A new HIV antiretroviral shows promise as a long-acting, oral prophylactic agent, according to a new study by Izzat Raheem, Tracy Diamond and colleagues from Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, published August 26^th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology.

There’s more than one way to build a honeybee hive, depending on the needs of the bees, according to a study published August 26^th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Golnar Gharooni-Fard of the University of Colorado Boulder, USA, and colleagues.

A deep sea worm that inhabits hydrothermal vents survives the high levels of toxic arsenic and sulfide in its environment by combining them in its cells to form a less hazardous mineral. Chaolun Li of the Institute of Oceanology, CAS, China, and colleagues report these findings in a new study published August 26^th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology.

New Arizona State University research reveals the extent to which sewage pollution threatens the fragile coral reef ecosystems of West Hawaiʻi Island. The study identifies exactly where sewage-contaminated water is entering the ocean, further damaging coral reefs already impacted by climate change, and endangering human health. The research team used advanced airborne mapping techniques, along with comprehensive field sampling and sophisticated statistical models, to pinpoint locations where high levels of fecal bacteria associated with populated coastal areas are driving worsening contamination. The study provides the critical data needed by government officials and local communities to mitigate this threat and protect the health and biodiversity of coastal ecosystems.