Ginkgo Datapoints has launched the Virtual Cell Pharmacology Initiative (VCPI), an open-source effort to create the first standardized framework for virtual cell modeling in drug discovery. By offering free high-throughput RNA profiling and building a shared reference cell line, VCPI aims to generate more than 12 billion high-quality pharmacology data points and test at least 100,000 compounds. The initiative invites researchers and companies to contribute compounds, shape dataset priorities, and accelerate the development of predictive AI models for drug discovery.

The dried specimen of the amphibian, collected by herpetologist Doris Cochran in 1963 in what is now a residential neighborhood of Curitiba, Brazil, is stored in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in the United States.

Since its discovery in the 1860s, Dunkleosteus terrelli has captivated scientists and the public alike, becoming one of the most recognizable prehistoric animals. Casts of its bony-plated skull and imposing mouthparts can be seen on display in museums around the world. Despite its fame, this ancient predator has remained scientifically neglected for nearly a century.

Now an international team of researchers led by Case Western Reserve University has published a detailed study of Dunkleosteus in The Anatomical Record, revealing a new understanding of the ancient armored predator. Despite being the literal “poster child” for the arthrodire group, Dunkleosteus actually was not like most of its kin, and was in fact, a bit of an oddball.

Selenium-based compounds play vital roles in human and animal health; however, accurately detecting their various forms has long been a challenge. Researchers from Chiba University have developed a new method that uses selenium’s unique isotopic “fingerprints” to identify its compounds with high precision. Using this approach, they discovered previously unknown selenium molecules produced by gut bacteria. This technique could contribute to the fields of biology, helping deepen our understanding of selenium’s functions in the body.

Cancer research, drug safety testing and ageing biology may all gain a major boost from a new fluorescent sensor developed at Utrecht University. This new tool allows scientists to watch DNA damage and repair unfold in real time inside living cells. The development, which opens the door to experiments that weren’t feasible before, is published today in the journal Nature Communications.

With a five-year survival rate of less than 5%, glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive types of brain cancer. Until now, all available treatments, including immunotherapy — which involves strengthening the immune system to fight cancer— have proved disappointing. CAR-T cells are genetically modified immune cells manufactured in the laboratory and designed to identify and destroy cancer cells. By targeting a protein present in the tumour environment, a team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the Geneva University Hospital (HUG) has developed CAR-T cells capable of destroying glioblastoma cells. Their efficacy in an animal model of the disease paves the way for clinical trials in humans. These results are published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer.