EurekAlert! News by Subject: Biology - News by Subject: Biology

Biology

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 29-Jun-2025 17:10 ET (29-Jun-2025 21:10 GMT/UTC)

Should I stay or should I go: When do young fish leave their home?

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
Peer-Reviewed Publication

3D-printed snail shells provide insights into the brood care of cichlids

Journal: Current Biology

Faster drug development with the help of artificial intelligence

University of Konstanz
Grant and Award Announcement

Konstanz biologist Patrick Müller receives a Proof of Concept Grant from the European Research Council for his project "EmbryoNet-AI". Its goal is the further development of an AI-supported platform for the automated evaluation of experiments – for example, in drug development.

A new European excellence grant for the development of upper limb prosthetics

Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia - IIT
Grant and Award Announcement

The European Research Council (ERC) announced today the allocation of 134 "Proof of Concept" (PoC) grants across Europe to bring outstanding scientific research closer to practical applications. The Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT-Italian Institute of Technology) is one the recipient of these grants, worth €150,000, awarded to Antonio Bicchi, a pioneer in soft robotics prosthetics for the creation of the multi-articulated SoftHand. Bicchi is the coordinator of the Soft Robotics for Human Cooperation and Rehabilitation Lab at IIT in Genoa. This new funding will support the development of a robotic arm prosthesis capable of replicating the features of a human limb, following the biological principles of soft robotics. In the project named “VSoftPro” will also participate the innovative SME qbrobotics, founded in 2012 as an IIT start-up.

Funder: European Research Council

Viruses and the human cell: The evolutionary arms race

Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The research group led by Prof. Yael Mandel-Gutfreund from the Faculty of Biology presents new findings related to the immune system's activity against viral infections. The study, published in Nature Communications, was led by Prof. Mandel-Gutfreund and Dr. Amir Argoetti as part of the latter’s doctoral research.

Journal: Nature Communications

Designing proteins with their environment in mind

Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Peer-Reviewed Publication

EPFL researchers have developed a computational method to explicitly consider the impact of water while designing membrane receptors with enhanced stability and signaling, paving the way for novel drug discovery and protein engineering.

Journal: Nature Chemistry
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health, Eli Lilly and Company, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), Swiss Cancer League, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Advanced Photon Source, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

Using alternative protein sources: Improving the mouthfeel of plant-based foods with fava beans

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

Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich have for the first time investigated how protein structures derived from fava beans affect a cellular model of human oral tactile cells. These sensory cells respond to mechanical stimuli such as pressure and play a key role in the perception of texture and mouthfeel of food and beverages. The new findings could help improve our understanding and ultimately optimize the sensory acceptance of plant-based foods, promoting a more sustainable and healthier diet.

Journal: Foods
Funder: This research was funded by Leibniz Association through the Leibniz Best Minds program

Solving the evolutionary puzzle of polyploidy: how genome duplication shapes adaptation

Institute of Science Tokyo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A recent study at Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at Institute of Science Tokyo has developed a theoretical model that uncovers the dual role of polyploidy—organisms carrying extra genome copies—in evolution. Their findings reveal that polyploidy can stabilise populations in predictable environments, where the evolution of novel traits is not required, enabling organisms to adapt and thrive in challenging conditions by accelerating evolutionary innovation. This breakthrough offers fresh insights into evolutionary mechanisms and their implications for microbiology, biotechnology, and medicine.

Journal: PRX Life
Funder: Japan Science and Technology Agency, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science