Baylor University’s Dwayne D. Simmons, Ph.D., The Cornelia Marschall Smith Endowed Professor of Biology, and Samuel S. Urlacher, Ph.D., associate professor of anthropology, have been elected to the rank of 2025 AAAS Fellow, a lifetime honor announced today by the Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals.

A new study from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), in collaboration with Uppsala University (Sweden) and AstraZeneca, shows how computational chemistry and supercomputers can help scientists better understand the fundamental mechanisms of life, specifically those of human cells. This research was conducted by the Molecular Modeling and Drug Discovery Unit, led by Marco De Vivo at IIT in Genoa, and was published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The study focused on splicing, an essential process that enables cells to read genes and function properly, by simulating the functional dynamics of a very large and realistic model system (~2 million atoms). The results provide a more precise understanding of splicing and help explain previously difficult-to-interpret data on splicing. This research could support the development of molecules capable of controlling this process, paving the way for new treatments for diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders

Researchers have developed an AI tool that can help determine whether unfamiliar bacteria carry genetic features linked to disease. By enabling the detection of harmful bacteria before they infect humans, this could transform pandemic preparedness. Researchers have developed an AI tool that can help determine whether unfamiliar bacteria carry genetic features linked to disease. By enabling the detection of harmful bacteria before they infect humans, this could transform pandemic preparedness.

Volume 38 of SLAS Discovery includes one review, three original research articles, and the editorial of the recently published Special Issue, Protocols in 3D Biology: Technologies and Methodologies Reshaping 3D Cell Culture.

Volume 36 of SLAS Technology includes two editorials, one literature highlight, two original research articles, two reviews and two Special Issue (SI) features.

How did ancient fish perceive their environment in the deep-sea? An international team led by scientists from the Natural History Museum of Geneva (MHNG) and the University of Geneva (UNIGE) reveals that some coelacanths – fish living 240 million years ago – used their lung to detect sounds underwater. These findings, published in the journal Communications Biology, were obtained using synchrotron imaging, an especially powerful X-ray technique. They shed new light on the evolution of sensory systems in vertebrates.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) encompasses a spectrum of disease conditions and has an increasing prevalence worldwide. A new review highlights how elevated uric acid (UA) may actively contribute to the development and progression of the disease. Evidence suggests that UA promotes inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic disturbances in the liver. It may serve as a biomarker and therapeutic target for improving MASLD diagnosis and treatment.

The dedicator of cytokinesis 10 (DOCK10) gene has been identified as a key driver of abnormal insulin secretion in insulinomas, as reported by researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo. Using surgical specimens and patient-derived organoids, the team performed comprehensive genetic and transcriptomic analyses, revealing that inhibiting a DOCK10-related pathway reduced excessive insulin release in cellular and animal models. These results pave the way for novel diagnostic biomarkers and treatment options for insulinomas.