The transition from aquatic to terrestrial life has been one of the most significant evolutionary challenges. This decisive process in the evolution of life on Earth required a profound renewal of the genome. But what changes did genomes undergo to facilitate the transition to the terrestrial environment? Now, a study published in the journal Nature reconstructs the key genomic adaptations at different stages of the evolutionary transition to terrestrial ecosystems. The results show that, although each lineage followed its own evolutionary path, many adaptive functions evolved independently and repeatedly.

A healthy New Jersey man, 47, died after eating hamburger. The death has prompted the leading expert on the allergy to urge vigilance among physicians and residents of the growing area home to the Lone Star tick.

Using human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived kidney organoids, researchers from Science Tokyo uncovered how abnormal Hippo signaling drives fibrosis in nephronophthisis, a genetic kidney disorder caused by NPHP1 deficiency. Confirming their discovery, the team demonstrated that inhibiting the Hippo signaling pathway effectively suppresses fibrosis in kidney tissue. The study highlights the potential of organoid-based disease models for elucidating disease mechanisms while offering a new therapeutic target for nephronophthisis.

Droughts are having a major impact on Europe’s forests — and climate change could make them even more frequent. But diversity helps: a new study led by the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and Leipzig University shows that forests are more resistant to drought when trees employ different strategies for using water. The decisive factor is not only how many species are present, but how differently they absorb, store, and use water.