Is it better to work in large groups? Smaller ones? With other people who are similar or different? New research from Binghamton University, State University of New York offers insight into these questions — and some of the results are not what you’d expect.

Precise calculations of binding free energy are pivotal in reducing the high costs and inefficiencies of drug discovery. A recent study presents PairMap, an innovative computational tool that introduces intermediates for complex compound transformations. This improves the accuracy of energy predictions, with a higher impact in reducing drug discovery costs.

Sustainability certificates such as Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and Cocoa Life promise to improve the livelihoods of small-scale cocoa producers while preserving the biodiversity on their plantations. Together with the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, researchers from the University of Göttingen have investigated whether sustainability certificates actually achieve both these goals. To find out, they carried out an analysis within the Ghanaian cocoa production sector. Their results show that although certification improves both cocoa yield and cocoa income for small-scale producers, they were unable to find any effects on biodiversity in the cocoa plantations. The results were published in the journal Ecological Economics.

A new study has estimated it would cost $15.6 billion per year for 30 years to prevent extinction for 99 of Australia’s priority species. The research, led by Griffith University’s Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security with WWF-Australia and the University of Queensland, highlights the urgent need for increased funding to combat threats such as habitat destruction, invasive species and climate change.

Researchers at the University of Kentucky have developed a cost-effective, non-destructive microscopy technique to study cancer cell metabolism at the single-cell level. Published in Biophotonics Discovery, the approach uses a standard fluorescence microscope and imaging software to analyze metabolic changes in response to radiation treatment. In their study of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, the team observed how radiation-induced activation of the protein HIF-1α contributed to metabolic reprogramming and radiation resistance. This novel method offers a more accessible way to explore metabolic shifts in tumors, potentially advancing cancer treatment strategies by improving the understanding of resistance mechanisms.