The Allen Institute’s 2025 Next Generation Leaders (NGL) cohort features eight talented researchers exploring the frontiers of bioscience and pursuing insights into biology with the potential to advance human health. This year, researchers bring critical expertise in theory, immunology, and cell biology, which aligns with the Allen Institute’s vision of collaborative, cross disciplinary science aimed at advancing human health and our understanding foundational principles in biology.

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is central to gene regulation, but accurately simulating its folding is a long-standing challenge in computational biology. In a recent study, Associate Professor Tadashi Ando from Tokyo University of Science rigorously evaluated state-of-the-art molecular dynamics simulation tools. By testing 26 diverse RNA stem loops, he achieved highly accurate folding predictions and outlined areas for improvement, marking a major step toward RNA-based drug discovery and design.

A new Genomic Psychiatry High-Priority Research Communication by Professor Yogesh Dwivedi and colleagues at the University of Alabama at Birmingham reports original, peer-reviewed findings demonstrating that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in stress-linked chromatin silencing during glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activation. Using an in vitro neuronal model, the team identified 79 significantly altered lncRNAs (44 upregulated, 35 downregulated; p < 0.05) following GR overexpression, with several physically interacting with the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) via EZH2 and the histone mark H3K27me3. These lncRNAs inversely correlated with nearby gene expression (R = –0.21, p < 0.005), repressing genes essential for synaptic communication and neuronal signaling. The discovery offers a mechanistic link between chronic stress exposure and long-lasting gene repression, suggesting that lncRNAs could serve as molecular signatures or intervention targets in major depressive disorder.

The 16th International Congress on Skin Ageing & Challenges will convene on November 11–12, 2025, in Valencia, Spain, uniting top experts in dermatology, skin biology, longevity science, and dermocosmetic innovation to advance skin health research.

This year's theme, “Innovation. Strategies. Translation.,” emphasizes bridging foundational science with practical applications in skin ageing and rejuvenation. The program will Explore the key mechanisms, including cellular senescence, mitochondrial dysfunction, microbiome-skin interactions, and regenerative approaches to enhance skin vitality and combat age-related decline.

Energy requirements: Brain tissue requires a lot of energy. Therefore, the organism must be able to provide this energy to support a larger brain.

Research findings: The study shows that body temperature has a significant influence on brain size in all vertebrates. The size of offspring also influences brain size in adulthood, as large brains in young animals incur high energy costs.

Evolutionary development: A constant body temperature enabled the growth of larger brains and opened up new evolutionary possibilities.