CoVaRR-Net bridged crucial research and public health gaps to inform decision-making during COVID-19 pandemic. - Quickly assessed how SARS-CoV-2 variants affected people in Canada and around the world and discovered ways to detect and stop their spread. - Highlighted the importance of translating research into practical public health measures. - Established legacy of pandemic preparedness and response through groundbreaking national initiatives like antibody testing and wastewater surveillance.

Chimpanzee naive pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) can now be grown in cellular cultures, reveals a recent study. They successfully created chimpanzee early embryo models, called ‘blastoids,’ and found that the inhibition of a specific regulatory gene is essential for chimpanzee PSC self-renewal. They also developed a feeder-free culture system, eliminating the need for mouse-derived feeder cells as support. These findings provide valuable insights into primate embryology and could advance stem cell research and regenerative medicine.

Researchers have offered new insight into how our closest ape relatives - bonobos and chimpanzees – show empathy towards each other through consolatory behaviours. 

Skilful learners who alternate between their own learning and using tips from others achieve the greatest learning success. This is the conclusion reached by an international research team involving the Cluster of Excellence Science of Intelligence (SCIoI), the Max Planck Institute for Human Development (MPIB), the University of Tübingen, and NYU. Using the popular video game Minecraft, the researchers investigated how people combine individual and social information in a virtual food search. The most successful participants were those who flexibly combined their own exploration with social clues. Their ability to adapt to constantly changing conditions was crucial to their success. The results provide insights into how learning environments can be designed to support adaptive learning.

The Westermarck Archives at the Åbo Akademi University Library in Turku, Finland have been included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme for the preservation of documentary and written cultural heritage.