during the first weeks of embryonic development changes gene activity and cellular metabolism. In laboratory cultures, it was found that the first cells of the nervous system are the most sensitive to alcohol. This supports the current recommendation to abstain from alcohol already when planning a pregnancy.

Published 23 April, 2025

Researchers have synthesized a new allohexaploid wheat, Triticum kiharae, and demonstrated a feasible route to simultaneously introgress standing genetic variations from both the Timopheevii wheat (T. timopheevii) and goat-grass (Aegilops tauschii), as well as heritable de novo variations that have arisen in T. kiharae, into common wheat.

Currently, the main method of combatting CoTS outbreaks is by manually culling each starfish one-by-one, which is highly inefficient, labor-intensive, and costly. But now, a team of researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia, and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) in Japan have discovered that CoTS use their characteristic spines to ‘smell’ peptides and communicate with one another, even outside mating seasons. Building on this finding, the team has created a synthetic peptide that consistently attracts CoTS at very low concentrations and with no toxicity. The results are published in iScience. Their discovery could lead to the further development of potent pest-management peptides – dubbed Acanthaster attractins – that prompts the starfish to congregate at one spot, enabling the efficient removal of many CoTS in one sweep.