Zoology: Octopuses put their best arm forward for every task
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 1-Jan-2026 14:11 ET (1-Jan-2026 19:11 GMT/UTC)
Octopuses can use any of their arms to perform tasks, but tend to use a particular arm, or arms, for specific tasks. This finding, presented in a paper in Scientific Reports, reveals more about the complex behaviour these animals display.
11 September 2025/Ghent/Kiel. With a four-day meeting at Ghent University, the third phase of the European research project MiningImpact has officially begun. Researchers from nine countries are joining forces to study the ecological consequences of deep-sea mining – both in polymetallic nodule fields and at seafloor massive sulphide deposits along mid-ocean ridges.
Recurrent meningiomas pose a major clinical challenge, often returning with increased aggressiveness and treatment resistance. Researchers from Korea University used single-cell transcriptomics to map tumor evolution from primary to recurrent states, uncovering COL6A3 as a key molecular driver that links tumor proliferation with immune modulation. The study advances our understanding of meningioma biology and also highlights COL6A3 as a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target, paving the way for smarter risk stratification and precision therapies.
Researchers have discovered a promising new approach to lung cancer treatment. A small molecule called AVJ16 selectively blocks the cancer-driving protein IGF2BP1, halting tumor growth in preclinical studies and killing cancer cells in patient-derived models—while leaving healthy cells unharmed. The findings could pave the way for a new generation of targeted therapies.
Inspired by molecular motors in biological systems, researchers at Doshisha University develop the world’s first symmetric ratchet motor in which a perfectly circular disk spins in one direction when placed on vibrating particles. While conventional rachets rely on asymmetry, this motor emerges from spontaneous symmetry breaking. This discovery highlights a new principle in physics of extracting order from noise, setting the stage for innovative energy-harvesting devices that work on ambient vibrations.