University of Oregon researchers have identified a sex chromosome in the California two-spot octopus. This chromosome has likely been around for 480 million years, since before octopuses split apart from the nautilus on the evolutionary tree. That makes it one of the oldest known animal sex chromosomes. The finding also is evidence that octopuses and other cephalopods, a class of sea animals that includes squid and nautiluses, do use chromosomes to determine their sex, answering a longstanding mystery among biologists.  

Researchers have identified various distinctive immune cells in cow’s milk, creating potential avenues for enhancing animal health and milk production – as detailed in a study in Animal Nutriomics, published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Zhejiang University. 

Using single-cell RNA sequencing to study fresh milk samples, the researchers were able to explore the molecular identities of cow milk in greater detail, particularly immune cells, where they discovered that T cells and granulocytes were present as the main cell types in healthy Holstein cows. 

The study of immune cell subpopulations in cow’s milk offers greater insight into cows’ mammary gland immune function, which in turn influences cow health and milk quality.  

Yerba mate is one of the most popular caffeinated beverages in the world. International research led by the University of Buenos Aires, in collaboration with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Hamburg and other research groups in Argentina, Brazil, and the United States, mapped the genome of yerba mate. Their findings provide insights into the plant’s biochemistry and evolutionary history. They also show that caffeine biosynthesis evolved independently in yerba mate and coffee, indicating that caffeine is important for plant survival. The map of yerba mate’s genome might pave the way for creating new varieties of yerba mate.