Understanding how this nitrogenase functions could have huge implications for the more efficient and biologically-based production of ammonia, a crucial component of common fertilizers.

OpenCGChromatin allows researchers to simulate how chromatin is organised and moves in fine molecular detail.

Published in Nature Communications, the study is a collaboration between IRB Barcelona, the University of Cambridge, UT Southwestern Medical Centre and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Researchers from the Department of Cell Biology, Genetics and Physiology at the University of Malaga have led an international scientific team that has studied how a traumatic brain injury caused by a severe blow to the head conditions the brain’s long-term response to subsequent stress situations.

Wild African savannah elephants use a wide range of gestures when competing with other elephants, according to research from a group of international scientists including from the University of Portsmouth, University of Vienna and University of St Andrews.

Vaccination not only prevents disease caused by acute infection but also protects against long-term immune-related sequelae that can follow an acute viral infection. This is the main conclusion of a study led by the Infection Biology Laboratory at Pompeu Fabra University. The study, carried out in mice, shows how after recovering from an acute viral infection, animals experienced a long period of impaired immune responsiveness which compromised their immune system's ability to effectively respond to future challenges. Prior vaccination prevented these detrimental consequences, preserving immune function, thus broadening our understanding of the benefits of vaccination.  

Colorado State University researchers have developed an air quality monitoring device that can be paired with systems that track wildlife location and physiological data to learn how smoke impacts wildlife health and behavior.

Endosymbionts are widely distributed across various cell types in insects and are transmitted primarily vertically, while also spreading among different hosts through horizontal transmission. Functionally, they can be divided into obligate (primary) and facultative (secondary) endosymbionts. Obligate endosymbionts are essential for host survival, supporting growth, development, and stress resistance by synthesizing key nutrients such as amino acids and vitamins. Although facultative endosymbionts are not required for survival, they influence host phenotypes through reproductive manipulation, immune regulation, and environmental adaptation. The two types are functionally complementary, jointly meeting the host’s core needs in nutrient acquisition, reproductive strategies, and environmental adaptation.

Canavalia gladiata, commonly known as sword bean, is a leguminous crop with high seed protein content (26%–30%) and oil rich in unsaturated fatty acids. Despite its nutritional promise, the species has remained underutilized, largely because a complete genome and the genetic basis of its nutritional traits were lacking. Now, a research team from Yunnan University and BGI Research (Wuhan) has assembled the first gap-free telomere-to-telomere (T2T) genome of C. gladiata, combined with integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling of developing seeds. The study was published in Journal of Systematics and Evolution.