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Biology

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 19-Oct-2026 23:17 ET (20-Oct-2026 03:17 GMT/UTC)

What evolved first – our brain or gut?

Flinders University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

What if the brain evolved to serve the gut? Scientists at Flinders University are challenging a cornerstone of biology, arguing that the gut's nervous system may be the body's original "brain," with the brain evolving later to support its needs.

Journal: The Journal of Physiology

Ancient Hox code reveals the developmental roots of vertebrate hind fins and limbs

Saitama University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A joint research team from Saitama University, Tottori University, the National Institute of Genetics, the National Institute for Basic Biology, and the Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems has identified an evolutionarily conserved role for Hox9–10 genes in establishing the progenitor cells that give rise to vertebrate hind appendages. Using genetic analyses in zebrafish and CRISPR-Cas9 experiments in the Iberian ribbed newt, the team showed that these genes act at an unexpectedly early stage of pelvic fin and hindlimb development, providing new insight into how the vertebrate paired appendage-patterning system may have evolved.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Mitsubishi Foundation, Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant, National Institute of Genetics under the Joint Research Program (NIG-JOINT)

Winners of Applied Microbiology International Horizon Awards 2026 announced

Applied Microbiology International
Grant and Award Announcement

The winners of the Applied Microbiology International Horizon Awards 2026 have been announced.

The prizes, awarded by the learned society Applied Microbiology International (AMI), celebrate the brightest minds in the field and promote the research, group, projects, products and individuals who continue to help shape the future of applied microbiology.

Researchers are ignoring most living things

University of New South Wales
Peer-Reviewed Publication

There's a long-standing problem in biology that everyone wants to study the big, charismatic creatures like gorillas and lions, while fewer people want to study more obscure but no less vital creatures like slime moulds or stink bugs. A couple of our researchers have analyzed more than a million biology papers and surveyed hundreds of researchers to quantify the issue and find out why it's so prevalent, and found that cultural biases and personal preferences play a big role in what people decide to study, leaving big blind spots in our understanding of the natural world. The issue is not that gorillas and lions aren't worthwhile areas of study but that the gaps in our knowledge mean we're missing out on insights that we can't even predict. For EG, Ozempic is based on lizard saliva research conducted decades ago.

Journal: Ecology and Evolution

Biology professor earns $228K grant for STEM teaching

SUNY Geneseo
Grant and Award Announcement

A new NSF-supported initiative will bring professional development and evidence-based teaching practices to faculty across SUNY, helping expand student success and retention in STEM fields. As part of a $2 million statewide collaboration, the project will provide training in learner-centered instruction, undergraduate research, AI-enabled teaching tools, and faculty mentoring networks. The effort aims to accelerate the adoption of proven teaching methods across SUNY and strengthen New York’s future STEM workforce.

No DREAM, No Offspring: Protein complex may play key role in plant fertility

Institute of Science and Technology Austria
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A protein complex that normally puts the brakes on genes may also be crucial for reproduction in plants, according to new research published in Science Advances. In thale cress, DREAM appears to switch on genes during meiosis that are important for the exchange of genetic material. But when the complex is missing, reproductive development becomes defective and fertility is severely reduced.

Journal: Science Advances
Funder: European Union, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (FHH), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Climate change affects the quality of one of the world’s most important staple foods

Leibniz-Institut für Lebensmittel-Systembiologie an der TU München
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Depending on the cultivar, higher concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere can significantly alter the protein composition of wheat. This affects not only baking quality but potentially also the tolerability of wheat products. This is the conclusion of a new study led by the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich. According to the study, the adaptation of crops to climate change should in the future focus not only on high yields but also on quality characteristics such as protein composition.

Journal: Food Chemistry
Funder: European Union (ERC), Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Regional Identity (BMLEH) and Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE)

Electrical engineering research unlocks DNA mystery

Texas A&M University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists have long sought to understand the complex origins of intelligent life. Emerging during the hostile climate of primordial Earth, it remains unclear how biological systems not only formed but survived and persisted under extreme conditions. Now, researchers at Texas A&M University are using light-based technologies to uncover new clues to help solve this evolutionary puzzle.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Study reveals subtle neuroimaging differences after late preterm birth

University of Fukui
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Late preterm birth may subtly influence brain maturation into early adolescence, a new study using the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study reports. Researchers found no broad differences in behavior or cognition, but brain imaging revealed regional volume differences and more pronounced differences in white matter microstructure. Some white matter measures also changed differently over 2 years between late preterm and full-term children, suggesting subtle differences in brain development.

Journal: Frontiers in Pediatrics
Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Strategic Budget to Realize University Missions, Life Science Innovation Center, University of Fukui, Faculty of Medical Science, University of Fukui, National Institutes of Health (NIH) & Federal Partners (Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development[ABCD] Study)

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