A new study published in Nature finds that exotic conifers growing outside their native range in the Southern Hemisphere can grow up to four times faster than populations of the same species in the Northern Hemisphere while also showing greater resistance and resilience to drought. The finding challenges a long-standing assumption in plant ecology that rapid growth comes at the cost of drought tolerance.

Led by researchers from Chile’s Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB) and the University of Talca, the study analyzed nine conifer species across 192 sites in the Americas, Europe, Africa and Oceania. The researchers also found that native Nothofagus forests in Chile showed similar drought tolerance to exotic pines, suggesting that maintaining and increasing native forests could offer an alternative approach to carbon sequestration. The findings provide new insights into plant responses to climate stress and raise questions about the characteristics that may contribute to the success of some exotic conifers as invasive species.

A new study challenges one of the most deeply rooted assumptions in civil engineering: that using recycled materials in structural concrete inevitably means sacrificing strength. Researchers from Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, in collaboration with University of Surrey, have demonstrated that recycled aggregates can be incorporated into concrete without compromising performance—provided certain technical limits are respected.

Chile’s Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB) and Colombia’s Humboldt Institute are advancing a new model of south-south cooperation that brings together science, local and Indigenous knowledge, and community action to address biodiversity loss. The initiative seeks to strengthen socioecological research, restoration, territorial governance, and knowledge co-production across Latin America, while developing collaborative solutions with relevance for global biodiversity and climate challenges.

Startup develops a sensor that measures interactions between molecules with high precision, which can reduce the time and costs of discovering drug candidates.

A research group from the University of São Paulo analyzed over 1,600 articles and found that research increased by 9.5% annually between 1974 and 2025. The authors advocate for regionalized solutions and public policies to bridge the gap between evidence and implementation.

Study reveals that tapirs, peccaries, agoutis, and deer act as true ecosystem engineers by reducing soil acidity, increasing diversity, and accelerating the decomposition of organic matter in the forest. Living in groups of sometimes more than one hundred individuals, peccaries churn up the soil of tropical forests, altering its chemical properties.

Understanding how Trypanosoma cruzi manipulates its own RNA to alter protein production and invade the host could lead to new therapeutic approaches against the disease.

When inoculated into the soil, bacterial species altered the microbiome and protected plants from a fungus that causes root rot, reducing disease symptoms by up to 60%.

Hot temperatures during development can alter the scales that create Morpho butterflies’ brilliant blue iridescence, leaving adults with duller colors.