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Biology

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 27-Oct-2026 19:16 ET (27-Oct-2026 23:16 GMT/UTC)

A tiny cell structure with a big role in brain development

University of California - Riverside
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A largely overlooked structure inside our cells may play a crucial role in how the brain forms, offering new insight into developmental disorders and potential therapies.

Journal: Cell Reports

Dinosaur dental fossils reveal bird-like parental care bonds

Ohio State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Baby dinosaurs were likely fed more nutritious food than their adult counterparts, a finding that could offer insights into their social evolution, suggests a new study.

Journal: Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology

Pregnant women’s mental images are directly linked to vaccine hesitancy and uptake

University of Plymouth
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study explored whether women visualised a vaccine would have a positive or negative impact on their babies, and if that affected their decision to be vaccinated. The findings, published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, showed that mental images were common and – depending on whether that mental image was a positive or negative one, and about the impacts of diseases or the vaccine itself – could be used in some cases to predict if and when the women ultimately became vaccinated during pregnancy.

Journal: Social Science & Medicine
Funder: Channel 7 Telethon Trust, Forrest Research Foundation, National Health and Medical Research Council

Chinese Medical Journal article review explores organoid models in investigational new drug regulation and development

Chinese Medical Journals Publishing House Co., Ltd.
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Over the past decade, organoid research has boomed and revolutionized biomedicine, with wide industrial applications and regulatory recognition. However, comprehensive reviews on organoid-related regulations and IND-approved drugs remain insufficient. This article reviews relevant advances in regulations and IND applications, and discusses the prospects and limitations of organoid models.

Journal: Chinese Medical Journal
Funder: Zhejiang Provincial Medical and Health Science and Technology Project, Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Research Project of Guangdong Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The ability establishment of sustainable use for valuable Chinese medicine resources, “500 Elite Talent Plan” (Level B) of Taizhou City

Blocking TGF-β signaling may strengthen efficacy of osteoporosis therapy

Editorial Office of West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A recent mouse model based study suggests that blocking TGF-β may improve osteoporosis treatment by helping quiescent osteoblasts in inactive bone surfaces return to an active state. Using spatial transcriptomics, single-cell analysis, and functional experiments, researchers identified TGF-β signaling as a regulator of osteoblast activation. In a bone-loss mouse model, dual inhibition of TGF-β and sclerostin increased bone mass more effectively than sclerostin inhibition alone, highlighting a promising combination strategy.

Journal: Bone Research
Funder: National Research Foundation of Korea, Korea-US Collaborative Research Fund, Ministry of Science and ICT and Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea, Boramae Medical Center, Ministry of Trade Industry & Energy, Education and Research Program for Future ICT Pioneers

The success of infertility treatment depends on the early stages of embryo development

Estonian Research Council
Peer-Reviewed Publication

To better understand the effectiveness of infertility treatment, it is necessary to study the processes that occur during the first week of embryonic development. At this stage, the embryo begins to follow guidelines encoded within its own genome rather than primarily relying on gene products received from the mother.

Funder: European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie

How a strange fruit fly became a bloodthirsty underwater hunter

Lund University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A carnivorous fruit fly living in bubbling African streams may sound like a fever dream. However, with the help of DNA analysis of a pinned insect from a museum in Zurich, researchers have managed to draw an evolutionary map of a mysterious species that has not been seen since 1981.

Journal: Current Biology

The cost of metamorphosis in amphibians

University of Liège
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Metamorphosis, that profound transformation enabling certain animals to shift between habitats such as from an aquatic to a terrestrial environment, is generally viewed in terms of its benefits. A team of researchers from the University of Liège has now demonstrated that it also entails a direct and immediate cost for the individuals undergoing it, a cost that varies by sex and could influence long-term evolutionary trade-offs

Journal: BMC Biology

SNU professor Sangwoo Seo’s research team develops next-generation CRISPR biocontainment technology for controlling microbial survival without DNA cleavage

Seoul National University College of Engineering
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Engineered microorganisms are widely used in industrial biotechnology and biopharmaceutical applications, including the production of biofuels, sustainable chemicals, and therapeutic compounds. However, concerns remain regarding the unintended environmental release and uncontrolled proliferation of genetically engineered microbes. For this reason, biocontainment technologies, which are designed to prevent microorganisms from surviving outside controlled environments, have become increasingly important in both academia and industry.

Journal: Nucleic Acids Research
Funder: Bio & Medical Technology Development Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), National Research Foundation of Korea, Samsung Research Funding & Incubation Center of Samsung Electronics