2-Feb-2026 Multiple bacteria may be behind elk hoof disease Washington State University A debilitating hoof disease affecting elk herds across the Pacific Northwest appears to be driven not by a single pathogen but by multiple bacterial species working together, according to a study led by researchers in Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology
23-Jan-2026 Experimental study on current distribution in parallel-connected solid oxide fuel cell strings Shanghai Jiao Tong University Journal Center To increase the power generated by solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), multiple cells have to be connected into a stack. Nonuniformity of cell performance is a worldwide concern in the practical application of stack, which is known to be unavoidable and caused by manufacturing and operating conditions. However, the effect of such nonuniformity on SOFCs that are connected in parallel has not been discussed in detail so far. This paper provides detailed experimental data on the current distribution within a stack with nonuniform cells in parallel connection, based on the basics of electricity and electrochemistry. Particular phenomena found in such a parallel system are the “self-discharge effect” in standby mode and the “capacity-proportional-load sharing effect” under normal operating conditions. It is believed that the experimental method and results proposed in this paper can be applied to other types of fuel cell or even other energy systems. Journal Frontiers in Energy
22-Jan-2026 Stingrays inspire smarter ocean robots University of California - Riverside Researchers have learned how stingrays adjust for negative lift near the seafloor - being sucked downwards - and the discovery could help build smarter underwater robots that avoid disastrous ground collisions. Journal Journal of The Royal Society Interface
13-Jan-2026 Fish farming least harmful in northern Norway Norwegian University of Science and Technology Environmental conditions on the seabed around fish farms generally improve the farther north you go in Norway. Journal Aquaculture Environment Interactions
12-Jan-2026 Treatments for low back pain can cost thousands - but some of the best fixes are free University of Sydney Among the myriad medical treatments for low back pain – a leading cause of disability that affects more than 600 million people worldwide – new Australian research has found that simpler and relatively more affordable lifestyle solutions may make the biggest difference. Journal Arthritis Care & Research Funder National Health and Medical Research Council
7-Jan-2026 Comparing four heat-inducible promoters in stably transformed sugarcane regarding spatial and temporal control of transgene expression reveals candidates to drive stem-preferred background/objective transgene expression University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Inducible promoters provide remarkable utility when sustained transgene expression compromises plant development or agronomic performance. In this study, four different plant heat shock protein (HSP) promoters were characterized in the vegetative tissues of stably transformed sugarcane to evaluate their efficacy and spatial expression profiles when directing the expression of a uidA reporter gene. This study produced new quantitative knowledge on the temporal and spatial expression of HSP promoters in sugarcane, expanding the promoter toolbox for crop biotechnology to support gene function studies and biotechnology applications, including precision gene editing and complex metabolic engineering. Journal Frontiers in Plant Science Funder U.S. Department of Energy
7-Jan-2026 How an ancient stem cell regulator shapes modern plant regeneration Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science Plant regeneration relies on a delicate balance between stem cell renewal and differentiation, yet the evolutionary origin and functional limits of key regulators remain poorly understood. Journal Horticulture Research
6-Jan-2026 AI is rewriting the rules of enzyme engineering—from faster prediction to smarter design Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science A research team maps the key tasks that define modern enzyme engineering—function annotation, structure modeling, and property prediction—and explain how AI methods now accelerate each step, from mining candidate enzymes in massive sequence databases to generating new variants with improved activity, stability, or selectivity. Journal BioDesign Research
6-Jan-2026 From rare pigment to industrial bioproduct: How engineered microbes are boosting violacein production Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science A research team has delivered a comprehensive overview showing how microbial fermentation—guided by synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and smart bioprocess design—can transform violacein from a rare natural pigment into a scalable bio-based product. Journal BioDesign Research
