Using third-generation metagenomics, researchers overcame long-standing technical barriers to explore the full genomic diversity of unculturable marine bacteria that dominate the ocean surface waters. The study shows that SAR11 shares an almost identical genetic core, representing 81% of its genome. The remaining portion, known as the flexible genome, explains the ecological success of these bacteria in nutrient-poor marine environments like the Mediterranean.

Two research teams from the Universitat Jaume I and the Public University of Navarra have successfully tested new refrigerant mixtures, systems, and components that significantly enhance energy efficiency in this sector. This industry, which accounts for 7.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, sees an annual increase of over 170 million new domestic units.

Identification of plant species at high risk of extinction in climate-sensitive alpine ecosystems.

From fundamentals to applications: a review on femtosecond (fs) laser micro/nano processing, recently published online in the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing. Dr. Le Gao and co-authors from University of Shanghai for Science and Technology present this comprehensive review on the development of fs laser micro/nano processing, including topics such as fundamentals and unique phenomena of fs-laser pluses and matter interactions, pulse-shaping and high throughput fabrication, fs-laser processing in transparent materials, 4D printing, heterogeneous integration and 3D functional micro devices manufactured by fs laser-powered processing technology. This review sums up the recent development of the technology and a perspective is proposed to explore the challenges and future opportunities for further betterment of fs laser micro/nano processing technology.

Unprocessed rice kernels that are encased in an inedible hull must undergo milling to reveal the white rice grain. Proper milling can increase the amount of rice that makes it from the farm to the kitchen by decreasing the number of broken kernels, along with impacting nutritional and functional qualities, sensory attributes and cooking performance. Griffiths Atungulu, a professor and agricultural engineer with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, recently published a study with members of his rice processing research team that offers information to help optimize lab methods for rice milling.

A large Mendelian randomization study, published in eGastroenterology by Liu et al., identified multisite chronic pain as a key causal factor for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), along with links to depression, neuroticism, and gastro-esophageal reflux disease. The findings highlight chronic pain and mental well-being as priority targets for IBS prevention and call for integrated strategies addressing both gastrointestinal and psychiatric health.