The intestinal epithelium undergoes rapid renewal every 3–5 days, a process driven by intestinal stem cells (ISCs) located at the base of crypts. While ISCs play an essential role in epithelial regeneration following injury, such as that induced by chemotherapy or radiation, the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain incompletely understood.

The liver plays a central role in maintaining systemic energy homeostasis during fasting by mobilizing lipid reserves, a process often accompanied by transient hepatic steatosis. Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 1 (DDAH1), a key enzyme metabolizing asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), has been shown to protect against NAFLD under nutrient-overload conditions. However, its role in the physiological context of fasting remained elusive.

During 2026, new legislation – the result of an agreement between the UK Government and the European Union – is planned to come into force for recreational pollack fishing that limits catches to three fish per angler per day. It will result in more fish being released after they are caught, but new research led by the University of Plymouth (UK) - and involving scientists and industry representatives across the UK - has suggested changing how that release happens could have a marked difference on the fisheries’ long-term sustainability.

Matthew Troia, a UT San Antonio assistant professor, was awareded the distinguished Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award by the National Science Foundation. The award will support his investigation on how climate change and urbanization are affecting freshwater ecosystems by enabling exotic tropical fish species to expand northward. During the next five years, Troia will integrate lab experiments, extensive field monitoring, and computer modeling to better understand the vulnerability of Texas waterways.

New research following US adolescents ages 11–12 shows that problematic use of mobile phones, social media, and video games was associated with higher risks of mental health problems, sleep disturbance, and suicidal behaviors one year later. The study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, reveals that the links between problematic screen use and mental health are stronger than those previously reported for overall screen time and highlights the risks of addictive use.

Modern-day African softshell turtles have less diverse diets than their ancient counterparts, with human-driven agriculture and carrion likely shaping their change in foraging

Seabird poop could have been used to fertilize Peru's Chincha Valley by at least 1250 CE, potentially facilitating the expansion of its pre-Inca society  

Scientists have a solid understanding of what makes up spindles — the cellular machinery that separates chromosomes — but are less certain about how the building blocks of spindles, called microtubules, work together to direct the spindles’ behavior. By combining experimental data with theory, scientists at the Flatiron Institute and collaborators find that treating the spindle as an active liquid crystal, in which large-scale structure can emerge from local interactions between microtubules, is sufficient to explain the spindles’ organization. The study appears in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) saves lives by treating cancer that has spread to the brain, but it also causes long-standing brain damage. Many patients develop memory problems, thinking difficulties, and depression after WBRT. There are currently no medicines that adequately prevent these problems of WBRT. The research team discovered that an experimental neuroprotective drug, P7C3-A20, could protect the brain from these harmful side effects of WBRT in animal models, without impairing the ability of radiation to kill tumor cells. If these findings translate to humans, adding a drug like P7C3-A20 to WBRT could safely and effectively preserve cognition and mood after lifesaving WBRT.