Proteins are at the heart of modern biotechnology, driving innovations across various fields. However, the scalable production of large numbers of protein candidates remains a major bottleneck for synthetic biologists.

Agricultural scientists are rethinking their battle plans against plant parasites that cause billions of dollars in annual yield losses for American farmers. 

Chemical nematicides, soil treatments and biological controls have had mixed success against the soybean cyst nematode, and many potential solutions carry environmental or economic limitations.

Host resistance — breeding soybean varieties that can withstand infection — has been the most effective and environmentally friendly management tool, but its usefulness is declining. Asia Kud, an assistant professor of nematology in the department of entomology and plant pathology for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Kud was awarded a $298,913 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to continue researching a strategy to stop these pest nematodes from feeding and reproducing by interfering feeding sites they create with proteins called effectors.

What happens when evolution rewires a brain for life in total darkness? In a study of the blind Mexican cavefish, researchers uncovered an evolutionary surprise: unlike their sighted relatives, cavefish become more active in light rather than darkness. Using whole-brain imaging at cellular resolution, the team revealed that neural circuits have effectively flipped their responses to light and dark. The findings offer a rare glimpse into how evolution reshapes the brain and could shed light on neurological disorders ranging from Parkinson’s disease to autism and ADHD.