A new international study reveals that nearly 25% of professional sports teams worldwide use a wild animal in its name, logo, or fan identity, presenting a powerful and largely untapped opportunity to support biodiversity conservation. The researchers argue that sport organisations could actively support conservation for their chosen mascot through awareness campaigns, partnerships with NGOs, and funding for habitat protection.

Mitochondria integrally influence plant growth, fertility and adaptation. Notably, multiple chromosomal configurations are present in Saccharum complex mitogenomes. There are substantial genomic reorganization and gene transfer events throughout evolution.

For the first time, a new high-resolution microscopy technique has allowed researchers to watch live as influenza viruses infect cells. 

The international team led by ETH Zurich found that the cells actively promote virus uptake. 

This technique could now help to develop antiviral therapies in a more targeted manner. 

The multidrug-resistant pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is a global health concern. Its surface capsular polysaccharides and lipopolysaccharides, which are structurally diverse and often contain rare, non-classical sugars, are major virulence factors. These glycans represent promising targets for novel therapeutics. Notably, glycoconjugate vaccines based on these structures elicit protective antibodies and confer effective immunity in animal models, highlighting their potential for combating infections.

Tigers don’t roam across Asia as they used to, but on one island in Indonesia a population of critically endangered Sumatran tigers may have found a habitat that supplies them with enough space, intact forests, and prey to thrive and raise their young. To examine tiger population densities, researchers working alongside local rangers installed infrared cameras in forests outside the national park system. Their work, in collaboration with the government of Aceh province, resulted in almost three times more images being taken and individual tigers being identified than during previous surveys. Dedicated protection efforts are the main reason for tigers’ persistence in this ecosystem, which highlights the necessity of such measures, the team said.