The plasma membrane is more than a passive boundary. It is organized into dynamic lipid-rich microdomains, often referred to as lipid rafts, that concentrate receptors and signaling molecules. In glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive primary brain tumor in adults, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling is a major oncogenic driver. Yet how tumor cells maintain the membrane platforms that support such proliferative signaling has remained incompletely understood.

Kyoto, Japan -- Bright colors in animals are beautiful but often considered risky because they are more obvious to predators. However, conspicuous colors can also serve defensively, signaling toxicity or even luring predators away from more vulnerable body parts.

Previous studies have shown that the presence of predators such as dragonfly nymphs can induce tadpoles to develop bright orange tail coloration, an ability called phenotypic plasticity. But how this color change helps them avoid predation has not been clear. While observing tadpoles of the East Japan tree frog, Dryophytes leopardus, a team of researchers at Kyoto University was inspired to investigate how their predator-induced orange tails function as a defensive trait.

"After seeing these tadpoles with orange tails at the university's experimental farm, I wondered what role such a bright tail could have," says corresponding author Akihiro Noda.

An international team of researchers from Japan and Malaysia has shown that wild orangutan juveniles continue to consume their mother’s milk continuously until at least six and a half years of age, the longest breastfeeding period known among mammals. Using a new technique called fecal proteomics, the team detected milk-specific proteins in the feces of wild Bornean orangutans in Malaysian Borneo. The study also suggests that prolonged breastfeeding supports intestinal defenses and a healthy gut microbiome, helping sustain orangutans’ slow reproductive rates and lower juvenile mortality.

There’s a conundrum that has perplexed biologists since Charles Darwin himself. Why do some exotic species take off as invasive pests while others don’t?

Weak electromagnetic fields show an unexpectedly long-lasting effect on migratory behaviour, according to a recent study by an international research team published in the journal Science. The researchers led by Dr Oliver Lindecke of the University of Oldenburg, Germany, report that broadband radio-frequency fields, ranging from long- to ultra-high-frequency bands, disrupt the orientation of soprano pipistrelle bats.