Researchers have demonstrated a new class of low-cost, scalable sensors that can be used to monitor electrical activity in human cerebral organoids. Because electrical signals are key to understanding brain function, this advance facilitates research into both neurodevelopment and genetic disorders such as Angelman syndrome.

Researchers from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion, or FCAAP, are helping to solve a safety challenge in military aviation: the extreme noise generated by supersonic jets during takeoff and landing.

The research, published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, demonstrates a new model for understanding how supersonic jets of air collide with the ground or other structures to create a resonant feedback loop that produces extreme noise that can reach dangerous volume levels.

Many insects have lived in close symbiosis with bacteria for millions of years, during which time the bacteria have provided them with vital nutrients, making the mutualistic relationship so close that neither partner can survive without the other. However, the mechanisms and reasons behind the occasional exchange of symbionts during evolution have remained unclear until now. In a new study, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena and the University of Utah showed that the bacterium Sodalis praecaptivus can destroy the symbiosis between the sawtoothed grain beetle (Oryzaephilus surinamensis) and its symbiont (Shikimatogenerans silvanidophilus) within a few generations. Female beetles injected with Sodalis could pass the bacterium on to their offspring via the eggs. However, beetles infected with Sodalis exhibited reduced fitness. The beetles developed a strong immune response to Sodalis; in contrast, the original symbiont was unable to respond to the intruder due to its high degree of specialization in nutrient supply and was ultimately eliminated. This study demonstrates that even an ancient symbiosis is fragile. A new bacterial partner can quickly establish itself. This is a crucial step in understanding symbiosis dynamics in evolution.

Computational biologists developed a simple way to test a language model’s understanding of proteins. The method holds potential to improve a range of language models in science.