In a new study published in Nature, researchers describe the extraordinary preservation of the oldest known costal breathing system in a mummified fossil from the early Permian period. The mummified fossil, which is only a few inches long, preserves not only bones, but also three-dimensional skin, calcified cartilage, and — most astonishingly —protein remnants that predate the previous oldest-known example by nearly 100 million years.

Each winter, thousands of blacktip sharks crowd South Florida’s clear, shallow shoreline—just as beach nourishment projects churn the water into murky plumes. In one of the most detailed studies to date, FAU researchers used aerial surveys and underwater cameras to track sediment clouds and shark activity. They found sharks cluster close to shore, where turbidity can stretch for miles, clouding visibility, disrupting feeding, and potentially shifting behavior—raising new concerns for marine ecosystems and human safety.

A UAB research team defines the criteria these immunotherapies must meet to advance both conceptually and in trials, which are still at a very preliminary stage

They should have high selective precision and be programmable, sustained over time, and controllable throughout the pathologies. Macrophages, microglia and regulatory T cells would be appropriate effector cells for these treatments

A groundbreaking discovery in modernizing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been achieved. A study has, for the first time, confirmed that stable, naturally occurring nanoparticles with intact bioactivity—named Pueraria lobata (GeGen) decoction-derived vesicle-like nanoparticles (GGD-PDVLNs)—exist in the decoction prepared using the traditional boiling method. Experiments have demonstrated that these nanoparticles constitute the core active component responsible for the therapeutic effects of the decoction. They function by reshaping the gut microbiota to treat ulcerative colitis, with efficacy dependent on the microbiota. This finding redefines the scientific understanding of traditional herbal decoctions and establishes a new paradigm for developing natural nanomedicines.