A new paper in Genome Biology and Evolution discovers that the endangered Mediterranean fin whale is not completely isolated from Atlantic groups. Both Atlantic and Mediterranean populations have declined for the past 200,000 years. Considering more recent threats to the whales, this finding has important implications for conservation, particularly considering increasing anthropogenic pressures.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia and BC Cancer have developed a new way to target proteins long considered “undruggable,” opening the door to new treatments for prostate cancer and other serious diseases. Known as intrinsically disordered proteins, these molecular shapeshifters are extremely difficult to target with medication due to their flexible and ever-changing structure. They play a central role in a wide range of diseases—including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, heart disease and autoimmune conditions—yet only a handful of medications currently exist that can target them. In a study published today in Nature Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, the researchers demonstrate a new approach for designing drugs that bind more strongly to these proteins and block their disease-causing activity. In some cases, the compounds they developed bound up to a million times more tightly than any previously reported.  

Scientists built a new theoretical model that learns from interactions. Positive interactions strengthened connections, and negative interactions weakened connections. Model revealed that strong connections can lead to feedback loops and echo chambers. Findings extend to diverse spreading systems, from social ideas to infections to animal behavior to neural signals.