How can a fungus take over a fly's behavior? An international group of researchers with participation from the University of Copenhagen hopes to find out with the help of a new genetic map of a unique fungus that transforms 60-80 percent of the flies in your home into zombies. In the future, the fungus could become both an effective insect repellent and basis for new psychotropic drugs.How can a fungus take over a fly's behavior? An international group of researchers with participation from the University of Copenhagen hopes to find out with the help of a new genetic map of a unique fungus that transforms 60-80 percent of the flies in your home into zombies. In the future, the fungus could become both an effective insect repellent and basis for new psychotropic drugs.

An international team of researchers led by an assistant professor Brett Taylor from the University of Guam discovered that while most surgeonfishes mature quickly and die young, some develop slowly and live for several decades.

A Danish amber collector’s find upon a wild North Sea shore in the 1960’s has proved to be of great and surprising significance. After having thoroughly examining the roughly 40-million-year-old piece of amber, University of Copenhagen researchers have discovered it to contain the first fossil of a predatory fungus gnat belonging to a rare genus. The research contributes new knowledge about the distribution of the gnat species and about biodiversity across space and time. 

A research team led by Prof. DAI Lei from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) has developed a data-driven approach to predict the colonization outcomes of exogenous species in complex microbial communities. This method, independent of traditional dynamic models, uses machine learning to forecast whether invasive species can establish and their potential abundance. The study, published in Nature Communications, validated the approach with synthetic and experimental data, showing high accuracy in predictions. The findings could revolutionize microbiota-based interventions in healthcare and agriculture by offering new insights into microbial community stability and function.

The study explores how deficiency in the SCARB2 gene, associated with Gaucher disease and Parkinson's disease, leads to progressive myoclonus epilepsy (PME), a rare form of neurodegeneration characterized by myoclonus. Researchers found that SCARB2 deficiency in mice results in age-dependent malabsorption of dietary lipids and vitamin E deficiency, which is connected to gut dysbiosis and altered bile acid pools, causing hyperactivation of the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) in the intestine. Hyperactive FXR impairs the renewal of the intestinal epithelium and lipid absorption. Supplementation with vitamin E or inhibition of FXR improved neuromotor impairments in Scarb2 knockout mice, indicating that addressing nutritional deficits and gastrointestinal issues can alleviate SCARB2 deficiency-related neurodegeneration.

A pioneering study has provided new insights into immune system aging by examining alternative splicing in T cells. Researchers identified significant age-related changes in gene splicing that impact T cell functions such as its activation, differentiation, and apoptosis. These findings highlight potential therapeutic targets to enhance immune responses in the elderly. The comprehensive splicing atlas created in this study offers a valuable resource for developing innovative approaches to combat immune aging, presenting fresh perspectives on maintaining immune health as we age.